#But her arc has been about her surrounding herself with people even when her identity and safety are taken away from her??!

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

I think one of the reasons why the theory that Arya will go away at the end of the story because she’s too far gone to assimilate back into society is so unconvincing is because she literally spends the latest two books (AFFC and ADWD) doing that very thing! Like her training hasn’t been about her being a reclusive murderous hermit. She literally spends the two books talking to people, making friends, integrating into new cultures. She’s around people all the damn time! And even if we bring up her ACOK and ASOS arcs which were rather dark in nature, she’s still around people interacting with them, still being a part of society (even if she’s quite low on the totem pole in those books).

Arya is a character who feels so strongly and whose arc is often dictated by how she interacts with the people around her. So to take that away from her is not only a bad understanding of her character arc (not to be condescending or anything), but it’s also not very satisfying as far as character/narrative progression goes. Because if the narrative has proven so far that even in her darkest moments, Arya can laugh and love and be such a passionate member of society, how then does it make sense for her to go away and be on her own?? How does that make sense when AFFC and ADWD prove that she still loves being around people?

[ultfreakme]

natla naysayers have used the term "feminine rage" so much that I just really wanna know what people think 'feminine rage' means? Because Katara is angry here.

In NATLA she yells at Sokka for acting like he's her dad, telling him off when he dismisses her for following Jet and him ignoring her warnings about the mechanist, then again when she freezes Jet and walks away, and then when she talked to Pakku, then when she talked to Aang and he told her she shouldn't fight, then later with Zuko in the spirit oasis. She was angry. Not as much as the original, but she isn't the flat board people think she is here?

She was not confident at the start because the draw a direction connection between her bending and her personality. As she grows more confident and learns more moves, she comes out of her shell.

Sokka stifles her, but this time because he thinks waterbending will somehow get the Fire Nation to their shores and the search for a waterbender is what killed Kya. Katara has trauma surrounding waterbending put on her by colonial forces. It's in-text, Katara needs to embrace her culture, and the good parts of her mother's life and celebrate the memory of Kya. Waterbending is like a million different things to her now; her culture, honoring her mom, being herself, fighting against the FN by simply bending, it doesn't even have to attack a person. Her bending at all is shown as something important.

And at the end she DOES. And she's confident and centered and smug about her powers. It's not the same arc and it could have been better written, but they're building up to why Katara acts the way she does the same way they did with Azula. One's a modification, the other's an addition.

It kinda sucks when people dismiss Katara's new arc because it's genuinely good. Bending is culture, the Fire Nation made her and the southern water tribe so afraid of what they are that they have to hide it and hate it but she grows throughout the show to go "fuck you" to the Fire Nation and everyone else and bends. That's a personal journey right there. In the OG Sokka didn't want her bending because he just thinks all benders are a problem. It's such an important commentary on colonialism! They take away your culture, bastardize it, to strip you away of your identity. They teach you different languages and say your gods and beliefs are evil and bring trouble. Sokka think waterbending, just Katara daring to even try it would mean the Fire Nation will come. They made the SWT afraid of their own culture and made it so that Sokka now thinks "surviving is enough" and Katara- her hope, and her embracing bending- is what shows that people should strive for more.

Like istg if you stop looking at what's gone and see what's there on the show, you'll find the new stuff.

[gulmoregirls]

Motivated by my own 21st birthday yesteday, I decided to (re)watch the famous episode in S6 in which Rory turns 21.

Looking at it now, I can't help but feel like she was, indeed, so young. I get the entire "rory gilmore downfall" thing and agree that that version of the character was just... off. However, I really feel like they could've made an entire arc about rory losing herself and then finding herself. After all, is what she deserves as one the leads of the show.

Now being her age, I understand better how weird it is to be in your early twenties. Expectations, endless possibilites, the burden of having to actually make the choices for yourself. Rory's in a different environment, questioning the lables that were very prematurely put on her. She's not living the life she had envisioned for herself, turns out she's not good at the one thing she thought she had, all of her friends are doing stuff for themselves - while she, who was always on a pedestal, feels lost.

In a sense, taking Rory from that pedestal was key to her character and to the show. Making her have a identity crisis while entering adulthood and the real world makes absolute sense. It doesn't make her spoiled, or terrible, or mean. It makes her a confused 20yo girl, and speaking as another teenager in my twenties, it does get weird!! I just hate the way everything happened, and how she had little to no insight on it, no meaningful conversations with peers, how under developed it was - to the point that it felt like an individual flaw of rory's character, when it could've been so powerful to a young women audience to have someone relatable get lost but find herself again.

Again, I'm not the show writer, and, as much as I wish Rory had been done better, I can only stick to what is canon while annalizing the episode. So here are my biggest thoughts (as if this text is not long enough)

I feel like there's a reason why they wrote Logan as unaware of Rory's birthday, specially because it plays no role in a fight, or has to do with a lack in their relationship. It's not that Logan forgot, or that he should've known. It's purely that Rory didn't tell him.

In my opinion, it symbolizes what becomes a theme during this part of the show, which is "past rory" vs "current rory" and which one is the "real" one, if it's one of them. Logan not knowing about her birthday equals Emily throwing her a big birthday party with a drink Rory doesn't like but that has her name, or inviting random people she doesn't care about. Equals Logan getting her a Birkin bag, a symbol of power, when she didn't even know the brand existed. The parallel between the dream she used to have with her mother (the trip to vegas, playing 21, buying 21 things) and the reality of their fallout and rory surrounded by exactly what lorelai ran from. Money not being able to buy traditions.

Adding to that, the next episode is the famous one, in which Jess shows up and does more than delivering a passionate speech that, almost twenty years later, would become a tiktok trend. He actually wishes her a late happy birthday. He remembers it. Either intentionally or not, it adds another layer to the amount of parallels rory is facing.

Obviously, Jess knowing something Logan didn't doesn't make him better, nor it changes anything. But in a way, it shows a gap between past and present in a different way (one maybe even more intersting than just comparing "study freak" to "yale dropout", because people change over time), once we're talking about the relationships she's building, and how she wants them to be.

On a side note, I theorize that an explanation could be that Rory and Logan's relationship is very present/future-oriented. "Future" not in the sense of building a future together, a far away future. But "Future" as "the next adventure", "the next challenge", "the next trend". The way his character was introduced already shows that, and it was very important for Rory to let go a little, but I feel like it became easy for her, amidst her twenties-crisis, to live too much like logan, trusting that things would fall into place, relying on priviledges she had never had before, forgetting herself in the process, because actually thinking about the situation would make her spiral.

I guess my point is that talking about Rory's past was not a priority - symbolized about how he doesn't even know her birthday. It worked well for them, as Rory was unconsciously doing it herself, hiding it because remembering meant actually getting in touch with who she used to be, and how things were changing, and questioning everything. Once she was able to taste how living was like for Logan - both because of him and because of her grandparents, that shared similar values and priviledges - it was easy ignoring the past, exactly because it was a big contrast that, maybe, meant that she needed to take a step back and to really think about what version she wanted to be.

(not that it matters, but it almost feels like their talks, ideas and challenges were very logan-coded, once rory was eager to ignore aspects of her life and he was eager to show her the perks and fun of his. on the other hand, her relationship with jess was very rory-coded, because everything in stars hollow brought her memories and stories she wanted to share, whereas jess was the one who wanted to escape himself, always failing to communicate, guard always up, even for small things)

In her party episode, Richard, Emily and Lorelai discuss about Rory, and have different views.

To Emily, they haven't failed her - not until she repeats Lorelai's story, showing up pregnant. Until that, there's still time and efforts. She doesn't care Rory is unhappy, or lost, or confused. She just cares about keeping her under her watch, thinking that, by doing so, she won't become like Lorelai.

To Richard, they have failed her by giving her everything she needed to run away from her responsabilities and her old self. He says something similar to what Jess later tells Rory, about how it isn't her to drop out of Yale and be in the DAR. However, he feels like that can be mended with the right incentive - a new car, a new house, in exchange for the old Rory back.

Lorelai, very wisely, knows that if the "old Rory" is bought, it is actually not her daughter. She knows the problem is not Rory not being in school, but Rory not even *wanting* to go back.

Still, none of them actually say any of that to her face. Having Jess be the one doing it is one of the few nice parts of that season, because it makes sense. He knows her, not an idealized version, but the flawed, real one she showed him. He returns exactly to show her he made something for himself exactly like she believed he could, reminding rory of how she can trust her own judgment, and how she can make something for herself as well. He doesn't hesitate in comparing how different the two versions of her are, even if he might be wrong or sound jealous. Mostly, he points out that it is not normal for rory gilmore to ignore her mom. Everyone from her past could see it, and someone needed to say it. For some reason, Lorelai, Lane and even Paris couldn't, and Jess checked all the boxes.

[sariahsue]

Marinette’s Three Rules for Preventing the Apocalypse

Set shortly after the events of Chat Blanc, Marinette uses her knowledge of what happened that day to create three rules to prevent disaster. What happens when she can't keep them all?

Prologue - The First Rule

Marinette's nightmares were always bleached white.

The akuma alert blared in her ear, and Marinette bolted upright in bed, heart pounding, blankets twisted around her legs. It had only been another nightmare, but one that could still come true one day.

She rubbed at her eyes to wake herself up and squinted at the bright phone screen to focus on reading the meager scraps of information, while she tried to control her breathing. Someone had been akumatized because of a late-night ticket mixup. The Gare du Nord metro station was currently flooding with water. Lovely.

A trickle of anxiety bubbled through her chest, and she rubbed at the spot to soothe it. The dream hadn't been real. She wasn't going to let it ever become real. She had her rules.

The flit of red in the corner of her eye told her Tikki was waiting for her by the skylight. "Ready?" the kwami asked, far too perky for Marinette's mood. She transformed and took off across the city without a word.

It was close to midnight. Traffic was calm. The sidewalks were quiet. And the stillness of the air and the familiar rhythm of her swinging did nothing to calm her nerves.

"Rule number one," she repeated to herself. It was something she'd done every time she'd gotten anxious over the past month since the Chat Blanc… incident. "Don't fall in love with Chat Noir."

She stopped on the roof of a highrise only long enough to check her coordinates. She was still going in the right direction.

"Rule number two," she said as she jumped off the edge of the building and swung away. "Don't let Adrien find out my identity." It was her least favorite rule, but Bunnyx had been clear on that one. It somehow contributed to Hawk Moth finding out and using it against them. She refused to believe that he was the type to spread her secret around, and the distance she felt between them ached. Another phantom wound that pressed on her.

"Evening, Milady." Chat Noir called from ahead of her. He'd stopped on the top of a burned out street light. Moonlight shone on him from behind, giving his outline an eerie, pale glow. His face was hidden in shadow.

Number three, Ladybug recited to herself, like a desperate prayer. Never, no matter what, let Chat Noir get akumatized. 

"You okay?" he asked as she swung past him, eyes ahead of her.

"Fine," she said. That had probably sounded terse and definitely NOT fine, so she quickly added, "Just tired. I want to go back to bed."

"Hawk Moth must think we're all caught up on our beauty sleep. I think I agree with him there."

"He's right about one of us," Ladybug corrected.

Footsteps on ceramic tiles thundered behind her as he ran to catch up with her. "Me-ouch. You wound me, Milady."

"I never said which one of us, Chaton!" She slowed so they reached the edge of the roof together and leapt into the darkness as one. They were almost at the street when Chat Noir caught her around the waist and she threw out her yoyo, swinging them in a deep arc and catapulting them into the open sky.

Try as she might to deny it, seeing Chat Noir, feeling him solidly next to her, letting his gentle smile and warm laughter fill up every space inside her was the best antidote for her anxiety. By the time they reached the station, the knots inside her chest had loosened.

"Ready?" he asked.

They stood on top of the theater next door. The wide roof of the metro station was dark. All the rails leading inside were empty and submerged. The water spilled out into the surrounding streets, leaving floating cars and flickering street lights. The flood covered first floor windows. No people in sight, but no akuma either. That probably wasn't good.

She flipped open her yoyo and pulled out a piece of cheese and a macaron. "Readier than you are," she said, popping the cookie into her mouth before handing the cheese over to him. Her suit transformed, giving her long flippers. "I've got more. We'll replenish your stock after we're done here."

"Great. Can't wait." He held the cheese up to her in a mocking toast before swallowing it with a grimace.

"I hope the lights don't go out completely," she said as they flickered again.

"You'll always have me if they do."

"My helpful kitten. What would I do without you?"

"Probably cry because you miss me so much."

She cannonballed into the water to avoid answering that one. It was warmer than she was expecting, almost pleasant, but it was murky and difficult to see through. When Chat Noir grabbed her hand and led them through the metro's main door, she followed willingly.

Even with her limited sight, she knew the instant they were fully inside. The atmosphere changed immediately. Everything felt too open and exposed. Chat Noir guided her around the tall ceiling's support beams and over ticket counters. Something brushed her leg and she jumped, a stream of bubbles leaving her mouth, and reached for her yoyo. "What is that?"

He tugged on her hand to get her attention, then pointed to the surface.

"What was it?" she asked, wiping water out of her eyes. It didn't make much difference. Only dim light filtered through the upper windows.

"People," he said. "They're all statues. I don't like this akuma." The weight of the water flattened his hair.

"Do you think it's still on the platform?"

"I didn't see anything." He floated closer to her. Their hands brushed as they tread water. "But I saw a sign for the underground lines. I think we should look down there next."

She nodded, took a deep breath, and slipped back beneath the surface. He wasted no time in grabbing her hand again and leading her down. With a few more kicks of their flippers, she saw the dull glow of a red arrow pointing to the lower levels. At the bottom of the wide stairs, the cement roof had collapsed in. Slices of harsh fluorescent lights flashed through the rubble, along with some air bubbles. All good signs. The akuma had probably barricaded itself down here.

Chat Noir let go of her wrist so he could point at his left hand, one shoulder raised in question.

He was right. They probably couldn't get through without his Cataclysm, though she didn't much like the idea of his timer running down under water. They weren't far from the surface, though. He would easily be able to recharge and come back to join her.

No sooner had she nodded her approval than the rubble crumbled to dust, leaving a cloudy slurry for them to swim through.

The hallway lights were submerged completely but still flickered bravely, giving her glimpses of dozens of statues all running for the exit, frozen in stone terror.

Echoes of her nightmare whispered in the back of her mind. And even though she didn't need him to guide her, Ladybug reached for Chat Noir's hand as they swam above the silent crowd, just to have the constant physical reminder that he was there with her. And that he wasn't going to leave her.

The akuma wasn't hard to find.

The first things Ladybug could make out were the glowing red eyes, then the matching red hair that fanned around her in the water. At least they wouldn't lose sight of her easily.

She seemed more fish than human, with oversized webbed hands and feet, and long teeth that glinted hungrily.

One of her hands was clenched tightly around something, and when she pointed at the ticket counter, it was blasted into a hundred pieces. Chat Noir yelled and pushed Ladybug against the nearest wall, shielding her as plastic and stone torpedoes hurdled past them, lines of bubbles streaming after them. Over his shoulder, Ladybug could see the statues of cowering workers.

The akumatized woman turned and saw them. "You two have an appointment with Hawk Moth!" She raised her fist. Ladybug saw it held a small piece of paper. "And I'm going to make sure you aren't late!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir dove in opposite directions as the ceiling above them crumbled, blinding them with dust and bubbles.

Water rippled around her, giving her just enough warning to dodge out of the way of the hand shooting toward her earrings. She spun in the water, giving a good kick to the akuma's side as she propelled herself toward clearer water. Chat Noir was there waiting for her, weapon drawn. He put a finger to his lips and drifted forward.

"Wait," Ladybug whispered, bubbles hissing through her teeth.

Chat Noir turned, but his momentum in the water pulled him away from her.

She pointed at the ring finger of her right hand. He only had two minutes left on his timer. Then she pointed upward.

He shook his head and held up his staff. "I have enough-"

Ladybug swam forward and pushed him toward the exit just as the woman jetted toward them.

"Go!" Ladybug dove to avoid a blast from the paper. She was close enough to see it was a ticket.

"But-"

"Get charged up. I'll hold her off!"

Another shrill beep let him know he only had one minute left, so Chat Noir kicked and disappeared back down the hallway, leaving Ladybug to turn her attention back to the fight. It wasn't time yet to use her Lucky Charm. She had to wait until she had Chat's cover to set up a plan to use it, so for now, she would stall until he got back.

Ladybug's attacks were met with glancing blows from wide fins. The woman's whirlpool kicks were easy to evade with the water powerup.

The water powerup! Chat didn't have another one! And she didn't want him to risk coming back down without it. He was reckless enough to do something like that.

The akuma snarled when she found Ladybug ducking behind an overturned table. She hissed her disapproval, then leveled the ticket at Ladybug's face.

Ladybug had just enough time to knock the woman's hand toward the ceiling. The initial impact of the blast sent a shockwave through the water. Metal and stone cracked and crumbled immediately after. One chunk caught Ladybug on the shoulder, but the suit protected her, and it bounced off. The woman wasn't as lucky. She roared in pain and frustration and headed deeper into the subway, following a line of tracks into the darkness. Ladybug took off toward the surface, following after her partner.

His timer had probably run out already. She hoped he was waiting for her already transformed, and not waiting so he could give Plagg the cheese instead of eating himself. Still, she should close her eyes when she surfaced, just in case.

The walls and ceilings were pockmarked all down the corridor. Several more lights had become flooded and given out since she'd been through here, minutes before. Doors hung from hinges, the rooms behind them even darker and gloomier than the hallway. She thought she saw a shadowy something move behind one of the crooked doors, and she swam faster.

She knew she was out of the hallway when the light became more diffuse and the ripples she made stopped bouncing off the walls back toward her. The water splashed as she broke through the surface, and she kept her eyes closed. "Chat, I have another powerup for you," she called, turning her head to better hear which direction he was in. "The woman slithered off, but she'll probably want to stay in the water, so… Chat?"

Her hand was halfway to her yoyo, ready to grab a wedge of cheese, but he made no answer. "Chat Noir?" Her voice echoed off the ceiling and the slowly rippling water. It was met with only silence. Her breath caught in her throat. Why wasn't he answering? "I'm opening my eyes."

In the dim light of the flooded station, she could see that she was alone. Her body felt heavy in the water. He wasn't there. He wouldn't have left her during a fight, not unless there was an emergency. And he would have told her what had happened–

Unless he couldn't.

Unless his timer—

Ladybug dove back under the water, flipping open her yoyo and using it as a flashlight to guide her way. Where is he? WHERE IS HE? 

The panicked plea flooded her thoughts, filling every crack, as she desperately searched the platform.

He hadn't made it to the surface. Dread settled over her, threatening to send her panic over the edge. Without stopping to think about what she was doing, she pushed herself back toward the stairs, into the dark.

She'd missed him. He needed her and she'd swum right past him! How could she!

He hasn't come up yet! Where is he?! 

Lights flickered. Ladybug checked every door, eyes wide open, searching for the faintest flutter of movement, any shadow that was the wrong color.

In the watery, flickering light of the hallway, she tried to think this through. His timer had definitely run out by now. If he was untransformed somewhere down here, he wouldn't be able to breathe or get himself to safety. And she wouldn't be able to keep her eyes closed if she wanted to get him to the surface quickly.

A flash of white caught her attention, but it was just the fluttering of paper tickets. She swam faster, the beam of light from her yoyo casting harsh shadows in the jagged holes the akuma had left behind.

Finding out his identity wasn't against her rules. Keeping her eyes open would almost certainly mean she would see his unmasked face, and maybe tell her who he really was.

But the alternative wasn't an option.

She slowed in the middle of the hallway, drifting past doors and broken tiles. A stripe of red kicked out behind one of those doors. Ladybug twisted and sped toward it, heart hammering in her throat, and grabbed a pale hand.

The hand gripped her back and started pulling her up.

Ladybug's head broke the surface, and scraped against a rough ceiling. "Ow!"

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Her yoyo was still under the surface, making the water around them glow, casting weak shadows from below. But she could see his face clearly enough.

"Adrien," she said breathlessly.

Water had plastered his hair to his head, and he was shivering in the cold water without his suit, and so much was wrong - how could Chat Noir be Adrien?! - but despite everything, he still smiled at her.

"Sorry," he said. His legs brushed hers as they tread water.

"It's fine," she said, she lied. The response was automatic. Her whole body felt stiff and unreal. Nothing was fine. Chat Noir was Adrien and Adrien could have drowned and she needed to get out of this small room and fight an akuma before she hyperventilated.

She thrust the yoyo at his face. "Use this. To breathe."

He took it wordlessly and started to dip back under the surface.

"Wait!" She grabbed his arm, and he popped up out of the water so fast that they knocked their foreheads together.

"Are you okay?" he asked, rubbing the spot.

"Powerup's in there. There's a powerup in there for you."

"I'll be back quick, I promise." He gave her a thumbs up. "Thanks for the save, Milady." And he disappeared back under the surface and took the light with him, like he hadn't just shattered her understanding of reality. She stayed there for a few more seconds before she shook herself and started groping for the door in the darkness.

The water didn't help clear her mind. It left her feeling as murky and blind physically as she did mentally. It pushed on her. Muffled her senses. Left her disoriented. Weightless and untethered.

The faint flickering light from the hallway was enough to guide her out, but navigating her path wasn't as easy as it had been the first time with her partner by her side.

The atrium the akuma had been destroying when they arrived was quiet. Statues, and pieces of statues, littered the floor. The train tracks she'd disappeared down faded into the black. Ladybug knew she would have to think of a plan to win the fight, but her mind kept spinning back to Chat Noir and Adrien and her rules.

The first rule was definitely broken. If she loved Adrien, that meant she'd been in love with Chat Noir the whole time. Her feelings for Adrien would somehow lead to the end of the world.

She didn't want to believe it. Wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen the destruction for herself.

"Ladybug!"

His voice was jarring in the quiet. Adrien's voice. Chat Noir's voice.

It was louder and more energetic than when they were at school, and her heart clenched when she heard it. She'd been so close to him. Why hadn't she figured it out?

"Where'd the akuma go?" he asked. He stopped next to her and rested a hand on her elbow, like he was trying to steady her. His gaze was searching. When she didn't respond to the question he said gently, "Sorry. Akuma, or do you need a minute?"

"Akuma," she said abruptly. She didn't need more time to think. She was thinking too much. And only two things were important. Save Paris. And don't break any more rules. Everything else could wait. "This way."

---

The water in the tunnel was moving, pulling them toward the fight faster than she was ready.

"What's the plan?" Chat Noir asked. He kept one hand on her shoulder, guiding her in the dark. It had been his idea to keep the lights out, so they could stay hidden as long as possible.

"I have a plan." There was definitely no plan.

The hand on her shoulder gave a brief squeeze. "Does this plan include calling Lucky Charm?"

"Of course." It did now. That would be a smart thing to do.

"Could I suggest cleansing everything first?"

Ladybug put a hand to the wall to steady herself against the current. It was gaining speed. "Why would that help?"

"Is it a bad time to make a fish out of water joke?"

A lock of hair slipped out of her pigtail and fluttered in front of her eyes, barely visible in the gloom. She tucked it behind her ear. "It's never a good time for bad jokes." The strands floated free again, pulled in front her her by the intensifying current.

"All my jokes are great," he said, giving her a gentle hip check. "You just have a bad sense of humor." He was so close to her.

"One of us does, but thank you for the input." And for trying to make me feel normal.

"What's that sound?" He turned away from her, facing down the tunnel.

"I don't-" And then she heard it too: rushing water. She had just enough time to throw her arms around him before they were dragged down into the darkness.

They tumbled together, slamming into walls and pillars. Ladybug gripped him even more tightly, desperate for something to hold onto. They scraped against the subway tracks.

After a few seconds, the tunnel started to rise and opened up above the ground. The tracks dropped out from below them. In the distance, skyscrapers stood like broken teeth, distorted through the surface of the water.

The current was pulling them to the center of a lake, with a large column of water erupting from the middle. It swelled with all the floodwater from the subway and debris it was pulling in.

The akuma floated in the center, glowing and clearly visible in the darkness.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir!" she bellowed once she saw them. Her voice carried through the water, reverberating like ripples.

Chat Noir grabbed his baton and buried it into the lake bottom, using it to anchor both of them. Ladybug slipped, her arms leaving his shoulders only to fasten securely around his waist. His knees knocked into her stomach as they drifted in the pull of the water.

"Give me your miraculous! Or this water will flood all of Paris, starting with City Hall!"

Ladybug was not in the mood for this right now. Hawk Moth was just going to have to find another time, because she was not going to deal with this. His crisis could get in line right after her own.

She called for Lucky Charm, snatching a red and black Jumbo Sticky Hand as it almost floated past her. The gears started spinning. Using it to wrap her up? To slingshot herself to where was suspended in the middle of the column?

The baton shifted in the dirt as the water eroded the anchor they had, and she remembered his suggestion. It was time to take away the akuma's main advantage. Ladybug threw the yoyo as hard as she could and watched as it broke the surface above them. Within seconds, red swarms of magic had returned the world to normal, except for a flailing akuma, who was pushing herself to her feet, getting ready to charge on legs that looked a lot less floppy than Ladybug was expecting.

"Not tonight," she muttered. She gripped one end of the Sticky Hand and threw the other as hard as she could. Her aim was true, and the train ticket stuck fast, and her plan worked perfectly. Within seconds, the butterfly had been free and cleansed, and a woman in a wrinkled red blouse was kneeling in the middle of an abandoned lot.

"I'll take care of her until the police come," Chat Noir said. He wrenched the baton out of the dirt and brushed it off. "You go get charged up."

There wasn't much around that she could hide behind, so she followed the tracks back to the tunnel. Instead of calling off her transformation, she waited it out, watching Chat Noir and the woman from the shadows. Street lights gave her enough illumination to see the gentle way he held her hand, and how she uncurled as he eased whatever pain she'd recently experienced with his Adrien compassion.

Master Fu had been right in choosing him. Adrien had a good heart. And she loved him for it.

The first rule was broken. Had been broken this whole time. She loved him so much.

And that meant the other two rules were even more important if she wanted to prevent a disaster. Adrien couldn't know her identity, even though she was sure Chat Noir would never betray her like that. He understood how important the secret was more than anyone else.

The flash of pink light illuminated the walls around her, temporarily blinding her. Tikki was the first thing she saw.

Marinette fished a cookie out of her pocket. "He's Adrien," she said simply. "Chat Noir is Adrien."

Tikki took the cookie and nodded slowly. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you."

"I know," Marinette whispered, eyes back on him already.

He and the woman were sitting in the dirt. When she'd first appeared, she'd looked defeated in every way, weighed down with so much anguish that she couldn't stand. After a few minutes of talking to Chat Noir, she sat up straight, leaning back casually as he pointed out faint constellations above them.

"What are you going to do?" Tikki asked after she was done eating.

It was a question she'd been avoiding asking herself. She knew what she had to do, but she didn't want to, for herself and for him. But they were heroes, and sometimes that meant that other people came first, even at her own expense.

She transformed back. Her feet were heavy as she walked back to the pair.

Hawk Moth must have manipulated Adrien somehow. He must have tricked him. Or sent a powerful akuma that could read minds. There was no other explanation. But it didn't change what she had to do. Their love ended the world. She couldn't let that happen.

"So Eléa here-" He nodded toward the woman sitting next to him. "-and I have been chatting. Did you know that Pisces is a constellation and used to be a name for the formal classification for fish?"

"Used to be?" Ladybug settled down on the dirt next to him and watched him out of the corner of her eye, finding Adrien's familiar profile in every plane of Chat Noir's face.

"It's an unofficial superclass now," Eléa finished.

"She was on her way to her new job at the Nausicaá Centre National de la Mer."

"Probably not," Eléa said dully.

"There was an akuma attack at the train station," he told her. "Of course you couldn't get there for an early morning interview."

Eléa poked her toes into a pile of dirt and didn't answer.

"They don't usually publish the civilian's name or the reasons," Ladybug said. "No one will know it was you if you don't tell them. I'm sure they'll reschedule."

"An accomplished scientist like yourself will be a great addition to the best aquarium in Europe," Chat Noir said.

Both women smiled at him.

Ladybug had always loved that about Chat Noir: how gently he dealt with the akuma victims, never blaming them for being so upset, always letting them know it wasn't their fault, and that there was still hope for everything to turn out for the best.

They sat in silence until blue lights flashed on the buildings around them, and the police stepped out of their vehicles.

"Thank you both," Eléa said as she stood and dusted herself off.

"Of course," Ladybug said.

"Always an honor to help," Chat Noir added. "Good luck with your interview, though I know you don't need it."

Eléa gave each of them a quick hug before letting herself be led to the waiting ambulance.

"So, do we need to talk?" he asked as they watched her go.

Ladybug swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, but it didn't budge. She tried once more, then gave up. "Yeah, we do."

Doors slammed, engines revved, and Ladybug and Chat Noir were suddenly alone in the dark in the middle of an abandoned lot. What a depressing place for an even worse conversation.

"Do you want to go somewhere else, or?" he asked.

She grabbed his wrist before he could leap away from her. If only she could keep him here forever in this moment, before she had to ruin everything. Before she had to hurt him.

"So…" he began. "My identity."

"Your identity," she whispered back. Her eyes found his and then skittered away.

"Does this change things between us?" he asked. His breathing picked up its pace. His hand twitched under her grip.

She hated rule number two. She wanted him to know who she was. She wanted to be able to love him freely. This was going to hurt them both so much.

"Yes," she said. The least she could do was look him in the eye when she ruined their relationship. She should do that much for him. So she dropped his wrist and squared her shoulders and held her head high, willing herself not to cry and make this even harder for him. "But not in the way you want."

His disappointment was a subtle thing. A slight drop of his shoulders as he let out a small breath. The curl of his fingers where they hung at his sides. A barely perceptible tightness around his eyes when he gave her a smile.

"I guess that was too much to hope for."

It wasn't. It really, really wasn't.

"You can't wait for me," she said. "You have to move on."

The step back he took was not subtle. "What?"

"I mean it," she said. "I'm sorry, but we're not–"

"Ladybug, I don't think I can."

Her treacherous heart thundered. If Chat Noir had said that an hour ago, she would have turned away with a grimace. But now that it was also Adrien declaring his love for her, she wanted to pull him in and kiss him and never let him go.

All she could do was clasp her hands tightly and lie to him. "I want you to move on." Her eyes dropped to his shoulder. She couldn't face him for her final blow. "I'm not going to return your feelings, and it's not fair for either of us."

At least the last part was true. There was nothing fair about this situation. The best she could do now, even though she hated it, was to let him go. Maybe he could be happy and loved by someone else. She had to be strong for both of them. For Paris.

After Chat Noir had been quiet for several seconds, she chanced a peek at his face. His eyes were fixed on her wringing hands, so she unclenched them and slowly moved them against her sides.

"I'm sorry," she said helplessly. Rule number one said they couldn't be together, but rule three said she couldn't let him get upset enough to be akumatized either.

"It's okay," he said tonelessly. "You can't change how you feel."

The denial she wanted to shout at him pushed against her lips, but she held it back. This wasn't a new wound, so maybe it was better this way.

"Chat?" She stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder, pressing gently, trying to convey comfort and care only, and not all the love she had for him. It was a fine line she couldn't afford to cross.

"I'm okay," he said, passing a hand over his eyes quickly. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm okay," more firmly.

He stepped out from under her hand. It hung between them for a second, before she thought to lower it.

"I-" she started. What was there to say? There was no way for her to make it better. Empty apologies weren't going to help him, and she couldn't make him any hollow promises.

A cold breeze blew the loose lock of her hair into her eyes, and he reached up to tuck it behind her ear. The move was filled with such tenderness she thought her heart would break, and then he stepped back and smiled at her, as hollow and empty and broken as everything she couldn't say to him.

"I'll see you at patrol?" He flashed her a quick thumbs up.

"Sure. See you."

Like nothing had happened. Like it was just a normal goodbye between two friends.

Ladybug was the first to turn and leave. Chat Noir didn't follow her. The way back home was long and lonely.

---

Every muscle in her body was sore by the time Marinette got back to bed. She'd pushed herself to the edge to outrun the disaster she'd left behind, and it hadn't been enough. She handed Tikki a cookie and said she was going to sleep and laid very still until her kwami's soft snuffles let Marinette know she was asleep.

And finally she was alone with her thoughts. All of Paris was finally still, but Marinette felt like she was in freefall. She would see Adrien in a few hours at school. Would he be too upset to go? Would he think it was just another rejection like all the others and not take her seriously? A piece of her hoped he would, that there might be something salvageable between them, but the flash of white when she closed her eyes pushed that feeling down.

After a few more minutes of tossing and turning, she gave up on her bed and headed out to her balcony. A drizzle had started, but Marinette didn't mind. They were a pair, the city and her.

The streets were empty. Street lights were dampened. Sounds of life were all muffled. Not even the moon was visible.

A small flicker of movement caught her attention, a shadow darker than the others that moved across the rooftops, and a flash of golden hair.

"Chat Noir," she called out before she could tell herself this was a terrible idea.

The shadow stopped and turned toward her.

Hadn't he gone home yet? Had it taken him all this time to come back, or was he just wandering aimlessly? "What are you doing out?" she asked.

He made the jump to her balcony in three short leaps, with none of the theatrics she had come to associate with him.

"Akuma," he said briefly once he'd landed next to her. "But it's gone now," he added as an afterthought. "So you don't need to worry." He stared at her chrysanthemums before sliding down the railing.

She'd never seen him look so defeated in her life. He was a crumpled heap at her feet, hair and ears flat, tail and limbs all limp. It was a bad idea to offer him comfort. It was a bad idea to kneel next to him and wrap her arms around him. But bad ideas were all she had tonight, and she couldn't turn him away when he was upset and it was her fault, no matter what her rules said.

"You don't have to talk about it." Water soaked through to her knees quickly. His leather-clad shoulder against her cheek was hard and cold. "But I'll stay here with you as long as you need me to."

Eyes closed, she felt him nod.

"Why?" His question was only a whisper louder than the rain.

The apology she wanted to give him burned in her stomach. Marinette couldn't give him that without suspicion. "Because you do so much for me - for the city! - that I want to help you too."

"I shouldn't be here." He tried to stand, but Marinette refused to let him rise. "I can't burden a citizen with my problems."

"That's not true," she said. There were a hundred reasons why, but 99 of them were only Ladybug's. "We're friends. That means I care about you and I'm here for you."

And she wanted to know when he was upset. If there was anything she knew about her Chaton, it was that he often stuffed his feelings when they were anything other than glowing. He would hide how hurt he was from Ladybug so she wouldn't have to suffer along with him. Marinette wasn't going to let him do that this time.

Rain pattered around them, making her flowers' petals tremble and plastering her hair to her face.

"Promise me something?" she asked after a few minutes.

"What?"

"Come over whenever you're upset. I don't care if it's personal stuff or superhero stuff. When you feel like you don't have anyone else, remember you have me and come visit." Because she could be with him this way even if she couldn't be with him the way they both wanted. Because he deserved better. Because she loved him.

He rested his head against hers. "I will."

---

A/N: Welcome to my contribution to this year’s Big Bang! Thanks for setting it up @mlbigbang. And thanks to @khanofallorcs for beta’ing! There will be artwork for the upcoming chapters, so stay tuned for that! I’ll link and reblog when they’re posted!

There will be seven chapters total, and this one’s the longest one. :)

@tbehartoo

[sirani-8927]

Okay so I have a lot of explaining to do about why this came to me in my (personal) rewrite/redesign of Nathaniel but run with me now.

I gave Nathaniel really strong eyes that allow him to see a lot of things really well, mainly based off of my rewatch of Rogercop where he was literally nowhere near the bracelet but still sketched every detail accurately. Anyways, I decided, "oh he can see through the Miraculous Glamour," and have been thinking of him being the Unofficial Sidekick/Therapist of every holder because he makes a point to tell Marinette and Adrien that he knows its them.

Edit, 10/8/23: This is now an OC named Jonathan. This happens to me a lot where my headcanons get out of control. You can keep reading for an au if you want, though. I'm not gonna edit this. I think it's a little cute as an au

He tells Adrien, who does not care how. He's just excited to finally tell someone everything and complains about being a model and his father's behavior. I can imagine Nathaniel going, "My parents would love having you around for dinner" offhandedly and literally that night Chat Noir showing up with flowers and Nathaniel's siblings freaking out over a superhero standing in their living room. Adrien coming to Nathaniel's house when he has nightmares of being Chat Blanc that feel a bit too real. Nath being convinced by Adrien to wear the miraculous and Adrien complimenting his cool costume and fashion. Nathaniel was freaked out the whole time that he'd have to be Chat Noir for a fight and dropped the magic so quick.

He tells Marinette, and she immediately gets scared and spirals. He has to sit her down and explain that he can just see through the magic. She asks him to make up an excuse for her to skip out on classes and advice on how to be a superhero because he's more into the genre than she is. She tells him about Chat Blanc when she gets her first nightmare over it. She begs Nath before Hack San to tell Chat Noir for her that she had to leave and basically asking him tons of favors like babysitting for her if there's an akuma. Nathaniel being the only one to help collect miraculous because there's no way he wouldn't know who's who.

I only just had the thought of his dynamic with, say, Argos, or Queen Bee if she didn't reveal herself.

He still tells Queen Bee (maybe it's a redemption arc or something) that he knows and she shows up at his house, bragging about how she saved some guy from a mugger, wanting praise and validation and he goes, "you called me a cherry colored bitch today. That immediately negates the good you did."

Or, say she doesn't help Ladybug and Chat during akumas because they're on bad terms, and he's been trying to convince her to do the bare minimum and help civilians or something. Slowly, they start getting into fights more. Maybe she goes too far, and he outsmarts her, steals the miraculous, and gives it back to LB. Then Chloe and Nath start butting heads and arguing often in class a lot, but they can't say why, so it's never resolved properly. But Adrien and Marinette have thoughts.

Imagine Argos bursts in and starts gushing about Kagami and all the shit he learned about her and how cute she is because he doesn't have friends to talk about this with and decided, "well, he knows who I am already so," and Nathaniel is just thinking the entire time, "isn't he the bitch that pretended to be Adrien and got three people akumatized?"

Or he picks up the slack for the Ladyblog when Alya gets the fox full time even though they aren't friends in civilian form. He doesn't have an explanation to anyone why he's doing that, so he just runs away because he's not very good at this whole sidekick thing.

Nathaniel slapping Nino when he tries to reveal Alya's identity. Imagine Rocketear doesn't even happen because Adrien, being surrounded by his very best friend, counters Nino's reveal with his own reveal.

That part in Kuro Neko where Marinette freaks out over Chat Noir leaving? That entire episode Nathaniel is just exhausted. He's talking to Adrien about his decision. He's telling Marinette why he doesn't want the miraculous back. He's having to travel to each person's house to collect the Miraculous. Marinette might ask him to replace Chat Noir, so now he's gotta go to Adrien's house AGAIN and manages to get that part rolling, hopefully.

Wishmaker Luka immediately asks for Nathaniel's address, barges into his house and collapses on the floor because "Oh my Kwami, it's a fucking Love Square". Ephemeral definitely happens differently because Marinette's plan is something she runs by both Luka and Nathaniel. She is immediately shut down by Nath because it's against his code to reveal someone else's identity without consent. Or maybe Nathaniel is there at the secondary pick-up point with Luka and Su Han realizing that he has to know more and tries to threaten Nath to tell him who CN is. Nath's like, "Good point, but I'm not telling you. Go ask him yourself, fucking loser," or some stupid shit. My point is that Ephemeral probably is different or doesn't happen.

The dynamics are just funny to me cause Nathaniel is actually really tight-lipped about everyone's identity, and it doesn't matter who the person is to him. He'll keep it a secret. The only person he would reveal in a heartbeat is Hawkmoth, but he's never met him in person, and that's why Hawkmoth hasn't been jumped yet.

Actually, that weird KND scene with Nathaniel with the mustard gun would probably make him short-circuit, and it'd take him like a week to tell Adrien that that's his dad. Queue the series ending with Gabriel getting curbed stomped Owl House style by super-powered 15 year Olds.

Evillustrator would have to go differently though, either it just doesn't happen, or Nath just wasn't thinking about either of them, so Hawkmoth doesn't realize he knows, or Nathaniel is particularly unlucky during this episode. Either way, Hawkmoth is none the wiser.

[halogenwarrior]

Warriors, first and foremost has always tried to grapple with themes of community/culture/society, how it influences people and both causes pain and value. Even the Clans’ religion is not based on some omniscient god that transcends culture but just another community formed out of the ancestors of the community that exists on earth. Does it handle these themes well? Most of the time, definitely not. But I feel like a lot of fans are missing the potential nuances of this theme when they just reduce it to “the Clans suck and are literally 100% morally bad with no redeeming values, and cats who want to destroy them are cool actually”. Because I think it is possible for an ideal version of the series to show the oppression of a demand to devote your life to duty and fighting just because you happened to be born in a Clan, to the way Clan boundaries rip apart relationships, how the Clans think themselves above any outsider and all of the other problems with Clan life, and also show that there can be beauty in value in community and loyalty and taking care of the weak. Like the whole idea of making the final conflict in the original arc against a distorted Clan that had none of those positive aspects was a potentially interesting idea thematically, the problem was how it weirdly tried to tie caring for others to religious faith as if the good parts of the Clans’ system were inherent to their religion and structure rather than something that any society should aspire to and can accomplish, but some fall short of (including the Clans themselves sometimes, like with regard to Brokenstar!) 

I feel this is duality of Clan life is particularly shown in Feathertail’s arc in A Shadow in RiverClan. A lot of the fans’ reactions to her seem to be just “well, what’s the big deal, why can’t she just girlboss her way out of RiverClan like any sane person would do!” But her internal conflict is compelling because she ISN’T the type of person (cat) who would be happiest cutting ties with the community she’s grown up in, she’s someone who, like most people, needs the sense of community and purpose and being surrounded by others working to help each other to survive. But in order to truly be a part of her community, she needs to buy into the values it holds, including the xenophobic huddling together of their group against all outsiders. She can’t just forget the destruction these values have wrought, can’t just go back to normal life after what happened, even as she feels to live without a community would be isolating and (pardon the use of the term for a series about cats) inhuman. The social contract was broken when her Clan broke the promise to mutually defend each other’s lives with their own and instead saw her life as forfeit, and that’s why she’s only able to build it back up by the incident with the fox restoring said contract. And so she spends months wrestling with her own thoughts, trying to force herself to believe with her heart something that she needs to believe but was irrevocably shattered. The hand that feeds her is the hand that tears her apart, and she can never truly turn away from it. Admittedly the point is somewhat undermined by the existence of ThunderClan, a group with basically identical culture that hasn’t horribly wronged her, though even going there wouldn’t be a full escape because it would just mean forcing herself to buy into another group’s xenophobic values, except this time it would mean those values turning her against cats like her brother.

 This is why I’ve always been skeptical of people’s claims that Stormfur would have worked better being given Feathertail’s plot given his personality in TNP. Stormfur’s suspicious nature extended largely to outsiders, a feeling that straying too far from the code was what led to the previous disasters and would lead to further ones, while the arc a Shadow in RiverClan was trying to create needed a protagonist that wasn’t just generically suspicious and aloof by nature, even and especially to those his society told him to be suspicious of, but one who was by nature quite the opposite, who could never be happy unless she was allowed to be the open and caring cat she was by nature, but who couldn’t forget everything long enough to be that no matter how much she tried. (And we see in her interactions with cats like Ferncloud and Sasha that her aloofness solely extends to those who were involved with what happened on the Bonehill, that whenever she isn’t caught up in those thoughts and doubts and memory her “true” personality shines through). 

I feel like a better Warriors series would lean more into this duality, of both the worth of the Clan system and its horror, of how loyalty might lead towards a noble fight for the preservation of valuable things one day and a pointless one driven by jingoism and xenophobia the next, and how every cat reacts to this tangled, beautiful, repulsive situation in different ways, rather than either the canon route of only paying lip service to the deep flaws in the system and patching everything up with “but the Clans and StarClan are good in the end”, or the fan responses of wanting everything burned down. 

[surejess-arc]

JUNE 1st --> JUNE 31st

For someone in the midst of a battle that was not her own, she managed to make it out relatively safe. With only some stone shards ( courtesy of an unknown assailant attacking Sela Musa and herself ) piercing her and the spikes of Lachlan, she avoided even trying to go to the hospital. First of all: scary. Second of all: largely unnecessary. Patched herself up and dealt with it !

She attended Elliott’s funeral, primarily oscillating between anger and silence. Despite his reputation among the escapees, he remained a dear friend who was done away with far too quickly and far too easily. This prompted a discussion amongst the escapees surrounding Mo’s departure from New York City, as Gray has already teased.

Both to distract and to move up in the world, as January’s newly appointed right-hand-man, she began taking up more responsibilities. More on that to come.

In addition, she and soulmate bestie Samson solidified their status as roommates and moved from Belcourt to the housing that January had given her. Of course, because it’s courtesy of January, in her very limited free time, Jess has tried to make out what’s going on with homebody Samson. Because she owes a lot to January and can’t let it be taken advantage of.

FULL ARC ONE RECAP BELOW:

let’s start with the flashback essex threads first. isaac nazari oversaw her first lobotomy, as well as the hacking off of her limbs/tongue/teeth that followed the development of her miming ability. gotta make sure it isn’t reality warping ! in addition, jack torrence absorbed her ability and tried to claw his brains out... ok wimp. 

she met joseph kontos ( in the form of compy ) and started harassing him every time she saw him, trying to get him to turn into her best friend ( compy ). it didn’t happen again, but she met some other buddies along the way !

after nathaniel essex’s first public address, she marched over to jack torrence’s apartment to rant and rave. this turned to a ‘calm in the eye of the storm’ when she came up with a plan to get closer to essex and take both him and the house down, soon turning into a collaboration. first step: kidnap emmeline essex. the two recruited milo/la burke to pose as beverly haines and lure her from the institute to jess’s stolen white van. they drove her off to a warehouse, enforced some psychological torture ( as they had promised milo/la that she would get out unscathed, solely for the fact that it could hurt their standing at the institute if anyone were to find out ), and learned she was useless. they snatched a bracelet from her, given by essex, and decided that they would see if they could induct monique ‘mo’ washington into it by simply saying if it had any familiar residual scent.

at the riots, she was unable to get milo burke to commit any real acts of violence, but she did manage to get them to whack a dumpster ! they were getting somewhere ! in the aftermath of the great emmeline kidnapping, she and milo turned a conversation about gummy bears into a conversation about what society enforces. milo divulged more information regarding their gender identity and added in their attempts at creating their very own people. very own faces.

(SUICIDE ATTEMPT/SLIGHT GORE TW) on halloween, she visited some guards from essex that she had driven so very up the wall in their great escape that they had been sent to bellevue. she offered up a joke, and they entered her headspace. go on a bit. when everything returned to normal, one was banging his head against the window and the other was trying to pry his jaw off. (END TW) she then attended the street fair dressed as weary willy the clown <3

she and january st. james, the woman who took a chance on her a few months after the escape - the woman she feels she owes everything to, continued plotting against essex. january’s powerful associates, combined with jess’s extensive knowledge and reliability ( ...to pretty much just january... ), made for a great machine. january officially offered jess the title and responsibilities of her right-hand !

after elliott winslow’s arrest on halloween, she recruited the other escapees to help with a breakout plan ( although not all agreed ). she took on the form of gary fern, a prison guard that she had been studying extensively, and let the others do their thing -- what would get him out of the power muting shackles. much like with all the other escapees, elliott attempted to recruit jess into the brotherhood. with a distaste for their hierarchy, she turned it down again and again ( and read him for filth at one point ). however, she did agree to be a consultant of his re the brotherhood !

she met richard “samson” clemens on new years eve and immediately hit it off. they worked to steal a chandelier together, but it didn’t pan out. she then recruited him to help her seek revenge on gary fern, as he had begun letting his little secret slip. whether the two killed or just scared him together... remains tbd... but probably the former. she would later visit samson at the veil, as one does, but see that he was bound and gagged. on instinct, she subdued the client and frantically freed him... only to learn that it was a kink thing. later in the night, after many a signal that things were not so peachy, she let him know of her escapee status. after samson tried to take down the essex house with various other brotherhood members ( and failed ), he came to her apartment with many an apology. and, as he would be put out of commission for a while, unable to pay his own rent... combine that with jess’s hatred of being entirely alone, the two decided to become roommates.

sela musa went to richie’s comedy club in an attempt to find a good mark or two, but wound up actually enjoying jess’s act. they became, as bry and i have dubbed it, ‘mutant-in-the-wild besties’ when they were able to subtly reveal to the other their statuses. on june 1st, she would fight and have some fun showing off around sela -- who she, naturally, found out was part of the brotherhood. for someone who would never join the brotherhood, jess sure has a lot of friends in it !

she and cordelia levy, an animal tamer in their old cirque ( with the power of zoolingualism ), reunited. cordelia revealed that she had returned when she heard about the escape from essex on the chance that jess had been one of the nine. naturally, she was correct. she hadn’t left paris for nothing. what is currently unbeknownst, however ? cordelia is a part of the xavier institute, and jess fucking kidnapped emmeline essex.

she had a drink with lachlan mcleod on her birthday and they were friendly enough, if a bit stilted.  then they got into an epic fight on the 1st that dug up some old wounds, mainly regarding, like... reverse survivor’s guilt. according to casey, though in no these exact words, jess read lachlan for filth ! but, fortunately, jack stepped in before they could either hurt each other more or breakdown more <3

she found a nice sushi platter in the apartment of this essex-affiliated guy who she definitely did not do anything to and brought it all the way to the pond for seven... who seemed to enjoy it quite a bit ! they got on the topic of what it was like to be a mutant who differed, jess acknowledging that she would never be able to understand the full extent of seven’s plight, but that she did understand at least some of it. visually, she had her differences, but they were subtle. mentally... i mean, min-ji’s exposition didn’t say that she would’ve been surprised if jess weren’t a mutant for nothing ( iconic quote from izzy there ). seven, of course... as far as she was concerned, he’d had no way of hiding or even pretending. then he revealed he was able to shift into a human form whenever solomon ofori ( whom jess only knew because of his dog, biscuit ) took his ability away. this opened up a world of excitement and questions, but... the main one ? did that mean he could be human all along ? had essex never turned the collar on ? she ecstatically brought him to safety on june 1st, giving him a gag weapon to defend himself with and a coin attached to a string to play some arcade games with !

started teaching tiffany chiba how to use a gun. the thread only got a few notes in and may not seem important, but tiffany was just victim of a hostage situation ! i need to message maddie but you would think that would encourage some gun usage ! ‘muricah !

if we had threaded and your muse is not mentioned in this post, i still adore you. just trying to keep it limited to very important happenstances and/or things that will likely come up in the future !

[cfaugust]

❛❛   mal haidou .  ❜❜   ― 💀 ― entering the multiverse… 

verse : descendants (main) [default is arc 005, others by request only]

arc 001 : 16, pre film on the isle. named for a mother who was never there, mal was raised by her father, greek god and ruler of the underworld, hades. he was a better father than one might’ve assumed, not the best by any means, but still above some others on the isle. mal never found herself begging the man to be proud of her, with the occasional nod of approval here or there. it was more than enough to push her to become the worst she could be. ⌜they say I’m trouble⌟.

arc 002 : 16, early auradon/pre coronation. an evil scheme hatched to free the villains, all thanks to the proclamation of a foolish prince with dreams of unity. doesn’t he realize it’s too late to make amends? brought to auradon as one of four chosen for a trial run of ben’s villain kid integration, mal and her companions are determined to retrieve fairy godmother’s wand and free their fellow isle dwellers. ⌜blow this popsicle stand⌟.

arc 003 : 17, post coronation. living in paradise, but her heart lies elsewhere. an isle under constant cloud cover where people struggle to survive, but hey, it’s home. a home she shouldn’t miss but does nonetheless. perhaps the pressure to be perfect has just become too much, but finally the facade begins to crack and mal finds herself running back to the island prison. at least there she can rest assured that she’ll be accepted as she is. no more pretending. ⌜the girl from the isle⌟.

arc 004 : 17-18, post cotillion. how can she deny her heritage when everyone saw her turn into that dragon? no, there’s no more hiding who she is, not with her mother’s identity revealed to the world. it’s an adjustment to say the least, the whispers surrounding her about the mistress of all evil. but mal faces the future head on, even allowing her dragon birthmark to show. trust will need to be rebuilt after all the lies and secrets, not to mention regrets, but she’s ready for it all. ⌜proud of all the scars⌟.

arc 005 : 18+, post descendants 3. barriers have been broken, in quite the literal sense. second chances offered to villains, and the long overdue first chances are finally being granted to their children. building trust will be difficult, but not impossible. at least, one hopes it won’t be. only time can tell for sure, but this is a chapter mal looks forward to writing with friends and family, both old and new. together for the first time, and stronger than ever because of it. ⌜gonna break this down⌟.

au 001 : villains win au. a decree is made to give four children of the isle a chance, and with it a wicked plan put in place. a wand successfully stolen from the museum. villains freed to take revenge on those who had wronged them. heroes take what they can and run, hiding out for fear of being locked away on the isle of the lost if caught. the children of auradon are spared a life of imprisonment, though are left little more than scraps unless they manage to win favor with the villains and the vks. it is a new dark age for auradon, and one that has no end in sight. ⌜because I’m evil⌟.

au 002 : auradon raised au. a history rewritten, a kinder path given. taken from her parents at birth, mal is raised by her half sister makaria, goddess of blessed death. a deity tied to a dark subject, but with a much lighter hue to it than their shared father. a life without permission to use her magic leaves her feeling restrained, though she grows used to it in time. finds happiness in her life, friendship amongst her classmates. still, she clings to her sister's stories of their father, the closest she'll ever get to knowing the man she refuses to label a villain. ⌜my once upon a time⌟.

au 003 : isle queen au. despite a rescue attempt by her friends, it seemed mal had no intention of returning to auradon following her blonde breakdown. no, the isle had always been her home, and this time around she had no plans on leaving it. instead she took charge of protecting the children still trapped there, even apologizing to her cousin uma and making peace. old wounds take time to heal, but eventually trust is built, and the two are able to rule the isle side by side. ⌜right side of wrong⌟.

au 004 : twins au. reserved strictly for other mals. this is essentially just a way to be able to write with other mals, because i am 100% down with that. in this au my mal will be using the name malia. i’m keeping this one fairly open, as the details will likely be plotted out with each mal player before hand. i’m good with setting this anywhere within the descendants timeline, and open to having the twins know about each other growing up on the isle or not at all until they get to auradon. ⌜power of two⌟.

verse 002 : fandomless

arc 001 : crime runs deep in new york city, and the haidou family sits at the very center. daughter of divorced couple aiden haidou, the city’s biggest mob boss,  and maeve thorne, a corrupt political powerhouse, mal was raised solely by her father from the age of six. now  at an age where she’s aware of her father’s criminal dealings, he’s been extra careful not to involve her in that more sinister side of his business. instead, he has her focus her skills on his nightclub, the underworld. keeping everything stocked, booking bands (including her very own group, le petit mort), and just generally keeping the place up and running and as popular as ever. ⌜this city of ashes⌟.

verse 003 : stranger things

arc 001 : follows the season three finale. essentially mal is a being from the upside down (aka the nether, which is how she’ll be referring to  it). she escaped the upside down during the massive explosion in the russian lab at the end of season three, and she will do anything in her power to stay here as she’s terrified of her home. she's still acclimating, so there’s a lot about this world that she doesn’t quite understand yet, but she’s picking things up fairly quickly. she is an unwitting spy and puppet for the mind  flayer, as she has a mental link back to it that the creature can use to influence her choices and memories. again, she doesn’t know that this is happening and thinks her escape was merely lucky. when she was first found, she wasn’t exactly dressed but was instead covered up by those weird sort of vine like things found in the upside down (basically wearing plants instead of clothes). this was an early sign that she wasn’t of this world. in my mind i have her initially being found by steve, though this can obviously be altered if any steve players prefer not to roll with it. ⌜lurking in the shadows⌟.

verse 004 : tvdu

arc 001 : freshly freed from malivore, mal was tasked with finding and dragging landon back to the pit. a mission was quick to abandon in favor of her own goals of rescuing her godly family. a task easier said than done, but she enlists the help of those at the salvatore school, offering  up her knowledge on all things greek myth and services as a researcher in exchange. it’s a tough adjustment to modern living, given she was swallowed by malivore during the age of ancient greece, but she can’t deny she’s enjoying some of the technological advances the twenty-first century has to offer. ⌜back and I’m better⌟.

verse 005 : supernatural

arc 001 : daughter of hades, mal is classified as a demigoddess in her  own right. she travels the globe, doing her best to pass as human while concealing her godly powers where she can. although she’s had her fair share of run ins with hunters, her lack of any true wrongdoing aside from the occasional mundane crime (minimal theft, minor con work, etc), have caused most to leave her unharmed. those who have chosen to test her strength haven’t fared so well, though she’s made certain never to leave a trail of corpses if she can avoid it. death may be her legacy, but she was  born to watch over the dead, not add to her father’s subjects. ⌜down in flames⌟.

verse 006 : scooby doo

arc 001 : demigoddess daughter of hades, mal is a teacher at miss grimwood’s finishing school for ghouls (as seen in scooby doo & the ghoul school). her subject is music, a passion she inherited from her father. in terms of students, phantasma is easily her favorite, due to the ghost’s affinity for music, but tanis holds a very special place in her heart as well. ⌜ghoul kids rule⌟.

verse 007 : star wars

arc 001 : daughter of a prominent sith lord, mal has always been raised in the ways of the dark side. she’s string with the force, and her father saw to it that she was trained in the use of a lightsaber, as well as the simple blaster. her preference is always for the lightsaber. recent events in her life have left her questioning the dark side, causing her to run away from home to find her own truth without her parents’ influence claiming her judgment. ⌜black holes and revelations⌟.

verse : tba

arc/au : tba

verse : tba

arc/au : tba

verse : tba

arc/au : tba

verse : tba

arc/au : tba

[lightstar789]

ARC Review: The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

Thank you so much for providing me an ARC of this book, Netgalley and Penguin Readers Group!

(Quick disclaimer: as of the time of writing the book has already been released for about three days so hopefully the publishers aren't mad T - T)

Hello! This review will be a lot shorter than my usual ones because of finals. Obvious spoilers ahead, let's get into it!

RATING: 4/5

I've honestly never been one to be drawn to to occult-ish books, but I'm happy to report that this has made me change my mind. Going in, I expected this book to focus more on the mystery surrounding the witch-killer (whose identity was surprisingly predictable) but instead, I got treated to a wonderfully crafted story about female rage, empowerment, and the dangers of being a woman in today's society. Now, it's time to move onto the...

THE GOOD:

Themes: A lot of The Invocations is focused on female rage, empowerment, and the realities that women have to deal with on a daily basis. While it can seem a bit heavy-handed at times, the story normally does a good job exploring these themes. Emer has a strong distrust for men because of their cruelty to not only the demons, but also to the women in their lives, often having to reluctantly give out invocations to women who have no other choice, and whose husbands refuse to see reason. The occult gives women access to otherworldly power so they can finally feel safe from the horrors they face, and the fact that men try to take this away from them is portrayed just as reprehensibly.

The Characters:

Emer Byrne: Emer is a witch who works as a curse-writer for women in perilous situations, and was raised in a coven from a young age. Naturally, this has shaped her perspective of the world at-large. What I love about her character is just how protective she is of the people she is close to, and her clients. She relies mainly on her wits, and frequently works out to protect herself, in order to avoid searing invocations into her skin as much as possible. Having understood the immense bodily and mental sacrifice that a small bit of power costs, Emer usually tries to convince her clients of the simplest solution, and always does her best to make sure that they're safe. So when the notion of serial killer gets brought up, she goes absolutely apeshit and I loved seeing it! Also, I just loved seeing how she warmed up to the girls (especially Jude :) ) and how she began to treat them as family.

Jude Wolf: I love her so much it's not even funny. Witty, flirty, yet yearning for normalcy, she is responsible for a good 75% of humor in this book. She's the estranged daughter of a millionaire who aches for the lifestyle, luxury, and adoration that she once had, a refreshing change of pace from many characters who always want the opposite. While at first, this is the main thing that drives her to help Emer and Zara with the serial killer predicament, she grows to care for more than just herself.

Zara Jones: Zara was kind of a hit-or-miss character for me at times. However, I could fully relate to her bookwormish tendencies and her undying love for her sister. Being new to the occult, she comes in wanting to learn necromancy, so she can revive her sister from the dead, at any cost. This leads her to making less-than-rational decisions that annoyed me at times, but they were completely justified given what she had been through to get to this point. I especially loved the motto she always abided by, “I didn’t come so far to come so far.”

World-Building: As many may know by know, I am a HUGE sucker for good world-building and power systems, and this book never failed to deliver! Witches (which includes curse-writers and invocation holders) in the modern-day exist as a sort of secret-society, where curse-writers often advertise themselves in discreet ways for women looking for power, in the form of invocations. An invocation for a certain power must be then carefully written (in several languages, dead and current), so the demons in question know how to grant the power properly, and then finally, the soul is tethered to the demon. Women (and trans women) are the only ones allowed to use magic, and these invocations take the form of patches of skin that resemble tattoos.

Diversity: I love how diversity plays into the narrative and also into the character's narratives. Besides being a female-driven book, the first thing established about Jude is that she's a massive lesbian, and later on, Emer is revealed to have feelings for Jude as well (they also kiss at the end!!). Another thing that I thought was pretty neat was the incorporation of diversity into the magic system! Languages from several parts of the Earth are used to encrypt and write invocations, and I smiled when I saw Sanskrit and Tamil being mentioned as some of them. Another thing I loved was the casual inclusion of transgender people. During a scene where it gets revealed that only men can use magic, Zara asks whether or not trans women can use magic, to which Emer responds that it's the soul that matters, not the vessel, which made me smile.

THE BAD:

The Mystery: Okay, let's be honest. I saw the twist coming from a mile away. When Jude mentioned that she had four brothers, and Emer called the witch-hunters who murdered her coven "The Four Horsemen," I put two-and-two together. Another thing that irked me was just how slow the trio were in figuring out how the witch-killer was using powers, because think about it--why would a fellow witch be so obvious in pointing out the victim's involvement in the occult when they themselves should be in hiding as well? As soon as Zara mentioned that she mistakened Savannah's invocation as a tattoo, I realized that the witch-hunter probably pulled a Jigsaw and stitched it onto themselves, and that they were a man. I could've excused it if they told us prior to the trio finding the woman at the bottom of the lake, that men can't use magic, but this wasn't really mentioned until later, which made it seem so obvious.

Overall, this was a FABULOUS read to kick off 2024, and I highly recommend you read this book. I hope to read more Krystal Sutherland books because I love the way that she writes! Let me know what you guys think about this book and if you have any recommendations for me. See you!

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

My Child is Missing by Lisa Regan

Detective Josie Quinn #18

Dark, gritty, grim ~ Couldn't put it down!

What I liked: * Josie: homicide detective, married, had a difficult childhood discussed in previous books, happily married to Noah, competent, professional, good at her job, someone I would like to call friend * Noah: police lieutenant working with Josie and also her husband, loving, kind, supportive, bright, protective, patient, perfect for Josie * The plot, pacing, setting, police procedural aspects of the story, and writing * Wondering if Josie and Noah will start a family in the next book and if Josie goes on the retreat mentioned in this story she will find a way to lay some of her demons to rest * The red herrings, twists and turns the way Josie and her team finally found out where the Woodsman originated and who it was * The psychological elements from the death of friends and loved ones, dysfunctional families, and the Woodsman story on the community

* Wondering if some of the characters like Gretchen, Amber, and Luke will find partners in future books * Knowing that there will be another book in the series What I didn’t like: * Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about nature vs nurture and how it impacts the creation of good/evil people

* Knowing that the evil in this story is no doubt all too possible in real life

Did I Like this book? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB

The little girl’s bright blue eyes are wide with fear, her hair tousled, her tears making tracks in the dirt smudged across her cheek. Curled tight in a tiny ball, it’s as if she wants to hide away forever. “He took her!” she cries. “He took my sister!” When a desperate mother calls Denton Police Department to report her children missing, Detective Josie Quinn races to investigate. Sixteen-year-old Kayleigh and her little sister Savannah went for a walk in the woods but never came home. They are good girls and know not to go far, say their frantic parents. Kayleigh always looks after Savannah and brings her home safely. Until now… Even as she vows to bring the sisters home safely, Josie’s blood runs cold: because they are not the only missing children. Rumors are spreading about the legend of “The Woodsman”: when pairs of children go into the woods, The Woodsman takes one of them and only one comes out alive. With local teenagers daring each other to walk into the woods at night in pairs, Josie knows that nobody is safe from the hysteria sweeping Denton. Little Savannah Patchett is soon mercifully found alive, alone and terrified, but she tells Josie “The Woodsman has taken my sister”. All Josie’s leads seem to reach dead ends: her team traces Kayleigh’s scent to a dank, dark cabin in the woods, but the owner has an alibi and there is no evidence that Kayleigh has been inside. When Josie persuades Kayleigh’s classmates to talk, she learns that Kayleigh herself had a secret boyfriend whose identity is a mystery. Josie is desperate to track him down and to work out if he could hold the key to solving the case. Then Josie’s worst fears come true: another pair goes missing and one of them is found dead soon after. Another teenage girl, lying straight and still, a halo of blood surrounding her beautiful blonde hair. Josie knows that the legend of The Woodsman is nothing more than a story, but the truth is far more horrifying… With Kayleigh still out there somewhere and the TV news filled with stories of a serial killer at large, how far will Josie have to go to find the killer before more innocent lives are lost?

[nyaruelle-oc-archives]

"Through enchanted lands she roams with glee, Emera, the spirited elf, forever free."

Name: Emereuda 'Emera' Florenzia Emoji: 🪻 Age: 19 Birthday: 19th of EllarRon Pronouns: she/her Species: Wood Elf [Heuchera Obsidian] Profession: Wandering Traveler Orientation: Demi-Pan Residence: Brontdale City (birth place), Lightbarrow (current residence) MBTI: ENFP Role: Main Story (Deuteragonist) Status: Alive Goal: Wants to help Kain find his long lost parents while trying to find a way to stop the civil war Flaw: Can get too excitable to the point she unintentionally crosses boundaries and annoy others. Also has a habit of asking too many questions and people pleasing at the expense of herself Playlist: Gonna Be My Day · Vanessa Hudgens

History:

Emera, a former graduate student in botany who has now embraced the life of a wandering traveler, derives immense satisfaction from extending a helping hand to those in need. Previously residing in urban surroundings, she made a deliberate choice to relocate to lightbarrow forest upon completing her botany diploma, driven by her desire to make groundbreaking discoveries about plant life, even though her progress in this endeavor has been somewhat limited.

Her decision to move away was also influenced by her longing for independence, as her excessively affectionate parents had fostered a sense of insecurity within her. Nonetheless, she still maintains a degree of affection for them. In addition to her botanical pursuits, Emera possesses a deep fascination with history, particularly with regard to the Keyynore royal family and the pre-war state of old Lestania.

Following her move to Lightbarrow for research purposes, she would cross paths with Kaindephr, the lost prince of Lestania. Eventually, she successfully persuaded him to venture back into civilization in search of his missing parents, and she accompanied him on this transformative journey.

Relationships:

Kaindephr Keyynore [Travel Companion]

Kain is the travel companion of Emera, the two first encountered one another in Lightbarrow when Kain became ensnared in one of her animal traps, eventually leading to their partnership as travel companions. After discovering Kain's identity as the long-lost prince of Lestania, she persuades him to embark on a quest to reunite with his parents, accompanying him throughout the journey. Emera consistently provides Kain with unwavering encouragement and support, leaving no room for hesitation in her commitment to his cause.

Periphtheus [Travel Companion] Periphtheus is the travel companion of Emera. The two would meet along with Kain and Kareem after freeing her from her seal. A deity revered in Lestania, Emera is well-acquainted with the stories surrounding this goddess. Initially, she harbored great anticipation and eagerness to encounter Periphtheus in person, but with the passage of time, Emera would come to view her as an equal.

Kareem Farran [Travel Companion] Kareem is the travel companion of Emera. The two would meet along with Kain during the Eleysall Express arc. Kareem and Emera are both optimistic individuals, making them easy to get along with to one another. After Kareem and Kain began dating, Emera would show her utmost support for them.

Viper Venom [Travel Companion] Viper is the travel companion of Emera. The two would meet along with Kain, Kareem and Periphtheus during the Circus arc. Originally annoyed with Emera's sense of optimism, Viper would come off as blunt and reserved to Emera. However over time, the pair would get along on good terms.

Severnn Marshstar [Travel Companion] Severnn is the travel companion of Emera. The two would meet along with Kain, Kareem and Periphtheus while running from bounty hunters. Emera is fond of Severnn’s charismatic comments and finds herself being extra goofy when around him.

General Velkov [Enemy]

General Velkov secretly orchestrated the Lestanian Civil War, and initially, Emera was thrilled to witness the reunion between Kain and his long-lost grandfather, the former king. Her initial perception of him was one of admiration, shaped by the stories she had read about their family in history books during her childhood. Nevertheless, her viewpoint took a dramatic shift when she discovered his true identity. Learning that the person she had idolized was actually malevolent left her deeply disheartened.

Cecilia Lemay [Former-Classmate]

Cecilia is a former classmate of Emera's. The two are not particularly close but are acquainted with one another well enough to be on good terms. Cecilia would go on to work as a protege for Amaryllis in Bronzewick's botany research facility after graduation, earning her connections with other botanists that she's happy to acquaint Emera with.

Talon Harpwing [Ally]

Talon is the mastermind behind the Rogue Factions Resistance (RFR) Movement. Similar to Kain, Emera was originally skeptical due to his status as the leader of the Resistance. But overtime, she was able to come to trust him after realizing he has Lestania's best interests at heart.

~~~

Alignment: Ranger

Skill:

✦ [Telekinesis]

Ability all Elves have with the ability to cast magic through their minds

✦ [Cross-bow summoning]

Able to manifest a crossbow to use for self defense and retract into thin air when not in use

✦ [Chlorokinesis]

Able to control plants, however Emera's form of chlorokinesis is at a really basic level and not as powerful as other elves due to lack of training

Headcanon Voice: Haley Tju

~~~

Design Reference:

Design History:

[mindmeltonabunaosblog]

Alchemy of Souls Part 2: Theories & Analysis (Eps 23-24)

Hello Fellow Readers.

I will start this post again with the friendly reminder to not share any my theories/ideas anywhere online. Do not share the password to the blog with anyone.

Eps 23-24 was boorrrrrringgggggg. The plot basically went nowhere. This post will not be too long just because there was not much for me to really analyze. You are welcome to skip the first section of this post just because I am basically vetting in it! Let's hope things will pick up in this week's episodes. I will try to get the next post up by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, but it might turn out to be Thursday instead. I hope everyone will have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Stay safe and healthy!

Thinking caps on! Time to analyze and theorize!

Disclaimer: There are probably many grammatical mistakes in this post! Please do not hesitate to comment below or use the ask anything button if you have any questions or need further elaboration on something I had discussed in this post.

Rants and Thoughts

I will first start out by saying the romance in this story has become obnoxiously annoying. Shit is blowing up around Jang Uk and Jin Bu Yeon, but their only concern is wallowing in their grief or chasing after a man like a lost puppy respectively. It feels like we are reliving Part 1, but the only difference is that Jin Bu Yeon has complete amnesia instead of childhood amnesia. The Hong Sisters dumbed down characters even more and gave Jin Bu Yeon amnesia again just to make the love story of Jin Bu Yeon and Jang Uk seem more epic than it really is. In my opinion, I found the love story of Seo Yul and Jin Bu Yeon much more epic….childhood love that had to overcome many obstacles (i.e Jin Bu Yeon growing up to become an assassin, dying/switching bodies, falling in love with his best friend, dying again, etc) to finally be together. 

Overall, I did not find Jang Uk to be a well written character. Everything was basically handed to him and so there was not really a growth arc for his character. Compared to Jin Bu Yeon’s or Seo Yul’s life, Jang Uk had it easier. Despite his real parents not being around, he at least had the best adoptive parents in Daeho could offer, Park Jin and Kim Do Joon. Jang Uk was also surrounded by his two best friends. With Seo Yul, though he did not have his parents around, he was lucky enough to have Park Dang Gu and Jang Uk. Meanwhile, Jin Bu Yeon had no one to take care of her except for herself. When it came to love, Jang Uk did not really have to work for it, it just fell into his lap. And when there was a chance Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon would fall in love Seo Yul, Jang Uk resorted to keeping stuff from her or using her assassin identity as a reason why she should stay away from Seo Yul. I think I would have accepted the Jang Uk and Naksu /Jin Bu Yeon relationship if Jang Uk had not been so shady about things. For example, in Part 1, Jang Uk was aware since Ep 12 that Seo Yul knew “Mu Deok” was Naksu, yet he chose to keep this both from Seo Yul and Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon until Ep 19. If Jang Uk had told these two people before everything, I would have respected his character even more. It would have shown me that Jang Uk was able to get Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon on his own merits. The way I look at it is that if Jang Uk had told Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon, she may or may not have left him, but at least she would have been given truth and allowed to make her own decision. Furthermore, if Jang Uk told Seo Yul and Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon about stuff earlier, it could have added to his character’s growth arc. Part of growing up is having to sacrifice things and doing things we do not want to do. I am left to question just what exactly has Jang Uk sacrificed? I guess some could say he had to sacrifice his power to destroy the Ice Stone barrier, but even that was not a true sacrifice since he ended up getting his powers back. To me, the only two characters who made significant sacrifices were Jin Bu Yeon and Seo Yul. Jin Bu Yeon had to sacrifice her childhood and 10 years of her life while Seo Yul had to sacrifice his own happiness. So, tell me why this series had heavily focused on a character who did not really grow? I really do not get it. I found that Jin Bu Yeon’s and Seo Yul’s story and journey of growth was much more interesting merely for the fact, they actually grew and changed. With 6 episodes left, I highly doubt Jang Uk will grow as a person, but who knows maybe the Hong Sisters will surprise me.

When it comes to Jin Bu Yeon, I had such high hopes for her as a character since Part 1, but now I feel like she is a complete disappointment for me. Throughout Part 1, she was inches away from remembering she was Jin Bu Yeon when she was conveniently killed off for the umpteenth time. Now in Part 2, she has been reduced to a damsel in distress whose only concern is following Jang Uk like a lost puppy and trying to get him to love her. Is this what her character has been reduced to? A female who has lost her sense of independence. Jin Bu Yeon made Jang Uk her entire world and thought this may seem romantic to many, I find it quite pathetic. A word of advice… do not make a person your entire world because if things end, you will feel like you have no reason to go on or live. Instead, fill your world with your own hobbies, friends, family, dreams, career, etc. Be your own person. Be an individual. Have a full and well-rounded life. There is more to life than just love. It would seem that Jin Bu Yeon is not the least bit concerned about the ongoing drought, Jin Mu and Queen Seo’s plan to take the relics from Jinyowon, Seo Yul’s bloodworm, her family drama, JIn Cho Yeon not being able to marry the man she loves, or investigating the weird creatures that keep popping up, etc. She is too busy chasing after a man. It almost feels like the message being conveyed is that women cannot do anything on their own, they need a man for everything like helping them to remember things or providing them with their own self-worth. LIKE WHAT?! I found that I kept having to remind myself that AOS is written by females and not males. Then I see Tweets saying how it is better if Jin Bu Yeon does not regain her memories because she might run away so she should live happily as Jang Uk’s wife and lady of the Jang household. I guess this is the definition of “ignorance is bliss”. DA FUC IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?!!!!!! This kind of life may have been fine for Do Hwa, but it is not the life for Jin Bu Yeon. She is so much more than a docile housewife who waits dutifully on her husband hand and foot….SHE IS NEXT LEADER OF JINYOWON FOR GOD’S SAKE. She is not meant to live in someone’s shadow, she is meant to shine brightly on her own. 

At the rate we are going, I really do not know how the Hong Sisters will manage to wrap up all the loose plot ends. It would be a goddamn miracle if they did. Instead of trying to convince us of the main loveline, the Hong Sisters should have spent more time resolving all the other problems going on in Daeho, patching up the plot holes, and giving us the full story of what really happened in the past (200, 20, and 3 yrs ago). Someone on DC Gal said Part 1 was 70% Plot 30% Romance and Part 2 is 90% Romance 10% Plot. I could not agree more! I wish Part 2 focused more on the actual plot than loveline. At this point, I give zero fucks about the loveline. For all I care, Jang Uk and Jin Bu Yeon can run off into the sunset without a single care in the world…every other character has been picking up their slack and trying to prevent Daeho from being destroyed anyways. To watch this show and not be angry, you would have to throw logic out of the window a long time ago. 

Park Jin's Cooking Show

So, what was really in those rice cakes? Fish sauce or honey? It is both. All the boys received rice cakes which were filled with both fish sauce and honey. What this symbolizes is that life is filled with both sweet and bitter moments. Life is bittersweet and that is what makes it so beautiful.

Regardless of whether your destiny is predicted to be a sweet or bitter one, it should not prevent you from doing whatever. Take your chances and make your own destiny for life in general is very unpredictable!

During this scene, you can see Park Dang Gu's own personal growth. Part of being an adult is accepting the consequences of your actions whether they turn out to be good or bad. Even if the possibility of things turning out to be good are low, it should not prevent you from trying something.

Seo Yul’s Bloodworm

Sad boy #1 is on a mission to die. It is heartbreaking to watch Seo Yul become so suicidal after the events that happen three years ago. It feels like the only reason he came back to Songrim is to die. For Seo Yul, "home" was never Seoho Fortress. To him, home was always Songrim, a place where he grew up with his two best friends and had many fond memories. Seo Yul chose to not take the medications because he felt he needed to punish himself for failing to protect his best friend and first love. FREAKING NOBLE AF!!! Unlike like most, I really do not think Seo Yul will die in the end. Jin Bu Yeon will probably remove the bloodworm from him once she gets her powers back. Even if Seo Yul dies, I am sure he will be brought back to life and become stronger than previously. After all, the ongoing theme in AOS is coming back from the dead stronger than before (i.e Jang Uk and Jin Bu Yeon….Jin Bu Yeon should be the most powerful person now just because she has died like 4 times now?!).

Evil Duo 2.0: Jin Mu and Queen Seo

Queen Seo is a crazy ass bitch. I would even go as far to say she is even crazier and more extreme than Shaman Choi. If Master Lee is really Seo Gyeong, I can see where Queen Seo got her extreme trait from. Queen Seo’s main motivation to get the Ice Stone is not for power, but for beauty (i.e switch to a younger beautiful body). Like just how vain can she truly be????? Maybe her body targets are Jin Bu Yeon, Heo Yun Ok, or even Jin Cho Yeon since they are considered Daeho’s most beautiful. Anyways, the one thing Jin Mu is good at is preying on people’s insecurities and convincing them to do what he wants. What does Jin Mu want? Ice Stone and power. Queen Seo fell into Jin Mu’s trap while the Crown Prince knows better.

Evil Duo's Plan....Major Plot Hole?

While reviewing Eps 23-24, I noticed there might be a major plot when it comes to the Evil Duo's plan. In Ep 3, the Evil Duo's plan was to take Jinyowon to get the relics. Their ultimate goal was to use the relics in a rain ritual so they could get new Ice Stones from the sky. However, their plan was hampered when Jin Bu Yeon got married to Jang Uk who could protect Jinyowon.

Following this, their plan was to separate Jin Bu Yeon from Jang Uk by bringing back "Naksu". At the end of this meeting, Jin Mu made it seem that Jin Bu Yeon would be free to marry Uncle Seo after the Evil Duo had separated Jin Bu Yeon from Jang Uk.

In a later conversation in Ep 4, it was revealed they actually wanted to kill Jin Bu Yeon instead. The only reason I could think of as to why Jin Mu had said two different things is because in the earlier conversation, Uncle Seo was there. Therefore, Jin Mu did not want Uncle Seo to know they were actually planning to kill Jin Bu Yeon. The reason why they wanted to kill Jin Bu Yeon is because it would make Jang Uk and Jinyowon enemies. In turn, this would leave Jinyowon unprotected and theirs for the taking. A brief digression....I really do not like the message being conveyed here. It gives me the impression the Hong Sisters are saying women cannot protect their own treasures-a man is needed for that. Jesus Christ....such regressive thinking.

So, where exactly is the plot hole in this? It is in the Jinyowon relics part of their conversation. It is common knowledge that the rain ritual must be performed by a Jinyowon Priestess...so why would Jin Mu and Queen Seo want to kill a person who is needed to perform the rain ritual? How could Jin Mu and Queen Seo not be aware of this fact? Even in Ep. 21, Uncle Seo said the Unanimous Assembly was discussing how they would soon need a Jinyowon Priestess to perform a rain ritual in light of the ongoing drought. Jin Mu is part of the Unanimous Assembly so he would know this fact. Therefore, I do not get why Jin Mu thinks the key to the rain ritual is the relics and not a Jinyowon Priestess. Were the Evil Duo planning to get Jinywon and force Mama Jin or Jin Cho Yeon to perform the rain ritual? Or were they planning to perform it themselves? I am not sure how these two can perform the rain ritual because Jin Mu does not have any more powers and it seems neither does Queen Seo. Based on everything so far, it feels like the only people who can perform these rain rituals are divine Jinyowon Priestess. Keyword is "divine". Hopefully, the Hong Sisters will patch up this plot hole soon!

Cinnabar Phoenix Statue

Now let's talk more about the ongoing drought. It is highly important that we recognize we do not know WHO or WHAT is causing the drought. I had previously theorized I thought the drought was caused by the events three years ago (i.e Jang Uk resurrection with the Ice Stone in his chest and Jin Bu Yeon dying and being resurrected again). Now it seems the drought may be caused by someone placing these Cinnabar Phoenix statues into local wells. The likely suspects are the Evil Duo. However, we should also consider there is someone else who is causing the drought. For all we know, the Evil Duo are not the ones who are causing the drought, but are just the ones who are taking advantage of it.

It seems these statues can block the water. What is interesting about these statues is their color and shape. In one of my other previous posts, I had mentioned one of the hanja meanings for “Seol” as in Jin Seol Ran was “cinnabar”. For those who do not know, cinnabar (also known as “red cinnamon”) was a commonly used material by Chinese alchemists. Side note, you can make the connection between the cinnabar/red cinnamon and the cinnamon sachet the Crown Prince gave to Jin Bu Yeon in Part 1. Additionally, in the story of the Moon Rabbit, the rabbit was seen making the elixir of immorality under a cinnamon tree. Anyways, cinnabar is the solid form of mercury. It was highly sought after because it was believed to be an important ingredient for making the elixir of immorality.

With regards to its shape, I think it resembles a bird. Specifically it could be a phoenix which is an immortal mythological bird. In alchemy, phoenixes are representative of the Philosopher's Stone since the stone was red in color and underwent transmutation through fire. Overall, maybe what these statues do is that they are able to collect the energy of water. If this is indeed true then there is a high probability it is the Evil Duo who had planted these. Recall from earlier, I did say these two currently do not have any powers. Therefore, they could be planting these statues as a way to temporarily have powers.

Gwiseo

Given the Hong Sisters like to take inspirations from Korean mythology, I decided to research to see if Gwiseo was based on any creature from Korean mythology and found indeed it was! Gwiseo came from a Korean myth called “Rat Transformed Into a Man” or “쥐의 둔갑”. It is a shapeshifting story about a rat who transformed itself into the master of the house and was later killed. The story began with the rat eating the broken tip of his master’s fingernail or toenail and transforming into the master. The real master got expelled from the house while the fake one remained. While being expelled from his house, the master drifted around and eventually receive the advice he should bring a cat home in order to kill the rat who had impersonated him. The master did as he was told, and the rat was killed which allowed him to resume his position. 

There are some variations to this myth though. For example, sometimes the rat assumes his master’s position while his master is away. In other versions, the rat does not turn into the master, but a young groom or son. Sometimes the rat is seen as a divine creature such as in the shamanic myth, “Changsega”. In this story, the rat explained to Mireuk the origin of water and fire during the creation of the universe. 

While it may seem that Gwiseo’s sole purpose in the episode was to fool Queen Seo, I think it is also related to the whole Jang Uk seeing “Mu Deok” and kissing “Jin Bu Yeon” scene. Jang Uk thought the fake rat (Jin Bu Yeon) was the real rat (Mu Deok) in his drunken stupor and therefore kissed her. And yes people, you can mistakenly kiss people while you are drunk…I have done it plenty of times before. Shit happens. 

Moving on, I decided to look up what the hanja meanings for Gwiseo were and found several meanings such as soul/spirit of a person from the west, soul/spirit of a cunning person, return to one’s own home, return to the west, and to get married to the west. The funny thing about the Gwiseo is its name Gwi[seo]….SEO. Was this relic originally created by Seo Gyeong and this is why it is called Gwiseo? Maybe Seo Gyeong created this relic to essentially fake his own death 200 years ago. Or it could simply be that this relic was called Gwiseo because it fooled Queen Seo. FYI…in AOS, anyone with the same surname are related to one another. For example, anyone with a “Seo” surname are all related to each other. This is in contrast to the real world where those with the surname “Smith” can sometimes not be related. I hope you all have realized this a long time ago. 

Master Lee

Erase What Is Unnecessary

I wished we had more Master Lee and Master Heo Yeom moments! Hell, I wish we saw Master Lee more often in these past few episodes. Anyways, something to pay attention to is what he said to Master Heo Yeom. He said, “erased what was unnecessary” and ended his dialogue with a devilish smile. What did Master Lee mean by this? I thought he meant he erased the Cho Yeong memories. Recall that from my previous theories, I mentioned the memories Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon had in Part 1 were not her own (i.e Dad getting murdered), they were Cho Yeong’s memories. Meaning the Cho Yeong memories were the false memories. Though it has not been shown, I still believe it was Master Lee who erased and changed Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon’s memories after the initial switch when the girls were children. So, why would Master Lee erase the Cho Yeong memories from Jin Bu Yeon? It could be for a few reasons such as preventing Jin Bu Yeon from running wild again, allowing Jin Bu Yeon to finally coming into her full powers, and preventing Jin Mu from using Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon again. 

Witnesses To Jin Mu's Wrongdoings

Jin Bu Yeon is Master Lee's "Magnum Opus" or "Great Work". What do I mean by this? Jin Bu Yeon is Master Lee's greatest creation. He created someone who was not only a highly skilled fighter, but also a great priestess. Essentially, Master Lee had created someone who could not be killed. He created the perfect witness who could testify to all of Jin Mu's crimes and live to tell about it. Remember, Jin Bu Yeon was there when Jin Mu made her find the Ice Stone. She was also there when he made her clean up his soul shifting mess. And finally, Jin Bu Yeon was a witness to Jin Mu using the shaman bells to force her to kill Jang Uk.

In order to build an ironclad case against Jin Mu, Master Lee had been going around planting even more witnesses around Jin Mu. In Eps 3-4, Uncle Seo was seen in the meeting between Jin Mu and Queen Seo. During this meeting, Uncle Seo was a witness to the Evil Duo's plan of separating Jin Bu Yeon and Jang Uk from each other and their goal of stealing the relics to perform a rain ritual so they could get more Ice Stones. Some would ask why would Master Lee ask Uncle Seo to be a mole since it seems they do not know each other? Well, if Master Lee is really Seo Gyeong, then it would make sense he would ask another family member to help him with his grand plan.

Master Lee's other witness is the Crown Prince. Recall Master Lee has been forcing the Crown Prince to interact with Jang Uk. He is doing this to prove to the Crown Prince that Jang Uk is innocent in all of this. Through these meetings, the Crown Prince is beginning to see that the real bad guy in all of this is Jin Mu. The Crown Prince is also a witness to Jin Mu's plan to use Naksu as a way to bind Jang Uk. Jin Mu also disclosed to the Crown Prince that his one of his goals is to use Jang Uk to do their biddings.

Overall, Master Lee is like the Cullens from Twilight and gathering witnesses who can attest to Jin Mu's treachery so he can be finally punished once and for all! I am telling you guys, Master Lee is like the ultimate chess master!!! He is not about the short game, but the long game. He is always behind the scenes working to get people to do what he wants them to do without them knowing it. Man has like a plan A, B, C, D, E, etc.

Stuff I Am Too Lazy to Type More About

Turtle Symbolsim

Could be representative of growth..."coming out of one's shell"

Black Tortoise is one of the celestial animals in Chinese constellations. Alternative name for Black Tortoise is Black Warrior, Dark Warrior, and Mysterious Warrior. The cardinal direction of the Black Tortoise is North and its season is winter. Could represent Jang Uk.

Turtle shells were also used by Shamans for divination purposes...the Crown Prince did call Jin Bu Yeon Turtle Shaman. Jin Bu Yeon is a shaman through her father.

[autumn-sweet-fae]

Ok, but, there must be a point where people realise who Akari is, just before believing that Emmet and Akari's mother had met while young and yada yada.

So, her strength make now more sense, but also, what does the public think ? The researchers are still believed at this point ? What about her family ?

Also how does it happens ? Wasn't there a part where she's supposed to be recognised by Lucas ?

Oh, Ingo would be so supportive/protective if people begin to accuse her of "turning evil" while speaking of who she was supposed to be.

(This au is so cool, love it !!!)

(Thank you!)

I assure you they are both very protective of each other!

When exactly her identity is revealed is a big question. A lot of the later half is still very wobbly, but the Zoroarks evolution however would be a great dramatic moment! what with removing her mask and having those ghostly glowing eyes. The persons who she’s up against might finally recognize her then only to be attacked by malice. And that would not be a good look for her.

News would spread of her identity along with how she attacked people and surrounds herself with ghost pokemon. They would accuse her of joining the Villians she had once defeated, Team Galactic, and is now out of control.

Her poor mother is shocked to hear all of this, as are all her friends. Barry definitely kicks Emmet and Elesa into high gear for their search once he learns it’s Dawn.

Later, once they finally reunite, Barry would fill her in on all The drama that has been happening in media and online. This would all be news to her and Ingo sense they’ve been off the grid this whole time. Ingo laughed so hard went Emmet tells him how he’s apparently a father now. At this Akari would ask about her family and Barry would tell her about her mom and offer to call her even. She agrees and there would be a big emotional moment of her and her mom hearing each others voices for the first time in months.

Once they are all together and both of their identities are fully revealed to the amnesiacs, they now have to have the conversation on what to do next. Ingo and Akari are both resistant to going to the authorities and are clearly so worn down and tired. The other three want to help them but also don’t want to risk pushing them into a situation their uncomfortable with.

Celestic town is a possible destination, it being so remote and the village elder having already offered to help them before. This part of the plot isn’t solid yet though. If I do go with this then this will be when Rowen and Lucas make an appearance, along with Johanna, after getting a call form Barry.

The researcher would be on their last legs at this point, though they might have acquired some kind of upper hand, possibly having stolen Ingo’s arc phone.  there’s a lot of still need to be figured out but I’ll get there!

[silverynight]

Can you write a oneshot about the kamboko squad and their mission during the Entertainment District Arc? I could imagine the hashiras just keep on visiting Sumiko. (The poor ladies must be so confused on why Sumiko is so popular 😭.) If you want, you can also write about the boys putting on their make up before the mission. Either way I feel like the chaos would be great >:D (Sorry for my bad english!)

(This is not going to follow the main events of that arc, only Tanjirou posing as a courtesan for another mission)

***

If he's being honest, Tanjirou doesn't think too much about appearances, not even then as he's trying to pretend to be a girl. He just needs to find the demon who's been terrorizing the whole Red District and then go back to his friends.

"You're really pretty, Sumiko," one of the girls (her name is Kana, if he remembers correctly) comments carefully removing Tanjirou's makeup after he's been helping all of them carry heavy stuff around the house. She had said she wanted to pay her back by helping her with something. "You just don't know how to apply makeup. Don't worry, you have me now."

He thanks her sincerely, feeling grateful for the kindness the girl has showed him, but he doesn't even waste his time finding a mirror to look at the final result; he keeps moving around the house, helping all the girls while trying to get new information.

"You're so nice to us, Sumiko!" One of them almost sobs, wrapping herself around him. Tanjirou immediately feels bad again for hiding his true identity from all of them. They deserve so much better. "I really wish you find a nice, wealthy person so they can get you out of here!"

"But you know most of them wouldn't buy a scarred girl," says another, earning glares from the ones around.

"It's alright, really!" Tanjirou assures them with a huge grin. "It means I'll get to stay with you and help you as much as I can!"

Suddenly, he's surrounded by girls in an embrace that for a moment, makes him feel like he's back at home with his family again. He holds back a sob.

When he's back in his room he gets another letter from Zenitsu; despite him being usually talkative in most of them (he mentions Nezuko a lot, which Tanjirou is very much glad about) this just contains a couple of words, which surprises him.

All the hashira found out about your mission.

Tanjirou frowns, looking around to see if there's another page on the ground, another piece of parchment with more information.

He has no idea why Zenitsu thought that was something he should know.

***

Kana is aware the House she was sold into is popular, but she's never seen something like that before.

The first swordsman that arrives both scares the girls and attracts them at the same time; he's the most handsome man they have had in a while and of course everyone around wants to be the one to entertain him.

He's tall and even though he's completely covered from his neck to his feet in some sort of uniform, they all can see he's pure muscle underneath.

He's blond, but has red tips that make him look like a torch all the time. All about him screams fire.

Oh, they all like him.

The woman in charge looks at him with such a pleased expression as soon as she sees the money he's carrying.

"Let me show you the girls..."

Right then though, Sumiko walks out, carrying a huge chair over her shoulders; she leaves it near the entrance. Honestly, that girl is unbelievable strong.

Her dark red hair is a mess, her makeup is already falling off, but her cheeks are still pink because she's been doing nothing but heavy chores since she arrived.

The woman in charge is already pushing her away so the customer doesn't see her (because that woman believes the scar on her forehead is too ugly and therefore no one would ever want her).

"I want that one," the client says without hesitation.

"But she's–"

He purposely ignores her and takes Sumiko in his arms.

For a moment, Kana wonders if she's witnessing what some people call "love at first sight" because the man looks so in love already.

When he walks away with her, she thinks that maybe she'll never get to see Sumiko again and feels a little bit lonely because of it. The girls in the house have really grown fond of her rather quickly.

***

Sumiko returns and the beautiful people keep walking in the place asking about her.

A man with dark hair and deep blue eyes and a permanent neutral expression on his face arrives the next day. He's really handsome, but Kana notices he's less popular among the girls because of his somber demeanor.

"Leave him to me," one of Kana's friends winks. "I love quiet ones."

"I want to see Sumiko," he says, surprising everyone again.

Then, before he takes her, Kana swears she sees a fond smile quirking his lips up as Sumiko beams at him.

"Tomioka-san! Hi! Do you want a report?"

The last sentence doesn't make any sense so Kana convinces herself she just imagined it.

***

They have lost the ability to get surprised; as the third one walks in (a tall man with huge arms and a flamboyant personality) this time, they all know he has come to see Sumiko.

She's really popular now; Kana and her sisters (as she calls the other girls that work with her) have accepted it a while ago. However, they have never felt jealous of her; they really love her, the girl has charmed her way into their hearts with kindness.

"Look at you," the man grins at her; he's so tall he has to kneel in front of her. He's so clearly flirting with Sumiko, Kana has no idea how she isn't a flustered mess already. "So pretty. You look like my future wife."

Sumiko chuckles, like she's used to hearing things like that.

"You're so funny, Uzui-san."

***

It's not unusual to get female customers; many girls arrive at the House, looking for a pretty girl to have some fun with.

No, what surprises them is that the girl is really beautiful; she has long, pink hair and an innocent look on her face that tells Kana she doesn't get to visit that sort of places very often...

Perhaps it's her first time.

However, her shyness vanishes as she sees Sumiko, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her closer before kissing her on the cheek.

Kana gives the other girls a knowing look before they all leave Sumiko and the client alone.

***

Kana counts nine; they're nine loyal customers that only come to see Sumiko. They come really often and sometimes bring her gifts that Sumiko immediately shares with the other girls.

"I think it's more than... physical," Kana mumbles, saying out loud what everyone there has been thinking for a while now. "I think they're in love with you."

"Uh?" Sumiko blinks at her in confusion, after taking a sip of her tea. "What are you talking about?"

"The people that visit you," Kana insists, rolling her eyes. She's never met such an oblivious girl.

"They're just being nice."

Kana decides not to keep bothering her with that and instead asks about something that has been troubling her for a while.

"So... About the one with scars all over his chest," shs mumbles, remembering the first time she saw him; he's handsome, but he always looks like he's about to growl or bite someone. "The one with white messy hair. Is he... Has he been gentle with you?"

Sumiko blushes to the tip of her ears, quickly realizing what she's trying to say.

"It's not like that... Uhh, I m-mean, he's... not usually... He knows how to be kind," Sumiko stammers.

Kana nods, recalling the day; how she begged the master of the House not to let Sumiko go with him, but the woman just huffed that he had the money so they couldn't deny him.

She's glad he's not aggressive with her; part of her knows that he's also in love with Sumiko in his own way.

***

Shinobu can't help but smile fondly at Tanjirou as the boy puts back his haori. He seems happy to be wearing his uniform again, even though all the Pillars think he looked really pretty as Sumiko.

"I'm glad the demon won't hurt anymore people," Tanjirou grins, looking at Muichiro who swoons with delight at the attention. "Thanks for helping me fight him!"

"Anything for you, Tanjirou!"

Next to them, Tengen is already begging Mitsuri to give Tanjirou one of her skirts and assuring her he'll convince him to wear it in the hashira headquarters for their next meeting.

Shinobu rolls her eyes.

"Kocho-san, can I bring some of the girls to the butterfly estate so they can start working there?" Tanjirou asks, eyes opening wide. He looks adorable and he probably doesn't even know it. "Please, they don't like working in that House!"

Shinobu sighs, knowing that by "some" he means anyone who wants to come with him, which is probably all of them.

She doesn't even bother to ask her fellow hashira what they think, because judging by the ridiculous, fond looks on their faces they're ready to say yes to anything Tanjirou asks them.

"Fine. We'll get them out of there."

"Thank you!" Tanjirou beams and she can't help but smile in return as she ruffles his hair.

Kyojuro takes the opportunity to put him over his lap as Giyuu glares at the flame hashira, however, he takes Tanjirou's hand in his before kissing it gently.

They're hopeless; Shinobu has no idea how they didn't ruin the whole mission because none of them could stop paying visits to Sumiko. How did no one notice there was something weird going on there?

***

Patreon

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 310: A Tale of Two Kacchans

Previously on BnHA: Flashback!Deku was all, “hey, you know what sounds like a good decision? Abandoning my studies at the safest place in the country so that the bad guy who wants to find me and kill me has literally nothing standing in his way of doing that.” All Might was all, “I fucking knew you were going to say some bullshit like that so whatever, but I’M COMING WITH YOU and I’m also going to invite the Hawksquad to come with us, mostly so that I can steal Jeanist’s car.” Jeanist was all, “okay fine you can borrow my car, All Might, but only if you wear jeans.” All Might was all, “okay sure” and he wore jeans and also sunglasses and a leather jacket and it was pretty rad. Anyway so now they’re out there fighting crime and hunting down the LoV and stuff, and absolutely none of it is going to end well, I’m just letting you know now. But I guess we’ll let them enjoy it while it lasts.

Today on BnHA: Horikoshi is all “happy belated Kacchan’s Birthday makeste, here’s the flashback you really wanted at long last,” and proceeds to pull the old vestige flashback out of the kitchen drawer and upend its contents all over my Friday afternoon without the slightest bit of warning. OFA III is all “WHAT’S UP I’M JUST SOME GUY, HELLO,” and okay?? Hello yourself. OFA II, on the other hand, is all, “okay yeah I have different hair and stuff, but I’m like 98% sure I’m either Bakugou or his goddamn twin, I mean look at me.” Which, yeah. I looked, and he really is though you guys. Anyway though, so he and OFA II basically just showed up in the First (who goes by Yoichi now)’s prison cell one day all “HEY THERE, WE’RE HERE TO SAVE YOU, APPARENTLY, ALTHOUGH WE SEEM REAL CONFUSED ABOUT IT TBH BUT HEY.” And so they saved him, and Yoichi was all “hey nice to meet you do you want to join my super-exclusive Saving The World Club”, and so they did, and then the chapter ended lol. I would have said yes too.

oh my sweet lord?? I didn’t realize we were getting a color page this week, but LOOK AT THIS

this could have been a fucking volume cover. I’m almost mad that it wasn’t, lol but I mean fkldjslklk just look at it??! Horikoshi out here spoiling us and making sure we’re well fed since next week the manga is on break for Golden Week. well this will certainly help to tide me over. hot damn look at those colors

so now it’s raining on some dumb building in the middle of somewhere

is this where the Hawksquad has set up camp for the night? or are we actually cutting back to the League? that’d be unexpected (but not unwelcome)

ffff nevermind dammit it’s just more random citizens under attack

feels like this is the third or fourth scene we’ve had of civilians being Under Attack since this arc started. I mean no offense, but I think we get it by this point. it’s the end times, etc. etc. we’re well aware that things have gone to shit

so apparently these two guys are facing off against a girl with a mutant quirk. and she’s telling them that she’s not a monster and she was just scared, oh shit. I believe her btw, you can see it in her face

but these assholes don’t believe her at all and they’re pointing what looks to be some type of support item gun at her

you know what’s interesting, is that this kind of random quirk discrimination is the exact kind of thing PLF and the like were swearing up and down they’d put a stop to with their glorious revolution. it’s almost like those guys were completely full of shit. huh

so yeah, fortunately for this woman someone is stepping in and intervening before she can be blasted to bits by this trigger-happy asshole for absolutely no fucking reason

looks like a hero actually stepped in and saved her?? but no that can’t be, heroes are the ones that ruin everything and make everything worse, or so I understand. lol where did all of this sarcasm come from out of nowhere dlkdsjlk I’m sorry guys I just suddenly got swept up in the hypocrisy of certain people’s philosophies out of the blue idek

anyway so it is of course Deku saving her, and now he’s trying to talk thess jerks down all diplomatically instead of just kicking their asses, which is certainly a choice

MOTHERFUCKER I’M

fucking impossible to miss the real world parallels here. shit. this woman nearly died for her crime of Walking While Having A Mutant Quirk huh. and meanwhile Deku is just letting this guy scurry away and even letting him keep that fucking bazooka of his, like, ????

fucking hell she’s crying!!

lmao this chapter is actively trying to make me mad now huh. that’s some genuine righteous anger I’m feeling on behalf of this fictional ferret lady whom I only met two minutes ago. girl you are not the one who needs to explain herself here!! you didn’t do anything wrong holy fuck. everything about this situation sucks so much

fkKJKLMMMHFGH

“I’m sorry I made you upset, please enjoy this panel of tiny!floating!Deku hefting this lady’s massive beach umbrella up for her like the fucking gentleman he is” well okay then thank you sir

and JUST LIKE THAT the tension is broken and I’m entirely incapable of taking the rest of this conversation seriously because Deku’s trying to be all calming and authoritative, but now the illusion has been broken because I know he only comes up to like her knees

“well thanks again for saving me young man. I’ll leave you to it, I’m sure you’ve got more important things to do like protecting your Lucky Charms cereal from all those greedy children”

oh hey All Might

you wouldn’t have just let that guy with the bazooka just walk away to commit more attempted murders would you?? man

OH MY GOD DEKU IS IMMEDIATELY DITCHING HIM AGAIN

I ~CANNOT STAY HERE~ oh, well, sorry to keep you detained I know you’re busy

dfslkjlk oh my god

fucking told you Deku didn’t pack any food lol. it’s literally all notebooks in that bag you guys. he couldn’t just leave them all in his dorm room when he left, because what if someone tried to read them and came across one of the pages where he absentmindedly doodled Kacchan’s name surrounded by little tiny hearts oh gosh

AWWWWW

I needed this Horikoshi. thank you for this wholesome soul-cleansing interaction after all of that bullshit earlier

so now Deku’s climbing up this tall building to eat his lunchbox more dramatically. Tokoyami would be proud

and Banjou is saying that society right now is just like in The Good Old Days (read: bad old days) when quirk society was even more of a mess than it is now

which is exactly how AFO likes it, no doubt

so now Deku’s having a whole conversation with Banjou seemingly out loud lol, weird. and he’s basically saying that they don’t have any clues as to where TomurAFO and the League are hiding right now, and none of the Tartarus escapees they’ve found knew anything either

mmmmmfmhm, marge simpson noises

but you think you can?? you, alone, by yourself?? you think you stand a chance?? I just need you to think this all through a bit more kid

Deku it is NOT JUST YOUR RESPONSIBILITY ALONE, PLEASE REALIZE THIS ALREADY. YOU MAY BE THE CHOSEN ONE, BUT EVEN THE CHOSEN ONE NEEDS HIS FRIENDS BY HIS SIDE GODDAMMIT

and of course my pleading is all in vain, because he’s a fictional character who can’t fucking hear me, and also because I’m pretty sure there’s only one character who is going to actually be able to get him to hear reason here. I’ve been saying it, and I’ll keep saying it lol. so until then I guess I’ll just have to be patient

anyway so it appears we’re segueing into another flashback??? HORIKOSHI PLEASE GIVE ME SOME BAKUCRUMBS BEFORE THE TWO WEEK BREAK, I BEG YOU

dlKSDJLFKWJELKGHSLGKLEKJLFKHLGK

YES, THANK YOU, I KNOW WHERE THIS FUCKING IS LOL, IT’S NOT LIKE I’VE BEEN OBSESSED WITH FINDING OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE REST OF THIS SCENE OR ANYTHING LMAO. BUT ANYWAYS DON’T MIND ME, YOU WERE SAYING??

oh my god oh my god I’m not readyyyyy, but also FUCK YEAH I AM SO FUCKING READY LOL LET’S DO THIS

YOU GUYS

I’M ABOUT TO STEP IN THAT ROOM AND YEET ONE OF THOSE FUCKING CHAIRS AT YOU ALL

NOOOOO

I’M ABOUT TO GRAB BANJOU’S GOGGLES AND STRETCH THEM OUT AND SNAP THEM BACK SO THEY SMACK THE SHIT OUT OF HIS FOREHEAD!!! IT’S WHAT HE DESERVES!!! I’M ABOUT TO MOVE TO JAPAN AND GET A JOB WITH DOORDASH AND FIND OUT WHAT HORIKOSHI LIKES TO ORDER FOR LUNCH SO I CAN BE THE ONE TO DELIVER IT SO THAT WHEN HE OPENS THE DOOR I CAN FINALLY ASK HIM “HEY WHAT THE FUCK” IN PERSON

AHHH NO EVERYBODY SHHHHH STOP TALKING!!!!

SOMEONE PLEASE TELL THAT PERSON SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS IN THE BACKGROUND TO SHUT THE FUCK UP, OH WAIT, THAT’S ME

(」゜ロ゜)」 щ(゜ロ゜щ)

LOL THIS FUCKING ASSHOLE!!! LOOK AT YOU!!! YOU’RE NOT KIRISHIMA OR SHINSOU OR IIDA IN A WIG OR ANYBODY LOL. YOU’RE JUST A DUDE. BROOOOO ABOUT FUCKING TIME, WHAT’S GOOD

I CAN’T SCROLL DOWN AHHHH BUT I HAVE TO BUT IT’S TOO INTENSE AHHHHHHH

I CAN SEE THE TOP OF HIS SPIKY HEAD, IT’S FINALLY THAT TIME AHHHHHHHH OKAY I’M GONNA DO IT HERE GOES

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

IT’S HIM. IT FUCKING REALLY FUCKIGN IS HIM OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. WHY AM I SO SHOCKED LMAO I’M THE ONE WHO’S BEEN SAYING THIS THE WHOLE DAMN TIME LMAO. OH GOD. O H MY FUCKING GOD

well okay then sir. so are you an ~ancestor~ or a Kacchan from another timeline or so what’s your deal then

YOICHI WHO IS YOICHI

YOICHI ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT’S UP. LMAO WHO IS YOICHI

(ETA: I’m going to punch myself in the face lmao. he’s Yoichi. he, the First. that’s his name. name reveal at long last what what!!)

MORE IMPORTANTLY SHOULD I BE IMAGINING NOBU’S VOICE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE LMAO I AM ANYWAY BUT YEAH

(ETA: I actually think he’s going to end up being voiced by Nobuhiko whether he ends up being Kacchan or not, just because it fits right in with the general “identical in almost every way” aesthetic he’s got going on.)

TUMBLR HOW WE LIKING OUR ANGSTY ALTERNATE UNIVERSE KACCHAN?? EVERYONE HATED YOU SO MUCH BEFORE THEY EVEN MET YOU, BUT THEY FORGOT TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU MIGHT BE HOT LMAO WHAT A TWIST

“some bright-eyed brat” oh come on. IT’S GOTTA BE HIM LOL

oh my god you all are probably TIRED AS FUCK of all my screaming but I’M SORRY IMMA HAVE TO DO IT ONE LAST TIME BECAUSE...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

that face. that expression!! THE FACT THAT HE’S OUT HERE OPENING DOORS WITH HIS FEET, LIKE HOLY SHIT!! JUST ADMIT THE JIG IS UP ALREADY

and so they really are the ones who busted First out of his jail cell huh

so how did they know you were in the room?? why did they come and break you out?? and how, pray tell, did they know to get you to transfer OFA to them?? hmmmMMMMMMMM

oh MY GOD

you guys. oh my god. it’s too much. every last bit of it lines up exactly with the Bakuverse theory sdkjfj I’m short-circuiting. it’s really fucking happening oh my lord

HELLO SEXY ALTERNATE UNIVERSE KACCHAN WITH HIS SEXY FUCKING SCAR, FUCK YEAH WE REALLY ARE EATING GOOD THIS CHAPTER

HELL YEAH WE’RE GOING. WE’RE GOING FULL SPEED YOU GUYS. LMAO I’M SO FUCKING HYPED RIGHT NOW I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF WEFKJLDKFFFF

SO, EVERYONE, LET’S RECAP. -- ACTUALLY NO, I STARTED TO WRITE UP A LIST, BUT I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED IT REALLY JUST NEEDS TO GO IN ITS OWN THREAD. SO I MADE IT AND POSTED IT, AND NOW I’M FINISHING UP THIS HOT MESS OF A RECAP POST. SO NOW WE’RE BACK TO THIS ONE FINAL PANEL OF DEKU EATING HIS KATSU ALL SERIOUS

YES SIR. YES SIR, WE GOING, FULL SPEED AHEAD, WHATEVER, IDK WTF IS HAPPENING BUT YES!!

lol, anyways so as I said in my other post, mysterious sexy guys with tragic pasts are what bring us together as a fandom, so whatever your thoughts are on the rest of it, let’s just rejoice in that. it’s what we deserve

[septembercfawkes]

Writing the Influence Character

Much has been written about the protagonist, but few talk about what's called the "influence character." This is a character whose power comes from his or her influence/impact on the protagonist. This is often who the protagonist is in an important relationship with, in the B story, or perhaps, a lead role in the B story. It might be a love interest, mentor, friend, sibling, rival, ally, parent, classmate--almost anything. It's someone who has power based on impact. And typically the influence character and protagonist are linked together, usually by a similar goal.

Here are some examples.

In Moana, Moana is the protagonist, and Maui is the influence character. In The Hunger Games, Katniss is the protagonist, and Peeta is the influence character. In The Greatest Showman, P. T. Barnum is the protagonist, and Charity is the influence character. In Hamilton, Hamilton is the protagonist, and Eliza is the influence character. In Songbirds and Snakes, Coriolanus is the protagonist, and Sejanus is the influence character. In Legally Blonde, Elle is the protagonist, and Paulette is the influence character.

This doesn't mean the protagonist isn't influenced by other characters, of course, but these are the (or rather, "primary") influence characters--their relationship with the protagonist influences the outcome of the story in significant ways, and for at least part of the story (if not the whole thing), these two people are bound together on a similar course or by a similar end goal. This creates a "we" perspective within the audience. We are trying to do X. We are stuck in the same situation. We need to work together. We need each other.

But this relationship is about more than . . . well . . . just being in a relationship. The protagonist and influence character mirror and foil each other in key ways. Often by the time a writer finishes a professional-level story, he or she will have done this, even if he or she isn't aware of it.

Let's talk about the key components of this relationship (concepts courtesy of Dramatica).

Change vs. Steadfast

A character who "changes" (arcs drastically) will grow significantly--often doing a 180--by the end of the story. Most of us are familiar with this concept.

A character who holds "steadfast" will stay more or less the same--he or she may grow by degree, but not by a drastic 180.

A "changing" character often starts with a flaw, misbelief, or inaccurate worldview that he or she must overcome in order to succeed in the story.

A "steadfast" character will start with a strength or an accurate worldview that will then be tested through the story. The rising action and tension comes from the cost of the steadfast character trying to hold true to that. The steadfast character will likely still experience doubts, temptations, pain, and suffering--as the world, environment, and other characters challenge that view.

Think of the story of the Little Red Hen. The Little Red Hen understands that you must work for desired results. Others challenge this worldview, which means she has to ultimately work all alone. It still costs her effort and resolve to make the bread, which ultimately proves her worldview is correct while the others' are wrong.

For the steadfast character, he or she is proven true through the experiences of the story. The experiences must happen, in order to turn his or her faith/belief into knowledge/wisdom. It's one thing to believe something. It's another thing to have it tested and proven true.

In this sense, the steadfast character still grows, but it's by degree.

The steadfast character will often change others and the environment when he or she succeeds, more than herself (generally speaking). (In the future I want to do a post specifically about steadfast characters, but for now, this will suffice.)

If the protagonist is a character who "changes," the influence character will be a character who is "steadfast."

Katniss changes--her worldviews change through the story.

Peeta is steadfast--One of Peeta's main goals is that the Games won't change who he is, even if he dies. He wants to be steadfast. His feelings toward Katniss (shared in an interview), the fact he's from the same district, that at some point both Peeta and Katniss can be victors--all impact and influence Katniss's plotline. While he might seem to waver, ultimately, he stays true to his beliefs.

P.T. Barnum changes--he comes to realize he only needs to be accepted by his loved ones, not win over the world.

Charity is steadfast--she knows what matters from the beginning, and her relationship with Barnum helps him eventually come to his senses. Despite what Barnum costs her, she holds on to what she believes is true.

Hamilton changes--Hamilton does a complete 180 by the end of the story.

Eliza is steadfast--she starts loyal and true to Hamilton and supportive of his goals, and ends loyal, true to, and supportive of him and his work. She is largely an influence and impacts him.

- Remember, just because a character is steadfast doesn't mean she doesn't experience doubts, or even act on those doubts for a time. Steadfast characters may still struggle with their beliefs. - At first glance, you may want to put Burr as the influence character, but he doesn't actually influence or impact Hamilton until more than halfway through the story.

Coriolanus changes--he loses his innocence and his worldview shifts.

Sejanus is steadfast--despite even voicing his need to change, ultimately, Sejanus is steadfast in who he is, and his worldviews.

If the protagonist is steadfast, the influence character changes. Moana is steadfast--at first glance, it may seem Moana is a changing character (she's even referred to that way in other contexts, including a guest post on my blog, for simplicity sake), but ultimately, she grows by degree. She's always felt drawn to the water and something more--but it's the people in her environment, who try to convince her she's wrong. She may experience doubt, but ultimately, she believes there is something more out in the ocean and more for her, and that's what she acts on. Through difficulties, she proves to herself and others that she was right.

Maui changes--Maui does a 180 in the story. He believes his identity and self-worth are based on others loving him, but realizes it's within. Since he's the demigod who stole the heart, he impacts and influences Moana's journey. Elle is steadfast--Elle believes she has what it takes to go to law school. Again, this doesn't mean she doesn't grow at all, but by degree. It also doesn't mean she doesn't experience difficulties or moments of doubt, she does. Through the course of the story, her beliefs are tested and ultimately proven true. Paulette changes--Paulette doesn't feel capable of addressing the problems with men in her life. But by the end, she's able to get her dog from her ex and strike up a relationship with the delivery guy. She learns to believe in herself. Worth noting is that it's not technically necessary that the steadfastness in one leads to the change in the other, or that the change in one leads the other to remain steadfast. The point is one is steadfast and one is changing. According to Dramatica, the reason this is the case, is because it offers two different perspectives on the central idea (in a sense, the theme) of the story. A story needs both to help it feel "complete" or "whole."

Similar Paths/Goals, Different Approaches

Since the protagonist and influence character are somehow linked, they will be on the same course and/or have the same goal. What's often different is the way they address the path or goal. This may lead to arguments, a power struggle, or complications, which can be a great way to feed into the story's theme. Both Katniss and Peeta are doomed to compete in the Games as tributes of District 12, but they each have very different views about how to approach that. And frankly, they both want to make Katniss win. So Peeta says he has a crush at her, which makes her look desirable, but to Katniss, it makes her look weak. Peeta believes he needs to be with the Careers to accomplish the goal. Katniss believes she needs to work alone (primarily). P.T. and Charity both want love and acceptance. P.T. believes he does this by getting the world to love and accept him. Charity believes how to do this is to surround yourself with who you love most. Hamilton and Eliza have opposite views of what the Hamilton narrative should contain and look like. Ultimately, they both contribute to what it becomes. Coriolanus and Sejanus have different views of how they within their society and society itself should exist, in relation to the theme topic of control. Moana and Maui have different opinions on how to deal with Te Fiti. Elle and Paulette both want their dogs and love in their lives, but they naturally approach those things in different ways (which stems on whether or not they believe in themselves). 

One Influence at a Time

Sometimes the influence character may not always be available in the story, because of the plot. He or she may be absent--on a trip or maybe even dead. Or maybe the protagonist hasn't yet met him or her. But the role of influence still needs to be in the story. In cases like this, there will often be a secondary influence character. Before Moana meets Maui and after Maui leaves, Moana's grandmother acts as the influence--even if she's not the influence character. Maui's influence carries much more weight and is vital to the story. But her grandma lends impact when Maui is unavailable. Interestingly, Moana overall has the steadfast role with Maui, but in her moments of doubt and wavering, her grandma has the steadfast role by comparison, while Maui who usually wavers, is out of the picture. This creates a sort of influential triangle (which is also present in some of my other story examples). Likewise, in pretty much all the Hunger Games books, there are secondary influence characters. Peeta is the overall influence character in the first one--he carries the most impact on Katniss's plotline. But when Peeta is unavailable, Rue takes on the role of influence character. She's in a key relationship with Katniss that ultimately impacts Katniss's view of the Games and Panem. After Rue dies, Katniss soon reunites with Peeta. Similarly, both Lucy Gray and Sejanus influence Coriolanus. One could argue that Lucy Gray is in fact the influence character, but I've zeroed in on Sejanus because I see Lucy Gray as more part of Coriolanus's own journey and Sejanus as more of the relational plotline that adds dimension. But what's key to point out, is that only one of them plays that role with Coriolanus at a time. When Lucy Gray acts as an influence character, Sejanus is distant. When Sejanus acts as influence character, Lucy Gray is distant. Even when Collins set them all up in the same scene, she finds a way to remove one or the other. And in Mockingjay, Gale, Peeta, and Katniss are only really brought together when one of the influence characters, Peeta, has been hijacked, and no longer has the capacity to consistently act as the influence character. (Another influential triangle is made between Gale, Peeta, and Katniss, with Gale and Peeta being opposites and Katniss in the middle.) George Washington also acts as an influence character in Hamilton, but he's never in the same scene as Eliza. (Okay, they were once both present in a scene . . . in a song that got deleted). One could argue that Washington is the greater influence character, but I've chosen Eliza as the primary, based on story structure and story dimension. In either case, they are both steadfast and tag-team influencing Hamilton. Both Eliza and Washington are on the same page, which Hamilton is not on. Typically, there can only be one person taking on the role of influence character at a time--unless it's a group or whole societal entity. For example, say the relationship is between the protagonist and his soccer team--the soccer team as a whole could be the influence character. But in order for that to work, they must believe and act as a whole. If no influential characters are available, but are needed, the protagonist or someone present may recall what the influence character would think, say, or do in a given situation. Or there may be a letter, email, or notebook found of the influential character. In Deathly Hallows, Dumbledore is the primary influence character, even though he is not present. The trio often talk about what he would say and do, or what he means by certain things. Harry even carries around Dumbledore's biography. In a sense, he influences Harry greatly, even when he's totally absent. 

Overall, the influence character is often key, because he or she adds dimension to the story--fitting on a plotline that sits between the protagonist's greatest external journey and greatest internal journey. The audience isn't as close to the influence character as the protagonist, but not as opposed to them as the antagonist. The influence character isn't directly against the protagonist, but isn't directly in line with protagonist. They have similar paths, but different methods. This unique position can also add more meat to the theme.