#(i also took some creative liberties and by that i mean i cut out one part of the 21x20 scene bc it would not have worked otherwise)

[cheezeybread]

Hello :) My request is MC/Yuu overblotting- but not with magic! What I picture is them having a nervous breakdown. It starts off with them hyperventilating and being unresponsive. Then it devolves into them screaming their head off until their voice starts going hoarse and hitting anyone who tries to touch them. Maybe even throwing and destroying things. Afterwards, they refuse to speak to Crowley- even avoiding him- due to his role in their breakdown. In my mind their breakdown is caused by long term stress and triggered by Crowley telling them that there is no way for them to go home.

YES

I love this idea, it's been bouncing around in my brain for so long <3

TW // Harsh language, violent depicitions, graphic metaphors, ANGST

Uhhhh, I took some creative liberties here and there, so some things (mainly regarding Idia and Malleus because I haven't gotten up to their books in the game and refuse to look up spoilers LMAO) may not be 100% canon oopsies!

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

You were starting to feel exhausted.

Well, that was an understatement, You had felt exhausted ever since you arrived at NCR...but this feeling was something slightly different. It was like a nagging sensation, yet also like some sort of wet rag placed over your mind at the same time. It was concerning, to say the least, but it was something you would have to shrug off until you could find the free time to fix it.

Which most likely wouldn't be anytime soon, knowing how the days went for you.

Grim was always priority number one. Keeping him out of trouble meant constantly keeping an eye on him, de-escalating any fights that he might try to kick up if left alone for a single moment. And since the two of you were technically one student, that meant that his grades were yours. Even though he was the only one out of the both of you that could use magic, he still slacked off at every turn, which left you to straighten every corner he tried to cut, finish every project that he wrote one sentence on and left, finish every alchemy potion he left bubbling on the cauldron, even if you had your own stuff to complete.

Then there were the tasks given to you by Crowley, your "ever so kind" benefactor. Despite his school getting you into this mess in the first place, Crowley considered it your fault, and as such, made you complete various chores to earn your weight around school. Which, paired with your classes, made for a day in and of itself. This isn't to include the yard-long to-do list he gave you at the start of every week, most of the points looking suspiciously like tasks the Headmaster was supposed to do himself...

And there were the students. Some you didn't know tried to kick up fights with you, knowing you couldn't use magic back on them. So you had to learn to avoid these students, or make sure you were always traveling with a friend. And as for your friends, every single one came to you with their problems day in and day out. A dorm dispute, so they needed to crash at Ramshackle for the night and eat all of your food. An overblot. More fights. Homework. Tutoring sessions. Projects they needed your help with.

You shook the thoughts out of your mind and continued walking to class with Grim, the Direbeast nestled in the crook of your arm as you balanced both yours and his schoolbooks in the other arm.

"And then, Ace was all like-" His voice sounded unusually high-pitched today. Or maybe that was just your imagination? Either way, it was giving you a headache.

"YN!" Another voice called out, the owner quickly jogging up to you. Ace and Deuce, ever the duo. You nodded your head at them in greeting, as Grim twisted his head around to look at them.

"Ace! Hah, I was just telling YN about what happened yesterday in the courtyard!" At the mention of the incident, Ace's face blanched, and the boy looked uncomfortable and ashamed.

"Oh, you mean with him and Professor Crewel?" Deuce spoke up, laughing already "Yeah, that was hilarious- remind me again, why exactly did he-"

"YN!" Now came one of the twins- normally you wouldn't have much of an issue telling them apart, but your head was starting to pound even harder now, making your vision a little blurrier. The fact that he didn't greet you with a nickname most likely meant that it was Jade.

"Oh...hey," You greeted, your brows furrowing from the pain in your head.

"Have you been to the greenhouse recently? I seem to have misplaced-"

"SHRIMPY" Ah, and there was twin number two. You felt your shoulders being constricted in a strong hug, much to Grim's dismay

"STAWPIT, YOU'RE CRUSHIN ME!" The Direbeast yowled, practically clawing himself out of your arms and jumping down onto the ground.

"Yo, YN, are you alri-" Ace started, but he, too, was interrupted

"YN!" Oh great! You recognized the Headmaster's annoying voice anywhere. And he waltzed up to you with all the elegance of an unpolished piece of charcoal, one hand reaching out to pull your arms free of Floyd's vice grip, and his other hand dropping a stack of papers into your now-outstretched arms. "Please, finish all of these by the end of this week, if you don't mind. It's papers for the senior's internships this year, and they need to be signed to be official, but I'm much too busy doing...other things...to be bothered."

"Are you still looking for a way to get me home?" You heard yourself mumble out loud, without even thinking of asking that question in the first place. But you had made it a habit to ask Crowley every time you saw him, so perhaps it was just muscle memory.

"Oh!" He chirped, straightening the front of his suit "Ah, yes, well, in my infinite wisdom, I have found out the reason to your barging in on our new-year's orientation, how you came to be here. But as for you returning, hmm, yes, I have managed to conclude that it is thoroughly impossible."

He said it so casually that it took you a moment to digest what had been said.

The students around you had gone silent, and you could feel their eyes all turning to you.

"What." Was all you could manage.

Crowley became increasingly uncomfortable, fidgeting with the watch he kept buttoned to his vest, then brushing off his front side, then folding his arms before repeating the process again "It is impossible to return you home, I'm afraid," he said with as much bravado as he could muster "Now, as for your stay here, since there is nothing left that I can do, you will need to continue to work for-"

Everything seemed to crumble around you in that exact moment. The feeling of damp, dreaded annoyance that had been bubbling up in the back of your mind all day came to the surface at once, and you couldn't help but slam your eyes shut tight against the world. You didn't want to see that damn Crow, you didn't want to see your friends, you didn't want to see anybody!

You opened your mouth to speak in that moment, dropping to your knees, but all that came out was a painful, sorrow-filled wail, so loud and so harsh that you could feel the inside of your throat shred with every passing second.

A puddle of black ink started to fill your mind's eye, growing larger and larger until it was all your brain could think of.

𓆩⟡𓆪

Every dorm in the school was based off of one of the Great Seven. All but for the Ramshackle dorm, a long-forgotten piece of trash that rested on the campus of the school rather than in its own pocket dimension like the others.

Every housewarden embodied the spirit of their designated Great.

Riddle Rosehearts idolized the Queen of Hearts, following every law she had set in her chaotic kingdom, becoming as strict and severe with the enforcement of rules as she was.

Leona Kingscholar was a second-born, raised in the shadow of his older brother and sneered at by his people, and now had to live with the knowledge that he would never be a ruler with the birth of his nephew.

Azul Ashengrotto was an octo-mer, much like the Sea Witch, who specialized in contracts with those who were less fortunate and needed a favor.

Jamil Viper, although not a Housewarden, technically, but some would argue that he deserved to be such, was a consultant for the person in charge- someone he viewed as daft and naive to the ways of the world.

Vil Schoenheit, a man who wanted nothing more than to be considered the "Fairest of All", unable to cope with the fact that there was one who might be better than he.

Idia Shroud, a "loner" by typical standards, was born from a family long cursed, a family seen as Pariahs due to their research and studies.

Malleus Draconia, a descendant of Faes, royalty, with horns that rivaled the Great Thorn Fairy's. Despite longing for human interaction, and simply to be included, he was shunned for his bloodline and odd actions.

But you, Prefect of Ramshackle dorm, had no one to model yourself after.

You were nobody.

Every Housewarden Overblotted, one after another, because they couldn't be the spitting image of the great Seven, because of pressure, because they didn't realize that they were only teenagers who didn't have to be perfect.

Riddle overblotted because he couldn't grasp the concept of being wrong. Leona, because he wouldn't be anything greater than a second-born scum. Azul, because all his work was shredded and he was left with no power to put him above those who bullied him years ago. Jamil, because he had enough of pretending to be someone he wasn't. Vil, because he couldn't admit that he wasn't perfect. Idia, because he wanted freedom. Malleus, because he was tired of himself and the hatred others showed him.

Which only left you.

Nobody.

The nobody who landed in this strange new world, a world in which everyone had magic...except for you. A world were you were less than. A world where you were treated like a burden, despite everyone laying all of their problems on you, demanding you fix them. A world where, no matter how hard you tried, you would always, always be less than.

A nobody.

𓆩⟡𓆪

Then entire campus of NCR shook with your rage and sorrow.

The students both outside and inside stopped, simultaneously looking at whoever was closest to them before running to the source of the wail.

Everyone was silent. What could they do?

It was an overblot, the school's nurse would officially state later, brought on by stress and pushing yourself past the limit. Although you had no magic to push yourself over the edge with, the sheer amount of mental exhaustion you were being put through would work just as well as an exertion of magic, if not more so. In the privacy of their rooms and dorms, assured that no prying ears would overhear them, the students agreed amongst each other that it was more terrifying of a sight than anyone else's overblot they've seen. Yours was one of pure emotion, without any magic to artifically amplify it. Pure and untainted.

And while anyone else who overblotted could only use their magic, you held something far more powerful.

You held the emotions of hundreds of students at NCR. The most top-notch mages and students look to you with a sense of reverence. Whether you knew it or not, you held the strings of the hearts of them all. With one single word, you could cause any of the Housewardens to level entire cities for you, if only to gain your approval. You held the strings of fate for them all, and your pain and suffering was enough to make the same Housewardens, and anybody else who knew you closely- or even in passing- unable to use their magic for weeks after your breakdown.

They just...couldn't seem to use it. It was as if their magic were broken.

When you ran out of breath, finally getting all of your anger out of your system, you inhaled shakily, putting trembling hands on the ground to steady yourself.

When you opened your eyes, the first thing you saw was a speckle of blood on the concrete below you, where your screams had caused your throat to crack and shred. You could see people in your peripheral vision, your friends, not one of them moving towards you.

Directly in front of you, looking as if he were about to make a run for it, was none other than Dire Crowley. You could see the sky behind him, dark and grey. Was it that color before?

"I-" You started, your voice cracking, but nonetheless heavy with emotion. You stood up slowly, your knees buckling at first, but eventually letting you stand up to your full height. You stood as tall as you could, your shoulders straight and your eyes focused straight ahead, drilling a hole through Crowley's head. Your face was wet from tears, and more were threatening to spill, but you didn't care about that right now.

"I'm done with you, Crowley," You spat, your voice holding a level of hatred you didn't know was possible. "I'm done working to make up for your shit. I'm done risking my life for you when I'm defenseless, when I'm stuck in this god-damn world because of you!" You held up an accusing finger, taking a step forward to jab it in his chest. He stepped back, but you stepped forward again, keeping the distance between you two even.

"I never wanted to be here, yet you treat me like I'm some sort of burden who showed up at your door- you force me to work, force me to be the therapist for children who need fucking help! How many overblotting students have I saved, huh? How many of those were ones you ran from, ones you refused to help with?! When have you ever been on my side? When have you ever stopped to think not of yourself, but me? What about ME, you worthless piece of shit?!"

You took another shaky breath, wiping the blood gathering on your lips with your free hand.

Crowley let out a small breath as you lowered your finger, and you turned around in a small circle to look at the crowd of students surrounding you. There were your friends, some looking concerned, other terrified. Grim was being held by Ace in a comforting gesture, the cat-like beast shaking. Some of the students had unreadable looks on their faces. Others looked confused.

"I'm done." You hissed, half to yourself, and half to the students. Although it was low enough so only those a few feet away could hear you speak, the word got around quickly enough, and the throng of students began whispering amongst themselves.

You ignored the offers of helps from your friends, and stormed off, back to the Ramshackle dorm, house of Nobody.

Ruled by Nobody.

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

[nights-at-crystarium]

Fragments - episodes 36-40 author notes

You can find similar breakdown posts on older episodes in my pinned!

I didn’t need to spend so much screentime on Titania fight, yet it was a fun personal challenge. I’d never written/drawn a cohesive fight scene before. The scripted ingame instances don’t leave much room for imagination, I wanted to stay away from the fourth wall, and make up a more immersive scene. How do you even make it look mildly interesting? You’d think, well, characters will just flail at each other until one of them dies, right?

So yeah the biggest challenge was creating the ebb and flow. What affects Vivi’s actions? Why wouldn’t he just murder Titania like any other opponent, and be done with it? I threw in a generous amount of inner pov (that I previously used very sparingly) and some silly tricks. The stakes are high, yes, it’s a Lightwarden vs WoD encounter, but Titania still retains their playful personality above all else. Vivi's here just to do his job, but he also knows that he's dealing with a fae.

The msq makes Titania stand out among other wardens, I capitalized on that and hc’d that they’re important to Feo Ul, and, by proxy, to Vivi. That instantly provided some emotional stakes, and an answer to why he doesn’t rush to kill them out of the door.

Vivi enters the castle in episode 35, and mostly runs in circles, analyzing his enemy, and even falls victim to illusions. This could’ve been it for him, but I daresay it worried none of us because we’re just at the beginning of a story about this guy, he’s THE guy in this universe not for no reason, he’ll manage.

No deep meaning behind "grasshopper", I just thought it's a bizarrely precise descriptor of both Vivi's long legs and dragoon jumps, and it fits the natural theme of the fight.

Vivi didn’t go in unprepared.

This line will be relevant again in like, 5-7 years from now :’>

More under the cut~

He always, always doubts everything, especially when it comes to his level of power. Self-nerfing. A light (heh) case of an impostor syndrome.

Everyone loved the bonk for meme reasons, Vivi simply bought himself some time to cast.

The Rainbow Sparkles of Believing in Yourself! And of something else, perhaps. I’m planting quite a bit of stuff for future, this one should take a mere year or so to pay off.

I hope this pose’s enough of a hint that you shouldn't be taking episode 37 too seriously.

Yes, he used his spear to ~cast~. And took a sailormoon pose. This's his, monoclass dragoon’s, interpretation of what the caster magic’s probably like.

Offscreen, Titania comes to their senses and shrills “so you wanna play rough?!”, Vivi ignores them, concerned with only one thing: did he succeed? How did the test of his custom spell go?

It only worked out because the both of them are idiots.

I like to emphasize that Fragments isn’t about retelling the msq, or big epic battles, but here, where I actually put my heart into it, I feel like I managed to pull off at least one epic beat you’d typically see in an action-focused comic. Super proud of this panel ;w;

This’s a standard panel divider I’ve used multiple times before, but it couldn’t be more visually appropriate here :3c

So, to recap. Vivi asks Titania if they miss the night sky. They do. Vivi brings the night sky to them, and lo, something actually happens. I illustrated this “something” as one of their eyes getting sort of cleansed here. This story suddenly takes a mahou shoujo (shounen, heh) turn, I appreciate that it may cause some eyebrows to raise, but I think it’s okay to take creative liberties like this in a story themed around identity, agency, and believing in yourself. If Titania’s so strong as to retain a tiny bit of their old self, to cohesively partake in a simple convo, then why can’t they return, even if for a brief moment, given the proper assistance.

An appropriate reaction to the wild bs that’s going on. Imagine inventing the tale of WoD in the First, only to witness THIS.

As about Vivi, he can save a soul when he genuinely cares for it. We haven’t seen him do this before. He does it for Feo Ul explicitly, implicitly as a self-reflection. He’s projecting so hard after realizing that Titania looks like him. He wishes for them what he'd wish for himself: to rest, to be treated with care and consideration. They don't only look like him, they're also unfree, tortured by something. Empathy or not, this’s the kindest fight Vivi’s ever fought.

I’m iffy about the canon talents that come with the Echo. You can understand any sentient creature, okay. What happens when you speak, does the other party feel the difference between that soulspeak and their native tongue? Does it feel off? Does it offend? I incorporated my own misgivings into Vivi’s thoughts about his Echo. He doesn't use soulspeak here out of respect and concern that Titania might not react well to it, throwing the entire plan out of the window. Thus he memorized quite a bit of fae words before the fight. This’s his way to mark himself as one of their people, or at least to show that he truly cares.

STAY TUNED FOR EPISODE 41

Vivien Doubter Rell. Also yay first nod!

Embracing his new duty, and possibly giving Titania the hug they deserve.

Look HE’S OKAY. For now. I just thought the hiccup would be a cute way to acknowledge the terrible power he’s just absorbed. The canon cutscene moves on unblinking, but here’s different.

Bracing himself for confrontation. Things might go awry. Or might not. Vivi doesn't know. Worst case scenario: this’s the end of his sweet lil friendship with Feo Ul. Do they like him, or a Titania-lookalike in him?

“Oh bugger...” big pets come with big responsibilities, my dear Feo Ul.

Just to reinforce his fae-ness.

Vivi had full control in this fight. Analyzed the enemy, successfully tested some crazy tricks, managed to have a heart-to-heart that resulted in getting a permission to kill Titania not with violence, but with mercy. So much could’ve gone wrong, but just didn’t. Vivi’s used to this, even if he constantly doubts everything, this’s how it always goes. He’s being flung at tasks with abysmal odds, somehow he emerges victorious.

I just like this panel so much okay.

This arc may feel slow, but it gives depth to Vivi and Feo Ul's relationship, and seeing them together in later episodes will spark even more joy.

Even after a warm moment they’d just shared, Vivi’s still wary. I broke out an analysis of what external influence, pressure to change means to him, please read this post if you missed it. YEAH TAGS AS WELL.

His expression here is an attempt to downplay the anxiety and swing the odds in his favor. What if Feo Ul insists and throws a tantrum? What if he has to become Titania right now, and there’s no way around this? Let’s make puppy eyes just incase, maybe that helps.

One more personal fav panel. There’s SO MUCH in this look. They’re on a threshold, about to become something else on Vivi’s behalf. Because they love him so much. They’ve instantly become friends because they don’t want anything from each other, just the company. Feo Ul’s such a breath of fresh air for Vivi, a new hope in a new world, where he’s (comparatively) a nobody, where people still have the potential to love him for who he is as a person. This’s why our crimson pixie gets so much screentime.

Vivi really said XD

The next few episodes wrap up the Il Mheg arc, and focus on good vibes and celebration. ShB follows a rollercoaster formula where it makes you smile at something nice and sweet only to whack you in the face right after, and I’m trying to do the same :3c

As always, thanks for reading~

[pansexual-puppy-pack]

teen wolf x original pinoy music, no. 1 — thiam and mundo by iv of spades

scenes from @/sterekargentscenes and @/scenespacksforu on instagram!

an idea that's been bouncing around my head for a while! i'm filipino (hence the opm crossover), and i think that opm should have a bigger presence in fandom spaces :D that's all <3

translation from tagalog to english via me and spotify's weird translation feature :) (it's not the best, but you can't really capture the nuances of tagalog in a single line, so i'll do my best to explain my translation edits under the cut!

disclaimer: i am not a professional tagalog to english or english to tagalog translator! i'm just bilingual :>

1. AKING SINTA — my love

sinta is a term of endearment, equivalent to love, darling, sweet, etc. aking is a possessive, like my or mine. i just took "my love" from the spotify translation, but i think darling flows better :)

2. IKAW NA ANG TAHANAN AT MUNDO — you have become my home and my world

tahanan means home, and mundo means world. gramatically, i've taken some liberties, since translating sentences like this into english is actually really difficult: it directly translates to "you are now home and world", without any possessives, but i thought adding "my" would work well in this context, even if the direct translation is beautiful as it is

3. SA PAGBALIK — when i return

here's another example where there's no subject or narrator. this directly translates to "when return", without specifying what or who returns. i've written out "when i return," even though the translation for that would be "sa aking pagbalik."

4. MANANATILI NA SA PILING MO — i will remain by your side

the direct translation is "will remain/stay with you", i just decided to take some creative liberties so it fits the context a bit better. (also thank u spotify translation)

5. MUNDO'Y MAGIGING IKAW — my world has become you

another tricky one. this one is directly "world will become you" or "you will become world" again, without any possessives or narrator. magiging is in future tense, but hey, creative liberties ! it would've been weird for me to switch the tenses in the middle of the gifset (see point 10)

6. LIMUTIN NA ANG MUNDO — forget the rest of the world

this one's gorgeous as it's direct translation: "now forget the world" which makes me go insane. to flow better in english, i modified it a little bit :D

7. NANG MAGKASAMA TAYO — when we are together

"when we are together." (direct) NO NOTES.

8. SUNOD SA BAWA'T GALAW — following every move

"following every move" (direct) this line doesn't usually have an apostrophe, but i think it makes sense :)

9. HINDI NA MALILIGAW — no more getting lost

directly: "no more getting lost" or "[you're/i'm] not getting lost [anymore]". i prefer the first translation, since it really fits in this context, but the second one is still so good i love this song so much

10. MUNDO'Y MAGIGING IKAW — my world has become you

i originally thought that the lyric went "nagiging", which is past tense, (which would make the translation "world has become you," which would've made me cry and bawl) but i decided to stick with the official lyrics just this once. even though i'm a little pissed about it

if any tagalog speaker has any notes, do leave them in the reblogs/replies! <3

also special thanks to @urmomsfavauthor for moral support !!! RAHHHH 🗣️🗣️

[booktomoviebrawl]

We are not judging how bad the movie is, we are judging which adapted the book the worst. There are good movies that are bad adaptions.

Propaganda below the cut (spoilers may apply)

Ready Player One:

Personally, I think the movie was infinitely better than the book because the main character in the book is such a BITCH and he just radiates incel musk, but I loved the movie a lot more. However, the movie did way more show and pizzazz with the easter egg hunting than in the book

THEY CUT OUT THE MASTURBATION SCENE

the movie barely followed the book plot and took a lot of creative liberties with character designs that completely changed certain themes within the book

Tales from Earthsea:

I don't think it could have been better, but it was just so off from from the books it was mainly drawing its inspiration from (I mean, I had no interest in seeing that weird weaver guy decide to off himself in the boat, but still).

Studio Ghibli is the perfect studio to capture the Le Guin vibe and yet Goro torched it so hard for no reason

To give credit where it is due, the film has some good settings and animation. Unfortunately, its beauty is only on the surface, and it is the worst Studio Ghibli movie I’ve seen. (I’ve seen almost all of them but Earwig and the Witch.) The plot is a collage of random bits of context from the first four books of the series, as well as its own stuff. It really is not the same story at all. I may have enjoyed it more if I had seen it as a child before reading the books, but not covering all the events exactly isn’t the only issue, it’s just worse. It takes the moral complexity and sensibility of the original and turns it into a typical fantasy war between good and evil (the Japanese title even translates to Ged’s War Chronicles) with emphasis on physical violence, in which evil is personified as a goth queer-coded villain whose death resolves everything. It completely misses the point of the books, which gives no such simple answers and is more focused on the darkness within everyone than an external battle. Where is the nuance? It also whitewashes everyone: most of the characters in the book are dark-skinned, but in the movie…

I was also bitter that they did my favourite character, Tehanu/Therru, dirty. She’s supposed to be horribly scarred and disfigured on half her body and reviled by people as a monster but in the movie she’s just a pretty girl with a red mark on her face. In the books, she doesn’t appear until the fourth book, Tehanu, which takes place after Lebannen is grown up and ruling a kindgom, and in which she is a mostly-nonverbal child. But here she’s aged up and thrown into the earlier story to give the protagonist a love interest and the film has him stay with them so it can focus on their romance. Even though a plot-relevant part of his character as well is his lack of interest in women and not settling into a relationship despite the people’s wishes.

Basically, they whitewashed, heteronormatized, macho-ified, and de-nuanced the narrative, and also took out the feminism.

On top of this, trying to cram the whole series into one movie is just not a good idea, and it would have been better to just decide on one book to adapt and do more justice. And yet they still added in so much that didn’t happen. When you have that much material to cover, you don’t have time or budget to be putting other things in, mate. Turning four books into one results both in a mess. Abridgment is one thing; taking particular aspects of different parts of the timeline and combining them in different ways is another. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. It’s in an unfortunate middle area where it doesn’t follow the source material but also doesn’t give enough context that people unfamiliar with the source understand. For Earthsea fans, it’s infuriating; for others, it’s confusing. Also, why did they name it after the fifth book, which is a short story collection that it doesn’t reference whatsoever?

The failure of the movie is upsetting because the books are sooo good. Yet, it was the highest-grossing Japanese movie of the year, and did win a couple awards… The Bunshun Kiichigo awards for “Worst Director” and “Worst Movie”.

[k1ng0fn0b0dy]

💜 DAY 3 OF MONSTER WEEK — DRAGON TOMMY

[900+ words]

[Gender-neutral]

Description: IN THE FREAKING TITLE. Tommy gets bullied, you help, forced bonding and also pure laziness, all under the cut *jazz hands*!

[Read the rest under the cut]

Things like dragons are widely considered myths, figments of our imagination with room for creative liberty when it comes to details. There are some people, though few and far between, who still believe in them, to an almost feverish degree.

You, like most, are not one of them. You've lived your entire life believing what's right in front of you, not feeling a need to search for some mystical deeper meaning. If it existed, you'd find proof eventually; if it didn't, you didn't care much to begin with.

It was a very flexible worldview. Maybe your open-mindedness for anything, this proof-begets-belief ideal, is why you've found yourself in this situation.

You were on your way to work, walking since you lived fairly close to your veterinary office when you came across of group of young school boys poking roughly at a tiny hissing animal. It looked sickly, bruises and leaves scattered over it and your heart instantly broke seeing its horrible state.

"Hey! Get away from that poor animal!" The second you started yelling, the kids scattered like the mice in the Ratatouille kitchen scene. You were going to chase after them, scold them maybe, when the animal's pitiful crying caught your attention. "Oh, you poor thing."

It cries out in pain when you try, as carefully as you could, to pick it up. You try to comfort it as much as you can, hurrying on your short walk to your office.

Now that you could see it better, it was less like a cat and more like an odd reptile. It felt around the same size as a young kitten but it was scaly, though from far away it seemed more like wet fur, with most of the scales being very, very loose as if someone had tried prying them all away from before it could properly molt.

You cooed at it, trying to one-handed open the doors to your clinic without disturbing the animal too much. "You're okay, bud. We're going to get you all fixed up." It mewled weakly, its tongue flicked at you slowly. "You are very brave right now. The bravest."

You kept very soft-spoken as you disinfected its numerous wounds. It was a very well-behaved animal as if it knew you were only trying to help it. You managed to even wipe most of the dirt off its very beautiful, very leathery texture, and vibrant yellow scaling.

It stretched itself out, curling into a very tightly-wound circle afterward. You took a few minutes to relax after that, knowing things would probably get far less exciting for the rest of the day.

{《☆》}

You were very wrong. The animal has left to leave your side even once, while simultaneously being very rude to all the other animals you've tried to take care of. You've had to close your clinic for the last two days because it almost attacked a very fearless chihuahua.

It wasn't horrible though. it was very cuddly, freely purring every time you pat its scaly back. In fact, it actively sought out contact, very pleased every time you played along.

Things had to change though. You needed to work and you knew you couldn't do that with a mysterious and aggressive animal draping itself over your shoulder at all times.

Surprisingly, you didn't have to be the one to change anything, change very rapidly found you.

{《☆》}

So, there was a strange man in your kitchen. You had woken up in the middle of the night to very loud banging and what sounded like a glass breaking. Looking around now, you could spot the broken handle of your favourite coffee mug.

"Y/N!," The blond intruder chirped happily. He dropped the corpse of your mug in the sink, "I have a human form finally! Look how tall I am!"

Finally breaking out of your shock, you started screaming. Very, very loudly.

Tommy, the blond intruder, managed to explain the entire story to you after surviving a very long 10-minute screaming session, a pair of policemen at your door asking far too many questions, and a mailman. According to him, he was a dragon who had been chased by poachers looking for his scales for some reason, when he had finally escaped the group of schoolboys had started poking at him and only made him weaker.

Apparently, he had siphoned off some of your energy every day, using your pets as a way to steal energy and in the process creating a bond between them that allowed him to take human form. You're still pretty iffy on the details and very much unsure how any of this works but after Tommy proves his story by shifting back into a dragon, you officially had to accept that you were bonded, whatever that meant, to a dragon.

Yay?

"So what now?" You asked because usually in stories, this would be where the call to action is. He would tell you about some evil organization or those dragon poachers would show up and you'd have to accept the mantle of being a hero. Except life isn't a story (wow, meta).

Tommy shrugs, "I'm not sure. I didn't really think I would make it this far into explaining."

"Can I just, go back to my job? Do I have to hide you until the bond goes away?" Tommy laughs at your questions. When you don't laugh with him, he gets far more awkward.

"About that," He rubs at his neck, "it's kinda permanent."

"…"

You lost another two mugs. Tommy has a far greater fear of you though, which helps keep him in check at the clinic.

{《☆》}

[I just wrote this all like 20 minutes ago, if this is bad then sucks to suck I refuse to rewrite this. (Ask again after I've had coffee)]

[Anyways, take care of yourself, drink water, touch some grass, love youuu!]

[L0v3, k1ng]

Masterlist

Monster Week Prompt List

Taglist: @creatorofstars

[systematicallycapricious]

Time for English P4AU manga volume 2! Like last time, shenanigans are below the cut and requests for page comparisons are always welcome.

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

Overall Opinion

My initial read-through this time was done while I was sleep deprived, so take my impressions with a grain of salt, lmao.

I think the the three most memorable impressions I took away from the translation this time around were:

The syntax felt more markedly stilted to me than last time. As well, the writing was a bit awkward in some places, though I'm unsure if that's a trait of the original Jap writing or if it only arises from attempting to format it into Eng grammar and culture.

The fan-Eng translation took creative liberties with some words that I think were better served by the official-Eng's translation staying truer to the Jap text. Also, the official-Eng transl provided interesting insight into some things that the fan-Eng transl didn't, which I'll go into a bit below.

The scene where Minazuki ambushes Naoto was mistranslated as Sho being the speaker, despite the Japanese text clearly being Minazuki's language patterns. TuT

Overall, I had a positive impression of it and would say that it's worth reading for those who don't mind a few errors and awkward lingual choices.

As for the ミナヅキ・皆月 naming differentiation... Thus far, both Sho and Minazuki have been "Minazuki", as per adherence to the Jap naming scheme. No alternative font, font effects, subtext, special text bubbles, nor anything to clarify the distinction. However, I'm personally reserving judgment until I get my hands on Vol 3, as I have a sliver of hope that the protagonists knowing the difference is permission for the audience to know the difference. I'm not sure how much I actually believe in said sliver, but I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt at the very least. ^^;

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

Illustrations and Author Comics

Vol 2 still has the illustration pages and end-of-volume author's comic! The exclusive edition also has the fold-out poster of the original cover, of course.

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

The mistranslated ambush scene was, in fact, Minazuki

So y'all can see for yourself that the text in the Minazuki-Naoto ambush scene clearly uses 俺 and 君 rather than 僕 or テメエ. (Though to be fair, I've actually found an instance where Sho uses 俺 in Vol 2. The line is 「テメエこそ俺にカンショーすんじゃねえ!!」, towards the start of Ch14 when Kagu's mocking his Ikutsuki issues (so Sho's pretty irate). He then returns to using 僕 immediately after; and as there are no visual indications that he switched with Minazuki to say this, I'm pretty confident that this is an exception and not the rule, lol.)

(Said instance of Sho using 俺)

The non-pronoun words should be indicative of whether it's Sho or Minazuki speaking as well, but I'm not fluent enough in Japanese to be able to go into detail on those in this post. ^^;

Overall, I think the translator has been doing pretty good at nailing Sho and Minazuki's respective patterns of speech and employing them in the correct moments – and they go back to getting it correct for when Minazuki reveals himself at the end of Vol 2, too. This one scene just got goofed for some reason I guess. P:

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

Translation Upsides

Translation Win 1: Ch15's name was translated properly! The Jap name is 「幻月」 (gengetsu), but the fan-Eng translated it as "Minazuki", which would be 「皆月」 if it was in kanji form. Which – I mean, it is the chapter that Minazuki first formally introduces himself as "Minazuki", so it makes sense? But I personally think that "Paraselene", aka the phenomenon called "moon dogs", is a much cooler and more fitting name for how the chapter goes, including Minazuki's reveal. (-v-)

Translation Win 2: At the start of Ch14, Sho says "Tch! Must've fallen asleep. Hate that dream.", which implies that he's had that dream before. I don't know enough Japanese to know if the original line of 「チッ　寝ちまったのか...　嫌な夢だぜ」 also means a recurrence specifically, but it's still interesting fanon-characterization fodder nonetheless.

Puppet-Ikutsuki's following dialog was also a pretty interesting translation, I think. For example: "The smarts to rule the mental battle. The strength to command the physical battle..! You excel in both! In fact, I'd say you're my greatest masterpiece! I'm proud!"

Translation Win 3: In Ch13, Kagutsuchi's first line of reaching out to Sho is translated correctly as "wings of death", versus the "Plume of Dusk" that the fan-Eng transl uses. Conceptually, they're probably the same thing, but literally the word used is 「死の羽根」 (shi no hane), not 「黄昏の羽根」 (tasogare no hane; which is typically "Plume of Dusk" in Japanese). And this isn't a mistake on the part of the Jap writer either, as far as I can tell, as 「黄昏の羽根」 is used in other places, such as when Labrys is explaining what Plumes are to the Investigation Team ([see here]).

Additionally, though the syntax was exceptionally awkward, I thought the essence of Kagu's dialog in this scene was translated pretty well. And honestly, it's fun to headcanon that Kagu could only communicate limited concepts or words before establishing a stronger connection, thus explaining why the syntax is stilted like: "Your suffering will continue. Eternally. End it."

Translation Win 4: It's a small detail, but Ikutsuki specifically saying "If this is all it takes to kill him... Then that's just how weak he was." is heckin' brutal. Switching to past-tense like Sho's already done and over with when he's still alive and listening, oof. (For comparison, the fan-Eng translated it as "If he dies here, it'll just mean he's worthless.")

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

Translation Downsides

Typography Loss 1: Kagutsuchi's text still lacks a cool font like the Jap version has, and that reduces the artistic impact a bit, IMO. In the Jap version, it looks a bit like the text was scorched onto the writing surface – which, given Kagu is a kami of fire, is a pretty apt vibe. While in Eng, he's relegated to the font that all the other characters use while speaking. It's probably better like this for readability purposes, but from a stylistic perspective it's a bit sad.

(Also fun fact: In Jap, the Shadow-Kanji and Shadow-Chie puppets briefly use this burnt font in their speech bubbles. It's for about 1-2 bubbles each (S-Kanji calling forth a fighting ring, S-Chie being in disbelief that Naoto had been holding back against her), and the rest of their dialog is in various other fonts. I'm not sure if there are other instances of non-Kagu characters using it beyond that, nor what exactly it's intended to imply through these additional instances, but it's interesting to note.)

(Additionally; examining it more closely, the Japanese typography is really dynamic in general, which is pretty cool. I'm not sure if that dynamicness invalidates any literary significance to Kagu's burnt font though, lol.)

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

Translation Intrigues and Amusements

Typography Intrigue 1: They left the page of fiery "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"s as-is, rather than trying to turn the 「あ」 and 「ア」 into "a/A". Which, while I immensely respect the fan-Eng version for trying to transcribe that artistic text, I think the horrific vibe comes through a bit better with the original text and art preserved. (Maybe in part due to the wave effect on the text having 3 dimensions rather than just 2?)

Translation Intrigue 2: In Ch13, one of the double page spreads is translated as "This world doesn't need anyone. There's no one in this world." Meanwhile, in the fan-Eng version, it's written as "I don't need anyone! I'm fine by myself!"; and the original Jap text is 「この世界には誰もいらない　この世界には誰もいない」 (the same line, just minus the ら).

I personally prefer the fan-Eng's take on it, as the official-Eng's version confused me for several weeks after the fact; but as I don't understand the nuance of the Jap version, I have no clue as to which Eng interpretation is more accurate. >_>;

Translation Amusement 3: Yu apparently has the word "welp" in his lexicon. And on the second page, the way that his dialog is worded makes it sound like he's smitten with Sho, lmao.

Translation Amusement 4: Yu's so used to his friends' antics at this point that he can just tune them out like that, lol. I also just appreciate Chie and Yosuke's dialog here in general.

Translation Intrigue 5: Ch13's title is translated as "Crimson Memories" in the official-Eng transl, versus fan-Eng's "Scarlet Memories". The original Japanese words are 「緋色の記憶」.

Translation Intrigue 6: What's typically translated as "the rules of this world" (regarding Adachi) is translated here as "reality's rules". The original Jap text (in this manga at least) is 「現実のルール」, not 「世界のルール」; so literally "reality", like "reality of the situation", and not 'reality' like "world/society".

Translation Intrigue 7: Ikutsuki's iconic "the death of everything... but also the beginning" speech is translated a bit differently compared to the fan-Eng, and drastically different compared to Ultimax's EpP3 Ch1. It keeps the same general concepts, but the cadence, word choices, and syntax are executed differently.

Translation Intrigue 8: Side-by-sides of the kendo/fencing pun because I think the differing translation choices, as well as the original context of the pun, are interesting.

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

(If you wanna see the fan-Eng in higher quality than the screengrabs I used, you can find it on Mangadex [here].)

[daisannokagi]

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 4: Mizuho no Kuni - Character Tracks (Pt.1)

Japanese Title: 遙かなる時空の中で4~瑞穂の国~

Disclaimer: I only own the translation. Everything else is Koei’s/Ruby Party’s. I tried to keep the meaning as intact as possible, but I also took some creative liberty here and there. Also, do note that English and Japanese aren’t my native language. Translator’s note will be put at the end of the post.

Aaand with that out of the way, finally! First post! The album consisted of 10 character tracks, two songs, two 20 minutes drama tracks, and one 10 minutes drama track. This post will cover five of the character tracks (doing 10 at once apparently is too much for me ww). The event ranges from stuffs that happen in the common route to right before the character’s ending, so beware spoilers. Personally, I’d recommend reading/listening to this after you finish the game. You might just, I don’t know, notice some little crumbs here and there *wink*

Translation will be below the cut. Hope you enjoy it!

Everlasting Chaos ~Raja~

This is... I see, this is a continuation of a long, long dream. A world with never ending despair. The last time I was awake was when I met that kind-looking girl at the Midori-no-Yuniwa[1]. Her look of melancholy... is the only thing I cannot forget. But even then I have to wonder, was I truly awake at that time? There are probably... no more chances of me regaining my own self... It is my fate to be swallowed up in this. No matter what words and sentences I come up with, they will return to the void. Ruin will come to all, and no one can change that. That's right... No one... No one but the King with the Raven Hand[2] can turn around destiny already written by the gods. But... the King with the Raven Hand has yet to appear before me. Oh, mighty King... We have no time left, and yet, where are you in this vast world? Quickly... Release our world... from this... loop... of chaos... ~~~ Lion King, no matter what you wished for, nothing will happen. Nothing will change. No one can stop the flames of ruin, or the fading into silence. Not even the King with the Raven Hand.

Promise ~Nagi~

Oh, come on. Just when I thought you defeated Magatsuhi-no-Kami[3], you suddenly vanished into thin air. Do you know how hard I looked for you? You keep looking out for everyone, but you never paid much attention to yourself. ...What? Why are you laughing? You think I'm worrying too much? Well, sorry for worrying too much. I love you, and you're important to me. That's why. Even when we're together like this, I still get scared, you know. That when I turn around, when I let go of my hand, I wouldn't be able to see you anymore. What would happen when I lose this warmth in my hand? We'll be together from now on so it'll be okay? ...You’re right. Well, promise me this, then. No matter what happens, we won't ever let go of each other's hands. You'll be in charge of cooking every day if you break our promise, got it? We'll do it together. We'll be together, always.

Woven Thread of History ~Hiiragi~

All of the Dragon Jewels are in My Lady's hands. The preparation to fulfill my wish is complete. Until then, let us be at ease and dally in this dream. Now, once the sun rises, history will be written. I've spent my whole life waiting for this exact moment. The blissful time I spent with the princess will end, and then... *chuckles* My Lady truly is a charming one. To think I would hear her say, "I don't think you're telling me the whole truth." If everything was a lie, then I would lose nothing but my life. You are the one who doesn't know anything, My Lady. Pure, yet sinful as you are. Be that as it may, tonight is the only time I can wait upon Her Ladyship in her dreams. Just this once, will you be so kind as to appear before me tonight, my beloved Second Princess?

Unchanging Things ~Futsuhiko~

Your Majesty, I know you are busy with governmental affairs after the battle with Magatsuhi-no Kami, but how about taking a little break outside? I will accompany you... Hmm...? "It's just the two of us so stop calling me Your Majesty?" That's impossible! This is the Kashihara Palace, and you are the queen of Nakatsu. We must not be forgetting courteousness. Huh...? "Did you take care of me because I'm the queen?"...? O-of course not! I love you! Whether you're a queen or not, you are the only one I will offer my heart toー P-please forgive me! I... it's just... Eh? You're happy, so I don't... need to apologize... You're always so kind. You always accept me for who I am. And that is why I will always be drawn to you. Let us go outside. To the land filled with flowers and warm rays of light. To Toyoashihara, the land that you protected.

Human’s Feelings ・ Warm Lights ~Tooya~

It's almost time. The dark vortex, the wind of ruins. I can hear them, the howling and cries of Mother Earth. The dark dragon will consume all, and none will be left on its trails. But be not afraid, Priestess, for it will be fine. The warm lights will gather and protect you. And I am here with you. Tsuchigumo may have disappeared, and I may have lost my powers, but you cleared the fog that clouded my judgment. I will no longer waver. I loathe the idea of losing you, of being apart from you. That is why I will protect you. Even if the whole world is my enemy, I will stay by your side. We will always be together, my beloved. For I am yours[4].

Translator’s Note:

I can’t for the life of me find the English-equivalent for the word 斎庭 (yuniwa), and I legit was about to give up until a friend of mine pointed out: why not transliterate it since it’s a pretty specific word? Considering it’s probably also a name of a place somewhere in Tokoyo, I ended up just transliterating it.

What Raja’s referring to is the 黒き手の王, which can be directly translated to Black Hand King or King with the Black Hand. It just sounded, idk, flat to me, hence why I chose Raven. Gotta make it more spicy, y’know.

Similar reasoning to 1. Magatsuhi-no-Kami is part of Japanese mythology, so I just stick with it.

Tooya was the last one I did for this batch, and not gonna lie, after writing a direct “I love you” twice I just got tired of it. And saying “I love you” after “my beloved” felt kind of repetitive to me, hence the change. Anyway, original line is:  大好きだよ

Plus some omake because I found them funny:

みどりのゆにわ (i gave up)

creative liberty my beloved

whoever put up mother earth on weblio i owe u my f-ing life

how tf do u wagimo

[kafus]

ok answers for what each of these things is a reference to below the cut! :]

listening to - flower/note:

kaf's name is 花譜, "ka" and "fu", in this case meaning "flower" and "music note" or "sheet music". her name basically means Flower Music or Flower Note. the only kaf specific headphones or microphone i could remember weren't very visually interesting so i went with this instead of a more obvious icon

reading - book:

a while back kaf was hired as brand ambassador for a company called kiminovel that sells books to youth and encourages youth reading, and a few things were released because of that collaboration but one of them was the song ソレカラ (sorekara) which has an mv partially animated by young student animators in various 2d styles, but there is also a portion where kaf is looking at a floating book and i tried to copy the design (but had to simplify it because of the small size)

looking at - kaf's eye:

it's kaf's eye. she is looking. if you didn't get this one i don't think you know who kaf is (i was out of ideas lmao) here's kaf winking though she has pretty eyes im totally not gay about this (lie)

eating - bowl of ice cream:

kaf is commonly associated with ice cream but this is a really specific ice cream cup design! during her concert fukakai kyou at the budoukan last year, they gave out kaf ice cream and cookies with a specialized design for the cup - i took some creative liberties on the ice cream itself to make it more obviously ice cream with multiple scoops but i copied the design of the cup (images below from the official kaf twitter at the time of this promotion)

drinking - laplace drink:

kaf had a themed cafe in japan recently in correlation with her radio show and this is just one of the drinks they were offering, it's themed after laplace :] photo courtesy of my friend alt who went irl (im so jealous. a different friend who went brought me back cafe merch though bless his heart)

playing - weird laplace:

this one's the deep reach that not even most of my kaf friends got lmao. the image is a scaled down and simplified version of this laplace graphic:

what does this have to do with playing video games and where does it come from you ask? well uh

this specific MV made for the 柊キライ remix of 戸惑いテレパシー (confused telepathy)!! where kaf puts on a VR headset and plays... some sort of fucked up racing game on drugs idk LMAO. the little laplace graphic represents the kaf character she chooses on the character select screen and i thought it would be a perfect deepcut reference for this

thanks for coming to my ted talk i'm still not done with that blog skin LMAO

[m-r-levine]

Happy Sunday Ask-A-Thon, week 4 for @ask-a-thon . How are things going? What gave you the idea to work on your current wips, where did you get the ideas from?

Thank you so much for the ask and happy belated* Sunday!

As far as how the work is going:

Slowly. 😭

Life is still a bit too chaotic for regular creative time, and when i carve out a quarter hour to write, i am struggling with the blank page and restlessness of needing to make words go and also needing to do and make ten million other things, all at the same time.

Mi hijo maldito remains with me, and i jot down notes whenever I can, usually in moments stolen while computers load or microwaves hum. But… I have this feeling that everything with the changes is soon to settle. That when the house is unpacked the calm will finally return, and all the pent up pressure of so many stories clawing to get out will finally stitch the fragments together into functional prose for Malados - and maybe everything else in the wip basket too.

As for the original ideas driving these many wips… that part will get long, so I will tuck this behind a little cut. ☺️

Firstly, the easy answer:

Malados came about in the simplest and most dangerous fashion, enabled by my dear friends @ensrensage @saphoblin @onwardnary and @drsteggy .

I took a bottle of 1825 and put it on the table, mentally sat Teca down and asked him what happened next. He stared back at me like a cat, but I have rather a fair amount of experience with such contests. I held him in that moment and I said what happened when you refused to let the hero ride into the sunset alone mi hijo and he squinted away over the garden and said Vishan was not happy to see me.

And so we began, writer and narrator returning to courtyard of the sprawling stone house in my mind, to that little table of battered black pine where he told me the story that became La Mala Suerte, sheltering from the heat of many afternoons with that bottle between us.

The most recent work I’ve touched in the Dark Tapestry world is one I really ought not to be writing at all right now. It’s a Keris story… sortof. She’s only half the equation of the arc @saphoblin named Unspoken. The other half is Davrush mej Nakun, oggish warrior and smith, Legatus Artifax on the high council of the Trinae Amicae, trusted advisor to the Fire Praetor… and desperately in love with her. None of that means anything or carries any weight without the essential context and history behind and around both of them. As of last time I outlined it, we need at least four solid Keris stories (and that few only if we take great liberties with time-jumps) after Darkly Woven before we can even think of sharing Unspoken… but those are the images and fragments coming to me when i try to cast my mind in Keris’ direction. Davri’s longing rises with such visceral power it’s downright frustrating.

Why and when did Unspoken begin to nag me? Oh some years ago now when my old CP and I were talking frequently. We sometimes spoke about the (interesting) problem of the power dynamics within Trinae and how that necessarily crosses threads with Keris’ nature and her personal arc… including her difficulties with close relationships in the contexts of her profession and the surrounding culture.

A prompt crossed our radar at that time for short fiction dealing with the theme of home as a visceral state and what evokes it (rather than the physical or literal placeness or even the abstract concept) and I sat down to write a snippet about Keris and what makes Trinae home for her in contrast with things from Udea evoking home in a way she has neither words nor context to explain. That little writing exercise involved a snapshot of a council meeting… wherein Keris confessed: Ironic that she relied on the voice and personal loyalty of the shortest-lived of all the peoples the Trinae embraced.

Naturally, I tried first to prod Keris about it. She said nothing.

So I asked Davri.

He confessed his heretical pining in such vivid terms I couldn’t help but transcribe it. I shared it with my CP who seemed to think well of some parts but agreed it was an impossible premise: their ranks divide them forever. His crush can only mature into love in silence and perfect discretion, and she must never openly return his affections - the tension between them vibrates in every scene, but the moment she yields, she loses all credibility and honor - because at the end of the day, she ranks him, and it’s her duty to maintain that division or else step down. And if I handwave it anyway, then I the writer lose all credibility for putting forward this inherently abusive unrealistic pairing as romantic.

Clearly, I cannot resist such a steep challenge, as I have continued for years to noodle on Unspoken against my better judgment.

I really ought to be working on the Spun Shadows rewrite - Keris’ second arc. Recasting it as a dual POV with Rokoval gets us a much more interesting frame, popping between the gothic faction politics of Libertalia and the risks and rewards of the wilds with Keris and the Trinae, but I got myself thoroughly stuck in what was supposed to be the fun little solstice scene with convenient play-within-a-play recap - it worked so well in outline but I cannot for the life of me turn that into prose and I don’t know why. The entire idea still makes me laugh, so it should follow that words come easily.

I don’t know that I can tell you where that arc came from anymore, it’s just a tangle of answering the question of how she goes from point A at the end of Darkly Woven to point B (no longer even as far in her personal arc as originally planned, but merely holding Significant Rank™️ within Trinae) by way of Z(chaos but in the good way, building her connections to significant people and plotlines for the Long Red Thread), and Keris herself came largely from the eternal desire to read More And Better Strong Female Characters In More Flavors In Rich Fantasy Settings and the all-important epiphany that I have the power to make the content I want to read.

Which is also a primary motivator for the fic side too - I write it because I want to read it, I just also happen to enjoy sharing it.

When, you know, I can successfully whack more words out of the recalcitrant brain to get it.

*(Yesterday was unexpectedly full with more errands than scheduled and crafting session with a local friend that ran late, so I didn’t have time to finish my reply. But work is stupid so I stole some downtime to work on it through the day. 😅)

[shostakobitchh]

Happy that you liked 'A Dream Carved in Stone', read it multiple times and will always go back. what do you think about the potion with dark magic that haves to Lily? I am not sure if maybe is quite common in a lot of Snape/HP fanfics but when I read in aim & ignite about the Patronus potion I immediately thought about that ff.

Thanks for always answering questions and interacting about the fic, it makes it even more special

My asks are 11, 18, 22, 34 if you have time :))

me, reading that scene:

I'm not sure if it's common but I mean, it's entirely possible! Sometimes I wonder what ideas are original and what I've deeply buried from fanfics I read 10+ years ago. I read so many Severitus fics that I began to forget that Snape is not Harry's dad LOL.

thank you for the messages and asks and everything in-between, they also make me super happy to see people so invested in the story 🥹

---

11: Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around?

I try to write in order because I find that it flows and makes me want to rip my hair out way less but other times I jump around and then I end up with a patchwork quilt of a chapter that is a pain in the ass. I don't know what it is but I cannot just sit and write in one go; it's constant skipping back and forth and I hate it.

18: Do you enjoy research?  Which fic of yours required the most research?

I do like the research aspect - most of the time it's "can I do this magic thing" but then I realize She-Who-Must-Named-Be-Named never really gave any indication of how magic worked which I actually really enjoy, it gives fanfic authors so much creative liberty. I really enjoy going back and rereading canon and noting little things I can change, that takes up the majority of "research" tbh

23: Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process?  How do you come up with titles?

during the writing process; all of them are song titles or lyrics! aim & ignite came from the fun. song titled "light a roman candle" and the lines, "we owe it to ourselves to try, so we aim and ignite."

the snily oneshot came from the song "Majorie" by Taylor swift, because that song is so fucking beautiful and heart breaking, and Lily is dead in the main story but she is woven into Ariel's life so much more. "what died didn't stay dead, you're alive in my head."

34: How much of your personal life/experience do you include in your fics?

not a lot at all; sometimes my fiancé will say something really sarcastic and I'll be like, that's a Snape line." I think it's in Chapter 2, but Snape says something like "were you hurt in the mental leap you took --" before Dumbledore cuts him off and my fiancé said that about someone else once and it made me laugh really hard. other than that, nothing really, I am Loving, Nurturing Teacher and Snape is Supreme Hater of All Children.

okay well maybe now that I think about it, some of the snarkier teacher thoughts from Snape, but that's it LOL.

[zarahxan]

OC-tober Prompt #1: Travel

Hey guys! Back alive here for another OCtober! This one I’m doing was actually created by my friend, Keokotheshadowfang! This time, there actually might be more canon characters present, however, since the actual original name was OCTPtober. XD But I (and others) are gonna be taking a lot of creative liberties, and some of these won’t even be romantic (or explicitly oc-related). Take this first written prompt of mine for example, which takes place in an SKF-adjacent au for Hana and an OC of mine, where the two boys have a talk about adventure over a board game. They’re pretty much just platonic. :>

Hope you enjoy! (There’s also art down below!)

“You know, you’re pretty lucky….” Hana drawled as he sat beside his bed with his back against the frame. He absentmindedly rolled the dice in his hands and threw it onto the board on the floor.

A two. The blond gnawed at his cheek.

Hana took the orange piece on the board and counted the number of steps. Tch, a stupid board game, and yet he was making no headway.

“You get to be all over the place. I’ve only ever been stuck here.”

The blond watched as his board game opponent Kuu only stared at him for a moment. There was a trace of concern in his eyes, but Hana couldn’t be sure as he quickly glanced down to the dice, picked it up, and rolled out a number.

A six?? Man, this guy was just too lucky…

Kuu then spoke up as he moved his blue piece on the board, evidently some steps further than Hana’s.

“Has Tamao-san never let you go anywhere?”

“No, duh!” Hana complained as he gave the bed frame behind him a light whack. “… okay well, I’ve been to Izumo a few times, but that’s only ever been for seeing my grandparents.”

“Oh?” Kuu lifted a brow. “How was it? Over there, I mean.”

“…quiet. Not much to do but do some shamanic training, I guess. Great, big training halls that aren’t used anymore. But there’s this nice opening lined with all these big, old wisteria trees. Great-Grandma can get strict, but I don’t see her too often cuz she’s usually in Aomori. Great-Grandpa is too, but at least he gives me stuff to do. He also says some weird things, though.”

“What kind of things?”

“Like, ‘humans are like cancer cells that eat up the earth!’” Hana rolled his eyes, making his tone low and scratchy to imitate Asakura Yohmei’s tone. “‘And it’s our job as shamans to find the cure’! —Well gee, great gramps, but aren’t we human too?? So like, do we disinfect our fucking DNA or something? What are we, aliens!?“

Kuu chuckled, and Hana nearly smiled despite his frustrations. “You’re right.” His brows furrowed, with a smirk that almost seemed wicked. “That is bullshit.“

“It wasn’t lame over there or anything.“ Hana waved off. He took the dice and rolled. A three.

“Just not as exciting or cool as… encountering a random band of onryo or fighting an eldritch being in the mountains.”

His piece landed right behind Kuu’s.

“It’s not all fun and adventure with those kinds of things,” Kuu shook his head. He rolled his dice and got a two. “It was already daylight by the time I finished exorcising those spirits, and I didn’t get a wink of sleep. And that tatarigami? Nearly succeeded in decapitating a huge number of local kids to punish a nearby town for cutting trees from its territory; the whole thing was a mess.”

Hana bit his lip. Well, he couldn’t argue with that. He rolled a two. “Okay, sure, it probably sucks if you’re traveling and doing stuff like that but..! You get to save people, do actual stuff with your shaman powers, and see new places and people. Me..?”

He landed right behind Kuu again.

It was true, he thought. All he ever did was sit here. Studying for things he would never use after he graduated, doing chores, and just training all day, rolling with everything even when it was clear that things were being hidden from him. He was so tired of missing out and being put to the side…

“What if we went somewhere together?” Kuu asked.

…

Wait, did he hear that right…!? Hana blinked as he looked up. “…what?”

Their eyes met for just a moment before Kuu’sgaze drifting elsewhere, his face flushing in embarrassment. “I mean, what if… we made a trip somewhere? Tamao-san trusts me enough, so what if we went somewhere not even I’ve been to yet?”

“Tch. So there are places that you’ve actually never been to? So much for having traveled all around Nippon.” Hana laughed.

Kuu huffed as he took the dice and seemed to lack a little less of the grace he usually carried as he threw it to the board.

A one.

Hana couldn’t help but feel proud that he got him not to be so stiff again. “I said I’ve been around the country, not to every single place within it.” The raven-haired boy shook his head as he moved his piece one step. “…but I never really wandered through many of the southern prefectures yet.”

Hana rolled again and smiled when he saw that he was five steps ahead of Kuu’s piece. “Well then, who knows, maybe one day when Tamao-mom sets me free, I can go with you there and.. and….”

Kuu lifted his brow. “And?”

“Ahhh, what can we do there again? What prefectures are there? Hiroshima??” He scratched his head.

Kuu laughed. “You want to go places, but you don’t even know where or what to do?” He rolled and got a six. Darnit!

“Hey! Look I just never thought about things like this, okay!?” Hana exclaimed, taking the dice in his fists and shaking it in his grasp as if the force of it would guarantee him a higher number. Now it was his turn to be flustered. “I never thought there’d come a time when I’d be able to travel around with… with….”

With a friend.

“How about this,” Kuu began. “Is there a place anywhere here in the country that you know you want to visit?”

Hana thought for a moment, the dice still rolling in his palm but his fists less forceful as he slowed down to think. “…well, I hear Osaka has a really good takoyaki spot. And it’d be cool to see the observation tower in Kyoto.” His mind then remembered something. “Oh! Oh!! And there’s a cool place near Hiroshima! An island called Miyajima, I think, and I hear the gardens there are—…wait, what are you grinning for, weirdo??”

Sure enough, when he looked at Kuu again, he found the boy with a small smile on his face. “Nothing.” The taller boy said. “I’ve heard of those places too. I think I’ve been to that observation tower. Climbed to the very top.”

Hana blinked. “You have?”

“Yeah,” Kuu waved. “Not as high as Tokyo Skytree, but still a nice view.”

Hana fiddled with the dice and sighed. “…well, aren’t you lucky.”

“Let’s go there.”

“Eh?”

“Once Tamao-san sets you free, and we solve this mess. We could… we could go to all those places. Let’s go try Osaka’s takoyaki, see the view from Kyoto’s observation tower, or visit the gardens in Miyajima. We could help people along the way if they need it; exorcise or put to rest a spirit or two. I think we’d be capable enough for that.”

Hana laughed. “You’re joking, right?”

Kuu tipped his head. “Were you joking about wanting to go anywhere?”

Hana couldn’t believe it. He grinned. What an absolute weirdo. “…Nah. It’d be nice. But we’d need money, wouldn’t we?”

“Well, then we’d better get to saving up now, right?”

The two boys just sat there in silence, both staring at one another. Hana felt as if someone had injected caffeine into his veins. What was this feeling? Was he excited?? It was just a pair of kids discussing a joy trip that had yet to happen. What was the big deal?

—just then, he remembered that they were still playing a board game and absentmindedly rolled out the dice.

A six!

“Aw yeah!” Hana beamed as he brought his piece to the finish line. “I win!! Take that, Dragon boy!”

Kuu’s thoughtful look dissipated as his eyes fell to the board in disbelief. “Wait, what—already..!?”

Just then, a knock on the door sounded.

“It’s open,” Hana responded.

The door opened slowly, and Uncle Ryu’s head peeped in.

“Hey boys, Mistress Tamao wants you both to help with dinner.”

The boys glanced at each other. Oh well, board game rematches would have to wait.

“We’ll be right there, Ryu-San.”

“Sure thing.”

~~

As the boys went downstairs, Ryu couldn’t help but stare after them with a sad smile.

In his mind, a cheerful image of a young brunette boy with headphones laughed as he talked with friends about where to reach Patch village.

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Building cute mechanical robots to bring a smile to someone's face

I can’t remember the last time we had a crafting event related to mechanical stuff, specifically robots. Daisy Jane and I were just visiting to catch a performance at the opera house when Connie managed to snag some tickets for us. It was done by a local theater troupe, which was why that was possible, though just barely.

Seems like they weren’t exaggerating about how just putting Madeleine’s name on something will make crowds instantly flock to it. In other words, if it was a larger scale sort of thing, like the more renowned and well known theater troupes, they would be sold out in an instant, so getting tickets would be near impossible, especially if you’re not from these parts.

The show is called A Butterfly’s Rose, a loose adaptation of a mystery romance novel. According to Aurelie, who has tried to read the book several times, the story has a good premise, but the writing makes it difficult to follow. She said the best way to describe the author’s writing style is superfluous, which she finds a shame as it could’ve been good. A lot of people felt the same, and so it’s been adapted to theater multiple times in hopes of making a coherent story.

Prior to Madeleine and the Allaire theater troupe’s version, the last adaptation was done about 50 years ago. What makes this current adaptation different is how much it strays from the source material - in a good way. Basically, Madeleine took a lot of creative liberties and managed to condense the story by only focusing on one aspect and expanding on that.

What’s interesting is that the characters she chose to zero in on were Bea and Florentin as their parts are often left out of most adaptations. From my understanding, they’re more like supporting characters, but they kinda set the stage for everything else that’s going on, so they are important. Madeleine says she gets why they’re cut, and that’s why she wanted the spotlight on them because, like many aspects of the book, there was potential, but it all got lost in the chaos.

Since I know absolutely nothing about the source material, I find the play a good standalone kind of thing. I mean, I’ve been told that it’s a very loose adaptation, so the source material isn’t essential to know. Rather than going for a faithful adaptation, which sounds impossible and probably wouldn’t translate well to theater anyway, they went for the inspiration route, which they pulled off well.

I found the drama and musical numbers engaging, and based on the standing ovations, so did the audience. Pai did say that getting Madeleine involved is sure to elevate things, not because she’s practically a celebrity, but because she knows what she’s doing when it comes to the arts. The others note that she’s a lot happier working behind the scenes, especially now that she’s free to do whatever she wants without being burdened by her past.

While the show was the main reason why we’re up here, we also wanted to come to chill and hang out, as well as explore more of Marippe. Now that the cleanup is done and reconstruction is almost finished, things have been pretty much back to normal. Aurelie’s hometown, Marillon, was hit pretty hard, so they still have a bit of work left there, though it’s nothing they can’t handle, she says.

Compared to the last time I visited, the difference is like night and day. Sure, it’s a busy city, but things were a lot quieter back then, mainly because a lot of places were closed. It was also cold and rainy because it was winter, so obviously there wasn’t gonna be a lot of people outside. Plus, there was the fact that I didn’t really spend a lot of time at the city as we were underwater exploring some ruins.

We didn’t really have anything planned after the show, so we tagged along with Connie and Pai. Well, mainly Pai because Connie had some important matters to attend to outside of the city. It ended up working out well because Layla, Melody, and Bennett are visiting too because they were dispatched on missions here.

Then we tagged along with Topaz as he was commissioned by someone to make toy robots for a pediatric oncology ward. I remember Beryl saying that Topaz often works with mechanics and occasionally takes commissions for custom stuff.

Apparently, he often gets mistaken for an engineer from the research institute, and when they find out he isn’t, they often ask why. Truth is, Topaz doesn’t really have an answer other than he’s not the studious type, so he just says he doesn’t have time, which isn’t completely far from the truth. After all, he’s said that mechanics is more of a hobby for him and he wants to keep it that way.

Since this is a special commission, Topaz is looking for help, so this is where we come in. He wants to make it special for the kids, so he’s going above and beyond not just to make toys, but companions for these kids. Like, for example, one kid wants a koi fish that sings their favorite song, while another wants a penguin that can act like a pet - unique stuff like that. Obviously, Topaz wouldn’t have given the kids the options to personalize like that if he couldn’t do it, so I guess that says a lot about his abilities.

Along with me, Daisy Jane, Pai, Layla, Bennett, and Melody helping out, Topaz also found another helper, a visitor from abroad who’s in a bit of a bind. While the rest of us handle tasks like gathering materials and some basic crafting, Topaz and Misha did the more technical stuff. I’d say it’s not that much different than gyroid events, maybe just a bot more intensive, which I found refreshing.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Bennett and Melody, so it’s nice to catch up with them. Bennett’s visited Marippe a few times and actually met the toymakers Topaz occasionally works with. Apparently, one of them was so inspired by him that he made a limited edition board game based on his adventures in Marippe. However, the gameplay was said to be a bit confusing and it didn’t really sell. Still, it made for a nice collector’s item if you’re into that sort of thing. Now I’m kinda intrigued.

Melody’s been busy doing doubles for Connie by going on various missions abroad, research on the side, as well as training Aurelie and Coralie, another new member of Connie’s ever growing adventure party. She’s one of the few members who’s on call, meaning that anyone in the group can call her over and she’ll be there, even if it’s overseas.

Even though she’s part of the same guild as Bennett, her job’s more of an office type thing where she doesn’t have to come in often, leaving her with a lot of free time on her hands while still being paid really well. Some have actually accused her of being paid to do nothing because of her hotshot adventurer parents, which is obviously not true. In a way, they did kind of hand that job to her, but they wouldn’t have recommended her to reconnaissance if they didn’t think she was up to it, nor would she have decided to stick with it.

With the process of getting clearance to travel to Sazona about to begin, Melody’s prepared to begin gathering information to prepare for what’s ahead. She did a thorough job with Adrikha and Marippe, and so by now she’s got a routine down. It’s a lot of work and someone has to do it, so why not her? She finds the work engaging, not to mention that she’s one of the first to travel to a new place. Sounds like a good deal to me!

Along with just wanting to travel and adventure more, another reason why Melody’s doing doubles is because she just got her own place, which happens to be in the same building as Meggie’s. She still has a lot to do, and part of it has to do with her not being home a lot, but since moving is expensive, especially when you’re starting from nothing, she just wants to be safe in terms of finances. Thankfully, the rent is low, which is why Meggie’s able to stay there.

Living on your own for the first is exciting and scary, so I wish her the best.

Speaking of new living situations, Layla’s on the search for a new place too. She went from living in the dorms to a campus apartment because it was cheaper. However, she’s not too satisfied with the housing arrangement as she’s living with four other people. Her roommates aren’t bad, but she’s more of an introvert, so having to share a space with them has made her feel kind of cramped.

What prompted Layla to move was that a couple weeks ago, one of her roommates got doxxed. Basically, a neighbor of the roommate plagiarized one of her short stories by tweaking some things and submitting it to a magazine for publication. The roommate considered suing, but then decided to talk things out with the neighbor, who was uncooperative and basically dared her to sue.

Roommate decided not to press the issue further as she saw it was pointless. Then for whatever reason, the neighbor decided to dox her and now he’s in a lot of trouble obviously. After all, he didn’t put her at risk, her housemates are also affected by it. Damn, fuck that guy.

Campus security has been helpful in terms of keeping everyone safe as well as trying to help those who want to move. Since Layla’s a student, her options are kind of limited at the moment, but she’s on the waitlist for a single dorm. She literally got an email this morning that there will be an opening soon as someone’s moving out, so that’s good news. That means when she gets back in a couple days, she’ll have a dorm ready to be moved in. That’s a relief!

Topaz’s assistant, Misha, is from overseas, though his mother was from Marippe and was actually a research engineer from the institute. He had hoped to follow in her footsteps, but realized early on that he wanted to branch off. As for what exactly that is, he’s still trying to figure that out. In short, he’s made some bad investments for some sort of project and is trying to dig himself out of that hole without having his family involved. Apparently, the last time that happened, his mother had to intervene, which I can imagine was embarrassing, and his reputation took a hit because of that.

It’s a good thing he ran into Topaz, who was looking for an assistant with specific skills. Pai says it’s not uncommon for her and Connie to run into people like Misha who are stuck in bind and need help. While getting paid is a factor, Misha also hopes this experience will help him bring some insights he can use to hopefully salvage the project. As for what it is, he says it’s hard to explain in layman’s terms because it’s super technical, but to put simply, he might have been too overambitious.

The reason why the painter, Desiree, commissioned Topaz is because of her son, who passed away a couple months ago from cancer. She had talked about her son as if he was still alive and really wanted to make something special for him. We later found out that her son basically grew up in the pediatric oncology ward and was said to be inquisitive and artistic. All he wanted was to be healthy enough to run around and play like other kids his age. Such a simple thing to ask for, and yet it was basically a fantasy for him.

About a year ago, his cancer became terminal. which made him depressed and withdrawn. Desiree tried her best to lift his spirits up, even giving him the possibility that despite his grim prognosis, maybe a miracle can still happen. In the end, however, that was not meant to be.

How sad it is to watch your child slowly wither and die in front of you? It’s not fair for a kid whose life is just beginning to just be taken away like that. No wonder she chose to live in a fantasy world where her son’s still hanging on for a miracle. I remember hearing something about how some people would rather believe a beautiful lie rather than confront the ugly truth, and honestly, who can blame her?

I think talking with the kids at the cancer ward was an eye opening experience for us, one that Desiree really needed. A handful of these kids are sadly terminal and they have their ways of coping with their futures, which is basically making the most of whatever time they have left. It can’t be easy, especially for those who have been sick for most of their lives, to live with the fact that your life is ending before it can begin.

So, along with making toys for the kids, we were helping Desiree deal with her grief. Misha seemed to be right when he realized that she was dealing with a lot of regrets, which isn’t uncommon. He was close to his mother, who died unexpectedly not too long ago, and that was what prompted this project, which was based on her research. In a way, he wanted to sort of cement her legacy, though he doesn’t think he’s doing a very good job of it considering the predicaments he’s in. Sounds like he was close to his mother and understands what Desiree’s going through, so it makes sense that he was able to reach out to the grieving mother.

After learning the full story, Topaz and Misha decided to go all out to create something special for Desiree. She had requested a heron and gave them her son’s illustrations as reference, which look like they came out of a fairy tale. According to one of the nurses who took care of him, he wanted to be a painter like his mother. Since he was often in bed, he would make up fairy tale stories with his paintings. Unfortunately, as his illness progressed, holding a paintbrush became difficult for him, and when he could no longer do that, it seemed like he lost the will to fight.

The heron took Desiree by surprise, especially since Topaz did a really good job of turning a painting into a physical object, like it was taken right out of the paper. He also gave the heron a voice, using various quotes from the story. Maybe for a moment she thought that her son really was right there with her, and because she could feel his presence, she could finally say goodbye to him. A bittersweet ending all around.

Of course, the kids enjoyed their companions, and now Topaz has more requests from other floors. Since he has the time, he’s gonna work something out. Misha’s not planning to go home anytime soon because of his predicament, so he’s happy to help out too. He said that he mainly tagged along in hopes of finding a distraction, but instead, seeing Desiree’s ordeal made him confront some things he’s been trying run away from, like his own grief. Despite the challenges he’s dealing with now, Misha’s determined to honor his mother’s memory like the heron and Desiree’s son. I wish him luck.

No matter how long or short your life is, it’s bound to leave an effect on someone. Regardless of what you might think, your absence will be felt. I know it’s hard to believe, but as I got older and experience more of the world, I realize how true it is. As insignificant as you think you are, as long as you exist, you’re still leaving footprints regardless of how much or little of an impact you think you have. And I think that’s what makes being alive worth it.

Now that I think about it, these robots aren’t simply just companions for these kids who are fighting tough battles with uncertain futures, but they’re something for them to leave behind, a reminder to the world and to their families that they once existed, that they will never really be gone. A lot of the more complex requests came from those who know their time is limited, so they want to offer a parting gift to those closest to them. I can imagine how special these companions will be long after they’re gone.

[proofinyou]

21.20 / 23.01

[cake-apostate]

The Smiling Man in White

I see that phrase a lot in Submas fanfics, and I think it would make a great horror movie title. Due to a series of misunderstandings, cultural telephone, and creative liberty, Emmet becomes the inspiration for a classic horror movie monster.

Warden Ingo is haunted by a smiling man in white. He sees traces of him everywhere; streaks of blood in the snow are his coat, the dull drone of chirping Bug Pokémon is his voice, and every upturned wedged rock is his smile. Most of all, Ingo sees him in his reflection. On some days, he stares at reflective ice and forces himself to smile, “to match him,” and on others, he can’t bear to look at himself. The memory is sometimes painful, but he sometimes says he would do anything to be by his side again.

For the Pearl Clan, inexplicable happiness around strange phenomena is a red flag. Their cultural memory contains stories of Zoruark and Froslass who take the form of humans, and many a fool happily follows them to their doom. They’re also familiar with hypnosis; it’s a pleasant sensation that doesn’t fade even as wild Pokémon attack. 

Try as they might, they cannot persuade Ingo that the Smiling Man in White means him harm. Ingo can’t convince them that he’s not even being literally haunted; he’s just seeing bits of a person he remembers. The best either of them can do is warn Ingo about Zoruark, and Ingo promising to tell them if he finds something new.

When Ingo discovers a way home, he stops by and tells the Pearl Clan that he’s leaving. He’s escorted to the Temple of Sinnoh just in case this is foul play, but for most people in the settlement, the last they see of Warden Ingo is him staring into the frozen waterfall and forcing himself to smile, saying, “I’ll be with you soon.” The guards see him walk through a space-time rift, which is of course spooky as hell.

Naturally, at least one person thinks that the Smiling Man in White took him.

Over time, the story becomes folklore, and folklore is fractured into a thousand retellings. In some, Ingo is a criminal haunted by the man he murdered. In others, Ingo is a ghost who doesn’t realize he’s dead, and the Smiling Man is the reaper gently guiding him to the afterlife. Yet another claims that Ingo was a dutiful Warden who drove a Zoruark away from Lady Sneasler’s kits, and it came back for revenge. Stories rarely agree on who Ingo was or what the Smiling Man is; while Ingo is always Pearl Clan, was he born into it, was he Diamond Clan who married in, was he a Galaxy Team surveyor, or was he something else? Is the Smiling Man a spirit, a god, a devil, or simply Ingo’s conscience? It doesn’t help that white in Asian cultures is the color of death. 

One novelist finds that the most interesting part of the Smiling Man is the mystery. So they write a modern horror story where someone visits Sinnoh, and the Smiling Man follows him home. The meat of the story is that the protagonist knows all the common interpretations (and some obscure ones), but can’t figure out what it is. He agonizes over every little detail of his trip; he visited a shrine, but did he screw up the purification ritual? Is it a problem that the park he cut through at night used to be a graveyard? That beggar woman he passed looked at him funny, was she a witch? The last scene is the protagonist at midnight, a cork conspiracy board in front of him, as the footsteps of the Smiling Man approach. 

That book is adapted into a classic black-and-white horror film, the Smiling Man in White. What’s fun about this one is that whenever the Smiling Man appears, he wears a pure white version of whatever the protagonist is wearing. The most famous scene is one where the protagonist looks into a mirror, and the Smiling Man is looking back. The protagonist has a look of shock and horror on his face, but it’s slowly and shakily warped into the same broad smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. 

Ingo and Emmet are peripherally aware of the movie, but hadn’t watched it themselves (kind of like a lot of classic movies). They dressed as the protagonist and the Smiling Man for one Halloween, but people kept mistaking them for the founding brothers of Unova. Their Subway Boss uniforms aren’t necessarily a homage to the movie; they just think the black and white contrast is cool. 

So when Ingo comes back, he, Emmet, and Elesa have a movie night. Since it says that it was based on a Hisuian folktale, they watch the Smiling Man in White first to see if Ingo recognizes it. He doesn’t remember anyone telling him this story, but he says that the Smiling Man following the protagonist reminded him of how he saw Emmet in every mirror. Strange, that.

Then Elesa connects the dots, and bursts out laughing. The Smiling Man in White was Emmet all along! Bonus points if the movie traumatized her as a kid. She then turns it into a hobby to collect (and rank) every version of the story, and maybe she makes a Poketube video out of it. 

By sheer coincidence, someone tried to make a child-friendly version of the story that explains that the Smiling Man in White was Ingo’s identical twin brother. It ranks S tier. 

[flowerwrites06]

lion and the fox I — jjk

Plot: In a turbulent world of crime and intrigue, a fiery journalist makes an unlikely alliance with one of the country’s most notorious bosses.

Pairing(s): Mafia Boss!Jungkook x Journalist!OC (Name: Belle)

Rating: G | PG | M | R 18+

Type: Drabble | Oneshot | Two Parter | Series

Word Count: 7k+

Genre: Mafia AU | Vintage (1940′s vibes) AU

Tags & Warnings: crime, violence, sexual content, forced prostitution, mild scenes of harassment, some misogynistic behaviour, mentions of war, heavy mentions of drug use, infidelity.

Authors Note: I really liked jungkook and my OC belle in this fic and I didn’t have the heart to change them into original characters so here you go, it has been placed back in Tumblr! hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Please note that while some historical research has been done for this story, the MAJORITY of it has been altered in some way with creative liberties to match the themes and motifs of the plot. 

“You can’t say things like that about him.” Hansuke’s gravelly tone rung into the room, cigar smoke flowing from his thin lips before he tapped it on the black glass ashtray.

Hoseok pressed his lips together, hugging the edited article to his chest as if it was a precious possession. The key to him making some kind of a name in this hell-hole of a city. It had been a bloody miracle just to be able to have his articles looked at by Tanaka Hansuke himself. Media Mogul of Gyeongseong. “Why not? You said using Jeon’s name might be able to help in gaining more reads.”

Hansuke sighed as he placed the cigar down; tie slightly loosened when the sun dipped into orange beneath the buildings to welcome the afternoon slump. “I mean using Jeon’s name in a positive light. We can’t piss off the most powerful man in Gyeongseong…especially when we don’t have physical proof unlike Kwon.” He gestured to the article.

Kwon Jiyong took a lot of death threats and corporate drunk pricks breathing on Belle until they both finally found enough physical evidence to lead the police into the prostitution ring. Of course they already knew where it was but the legal system needed a lot more convincing before they convicted a big contributor to their economy. Money surpassed justice.

“But we know he has a hand in it.” Hoseok kept his voice lower this time, leather shoes tapping against the darkened wood as he stepped closer to the table. “Wouldn’t it be easier if we got rid of bad men all at once?”

“It would be easier…but you and I also know life never works like that.” Hansuke leaned forward on his elbows, grey hair strands falling out of place from his morning slick back while the lines on his tanned face became more prominent.

Hoseok sighed. He moved one of her hands to fix his black trousers from cutting into his skin a little before hugging his article again. The words in them growing heavier in his embrace as the seconds passed by.

Hansuke examined the younger man for a moment before sighing in slight defeat. “Look…you’re a damn good journalist, Jung.” He gestured towards him. “None of these dumbasses want to admit it but you are and this bust on the Golden Serpent could make you one of the most popular journalists to date. So don’t ruin it while you have it…alright?”

Despite the slight empty feeling in his chest, he nodded. It wasn’t a surprise to him why Hansuke was terrified to writing anything negative about Jeon Jungkook. Only one or two employees knew of his past dealings with Yeou Pa; the criminal syndicate rooted within the city running seventy percent of the establishments from restaurants to brothels. While the older male had proclaimed to have no connection to the gang, there was still the air of reluctance.

A reluctance Hoseok could only detect as fear and knowledge of what Yeou Pa would do if one negative article spewed on their papers.

“Just that paragraph then, sir?” Hoseok maintained his professional tone, attempting a smile to stretch across his lips even though something kept tugging in his belly.

“Yes just that one.” Hansuke nodded. “Good work.”

Hoseok bowed politely before he turned on his heel out of the office. He could notice from the corner Belle pretending that she wasn’t worriedly looking through the glass window. His partner quickly pushed her glasses back on and tried to focus on a piece of paper.

Their desks faced to one another just six months after he received the job acceptance. It took him a while to get used to having her stories written under his name even though he knew she deserved all the credit. This Golden Serpent story being one of them. No one in the city would let her if they found out. Belle reassured him time and time again that this was the only way her voice was going to be heard. And they became close friends ever since.

“Are you sure you don’t want to know what happened?” Hoseok tilted his head, placing the papers on his desk.

“It’s none of my business.” Belle peered at the paper in such deep concentration before attempting a hum under her breath as she put it down. “But if you must vent to me.”

He chuckled through her nose, sitting down at his typewriter with a deep sigh. “He wants me to cut out the part mentioning Jeon.”

“But—” Belle cleared his throat, side-glancing around the hustling and bustling office until she leaned in, speaking in a softer voice. “But we saw Yeou Pa men there. The fox tattoos on their necks and heads, it was clear.”

“I know…” Hoseok opened up the files. Black lines catching her eyes, concealing the truth from the public to save one company’s reputation.

Her ruby tinted lips pressed together in disappointment as she lightly tapped her unpainted nails on the dark wood surface of the table. “What if we bust him ourselves?”

“We’re not detectives, B.”

“Detectives would be too scared to expose Jeon.”

“Yes but they also have weapons and skills that we don’t have. We don’t bust people.”

Belle took a small breath to speak before sighing back into thought.

Hoseok didn’t think he’d ever seen the woman back down from an argument before. It was always what to say next or what other solution to make. She never hid that side of her either which is why he didn’t know why no one found out most of his articles were written by her.

“There is a port...” She began to speak with care, pushing away her shoulder length hair strands over her white blouse sleeve. “A few witnesses managed to tell me that they saw groups of people being taken out of the ports. They all looked dirty and dreary like prisoners.”

“They probably were prisoners.” Hoseok shrugged.

Rebels were being shipped around like cargo for as long as he could remember. Some of them could’ve potentially being thrown in the prostitution rings without anyone tracing missing persons.

“Yes but this was done in Donghae Port and one of the witnesses saw a woman with a fox tattoo on her cheek.” A small smile twitched at her lips.

Belle knew more about conversing and finding connections than Hoseok ever did. He was a book and archive researcher more than anything while his assistant prowled for all the necessary prey needed for a good headline. At least he wanted the headline and she wanted the truth. A strange balance of a friendship in journalism.

“You said yourself you want all the bad men gone at once.” She gestured to the black lines across her own words. True words exposing a man taking advantage of his power to be depleted from the public eye. “There was no way else to do it.”

Hoseok sighed in defeat, resting back against the chair. “If we die, you’re paying for both our funerals.”

She smiled. “Sure.”

-

Donghae Port definitely looked like the dark place your mother would never let you walk around at night. Yet today Belle and Hoseok were walking right into it. The non-flash camera might not grab the clearest pictures ever in the poorly lit night but it could still more proof than ever on Jeons connection to the prostitution rings.

Anyone who had a knowledge of the underworld knew this port was owned and run by Yeou Pa. No one else was allowed to touch this territory for shipping unless they paid a hefty amount or wanted some kind of a death wish.

Crates stacked up as high as they could see with a few measly white lights illuminating random patches of the dampened ground. They stood shoulder to shoulder behind one of the stacks as a ship was being anchored near the port. Creaky, old mess of a boat to be more exact. One bad storm and the whole thing would sink helplessly.

The perfect thing to carry unimportant cargo. Belle tried to push down her stomach lurching at the thought. Cool breeze flowed through even her black clothing causing her to hug her coat closely to her body, steam wafting from her light peach tinted lips.

Hoseoks breathing grew heavier by the second as he peaked at the edge of the crate. “This feels like a very bad idea.”

“What, this mission or the innocent people being shipped in a crappy boat for sex?”

The older male looked back to meet her angry gaze. He knew the anger wasn’t directed at him but whoever thought this business was anything but absolutely disgusting. “A bit of both. We don’t have guns.”

“Niether do they.” Belle spoke plainly. “If they shot us, the police would know they took a gun for non-hunting purposes and it’d be tracked back to them.”

“You scare me sometimes, you know that?” The corner of his plump lips curled up slightly.

“It’s useful to be scary.” She smiled.

Hoseok craned his neck back to focus on the boat. “They’re getting out now.” He whispered, moving their positions so Belle could stand closer with her camera in hand.

Belle didn’t hesitate to take pictures, ignoring the clench in her chest when she saw children following along with the adults with their head lowered. She wondered how many of them were simply playing in grounds before their lives completely changed. All because a few people wanted too much power and money.

She focused her concentration on the soft clicking of the camera capturing the victims along with the men in suits escorting them to cars. She captured the license plates and the faces. As many faces as possible so they all could get punished for their crimes.

It was always this moment Belle felt the least scared. When the truth started playing right in front of her in plain sight, she kept her breathing calm and her fear subdued. Ensuring every single detail collected in her mind so she could never forget it. No matter how much it hurt.

There were three large vans that the victims were being placed in. Some of them pushed while others had to be carried on board because they were too small to climb on their own.

“Belle…” Hoseok whispered.

“Almost done.” Belle muttered, taking a few more shots of the license plates. As she was taking another shot, something blocked her view causing her to wince in annoyance. Pulling away from the camera her eyes widened seeing a man in a suit staring down at her.

“I think that’s enough pictures, sweetheart.” His deep, gravelly voice rippled through the tension thick air.

Belle looked over her shoulder, heart jumping to see a knife blade pressed against Hoseok’s tan neck. She gulped down before facing the other guard again. “Let him go.”

“You don’t make the orders around here, gorgeous.” Chapped lips stretched into a disgusting smirk as he grabbed onto her arm, closing their distance so Belle could be overwhelmed by the scent of tobacco and sweat. “I’m sure the boss’d like to see this piece.” Grey tinged eyes trailed down up and down her body while Hoseok grunted in anger.

Yanking out of the man’s grip, she fixed him with a fiery glare. “Don’t fucking touch me.”

Both guards let out a croaky laughter as Hoseok tried to pull away from the knife but the blade only dug more into this skin. Without warning, the man lifted Belle over his shoulder and led her over to the cars with Hoseok hopelessly following along.

The pungent scent of tobacco choked her throat until she heard a car door open and her whole body thrown onto a harsh surface. Hoseok groaned next to her before the doors slammed shut.

Belle noticed one of the guards binding Hoseoks mouth as he let out a few muffled protests before his whole head was covered with a black bag.

Someone muttered from the driver’s seat. “Are they new tributes?”

“They’re journalists.” The grey eyed man dropped the camera on the floor of the van and slammed his leather clad foot on it causing it to crash. He smirked down at Belle as he grabbed a cloth and kissed it before binding her mouth with it, her protesting groan mixed with his laughter. “Going straight to the boss.”

She felt rough vibrations underneath her body indicating that the car began moving as her wrists were being tied until there was minimal blood flow. Worry began settling in slowly but she forced herself to stay calm. Then her whole vision went black.

-

Takahashi Estate shimmered in golden lights in the autumn night, painted lips stretching in convenient laughter while bodies glimmered in diamonds expensive enough to pay for a thousand meals. Jungkook stood in the banquet hall. A small, modern setting of red wood and cherry blossom paintings, glowing against the lanterns. Onyx eyes scanned around the room at the murmuring conversations, stopping on Don Takahashi himself.

Stumpy, old thing flushing like a tomato every time he reached the peak of his sake intake with his molasse black hair slicked back. A bloody miracle that his daughter never received an ounce of his looks.

Leaning back against the buffet table, Jungkook took a puff of his cigar, cheeks sucked in as his silver ear piercing shimmered in under the lantern glow. It was a bore of a party but done to keep a strengthened bond between allied gangs. As if getting married to Takahashi’s daughter wasn’t strong enough.

Technically their marital relationship was about as strong as a broken thread but combining their gangs was status gold.

Speaking of a joke posing as a marriage, Jungkooks eyes stopped on his beloved wife. Walking towards him after charming at least half of the patrons in the part. She was always good at that. Short, curly chestnut hair perfectly styled. Lime green eyes shining in calculated glee while her red lips wrapped around her golden cigarette holder. All of it tied together with a camel fur shawl over her shoulders and pearls glimmering around her neck.

“Pretending like an outlier as usual, sweetheart.” Gaia drawled, leaning against the edge of the table.

“I am an outlier technically.” The corner of his lips curled up.

“Well you don’t have to act like it.” She reached out and fixed his red tie tucked underneath a grey vest. “My father’s very pleased you decided to come tonight.”

Jungkook scoffed, looking over at Takahashi again who was chortling at something as obnoxiously as possible. “So long as old daddy’s pleased…”  He accepted a glass of whiskey when the waiter rushed in to offer them.

Gaia waved her white silk gloved hand as a refusal. She preferred to get drunk at home anyway. Easier to throw and thrash things that didn’t belong to her but her beloved husband. “Pleasing my old daddy is the only reason no one’s taking your precious gang away from you.” She muttered in a lower voice, voice a little croaky from the lack of drink. “Try not to insult him too much, dear.”

“I’ll try to keep it a normal amount.” Jungkook attempted not to seethe in an completely obvious manner.

“Watanabe Kaito…” Gaia gestured to a man in the corner, vacantly listening to another patron speak. “Dull little creature but he’s thinking of investing in a few clubs to raise his personal profits.” Their shoulders brushed against each other in an attempt to keep their discussion somewhat private. Though they were always being watched so long as they were in the manor territory. “Namjoon talked about expanding our club numbers.”

“Our club numbers?” Jungkook raised a brow before taking another puff.

“Isn’t it one of the many…many…” She rolled her eyes. “—marriage vows to share things with one another?”

Jungkook couldn’t help but chuckle out a waft of smoke. “Do try to say it without ruining those pretty eyes, darling.”

“Don’t worry your little mind about my eyes.” Gaia scrunched her nose lightly before leaning in closer. “I could convince Kaito to look in our direction…so long as you give the order, boss.”

He tried not to be too bothered by the mocking tone she spoke that word. It reminded Jungkook just how fragile his power was. Like a vine grabbing onto the right names just to ensure that he and his syndicate could survive in this world.

“Make sure not to screw it up.” Jungkook mused.

“I never do.”

She was right. He’d never admit it though. Where’s the fun in that?

Another figure approached the pair, one of the young tributes to Yeou Pa, wearing a simple suit and messy hair. “Master Jeon.” He muttered, still heavily breathing.

“Thank god.” Jungkook whispered making Gaia chuckle before she made her way back to work. He turned to the young man. “What is it?”

“Call for you.” He bowed.

Nodding, the tribute led him through the courtyards of the Takahashi Manor to one of the living rooms. Brighter golden lights with bamboo furniture and old style painting of naked women surrounded by animals. Especially snakes. Hebi Pa and their goddamn snakes.

In the right wall area was the rotary phone, where in full display was a painting of a woman kissing the severed head of a man while draped in black pythons. Definitely Gaia’s choice. Jungkook picked up the phone and placed it on his ear. Somehow he was unable to tear his eyes away from the artwork. As if it was luring him to examine the details.

“Master Jeon?” A gruff male voice spoke.

“Yes.”

“There’s been a slight intrusion in Donghae Port when we were shipping tributes.”

“What kind of intrusion?”

“Journalists. A male and a female. The woman keeps demanding to see you, sir. Should I just get rid of them?”

Brows furrowed, Jungkook shifted from one foot to another. “Is there any particular reason why she’s asking for me?”

“Something about prostitutes, sir. I-I’m not sure what she’s talking about.”

“Does she have evidence?”

“One of the guards broke the camera.”

Jungkook took a deep breath, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone was passing through the living room. “Why would they think Donghae Port had prostitutes being shipped?” He asked the question more to himself rather than the guard. “Take them to the main estate and keep them on heavy guard. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” If this hell of a party ever ends.

God, she hated the smell of tobacco. It always lingered in her house for years growing up to the point where it became the biggest reason she moved to live in her own place next to Hoseok. They always liked staying close. No one really thought like they did so it was hard making any true friends in this city. As per usual, Hoseok and Belle were joined by rope in two chairs with their back facing one another.

The room they were placed in had ugly dark green walls, brown leather furniture and a billiard table on the right where the guards played casually. Belle only really liked the stone fireplace in front of her. On top of it was an ancient painting she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Written history had always been more of her forte rather than art.

Tobacco lingered thick in the air, smoke almost hazing the entire room as one of the guards groaned near the billiard table.

“I didn’t know journalists were that pretty.” That same, disgusting grey-eyed guard approached her again. Blazer off, standing with his white dress shirt.

Belle merely responded with a glare, taking a deep breath to pretend she wasn’t imagining his head roasting in the fire.

“You can at least tell me your name.” He hooked on the cloth covering her mouth before pushing it down. “I bet you have a pretty name.” He leaned forward, purposely holding onto her clothed thigh and squeezing causing her to jerk in discomfort.

“Boss said not to talk to them, Genzo.” One of the guards, a bit younger than the man named Genzo, spoke in a careful tone.

“I’m only conversing casually.” Genzo glanced over his shoulder before facing her again. “I asked for a name, sweetheart.”

The putrid scent of tobacco filled her lungs almost making her want to cough as she turned her face away. Hoping that the smell might leave her when she did. Except Genzo wasn’t having it at all when he grabbed her chin to meet his gaze again.

“The boss won’t care about anything I do to you so long as you’re alive, pretty…” Hoseok roughly struggled against the restraints with a growl under his breath. Genzo ignored it. “…so be a good girl.” His stinking fingers pressed into her soft cheeks until her lips puckered out.

“That’s no way to treat a guest in my house, Genzo.”

A young, raspy voice spoke from the other end of the room even causing to Genzo to freeze where he stood.

Belle took the opportunity to yank out of his rough grip, her cheeks aching terribly. Reddened eyes flickered over to see the figure walking into the room and rippling intimidated silence all around him.

This was him. Jeon Jungkook in the flesh.

Belle had only seen pictures for the most part during her research in Yeou Pa or whatever other businesses he invested in. Merely a young man not much older than she was. Definitely inherited fortune. Auburn hair slightly messy in its style, round eyes that had a striking sharpness to them she couldn’t understand, all tied together with small, pouty lips.

“Apologies, Master Jeon.” Genzo bowed down and she hoped his back would break from it. “I was just trying to get some information.”

“By threatening to assault her…on my property no less.”

Genzo stayed silent. A miracle really.

“All of you leave. I can speak to them alone.” Jungkook waved his hand before digging both of them into his grey trousers.

Every guard slowly flooded out of the room and closed the door. Silence plunged into the room for a moment other than the fire crackling slightly wafting more warmth than Belle was truly comfortable with right now.

With a deep sigh, Jungkook glanced over at Hoseok and walked to him, pulling out the cloth from his mouth. “What company are you two from?”

“Saja Ilbo.” Hoseok answered even though the release of information made Belle wince.

“I have no quarrels with Hansuke, why would he authorize this bust?” Jungkooks gaze moved over to the female journalist, her hazel eyes burning right into him like she was imagining all the ways he could be killed.

“Hansuke didn’t organize it.” Belle answered simply. While she had no deep affection for her boss, she still felt a small tug at possibly ruining his name for this case.

“So you’re rebelling against your boss.” Jungkook spoke directly to Belle while Hoseok hung his head. “What have I done that’s so horrible?” He pulled his trousers up and crouched down so he could meet her eyes.

Belle winced slightly. “Those people…children, you were going to—”

“Put them into prostitution? Is that you think I was doing?”

The anger began to douse allowing Jungkook to truly examine the hazel orbs, looking almost golden from the glow of the fireplace behind him.

“What were you doing then?” Her heart raced under her ribcages. Heat from the fire collecting around her aura, making it hard to breathe when the information kept sinking in deeper. Did she just get Hoseok into trouble for no reason? Was this all a stupid mistake from her pare that was going to get them killed?

“Those are tributes.” Jungkook explained in a calm tone, noticing the slight change in her gorgeous features. “They volunteer from different countries or from here to enter the gang either to get promoted or simply leave their harmful households. They’re not slaves or prisoners, they’re regular people who wanted a job. A different life that others wouldn’t give them.”

Granted this wasn’t the most honorable job of all time but it was better than most lives. Besides he knew what young men his age went through. Things Jungkook was able to get away with by being in this line of work.

“But we found prostitution rings with your men in it. They all had Yeou Pa tattoos, guarding the Golden Serpent.” Belle shook her head.

“Was that your article?”

She stammered a little. That conditioned part of her automatically thinking of saying that it was Hoseoks’ and not hers despite the nights she spent working on it. But there was no point in telling him lies when he had her restrained. “Yes.”

Jungkook nodded in understanding. “A ghost writer.”

“Why were your men there?” Belle pushed down the argument threatening to leave her tongue.

He stayed silent for a moment, the heat on his back growing a little irritating. Getting back up to his feet, Jungkook padded towards the coffee table that had been shifted to the side for chairs. A thick wooden piece of furniture that attempted to complement the brown leather. Jungkook picked up the small dagger, blade shimmering a little in the light.

Hoseok shifted against the restraints as the male inched closer.

“I know where my men are even if they don’t think I do.” Jungkook muttered. “In this world of ours, having eyes and ears everywhere is more important than anything.” He walked in between the two chairs, cutting through the ropes that were keeping them tied. “But it’s also easy to keep secrets in this world too. And make stories even though the proof might not be showing the truth.”

“You think I’m lying?” Belle furrowed her brows. The ropes finally loosened around her wrists, pulsing ache on her arms from being bound for too long.

“I think someone’s playing a trick on the both of us.” Jungkook placed the dagger back onto the coffee table while the two rubbed their arms and wrists. “Prostitution has been prohibited in Yeou Pa ever since it was founded. My grandfather was against it.”

“You expect us to believe that?” Hoseok shifted to face them properly.

Jungkook raised a brow, pulling at his gold cufflink. “His mother had been in street prostitution to provide for her two sons. Not a pretty story so I’d like for you to believe me if that’s alright with you.”

Belle and Hoseok shared a concerned glance with one another before she met Jungkooks’ gaze again. “There are still people missing though. Children and other innocent civilians found in unauthorized prostitution rings. If they’re not coming from you, then they’re coming from someone using your name.”

“What’re you suggesting, Miss…?”

“Belle.”

“Belle.” Jungkook nodded. “It might seem like I have all the power in the world but these investigations can cause concerning levels of suspicion.”

“Whoever is really running these rings wants to make it known that it was your gang.” Belle shrugged. “The evidence is only pulling to you in a way that’s almost obnoxious.”

“Which means someone might be purposely trying to do it.” Hoseok continued on as the information collected in his own mind.

The Jeon name had always been connected to underworld workings for years. Any evidence that could so much as smell like their involvement could be used against them. But Yeou Pa also was a syndicate that lived for over forty years. No regular journalist could simply ‘expose’ it on a luck strike. Something was being tampered.

“You understand if I agree to starting this investigation with your involvement…” Jungkook gestured to the both of them. “…you can’t investigate my syndicate anymore.”

As much Belle wanted to believe it. That Jungkook was the culprit after all and he was just lying through his teeth. Perhaps there was a selfish part of her that wished she could just use the evidence to expose Jungkook anyway. Except that wouldn’t stop the innocent civilians from being taken. Helping the innocent and bringing criminals to justice became so separate at this moment that Belle felt a headache coming along.

“There’ll be no more snooping on your gang anymore.” Hoseok muttered although reluctance coated his voice. “You have our word.”

Onyx eyes flickered over to Belle who still had a clear hesitation on her face. All of the worst case scenarios were definitely a hair worse than what the offer on the table right now. But it still meant giving up a sense of honor to find a truth. Two negatives make a positive. In this world anyway. “And you? Miss Belle?”

Gaze trailed up to meet his, taking a few minutes of silence to find some kind of ploy in his eyes. Any kind of tick or twitch that could indicate to her that something was wrong. Belle couldn’t find anything. She glanced over at Hoseok once again and instantly noticed the need to get this conversation done and over with. So long as they came out of this with their lives. At this point, that’s what mattered. “Alright. I have some files with more information that we could look at.”

A smile spread across Jungkooks lips, eyes glimmering when he stepped forward. “Welcome to Yeou Pa then, I suppose.”

This was going to be a nightmare.

Two years. It took Belle two years to collect these files. Trying her best to connect all the dots and hoping it would point to one direction. Some of them did point to Jungkook. Others were scrambled and confused like her mind was playing tricks on her. She kept most of the files in her shared apartment with Hoseok so that no one could think to find it but now she was personally carrying to the man she wanted to expose.

Funny how life turned out.

Morning faded in when Hoseok drove them back to the Jeon-Takahashi household. The sky a hazy blue from the light layers of smoke always swirling in the dry air. Dark fringe escaped from her burgundy hat, tickling her brow as she watched the guards walk down the entrance stairs of the house.

It had a traditional design like most upper class citizens inspired by traditional Japanese architecture with curved black roofs, wooden designs and an abundance of nature as far as Belle could see. Autumn was still nipping at their noses currently so a lot of the blossom trees didn’t look to be in bloom.

The guard practically surrounded their car as if they would play a trick. One of them with a clear fox tattoo on his neck opening the door for her while Hoseok climbed out on his own, walking towards her side.

He straightened out his camel toned blazer, waiting for Belle to climb out so he could carry the large wooden box from the passenger’s seat.

Despite the stockings she wore underneath her navy blue skirt, the autumnal air still bit at her flesh causing her to hug the grey trench coat tighter. Eyes trailed up to the height of building. Not quite like a skyscraper but still majestic in its own way.

“Master Jeon and Mistress Eliades are expecting you for tea.” The man with neck tattoo spoke, gesturing his hand towards the dark wooden door.

To the untrained eye, it may seem like the house was unguarded. Belle knew now that there must’ve been a guard in every corner ready to die for their Master if a sign of danger were to arise. Sharing a small glance with Hoseok, they were led up the entrance stairs with a line of guards padding behind them.

The entrance door opened with a loud creak where they stopped in the middle of the genkan. Taking their shoes off, the guard opened the red doors to a beautiful courtyard. Belle had to take a moment to admire the flowers lining the different pathways forming a perfect square in the middle.

“This way.”

Belle and Hoseok were taken to the east wing of the household, down the pathway into a private room on their right. The first thing Belle noticed was the gorgeous window showcasing all the blossom trees slowly losing their budding flowers. Then she saw the setting for tea. It was modern than anything else with chairs and a circular table matching the wooden structures of the house.

This definitely looked more like a place of business rather than casual tea. Aside from the beautiful view and adorable flower design tea set.

Her gaze then set on the two figures sitting at the table. Jungkook rubbing his bottom lip while their eyes met while sitting on the other side, a burst of wine red hair, perfectly curled just above her shoulders.

“Please sit.” Jungkook gestured to the two seat set out for them. “This is Rosyne Eliades, my consigliere. I thought it might be wise to have her here.”

Belle took a deep breath before making her way towards the table, sitting down on Jungkooks’ right while Hoseok sat across from her, placing the box on the floor next to him. “These are all the files we’ve collected on the prostitution rings.” She stated as Hoseok pulled all the sources out onto the table.

“You research deeply.”

The woman on her right spoke. Rosyne Eliades. Lime green eyes met hers as her reddish tinted lips curled up into a faint smile. There was a faint scar down her cheek where the natural light hit, showing the deepness of it when it was fresh. It didn’t take away from how ethereal she looked though.

“Thank you.” Belle attempted a smile although she was more focused in ensuring her fingers weren’t shaking too much. She was sitting right in the middle of the fox’s den, in their territory. Vulnerable to anything they could have planned for them. “We managed to find connections between Golden Serpent to other establishments suspected to be run by Yeou Pa.” Her grey gloved hands reached out for a black file, opening it to show her messy notes and stuck pictures.

It felt like opening her diary to strangers and letting them peek into all her weaknesses and ticks.

“Cho No Su?” Jungkooks brows furrowed, tapping on the picture of one of his brothels in the Red Light District. The familiar Japanese characters gleaming in red neon. “This is an authorized brothel not a ring.”

“I know.” Belle nodded. “But I spoke to a few girls there and they told me people had been going missing around that part.” She hesitated to speak her theory but it was already written in pen around the pictures. “I thought your men might’ve been taken them to the rings so you wouldn’t have to pay because the boss told them not to say anything.”

“Kim Hyuna runs Cho No Su.” Rosyne traced her fingers around brim of her tea-cup. “The profits don’t come back to us but her girls and boys are trained spies.”

“So they pay you with information.” Hoseok concluded.

“And they knew which information to keep from me.” Belle let out a slightly defeated sigh.

“Good thing you didn’t get your headline.” Jungkook muttered to her, a light smirk formed on his lips while Belle responded with a light glare. “But someone is causing these people to go missing and Hyuna isn’t saying anything because it might ruin her perfect rep.”

The Madame of Cho No Su brothel prided in keeping her establishment tightly protected and information kept sealed like an indestructible vault. Even for Yeou Pa, it was difficult figuring out what her eyes and ears found out in the deep webs of the city. Jungkook always remembered sending a hefty amount over just to gain some intel. At this rate, he may as well have a separate bank account opened for her.

“We could get a worker off duty and interrogate them on anything they needed to keep hidden while in the brothel.” Rosyne suggested.

“Do you think they’ll say anything different?” Belle still remembered the strange air in the brothel. Intimidating and alluring like she was sailing towards a haven for sirens ready to kill anyone who walked in. Every member looked like they knew something but were doing a good job at keeping it hidden. Kim Hyuna must’ve been watching their every move and they knew exactly how to work around it.

“Generally these spies will give information to people who are affiliates.” Jungkook explained, taking a small sip of his tea. “We could send someone in to get more juice.”

“Hoseok and I could go.” Belles words lingered in the air for a few moments.

Rosynes expression grew a little hesitant compared to her usual stance as she gave a look to Jungkook.

“You could go.” Jungkook spoke to Belle. “Hoseok will stay.”

“You have guards stationed all around the city, do you really think I’m stupid enough to go back on our word?” Belle seethed. Anxiety burning into anger as she fixed her gaze on the fox king, not daring to blink just in case he thought he was going to get away with playing them like his puppets.

Eyes sharpened as Jungkook leaned forward on his elbows, the faint scent of tobacco still lingering on his clothes and touching her nostrils. “You were stupid enough to think I was responsible for the prostitution rings.”

“I’m not resting that case either.” Her fingers curled up into tight fists, harsher than the wooden surface of the table. “People like you always go to any heights for a little extra cash.”

“Belle, it’s fine.” Hoseok muttered softly.

Jungkook let out a bitter scoff. “And you’re what…a hero of some sort? Taking down all the bad men with all your stories?” He tilted his head, voice calm but laced with venom. “You were sneaking into my territory for your own glory. What does that make you?”

“We’re not going to hurt your friend.” Rosynes calm voice attempted to break through Belle and Jungkooks fiery aura threatening to melt each other where they sat. “It’s just a necessary precaution. You must understand the risks we’re taking here.”

Belle and Jungkook shared a small heated glare towards each other before Belle rested back on her chair, forcing herself to look at Rosyne so she wouldn’t scratch the other males eyes out. “I’ll go to Cho No Su and try to find a member off duty.”

Rosyne hummed in agreement, glancing at Jungkook who still had a clear scowl over his face. “Go to the southern exit. That’s where the members usually go to smoke or just take a breather.”

She nodded in agreement.

“We’ll give you a radio transmitter just in case something goes wrong…” Jungkook deadpanned not giving Belle a sideways glance. “Unless you decide your friend doesn’t need limbs.”

“Maybe you should try this hard on controlling your gang than making threats.” Belle gave him a tight-lipped smile as Jungkook licked the inside of his cheek.

Rosyne tried her best not to look too amused.

The Cho No Su brothel was a sequestered establishment somewhere in the heart of the city with patrons of the high class pattering in like sailors to a sirens cave. Belle remembered being mistaken for one of the members at least five times before being able to get some questioning done for her files. Thankfully today she wasn’t heading for the entrance.

As the sky had plunged into a pitch black night with barely any stars, Belle made her way to the corner of the establishment. Japanese characters “蝶の巣” showcased in red neon beaming against the night light. Folding her arms over her chest, she padded down the dark alley from the western end of the building.

High above her were windows glowing in gold, moaning and giggling echoing against the walls outside. Steam flowed from her red tinted lips as she glanced over her shoulder to check no one was there. This was possibly the worst place to be alone. Somehow the thick radio transmitter in her jacket pocket helped her feel safe.

Even though the people listening on the other side probably didn’t give a shit about her safety.  

Taking a right down the corner, a scream made her heart jump. Belle looked over at the expanse of the alley and saw only two figures wrestling. One of them with a shining traditional red attire of some sort while other wearing a full black, camouflaging into the night.

“Get off me!” The girl roughly tried to push her attacker away.

Belle sprinted over to the scene and pulled the assailant off the others body, kicking the back of his knee. A male groan echoed in her ears as he dropped on his knees to the ground. She noticed the girls hair pins in a mess, glaring at the man.

She rushed over to the girls side only to notice a steel blade brandished against the moonlight. Before she could realize what was happening, a sharp pain pierced through her thigh causing her to stumble to the ground with a loud grunt.

She expected more hits but she felt the other girl move until the assailant yelled again. Teary hazel eyes tried to look at the male as he landed on the ground. Mouth frothing in white gurgles and his collarbone sliced and dripping with blood, staining the stone floor.

Vision began to shake as she rested back against something soft. The pungent scent mixed of blood and some kind of perfume filling her lungs making it even hard to breathe normally.

“Hey, thank you…” A female voice spoke but it was growing muffled.

Belle groaned, trying to push back to her feet on the ground but failing when the blade stuck in her thigh pricked at her again. One hand over the blade, her shaky fingers tried to reach for the radio transmitter in her pocket. Whatever strength she tried to muster kept fading into the pain rushing like lava to her whole body.

“H-Hoseok…” The radio kept crackling. It was so loud but unclear at the same time. “H-Hoseok…s-someone, please…” Her voice trembled.

“Belle?” Another voice answered. “Belle, it’s Jungkook.”

“I-I found—I—” Everything was so blurry and shaky. Blood everywhere. Her one leg unable to move without the blade trying to push at something important.

“You found what? What’s wrong?” Maybe it was the stab in the thigh but Belle could’ve sworn Jungkook sounded…almost worried. Almost. It could’ve been the stab.

Something grabbed the transmitter from her hand. “We’re at the Cho No Su back entrance.” The girl spoke in a more collected tone although still shaking at every word. “Your friend’s hurt, I could take—”

“I’m coming.” Jungkooks voice didn’t hesitate.

Belle tried catching more of the conversation, shifting or talking. Doing something. But her mind grew overwhelmed with the pain. Tears trickling down her cheeks, limbs growing numb and loose. Slowly shutting down until she could only see shapes and hear undistinguished noises. She heard the girls voice again before everything went quiet and dark.

| next chap >> 

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Graveyard Siblings (7)

[Masterlist]

(Part 1)(Part 6)

Gina found out about Marinette about a year later.

Jason and Marinette were chilling and binging shows. Gina showed up unannounced to surprise Jason.

She nearly had a heart attack when she saw her supposedly dead ‘Little Fairy’ in the middle of a pillow fight with Jason.

“Uh...Surprise?”

Needless to say, Jason and Marinette had the lecture of their life after they sat her down and told her about Ladybug. (She already knew about Red Hood.)

“I am not mad at you, My Little Fairy. But why didn’t you tell me you were alive?”

“I.. er..forgot?” Maria tried hard not to wince.

“Well, at least I am the only one else who knows about you.”

“Yeah, About that…”

Good thing that they were in Gotham and Hawkmoth was out of commission.

Gina agreed to not let Tom and Sabine know about Marinette although she was mad that Marinette was actually killed and it was framed as suicide.

“It’s okay, Nonna. There are magic laws to deal out suitable punishments. They are paying for it.”

Jason looked at Maria with an incredulous look. Magic laws, my ass. (Technically, there are Miraculous laws and curses to deal out divine punishment on those who abuse the Miraculouses. Maria was just taking more creative liberties with Hawkmoth and everyone else involved.)

------

Never Have I Ever (Takes place a few weeks after Jason’s and Marinette’s trip from Paris)

“Never have I ever had to dig out of my own grave.” Tim said, pointedly looking at Jason.

“Damn you.” Jason took a shot nonetheless. He shot a look at Marinette. “You too.”

Marinette grumbled a bit but also took a shot.(I know that the American age limit is 21.)

“Wait, I thought you faked your death.”

“No. Not really. I actually did die. I went into that mansion, knowing it was a trap and that it was my one chance to get close to Hawkmoth and cast a spell that took away his miraculous. I am only here because there was a resurrection spell in the grimoire which I used as a back-up plan. Jason kidnapping me after I dug out of my own grave derailed it a bit.”

“The moment she crawled out of the dirt, I knew that I had to adopt her like B did for me. Best decision of my life.”

“That’s not what you said last week.”

“That was because you ate the last cookie.” “Well, I made them so I have the right to have the last cookie.”

Duke cut in, “Okay, okay. Stop, it’s my turn. Never have I ever met a rockstar.”

A few of them took a shot.

Marinette took a shot too, “I swear you guys are trying to get me drunk.”

“How?!”

“School stuff and we had jobs working at Chloe’s hotel. I was Jagged Stone’s gopher. I made him glasses shaped like the Eiffel Tower. Later, an album cover. Long story short, I became his personal designer/ honorary niece. Oh shit. I forgot to tell him. I knew I forgot something.”

TIm shouted in excitement after getting over his shock “Jagged Stone?! The rockstar, Jagged Stone?! The one with a pet crocodile, Jagged Stone?!. Oh Please, please, I have to meet him. So wait. Wait. That means that you are MDC. I mean was, since technically MDC is dead now. But it’s you. Wow.”

Tim had stars in his eyes or maybe it’s the alcohol.

“I am thinking of starting over with a new name. How does MT sound?”

“I will help. I mean, can I help? Your designs for his tours were amazing. Can I commission you? Then, I will be your first customer.” “Sure. But I will need some equipment. My parents took mine away and I will also need some materials and your measurements. Oh, where can I get some paper and a pencil?” Marinette rambled as she got up. The alcohol kicked in and she fell down.

Jason hugged her. “Easy. Easy. You can do it in the morning.”

“But I have some ideas. And I need to shop for stuff tomorrow. Can you drive me to the shopping district tomorrow?”

“Sure, Pixie. Come on. Let’s get you to bed.” Jason carried the now sleepy Marinette to her room.

“But what about the game?”

“You guys finish without us.” Jason replied as he left the living room they were playing in.

“She was a designer?”

“Yup. MDC. A pretty good one too. The jacket for Jagged’s last tour was awesome. He claims her as his honorary ‘niece’. They were pretty close too by the looks of it. Jagged even went on a break due to personal reasons. I bet that’s why.”

“Rockstar designer and superhero. Our new sister keeps surprising us more and more everyday.”

-----

There is of course temptation to use the Miraculous to help with crime and cases.

Bruce shut down the idea pretty early on and Maria agreed with his decision, stating that Miraculous are dangerous to be out in the open. Especially in a crime-ridden city and it would be best if no one knew that they were in Gotham.

The Kwamis were free to roam the manor and allowed to go with any of the Batfam as long as they informed Maria who they were going with. Alfred was happy to have some being as company and occasional help while the Waynes go about their day.

The Miraculous were used a total of 16 times in the past 3 years under special circumstances, including the Joker incident and rules were established after one memorable Easter.

They can only be used in life and death situations, mostly when facing new adversaries and threats.

Must have special approval of both Bruce and Maria to use one. (Behind Bruce’s back, the Miraculous are handed out like candy when the Bats want to play pranks on their fellow heroes. Bruce did use the Fox one time when Clark pissed him off and made the reporter think he had gone batty. And no one, except the Bats and maybe John Constantine, figured out the identity of the Tiger-themed costumed person who punched Superman out of the Solar System which took weeks for the Man of Steel to fly back and never to be seen again and why Batman looked too pleased with himself afterwards.)

Maria had threatened everyone to not lose them when the Miraculous were in their care and they know she has every intention of following through. Family or not.

Damian once went through every single trap Maria had set for the Miracle Box so he could wear every Miraculous after Maria told him about Kwami Buster.

He managed to wear 14 of them before he passed out and was later found by Dick, who was alerted by Wyazz about what Robin was up to.

Needless to say, Maria was not happy.

She and Lucius set better security for the Box and asked other magic users for help with the magic side of the security. The Batfam had a few fun attempts breaking into it. (Tim did not use the blueprints to the safe the Miracle box is in to better hide his coffee. And definitely not because Maria had given Alfred the key to originally hers his coffee box and he had been using it to empty out Tim’s stash every week.)

Bruce didn’t give any punishment to Damian, seeing as the boy wonder was sore and in pain all over from trying to wield all of the Miraculous was punishment enough and effectively benched until he recovered.

-----

(Possible OOC Bruce ahead. I hope I did him justice as fanon Bruce. This is set a few months after Maria starts living in the Manor. P.S: It’s a little angsty with some Tom and Sabine salt.)

Despite what everyone thinks, Bruce doesn’t hate magic. He just didn’t like magic. Like he keeps telling everyone, there’s a difference. He found its lack of logic and own set of warped rules unsettling. He knows when it is beyond his capabilities and calls in experts like John Constantine or Zatanna for help to deal with the arcane. But mostly, he didn’t want to deal with it.

The newest addition to the family, courtesy of Jason, was heavily involved in it which prompted everyone else, mostly Jason, to make sure he doesn’t drive the girl away. It did annoy him a little bit. Honestly, Duke was proof that he can make exceptions to his rules and he tolerates the other magic users of the Justice League. That however doesn’t satisfy his second son enough who had pulled his guns out and threatened him to not kick his ‘baby sister’ out of Gotham.

But that’s not what is important right now. He had gotten a not very severe injury with his last bout with Bane and it was thanks to Nightwing and Red Robin that he didn’t get anything worse. However, he was benched by Alfred and everyone else agreed so he was providing support and solving cases in the Batcave while Dick went out as Batman for the night. Babara was out with her father tonight so for the first time since her arrival, he was alone with Delphi aka Maria in the Batcave with Alfred periodically checking on him.

She was quiet, occasionally humming songs or muttering curses under her breath as she hacked into corporations to relay needed information. He has to admit that she was a fast learner, managing to decently hack past firewalls after a few months of tutoring from Oracle and Red Robin. He did have to help out a few times on particularly difficult companies with high security. It was a normal night in Gotham with a few lulls in activity. It was during one of those lulls that he first broke their comfortable silence.

“Are those your parents?” he asked, when he saw CCTV footage of a bakery she pulled up on one of the monitors. It was morning already in Paris with a couple bustling about and serving customers.

“Not anymore.” Her voice was thick as they watched the Asian woman at the register give a bright smile to the customer. A man as big as Bane carried a new batch of macarons to the front, cheer on his face. Perhaps it was looking at the happy couple that it struck him that the battle-hardened girl in front of him, had lived a normal life. An innocent bystander, painfully normal being a daughter of bakers, oblivious to a world of monsters, aliens and magic before being dragged into it by some madman hungry for power.

“You know, I thought that they would have cared more... After I...died. I mean they did raise me for 15 years and they should have... known me better. It hurts that...they had so little...faith in me.” Her voice was soft, nearly inaudible. Bruce wasn’t sure if she was talking to him or to herself.

She didn’t look away from the footage but he saw a tear made its way down her cheek.

“They did support me at first,.... did their best to help me but the…. rumours and the lies got too much and they started to doubt me. It didn’t help that I kept disappearing a lot and I was never where I said I was. I supposed that it was a little bit my fault that I was...too scared of the consequences of telling them that I was Ladybug. Soon, they saw me as the villain that Lila painted me as.”

Bruce was surprised at the amount of hatred at the name. He mentally noted the name to find out if it was related to what caused Maria to be this jaded. He had turned off the comms, in case she didn’t want the others, especially Jason being an overprotective big brother who would kill Bruce if he thought he made her cry, hear her long-overdue breakdown.

“I didn’t believe it when Chloe said that they didn’t even come to…. my funeral…. or visit my grave. Jason told me…. that they were going to…. sell all of my things…. if Nonna ….didn’t take them…. and put them…. in storage. The….worst thing... is that…. I still love them.... After all…. the terrible things….they said to me, I…. still love them and…. it... hurts so much to see… their looks towards me ….before I...left.”

She tried to hold in her tears and control her sobs but they escaped. Bruce felt awkward with what to do. He put his hand on her back and rubbed in gentle circles.

“Hey, it’s okay. You can let it all out. It’s okay to be sad. Um…Shoot. Dick is usually the one doing the comforting.” She lets out a small laugh.

He turned her chair around so their eyes met, her blue eyes gleaming from unshed tears. He put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it, trying to give some sort of comfort.

“You did what you thought was best with a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders. You did your best to protect them. Sometimes, trying to protect the people you love can end up hurting them whether you meant to or not.”

She leaned towards him, careful of his wound and cried. It was like a dam had broken down. All the emotions that she had repressed for so long bursted out of her. Bruce hugged her and whispered words of comfort, things Alfred had told him after another nightmare as a child, until her sobs calmed down. He wasn’t an entirely emotionless man like so many had believed. He was just bad at showing them.

Comfortable silence settled between them, the bats above them squeaking and the sounds of the others talking over the comms, coming from the Bat-computer.

After a while, Bruce spoke.

“I lost my parents to a man desperate for money. I spent a lot of time raging at the world. I felt the same thing again when I lost Jason. I became Batman to fight against crime so no one else can feel what I felt that night in the alley, so no one has to hold their child in their arms, bloody and broken. It’s okay to feel mad at the world after you lost everything you love and care about. And I can promise you that it will get better. It might take a long time before the pain is gone. Some days, it’s a dull ache. Some days, it would be so hard to breathe. Just remember that it will get better and we will be here to help you get there. Jason definitely will. Dick too. The others will probably be as bad as comforting as me but they will still do it. Except maybe Damian. But the point is, we are here for you. Okay?”

He felt her nod. They stayed like that with Bruce occasionally reporting to the others when something was happening. Maria later joined in and thankfully, they didn’t comment on the occasional crack in her voice although Jason sounded like he wanted to know what had happened.

“So...It’s okay if you don’t want to answer now but why couldn’t you tell anyone about your identity? Wouldn’t it have been better if someone knew your identity and provided support? I had Alfred when I started out and the kids had me.” Bruce asked as he looked through CCTV footage of a break-in.

She lets out a small tired sigh, a sound not meant to come from a teenage girl, “It started with the previous Guardian, Master Fu. He made the rule of not telling anyone. It was later because Hawkmoth could akumatized anyone and anyone who knew could lead him to us directly and he might threaten our friends and family for the Miraculous. He already did it to someone who ‘claimed’ to be Ladybug. Then, there was an alternate timeline where Chat Noir, my partner, found out my identity and dated my civilian self to get close to me. It nearly ended in the destruction of the entire world.”

Bruce scowled at what Maria had been through. Jason had told them about Hawkmoth, the betrayal of her partner and how she died. But today proved that they had barely scratched the surface of her tragic past.

“Why did Hawkmoth want the Miraculous so bad?” He said it, partly to change the subject and partly to get more information on what happened in Paris.

“He wanted the Ladybug and the Black Cat. Combining the two of them would grant him a wish, one that could alter reality as he sees fit. There is a catch though because the universe demands balance, something equally devastating would occur to counteract it. From what the Kwamis told me, Atlantis sinking was one of the results of a wish made by the Miraculous.”

“It doesn’t look like he is paying for it.”

“Oh he will.” Her tone made it sound like a fact.

“How are you so certain?” “Because the universe is all about balance and I have been tasked to right the scales.” The sharp grin she wore mildly worried Bruce. Her previous statements of not killing anyone echoed in his head and he wondered if she was going to hold to that promise.

-----

(I actually suck at writing angst.)

(Part 8)

Taglist: @local-witch-of-mn, @ladyqnoirr, @lolieg, @istoleyourcookies, @pale-lady-dreamer, @ichigorose,