#yep this is a the prologue of Physic
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Sometimes, I remember that Silas and Mr Gringe really accidentally unleashed a plague (and an evil ghost queen) because they were looking for pieces of their magical boardgame in a sealed room.
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Saga of Solitude 1/?
Nepo!Baby Bradley and his life at USNA. DADT fully in force. Hangster AU. (Begun prior to 'It's not who you know' - the non-angsty version).
This 3.5k chapter is written on the assumption that you've read the prologue, but you do you (it will still 100% make sense, but He Remembers does set the scene).
PROLOGUE (He remembers)
HANGSTER FIRST MEETING (Lonely Nights)
Updating irregularly. This is a SLOW BURN
2000 (Bradley is 17)
His hands shake as he holds the envelope. It’s thick. He knows that that’s a good sign. He promised Ice he would wait for him before he opened it. He carries it around the house with him, room to room, nervous that he’s going to somehow lose it if he lets it out of his sight. Mav is meant to be getting back from his deployment this weekend, and the girls are also meant to be coming for the weekend, so it’ll be all his family in one place to celebrate or commiserate with him.
God he hopes it’s celebrate.
He really wants to celebrate.
What if it’s not?
Oh god he thinks he’s going to be sick.
Yep.
Yep, he’s sick, just making it to the bathroom before bringing up the remnants of his lunch and the afternoon snack he’d forced down.
Oh god, he doesn’t know if he can wait until Ice gets home.
He sips the glass of water slowly, lets his stomach settle, reminds himself that his life will be fine if it is in fact a rejection letter. He’s applied to other places, Ice and Mav both insisting on it. He’s an honor student, plays baseball, runs track and is a member of the swim team. All things Ice had suggested to him if wanted to strengthen his application and prepare himself physically for entering the Navy. He’ll be fine.
He’ll be fine.
He turns on the TV, a hopeful step to distract himself but keeps checking the time. When he hears a car he runs out to the drive and it’s Ice’s car, but there is someone in the passenger seat, in uniform and his heart jumps.
Mav.
Mav is home.
“Dad!” Bradley yells, running and wrapping his arms around his father.
“Bradley! Holy shit you’ve grown!”
“Maverick, language…” Ice says, his sigh resigned like he’s just reprimanding him automatically and Bradley lets out a laugh. “Surprise. He got in early.”
“I got my letter. It’s.. here,” Bradley says, shoving the letter at Ice, not wanting the pressure of opening it.
He looks and Mav and Ice; they’ve both grown still, suddenly less happy as they look at the thick white envelope, Ice slapping it against his palm, expression serious.
“Come on, let’s go inside.”
They head inside, and he leans into Mav’s arm around him, barely reaching now, but he won’t say anything. Ice is grabbing a letter opener, holding it out to him along with the envelope and he shakes his head.
“Can you open it please.”
Ice doesn’t bother answering, simply slits it along the top, pulling out the folded wad of paper and flicking the top sheet out sharply, eyes scanning it.
“You’re in.”
He lets out the breath he’d been holding, entire body slumping with relief.
“Like there was any doubt,” Mav mutters, hugging him again, but he can see the tick in his jaw, knows he’s upset or worried about something. He’d seen it a lot when Mav had been teaching him to drive before Ice had decided that maybe he should take over the lessons.
“We should sit down… maybe have some tea.”
“You’ve been spending too much time with that British-raised Admiral, thinking tea can solve everything…”
“Well, Bradley’s eighteen, didn’t exactly want to offer him whiskey.”
“That’s okay, I can offer it. You want a whiskey?”
“Maverick!”
Bradley laughs, his nerves settling a little at Mav’s sheer ridiculousness.
“I’m joking! Stop looking at me like that.”
Ice lets out a long breath and he wonders if maybe he should have a whiskey.
“Okay, so there’s also something we need to tell you.”
“If it’s about sex we can skip it…” Bradley blurts out, wondering if that’s what has got them looking so deadly serious. He’s not stupid, at least not anymore. He’s realized they’re more than just friends, even if Mav has never uttered the words. Ice hasn’t either but he’s seen them, when they think he’s not looking. Heard them when they think he’s not at home, which he’s never mentioning ever. They’re both looking at him in shock and he pulls a face. “What? I’ve had sex.”
“Fuck. Please tell me you’re being safe,” Mav mutters, which Bradley thinks is hypocritical considering the shit Mav pulls, although of course he is. Ice and Sarah have that shit covered.
“Yeah, of course. I’m not stupid.”
“Good to know. Not what we were going to talk about, but, uh, still good to know,” Ice says, looking at the ceiling like it will somehow give him strength. Maybe he’s thinking of the sex talks he’s going to have to give Tamsin and Petra, although they’re only five and three, so at least he’s got years to prepare himself.
“It’s about your mom.”
Bradley sits back, going silent. His mom has been gone nearly eight years, he can’t even begin to imagine what they have to say about her now.
“She didn’t want you to join the Navy. I’m pretty sure when she said Navy, she meant any branch of the DoD, but we won’t split hairs. It was something we argued about. A lot.”
“She wanted us to make sure you never joined. You’re eighteen and we wouldn’t be able to stop you enlisting. However we wanted you to know what she wanted.”
“What do you want?”
“We want you to be happy.”
“Safe.”
“But it would be hypocritical of us to stand in your way if you really want to join the Navy when we’re both… in the Navy,” Ice explains.
Mav hums you can sail the seven seas and Ice shoots him a glare and it makes him laugh, Mav giving him a wink.
“Bradley, we’ll be proud of you regardless of what you do, as long as you’re proud of it as well.”
“You don’t need to feel like you have to join just because your dad was, or just because we are…” Mav adds and Bradley nods.
“So, if you decide to accept this… and you do still need to accept it, just because they’re offering you a place doesn’t mean you have to accept it. If you decide to accept it there are some things that you need to be aware of…”
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. So this is a sex talk…” He notes the look that Mav and Ice exchange and realizes then that they think he doesn’t know, that he hasn’t put it all together. “Uh, I know you guys are a couple by the way.”
He doesn’t get the response he expects, although he doesn’t know what he was expecting exactly. Maverick is laughing, but Ice has gone pale, looks nervous and he reminds himself that he’s considering entering an institute that will deny him something as simple as acknowledging his chosen partner.
“Told you he’d figure it out,” Mav says, and he’s standing, going over to the liquor cabinet and pouring two whiskies, placing one in front of Ice who takes a sip with a slightly trembling hand. Mav pull a face, and he can’t really parse what it means. They’re not happy, he gets that much.
“Bradley, DADT means you can’t talk about… well. Us,” Ice starts.
“Yeah. I figured that out. I know you guys aren’t out. You didn’t even tell me.”
They both wince at that and he wonders what it is he said.
“Well, you can mention us, but you can’t mention our positions.”
“Maybe avoid the fact that we’re in the Navy all together,” Mav suggests.
“It also means you need to be… careful. For yourself,” Ice adds, turning the glass under his fingers.
“Yeah. I get it.”
“Bradley… we’re saying this because we care. Because we’re worried. You’ve grown up in an age where it’s… more acceptable to be… gay. The Navy hasn’t exactly moved at the same rate.”
“We both married women because we needed people to stop speculating. It’s far more acceptable to be a widow or a divorcee…”
“Oh.” Of course. He knew Mav had married his mom to make the whole adoption thing easier, but Ice marrying Uncle Sarah. He’d maybe thought bisexual, not that they were trying to throw people off their scent.
“Yeah… I think you’re starting to get the idea kid.”
“I’m not a kid.”
“You’ll always be my kid. Our kid.”
Shit.
They’re both looking at him, eyes sad, and he nods tightly, once.
Stares at the floor so he doesn’t see them watching.
He gets it.
But.
He still wants it.
Wants it bad enough that he’ll ignore what his mom wanted.
Wants it bad enough that he’ll hide away a part of himself.
His stomach roils at the idea of being found out then, but he has to at least try. He wants to fly more than he wants to have a boyfriend. More than he wants sex. Sex hasn’t been that great anyway. His times flying have definitely been better and more memorable than the times he’s had sex.
“I want to fly.”
“Yeah. Okay. How about you take the weekend, read through everything. We can discuss timelines and Plebe Summer…”
“And how to avoid answering questions about your family.”
“I’ll just… not talk about you at all. If anyone asks I’ll say my dad was a naval aviator and he died in a training exercise and –”
“That’ll probably make them stop asking you questions. Won’t exactly make you friends.”
“I don’t want friends. I want to fly.”
“You can have both.”
“Not if you’re lying to them.”
“It wouldn’t be lying.”
“Half-truths and omission is still lying.”
Bradley looks between them, and he knows they’re about to enter a pointless argument with no winner that they seem to do every time Mav returns from deployment. It’s a pattern he’s noticed, all their attention turned and focused on each other and oh… Right. He guesses he’s still got a bit to learn.
“I’m going to take this to my room and read it. Let me know when dinner’s ready okay?”
“We’ll order takeout, something to celebrate. What do you want?”
“Pizza!” Bradley calls out, can already hear the scraping of chairs and he’s going to put his music on and blast it.
… … …
“You okay? Ice?” Pete asks, crouching beside him and Ice looks up from his glass of whiskey.
“How did he figure it out? We’ve been so careful…”
“He lives with us. Not all of us together, but he knew I wasn’t interested in Carole like that… He knows I’m not straight. When he came out to me I told him it wasn’t easy being in the Navy and not being straight. I really don’t think it’s obvious, not to our workmates or the casual observer. We have separate homes, separate lives… Our friends and family know because we told them.”
“We didn’t tell Bradley, he figured it out on his own.”
“He’s a smart kid. We did a good job,” Pete says, running his fingers over the back of Ice’s hand briefly, a caress that could be brushed off as accidental apart from the number of times Pete has managed it over the last decade. The closest he can give to a comforting hug in public.
“Yeah, we did…”
“He probably thinks we’re having reunion sex.”
“Well, it has been five months. I wouldn’t say no.”
Pete coughs, caught by surprise.
“I – really? But Bradley’s home…”
“Your son, who apparently knows we’re together, is now in his room in my house blasting music so loud I can feel it in my bones…”
“Come on then! Time’s a wasting!” Pete says, tugging at his hand now, not wanting to give Ice time to second guess his decision and change his mind.
“You taking me to me bedroom Mav? Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“I left it in my thirties, it was replaced by my desire to never have my son never walk-in on me having sex…”
Ice laughs then, reaches for him, pulls him close and he’s being kissed. Kissed properly like it’s a whole conversation, telling him how much he’s been missed, how much he’s loved, how much he’s wanted. Ice holds him close, one arm around his waist and his other hand on the back of his head, fingernails scraping through his hair and he presses against it, mainly against the hard body in front of him and one of the few perks of deployment is getting to come back to this every time.
“Come on, take me to bed.”
… … …
Bradley has seen videos of his parents, knows he’d probably have siblings if his dad had lived. He probably would have also known more than he wanted to about their sex life, given that they’d seen sickeningly in love with each other and not afraid to let the surrounding people know it. He remembers them being constantly affectionate with each other, always cuddling each other, often with him sandwiched in between.
Mav and Ice don’t have that type of relationship at all, he’s never seen them kiss, or hold hands. Hugs have been few and far between, always coupled with manly backslaps or punches to the arm and he can only hazard a guess that it’s different behind closed doors. Except nothing between them changes over the weekend. They’re still friendly with each other, there are still looks which could maybe have a heavier meaning, but on Saturday night Mav says he’s heading home, to his place and Bradley has to stop himself from asking why.
They have an illusion they need to maintain and he needs to play his part in maintaining it. He offers to go and stay with Mav, after all he’s only just back from five months away. Instead he’s told to stay where he is, that Ice wants to talk to him about the USNA once Tamsin and Petra are in bed. And he might not have siblings, but he does have Tamsin and Petra, who get called his little ducklings with how they follow his every move when they come to stay, or when he stays with Sarah and her wife when Ice isn’t at home and Bradley still needs to attend school. Bradley’s the one that reads them their bedtime stories, so he hugs Mav goodbye and tells him he’ll see him tomorrow.
“You want a beer?” Ice offers and Bradley does a double take.
“Uh. Is this a trick question?”
Ice shrugs and Bradley accepts the bottle hesitantly, because Mav offering him whiskey as a joke last night is one thing, Ice offering him a beer with his serious face on is a whole different ball game and he knows they’re going to talk.
“You had a chance to read through the material yet?”
“Yeah. You know I’m going to accept right?”
“I know. Stopping you from doing this would be like trying to stop Mav from flying. An impossible undertaking. So. I know we have time, but Plebe Summer… you want to be as physically ready for that as possible. It’ll make everything else easier. Mav and I will start you on a training regime so it’s not too much of a shock. Also start memorizing the orders now.”
Bradley groans, but he guesses he’s going to have to prove to some that he deserves to be at USNA and not sailing in on the fact that Ice is pretty much his step-dad or de facto guardian or whatever the fuck people have been referring to their relationship as. Actually, he should probably know what other people think, or know.
“What do other people think about me? About me living with you when Mav is deployed that is?”
“That I’m doing Mav a favor. Some people might think it’s out of guilt, because of your dad. But it’s not. Your dad was my friend too. More than Maverick was back then, that’s for sure. Also I love you, your my kid in everything but name.”
“It’s kind of going to suck pretending I don’t know you. Or that we aren’t close.”
“Don’t pretend. You can mention me. But maybe don’t advertise the fact, because there will be people that will want to use your connections. There always are.”
“Uh… I wasn’t going to try and make myself come off as a massive dick like I only earnt my place because I’m legacy.”
“Bradley, you’re… triple legacy? If that’s even a thing. If anyone was going to accuse the Navy of nepotism then you’d be the poster child. Except you’re aptitude tests are great, you’d be a shoe in even if you weren’t a legacy kid. If you don’t want to draw attention to your relationship with me then we can manage that. I find deflection works best. When you’re asked about your family, what will you say?”
“My dad was a naval aviator who died in a Top Gun training incident in eighty-six and my mom died of cancer in ninety-four. I was raised by my step-father after that. Any other awkward questions you want answers to?”
Ice chuckles then, takes a drink of his beer and shakes his head.
“God you sounded like Mav just then… You know what Mav told me to tell people when they suggested I try and reconcile with Sarah? That she was a lesbian and it was pretty hard to reconcile that.”
“Oh ouch…”
“Yeah, be good at what you do. Be friendly but simply discourage people from asking questions and you’ll be fine. When you make friends, and you will make friends Bradley, you’re far too social to not make friends, then you can maybe share with them who helped raise you after your mom died…”
“You helped before she died too. You’ve always been there for me.”
“I’ve always tried to be there.”
“Thanks Ice.”
“My pleasure. Now are you actually going to drink any of that or are you just warming it up?”
“You can have it, I don’t like beer.”
“How do you know? You haven’t even tasted it,” Ice states, his expression flat and Bradley rolls his eyes, knows when Ice is trying to wind him up.
“You know I go to parties. I’ve had beer before.”
“Learning all sorts this weekend aren’t we.”
“Like you’d believe me if I said I’ve never had beer before anyway…”
“Somedays I forget you’re not the same age as Tamsin and Petra.”
“Ice…” Bradley says, rolling his eyes, handing him the bottle of beer.
“If you ever have kids of your own you’ll understand.”
“How did that, uh, work, anyway? Are you…” he trails off, not really sure how to ask his other father figure how he might identify.
“I’m gay Bradley. Sarah knew before we even got married. Your mom set us up actually. This was back when it was instant dishonorable discharge if someone found out. Someone made a stupid passing comment about Mav and me, and we weren’t even serious about each other back then. Your mom had just been diagnosed and we knew it was a solution that would benefit everyone. Anyway, would you believe Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is actually an improvement? It’s still not easy but…”
“I get it. You don’t want to put me off going, but you want me to be prepared for how hard it will be.”
“Yeah. Yeah, you get it. I don’t want you to come back to us and say we didn’t warn you. Mav isn’t academy, somehow thinks I have some secret insights I can share with you despite the fact it’s been over twenty-five years since I was there. Things will have changed.”
They sit in silence for a few moments and Bradley knows they’ll support whatever decision he makes. That lying, even by omission, is going to become normal for him, habit. He has to accept that if he’s going to join. He’s going to have to hide himself, and his family.
“Is it worth it?”
“Is what worth it?”
“Hiding.”
The sigh Ice lets out is long and Bradley can tell he’s not avoiding the question, but more trying to formulate an answer, because he never rushes things, always treats Bradley’s questions with respect and gives him fleshed out answers, truthful ones, even when they might hurt. He’s talked more about his dad’s death with Ice than he has with Mav, knows that Mav still feels some level of guilt, and probably always will if what Ice says, so he doesn’t bring it up with him.
“Yes and no. It used to be easy. No. That’s not right. It used to be easier. When we were younger, and had your mom and Sarah at our backs, it was easier. Now… well. We’re very used to hiding. But I’d love to take Mav to things as my partner. Officially. Not just pretend to bump into each other and pretend we haven’t seen each other in a while. It can be lonely.”
“That sounds sucky.”
Ice shrugs, seems reconciled to it and Bradley wonders if he’ll get like that and it makes him a little sad.
“It is what it is. I can’t change anything. I’ve been very careful. But I made friends, close friends, ones that know about Mav and me, and some still serve now. If I lived my time again I’d make nearly all of the same choices. Maverick being one of them. He’s worth it.”
“Even when he annoys you?” Bradley asks, because that seems to be a cornerstone of their relationship, and the smile Ice gives him is small and soft.
“Especially when he annoys me. Reminds me not to take myself too seriously.”
“Okay. Okay. Thanks for the talk…”
“Anytime. You know that.”
Yeah.
He does.
CHAPTER TWO
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Strawhats Play Among Us. The Prologue.
........yep
INTRO (you're here) > GAME 1 >
so:
read left to right
all will be from Usopp's POV
their environment and bodies will be treated as physical for the fun of it, but they're supposed to be actually playing the literal amogus game. So no powers!
i chose the pre-Water 7 team because... idk i didn't want to deal with too many players for now. There might be a sequel
oh, and i may have misremembered several rules ;;;;;; my b
enjoy
if you DARE
#onepiece amogus#strawhats play among us#Usopp one piece#chopper one piece#nami one piece#luffy one piece#robin one piece#sanji one piece#zoro one piece#one piece comic
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Soulmate AU Series: Katsuki Bakugo
Pairing: Katsuki Bakugo X Reader (GN)
Summary: The day you get your soulmark, except you didn't find your soulmate the way you expected
Wordcount: 628
Warnings: Cussing (it's Bakugo)
Requested by: No one
Inspired by: This post by @dashielldeveron , this post by @haitani-trash and this post by @virtual--hug
Notes: Reader’s quirk hasn’t been decided yet, please drop suggestions in the comments and I’ll pick the one I think works the best
Last edited: 07th April 2023
Prologue
You woke up startled, your alarm catching you off guard. You’d stayed up late last night trying to wait until midnight, but you must have fallen asleep too early.
Cautiously, you looked yourself over, quickly spotting the words written on the inside of your left wrist in small, fine writing.
‘What the fuck?!’
You groaned to yourself. It definitely could have been worse, but it was also a somewhat generic phrase. You’d have to come up with a really good comeback for it, so they’d definitely know you two were soulmates… Unless you spoke first.
Wait, what if it was last words and not first words?
Deciding to leave it for now, you readied yourself for school, replying to text messages of congratulation as you were going.
---
You sat through classes that day as though nothing had happened. There were many people congratulating you and asking about your soulmark, but the hype calmed down as soon as they had figured out no one in the class had a matching soulmark type.
“I’m pretty sure Shinso has the first words soulmark,” Izuku offered, and while you thanked him for it, you didn’t really see the point. Fate would take it’s course, and today was only the first day.
“Sounds like something Bakugo would say,” Jiro joked with you at lunch, and you laughed with her. She wasn’t wrong.
You wouldn’t admit it out loud, but part of you was sad that your soulmate was no one in your class. Your eye has been drawn to a small few of them, and Bakugo was included. Yes, he very obviously had issues, but it was something you’d had a long time to think about. You’d liked to think he had a hidden romantic side, though that might just be you being hopeless.
Once you were back in class, you stood next to Jiro’s desk to speak with her and Tokoyami. The topics of conversation were the usual, and then the topic of your birthday on top of that.
“So…” Jiro stared.
“So?” You parroted, confused.
“Jiro and I got you a birthday gift,” Tokoyami revealed, a small smile on his face (beak?).
“Yep! We got concert tickets - for you and us, of course,” Jiro revealed, pulling three physical tickets from her bag. You noticed the pattern on them and were taken aback by the logo of your favourite music artist.
In your surprise and gratitude, you weren’t prepared to feel a smack against your rear. In a moment of uncertainty and annoyance that someone had ruined your moment, you spun around and smacked - who you expected to be Kaminari - square in the face.
It was not, in fact, Kaminari.
“What the fuck?!”
It was Bakugo. Ohhhh shit.
You didn’t take him to be the type of person to just go around smacking people’s butts. That, however, didn’t mean he didn’t deserve it still.
You were about to yell back, argue, when you were suddenly stopped by a burning sensation on your left wrist. You looked down to see your soulmark fade and disappear.
Bakugo must have felt it too, as the mark on his face was fading.
The room settled to silence and, though you were still furious, you were lost to confusion. Then it sunk in.
“You’ve got to be fucking with me…” he grumbled and proceeded to trudge over to his desk and sit down.
Conversation in the room slowly started back up, some people applauding you and others concerned for you.
“Well… I didn’t see that happening,” Tokoyami said as looked to Jiro, who looked back at him with the same look.
“Help, I think I’m having an existential crisis.” You muttered as you sank down to the floor, wishing to become a puddle.
---
Bonus:
“Are you kidding me?” Jiro groaned as she reluctantly passed the 2000 yen note to the yellow-haired boy.
“Did you really have to be so brazen about it?” She asked.
“Hey, it wasn’t simple!” Kaminari retorted, stuffing the note into his wallet, “Getting Bakugo to stand there and then make sure no one saw? I think I did quite well,”
“OI! PIKACHU, I'M GONNA KILL YOU FOR THAT!”
“Oh shi-!”
#x reader#x male reader#x gender neutral reader#bakugo x reader#bakugou x reader#bakugou katsuki#bakugo#bnha#mha#bnha x reader#mha x reader#reader insert#soulmate au#soulmates
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1.On a level of 1-10 how powerful were the mc and Seth id imagine we're pretty strong considering dreams and especially hope are powerful concepts 2. How strong are God's physically? can they run super fast take bullets or lift cars? Like are we wonder woman or superman from the movies level strong or are we just human level with special powers? 3. Are we going to encounter other gods or enemies beyond Seth if not can we go vigilante facing common criminals. I just wanted to know if we get anything beyond the revenge plot if not that's fine still interesting and if it's to much of a spoiler feel free to ignore me.
1.On a level of 1-10 how powerful were the mc and Seth id imagine we're pretty strong considering dreams and especially hope are powerful concepts
MC was stronger than Seth^^ now not so much. I'd say they were 9(MC) and 8.5(Seth) respectively. Now Seth is the 9 and MC is a 2 at best. Theyve to regain their power little by little.
The reason they're so weak is directly related to the reason they were asleep (+ the fact that MC has nearly been forgotten).
2. How strong are God's physically? can they run super fast take bullets or lift cars? Like are we wonder woman or superman from the movies level strong or are we just human level with special powers?
I've plans of letting you choose where MC's strengths lie (beyond the base powers that are necessary for the plot).
There are four options but one of them is a bit of a spoiler😅 I can reveal it once part 2 of the prologue is out^^
3. Are we going to encounter other gods or enemies beyond Seth if not can we go vigilante facing common criminals.
I hadn't thought of the vigilante route but that sounds interesting!
There are other Gods yep^^ and the revenge plot point is just the peak of the iceberg tbh.
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It’s Analysis Friday! Here’s my revised thoughts on Alastor, Lilith, and Eve, from Hazbin Hotel’s first season. Spoilers abound!
Before I begin, I want to issue a reminder that
Alastor is a bad guy.
He’s not the villain (yet), but definitely bad. He’s a cannibalizing serial killer, and took out other overlords just to assert his dominance upon arrival in Hell. I’m also pretty sure his velvety voice and smile probably lured victims to him in life.
He has finally shown a sign that he could be redeemed, buuuut… not for a while. I know we love him, and his place on the main team is fun, but he’s still not a good guy.
Anyway.
Alastor didn’t make a deal with Lilith
Okay, I will concede that things still point to Alastor and Lilith having a deal. However, this no longer makes for great writing if true, yet Hazbin is remarkably well done (Yes, season length aside). If the 7 year absence they share isn’t a red herring at this point, it’s because Lilith and Alastor were not the only people present.
We discover that Adam(?) made a deal with Lilith in Season One’s final scene. Alastor also having a deal could be fun to show that deals are neutral ground. That also can be handled in an easier fashion than what was done. And while it is reasonable to assume any demon would like to have many powerful souls under their contract, narratively this is a sloppy, uncharacteristic route.
But again, Viv is proving that she doesn’t do sloppy.
The more common something is, the less impact it has. That’s why collectors stand in long lines to get the special edition of an umbrella. Unless all the overlords are contracted to the Queen of Hell, or some similar setup, this makes such a contract meaningless. The narrative clues we have been gathering around Lilith would be retconned, and Alastor himself would disapprove of that!
Alastor Made a Deal with Eve
Yep, you heard me right. The narrative checks out on this, given she too is missing. If Adam is powerful, then Eve must be as well. Additionally, if Eve didn’t matter, I don’t think she would have been mentioned outside of the prologue.
As an aside, I would love clarification on if Angels can be “overlords” in their own right and make deals.
Eve is Bad, Maybe Even the Baddest
I still maintain that we have many hints that Eve is bad. I still find it very possible given the prologue sequence that Eve has embodied the very concept of evil rather than merely being bad.
Let’s reread my first bit of interest on Eve early on:
So, taking a bite of the apple just might have put Eve on a fast track to becoming evil itself, given the root/tree growing symbolism. AKA mother, IE evil’s physical embodiment/host.
And if that’s true, that could explain Alastor’s deal. How did he appear and take over so quickly? Eve made a deal with him as a human (Goethe’s masterpiece Faustus, hello?!), possible because the human plane is very prone to listening to evil of all sorts. He could have even been tricked into the deal if he thought she was Papa Legba or an angelic spirit.
That’s all, I’m tired. Good night!
#writing#hazbin hotel#alastor#hazbin alastor#analysis#deer troll daddy#hazbin hotel essay#analysis fridays#hazbin eve#hazbin lilith#lilith morningstar
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✦ Lost in Limbo Devlog #3 | 03.31.23
Almost April already, huh? Time does really fly when you are busy. If February promised to be a stressful month for me and the team, March has been hell let loose. Our second trimester has ended as of today and our plan of action is to do as many things as we can during April, as we will hopefully have less workload from our master.
Without further ado—let's see what we managed to do this month!
Fixing sprites has still been one of our priorities. Truth is our master is doing a good job at teaching us how to do things better, and the eyes that once did those sprites are not the same watching them now. One of our bigger struggles is the lack of personal—we are literally four people doing our best with our daily lives while also being in charge of whole departments, and that is a bit crazy sometimes because there's a lot to do. I hope we can hire some help for the full game, because I don't want us all to crunch forever :').
Following the character art train of thought, this month we will also be giving priority to finishing at least one of our key art / promotional art pieces. Raquel is already working on polishing the sketch and we hope we can finish it soon to really start having a solid package of key art to represent us and our game.
Final piece will include bodies attached to heads, mind you. Unless...
Ahá! Remember last month when we said Raquel and I were working on some LiL backgrounds for a master assignment? Well, they are looking pretty good! We got rid of one forest background during the prologue outline process to alleviate some workload, but we seized the opportunity to bring it back! We won't be showing that one yet as we want to finish it and make an individual post for it, but you can have a look at this one instead!
Taking a stroll through Limbo's woods seems like a good idea...
Not too many news from the writing department this month. I'm going full speed with the fixes and editing the demo script like I planned, and I hope to have everything ready next month, but we'll see how things go. The changes to the script are being very beneficial to the general pace of the prologue. We want to get to the juicy part as soon as possible and have as much content of the LIs as we can, right?
The main lore document is still on the works too, but, dare I say it, I'm very happy with it! I'm secretly hoping we can offer the lore book as a physical reward for our future kickstarter, but that's still far away in the future. The artbook is our main priority!
This month we have also focused on something really special and important that sadly we won't be revealing until it's done because, well, it's in the making, and no one wants to see it all ugly and in progress, right? But we are working very hard and are very excited to be able to show it soon! Agh!
Also, our GUI is almost, almost completely finished! Only the title screen is left, so we are leaving you a preview of another screen right below. Our designer is once again doing an impeccable job.
Yep, you'll have a compendium with all the important bits and lore pieces you discover. Only in the full game, though.
It has been an okay-ish month for us. Very stressful because of our master; there's definitely a lot of excitement we have been bottling up as we found ourselves unable to work on LiL like we wanted to. I hope that April, or at least the beginning of it (before the last trimester of our degree starts getting serious and unhinged, which I'm afraid will happen) proves to be productive and enough to at least tie up some loose ends. The team needs a couple of days to rest, but we are ready to get back on track and do as much as we can this next month.
Thank you all so much for your unending support and for your patience, it means the world to us :') 💜 We hope you all are doing alright!
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LET’S GO! ~2nd Anniversary~ - Story Translation
[Prologue]
Kaidoh: Jesus… You wouldn’t stop squealing in your sleep…
Kirihara: I’m telling you, I don’t talk in my sleep!
Hiyoshi: We should’ve recorded it. Physical evidence.
Zaizen: Man, you must really not like your Vice Captain, huh…
Kirihara: …Wha. What’d I even say…?
Hiyoshi: Nothing. You just said you don’t talk in your sleep, didn’t you.
Kaidoh: Hurry it up. We missed morning practice ‘cause of Kirihara.
Zaizen: Yeah. If we don’t hurry, everyone’s gonna take all the courts.
Kirihara: Come on, tell me what I said! Huh…
Kirihara: Hey, there’s something posted on the board.
Kaidoh: …A “Red vs. White Competition”? What?
Zaizen: Looks like all of us are on the red team.
Hiyoshi: Who decided on this? The red team’s mostly first and second years, and the white team’s all third years.
Kirihara: So what, is this gonna be a singing contest or something…? Huh…
Kaidoh: You’re an idiot.
Hiyoshi: You’re an idiot.
Zaizen: You’re an idiot.
Kirihara: Well, there’s no proof that it isn’t is there!?
Tsuge: Hey, you all!
Kirihara: Whoa…
Tsuge: Get onto the bus in the parking lot now! Don’t forget your rackets.
Zaizen: …Bus?
Hiyoshi: And bring our rackets…?
Kaidoh: They just love sending us off to different places, don’t they…
[Episode 1]
Fuji: This is a pretty big stadium.
Tezuka: There’s no tennis courts here…
Yukimura: They did tell us to bring our rackets, though. We’re most likely still gonna end up playing tennis.
Shiraishi: Unless… the courts can grow out from under us…
Ryoma: Hey, look up at the sky.
Eagles: …
Fuji: …Those are eagles. There’s a lot of them up there.
Ryoma: I already don’t like this.
Mifune: Welcome to the party, brats!
Yukimura: Ah, over at the bleachers…
Mifune: For this Red vs. White Competition, it’s gonna be sportsman hunting deluxe in here!
Mifune: The red team gets red balloons, the white team gets white ones. Protect them against your enemies and other special little surprises!!
Eagles: …!
Shiraishi: Whoa… The eagles are raining down on us.
Ryoma: Yep… I knew this was gonna happen.
Fuji: That coach just came here to say all that and left.
Tezuka: So we must protect our balloons from those eagles, is that right.
Ryoma: The balloons are coated in a scent the eagles like, it’s gonna be an onslaught.
Ryoma: I already had to deal with this on those cliffs.
Shiraishi: Sounds like that was some wild training you did.
Fuji: Sportsman hunting, huh… If Echizen completed this special training, then I’m interested in it as well.
Yukimura: That boy is the way he is now since he overcame it.
Ryoma: Oh yeah, senpais, you’re all on the white team.
Tezuka: Yes, that’s correct.
Shiraishi: Looks like Echizen-kun and our troublemaker are on the red team.
Yukimura: Akaya’s on the red team as well. All of the first and second years are on the red team.
Ryoma: All the captains are on the white team…
Ryoma: Heh, this’ll be fun.
[Episode 2]
Mizuki: “Sportsman hunting deluxe”, is it…
Inui: The rules of this sportsman hunting are different than they were on the cliff, allow us to summarize.
Inui: First, any direct contact with a balloon is prohibited. Of course, this applies to both ours and the enemies’ balloons.
Yanagi: Second, a player whose balloon has been popped can no longer attack, and can only defend their allies.
Yanagi: There is a thirty minute time limit as well. The team with the most balloons left at the end of the game will be the winner.
Chitose: Thirty minutes, huh… I dunno whether to consider that long or short.
Yanagi: As someone who has experienced it before, I consider it long.
Inui: This time, there is not many places to hide from the eagles, and the area is small. We will be extremely disadvantaged trying to defend our balloons.
Mizuki: Perhaps you could pop your own balloon and focus on defending your allies.
Chitose: You think that’s a good idea?
Yanagi: It doesn’t defy any of the rules, does it?
Chitose: Go on the offensive or defensive, huh. Or maybe we could focus on a balanced strategy…
Chitose: Our true colors are gonna show.
Mizuki: Nhm. A remarkable scenario is about to unfold.
Inui: It’ll also be a great opportunity to collect more data…
Yanagi: I don’t think there will even be time for that…
—
Niou: Looks like we’re both on team red, Kabaji.
Kabaji: Right…
Niou: Based off the chart, it looks like they sorted it based off rooms that have first and second years and those that don’t.
Kabaji: Right…
Niou: What’s up, you don’t look too optimistic about it.
Kabaji: No… It’s just…
Niou: It’s gonna be hard since you’re going against Atobe.
Kabaji: But, you’re here… Niou-san.
Niou: …
Niou: Heh. Well, in that case… let’s knock the white team off their feet, shall we.
Kabaji: The winner will be… team red…!
[Episode 3]
Kurobane: Keep on at it, David!
Amane: …!? Bane-san, look out!
Amane: Kuh…!
Kurobane: Wha… That fast!?
Akutsu: If you’re done chatting, get lost. You’re in the way.
Amane: …He wasn’t even aiming at the balloon, he aimed for you.
Kurobane: It’s fine, David. I should’ve stayed focused.
Kurobane: The game’s already started. Even if it pops, there’s no time to complain.
Akutsu: Well said. Spoken like a true loser.
Amane: You—!
Sengoku: Akutsu, behind you!
Sengoku: Hah…!
Sengoku: Man, what a close call. We’re only a minute into this game and it’s already no joke.
Akutsu: Bastard. Stay out of this.
Sengoku: Huhh? Shouldn’t you be crying tears of joy over how lucky that was?
Akutsu: Shut up…
Akutsu: Hey, who hit that shot.
Ibu: …It was Kamio.
Kamio: It was you, Shinji!
Ibu: I thought for sure we’d pop it… We came so close…
Akutsu: Wonderful. I can crush you both together.
Kurobane: Hey now, don’t forget about us.
Amane: Time for a counterattack.
Sengoku: Looks like he’s gonna try to take on those red team members by himself. Typical Akutsu.
Sengoku: Akutsu, we should hurry and regroup.
Akutsu: Hmph. Go ahead and run with your tail between your legs, Sengoku.
Akutsu: You guys can run away too if you want.
Kamio: No way, we’re not letting you get away that easily!!
Ibu: We’re definitely gonna pop those two white balloons.
Ibu: We can’t afford to stop here…
Kamio: Right. It’s rare to get a chance like this.
Kamio: To be able to challenge Tachibana-san to a match!
Sengoku: Huh… They’re not focusing on us anymore?
Akutsu: Keh. They’ll regret it soon enough!
[Episode 4]
Kawamura: Looks like Akutsu’s going up against those red team members, I hope he’ll be okay…
Fuji: We don’t have time to worry about other people right now.
Kawamura: Huh…
Eagle: …!
Kawamura: Agh, an eagle…!
Fuji: Taka-san, hit a chestnut at it!
Kawamura: R-Right. Got it!
Kawamura: UWOOOOH! GREAT!
*thwack…!*
Kawamura: That was close…
Fuji: By the way, why are we using chestnuts as a countermeasure?
Kawamura: Echizen and the others used them to drive away the eagles at the cliffs.
Kawamura: They’re lighter than tennis balls, so they don’t pack much of a punch… But the spikes drive away the eagles.
Fuji: I see. It’s a good way to pop the balloons, too.
Kawamura: Haha… We’ve gotta be careful not to get targeted from behind.
—
Eagle: …!
Kirihara: …Whoa! That was close!
Kirihara: There was an eagle and a chestnut at the same time… Who shot at me!
Minami: I thought I had it…
Kirihara: Hey, that’s a Yamabuki jersey—!
Kirihara: …Who are you?
Minami: The captain of the Yamabuki Tennis Club, Kentarou Minami!
Zaizen: What’re you standing around for, Kirihara!
Zaizen: Huh…!
Kirihara: Huh? From behind…
Zaizen: From everywhere. Front, back, left, right, 360 degrees around you.
Kirihara: That’s impossible, isn’t it!?
Higashikata: Kuh. They managed to block our coordination…
Minami: And here I thought your stealth was perfect for this…
Kirihara: Both of you are actually pretty good at this, senpais~
Zaizen: You just suck at paying attention, Kirihara.
Kirihara: Oh come on, whose side are you even on…
Zaizen: I just had to save you. You’re barely on our side, aren’t you?
Kirihara: What do you mean “barely”!?
Minami: …Hey. Should we try to intercept them now?
Higashikata: Nah, they look too distracted, like they’re trying to make it easy for us…
Higashikata: Or maybe they’ve already forgotten we exist…
Minami: That’s our strength though. We should seize this opportunity, Higashikata.
Higashikata: …! Yes, now’s our chance to strike…
Higashikata & Minami: Slow and steady wins the race!
[Episode 5]
*pop!*
Kaidoh: …Another balloon got popped.
Hiyoshi: There’s less red ones from what I’m seeing.
Hiyoshi: The white team still has most of theirs…
Kaidoh: Hey, here it comes!
Eagle: …!
Hiyoshi: Damn it. Dealing with the opposite team is already a handful…!
Kaidoh: Running away will get us nowhere. Let’s go on the offensive!
—
Hiyoshi: Did we get it…?
Kaidoh: Yeah. Our next target is—
Kaidoh & Hiyoshi: The captains…!
—
Tachibana: …Phew. Looks like the eagles are just about done with their onslaught.
Tezuka: They’re assessing the situation from above. They probably intend to attack altogether now.
Atobe: It would be nice for us to catch our breaths, but it looks like that won’t happen.
Tezuka: Right. And I sense they’re not the only ones watching us with an eagle eye.
Tezuka: Take caution, or else they’ll get you.
Kite: I see. If they’re going to come for our team, then the captains will be a priority.
Kite: On that note, all of Higa is on the white team. I am grateful we can attack altogether.
Atobe: Hey, don’t you dare try and play any dirty tricks on my members.
Atobe: If you go after them, then you will fight them fair-and-square.
Kite: Since we’re going after the balloons, then it should not matter what methods we use to pop them.
Kite: Besides, showing them how great the difference in power is between us wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
Tachibana: On the contrary, we should be cautious of any sly tactics ourselves.
Tachibana: We’re not the only ones they’ll be after.
Kite: Wise words spoken.
Kite: Regardless of what anyone says, I will dispose of them one by one.
Tezuka: I see. That sounds about right, Kite.
Kite: Was that a compliment, perhaps?
Tezuka: No, just my opinion.
Atobe: Enough with the chatter. Here they come!
[Episode 6]
Sanada: The balloons are popping at a faster rate.
Yukimura: Everyone’s moving terribly.
Yukimura: All of the balloons will be popped before the thirty minutes at this rate.
Sanada: Don’t be foolish. You’re saying our balloons will be popped too.
Yukimura: Don’t get so defensive. I guess I should’ve said “most of the balloons”.
Jackal: …Argh! Man, this is rough…
Yagyuu: Just when you think you’ve avoided the eagles, the white team comes swooping in…
Sanada: It’s quite the misfortune, isn’t it.
Jackal: Yeah. Especially since there’s no places to hide, we’re running around like headless chickens…
Yagyuu: Hold it, Kuwahara-kun! They’re on the white team.
Jackal: Ah! Th-That’s right…
Yukimura: You can take some time to recuperate. You’re still a part of Rikkai.
Yagyuu: No, I’m fine. Let’s get this started, shall we.
Jackal: Yup. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I got a handicap!
Sanada: Then we will show you no mercy.
Sanada: Right here, right now, we shall obliterate your balloons…!
—
Eagle: …!
Krauser: Watch out!
Yuuta: Whoa…!
Yuuta: Thank you. I didn’t even see that eagle coming.
Krauser: Of course I would come to your aid. We are on the same team.
Yuuta: Same team…
Yuuta: Hey, and I hate to say this out loud but, but don’t you think the people on the red team are at a disadvantage?
Krauser: Disadvantage… What do you mean?
Yuuta: Half the red team’s got first and second years. The white team has all third years.
Yuuta: I’m not saying the seniors are stronger than the juniors, but…
Krauser: Hm… I hear what you are saying, but I do not understand what exactly you are implying…?
Krauser: Besides, you’re my senpai too, Yuuta-san. And if we work together, we have nothing to fear.
Yuuta: …!
Yuuta: Right, I guess I was overthinking it. Mizuki-san and my Big Bro are over there…
Yuuta: Since I’m a senpai, I can’t be weak. Alright, let’s go on the offensive!
Krauser: Right. We’ll win this one together!
[Episode 7]
Koharu: Let’s go, Yuu-kun! Love-love~…
Yuuji: Love-love-love-love attack!!
—
Yuuji: Alright, we fought them off with the power of love!
Koharu: Zaizen-chan, we’ll protect you!
Zaizen: You’re annoying, senpais…
Yuuji: Huh!? Koharu’s going out of his way to protect you!
Zaizen: …!
Zaizen: I didn’t ask…! *thok!*
Yuuji: !? The eagle’s flying away…
Zaizen: On the defensive again. Well, I’m fine with it.
Zaizen: So far all I’ve done is protect people, though…
???: Wow. Can you keep that up, Zaizen?
*thok, thok, thok, thok…!*
Zaizen: Wha—
Koharu: Look out, Zaizen-chan!!
Yuuji: Look out, Koharu!!
*pop!*
Shiraishi: …Whoops. Wasn’t aiming for that one but at least I still popped it.
Zaizen: Captain Shiraishi…!
Koharu: Aghh~, Yuu-kun’s balloon!
Shiraishi: There’s not a second to lose. The enemy waits for no one.
Chitose: It’s not really a surprise attack if you give them hints, Shiraishi!
Koharu: Wha… From behind now!
Ishida: Over here, too…!
Yuuji: Two of them!? Kuh, not even a chance to get back on our feet…
*pop!*
Koharu: Noooooo! My balloon…!
Ishida: Phew… We managed to get another one.
Chitose: If Shiraishi hadn’t said all that extra stuff, we would’ve got Zaizen’s balloon.
Shiraishi: We would’ve caught them completely off guard, I didn’t wanna go overboard…
Chitose: Taking them by surprise is also a strategy, we don’t need to hold back.
Koharu: Yuu-kun, now that it’s come to this, we must protect Zaizen-chan’s balloon even if it kills us.
Yuuji: If that’s what you’ve decided, then I’m on board. Let’s do everything we can to protect it!
Zaizen: Senpais… You really don’t need to bother.
Zaizen: Well, running away now wouldn’t sit right with me, so I guess this is fine.
Ishida: …It looks like it will be difficult trying to pop Zaizen-han’s balloon.
Shiraishi: Yeah, but I’m more comfortable taking them on fair-and-square.
Shiraishi: Okay… You ready for this, Zaizen?
Zaizen: Ready when you are, Captain Shiraishi…!
[Episode 8]
Kite: I will not let the others dissuade us from using our own methods for this particular situation.
Kite: Quickly get behind the enemy and take them down… Does that sound good?
Hirakoba: I came so close to taking out those red team guys just now.
Chinen: If that eagle hadn’t attacked us, we would’ve got them.
Hirakoba: Those eagles just won’t quit. We keep driving them away, and they keep coming back.
Tanishi: Don’t underestimate the eagles. They really put us through it on the cliffs.
Kai: Right when you think they’re gone and you can relax, they’re right up next to you.
Chinen: You shouldn’t even be thinking about relaxing.
Tanishi: You’ll wear yourself out if you’re constantly tense, though.
Kai: By the way, Kite. You tried to use me as a shield just now, didn’t you?
Kite: You’re imagining things.
Kintarou: There! I found five white balloons!
Kite: …!
Kintarou: I GOT YOU NOW!!!
Hirakoba: He just hit ten chestnuts at once!
Chinen: We’ll just hit them all back!
Tanishi: No sweat off our backs, there’s five of us.
Kite: And only one, single enemy. Redirect those shots!
Kintarou: Haha! Not bad, Misters!
Kintarou: Got plenty more where that came from…!
*pop!*
Tanishi: Aghh!? My balloon just…
Eagle: …!
Chinen: An eagle just came up from behind!
Kintarou: TAKE THIIIIIIIS!
Kai: More chestnuts coming in hot!
Kite: You’re getting ahead of yourself…
Kite: Allow me to teach you a lesson.
Kintarou: Whuh!? When did you get behind me…
Kite: Right when you think I’m gone, I’m right up beside you…
Kite: When using our Shukuchiho technique, you could say we are just like those eagles.
*pop!*
[Episode 9]
Gakuto: C’mon, now! Go ahead and pop it, I know you wanna!
Momoshiro: Dammit… I missed~!
Kenya: That slippery little…!
Yuushi: Quite the struggle you’re having. Maybe I should join you, Kenya, Momoshiro.
Gakuto: Oh, Yuushi. Looks like your balloon hasn’t popped yet.
Yuushi: Yes, and you’re my enemy, Gakuto.
Yuushi: No matter how swift the opponent is, two against one is never a fair fight.
Momoshiro: Hey, it’s not just Mukahi-san we’re up against…
Jirou: There!
Marui: That red balloon’s mine!
Yuushi: …! Both at the same time…
Jirou: Awww, that was so “C”lose! He dodged it!
Marui: Oh come on, there’s no way he could’ve avoided our genius teamwork technique.
Yuushi: Sorry. But as far as geniuses go, you’re speaking to the member of Hyotei who carries that title.
Yuushi: But it also could’ve been a mere coincidence that I managed to avoid that.
Marui: Doesn’t matter if you’re a genius or not…
Kenya: So now you see it was actually the two of us holding up against the three of them.
Yuushi: Yes, I see that now. The three volleyers…
Yuushi: In a balloon popping competition, they’re definitely more likely to win.
Kenya: Maybe so. But if it were a match of pure speed, I could beat any number of opponents.
Yuushi: Speed is all you have, to be honest.
Kenya: What do you mean speed is all I have!?
Jirou: Hey, hey. Is it okay to attack them now?
Marui: I think so, but I have a feeling this won’t be easy…
Gakuto: …Oh, yeah. Hey, where’d the other one go?
Momoshiro: Right behind ya!!
Eagle: …!!!!
Gakuto: Wha. He lured the eagle over here!
Jirou: They’re going for a pincer attack!?
Momoshiro: Nice! Oshitari-san, Kenya-san, let’s squash ‘em all at once!
Marui: Not good. Let’s retreat!
Yuushi: I won’t let you escape that easily.
Kenya: Time to show ‘em what my speed is made of!
Momoshiro: Let’s get this show on the road then~
Momoshiro: Boom…!
[Episode 10]
Fuji: …Doesn’t it seem like the eagles are starting to lighten up?
Tezuka: Yes, now that you’ve mentioned it. I don’t feel constantly targeted anymore.
Mizuki: The number of balloons has considerably decreased.
Mizuki: There’s still plenty of white balloons from the looks of it. I already knew this would result from when I first saw the team chart.
Fuji: We’re fifteen minutes in now… Only halfway through. Who knows what’ll happen from here on out.
Mizuki: I’m not saying it’s going to stay like this—
Yuuta: Whoa!?
Mizuki & Fuji: !
Kikumaru: Huhh, the white team!? When did we get so close…
Oishi: The eagles were distracting us so much, we didn’t even realize how close we were!
Tezuka: Well… it looks like all of your balloons are still intact.
Kikumaru: Oh this isn’t good, Tezuka’s getting fired up, Oishi~
Oishi: Let’s do this, Eiji. We’ll show him the Golden Pair’s power!
Yuuta: Huh, wait… If those two are dealing with Tezuka-san, then that means…
Fuji: Yuuta, your balloon’s not popped yet.
Mizuki: Now, your time has finally come…
Mizuki: Let’s go, Yuuta-kun!
Yuuta: Ah, I have to take on the two of you by myself~!?
Fuji: Huh…!
*thwack!!*
Yuuta: Huh. Both of your chestnuts hit each other…?
Fuji: Oh, wow. Didn’t see that coming.
Mizuki: Hold it, Fuji-kun. Kindly stay out of my way, please.
Fuji: We’re both aiming for the same balloon. It’s not like it couldn’t happen.
Yuuta: …Now! Hah!
Tezuka: …!?
Oishi: Whoaa! Yuuta-kun took Tezuka by surprise!
Kikumaru: But he still hit it right back, that was sooo close~!
Yuuta: Aw… I thought I had it…
Tezuka: I see. You two were meant to distract me.
Oishi: No, we were actually being serious.
Fuji: Did you go after Tezuka because you didn’t want to face me?
Yuuta: I just seized the opportunity! I saw Tezuka-san’s balloon near your shadow.
Kikumaru: Great job~! Keep up the good work!
Mizuki: I don’t think it’s smart to say that when the enemy’s still right in front of you…
Mifune: Listen up, brats! We’re addin’ in more balloons now!!
Oishi: Huh…?
Kikumaru: Adding more balloons…?
[Episode 11]
Kintarou: Huh…? Where’d all the eagles go?
Ryoma: Dunno… Feels like they’ve been gone for a while now.
Ryoma: Oh yeah, Kintarou, your balloon’s popped. So that means I’m the winner.
Kintarou: Whaddya mean. I’ve popped way more balloons than you!
Ryoma: And how can you even tell…
Mifune: Listen up, brats! We’re addin’ in more balloons now!!
Kintarou: Oh, it’s that drunk guy.
Ryoma: Ah…!
—
Byoudouin: …Well, well. Twenty minutes in, and they’ve still got half their balloons?
Oni: Standing their ground, eh. They would’ve been wiped out already if they were a bunch of weaklings.
Tokugawa: Half of them have endured that training atop the cliffs. They’re probably used to dealing with the eagles.
Oni: I can’t tell if it’s because of the others or the eagles, but the red team’s taken a lot of damage.
Tokugawa: I’m not sure whether to finish them off, or go after the white team to balance things out…
Byoudouin: Destroy any enemy balloons you see floating in front of you. That’s all you need to do.
Tokugawa: It don’t think it’ll be as simple as that.
Oni: Nah, he kinda has a point, doesn’t he?
Oni: All we have to do is send those kids to hell.
—
Ryoma: The high schoolers…!
Kintarou: What’s with the black balloons.
Ryoma: Those are the balloons they’ve added…
Byoudouin: Ryoma Echizen. You’re still up and kicking too.
Ryoma: Yup. So you’re joining in on this too, huh.
Ryoma: In that case, I’ll be taking that black balloon you’ve got behind you.
Byoudouin: Hmph… Still a cheeky little runt, I see.
Tokugawa: From hereon, we shall attack the red and white balloons indiscriminately.
Tokugawa: If you do not wish to be interfered with, just pop our black balloons. The rule states that we can no longer play if our balloon is popped.
Oni: As long as our balloons are intact, we’re gonna keep charging you guys.
Oni: …Wh—hey. Kintarou. Your balloon’s already been popped?
Kintarou: Yeah, but either way I still won’t lose! Let’s do this, Uncle Oni!
Ryoma: You can’t attack if your balloon’s popped.
Kintarou: Aw~, seriously!?
Kintarou: Well in that case, I’ll return every ball ya hit! I’ll leave the attacking to you, Koshimae!
Ryoma: Sounds good to me. I’ll just focus on attacking.
Kintarou: Alright! Let’s go, Koshimae!
Ryoma: Don’t need to tell me twice!
[Episode 12]
Tohno: Hyaahyaahyaa! Now, who should I execute first!?
Tohno: Nice, there’s a scarecrow over there. Let’s start with you!
Choutarou: Huh, m-me?
Shishido: You bastard, don’t you dare call Choutarou a scarecrow!
Choutarou: Shishido-san, it’s fine! Really, I don’t mind!
Kimijima: This isn’t really the time for you to be concerned for other people, either.
Choutarou: …! Oh no—
Shishido: Dorah!! Get down, Choutarou!
Kimijima: Oh. Aiming in the direction of your ally and making him dodge, huh…
Kimijima: There’s a great deal of trust between you two, but shouldn’t you both be a little more concerned for yourselves?
*pop!*
Tohno: Look at that, that thing behind you is gone now! Did it really have to be that easy to pop it?
Choutarou: Shishido-san, your balloon…!
Shishido: Tch, super lame…
Shishido: But I guess focusing on being the defense isn’t so bad. Go on the offensive from here on out, Choutarou!
Choutarou: I’m sorry, Shishido-san. You tried to protect me…
Shishido: Hey, what’s the matter with you. The enemy’s still right in front of us!
Choutarou: R-Right! I’ll get—
Mitsuya: “I’ll get my head back in the game.” …Is what you were going to say.
Choutarou: Ah…
Mitsuya: Apologies, but without further ado, I’ll be taking that.
???: That’s what I should be saying!
Mitsuya: What…?
*pop!*
Kirihara: Awesome! I popped a black balloon!
Shishido: Kirihara!
Choutarou: Th-Thank you. You saved me…
Kirihara: I wasn’t trying to protect you. I was aiming for that black balloon!
Shishido: Not bad, though. You actually managed to pop a high schooler’s balloon.
Kirihara: Hehe, right? I’m just awesome like that, aren’t I?
Kirihara: You too, senpai, you can be honest and compliment me too while you’re at it.
Shishido: …Ugh c’mon, you don’t need that much praise, do you?
Choutarou: Haha… He still did a good job saving me, though.
Mitsuya: …Hm. I agree that you’re overstepping your bounds.
Mitsuya: However, I have received some good data. I shall quickly start comparing it with my previous assessments, and reorganize my collection.
Tohno: …What’s with that guy. He actually looks happy his balloon got popped.
Kimijima: True, it doesn’t appear to be a big issue for him.
Tohno: Keh. He’s lost the plot…
[Episode 13]
Kamio: Dammit! They got me!
Ibu: It was an endless barrage of chestnuts… I can’t tell if you’re unlucky, careless, or if you just suck…
Kamio: I’m just unlucky, aren’t I!? And what do you mean I just suck, the hell…
Tachibana: Kamio, Shinji. Taking a break over here?
Ibu: Tachibana-san!
Kamio: Aughh, so close~!
Tachibana: …So close?
Kamio: I was hoping to face off against you, Tachibana-san! But my balloon just got popped…
Tachibana: The game’s still going. Bring it!
Kamio: But, my balloon…
Ibu: You want both of us to come at you at the same time… Right, Tachibana-san.
Tachibana: Yep. Let’s duke it out for a couple of minutes.
Kamio: Huhh… Even if that’s what you want, I don’t think it’d be fair to do two against one…
Ibu: Then why don’t we try it out and see. I’ll focus on attacking, and you protect my balloon at all costs.
Kamio: Damn it, I wanted to attack too!
Tachibana: Show me the power of the two great aces of Fudomine!
—
Tachibana: …Whoa… Wow, you two are tough, that’s for sure.
Ibu: You say that, but you’re making it look like a walk in the park… and we’re giving it everything we got. Typical Tachibana-san…
Kamio: …! Shinji, watch out!
*bam…!*
Ochi: …How asinine of you to interfere.
Mouri: We’re just doing what we gotta, sorry.
Ibu: The high schoolers…
Mouri: First, I’ll go… for the white balloon!
Kamio: No, you don’t!
Tachibana: Hey, Kamio… What’re you doing protecting the enemy.
Kamio: We’ll be the ones who’ll pop your balloon, Tachibana-san!
Ibu: We won’t let anyone else take it.
Tachibana: You guys…
Mouri: Mmm… Yeah, they are kinda asinine aren’t they, Tsuki-san.
Ochi: I don’t care… Stand back, Mouri.
Ochi: Kuh…!
Mouri: …Wowee~, you saved me. An endless barrage of chestnuts… is that right?
Ochi: Based on the weight of those shots just now, it was…
—
Ryoga: Oop, looks like he noticed. He’s trying to play it off like he didn’t, but I already know.
Ryoga: …Mm? Well, the rules didn’t say the First Stringers aren’t allowed to go for the black balloons, did they?
Ryoga: Meh, whatever. Okay then, I’ll go check up on Chibisuke next~
[Episode 14]
Tanegashima: There we go!
Omagari: Hey, quit playing around. You’re hitting in the wrong direction.
Tanegashima: I’m trying to lure them here. Then once they’re in, I’ll get ‘em all with a bang.
Omagari: They’re not gonna make it easy for you…
—
Atobe: *huff*, *huff*…
Atobe: Tch… They’re toying with us.
Kite: They’re not leaving any room to attack. As expected of the high schoolers—
Hiyoshi: Now’s my chance…!
Atobe: What…
Kite: Hah!
*bam!!*
Kite: Hmph… Talk about a close call. Trying to take advantage while we’ve got our hands full, I see.
Atobe: Shut up. You’re just being a nuisance.
Hiyoshi: I’ve been looking for you, Captain Atobe. Glad to see your balloon’s still in one piece.
Atobe: Huhh? I should be saying that to you.
Hiyoshi: I’ll be taking that balloon of yours.
Atobe: Oh? Come and get it, then.
Tanegashima: Oh man, looks like something interesting’s about to start.
Omagari: Don’t even try barging in on it. That pompadour’s watching out for us.
Omagari: Besides… things are gonna get more interesting, just you wait.
Atobe: Orah! You’re not going to pop my balloon like that!
Hiyoshi: Don’t waste your time and energy talking…!
Atobe: …Hm?
*whoosh…!*
Atobe: Move it, Wakashi!
Hiyoshi: Wha…
Irie: Oh? You returned it.
Irie: Things were kinda persisting for too long, so I thought I’d settle it.
Atobe: Don’t interfere with us, Irie-san.
Irie: How can you say that, Atobe-kun! It was a gut-wrenching decision I had to make too, you know!?
Irie: I’m eager to see how this plays out… But, I have my own mission…
Hiyoshi: Excuse me, but could you please be quiet for just a second?
Hiyoshi: Captain Atobe, why did you save me?
Atobe: Huhh? Because, I’ve decided—
*pop…!*
Hiyoshi: Ah…!
Atobe: I will send you to your doom with my own two hands.
Irie: …Fufu. Well, well, so you ended up popping it after all.
Hiyoshi: Kuh…
Hiyoshi: Next time… Next time, I’ll overthrow you…!
[Episode 15]
Shiraishi: …Phew, just made it. That was pretty close.
Yukimura: Right when we made eye contact with Tokugawa-san, he started charging at us.
Shiraishi: I thought we were just conveying to each other.
Yukimura: Didn’t they teach you in school that it’s not good to look someone or something in the eye?
*thok, thok, thok, thok…!*
Shiraishi: …Whoa! He’s coming back for more!
Yukimura: No, it’s—
Kirihara: You two are getting a little too comfortable and chatty, y’know?
Yukimura: Akaya, your balloon hasn’t been popped yet I see.
Kirihara: I can’t let it pop until I’ve gotten your balloon, Captain Yukimura.
Kirihara: In other words, your balloon’s mine!
Shiraishi: Whoa, slow down there, Kirihara-kun…
Shiraishi: There’s two of us here. Trying to take us on all by yourself wouldn’t be the smartest idea.
*bam…!*
Yukimura & Shiraishi: …!
Zaizen: Who said he was alone, Captain Shiraishi.
Shiraishi: What’s this, Zaizen, you’ve still got your balloon too.
Zaizen: Even though they were extremely annoying, it’s all thanks to Koharu-senpai and Yuuji-senpai.
Zaizen: I’ve got no defenses here on out. But I’ll make up for it by paying you back for wiping them out earlier.
Shiraishi: So you came all this way just to get your balloon popped?
Zaizen: Go ahead and smile while you still can.
Yukimura: Well then… It’s you and me, Akaya.
Kirihara: If you think I’m the same as I was yesterday, you’re wrong.
Kirihara: Right here, right now; I might be able to surpass you, Captain Yukimura, or Vice Captain Sanada or Yanagi-senpai.
Yukimura: Yes, I see. In that case…
Yukimura: I will put my entire body and soul into this.
—
Byoudouin: …
Ryoga: Oh, you just gonna loaf around over here?
Byoudouin: I could say the same to you.
Ryoga: Better hurry and get out there before the balloons run out.
Byoudouin: Hmph. Things have been stirred up out there enough.
Byoudouin: Not to mention, time’s almost up. Will these rats bite back at the cats, or end up as frogs trapped by the snakes…
Ryoga: We’ll see, won’t we, still got a minute left…
[Episode 16]
Kaidoh: Oooogh!
Tezuka: What’s wrong, your aim is off.
Kaidoh: Damn it, I’m too busy protecting my balloon to attack!
Kaidoh: (No, I’m just making excuses. I’m just not good enough—)
Kaidoh: (What was I even thinking? What can I do if I can’t believe in myself at a time like this!)
Atobe: Hey, Wakashi. You gonna go help Kaidoh out or what?
Hiyoshi: I don’t particularly want to, since it’s gonna be a big hassle dealing with both you and Tezuka-san.
Atobe: Relax, I won’t do anything.
Kirihara: Whoa, they got you!
Zaizen: Dang Hiyoshi, your balloon got popped?
Hiyoshi: Shut up. Like you guys have any room to talk.
Kirihara: I did the best I could, alright! I just couldn’t find a chestnut to hit in time…
Zaizen: Enough with the sore loser act. Let’s hurry and protect Kaidoh’s balloon.
Hiyoshi: I was just waiting for an opportunity to jump in and defend him. I’m going in.
Kirihara: Kaidoh! I’ll defend that balloon till my dying breath!
Kaidoh: What the hell are you guys—
Hiyoshi: This isn’t a one vs. one competition. We’ll protect your balloon.
Kaidoh: …!
Kaidoh: (That’s right, it’s a Red vs. White competition. I thought I had to fight all by myself.)
Kirihara: Augh, dammit! My mind’s all “Attack! Attack! Attack!”, it’s what I’m built for!
Hiyoshi: Stop talking. I’m already annoyed over having to protect him.
Kaidoh: (These guys are with me today. This isn’t the time to be hesitant, Kaoru Kaidoh!)
Zaizen: Just a heads up, pretty much all the red balloons have been popped, so everyone’s gonna target over here.
Kaidoh: …Fantastic. No matter how many people come, we’ll kick their asses.
Kaidoh: I leave the defense to you guys!
Kirihara: Right. And you handle all the attacking for us!
—
Tezuka: …Oh. So the only ones left with red balloons are from Seigaku.
Atobe: I don’t like the way you said that. And you’re just stalling at this point.
Atobe: There’s less than a minute left. Am I gonna have to do it, since you won’t?
Tezuka: Don’t bother.
Tezuka: …Come, Kaidoh. Let us end this.
Kaidoh: I’ll get your balloon, Captain Tezuka, even if I die trying.
Tezuka: A good resolve. Let’s go!
Kaidoh: Don’t you underestimate Kaoru Kaidoh! Uwooooh!
Tezuka: Haaaah!
*pop…!*
[Episode 17]
Kirihara: Aaaaauuuuughhh, this sucks!
Kirihara: All four of our balloons were popped in the end, they totally crushed us!
Hiyoshi: Shut up. We already know, you don’t need to go shouting about it.
Kaidoh: Damn it… I wasn’t able to persevere to the end…
Zaizen: Not to mention we weren’t even able to defend you to the end.
Kirihara: But didn’t the high schoolers join in during the middle of all that? That must’ve been why our perfect defense was completely toppled.
Zaizen: The high schoolers were attacking both red and white, we weren’t the only ones at a disadvantage.
Kaidoh: I was so busy with Captain Tezuka attacking me that I didn’t even notice the high schoolers joined in…
Hiyoshi: Well, at least attacking was the only thing you needed to focus on…
Hiyoshi: What pisses me off the most was having to see all the captains smirking around us.
Kirihara: Yes, oh my god! Argh~~~ I’m furious just remembering~~~!
Kaidoh: Were they really smirking?
Kirihara: I mean, you wouldn’t have noticed since you were so wrapped up with Tezuka-san.
Zaizen: Speaking of smirking, this one right next to me has been smirking too.
Ryoma: …Huh, me?
Kintarou: What’s up Koshimae, did something funny happen?
Ryoma: I mean, you’re not wrong. My balloon wasn’t popped by the time it was over.
Kintarou: Yeah, ‘cause I was protecting it.
Zaizen: Yeah, ‘cause your balloon got popped almost instantly.
Kintarou: True, but I didn’t let anyone pop Koshimae’s balloon!
Ryoma: It probably wouldn’t have been popped even if you weren’t there, Kintarou.
Ryoma: Well, at least the red team wasn’t completely wiped out, thanks to us.
Kaidoh: Kuh… I can’t say anything to that but seeing you smirk is still aggravating…
Ryoma: Yeah, I know it is.
Kaidoh: …But I’m not gonna lose in tennis.
Kirihara: Oh yeah, you’re right. I won’t lose if it’s tennis!
Zaizen: Right. Things would’ve been different today if it had been tennis.
Hiyoshi: Yeah. If you think what happened today is all I’m capable of, you’re dead wrong.
Ryoma: For me, tennis is one of the things I don’t lose in.
Hiyoshi: He never stops being cocky, does he…
Kaidoh: …I’m gonna head out for a bit.
Kirihara: Oh, to the tennis courts? I’m coming too!
Hiyoshi: I was just thinking about how I wanted to hit a tennis ball and not a chestnut.
Zaizen: There’s still time before dinner. I’ll go with you too.
205: I’ll be the winner next time!
[Epilogue]
Tezuka: Hah…!
Atobe: Orah! Enough with these weak shots, Tezuka!
—
Tezuka: You’re looking worn out now, aren’t you, Atobe?
Atobe: Heh. As if.
—
Shiraishi: Those two have been really going at it with their rallying.
Kite: They haven’t taken a break since they finished the practice circuit.
Yukimura: Tezuka, Atobe. You guys should rehydrate at least once, don’t you think?
Tezuka: …Yes. It appears more time has passed than I had thought.
Atobe: I can still keep going. I could go on forever.
Kite: Good grief, the stamina you have.
Shiraishi: Speaking of stamina, that sportsman hunting deluxe yesterday was insane.
Yukimura: It was. It’s hard to believe it was only thirty minutes, it was so exhausting.
Tezuka: The opposing team attacking, along with the eagles and high schoolers… It was all I could do just to protect my balloon.
Kite: Oh, so even you thought so, Tezuka-kun.
Tezuka: …What’s that supposed to mean?
Shiraishi: You just looked so calm, Tezuka-kun. It made me feel self conscious and thinking that I should look calm during all of it too.
Tezuka: I wasn’t trying to look like that…
Yukimura: We were definitely on edge yesterday. They could’ve popped our balloons at any given moment.
Atobe: It’s the role of a captain to persevere and produce results.
Atobe: I won’t allow myself to look disgraceful in front of my club members, let alone my underclassmen.
Yukimura: That’s right. I gave it my all not only to attack and dodge, but to also smile…
Yukimura: To me, it’s a requirement when you are placed in the role of captain.
Shiraishi: Of course, you only want them to see good things as the captain.
Tezuka: It’s as if there’s a desire to leave something behind for them.
Kite: Well, it’s not as if I don’t understand those kinds of feelings.
Kite: …There is a different side to me when I’m with the others from Higa, I’ll say that much.
Shiraishi: To be honest, there were moments where I got anxious. But I couldn’t say it out loud.
Yukimura: Me too, actually. Once I heard the signal that it was over, I was honestly so relieved.
Atobe: Hopefully those who follow after will get a taste of the same thrill we had.
Tezuka: Everyone, we must get stronger. We can’t afford to get careless.
Atobe: Huhh? That word doesn’t exist in my dictionary.
Tezuka: Right. Now, and hereafter…
Tezuka: Don’t let your guards down.
[STORY END]
Couldn’t upload some images because of the 30 image limit (they’re in the stadium the whole time anyway). I do not miss when they had stories over 10 chapters long.
Also this story is the premise for Tenigo (the Switch game for Tenirabi). More to be added.
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light spider
jcniper
Summary:
“Let me get this straight, you were bit by a radioactive spider and now you're running away from an evil alien parasite that duplicates itself named David?” Joel looked like he was regretting quitting cigarettes.
“Yep. Well the alien infected a guy named David, and I think it's from a different universe.” Ellie started rambling.
“I’m too old for this shit,”
Notes:
Fun fact: Ellie’s powers are inspired by a variety of different jumping spiders that give off the appearance of glowing/bioluminescence.
PROLOGUE
Ellie’s social worker once told her that she had a knack for making things more difficult for herself. It was the only thing the two of them ever agreed on. It didn’t matter how hard Ellie tried not to cause any trouble, she always found her way into it in one way or another. That ‘knack for getting into trouble’ is what she blamed when she got kicked out of her newest place for allegedly stealing her foster brother’s things–she didn’t–and beating him up after he accused her–which she actually did.
She had bounced states three different times, the result of enthusiastic foster parents that had promised here she was going to find a forever home before they realized that her ‘mental health’ and ‘behavioral issues’ were too much for her to handle and sent her back into the system. It happened again. Now she was in New York, and she was pretty sure Marlene had given up on her.
Marlene had stuffed her into a girl’s home and drove away almost immediately. The only thing that was her saving grace was her grades, which shocked even Ellie. Four months into being there, she applied to a boarding school scholarship just to get an excuse to use the computer and ended up getting in. When Marlene came back to the house looking happy and asking for her, Ellie thought it was a joke.
It wasn’t a joke.
She got pancakes and a dorm room at a ‘higher learning’ high school out of it.
“How am I gonna tell them that I actually hate school and didn’t think I was actually gonna get in?” She muttered under her breath.
“You’re not going to do that,” Marlene rolled her eyes.
“But–”
“Do you want a dorm room you share with one other girl, or to go back to the girl’s home where you share it with five?”
“Let’s get going.”
“That’s what I thought.” Ellie didn’t argue anymore. Marlene must’ve grown tired of pretending to celebrate with Ellie and went silent. When Ellie moved in, she didn’t get to see who she would be rooming with because she was apparently allowed to move in a week before move-in week actually was.
A week to herself.
That was something she’d never had before.
She tried not to wonder how it would go wrong.
*
Ellie was really bad at making friends.
It was one of the first facets of her personality she had discovered when she was a kid. A lot of people thought she was weird and too much, and she wished she knew what about her she had to change to make it so people actually cared about her.
Ellie decided that this year she would do emotional damage control and not even try to make friends here. That wasn’t what she needed to do. She needed to make it work so she didn’t go back to a group home with an overbearing guardian breathing down her back twenty-four-seven.
She got into the swing of it pretty fast. A lot of her classes were more art and music focused, but she did have some core classes including a physics class that she really didn’t want to take. She had been hearing other kids gossiping about how the new teacher was a hardass. She couldn’t do that. Her and hardass teachers always ended up in verbal sparring matches. Ellie was always the one that ended up getting kicked out of class. The entire day, a pit was forming in her stomach.
It only got worse when she got into class. The teacher was an older man with salt and pepper hair, tan skin and a face that said ‘I haven’t experienced joy in my one hundred years of life’. He didn’t look like he should be a teacher, though. The way he stood, the way he surveyed the entire room, and the way he dressed was just not what she expected from a teacher in New York.
She read the board.
‘ Mr. Miller.’
“Sit down, the bell’s about to ring.”
She did, despite the irritation his tone caused her. Ellie did her best to remind herself that she wasn’t trying to start fights with anyone this year. Students kept filing in, chatter filling the room. A girl sat down right next to Ellie. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, swinging behind her head. It was shiny. She glanced over to Ellie and smiled and Ellie had to keep herself from panicking because she had freckles that reminded her of constellations and this wasn’t the way she pictured her school year starting.
The bell rang, but Ellie didn’t notice. Neither did the other girl. “Hey,” The other girl said.
“Hey,” Ellie nearly squeaked and immediately felt like she was going to die. “Um, hey. I’m Ellie.”
“Dina. I’m right across the hall from you.”
“Oh, really?”
“Hey, you two in the back row. What’re your names?” Mr. Miller interjected. Ellie became acutely aware of all of the students that were staring at her and Dina. Dina shrunk a little in her seat, away from Ellie.
That made it a little worse.
“I’m talkin’ to you. What’re your names?”
“Are you a cowboy?” Ellie blurted out.
‘ Stupid, stupid, stupid!’
He paused, obviously thrown by the odd veer off course from the conversation. “Names.”
“Dina,” Dina said. “Sorry for talking, sir.”
Ellie sighed, “Ellie.” She didn’t say sorry. He glared at her for a second and then shrugged and turned back to the board.
“Great. Neither of y’all are in trouble.” He was definitely from the South. Ellie found herself trying to guess his accent. Louisana? Florida? Wyoming? Was Wyoming even the south? That was when Ellie realized there was a difference between ‘rural’ and ‘the south’ and briefly had to reteach herself everything that she’d ever learned about geography. She glanced around the room, looking for signs before her eyes found a cup that said ‘ Keep Austin Weird’ on it and got the answer to her question.
He was from Texas.
That explained the trucker-cowboy-private-investigator vibes that she was getting from him. “I understand everyone wants to talk, so just do me a favor. Shut up during the lesson. I’ll teach, let you guys get to your assignments and as soon as you get to your assignments you can chat amongst yourselves. But if you cheat, I’ll know.”
“How?” A boy asked. He was sitting on the other side of Dina. They both shared a look and she chuckled a little. Ellie rolled her eyes.
“I just will.”
He was still looking at the board and writing things, “Like I can tell that you’re texting under your desk right now.”
“Woah.”
“How did he do that?” Someone hissed.
Ellie was ready to get out of there. “Can you guys shut the fuck up?” She hissed.
“You shut the fuck up.”
“All of you shut up.” Mr. Miller said.
It worked.
She had never seen a teacher say shut up in a monotone voice in a room full of high school children and get them to do it the first time. It actually worked. Ellie gave him kudos for that. Kudos from her basically meant she wasn’t going to try to make this man’s life harder in one way or another.
She was ready to zone out and zone out hard.
That didn’t happen.
He was actually good at teaching.
All of the concepts were basics. Things that even Ellie, (she had walked in convinced that she was going to fail this class), could get. He drew things out, “My drawing ability should probably put me in jail.” Joel said. “So, forgive me. Here are the concepts you need to know.” He drew everything out.
Momentum, conservation of energy, Newton’s laws of motion, motion, position, gravity, and so on in so forth. For momentum, Joel drew a stick figure swinging from construction crane to construction crane. All of them were different types of action scenes of varying levels of amusement.
“It’s the first day, we’re going to do something fun for the first assignment. Pick one basic concept of physics and create an illustrative diagram that shows an example of the concept in real life. You have until the end of the next class to do it. Make it entertaining, I don’t want to be bored when I’m grading your things.”
The class stared at him blankly. “Go, get started.”
“So…we’re just…drawing…?” Someone asked.
Ellie stared. She didn’t want to stare a gift horse in the mouth. “I’m not expecting you to understand concepts enough to write an essay on the first day of freshman year.”
That sentence alone made Mr. Miller her favorite teacher. The class devolved into different discussions, but they kept it low and respectful and Joel ignored them until the bell ring. Everyone packed up.
Ellie turned, wanting to talk to Dina more and realized she was gone. Everyone filed out of the class so fast that she stood there for a second. Mr. Miller was still at his computer, disinterested in everything else going on around him. Ellie walked up to his desk, standing there and waiting for him to turn. When he didn’t, she cleared her throat. He glanced up at her. “What?”
“Sorry about talking earlier, and uh–asking that dumb question? It was dumb.”
“What’s your name again?”
“Ellie.”
“Ellie,” He paused. Something in his face looked off, like he was in pain. The air around him seemed to warble and glitch like static. It happened so fast she was sure he hallucinated it. The coffee mug he had been holding shattered on the floor.
“Damn it,” He muttered under his breath.
“Let me help.” She didn’t know what to do, but she wanted to help somehow. Ellie started grabbing tissue after tissue, ready to help clean it up when Joel shook his head.
“You’re gonna be late for class.”
“I am?” She glanced up at the clock. “I am! Oh, shit.” She started running out the door, cringing when she realized she had said that curse word aloud. “Sorry.”
“I don’t care if you cuss.” He called after her and she careened down the hallway, going as fast as she could.
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Castlevania rondo of blood psp rom raddit
Castlevania rondo of blood psp rom raddit how to#
Castlevania rondo of blood psp rom raddit portable#
Castlevania rondo of blood psp rom raddit Pc#
Castlevania rondo of blood psp rom raddit series#
Surprise, the PlayStation original has become hilariously expensive, regularly selling for $100 or more. prologue text tries to pawn it off as a sequel to Bloodlines for Genesis, which was set about 100 years after this game.) It's an all-time gaming classic, rich in detail and nearly as influential on metroidvania game design as Super Metroid. Unlike the Super NES game, this is definitely a sequel to Rondo of Blood. (Both cost the same: $7.99.) As with all Super NES Virtual Console titles, these only work on New 3DS and New 2DS.
Castlevania rondo of blood psp rom raddit portable#
I'd recommend the Wii U version if you want the ability to play on a television, whereas this version is more portable and offers a slightly richer set of emulation features. The 3DS Virtual Console also offers the Super NES Dracula X rather than Rondo. Although this release was something of a disappointment when it showed up in 2014 (pretty much everyone saw the press release and thought it was about Rondo of Blood), given the high cost of the original game it's nice to be able to pick up a digital release for eight bucks. So that's… something? Super NESĪ bare cartridge of Dracula X costs nearly as much as Rondo of Blood now. On the other hand, it's ludicrously difficult. It also drops things like the alternate stage routes, hidden endings, and voice-acted anime cut scenes. Not quite a sequel, not quite a remake - it was called "Dracula XX" in Japan - this Super NES game contains many of the elements seen in Rondo but completely rearranges them.
Castlevania rondo of blood psp rom raddit Pc#
Since Konami didn't muck around with localizing PC Engine games, America saw this take on Dracula X instead. Caveat: Due to Nintendo's requirement that Virtual Console titles remain unadulterated from their original releases, this version contains Japanese text only. The downside? This version of Rondo will no longer be available for purchase after January 2019. It also works in Wii U's backward compatibility mode. For a measly 900 Wii points - that's nine bucks - you can own a great recreation of the game. The best price and best-quality reproduction of Rondo can be found on Wii, though. Finally, you can supposedly run this version on PlayStation TV by working around Sony's built-in restrictions. The Dracula X Chronicles's physical UMD version works on PSP only, while the digital version also runs on Vita. The emulation on the unlockable isn't the best in the world, but for the price it's hard to complain. In addition to the new version, the original Rondo appears here as an unlockable item. PSP/Vita/PlayStation TV: The Dracula X ChroniclesĪ far more economic option exists in the form of The Dracula X Chronicles, a PSP remake of Rondo of Blood that adds 2.5D graphics, new secrets, new bosses, and new story events. If you want the premium classic experience, it'll cost ya. These days, the original import game disc will run you $150 on the low end, and the hardware that supports it sell for $300-500, easy. Since Konami never localized a single one of its PC Engine games for the west, it languished in Japan. Konami published it exclusively on the PC Engine CD-ROM^2, the Japanese equivalent of the Turbo CD. This version of the game took nearly 15 years to make its way to the U.S. We live in dark times, but it's not all bad when these classics are so easy to come by for a reasonable price. So, I've put together a list not only of the various ways you can play Symphony, but also its direct predecessor (predecessors?): Rondo of Blood and Dracula X.
Castlevania rondo of blood psp rom raddit how to#
After I posted yesterday's piece about some of my experiences and memories of the game, several people asked for recommendations on how to play it on current systems. Yep, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night debuted in America 20 years ago.
Castlevania rondo of blood psp rom raddit series#
Our " " How Can I Play It ?" series lays out the best options for legitimately and legally playing the classic games we cover here at Retronauts, ideally on current platforms. Mission control for retronauts former EIC of 1UP.com and taking dapper (and frogs) back from the Nazis.
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Battle in Class ; Prologue
The main storyline of your semester following your year in A.H High’s new class starts here. You’ll find to see some new faces when you thought you already knew everyone in your grade
Battle In Class ; material list
word count -> 1.8 k
content -> ongoing series, eventual smau + written storyline, eventual routes; fem! reader
JoJo: Highschool Days ; full series material list
send in an ask to @aquatik or @lovely-josuke to be apart of the taglist and if you’d like to specify a specific route, go ahead !
The over-the-top decorations caught you by surprise, even if this was technically the fourth time you had seen them throughout your years at A.H High. This time though, the decorations were in your class color, and you found yourself wearing the crown you made over the summer with the rest of your classmates.
You passed by your fellow classmates as you walked through the courtyard: some were wearing their senior crowns, a couple juniors wearing their J’s, you swore you saw a couple petrified kids who you assumed were freshman. “Damn, I feel old now.”
“You could say that again!” A cheerful voice sang. You turned around to meet the contagious smile of your friend, Suzi. “Happy last first day, Y/N!”
“Suzi!
“Yep!” She nodded. “I even saw our mascot, Iggy, walking around. Feels kinda surreal huh,” She smiled softly, before hitting your forearm, jumping up in excitement as you slightly recoiled at the sudden impact.
“Did you hear about the exchange students? They’re coming from Italy. I heard there's three of them, two juniors and one senior.”
“No, this is the first I've heard of it.” You said as you both continued walking in the courtyard. Subconsciously, you start to look around for anyone that would resemble these exchange students Suzi mentioned. “So, uh, where exactly are they?” You asked.
She laughed at your lost expression, “Silly, they aren’t coming in for a few weeks!” You nodded, a few seconds passed as you turned to her, “Wait, how do you know then?”
“Student council,” She whistled, “Told ya, you should’ve joined.” She poked at your shoulder. You sighed, giving her a knowing look. “A lil’ late, don’t you think?”
“True,” she smiled.
“Oh right, remind me again Suzi, what classes do you have?”
“Calculus, Office aid, English, and History. You?”
“Damn, I don’t have anything with you until after lunch. Man, this sucks,” you complained, adjusting the crown on your head. “I’ve got Physics, Italian, then English and History with you.”
“You’re taking Italian? Trying to be like me, eh?” She nudged at you, raising her eyebrows comedicaly. You playfully rolled your eyes at her, “Yeah, definitely Ms. Italy. It seems like an okay class, it’s new so it should be interesting.”
“I’m still disappointed that we didn’t get many classes, Counselor Pucci sucks, this feels personal,” You said, kicking the pebble in front of you, your statement eliciting a laugh from Suzi. “On the bright side, we’re skipping 1st period today!”
“We are?” you asked as she nodded. “Mhm! Senior pep rally, remember?” She looked at you.
“Oh shit, yeah you’re right. Wait, isn’t that in the main area of the courtyard?” You stopped walking as you asked.
“Yeah, why?” She answered.
“We’re on the second floor, Suzi…”
“Merda.”
You both made it down to the main area of the courtyard just in time before the bell rang. If you hadn’t, you would’ve been stuck helping your underclassmen find their classes. You both wouldn’t have minded if not for the fact you had a Senior event to attend to.
To both of your guys’ surprise, you and Suzi made it on time. The pep rally started with your class host coming out and welcoming you to the new—and final—school year. It was essentially the same as any other pep rally, just the exclusion of the rest of the school.
The senior football players came running in wearing their jerseys, what differentiated them from the other grades wearing their jerseys were their crowns. The cheerleaders and the dance team followed suit, lightening up the crowd’s mood up and bringing in enthusiasm. Small performances were followed by getting volunteers or being volunteered to participate in small games or questionnaires.
Snapping you out of your excited trance you were in with your friends were two guys who were in the main area now. Two tall guys—one a brunette, another a blonde—were now answering a question.
“For you two, what is one of the most memorable moments you guys have of each other?” The host asked, passing the mic to the blonde.
“For me about this buffoon?” He asked rhetorically, “Definitely the fact he failed his—“
“What did I tell you, about bringing that up?” The brunette snarled, covering the guy’s mouth.
The only words you could make out of the muffled speech were, “I’ve got, no clue, what you’re—“
“You want to play that one then huh? Fine.” He said, now taking the mic into his hands. “My most memorable memory of this bastard is when he almost got caught by our old teacher—“
“I told you not to ever mention that you coglione!” The blonde now says running at the brunette who was sheepishly laughing.
The pair begin to run at each other, jumping around to avoid the other's jab. At one point, it turned into a chase of the brunette running away from the blonde while yelling childish insults. That continued a few seconds before he tripped, leading the blonde to trip onto him, both tumbling across the stage.
A sigh was heard from across the room, followed by the sharp clacking sound of a pair of heels. This seemed to set an alarm off for the duo, as they scrambled up from their tussling match on the ground to run away from the scene. As they disappeared, the sound of the heels stopped and got father. Towards what direction, you guys weren’t sure but it wasn’t towards your direction anymore.
While it certainly brought you and the rest of your classmates a good laugh, a question you had subconsciously verbalized as the host continued with the last questions. “What the hell are they feeding sophomores nowadays? I did not look like that sophomore year, this is a scam.”
“What are you talking about?” Suzi asked, slight confusion mixing with the smile on her face.
“Like bro, who let the sophomores on stage, isn’t this the Senior pep rally and the whole school one is after lunch?”
“Y/N, you’re kidding me, right?”
“No?”
“That’s Joseph and Caesar, they’re seniors.”
“No they aren’t. I’d know, I know like everyone in our class.”
“Well clearly, you don’t.”
You side-eyed her, “No need to be so mean about it,” you mumbled. “But seriously, who the hell are they?”
“Y/N, how do you not know them?” She said, her expression seeming as this information was taking away her life force. “I’ve mentioned them like, a gazillion times!”
You shrugged your shoulders, “I dunno, I’ve literally never heard you say Caesar or Joseph ever in my life.” You said, turning to look for the two boys who had run off spewing insults at each other. When they were nowhere to be seen, you could only sigh. You just hoped you didn’t have them both together in a class.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” You said, slouching slightly into your chair as you see the same blonde and brunette duo from earlier walk in, one slightly earlier than the other. Could you even say duo? Those two looked more hateful rather than friendly when they got off stage.
“Ugh, you're in this class, Joseph? What the hell are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here? What are you doing here Caesar? Aren’t you already fluent?”
“Fluent? Then why the hell are you in beginner’s Italian?” You thought as you listened in on the, not-so-private, conversation. It wasn’t helping that it was a small classroom with even fewer students.
“Oh shut up, It’s an easy class.”
“You sure it’s not because they didn’t want to give your idiotic self a higher level?” He teased with a smile.
“Joseph, you’ve got a couple seconds before I hit you so hard you—“
“Ah, you two,” A female’s voice resonated through the room, enough to stop Joseph and Caesar’s banter in a millisecond. You swore you could see their muscles stiffen up at the sound of the sharp tone. “I had a feeling I had seen you guys on my roster.”
“Ms. Lisa Lisa…haha what a pleasure to see and have you again…”
“For those of you that don’t know me, Ms. Lisa Lisa is fine with me.” She said, ignoring the boy’s previous statement. “Actually, don't even bother calling me something else, I’ll simply ignore you.” She said as she moved her sunglasses up to her head away from her eyes.
“Welcome to Italian 1 for beginners. We’ll be going over the syllabus and what’s expected. But first, I need you guys seated in partners. You three, my seniors, go over there and—sorry, excuse me while I take this.” She said as she answered the phone and pointed towards where she wanted you guys to go.
You get up and go to where the teacher was pointing at, Joseph and Caesar following suit. As you look around the room, you now notice you, Caesar and Joseph are the only seniors taking this class. The more you look around, you notice the lingering stares of many girls on Caesar. You also see silent jokes being exchanged between Joseph and a few guys that were seated already.
Snapping you out of your observational gaze, you hear shuffling near you, signaling the two guys were moving towards you. “I guess it’s just the three of us lonesome seniors then,” Joseph sighs exaggeratedly.
“I guess so,” you answered. “How does she even know you guys, I’ve never even seen or heard of her.”
“She used to be our Intensive English teacher,” Caesar said, crossing his legs as he leaned against the wall. “It was more of an afterschool thing, that’d explain why you might’ve never seen her.”
Joseph stretched his arms, “She sure was, gotta say, quite interesting.”
“Yeah, interesting because someone kept fooling around.”
“Hey don’t blame it all on me!” Joseph exclaimed as his brows furrowed.
You sighed, your hand raising to scratch your ear, “Do you guys ever get along? You’d assume you guys are like, best friends from the look of it.”
Before the two could answer you, Ms. Lisa Lisa gets off the phone. As she goes back to addressing you three, the door opens and a familiar face walks in. “Right on time Suzi. Class, this is Suzi Quatro. She’ll be my teacher's aid whenever she’s free from office duty,” Ms. Lisa Lisa said as she introduced Suzi. She waves and introduces herself, looking over and smiling at you.
“For now since I've got an uneven number of students and I know the seniors won’t sit with the others, nor will I let those two rascals sit next to each other…” The teacher said, thinking for a moment.
“Y/N, pick one of those two to sit with. You three will work on assignments together as a trio but I need them separated, you get what I mean,” She says, sending you a knowing smile.
[sit next to joseph] or [sit next to caesar]
phylum chordate -> jojo’s bizarre adventure
mention -> first part wooo 😼 we really hope you guys enjoy ! the routes will start and be linked as soon as we post them!
taglist -> @chisakitsubaki @mkirina
this is a @aquatik & @lovely-josuke collab
#— phylum chordate#— wave; jojo: highschool days#jojo x reader#jjba x reader#jojo smau#jjba smau#jjba series#jjba part 2 x reader#jjba part 2#joseph joestar x reader#joseph x reader#caesar x reader#ceaser zeppeli x reader
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Hello! I’d like to share some of my notes if I were to Beta-read the most recent Archon Quest. I will be going through what worked, what could be taken out, and what could’ve been better. Note that I’m looking at this through an editor’s lens so I’m going to try NOT to change the plot we were given no matter what my opinions are about it BUT some of the said opinions may slip out.
Also, a bit of a disclaimer: I know that Genshin isn’t an actual literary work but miHoYo is known for its writers’ great storytelling and I’ve always loved their work so it really came as a surprise as to what happened to the mess that is Inazuma Act 3. So yeah.
Contains:
1. What was foreshadowed about the characters and why the payoff of their portrayals felt cheap.
a. About Kokomi and the rebellion.
b. About the Fatui, the James Bond villain wannabe.
c. About Ei and the Raiden Shogun.
2. How Chapter 2, Act 3 could have been the turning point that would have us, as the Traveler, cement our perceptions of the Archons and Gods of Celestia OR what I think the death of Signora was supposed to be but was undermined by this one tidbit.
BONUS: I wrote this before Kokomi’s story quest was released but decided to wait for it before posting. And guess what? I think Kokomi’s Story Quest works better as an Archon Quest. At least, some parts of it.
miHoYo teased us this intelligent leader of the resistance that is well-versed in the Art of War. The end of Ch2: Act 2 showed us a powerful Kokomi. So why was she sidelined all throughout the act?
I actually like the idea of the resistance asking the Fatui for aid. But miHoYo chickened out and made it so that they did it unknowingly. To which I say: how? If Kokomi was so smart she should’ve known better. I figured it was the Fatui within a single sentence, so why didn’t Kokomi?
They should’ve stuck with the concept of the underdogs – or in Kokomi’s words, the little fish – of war in an act of desperation. They could’ve shown a calculated Kokomi “making a deal with the devil” and will do anything to win the fight against the Shogunate.
In her Character Teaser, she was willing to burn the enemies’ supplies – to starve the enemy. She can be ruthless, that’s why Kokomi actively giving Delusions to her foot soldiers would have made much more sense to cause the Fatui to be involved rather than the whole “the Fatui orchestrated everything” schtick.
Which brings me to my next point: when did the Fatui turn into a James Bond villain? I hate that trope so much. It’s like the Deus Ex Machina of villainy. It’s lazy. And it doesn’t even fit the Fatui’s modus operandi.
In the prologue, the Abyss Order corrupted Dvalin and the Fatui was just there waiting to steal Barbatos’ gnosis while the Knights are distracted. Morax decided to retire one day so the Fatui swept right in and offered a test of Liyue in exchange for his gnosis.
The last two locations had their own story to tell while the Fatui was just in the background like the opportunistic antagonist that they are.
It also would have been a stronger plotline to have the already set lore – like the tenuous relationship between Watatsumi and Narukami – be the driving force of the Inazuman Civil War.
The prologue and chapter 1 also delivered what we are told we’re going to get in the Story Preview. That’s why they are satisfying. However, with chapter 2, the way it ended turned out to be more about the Fatui rather than “what do mortals see of the eternity chased after by their god.”
Sure, we got the consequences of the war in the World Quests and some of it in the second act. But making the Fatui the Big Bad in the end takes value away from the actions of the characters that are supposed to be the main feature of this chapter.
How much of the Eternity the Raiden Shogun is pursuing is directly from Ei? How much of it is its own understanding of eternity, coupled with Ei’s memories, and its own response? How much of it is the Fatui’s influence?
I have to say though, I’m fine with the puppet actually. Believe it or not. I have had kinda figured that out with the weird shifting of emotions in and out of the puppet. And the dead glowing eyes. So kudos to the design and animation team for that foreshadowing.
It was also said that the current Electro Archon lost someone dear to her and, while I didn’t think it was a twin, I did figure that the current Electro Archon wasn’t the real Electro Archon. So the whole Baal and Beelzebul backstory didn’t really surprise me. So I guess that was foreshadowed too? But my friends didn’t feel the same way so I don’t know. I’m not touching that.
But I do agree that all of the new lore got info-dumped to us by Yae rather than have us find out about them. To be honest, I would have wanted the backstory of Ei to be in her story quest rather than it be in the Archon Quest. A World Quest could work too.
I just feel like the 2.1 Archon Quest ended up cramming so many themes and subplots when it should’ve been focusing on what was promised: the darkness that is brought by their god.
They already had set up the Visions are people’s motivations/ambitions and that taking them away also takes away their agency.
Then they could’ve played with the idea of the people of Watatsumi looking up to Kokomi as their pseudo-god in-place of Orobashi and so with her actively giving Delusions could fit well in the said theme.
They could’ve made Ei and Kokomi character foils of each other and have the final showdown be about them.
And then it’ll all, of course, end up with the people of Inazuma learning how to work without their “gods” or something like that, which is the overarching theme of the whole series if you think about it.
But as I said, my opinions about the plot shouldn’t matter and I’m only here to make what was already written better.
So let’s talk about something that the puppet has done which didn’t make any sense on the surface level but could’ve been clever if it was done right. Killing La Signora.
Okay. So there is a pivotal moment at the end of the first arc of a three-act story where the main character experiences something that will leave them no choice but to move forward. This usually is a physical thing like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. But it can also be a mental or emotional situation.
Over at Honkai, the first arc ended with the death of a beloved mentor and a shattered world (both external and internal). The characters had no choice but to step up and “to stay alive, bravely” (yes, I won’t stop using this line ever). It was so very well done and even after so many years it still hurt no matter how many times you reread/rewatch the scene.
This reread value is what shows how much a twist is well written.
And that is what miHoYo is known for. So I had high expectations with the plot twist (technically this pivotal moment is called a plot twist because it twists the feel and/or pace of the story). Chapter 2 is the perfect spot to end the first act of a seven-chaptered story. So I’m really preparing myself for the inevitable twist.
But then we ended up with Signora’s death.
Okay. So. They could have used that to show us, as the traveler, how Archons and Celestial beings are unfeeling and not to be trusted. We were told this repeatedly by Dainsleiff and by the Abyss Twin. But it is only textbook writing 101 to show NOT tell.
And Signora’s death could have been this portrayal. Although, to be honest, it would have been more impactful if the one who died is a friend of the Traveler.
Them seeing someone die at the hands of an Archon could have their idea of gods shift. Because there is no turning back once you see the proof right in front of your eyes.
But instead, the puppet did it. So what was the point of Signora’s death if not just a power demonstration? We already knew that the Raiden Shogun is powerful. So why did Signora have to die?
Sure, one can argue that the puppet was enacting the Ei’s will so maybe there was a point. But! In Ei’s story quest, we were told that the puppet would have no hesitation when it comes to killing whereas Ei can show mercy.
Which begs, again, the question: how much of the Raiden Shogun’s actions is a reflection of Ei’s will, and how much of it is a logic response of an artificial intelligence from Ei’s memories?
Honestly? I don’t like that they killed off Signora. It doesn’t feel right. I would’ve taken Beidou’s death over Signora’s no matter how much I love Beidou. There was just no build-up to it and it feels weak. I… didn’t feel anything besides confusion. The anger only came later because of the wasted potential.
But overall, I do think they could’ve made it work if it were actually Ei doing the killing.
--
So I just did Kokomi’s Story Quest and man. The soldiers wanting to continue the war is what they really should have made the motivations of the actual war rather than have it as a post-war response and then have Kokomi fix their mess.
Seriously. While it was really interesting to see the usual trauma response of soldiers who had only known war their whole life, they wasted this idea, man.
Before doing the Archon Quest I had thought that the Watatsumi had a hand on the Vision Hunt Decree. Because if I were a tactician, I would have made something to anger the people of my enemies and have them have their internal issues. And while the Shogunate is weak, that’s when I will strike and claim Inazuma for my people and my god.
Then Orobashi will rise once more.
Yep.
Obviously, I really wanted Kokomi to be a more active character in the Archon Quest.
Anyways. If you reached the end, thank you for reading this ~1.5k words of musings. Tell me what you think. Or don’t. You do you.
#genshin impact#genshin spoilers#genshin 2.1#baal#sangonomiya kokomi#genshin fatui#la signora#genshin analysis#fatui harbingers#genshin baal#genshin impact 2.1#archon quests#genshin quests#genshin archon quests#genshin story analysis#genshin lore#genshin criticism#idek what to tag this as ahsajadghhtjj#kokomi#genshin kokomi#genshin signora
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Ocean: the abyss (3:2, final)
Date: 220223
Warnings/Contains: angst 🔞, abuse (ment, phys, sex.), gen. expl. lang.
Pairing: au! Baekhyun x F. Reader
WC: 6,4k
NOTE: It cannot be stated enough that Baekhyun is a vessel for this story (read link below for further explanation). 🚨Every scene isn’t explicit/graphic, but some are and they aren’t specifically marked out. Do skip this one if you’re sensitive to above-mentioned topics and/or if you don’t understand why people “stay”. 🚨
On sensitive/explicit topics.
Prologue (the surface) P.2 (the deep) P.3:1 (the abyss) Masterlist
¤¤
"Don't look so scared. Don't you want to know what's wrong with you?"
"I think everyone is scared when they come here. Of what the doctor will say."
Yes, there have probably been hundreds - thousands - of nervous women and men sitting in this very parking spot, giving each other encouraging words before going in.
He takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Try not to say anything stupid in there. Don't upset me."
"Okay."
"Okay", he mimics, ridiculing your small voice. "This is exactly what I'm talking about… You should be happy I'm willing to do this for you. You should be grateful. Instead you're sitting here like "okay"...", he says, shoving your head to the side.
You leave your eyes to stare at the car door where they land, waiting with a heavy heart for him to calm down, once again hoping no one saw.
¤
"We usually don't see couples here until after about a year of trying."
"A little early, we know", Baekhyun replies with the most sugary smile towards you. "But there's no harm in getting in front of it, is there? We're just eager to start our family, doctor."
"No, no, of course not. Either way it's good to have a physical now and again. But it's...you're not having one now, correct?"
"I get them at work. Fit as a fiddle. Anyhow it's more her we're worried about."
"Oh? Any particular reason? Have you had complications in the past; problem conceiving?"
"What, me? No."
"Miscarriage, venereal disease?"
"No, nothing", you say adamantly.
"Okay. Well, then there's no cause for concern just yet", the doctor says reassuringly. "If you just roll your sleeve up, yes, the left one, I'll check your blood pressure to start."
It's the doctor's job and what he should do but his barrage of questions has turned Baekhyun sour. Not outwardly (god forbid he be less than composed), but a darkness hangs around not only him but you as well. "Miscarriage. Venereal disease." Fodder for his distrustful mind. Ammunition.
"Aaand here…", he asks, lightly tapping on your abdomen.
"No, doesn't hurt."
"Oh, but that must've..."
Pointing to a bruise on your side you're not sure if you're imagining it, that there's a slight squint of concern in his eyes.
"Yes. I got caught in the elevator door with a box in my arms."
Of course you hadn't, but the traditional "walking into doors and falling down stairs" is something you never say. Thinking the episode sounds sufficiently strange to be true he frowns in sympathy and turns to Baekhyun:
"You should take over the heavy lifting, give your partner a break."
"Believe me, I try, but she's one of those headstrong ones", he laughs, ingratiating himself with the doctor.
After some further tapping, heart listening and weighing, he puts a slip of paper and a container in front of you.
"This is for your blood work, just show it to the nurse when you go in. And this is for the urine sample."
"This really is like my exams at work. Iron, hb…"
"Yep, but this time we'll specifically look at the hormone levels which we usually don't."
"If it's low or…"
Baekhyun's voice fades out when you take in what the doctor's just said. You'd gone in knowing certain things don't show on blood work - but of course they can see them if they want to! There's no stalling, no time, no way out…
"...looking a little tired", the doctor's voice fades in. "It's just a quick pop in and out, be over in a jiffy."
¤
"Let's go see your mum."
"Now?"
"Doctor's right, you look a little tired. Don't you want to go there?"
"No, you're right. I'll call her."
°
"We were out so Baekhyun suggested we swing round here", you say, paying less mind to your words, more to wrestling with Ga.
It makes Baekhyun jealous when you pay so much attention to him, but you don't care - he's the one who suggested it anyway.
"I don't even have cookies to offer. Plain coffee alright?"
"Just what I need", Baekhyun smiles gratefully, saying hello with a kiss on her cheek.
Oh, how you used to love seeing them together, how he was all smiles, help and compliments with her; now it's revolting, yet a protection against her ever thinking anything bad about him that would put you in a difficult spot.
"So what have you been up to?"
"We-"
"We went to see the doctor", he says over you.
"The doctor? What's the matter?", your mum asks with a worry in her voice.
"We're fine, mom. It was just a general physical. When was your last one, by the way?"
"Oh, doctor, shmoctor", she snorts, swatting her hand. "I'll go when I get sick."
You thank your lucky stars that Baekhyun doesn't go into detail about why you went. It wouldn't be news to her, but you've - in so many words - made her think that it's in the distant future rather than imminent partly so you wouldn't have to deal with her curiosity. If she had known you'd also have to constantly lie to her - or tell her the truth. And if you did that… Would she catch on about Baekhyun? Or would she simply tell you to come clean, hell, maybe get the ball of honesty rolling herself by some small remark? No. Ignorance is bliss.
"So are you staying for dinner? I wasn't planning on cooking, but I'll whip something up if you're here."
"Don't go through the trouble. We're eating out tonight."
"We are?"
"Why not? It's rare enough that I'm home on a weekday, let's go someplace nice. Won't be as crowded either."
"Oooh, he's a keeper, this one", she winks at you.
"A keeper that must excuse himself…", Baekhyun says and hauls up his ringing phone. "Work."
As he's leaving he stops and cocks his head, pointing at something: "You?", he mouths. When you turn around to look you see an old photo of yourself newly hung up on the wall.
"Mom..! Really?"
"I just thought it was so cute, I had to hang it..!"
It is cute. It also reminds you of the last time you saw it and why.
¤
It rarely ever got to fights with Baekhyun. You weren't the bickering type, so your previous relationships hadn't been stormy ones either, but with him it was different. Even before your falling out over Beanie, when he'd almost hit you, he had a way of shutting things down; be it with a certain look, an expression or mere energy, something made you drop whatever matter it was or go along with his wishes, brooding inwardly. But that day it wasn't about you "getting your way", it was about being a good friend to someone who'd been one to you.
You love watching Baekhyun watching TV. The money shows don't hold any special interest to you so you often lie like this, head in his lap, seeing the flickering lights across his face, his black hair shining.
"Your upper lip looks bigger from this angle."
A faint raise of his eyebrows and a quick look down. He grins, folding his hand over yours.
"Ah, that's why you're always down there. I was hoping for something less sweet..."
"Shh, you… I'm going out with Sān on the weekend."
"When?"
"We haven't decided, Friday or Saturday."
"Do you have to?", he asks, kissing your hand.
"Wait, isn't it this weekend you're away..?"
"Yeah… But why do you have to go out when I'm not here..?"
"All alone in this empty house - I might need the diversion..!", you play. "No, he's moving, remember? We're saying goodbye."
"Are you gonna be drinking?"
"Most likely. It's not the main focus, but you know what send-offs are like."
Since Baekhyun turns his attention back to the TV you don't think anything more of it, until ten minutes later.
"I don't want you going."
"What? What do mea-"
"I don't think you should go."
Sitting up you put your hands out, waiting for a further explanation, but get none.
"Of course I'm going. He's moving out of town, Baekhyun, I don't know when I'll see him again. It's not like I'm missing time with you."
"It's not unreasonable that I don't want my girlfriend to stay out drinking all night with some guy I've never met."
"Who said anything about all night? I said-"
"Don't raise your voice."
Oh, how it ticks you off when he says that, as if you're a kid talking back to her parents. How it irks you that he's so calm. Will you go either way? Yes. Do you feel like carrying on this argument? No.
But even when you get up Baekhyun goes after you, grabbing your wrist.
"Baekhyun..! Stop it."
"Are you still going?.."
"Let go of me."
"...Even when I tell you not-"
"Tell me?"
"Okay, then I might pick up some chicks from the hotel bar and get drunk, that's fair?"
Baekhyun's insinuations push you over the edge into the red zone.
"The only reason you don't know Sān is because you NEVER wanted to come when I asked!", you yell. "I've known him longer than I've known you, why would I wait 'til the last day to have sex-"
You stumble into the wall, your skin feeling like it's been ripped into a thousand scorching pieces.
For a lifetime, it seems, he's in shock, looking at you with round eyes and mouth where you sit, before he rushes.
"Oh, my god, I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't mean it!"
"Don't fucking TOUCH ME!"
The feeble fist punching on his arm while the other still holds your cheek makes him back away, sit down. With a horrendous pain and ringing in your ear you scramble to your feet and put your jacket on.
"No, what are you doing? Don't go. Please don't go..!"
In a haze of adrenaline you go here and there, trying to find your things with Baekhyun's never-ending flood of pleas behind you; "...I'm sorry, don't go, are you breaking up with me?, where are you going?, when will you be back?, call me, please call me, sweetie, It won't happen again, don't go...)
The last time, you packed a bag, but the jarring shock won't hold such a cool head. Phone, wallet - that's it. Even if you had a mind to pack you'd be too afraid; afraid that his begging and apologising would turn hostile, that he'd stop asking you not to go and simply not let you.
"I can't believe you still have these...", you sigh when your mom's footsteps come closer. "Where's this from?"
Laughing, she takes the photo from your hand.
"It was Ricky's birthday party. I think you were four..?"
"Ricky..?"
"You don't remember him? The Njie's son, they lived a few houses from us, across the street."
"Hmm...no. Did we go to school together?"
"Maybe first grade… They moved out sometime around then."
"But why am I dressed like a rat?"
"You're not a rat, honey, you're a chipmunk..!"
Her glistening laugh melts in to yours as you take the photo back:
"This is not a chipmunk..! Look at the tail! What...what is that!"
"It's… Oh, heaven's..! I couldn't figure out how to make one so your dad bought a plastic tube from the hardware store..!"
Thinking about how he must've looked - so proud and smart, not seeing any flaws in his plan - puts a weight on your heart. You were so embarrassed about his eccentricities back then…
"That was always him, wasn't it…", your mom muses, also feeling the weight.
"Mm…"
"So… Do you wanna talk about it?"
Called back to the present, scrunching your nose, you languidly shake your head.
"Did you break up?"
"That's not not talking about it, mom…"
"Right. Sorry. I was thinking of starting lunch, you hungry?"
Whether it's the comfort of a homemade meal or Gawa's big head on your stomach, you feel more at ease.
"Did you fight a lot?"
"Me and your dad? I think we mostly argued. I argued, about his crazy ideas."
"Even before you had me you never fought?"
"We must have, once or twice. But you remember what he was like, don't you? Took everything in stride, never raised his voice." Weighing her words, she continues. "It's okay to have a fight, honey. It's not the end of the world. Show me a couple that hasn't and I'll show you two liars…"
"Yeah, I know, I just… When is it big enough to break up…"
"Is it that bad?"
"Maybe."
You wish she could know the truth; magically she would know everything, then she'd tell you to stay here, never go back. But you can't bring yourself to say the truth.
"Oh, honey… It's hard to give advice when I don't know what's going on, but general wisdom? Your gut will tell you if it's not okay. If this issue is insurmountable I think you already have a feeling that it is…"
Shutting your quivering jaw, you put your arm over your burning eyes. She comes over and puts her hand on your shoulder, not knowing what else to do.
"Just remember that there's being angry and being angry right now. It's a big decision, so you don't want to make it when you're inflamed and then regret it."
"You think I would..?"
"I can't say. But Baekhyun's handsome, successful, a gentleman. Fighting shows less attractive sides of a person, but I really think he's a good man. A real catch, honey."
The calls went unanswered, but you couldn't help reading his texts. Some long, some short, early in the morning, late at night; all a variation on the same topic:
"I'll do anything, just come home. I'll talk to someone, I promise I'll never hurt you again. I don't know what I'll do without you. You're the most important thing in my life. The ONLY important thing."
Going up-and-down like a yoyo. In the mornings after a refreshing shower you were level-headed and sure you should've already left him back then. In the afternoon, anger. Anger at his behaviour, broken promises and subsequent pleas. But then dusk came… Watching the crowns of leaves swaying in front of the darkening sky brought you to the park; Baekhyun's body around yours, his arms trying to hug the chill away so you could stay another moment and another one after that. At night the question wasn't breaking up or not but a continuous merry-go-round of "How long can I be angry? How can we work it out? He said he would get help...", since imagining actually never being with him again put a cramp in your lungs. And then came the morning again…
When your mom opens the door you strain your ears to hear who rung the bell, but can't make out more than her surprised words, ruffling and Gawa's excited bark, until:
"Hi there, little fella'..!"
It's him. No. Yes. No. You don't know what feeling to hang your coat on.
"She's… I don't know if she'll see you, Baekhyun."
"I know. That's why…" After some more ruffling your mother cries out with excitement. "For the most beautiful girl in the world. A meagre apology. And here, for the most beautiful mother."
Not able to control your curiosity, you peek into the hallway, just in time to see your mom with a bouquet of roses in her hand.
"She's in…", she points to him and goes to the kitchen.
Your flowers peep through before he does, overwhelmed you press your back to the wall ("There must be five or six dozen red roses in there..!") You're tearing up before he's even turned the corner, just hearing him come closer breaks you.
Tilting his head this way, then that, he has the saddest eyes. His voice is thin, brittle - he must be so afraid of losing you.
"I love you…"
Biting the inside of your cheek you let him stroke your hair, kiss you on the forehead, your temple; you let him hug you close, rest his head against yours. You just nod and pull him closer still.
You know every inch of him, yet he feels new; soft lips on yours, curious and excited hands touching everywhere, the scent emanating from him when he throws his shirt off… Physical and mental intoxication mixing with forgiveness and being released from the grip of anxiety - you could stay on him forever.
"Hey… Do you remember the first time we had sex?", he asks, pushing his hand underneath your underwear.
"M-hm."
"That night I wanted to...do it the other way?"
Getting up on your elbows a red flag waves in the distance. Yes, you remember, you even joked about it - but after you explained how you felt he never pushed, not once.
"Baekhyun…"
"Everyone does it, sweetie…", he coos, planting shallow kisses on your mouth.
"That's not true, everyone doesn't do it. I can't help it if it hurts… Why can't we just-"
"It won't hurt, sweetie. I love you, I wanna share myself with you in every way. Don't you love me the same..?"
"Don't say that, of course I do. But you said…"
When your protest fades out he cups your face, sharing the juiciest kisses, his excitement shouting behind his soft words:
"I'll be careful, sweetie. It won't hurt… You're gonna like it…"
"Ow. No, it's not gonna work."
"Shh, shh. If you relax. I'll take it slow."
"Baekh…"
Your plea is cut short by a sharp pain as he continues to push. Not a sliver of light comes through your tightly shut eyes; there's not one molecule between the sheets and your shaking fists.
You're in the same place, but in two different worlds, you and Baekhyun. When the worst pain subsides, his sounds of pleasure only serve to highlight your feeling of being a prop - "Men, gather around if you'd like to try..!". Intolerable humiliation.
You only meant to wash your hands but end up rinsing your arms and neck as well. Shame permeates the essence of a person - it's a dirt that won't be washed away. "Then why'd you let him? You should've said no." You convince yourself that if you had really said no Baekhyun wouldn't have continued, of course not. He just wasn't thinking straight because he was wrapped up, he didn't realise. Asking yourself if you should tell him now, before bed, your insides turn. You don't want him to think that he… He'd be devastated. Or what if he thinks you're overreacting, or being a prude..?
It's an irony that the person who created this is the one you find comfort with.
"Wait a min… Are you crying?", he asks, running his thumb over your cheek, feeling for tears. "Did it hurt, is that why?"
"Mm", you mumble into his chest.
"Oh, you should've said something, sweetie…", he whispers, stroking your hair. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Did he really not hear you? Determined to not make him feel any worse you don't say anything, just shake your head, trying to hold your tears in.
"Oh, poor sweetie… I'll make it up to you tomorrow. We'll go out buy you something nice."
You don't care about whatever nice thing he will buy - his regretfulness is what matters to you. His closer hug and firm kiss on your head.
"I'm so glad you came home... And don't worry. It won't hurt when you're used to it."
And so, for the rest of your relationship you'd be anxious about what he wanted whenever he nuzzled your neck.
¤
"Is everything really alright with you? You're not trying to keep me in the dark are you, honey?"
"Keep you in the dark about what, mom?" You give your question a little chuckle to cover up the nervous stir in your gut.
"Well, you have been looking a little pale recently."
"It's winter. We all have. No, I'm fine, everything's good."
"You're not working too much are you?"
You sigh and lie down on the couch. Gawa comes up after - you're still his human.
"Well, I know how you're always taking every extra shift-"
"I'm not working too many hours-"
"They have other employees, you know. It's okay to turn one down once-"
"JESUS ALREADY!", you shout at her when she keeps pulling at the scab.
"Okay, sorry..!" Disheartened by your sudden outburst she looks away, fidgeting with her sleeve."I'm allowed to worry, aren't I…"
Making amends is too big of a burden, so you instead close your eyes and drift away to the sound of Gawa's breaths.
Trying to keep the rest of the day amiable you think and overthink about what words to use to show appreciation without annoying him. You can't sound too cheery, but too little and you sound sarcastic.
"It turned into a full day. The doctor's, mom's and now dinner. That's nice. I'm really hungry."
"That was just something I said, I’m heading into the office. You know how she likes to hear that stuff…"
"She doesn't care that much."
He smirks at you with a little huff before the lights change:
"You all do."
¤
"You all do... You all do. You all-"
"You...piece of shit!", you hiss, tearing your clothes from the bars, one after the other, hangers violently swinging and falling down on the floor.
Growling unfinished sentences there aren't enough adjectives for you to use as you punch your stupid fauxs and rip at your dumb Vuitton's, furiously hurling a hanger to the side - crack!
"No, no, no..!", you stutter in disbelief and fear at the cracks reaching like tendrils across the mirror. "No my god… What do I do..? No, no, no..."
With adrenaline still rushing in your body you look at the mess you've made and regret hits you like a ton of bricks. ("I can't fix it. Buy a new one? If I...hang my robe over maybe he won't notice and I can change it tomorrow. He'll notice - he'll never NOT notice! Why didn't I just hit the floor!? No… What am I gonna do!")
You decide on sending him a text, since saying it to his face would add the risk of him being angered by your demeanour.
When he comes back home he inspects the damage and comes out, crossing his arms.
“That’s Italian, you know…”
“I know. I’ll pay for a new one.”
“You don’t have that kind of money, sweetie...”
¤
Like a child hiding a broken vase in the wardrobe and deeming the problem fixed you've done the same; pushing the matter aside, pretending the wardrobe won't ever be opened. Hardly ever looking at your situation with honesty towards yourself it's become your status quo: just go on. But this time you should've gotten out because the truth always does.
"So there wasn't anything abnormal with your tests…", the doctor affirms over the phone.
("They missed it? Please, please, please…")
"...except… Maybe you'd feel more comfortable speaking privately?"
Your bones turn to pulp, Baekhyun fixes his narrowing eyes on you. You should grab the phone and tell the doctor to call the police, tell him whatever you can in the few seconds you'd have, but those words don't fit in your mouth.
"It's okay. Wha… I'm sorry. What is it?"
"Well, looking at your hormone levels they are what I'd expect to see with someone who's on birth control. If you're not ready...maybe you should talk to each other?"
There's no point in answering. Baekhyun ends the call and stands up. There's no point in saying anything. Stare at the table until something happens.
Like a claw around your neck, his fingers dig into your hair and pull. Never once did you fight back but the excruciating pain makes you grab his wrist, kicking, as he drags you off the chair and throws you onto the floor. With a huff he nods, as if saying "well, there we have it, right?". The way he bites his cheeks and cracks his neck is unlike him. Kneeling, pushing his fingers into your jaw, his voice is cold when he points at you.
"You're all the same…"
¤
You don't look as bad as you feel (small blessings). If he'd been his usual self you've no doubt your eyes would've been swollen shut and at least one cheekbone cracked, but he wasn't. It's as if he was overwhelmed by his own fury, shut off from his normal reaction. He kept slapping you across the face. "I've taken care of you, sweetie…" His voice was tender…"You're always walking around here like a snivelling little cunt, but I took care of you…" Berating you, telling you all the things that made you worthless, then another slap. "Do you understand how it makes my skin crawl to have to look at you every day?", he'd hissed, shaking your head by the hair. Wiping his mouth he looked away, shaking his head. "I…"
It had been the most horrifying experience, but what degraded you was the way he left; directing a wash of spit at your face.
Afraid to move you had to let it sit there, running down, mixing with your snot, finding its way between your lips until he finally left the apartment.
There had been no ceiling on Baenie's rage when she saw you at her doorstep - your mouth was bad enough that she understood. After a long inhale every slur under the sun gushed out while she put her coat on, ready to do whatever. It was only when Minnie heard the keys he realised that something, if not what, was going on.
"Wow, wow, wow, where are you going?", he asked, grabbing her arm as she reached for the handle. "What's going on?"
"That!", she shouted and pointed to you. "I'm going to do what I should've a long time ago!"
"Honey, honey, alright, calm down. I don't-"
"Kim Minseok, I swear to god, if you don't let go of me…"
"What, are you just leaving Y/N here? She came here to see you! You're not going anywhere in this state. Think."
Beanie's small hands made even smaller fists. Clenching her jaw, she breathed out violently, knowing she had to admit defeat.
Convincing her to not call the police straight away had been a demanding conversation. Like so many others she couldn't understand why it was even a question, why you shouldn't "send him packing to where he belongs". Blaming your resistance on fatigue and nerves (not the fear of being called a liar or shame of having to go into detail about everything - and even then being asked why you "just didn't leave him") you managed to get her to agree to giving you a night of sound sleep before going ahead.
At a loss for words, understandably so, Minnie had mostly stayed quiet, sitting on the edge of the couch. Was he trying to figure out how to navigate the situation without ruffling too many feathers? You didn't blame him.
¤
Agitated voices rouse you, having dozed off where you sit. Drunk with sleep, fear creeps in but you realise where you are, who they are.
"You'll wake the baby!", Minseok whispers harshly, in spite of Baenie's volume.
"I'll wake her alright, so she can see what a fucking coward her dad is!"
Oh no. This is your fault.
"Keep your voice down, damn it! I'm just saying they might be able to work it out some other way than-"
"Work-! You see how Baekhyun works things out!"
They're arguing about whether to report Baekhyun or not, most likely because it would "cause trouble", so to speak. Minnie must be afraid of losing his job, or being seen as someone who doesn't have his friends' backs. Or losing his friend...
"Unbelievable..!", she spits at him. "You are un-believable. What, a little cash gift and problem solved?"
"That is not what I said, Bean!", Min hisses back.
"One more word, Minnie…", she warns as she turns the corner. "One word…"
Brusquely putting her hair in a bun, she blows fumes through her nose as she paces to the window. Waiting to see if she'll say something seems to be in vain, so you feebly speak first.
"What..?"
Visibly cooled down but still visibly angered she shakes her.
"He called."
"You?"
"Minnie..."
"Did-"
"He knows you're here - he already guessed, Minnie didn't tell him. He tried...motherf… He tried to get Minnie to take you home."
"Maybe I should go."
"No! What are you thinking, no..!"
"Not hom-...not back. Just somewhere else, so I don't cause trouble between them."
"Cause… You're not causing anything. You hear?"
If she'd stayed holding your shoulders maybe the stinging would've settled, but when she hugs you it overflows; warm tears silently streaming down, burning your chafed cheek.
The continuous buzzing of your phone woke you up and now you hold it, waiting for the fourth call to end. Just when you begin to hope it was the last, the screen lights up again - a text message. With trepidation, already regretting it you swipe it open:
"Go to the living room window."
("Why?") With the fantastical notion he might have a gun you crawl down from the sofa and press your body to the wall, peering down the seven floors. His car is parked by the curb. Throwing a glance at the sofa, checking to see if Beanie's still sleeping, you then look back outside.("Where is he..? What if he's coming up! If he's on his way up! I have to wake them, he might do som-") The driver's door opens. When he looks up you hold your breath, heart beating out of your chest, but of course he can't see you with all the lights off. You follow his walk, Beanie's name on your tongue, ready to be called out any second, one more step. Rounding the car, he goes to the backseat and leans in; standing back up, Gawa jumps out on the sidewalk.
You're only a hair away from slamming your fists on the window, but you hit the wall instead, sinking to your knees. Hyperventilating, you cover your mouth with your hands until you bear to stand back up. Baekhyun's just standing there, leaning against the car. Ga is just sitting. They're just standing and sitting, but it makes you double over in pain, taking a deep breath just as you start crying again.
Looking at Bean sound asleep you're so sorry. She deserves better.
Don't you too?
But he wins.
¤
Numb doesn't describe it. Putting your clothes on, sneaking off without a goodbye…
Wiping your face on your shirt, feeling like you'll go through the ground with the elevator, it doesn't matter. Everything, since you were born, has been in vain... ("If Baekhyun doesn't care that they know, he'll…")
"Look, there's mommy."
When you try to say hi to him, Baekhyun tells him to hop in the backseat again.
You can't bear to look him in the face. Head hanging low, you beg.
"Let him go. Plea-…" You can't breathe. "Please... Please. Baekhyun, please. I'll go with-"
"Get in the car."
A fleeting touch of his back is all you get before Baekhyun takes him to the dressing room and locks him in. Not a word has been said between you. All you could think about was your mom - the best mom - and what you should've told her long ago. And how to get Gawa out.
In the kitchen...
Not thinking, you dart. You don't get anywhere near the drawers before his hand closes around your arm. In a pathetic attempt to get free you walk backwards dragging him with you, begging for mercy through your eyes. When he pulls you back true fear sets in and nothing can stop you from screaming for help as loud as you can, until he splits your lip. He's on the floor the second you are. The crack says your nose is broken, but you fight him off any way you know how, swinging your arms trying to move your legs. When he stands up you think you have but your consciousness disintegrates when his foot lands in your stomach. Suddenly it's all white tiles under your face, wheezing through blood and saliva and like a dream, faint in the background Gawa's barking has turned to agitated whining. The sound of his buckle opening shouldn't scare you anymore, but when it's followed by a rapid zzzut!, you truly are more scared than you've ever been.
Your feet shake uncontrollably like little dancers after the first contact - the leather must've split the skin on your back, you're sure of it. Then the hands protecting your face, your neck, your arms...
You take off your pants and underwear and hide them at the bottom of the laundry bin, away from eyes that would ridicule you for wetting them. You swipe your nose with water, take the towel with you to the couch and lie down. That's all you can do.
¤
You wouldn't have cared, wouldn't have bothered getting up if it was just you, but when you remember Ga in the closet you jerk, instantly wailing - the towel stuck to your dry blood ripped from your lip. You press it tighter so it won't happen with your nose and swallow your groans as you laboriously come to a sitting position, wondering if your spleen might be ruptured and how bad the stinging on your body looks. You want so badly to lie back down, sleep it all away ("Just let go, it's over and done…").
You don't know if Baekhyun's in the apartment - what will you do if he is? What will he do? After sitting a while, trying to listen for any sound you decide that if a slim chance is all you have then you'll give it at least a slim shot. Getting yourself to the bathroom you douse towel and face with warm water and peel bit by bit, the task being even more arduous with the vision of half an eye. You don't have to clean up - the wet towel and bright red splashes in the sink can stay while you move on. Stuffing cotton in your nose and grabbing a smaller cloth for the seemingly never-ending flow from your upper lip you lumber to the dressing room. You press the handle down hoping for a miracle - it's still locked. But from inside a loud bark sounds. You don't want to move your mouth for the pain so you mumble as clearly as it allows.
"Hm! Hhh-ng!", you try to say his name, your throat thick with elation and sadness alike. "Mhey… I mhey. "
Invigorated by the sound of him you push and push with all your strength, biting down the pain each time - but the door won't budge. Feeling like it's over before you barely had a chance to try, you remember the membership card from the supermarket and hurry to the kitchen. In your mind's eye you can already see the empty space where it should be and your gut twists, but the green colour pops out when you open the cupboard.
Taking more than a few tries, hopelessness and fear creeping in, you finally feel the handle sink down and the door push open.
“Mhh!”
You’re jubilant, but physically can’t stand his excited jumping on you, so you keep him at bay while you find something to wear. Pulling a pair of sweats over your legs you locate the origin of the smell that hit you when you walked in the room: the carpet - always pristine white - has the marks of his confinement on it; like you hid your pants yesterday, Gawa has also tried, going in the furthest corner of the room. Had it been any other day it would have crushed you with terror, but today it's nothing; you grab a bottle of water and put your jacket on.
The outer door won't open. In your frenzied state you don't realise you haven't turned the bolt properly, so you yank and push at it, making Gawa whine in distress. When it finally does you breathe a sigh of relief.
The elevator is too big a risk, but Baekhyun would never go through the stairwell - so you will. You hug the railing until your knuckles turn white. Stepping downward shifts your abdomen which causes a wrenching pain, but you keep going until you're two flights down. Opening the water bottle you notice your hands have specks of blood on them - the scratches opened here and there when the skin pulled around the bar. You'd only brought the water for him, but finish almost half of it yourself, the most part spilling on your shirt from your trembling hand.
"Hhhng…", you sound, ready to use your hand as a cup for him.
When the water starts pouring something black swishes through your line of sight, landing with a clear sound. It can't be. Dropping the bottle, drying off on your pants, you pick it up. ("Why didn't he take it..!") Seven missed calls, all hers. Of course it's all hers… Without wasting time you press call. Now, for the first time, the reality that you might make it through hits you. It only takes two signals for her to pick up, but overtaken by your own emotions you can hardly speak.
"Y/N!? Is it you!?"
Not a word comes out. You sit listening to her beckoning in a flood of harrowingly painful tears, met by convulsions in your throat every time you try to say something. It's no use. Ending the call, you send her a text message instead:
"Come to the garage."
¤
“...and where the hell were you anyway…”, Beanie grinds her teeth, sickened by the discrimination the police refer to as prioritising.
“Ma’am, I assure you, we take this very seriously, and if you let us do our job we will do it.” Turning back her attention to you, the detective continues. “So physical, verbal and mental abuse, threatening and controlling behaviour… Is there anything else you want us to know?”
Even with her empathy and sympathetic tone you have difficulty articulating everything, because it feels like you’re admitting that you let someone do this to you.
“Yesterday he locked Gawa in the closet without water or food…all night...”
“And Gawa is..?”
“He’s her dog. He’s okay.”
“And…I think…”
“It’s okay, you can tell them everything.”
Your lips quiver and your fingers find the sleeve of Bean’s shirt.
“Rape…”
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Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 01
(Masterpost) (Next Episode)
Warning: This is **FULL **of spoilers, not just for this episode but for the entire series. If you haven’t finished all 50 episodes, please don’t read it!
Intro: 2020 continues to be much much too much while also being incredibly boring, and Im done with Shen Wei’s Lewks, so now I’m doing a deep meta dive into the Untamed. Let’s roll!
Prologue: The Battle of Mordor
The Demise of our Protagonist
Unlike some other shows I won’t name, The Untamed kills its suicidal queer protagonist immediately, rather than waiting four seasons, so we know what we're in for.
This is Wei Wuxian, who is about to yeet himself off of a cliff. He is having a bad day.
Note: if mouth blood bothers you...C-Drama might not be your thing.
Reasons for mouth blood: a sampler
Anyway...cliff time
Note: if (fictional) suicide bothers you...C-Drama might not be your thing.
To be fair there are hardly any suicides in The Untamed. No more than ...five? As long as you don’t count the entire population of the Wen Corporate Headquarters in Yiling or those wall bandits in Qinghe or Madame Yu or all those Wens who supposedly threw themselves into the mud puddle or that Mo guy who broke his own neck. Plus watching Wei Wuxian’s cliff drop several more times from multiple angles. So, you know. Hardly Any Suicides.
This is Lan Wangji, who is about to have his first losing encounter with physics. He is having a bad day.
In fact, if it is possible to have a worse day than the guy who is currently falling to his death, Lan Wangji is having that.
This is Jiang Cheng, who is feeling extra stabby from this camera angle. He is having a bad day.
Camera operator: why you gotta take it out on me?
(Much, much more after the cut!)
The Amulet Situation
This is the Stygian Tiger Amulet. Yes, by all means, (Netflix) subtitles, let's use a 12-dollar word, “Stygian,” that every English speaker who is not a Shelley/Byron shipper will have to look up. Let’s not use a normal word like "deathly" or "corrupt" or you know... "Yin" which is clearly what they are saying on screen.
Why does this tiger amulet look like a chameleon crossed with a remora? Wei Wuxian can paint photorealistic bunnies on a flimsy lantern while sitting in a field having distracting teenage lust, but two months of meditating with super magic gets him a tiger that looks like a chameleon. And don’t try telling me this is a traditional-Chinese-art vibe because this jade tiger from frickin 1000 BCE is way more tigerish than Wei Wuxian’s attempt.
Try harder next time, Wei Wuxian.
This is thousands of cultivators having a battle. What do you mean, it looks like about 40-60 dudes?
Any time someone in The Untamed refers to a number of people, it is like when you do your high school play and look off into the wings at nothing and say “Hark, A Ship Approaches!” and everyone’s parents nod indulgently.
Jin Clan Mountain Hunt:
*viewership nods indulgently*
This is Captain Blowhard, over on the right, courtesy name Clan Leader Yao. His job is to talk smack about Wei Wuxian and stick up for whoever is the biggest asshole in any given scene.
He represents mainstream cultivation-world values so here he is shanking one of his allies to take the deadly amulet of evilness.
The Present Day
Spilling All That Yiling Laozu Tea
Down at the Exposition Tea Shop, the Lan juniors are chilling and listening to Tea Dude tell the story of Yiling Laozu.
How did they get permission to take this field trip? “Principal Qiran, we want to go downtown to hang out with the local rabble and learn about your favorite person, Wei Wuxian.”
Waiting in the wings is the man with a fan and a plan, Nie Huaisan(g), who is paying tall loot to get these stories told.
...Why? Is Mo Xuanyu having tea here and listening? Or is Wei Wuxian being summoned back by hearing all this smack being talked about him? *Shrug.*
Gank Your Soul
Drunk flag guy out here talking about spirits. Wikipedia tells me that In one school of Daoist thought, a human being has a collection of physical souls (魄 pò) and ethereal souls (魂 hún). Drunk flag guy is saying “hún ” at the moment.
The many types of souls don’t translate well into English, where spiritual vocabulary has always been shackled connected to Christian beliefs, and is too limited for this context. So when the subtitles have conversations like “Is it a soul eater? No, no, it’s a spirit taker!” just roll with it. (Speaking of hún, if you have any interest in linguistics, do yourself a favor and go read all the wonderful meta @hunxi-guilai)
The spirit-carrying flag looks a lot like Raava and Vaatu from Korra which...probably doesn’t mean anything.
The Demise of our Trill Host
Suicide #2 happens about 8 minutes in.
Mo Xuanyu is that hippie roommate with the annoying wind chimes and bead curtains and blood spatter.
He is super mad at his terrible family and also at Jin Guangyao, who sent him home to his terrible family. I wonder if Fan Man Nie Huaisang influenced Jiggy’s decision-making there. Mo Xuanyu’s choice to die for revenge might be excessive, given how easy it actually is to murder the Mo family.
Being Alive Is Fine I Guess As Long As I Get To Fuck WIth People
Wei Wuxian starts his new life by splashing a little water on his face, which instantly makes his hair go from this
to this.
He looks at his reflection and wishes he was dead, which--mood--but he gets over it as soon as he finds someone whose day he can fuck up.
And he is ALL in on being crazy.
OP wishes she had the Wei Wuxian kind of crazy instead of the kind she actually has.
Meanwhile, this is the sane Mo cousin:
This asshole is wearing one of the best fabrics in the whole show, incidentally. Asshole.
My favorite bit of Wei-Mo craziness is when Wei Wuxian does a meaningless 360 all the way around this dude before ducking in the opposite direction, which is like when I make 4 right turns around a whole block to avoid making a single left across traffic.
Perhaps I Do Miss One Thing In This Life
Wei Wuxian has pining thoughts about Lan Wangji, so he plays WangXian on a fucking blade of grass well enough for Sizhui to recognize it from his dad's guqin jams.
Wei Wuxian is a better flautist than even Inspector Gadget BeatBoxing Flute Guy (Google it).
Our Many Many Spirit Lure Flags have Lured A Spirit, Oh Shit
Lan Clan has a Plan and Wei Wuxian is a Fan
Having one single lure flag stuck in Wen Ning’s torso caused spirits to basically eat him alive, so to catch one evil spirit, 6 disciples holding flags on the roof plus 8 more flags on the ground seems like a good amount. Wei Wuxian is like “yep, a single one of these will lure every spirit for five miles, carry on, younglings.”
Baxia Does the Heavy Lifting
Wei Wuxian is supposed to kill four people because of this curse situation, and in the course of the series they all die, and he kills exactly zero of them. The curse on Wei Wuxian’s arm should be called the scorekeeper curse.
Baxia’s spirit pinballs around the Mo clan, rapidly killing three people on Mo Xuanyu’s list plus a couple extras for good measure. Who's a good blade? Baxia is! Yess you are! Yes you are!
This here is the exact point in the show where your friend, who has listened to you squee about The Untamed for three months and finally agreed to watch it with you, will say “what the fuck am I watching?” and try to get up off the couch. Tackle them!
This also the point where we all realize that the prosthetic and practical effects in this show were probably not made by the people who made the clothing, because the quality is...variable. The white eyeballs are pretty good, but the glove of death is ridiculous.
Camera operator: why you gotta take it out on me?
While Baxia goes to town on the Mo clan, the Lan Clan babies...watch? And tie up the various victims after they are already goners.
Narrator: Her son is dead.
Meanwhile,
Wei Wuxian, you motherfucker. You’ve been alive for like 7 hours and you’re already building a new zombie army. No wonder you don’t want them to call Lan Wangji.
Hanguang-Jun Cut It Up One Time
Lan Wangji shows up and very slowly kicks zombie ass with his guqin. If you are used to Hong Kong action speeds, you will find The Untamed very peaceful.
All of the baby Lans fan squee up at Lan Wangji like he's the cultivation world's David Bowie and...they're not wrong. Jesus Fuck, he’s charismatic.
Lan Wangji is soft boi when he discovers this murderous sword full of dead-bastard energy, because it reminds him of his true love.
Like the talk about souls, the conversations about the nature of the murderous entity really don’t survive translation into English.
Servant: it’s a ghost!
WWX: it’s not a ghost, it’s a spirit
Babies: It’s a spirit
LWJ: it’s not a spirit, it’s a [...] ghost
Our Protagonist gets the FOH
Wei Wuxian is soft boi when he sees Lan Wangji, but not so soft that he considers actually, like, sticking around.
Wei Wuxian is also clueless boi, noting Lan Wangji’s white clothing and thinking, as in the past, that he looks like he’s dressed in mourning. The term he uses is 戴孝, which google tells me means the type of outfit worn by Jiang Yanli after Wen Ning rips her husband’s heart out someone who is in mourning.
Actually, Wei Wuxian, you dumbass, he is in actual mourning, actually, for you. Dumbass. He probably packed away all of his blue outer robes 16 years ago and only takes them out occasionally to reminisce about that nice date you had on your mountain of corpses.
On his way out the door Wei Wuxian manages to find a red ribbon for his beautiful hair, so things are looking up.
Where to go next...hey I know, how about that one haunted mountain with the killer statue, you know, the one that all my executed friends and child came from? That’ll be fun and a great way to put the past behind me!
Episode 02 Restless Rewatch is here!
#fytheuntamed#the untamed spoilers#the untamed gifs#the untamed#restless rewatch the untamed#tw: blood#tw: suicide#chen qing ling#cql#c-drama#bl drama#canary3d-original#the untamed memes#my gifs
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The Silent Sparrow Dimension (Marvel-BH6 Connection Theory)
*aggressively rubs hands together* I am channeling the theoretical energy of another Jason, Mr. @arctimon. Every now and then, Marvel comic lore presents fanfic writers with a moment of serendipity... an angle to tie together a narrative premise I've been working on in my noodle for my BH6 Futures Prologue storyline.
The Silent Sparrow dimension is still a major story device that needs to be explored in BH6 and literally opens up its universe to infinite possibilities. Krei Tech only saw it as a means for instantaneous travel in their own world, using it as a space in-between them to shortcut physical space.
But perhaps it can do far more than that. That the nature of that dimension is largely unexplored in the context of Marvel's universes. It is inter dimensional travel, and it's not a stretch to say it looks like one of the many dimensions that Dr. Strange has travelled through.
I think it is much more and thanks to the first episode of Marvel's What If series, I have found another Marvel parallel to a rendition of the BH6 universe that suits my AU storyline...
(Warning!! Marvel's What If series Spoilers!)
.
.
At the end of the first episode following Captain Carter, we see that Hydra succeeds in opening an inter dimensional portal much akin to Silent Sparrow.
But even more interesting is that it becomes the harbinger for various tentacles of an interdimensional being (which is theorized to be one of the Lovecraftian "Many-Angled Ones," most likely Shuma-Gorath, a sort-of primordial being beyond universes.)
Where else have we seen a scene like this?
Yep. The film's deleted scenes for Big Hero 6 had this as the original catastrophe that ended with the project's failure and Abigail Callaghan being lost into the portal dimension. In the movie, theoretically we've only seen a glimpse of that dimension but who is to say that this being doesn't exist in some form in canon?
And what happens to Captain Carter when she arrives back through this version of the portal dimension?
She travels through time! Into the future of course, but for her it is a time skip. As I do believe the Silent Sparrow dimension is similar to Marvel What If's use of a portal, I think that it opens doors.
If time isn't linear, then we could see the Silent Sparrow dimension as a nexus dimension. A hub to travel within the same universe instantaneously, travel through that universe's timeline, and explore other dimensions. Along with having primordial beings lurking about...
Where was I going with this...? Let's just say it provides more to the backstory of BH6 Future Prologue's storyline that my mind is conjuring up. But! Also, it opens up a lot for other BH6 fanfic writers to explore!
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Always Yours | Bruno Madrigal - CH5
Always Yours | Bruno Madrigal x OC(Fem)
PROLOGUE | CH1 | CH2 | CH3 | CH4 | CH5 | CH6
fanfic rated mature(M) for language and suggestive scenes
part rated: (T)
word count: approx 1500
warnings: no warnings
⧖
Something unspoken had changed between Bruno and Reina that night at the lake a couple of weeks ago. They were even closer than before; physical contact wasn’t something they shied away from. Instead, they welcomed each other with warm embraces. When Bruno would walk Reina home some nights, their arms would link, and smiles would grace their faces. When they would sit and look at the stars, one would rest their head on the other’s shoulder and the other on their head. Sometimes they would lay on the grass rather than sit and Bruno would always make sure to put his arm out for Reina to use as a pillow, so her neck didn’t get sore.
Dolores’ teasing continued, she even got Isabela in on it. Reina could only wonder if they were saying the same things to their tío. She will admit, she had spent many nights imagining what it would be like to call Bruno her own. But those thoughts are quickly stopped by the fear of losing the best friend she could ever ask for.
Today she had spent the morning finishing a commission, and now she was finally going to see the great Bruno’s stair-filled room. She can’t help but think the man is just exaggerating as she lifts her hand to knock on the door of Casita. Before her knuckles can make contact with the wood, it is quick to fling itself open and drag her inside. Reina quickly becoming face to face with Pepa who stands in the entrance with a raincloud above her head. The cloud was fast to be replaced with sunshine as Pepa realises the other woman standing in the doorway.
“Casita must like you, never have I ever seen someone dragged in here so quick.”
“Oh, well, I like Casita too,” the tiles on the floor clap against the ground as if to say thank you.
“What brings you here?” Pepa asks.
“I came to see Bruno.”
“Hm,” Pepa hums as she circles the other woman.
“Is something wrong?” Reina questions.
“No, no, nothing is wrong,” the middle triplet is quick to answer.
“Pepa!” Bruno whines as he comes down the staircase. “Don’t make her uncomfortable.”
“I was doing nothing of the sort,” Pepa stands tall with her hands on her hips, lightning striking at the accusation.
“Mi vida,” Felix walks into the room. “You’ve got a cloud, let’s leave the lovebirds be,” he places a hand on her lower back and guides her out the room. Bruno and Reina were both wide-eyed staring at each other with flushed cheeks after Felix’s words.
“How’d you know I was here?” Reina snaps out of her trance.
“Casita told me; very excitedly might I add. You’re very liked.”
“That’s a change.”
“We both really need to stop being so negative,” Bruno says as he grabs Reina’s hand, pulling her gently along to his tower.
“I will if you will,” she jests, nudging into his side, causing him to chuckle.
“Well, this is my room,” he gestures to the door in front of him. A large wooden door with intricate designs. The replica of Bruno on the door holds his hands up with an hourglass present in the centre of the door, almost exactly the same as the hourglasses on his ruana. The lines glow a beautiful gold much alike the candle that can be seen in the main room of Casita.
“Surely it cannot be as many stairs as you say.”
“Just go in and see,” he opens the door for her, guiding her in with a gentle hand on her back. The entrance consists of an hourglass shape, sand pours down in which one has to walk through to enter.
“Is this why I always find grains of sand on you?”
“Yep, yes,” he nods. “I also need to use sand for my visions. Watch your step,” his hand remains on her back as they step through the sand onto a large dune. Reina’s eyes rake up the tower, what looks like thousands of stairs but is probably no where near that many twist their way around the edges.
“Ok yeah, that’s a lot of stairs.”
“I told you.”
“Race you to the top,” she quickly takes off, leaving Bruno in the dust… well, sand.
“Be careful!” He shouts after her as he races to catch up.
-
“How did you beat me?” Reina speaks between breaths as she lays on the floor in Bruno’s vision cave. A circular stone room with a pool of sand in the centre.
“You seem to forget it is my room and I have to climb these stairs very often,” he sits beside her, breathing normally.
“Please tell me you don’t have to climb those stairs every time you go to bed, or if you forget something,” she sighs finally getting her breath back and looking up at the scruffy, yet handsome man.
“My bedroom is to the right of the entrance, I only come up here to do visions,” he laughs at the worn-out woman beside him. “Sometimes to have a break from the Familia too, they don’t like all the stairs.”
“Fair enough on both ends.”
“So, this is the vision cave hm?” Reina sits up knowing full well that she now probably has a whole shoreline of sand in her hair. “How does it work?”
“Well, the person that wants a vision sits across from me in the sand, I burn some herbs and bam, vision.”
“Can you have visions by yourself?”
“Yes, works the same way.”
“Can I… can I see?” Reina hesitantly asks, Bruno automatically tensing at the request. “You don’t have to; I was just curious is all. I would never make you-” she rambles.
“I just…” he pauses. “I don’t want you to see something bad and hate me for it.”
“I could never hate you,” Reina speaks softly, taking Bruno’s hands into her own. “How about, we don’t look far into the future. I just want to see how it works, so maybe we should just look at tomorrow? I’d rather not see too far to be honest. Spoilers, you know?”
“Ok,” he whispers. Bruno stands from his spot preparing the area for a vision. “Sit here please,” he gestures to the spot across from him. Reina sits, crossing her legs. “Right, now hold my hands. Don’t let go, it helps keep the vision under control. It’ll get quite windy.” Nodding, she watches as Bruno pulls some salt out of his ruana and throws it behind his shoulder before latching onto her hand again.
“Salt over the shoulder?” She giggles.
“For luck,” he smiles at her before closing his eyes. Except when they open again they grow the most brilliant of greens. And Reina finds herself focusing more on his wonderous eyes than the sand raising around them. She had never seen such a beautiful colour; it was certainly a new favourite. It took all her willpower to look away at the happenings in the sand. She saw herself painting, then she saw herself talking to Julieta, and then babysitting Luisa. That is when the vision ended. In Bruno’s hands was a green slate, glowing the same astonishing green as his eyes.
“Looks like we don’t get to hang out tomorrow night,” he hands the tablet over. She sees herself tucking Luisa into the spare bed in her house.
“Ah, babysitting duty,” she laughs. “I mean, you’re always welcome to come help.”
“I’m just glad it wasn’t anything bad,” Bruno sighs in relief. “I mean it sucks that you have to babysit.”
“Awe, is Bruno sad that he doesn’t get me all to himself.” Reina jokes, placing the green slate on the ground and flopping over to lean her head on Bruno’s shoulder, proceeding to pout up at him. She was the cutest thing he had ever seen, Bruno thought to himself.
“Yep, I mean yes, I mean-” He is cut off by the loud laughter of Reina who falls off his shoulder and onto the sandy ground. “Silencio, por favor,” he whines in embarrassment.
“Lo siento, Bruno, but sometimes you make it too easy,” she pokes his cheek as he lays down beside her.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” he rolls his eyes.
“Your eyes glow so brightly when you have a vision,” she rolls over on her side to come face to face with his side profile. His own head turns at her words, and she realises how close they are in that moment.
“Most people find it scary.”
“It was the prettiest green I have ever seen,” her smile was so gentle, as was her gaze. Bruno hadn’t even noticed it, but he had started leaning in, and Reina had too. A moment that both had been waiting for, a moment that if told six months ago, Reina would have never believed, nor would have Bruno.
Nose was touching nose; breaths were fanning each other’s lips. And right as their lips brushed against each other, begging for a head on collision-
“Bruno!” A familiar voice called from down the stairs, and the two jumped away from each other quicker than light.
“I think um, I think dinner is ready,” Bruno speaks quickly, avoiding eye contact.
“Uh yeah, you should um- you should go eat. I’ve gotta go home anyway, busy day babysitting tomorrow you know,” Reina laughs nervously before rushing off downstairs and out of the house before anybody had the chance to stop her.
The duo couldn’t help but wonder if what had just happened was good or bad. They were both adults, even a child would have known what was going to happen if the familiar voice of Julieta hadn’t echoed up the tower walls. Was this a step in the direction they both wanted to take? Or did it set them further apart.
#fanfic#fanfiction#oc#oneshot#one shot#encanto#disney#disney encanto#bruno madrigal x reader#bruno madrigal#bruno#madrigal family#mirabel#camilo#luisa madrigal#camilo madrigal#luisa#mirabel madrigal#dolores madrigal#dolores#antonio madrigal#antonio#isabela#isabela madrigal#abuela#encanto headcanons#bruno headcanons#headcanons#bruno encanto x reader
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