#HECK IF HE WAS REAL I WOULD'VE BEEN SO WEIRDED OUT

[morimonchi]

I made a list of all Real and AI characters in Duel Links so far! (with some of my own theories too)

So, one day I decided to take the time to investigate/study the lore of Duel Links because the voices in my head won’t shut up, is not an easy task since not many people archived that much info of the events and lore of this game until recent years. So, with the help of talking with some people online, the insane and cool people of Tumblr obsessed with this game and its lore as much as I am, and me playing the game myself and seeing the event and making my own theories, I ended up with this list! Warning: is a very long wall of text.

(shoutout to @cyberdragoninfinity and @fortuneangel on Tumblr, they are very cool and obsessed with the Duel Links lore which is based and their posts helped me out a lot, I even copy-pasted from some of  Cyberdragoninfinity’s lore posts and Fortuneangel's own list because turns out they made a list of this stuff too, very good for me it made my job easier, although it would've been cool to find out about that earlier and not after I finished my initial list that took like 2-3 days to make lol)

Ever since the game first came out, the clues where always there that the Legendary Duelists and NPC duelists were all AI made by Seto "mentally unstable" Kaiba, which is kinda fucked up to begin with.

However, they are pretty bland and boring AI, since Kaiba probably only had second hand knowledge of some of the Duelist or he meet them but doesn't know them on a deeper level to make a good copy of them (heck some of them he didn't even meet at all). It’s all stuff Kaiba either heard about secondhand, or was physically present for to see in some way. He made the best approximation he could, on his own, but they’re just that: approximations.

however, starting from a certain event, things got weird: The Yami Bakura Event.

Easy best example is the first ever event character, Yami Bakura. A fascinating character in Duel Links lore, simply because he's the first Self Aware AI! So now, all character after the Yami Bakura Event aren't basic AI copies like the ones before, but instead AI SOUL copies (that's how I call them at least, but I'll be saying AI copies here for easier understanding/reading).

Meaning that they are copies made by the Kaiba's soul printer machine (insert crazy explanation of what the heck that is supposed to be) that uses the memories of the people connected to Duel Links in order create the DL world and the new AI copies in it.

suddenly characters felt way more alive and "real", even evolving pass their latest character developments from the manga/anime somehow? (and yes, the DM world is based heavily on the mangaverse! but somehow the characters have memories from the anime events).

However, not all characters moving forward are AI copies, some are the actual Real-Life characters, so I will only talk about the Real Life and AI characters that are self-aware to some degree, and some AI that I think might be unaware-

If I don't mention a character is because they’re probably 100% AI copy with zero awareness of what's going on in this Cosmic Horror Trading Card Mobile Game.

DM WORLD

All other DM characters before Yami Bakura are normal old AI copies, they were made by Kaiba himself so that's why they kinda bad, specially Yami Yugi being the first one to be made, making it the blandest AI of all and not like the real Yami Yugi at all.

So, starting from the original anomaly we have:

-Yami Bakura: the first self-aware character AI copy, 100% fully aware of it and even comments on it.

-Yami Marik: AI copy, iirc I think he’s fully aware of it too? He’s just here to have a good (violent) time.  (EDIT: Fortuneangel on Tumblr was informed he’s fully aware of it, so yea, he’s an AI 100% self-aware).

-Pegasus: AI copy of mangaverse!Pegasus specifically; not only is he fully aware of that, he’s also aware of the multiverse inhabiting DL AND the fact that he’s dead! Fun!!!

-Ishizu: she’s a weird case I just got reminded by the fact that she like. can tell something is Amiss and wonders why she’s still wearing the necklace. So, she’s like an AI clone of post Battle City Ishizu being kind of forced to play out the role of mid-canon BC Ishizu, and she’s not fully aware of the details. ok cool Kaiba!!!!!

Now funny thing with Pegasus, when the Thousand Illusion structured deck was released, you can actually go check it and the text in front of it says:

"I'd like you to meet my key monster! Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"

so yea for this one Structured deck I think Pegasus pretty much told Kaiba "stfu this are MY monsters and I WILL present them!" which is very cool and epic and go Pegasus slay.

DSOD WORLD

Now here is where we have the man himself, not the DM one, but the DSOD one:

-DSOD, Seto "In need of goddamn therapy" Kaiba: who is 100% the real Seto Kaiba, playtesting and all that stuff. He's here doing crazy people stuff and playing God. I’m pretty sure DM Kaiba was only an avatar unlike this one, who is the real deal.

-DSOD, Mokuma: is also real and helping his brother with his ego projects and digital world domination or whatever the heck Duel Links is supposed to be.

-DSOD, Yugi Muto: is probably the only real Yugi Muto in the game, and is very sad when he duels AI Yami Yugi and I want to hug my boy Yugi pls.

Ok then, unlike the clear as day old and new AI copies of DM world, I'm pretty sure all the members of the DSOD world are the real-life characters themselves who actually got into Duel Links somehow (this is based on Joey's unlock event and the dialogue where he says that some KaibaCorp employee put a VR device on his head, I wonder if that happened to everyone else in DSOD World?).

Well, everyone except maybe that ugly humpty dumpty looking ahh dude, Scud is probably AI. Reason being he freaking died in the movie and we never see him come back, so I just assume he stayed dead and this is some AI error or smth, the game does say something about an error in the system when you get the Scud unlock available.

GX WORLD

Ok so, at first, I didn't think any of the GX would be the real versions other than Jaden/Yubel, but after some research I found info that makes it seem likely that Dr. Crowler of all people might be at least 1 of the real ones, this is because in his event he says something along the lines of “…Unbelievable! There are so many Duel Academy students here! WHEN THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN CLASS! If they stop showing up to my class, Duel Academy will cut my salary...”.

There’s also another dialogue with Jaden where Dr. Crowler says he’s on vacation so, we can be sure that AT LEAST Dr. Crowler is a real person, and that he got into Duel Links on his own.

And again, I found this info of Dr. Crowler and I’m like “ok so is just this two people, Jaden/Yubel and Dr. Crowler, cool” but then I found new info and…

THE CHAZZ

Yeah, Manjoume Thunder of all people is ALSO probably the real deal, the one and only, The Chazz himself. And that is only because of the “friends” he brings with him, Ojamas Yellow, Green, and Black wouldn’t be there if Manjoume was an AI, and even if they were they wouldn’t Leak Yubel's Event like Yellow did. I didn’t know this info before so thanks @ask-maxie-boy on Tumblr, owner of the one and only @incorrectduellinksquotes.

Then the list we have is:

-Professor Crowler: the one and only character I can say for sure is (maybe) real, like 90% probability of being real. If not, then I was lied to, backstabbed and quite possibly, bamboozled.

-The Chazz: another one with hard evidence to be the real thing, proving his humanity thanks to Ojama Yellow. truly only the best for The Chazz.

-Jaden/Yubel: is probably real? like at least he's aware of the AI copies and stuff, he knows about AND can see the other 2 Jadens and the one Yubel in the game, it should be clear as day for him.

-Supreme King Jaden, Yubel and Satorius: These are AI copies for sure but I don't know if they are aware of it.

-Jim Cook: He’s suspicious of Duel Links during his Character Unlock Event iirc, not sure if he's the real one or an AI.

And everyone else in GX is a mystery! I can’t say for sure if they are AI or not and don’t have enough clues to make a strong argument for neither of the two options.

5D'S WORLD

-Team 5D’s: WELL OK I WOULDA SAID THEYRE AI BEFORE BUT THIS LAST CHARACTER EVENT (Z-one) MAY BE IMPLYING THEY (yusei, jack, crow, akiza, and the twins) ARE ALL THE REAL DEAL SO.  THAT’S AN INTERESTING TWIST IF SO!!! (Fortuneangel on Tumblr said calmly). Yeah, I agree with this information.

-Bruno/Antinomy: 10000000% AI copy, is actually fully aware he’s just some code on a hard drive and has commented on it!

Not sure if he knows he's dead but knowing Bruno, he probably knows that.

-Kiryu: OK, hear me out, this one? I'm not really sure if he's real to be honest, BUT, during Z-one's event he had such a cool interaction with Z-one that I think he's a "post-canon" version of Kiryu????

which is very freaking cool and not something that I could say is AI. But again, is my personal theory that this Kiryu is THE real Kiryu, however, I could be wrong.

-Paradox: aware of his own dead, Pegasus dead, the Illiaster's deaths, the multiverse and that he is probably an AI copy (thanks for that Pegasus, very cool).

-Z-one: Aware of being dead and all that, not sure if he knows he's an AI? probably knows, if anything Bruno might've told him

-Aporia: indeed, all Illiaster are self-aware of being dead, yippieeee!!!

-Primo: AI copy 100% for sure like no doubt and probably unaware of it, a sad creature (also, during Z-one's event, he had a realistic depiction of a panic attack).

For the rest of the 5D's cast, I have no idea but I think they are AI? say some of them like the Dark Signers are definitely AI, no doubt, but I’m not sure about the others.

But then we have someone like Tetsu Trudge… Who I have no fucking idea what's the deal with him. Is he a copy of first season Trudge, the one with no character development? or is he the real one? He can’t be the real one, he’s a mean dude again! I really have no idea about him and it annoys me. I’m going to say he’s AI.

ZEXAL WORLD

Ok so, I have no idea what's going on with Zexal, I think almost everyone is AI? but like, I'm not sure? You see, events in GX and 5Ds are just repetitions of sorts, and everyone seems aware of it and having Deja Vus, that’s why I believe that al least some people in GX and 5D’s are real. On the other hand, we have Zexal which is also repeating itself, but no one is going "Hey didn't this happen already?", which is very odd and makes me believe they are all AI in there, and both Arc-V and Vrains are continuations of the original stories.

 however, we do have one group of people in Zexal that might be relevant:

-The Arclight Family (III, IV and V): probably the only real persons in Zexal, or at least, the only ones we know might/could be real.

during III's event, III decides to study duel links and find out what it is, why events are happening again, what the heck is a KaibaCorp, etc.

also has the theory that Duel Links is a Chronomaly of some kind, because you know, is III of course it's a Chronomaly he thinks about, but he’s theory has some merit I’ll give him that.

Now V... I forgot V's event, sorry, but he's aware too.

IV on the other hand, is also aware, but not because he figured it out or something, III pretty much just told him lol. Doesn't seem to care too much he's just vibing in DL. Of course, he's helping his brother when needed, but he seems chill about it.

ARC-V WORLD

I have no idea who is real or not. We know the events in Arc-V World are a continuation of the end of the anime, so that’s at least a good sign but…

Declan and Shay, Yuya, Sora the bracelet girls, all seem to be aware that something isn’t right here, but to say they are fully aware of what's going on I can't say. So even with the self-awareness, they are most likely AI, all of them.

They at least know the whole "Memories brings people" and are investigating what's going on with that which is cool.

I can say Yuto is most likely AI, same goes for Yugo and Serena. But they don't seem aware of it and think they separated from Yuya/Yuzu somehow instead.

The only one I trust might be able to figure something is Reiji, because is Akaba fucking Reiji.

VRAINS WORLD

FINALLY, A WORLD WERE NOBODY IS AN AI COPY (I mean, there's Ai, who is obviously and AI but like, you get what I mean lol)

So yeah, Vrains World is pretty much just a sequel to the anime so everyone here is not only the real ones, but also the only characters that are aware that the other worlds exist (aside from like, Yugi, Jaden and Yusei because you know, Paradox’s Event and Bonds Beyond Time, but they only know each other’s worlds/eras so they don’t really count).

 This is because in the Ghost Gal event they reach the limits of Duel Links and get to see the other Worlds (DM, GX, 5D’s, Zexal, Arc-V and even Sevens!)

So yea the VRAINS cast in DL effectively becoming horror movie protagonists wasn't on my bingo board but I'm totally in for this.

All of this happening in a free trading card mobile game… thanks Konami you epic.

SEVENS WORLD

Yeah no, they’re all AI SOUL copies let's be real here, maybe Yuga in a future event will do the classic Yuga thing and be like "Oh, I already knew we are AI and that this world is a fake recreation of ours, is the first thing I checked when I got here" or something. And I have hopes in Nail to be cool and epic and figure out the situation but for now the Sevens group knows nothing (except maybe Yuga, because is Yuga).

Now that’s all the characters we have available for now, once we get some new events and relevant information and lore, I will update this list to see if we can add someone else new or an older character that we didn’t know was aware this whole time! This was a fun thing to write, I hope I managed to explain it all correctly and that is easy to understand, if anyone has some information that they would like to share feel free to ask! Again, I want to say thank you to @Cyberdragoninfinity and @Fortuneangel from Tumblr for being so cool and having so much info on Duel Links lore available and for sharing with everyone, now I’ll see you all next time Konami decides to hit us with a sledgehammer of info out of nowhere in a Tag Duel Tournament or something, byeeeeeee!!!

[johaerys-writes]

i think shampoo bottles by peach pit is another very fun bbb song :3c

Omfggggg if you were after breaking my heart today you've totally done it 😭🫠

I've been leaving your shampoo bottles

Over in the corner there

Sitting empty on the bathtub rail

Wishing they could wash your hair

I've run out of my speed stick, honey

So I have been using yours

It's fricking trash, all that organic hoo-hah

From one of your health food stores

It is seemingly worsened everyday

All this shit of yours around my house

If I could've had it any other way

Then by now I would've chucked it out

But it seems to wanna stick around

I've been leaving you in radio silence

Though I'd love to catch a pass

Waited long enough that I could never call you

Baby, how fucked is that?

And it's all just so forgettable

Till I'm sitting with your stuff alone

Man, why can't I just let it go?

It's THEM for real 😭😭😭 I am 1000000% certain Achilles left all his fancy shampoos and organic face creams and expensive gadgets at Patroclus' flat after the BreakUpTM and Pat just can't find it in his heart to throw them away. Just living day after day amidst this weird collection of Achilles' things and the framed photos of them together from trips or birthdays or graduations on his shelves and other memorabilia, and wondering why the heck he can never move on with his life (he is doing very well, he is completely FINE, thank you very much for asking)

[yakuzacanons]

Hope you’re well and that I’m not bothering you, is it okay if I request a sort of headcanony thing about Zhao where his S/O is Majima’s (adoptive?) daughter? Like if Majima was kinda overprotective, how’d he react when he finds out? Idk if this is weird or not thank you <3

SKSKSK this is so funny to me??? I've never done anything like this before so hopefully it's up to snuff n all that. Headcanons below. Last one for today, big sick rn.

First of all, Zhao just didn't know. Had he known, he would've been like "Listen, I'm pretty sure I got into a fistfight with your dad". In his defense, she wouldn't be surprised hearing that. Majima kind of gets into fights with LOTS of people.

Zhao isn't exactly scared of Majima but once he finds out his girlfriend's dad is Majima, he's like "...Okay, what now?" I mean, of course he knows he'll meet the guy eventually but what the heck are they going to say to each other?

On the flip side, Majima always knew his daughter would at some point grow up and probably eventually find a partner and even get married one day. He doesn't have a fatherly instinct in the same way that Kiryu does with Haruka but he does have that same protectiveness.

Majima would never demand that his daughter do or not do something, but he's seen her get heartbroken a couple of times before and it was only at the behest of his daughter that those guys weren't walking around missing an eye themselves right now. Of course, his daughter hasn't told Zhao about that yet...

In the end, they decide to invite Majima over for dinner at Zhao's place. They figured since Zhao's such a great cook and Majima is easily pliable with food, it's the best scenario. Plus, it's a private setting so they don't have to worry about being in public with Majima because... well, he's HIM.

Majima jokingly complains the whole way there, saying things like "Whaddya mean this guy's gonna cook dinner? If he's tryna impress me, it ain't gonna work!" Secretly, he's thinking it must be pretty serious if he's about to meet his daughter's boyfriend at the guy's house. And he's going to cook food too? He must be serious about his daughter then too...

Zhao doesn't come out to greet them as he's busy holding a giant ass wok in the kitchen. From the smell, Majima seems temporarily pleased but he's a little snippy about the fact Zhao didn't even come out to say hi. His daughter also goes to the kitchen to help Zhao plate the food. Meanwhile, Majima sits down grumbling to himself about manners and how the dinner better be damn good.

Once Zhao finally steps out of the kitchen and the two make eye contact, Majima literally just lets out a loud "ACK" and recognizes him immediately. Zhao just kind of waves hello casually. Majima just kind of sits there shocked for a little bit while his daughter fills up a plate for him and Zhao pours them all some tea.

Majima finally snaps out of it and starts making all kinds of noise about how come no one told him when his daughter said she was dating a guy named Zhao that it just so happened to be the same Zhao that he got into a fight with before the Omi dissolved. His daughter hands him his plate and in his noisy panic, he quickly snatches the plate out of her hands and haphazardly shovels some food into his mouth, still talking and yammering away.

He instantly realizes it was a mistake to doubt Zhao's cooking because the food immediately makes him shut up. His frenzy is placated with each bite and eventually he just kind of looks at Zhao and nods. In hindsight, despite having gotten into a fight with Zhao at one point, the guy always seemed pretty chill. Plus, he did help with dissolving the Omi... also, his clothes are kind of cool?

All in all, the night ends up going pretty well. Majima enjoys the food but to his surprise, and kind of to his daughter's surprise too, he enjoys the conversations with Zhao more. Seeing how genuinely happy his daughter was all the proof he needed though: this guy might be the real deal. Provided he doesn't get into a fist fight with him ever again.

[jingleshoes]

~~Blinked Out~~

Chapter two

SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO HASNT FINISHED TMA OR SEASON 1 OF TMP

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

Alice and Sam had had picked up Jon , Alice holding him by the arms and Sam picking up his legs so they could lock him in a closet, a place full of boxes and boxes of old filed away cases and Manilla folders "c'mon Sam stop dropping his legs-"Alice said as she tried to hike Jon up and get a better hold on him "he is much heavier then he looks! I am doing my best!" Sam snapped back, earning an eye roll from Alice, understandably so, as she was carrying the heavier side of Jon "Why on earth are we even putting him in a old closet?" Sam asked as he finally got a good hold on Jon's legs

"Because Sam we don't know who or what he is- he says he's a man who has apparently been dead for years, and if we leave him just around he will get kicked out and I'm pretty sure whatever- weird- monster thing he is shouldn't be around big cell towers so- ZIP!" Alice whisper yelled to Sam in her frustration and struggled to open the door to the closet but once it was open they tossed Jon into the closet.

once thrown into the closet Jon hit a shelf and a few files fell on him , the combination of both things, along with the sound of the door slamming shut, woke Jon up immediately, and upon seeing this through the window of the door Alice used a nearby chair to lock it shut "wait!- damn it-"Jon said and Sam looked through the window "where am i?- I- I should be dead- where's...where's martin?" He asked himself as he sat up and looked at the files that had fallen on him and then around...maybe he will show up? yeah...maybe...Jon sat back and looked at the case files, beginning to read them aloud to himself, "Alice- are you sure locking a man in a closet is the smartest thing? I mean- what if this is some- misunderstanding? maybe he's fine? "he has Chester's voice. he isn't real Sam! He is something that computer of yours spat out because of that weird obsession with the magnus institute you have!"

"Just because he came out of my computer doesn't mean he's my fault Alice! if I took a break maybe you would've-"

"SHHH- shut up- what...what is he doing..?" Alice asked, putting her hand up to Sams mouth she stared through the window at Jon who was totally enthralled in one of the cases, his eyes where a bright green, and around him looked like other eyes surrounding his head, staring intently at the pages in Jons hands,

"...i... Reading?" Sam said , his eyes wide as he stared into the window "oh yes. reading with about 6 extra eyes floating above his head. very normal Sam! heck i did that just yesterday!-"

"alright ! I'm sorry I'm just a bit -shaken alright!" Sam said as he looked to Alice and she sighed as she covered her face a moment, hen stared into the window "i know- you are alright? i just...Jesus Christ...he seems pretty sucked in...and if we don't get our work done Lena is gonna get up here so....lets get to work and figure out what to do with him when we are done...i mean- he was falling all over himself there's no way hes getting out of here." "are you being serious Alice?! you want to just go back to work like nothing happened? " Sam said in a slight frustration "yes Sam! there isn't much else we can do right now . so lets get back to work alright?'

"...fine... alright ...hey uh...where did Celia go? i haven't seen her since uhm- well i just thought she'd stick around for the computer man thing..."Sam said as he and Alice began to walk away through there was no way he would be able to take his mind off the man claiming to be Jonathan Sims

"oh i don't know- she probably went home...maybe we should check on her- not everyone is as calm cool and collected as us after all."

"didn't you fall out of your chair?" Sam asked with a small laugh

"that's besides the point!" Alice said with her arms crossed as she went back to her desk and roller chair "she did seem pretty freaked out - more then us i mean- i mean i practically pissed myself and - i know you'll need a fresh pair of pants after how you freaked- but I'm pretty sure she straight up ran after that guy said his name was 'Jonathan Sims'" Alice said as she sat down at her desk and looked to her computer "yeah..."Sam agreed and sat down at his desk as well, looking at his computer which was once again up and running like nothing had happened "well...my computers on again...wonder if it will still talk..."he said as he rolled himself close and pressed the space bar...but nothing happened... "ah..."Sam said with a hint of intrigue and sighed as he just went back to work After roughly twenty minutes of Alice and Sam working Gwen came in and sat down at her desk, looking tired and shaken but better then usual. she leaned back in her chair for a split second before sitting up straight and turning on her computer "hey Gwen, its not like you to be late is it? what's the occasion ?"Alice asked with a smirk but only received a groan from Gwen "right...of course" Alice answered herself with an exasperated tone and an eyeroll before looking back to her computer

"i didn't know my attendance was so much more interesting then getting your work done Alice." Gwen muttered to herself, irritated as she often appeared to be.

"well when you get on me for being a few minutes late i just find it interesting that you missed nearly an hour of work, that's all." Alice answered , Gwen didn't answer, maybe she didn't feel it was worth her time, after all she is behind on her cases While the three of them worked, Jon sat in his closet, feeling better after reading a case ...it was different for sure but at least he felt better, he got up off the floor, able to barley even stretch his arms out in the cramped space, shelved and shelves of boxes upon boxes full of old case files , with one question in his head "what happened?..' the apocalypse seemed to be over... but as he thought about that he felt as though this thought entered his mind "I'm not in my own reality anymore..." and with that realization he looked to the door and jiggle the handle as he tried to escape, he had to get out of here, no wonder he felt so weird, so out of place, so...lost, its because he isn't meant to be here.

Eventually Jon stopped, realizing that he cant be left in here forever, Alice and Sam had to come to release him, it was a waste of energy to get out sooner, besides, this might be the nicer kidnapping he's experienced, at least this time he didn't feel like his life was being threatened.

once work was over, Alice and Sam stayed behind as everyone left, knowing they would have to handle the random man in the closet claiming to be the late Jonathan Sims.

the two approached the door and slowly removed the chair , Sam opened the door and looked in at Jon who was leaning against the wall , having nothing on him besides a tape recorder in his pocket, which he had come in with, he did feel a sense of relief knowing it would no longer turn on by itself, at least it shouldn't unless the web also exists here, Jon looked up at Alice and Sam

Alice spoke first "...so...'Jonathan Sims', if that is your real name-'

"it is ."Jon answered, looking between Sam and Alice, who seemed put off by being interrupted

"Look Mr. Sims...we should get you out of here...we have a lot of questions for you and- it isn't safe here-"Sam said and Alice looked at him as though infuriated "excuse us-"Alice said with a smile at Jon before turning Sam around to speak with him "Are you mad?! we are NOT taking him home he isn't a stay cat on the street Sam! he is a weird man that crawled out of your computer! he cant be trusted!- " She whisper yelled at him and Sam quickly cut in "Yes ! he did and yes i know but if he stays here he will be found and we wont get any answers! do you really not want to know anything of why this happened!? "

'....fine! but he's going with you. i don't need him kicking around my house if you die that's on you ." Alice said with her arms crossed and Sam nodded. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

chapter two! sorry for the delay- i was really stressed working on a show for my schools theatre but this has been a fun way to take a break i jut didn't have the time unfortunately- thank you so much for reading

[0perfectimperfections0]

The Grass on the Other Side: Part 1

Lou couldn't keep the grimace off his face as they walked down the streets, not that he really tried. This whole town was like a different world. Entirely opposite from Perfection. The sidewalks contorted weirdly to shape around the curved buildings. Everything looked like a child had gorged a bunch of fruity pebbles and then proceeded to vomit all over the town. Their sun was a...ball of yarn? How in the world did that work? Lou looked over in the distance where the carboard cliffs were. Surely the pipes were just a straightforward way of getting between here and Perfection. If one was to climb over the cliff, they'd see Perfection from the other side. Well, no, that didn't make sense either. The sun in Perfection didn't look like that. It looked like a real sun. And with how loud and busy this town was, surely he'd be able to hear them from the other side of the cliff. Stranger still, this place was filled with hideous dolls. Lou's eyes landed on the little red bat walking in front of him, his wings flapped a little as he hopped with each step. Okay, so they weren't the most hideous things in the world. Lou had to admit that the little bat thing was kind of cute. A lot of them, though, made him uncomfortable. The ones with three eyes were unsightly. Some of them had really sharp looking teeth. There were several with three, weird appendages sticking from their heads. It also didn't help that they were all staring at him with mixed expressions as him and Luckybat walked by. They were more curious than anything. Lou looked back down at Lucky, picking up his pace a little to speak quietly to the red thing as they walked. "How much further until we get where we're going?"

Lucky smiled up at him toothily. That was another thing, all the dolls here seemed to have smiles permanently stitched on their faces. "Just up ahead!"

With how weird and out-of-place the houses were, Lou was surprised Lucky could even remember which one belonged to who. Lou suddenly yelped when a long, purple appendage blocked his path. He halted, one leg drawing up and arms tucked close to his chest. He followed the appendage up to a giant...what the heck was that thing? Lucky turned, noticing that the stranger wasn't following anymore. He smiled when he saw the giant octopus before him, and couldn't help but be slightly amused at the horrified look on the stranger's face. "Oh, hey, Lefty!"

Lou looked between Lucky and...Lefty, a mix of fear and confusion on his face. "Lefty? What kind of name is that?"

"We do a lot of literal naming around here."

Somehow that made no sense. The--Lefty...moved the tentacle blocking his path and dangled it in front of him for a shake of some sort. Lou gingerly took the end of it between his pointer and thumb, half-heartedly shaking it with a nervous smile. "Hello..."

Lefty smiled, poking his side curiously. "Who's this?"

Lou startled, side-stepping her prodding while Lucky answered. "He's a new arrival! This is-" Lucky paused, realizing he'd never gotten a name from the stranger. "What's your name?"

"Louis." Lou answered shortly, eyeing Lefty up and down cautiously.

Lucky looked back up at Lefty with a smile, as if she hadn't heard Lou's response already. "His name is Louis."

Lefty hums, a soft smile on her face. It would've been less off-putting if she didn't have three eyes. All of which were staring down at him. "Nice to meet you, Louis. Welcome to our town."

"Right," Lou drawled out, side-stepping a few more times until he was behind Luckybat. "Well, thank you, but I think we have to keep going."

Lefty waves them goodbye and Lucky returns the gesture before leading Lou back down the winding streets. Lou looks over his shoulder as Lefty slides back into the ocean. How in the world did they have an ocean? When did the factory flood? Was this place even part of the factory?

He pushes aside all the questions he knows he won't get an answer to and looks to the side at Lucky. "So, why is her name Lefty?"

"She's left handed."

Lou's expression goes flat at the answer and he doesn't bother trying to debate it. Lucky stops at a yellow and orange patchwork house. It doesn't look like it should be physically able of keeping itself standing. The bat knocks on the door, giving Lou an excited side-glance as they wait for the door to open.

It's not long before it swings wide and a short, pink doll is beaming at Lucky. It takes her no time at all to recognize her friend. "Hey, Lucky!" Her eyes quickly dart over to Lou and her expression turns to curiosity. "Who are you?"

Lou is about to answer, but Lucky beats him to it. "His name is Louis," Lucky just looks proud to finally know the doll's name, "and he's new to Uglyville." Lucky turns to Lou, gesturing a wing toward the pink doll. "This is Moxy."

Moxy's face falls as she ponders. "There wasn't an announcement for a new doll."

"He fell out of the flower, though." Lucky shrugs.

"Which I need back into, by the way," Lou chimes in, arms crossed over his chest. "I got here by accident."

Moxy's eyes go wide and she's suddenly very close to him now, standing on her tippy-toes and smiling like crazy. "Are you from the Big World?"

Lou leans back to put some distance between them, obviously caught off guard by her enthusiasm. "Erm...no. I'm from the Institute of Perfection."

Her face falls slightly at that. But just as fast it brightens again. "But that's through the flower, right? So there is more out there! I was right!" She crosses her arms, smirking at Luckybat. "And you all said I was crazy."

Lou tries to redirect back to the matter at hand. "Do you know how to get up to it? So I can leave?"

Moxy laughs. "No." Lou deadpans. "But, that's never stopped me before. I'm sure Babo has something we can use to get up there."

The idea of getting more of these...creatures, involved didn't sound appealing. But, beggars can't be choosers. He certainly wasn't getting all the way up there on his own any time soon.

Turns out he didn't have much of a say in whether he agreed to the idea or not, because Moxy was already grabbing him by the hand and pulling him in a random direction. Luckybat followed in step quickly. "Come on! He should be at Wage's diner. And you can tell us all about this Institute of yours on the way there!"

Lou refrains from rolling his eyes as he mutters under his breath. "Yay..."

_______

I got a lot of new ideas for how I want this series to play out, so I'll be fixated on this for a while. I also have the next chapter in my Wattpad sequel "Blind Stitch" in the works.

Also, cookies for those of you who notice the Meet the Robinsons reference in here.

[uselesslexbian]

the lightning thief by rick riordan sentence starters

am i a troubled kid? yeah, you could say that.

i'm going to kill her.

you're already on probation. you know who'll get blamed if anything happens.

it's okay. thanks for trying.

you've been giving us problems.

did you really think you would get away with it?

let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can.

i can't fail in my duties again. you know what that would mean.

why would i need you?

what are you not telling me?

tell me they're not looking at you. they are, aren't they?

i don't want this to be like the last time.

does that mean somebody is going to die?

i hope you lose.

because you don't want me around?

you've been out for two days. how much do you remember?

you drool when you sleep.

can you imagine that for a moment, never dying?

but i don't believe in gods.

not lethal. usually.

i can't believe i thought you were the one.

monsters don't die. they can be killed. but they don't die.

oh, thanks. that clears it up.

you talk in your sleep.

i'm thinking that i want you on my team for capture the flag.

why would anybody want to summon a monster?

i don't belong here.

no maiming.

where the heck did you learn to fight like that?

you're saying i'm being used.

who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?

a lot of hopes are riding on you.

kill some monsters for me, okay?

you want a magic item?

remind me again - why do you hate me so much?

i don't hate you.

i said if you're lucky. you're obviously not.

i can't just leave you.

you have offended the gods. you shall die.

what did you want me to do? let you get killed?

you didn't need to protect me. i would've been fine.

the real world is where the monsters are. that's where you learn whether you're any good or not.

you're pretty good with that knife.

are you crazy? this place is weird.

what's that hissing noise?

i take vitamins. for my ears.

that's admirable. but please, relax.

you would be better off as a statue. less pain.

oh, yuck. mega yuck.

forget it. you're impossible.

you're insufferable.

they're not going to like that. they'll think you're impertinent.

i am impertinent.

they seemed plenty aggressive to me.

how about i take first watch? you get some sleep.

how long was i asleep?

what would you do if it was your dad?

that's easy. i'd let him to rot.

can't we work together a little?

they don't make heroes like they used to.

we can't leave you alone for five minutes! what happened?

it's okay. i don't mind a little attitude.

you can't do that. you can't just threaten people with a knife.

don't you carry a weapon? you should. dangerous world out there.

even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes.

if he brings his girlfriend here for a date, i'd hate to see what she looks like.

you don't want to insult her looks.

me, go with you? how embarrassing is that? what if somebody saw me?

who's going to see you?

you didn't get yourself killed.

you knew it was a trap.

her death was my fault.

please. i'm not into self-inflicted pain.

i don't know what they'll do. i just know i'll fight next to you.

because you're my friend.

no gift comes without a price.

be faster next time.

the plan. yeah, i love the plan.

no. i'm dead.

you're not dead. i should have known.

i'd wish you luck, but there isn't any down here.

it amuses me not to strike you dead yet.

there can't be a war among the gods. it would be... really bad.

you keep saying "after what you've done." what exactly have i done?

you heroes are always the same. your pride makes you foolish.

you were supposed to die.

i take orders from no one.

i don't have dreams.

he is proud and impulsive. it runs in the family.

obedience does not come naturally to you, does it?

a hero's fate is never happy. it is never anything but tragic.

whatever else you do, know that you are mine.

you can't do this for me. you can't solve my problems.

if my life is going to mean anything, i have to live it myself.

you miss being on a quest?

where's the glory in repeating what others have done?

all the gods know how to do is replay their past.

when i came back, all i got was pity.

the gods let her die.

i've been used? look at yourself.

you must not rush out for vengeance.

keep your eyes open.

i'll be back next summer.

i'll survive until then.

[fictionkinfessions]

You know when you're kind of stuck between "oh hey it me" and "no no it not me" and then you realize it's an AU thing?

Yeah so it turns out, I am the ridiculous aristocrat turned pirate, just, I wasn't a land-owner because I was AFAB. And that's why I ran off. Husband, kids (whose conceptions and births were traumatic), all of whom believed I was a woman and so me not being one ironically made my real self a perfect disguise. The guy I had trauma about sort-of-but-not-really killing (it was an accident, also who tf holds their sword in such a way that they fall and it stabs them in the eye? His own damn fault for holding it weird anyway) thought I was someone else (my twin brother who mysteriously disappeared, I think he may have been murdered at some point but that's another story, I borrowed his name, he sort of gifted it to me when he ran away before he was to be married). He figured it out, actually, moments before my crew made a very timely distraction (not that they knew I needed help, but it was a happy accident, for me at least, and men like him don't deserve happiness) and started talking about making good on something he'd always wanted to do but couldn't since I was promised to another man.

I recall being around for the Very Much Male Stuff shown in flashbacks, though, like, as a kid, but with my brother. I think our parents realized it was easier to just let me never leave his side than to try to separate us after I completely shut down and didn't eat, drink, speak, or move without him. I was always a bit tougher than him. I didn't mind the blood, and I think our father wished I'd been born male rather than my brother. I think our mother would have also preferred it the other way around.

Now that I think about it... I could've had a sister, in the same way my twin had a brother, but I told my twin how I felt and he just kind of shrugged and asked if he should call me a boy (I said yes, but only in secret, and he did <3), and this was years before he left. I think he would've told me. So he/him and brother it is unless I get other memories to the contrary later or am talking about a theoretical trans iteration of my twin. And boys can be feminine, too (heck, I was and am now), it'd just be interesting to have trans twins who both ran off at different points in our lives and it's a possibility that I want to acknowledge even if I'm not leaning into it.

He ran off first, so maybe in the end, he was the braver one. Just not in a way society accepted back then. I hope, if my twin was a woman, she took my old name the same way she gave me hers. It'd be poetic and beautiful and I hope she would have known I would have given it freely to her and only her.

Oh and I was not quite as cringe. Like, don't get me wrong, I was a cringey man, but like... Not that much so. Perhaps in a way, my very existence was a canon divergence and the show is about my twin in a world without me. But who I was and who "he" is in the show overlap so firmly in many ways that it's impossible to tell. It's like that version is both of us squished into one character. I wonder what that makes doubles from canons that didn't have twins... That's a really weird thing to think about, good thing I'm too shy to ever go looking for others who share my source and so will never discuss it with any such doubles.

📦

[simsgoneby]

Trish Coranado

Hiya Tiff, how was the Simga-Chi Halloween party, as wild as last year's? Our Halloween here was pretty good, didn't get invited to any costume parties but at least the little guy had fun.

So listen, I think I might've done something really stupid today...

It started with that creepy lab I've been telling you about, remember? Yeah, well I went back there with that geeky guy, Erwin.

We talked about it and decided that whatever was locked behind that big scary door had to be the answer to why so many people are acting looney toons. Erwin told me that he believed if he could "reveal the truth" to the public that the government would be forced to acknowledge the lab, along with whatever the heck effect it had on StrangerVille, and fix it.

Not going to lie, it was kinda hot watching him wanna stand up to The Man... What? You know I have a thing for anti-authority types...

Anyway he changed his tune a bit once we actually got inside, started looking over his shoulder a lot and whispering about "being watched." But I didn't let it stop me...

First thing we noticed was the super gross smell. Yuck! I guess this part of the lab has been locked up so long it started to smell like bad takeout pushed to the back of the fridge.

Inside it's hard to describe. Lot's of machine and real sci-fi stuff that Frankie would've loved. There were also more of those glowy plants, almost like they'd been studying them...

There was more but the way was clogged up with like this gross moldy air? Erwin didn't think it looked safe to breath and I agreed so we steered clear of it.

We spent about as long as we could stand inside checking out what all we could before finally leaving but outside things we...different. The plants outside we even more gnarly than before if you can believe it.

Even the sky was looking weird. It was purply, but not, like some color from outer space.

I don't know Tiff, I have a bad feeling about this. I hope I haven't made things worse...🧡

[maguro13-2]

Shattered Hero Rekindled ~ Origins of the Ink Demon : Episode Maka Pt. 16 ~

*keyboard typing*

Seto : (sighs) There has to be some birth certificate from the U.S states. Nevada doesn't have a lot of them since being a barren wasteland that does not have any births. Heck, even coming to Vegas to make everyone born in that place.

Solva : Here's your hot hot hot chocolate. Made from the ancient Aztecs by Quetzalcoatl.

Seto : Thank you, Solva. Did you really think that the one eyed star was gonna capture us? He totally felt for it. Those decoys worked.

*flashback*

Seto : Who knew that using dolls that we made as dummies would fool him that easily? I guaranteed that the one-eyed starfish would easily get him distracted.

*changes back*

Solva : Yeah! What a sucker! Now let's see what those birth certificates of those Soul Eater heroes really are.

Seto : Well, I'm one step closer into my game.

*Cracks fingers*

Seto : Huh? hmmm...That's odd, these birth certificates... these aren't even made by the Nevada Government. These were all made up. But they come from the countries of the real world. But despite Edward Elric's country a world building nation inspired by Europe, all of the heroes and villains of Soul Eater were born on the wrong places.

Solva : So where did they originally come from, exactly?

Seto : Soul Eater Evans, place of origin...Texas. Elizabeth "Liz" Thompson...Place of origin... Virginia. Tsubaki Nakatsukasa...place of origin...Japan.

Solva : Killik Rung, African American born in the city of Charleston, South Carolina, but his actual and current home was Atlanta, the largest city in the south and capital of the State of Georgia.

Seto : Marie Mjolnir, Place of origin, Sweden. But she was not Oceanian, she was originally a cheerleader coach who had that eyepatch after getting herself involved of a football accident in her hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, the home of the Minnesota Vikings.

Solva : Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre, her place or origin would be France. Same goes to Harvar

Seto: And Kimial Diehl's place of origin is not the witches realm at all, but the city of Salem.

Solva : Salem? As in the capital of Oregon?

Seto : Yes, but no. Salem's the name for the capital city of Oregon, but it's actually the name of an old city in Massachusetts.

Solva : I was right, so the real location of the witches realm, is that the real location of witches realm is Salem Massachusetts. They've been making contact with the people of Massachusetts for all these years, so that's why they were trying to protect their selves, because the Majo Order were part of the Massachusetts State Government. So that's why Kimial ran away from home, just to protect the boy's legacy. But if she never protected the boy's legacy, why did she wanted to live Nevada, why protecting Shinra's legacy instead of her people's?

Seto : Because, Solva. Shinra wanted to make a fool out of Maka, ever since the Time Eater arrived to their universe, it started to annihilation of making them wish that they were never born in the same universe that they lived for 1000 years. But if it hadn't been for Shinra's heroism and his influence, he would've put their lives in dangers of risking it for to be heroes and even stupider! That's why the world of Soul Eater is weird, plus, the manga itself never received any awards. Now that's superstitious about anything being a manga loser calling it a smash-hit series. There's no fame, no awards, no platinum albums or even records, nothing! It's like they were living in the shadows of their previous lives in the real world.

Solva : So the only to make their selves as heroes of Soul Eater in reality, was to stage the whole thing, but who in the world would even make their selves as heroes to protect the boy's legacy

*Computer Buzzing*

Seto : Hey, what gives?

Darkside Death : *snickers* It was I who made these children as pawns in my plan to make them all heroes and would forever protecting the legacy for all of these years while I hold the planet in the clutches of my hands

Seto : You, Lord Death! You're still a heartless! You ordered all this!

Darkside Death : Not me, JK...It was me.

Seto : So why are you doing this?

Darkside Death : Revenge...for the Time Eater. Allow me to give you his demonstration.

[Subspace Ver.3 plays]

Seto : Hey, that's Shinigami! You put him down this instant!

Solva : Hey, but aren't there two Lord Deaths?

Seto : But...which one is the Lord Death?

Darkside Death : Now do you remember? Someone from before?

*Shinigami's face gets taken off revealing to be Shotaro*

Seto : It can't be! That's...!

Solva : The Dokeshi and second hero of the Ohkuboverse.

Seto : Shotaro!

Darkside Dark : Three years ago. This kid was wanting to expose my creator's world to uncover secrets that I have been doing it the past years. He helped them to uncover the truth and now he is my slave, a slave that will definitely benefit to all of Mankind.

Seto : What you're doing to Shotaro is insane! You were using him for your personal cover ups. You tricked him to believe that Makes wanted to attend the school, but she didn't. She had been in a coma for around one year ago. That's how her story took place, all nothing but a dream. All this time, we thought that she was a hero to Nevada, but was just some random kid who does not know about being a hero. If she would've followed Shinra' footsteps of being like one, she would've risked her own life fighting for her ideals.

Solva : Do you know how much of it for us to make us heroes to do the dirty work for you? I think not. You're just jealous that you wanted to put the entity name Demon Vibe out of commission. You got some nerves calling yourself the ruler of the cosmos. What a joke for a title! There is only one ruler of the universe and there could be only that controls everything!

Seto : We hope you like to see your face red before a girl name Homura Akemi creates the new era in the 2010s. You'll be best lie dead at master's feet.

Darkside Death : Is that so, you little pipsqueak? Well, in that case...this whole planet will be the death of everything that you know and love! You will die by the hands of my deceased son, Asura!

*laughs evilly*

Seto : Oh yeah?! Then go put a sock in it!

*Smashes Computer*

Seto : You'll regret this., heartless son of the devil! That is why I promised.

Solva : *sweatdrop icon* I'm getting a newer one.

*scene changes*

Seto : Hey, Maka. You alright there, kid? Maka?

Maka : Oh hey, Deathless. How are you feeling today?

Seto : Well, I'm basically fine in my own ways, I'm feeling a little light headed. I wonder how long you would surpass the greatest shonen trope with the power of that friendship crap? I'm not even going to say it, but...it's a great opportunity that someone is going to keep my package cleaned for delivery, over and out.

Maka : Really? Did you check your mail today?

Seto : I always checked twice. Let's just I checked the mail every day or every night.

Maka : So...I was wondering something. What does it like to be alone for some reason.

Seto : Well, it's never to be alone when you don't have with somebody, there might be others who would care for you and then you won't have to be lonely anymore. Well, I'm certainly wondering you would seek the future when this girl named Homura Akemi decides to create the new era in the 2010s. I won't last this long, I might get back on my feet whether the new era is going to be made by Homura or that will have to wait. You never know what hits ya.

Maka : I see...

Seto : Well, for a blonde girl that knows how to deal with Shounen Protags, I've become one like everyone does, I heard about what happened to the Ohkuboverse. It was destroyed along time. But I need you ask one important questions about your life and story. As Deathless or needless, as an apprentice to the great lord of death himself, Grim the Hedgehog, I am going to give you a simple task on taking me to a duel on the beach.

Maka : The beach? Take me there!

*teleports*

"EMERALD COAST"

*waves crashing+seagulls squawking*

[Big Fishes at Emerald Coast by Jun Senoue]

Maka : Where am I? What is this place?

Seto : This is Emerald Coast. A nice fun beach that we like to play in the waters, but this is just Emerald Coast.

Maka : Then why is it called Emerald Coast?

Seto : Duh. Everyone knows Emerald Coast, Emerald Coast is in Sonic's world, while this is the Emerald Coast is where we are currently at.

Maka : Why not to go to the other Emerald Coast.

Seto : That's because there's a giant killer whale that chases a Blue Hedgehog on a wooden bridge.

Maka : Oh. Well in that case. I'll accept your challenge...

*takes off clothes to reveal her bikini*

Maka : by having a Duel on the Beach!

Seto : That settles it!

[Emerald Beach by Kenichi Tokoi]

Seto : Let's hop to it!

Runblebee/Announcer : VOLLEYBALL MATCH!

Seto : I can't wait to play some Volleyball. This is my first time.

Maka : I haven't played this game in a while. So...This is my first time of playing Volleyball. I won't lose this match.

Seto : Alright, First serve!

Solva : Hey, don't we mind to join in?

Seto : Solva!

Eve : Hey, I am all ears, so I am tagging along with her.

Seto : Yo, Eve!

"Eve Neuschwanstein : Heroic Doppelganger"

Eve : Last one wins the match is a rotten genius!

Seto : Serve up!

Master Hand/Announcer : Go! *blows whistle*

*Begins the match*

Seto : Here goes! *Hits Volleball*

Eve : Not too shabby! *Hits ball* Toss!

Maka : Right! Spike!

*Spikes the ball*

Rublebee/Announcer : Ball in!

Eve : Yes!

Seto : Not bad. But not good as it looks. Now it's my turn! Here it comes! Serve up! *Hits ball*

Solva : Just go for it! Spike! *Spikes the ball*

Eve : Woah! *hits the ball* You call that a spike? This should be...an ATTACK! *Spikes the ball*

Runblebee : Ball in!

*Whistle blowing*

Eve : Aced it!

Maka : Not bad! I bet you can handle a single flinch to go easy on the ball.

Eve : Yes siree! I'm hoping that you would be in a lot of heat!

Seto : Ready for our personal close up?

Solva : I'm totally Winging it! Second serve. Here I Go!

*during third set*

Eve : Alright! It's your turn!

Maka : Alrigh. I got this. Serve up! *Hits the ball*

Eve : My go! *Hits the ball*

Solva : Time for secret weapon attack!

*hits ball*

Solva : Right! Haven't used my secret technique!

*uses gravitation technique on the ball*

Maka : Ehh?

Eve : Hey! What?

Seto : Heh ha!

*ball lands*

Runblebee : BALL IN!

Eve : Hey! No fair! That's cheating!

Seto : Finders keepers! That's my way to hanging!

Eve : Alrigh then. We're on the final set, partner. This time, we do it right...for real!

Maka: Hmph!

Eve : Time for Eve Neuschwanstein to go... doppelganger mode!

*Turns into Maka*

Maka (Eve) : Looks like we're doubles now!

Maka : We could be a perfect stunt double!

Two Makas : Hey, guys. Think you can spot out the difference? There's only two of us and we know how you beat this one out!

Seto : Neuschwanstein, you can change one's appearance? Yeah right. But I'm not falling for that one!

Maka (Eve) : Hey, Kid! You go first!

Maka : Alright! My perfect shot! This would be a great time to spike up! Huuut!

*Toss ball*

Maka: I call this one...The Maka style shot!

*uses special shot to spike ball*

Runblebee : GAME SET, AND MATCH...Maka and Eve!

Eve : Hahaha! We won!

Solva : Unbelievable! Nobody in the beach would ever beat us in a duel before!

Eve : Way to win the game, partner! You finally got some skills!

Maka : To me, I can finding it that this turned out to be fun. Hey, would you give us a hand and bring the volleyball back to us?

Seto : Sure, but I don't see where ball went.

Sir Halberd Knight : You dropped this, girlie. Is this your ball?

Seto : Hey, thanks so much. I've been lookibg for it to get it back and... Huh? Who are you?

Solva : Where did you come from.

Sir Halberd Knight : Perhaps that we would like to have a talk.

~ Level 15 : Duel on the Beach ~

[hanniejji]

this is why kazuha is best boi, he just goes along with anything and always enjoys himself damn it i fucking love him

[definitelynotcesia]

41. let it rain

HELPLINE —kang taehyun smau ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

pairing: kang taehyun x reader ⊰⊹ฺ genre: fluff, angst, humor/slice of life ⊰⊹ฺ word count: 756 ⊰⊹ฺ chapter type: semi text ⊰⊹ฺ chapter warning: can get a little confusing(?)

GENERAL FOREWORD: I have no ill intention of romanticizing emotional manipulation. I aim to portray a story that will give awareness to these matters, as they are very much real and victims shouldn’t be labeled, judged, or stigmatized. Please know that I made a thorough research prior, along with everything that I learned as a psychology major, as I was conceptualizing the story so as to give a realistic point of view.

"im sorry", is what greeted you the moment you met eyes with yeonjun. he was leaning closer and whispering.

"sorry for what?" you whispered back even though you weren't sure what you were whispering for.

"for failing to protect you", he replied tilting his head towards taehyun who was laughing with beomgyu a few steps ahead of you.

you disregarded the subtle action he did earlier and decided to tease him, "am i getting assassinated or what?"

"no, but i would be glad to do so if you don't stop acting all sunny with me, y/n." as expected, yeonjun gave you an annoyed look as he moved away.

"geez calm down, grandpa!" you raised both your hands up as a sign of defeat while stifling a laugh.

"what is going on here?", meg interrupted when she noticed your hands raised and the creasing of yeonjun's forehead. "are you bullying my sunshine?" she asked as she snaked her arms around your waist.

"sunshine?", he scoffed. "corny ass nickname if i'm being honest."

you mirrored the annoyed look he gave you earlier. if he wasn't so out of your arm's reach, he would've received a punch too.

"touché", meg hummed to which yeonjun chuckled in approval.

"and i thought you're here to defend me!"

"i am!" meg exclaimed. "but you gotta admit though, sunshine is overrated. i'd rather have a whole weather forecast than just all sunny days. you gotta let it rain at times, y/n. heck bring on a storm!! that doesn't make you less beautiful, at all."

that was rather unprovoked.

you were about to tease meg for saying those, but as if in cue, kai did the honor.

"man, we need the bingsu as soon as possible. meg's sputtering quotable quotes now!", kai's shrill voice interrupted the group making those who were in walking front of you look back.

you just realized how everyone's just been chatting randomly as you walked towards the shop.

"lower your voice, dumbass. you're embarrassing me!" meg elbowed him.

"so what? it's not like they know me anyways!"

"do you ever shut up?"

meg's full attention now shifted to kai, thus starting another unending back-and-forth between the two. you gave yourself a mental face palm. this afternoon is going to be great as you thought.

"meg's right. you truly are the sunshine, literally and figuratively. but you're also more than that, y/n." yeonjun whispered before dragging you closer to the group to join in on the ongoing conversation.

the bingsu tasted way better than you expected. probably because this was your first time so you didn't know what to expect— or probably because of the people you were with the whole time.

just when you thought meg and kai are already a handful, beomgyu had to come in the picture completing the golden trio. arya looked at them in amusement, probably thinking about how hard must it be for the parents if these three were siblings. speaking of parent, soobin took on the job as he attempted to pacify the trio but would miserably fail everytime. yeonjun was as sweet yet as mischievous as ever. if anything, he could pass as the mentor of the golden trio.

and taehyun... you tried your best to subtly avoid him. as much as you want him around, his presence still reminded of your heartbreak. yet you never wanted to treat him half-heartedly— or was it your irrational brain telling you one eye contact might bring you to the edge?

although it's weird, you were scared that he might see through you if you put your guards down, even just for a second.

you can't afford to do that.

not now.

however being with all of them feels surprisingly healing. you laughed harder than you expected making both of your cheeks and stomach to hurt. it felt like all the crying and pain you put yourself into these past few days were insignificant. which was hard to admit at first because you knew your emotions were real, and very painful to say the least.

and yet looking around you now,

the golden streaks of the afternoon sun coating the interior of the cafe,

the fat cat lazily lounging on the cashier counter as if he owned the place,

the laughter of your friends shamelessly filling the silence,

the afternoon felt as perfect as a dream.

but unlike any other dreamlike afternoon you've experienced, this one wasn't hazy. today was clearer, more vivid. more real.

"you are sunshine and more than that." as meg and yeonjun said.

HELPLINE —kang taehyun smau ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

♡ synopsis: determined to take the pain off the past, y/n wanted nothing more but become the help and comfort that others needed. yet here comes the man with an obnoxiously adorable eye smile, unintentionally ready to sabotage all that she thought was healing— that includes a 24/7 help line and an alternate persona.

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[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Spamton with an s/o who’s half magpie and is very adventurous and loves collecting things, wanting to take spamton (who they thought was was regular doll) on a bunch of fan adventures!

For funsies I wanna relate this S/O to the Bird (That Carries You Over A Disproportionately Small Gap)

........

For most of your life, you've been a collector of many things in the Light World. Whatever you found that was disowned and looked appealing was kept on nice shelves in your home

Like your distant cousin from another timeline you were always determined to see the world and expand your collection. Even if you found nothing for hours you didn't go home till you had something.

One thing led to another and you soon found yourself in the Dark World. But besides gaining protective gear and resilient wings, you also had a backpack that can hold infinite items!

This was absolutely going to be fun!

So you fly around the Cyber World, finding a lot of cool tech and gadgets. Heck, some nice shopkeepers called "Addisons" even let you take their samples.

But when you ventured to quieter parts of the city, you happened upon a weird blue egg with a pink bow and....

A damaged male ventriloquist doll hanging halfway out of the dumpster.

Now this was one of your most interesting finds, so after getting the blue egg thing you lift the lid and pick the doll up with your talons-

Only for him to jerk to life and start spouting his name and sales pitches, like he was running on a script. You dropped him out of fright and immediately had regrets as he landed face first on the concrete.

Yet he springs up like nothing happened, gawking at the realization you're a Lightner.

"THANKS FOR THAT, LIGHT n er!! I REALLY NEEDED THE PICK UP [The Phone And Call This Number Now] LINE!!"

"Oh no I didn't mean to do that...Spamton, right? I-I just thought you were a regular doll and not a Darkner."

He would've been offended..had he not realized Ms Pipis was missing. "MS. PIPIS??? WHERE ARE YOU?? I CAN'T FIND YOU!!!" He screams as he leaps back into the dumpster.

It takes you a full minute of him yelling "MS PIPIS" without further explanation before you realize he meant the egg with the bow.

So you take her out and handed her back to him, once more feeling guilty bc you stole her. Fortunately Spamton didn't think so.

"OH YOU'RE A REAL LIFE SAVER, LITTLE BIRDIE. THANKS FOR KEEPING MY [Beautiful Pipis] SAFE AND SOUND. HOW CAN I EVER REPAY MY [Crippling Debt] TO YOU?"

"Well..um...I've just been flying around collecting stuff and I've always been kinda lonely. Care to join me?"

"OH BOY OH BOY WOULD I!! BEATS LIVING IN A GODDAMN [Garbage Can], THAT'S FOR SURE!" He jumps into your bag no hesitation with a toothy grin, keeping himself halfway out so he can talk to you without vanishing into the abyss.

Welp, it seems you got a travelling companion for life now.

And a smelly one at that, but you didn't mind.

[anvils-of-history]

Just watched the Balthus/Hapi paralogue. So what's the deal with Vajra-Mushti? It's said to have been made after the War of Heroes so it's not considered a "real" Hero's Relic, but we know that the Hero's Relics are made from the bones of Nabateans (besides Aymr). The Slitherers don't play any part in this paralogue at all, and Vajra-Mushti still requires Umbral Steel to be repaired - just like with every other Hero's Relic besides Aymr - so we can't attribute the Slitherers to having "artificially" made Vajra-Mushti like they did with Aymr.

I can only assume that means the Four Apostles were Nabateans as well, since Vajra-Mushti has one of their Crests. But when exactly did the Slitherers get their hands on the Apostles and turn them into Hero's Relics? How did said Relics escape their grasps, assuming that's what happened? And for that matter, the Fetters of Dromi is even weirder. How the heck did it get all the way out of Fodlan, only to then be gifted back to the Empire for...reasons?

I want to clarify that I know Duke Gerth says that "one story goes that maybe a few clan elders within the 10 Elites left Fodlan to escape Seiros' supposed subjugation of their families". This doesn't make any sense to me. The Fetters of Dromi has the Crest of Aubin, another Apostle Crest. They were by no means one of the 10 Elites, so Duke Gerth's explanation doesn't hold up. Not to mention that all of the families of the 10 Elites still have major power within Fodlan, including them all still having their Hero's Relics. Wouldn't make sense for them to flee so their Hero's Relics wouldn't be taken when...none of their Hero's Relics get taken in the first place.

Watching the Yuri/Constance paralogue, the headcanon that Fodlan is "uber isolationist" makes no sense when the Empire has a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has had one for around 1000 years. You would think the Empire would've stopped bothering to have one if Fodlan was as isolationist as the fans think.

Side Note: It really is weird, reading the notes of Cap n' Crunch's LSD fic trying to act like Kronya taking Monica's identity is in any way a good thing. We only see Baron Ochs in one paralogue but we get enough of his character in it to know that if he learned what happened to his daughter then there would be hell to pay. How Cap can character assassinate a one-off NPC is beyond astounding. It takes talent to screw up that badly.

[purplerose244]

My thoughts on Seabound!!! 🌊🌊🌊 (3/4)

SPOILERS ALERT!!!

Yep yep yep, I'm liking this season a lot! 😍 Although I hope we'll get into a more frantic situation now, like with more battles and more bonding moments (Nya and Maya hopefully, but with Bentho too 🦈🦈🦈)! We got half a season to go, I'M READY!! 😎😎

Alright, here we go!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

I do like the season a lot, maybe MoM was a little more cohesive? Idk but it's not a big complain, I still love it so far 😍

Also maybe I would've liked more interactions between Nya and Maya about how they've been apart for so long, they had a chit chat but I would've loved even more. Maybe with Nya saying that it was fine and she grew up only to realize she is still hurt by that, even though it wasn't Maya's fault. I still like how they did it, I wished there was more that's it 🤷‍♀️

While I do make sense to Maya's behavior, that while it seems a little different from Hands of Time it had its logic in my opinion, maybe Ray feels a little weird? He seems less courageous than before, and it was established that he is a hothead like his son so that came off as unusual 🤔🤔

But I do love the fact that he's here and he's bonding with his son, for real, I've been waiting for this for so long so I'm happy nonetheless 🤩

Maybe I'm just easy to please and I take all I can get idk 😅

THE STORM AMULET

Oh, are we gonna address the wind element? It feels like we haven't really seen a Morro reference since Hands of Time, that would be cool! 😍 I mean, why even mentioning the wind then 😅😅

Well what do you know, they tracked them, who saw that coming?... me, I saw that coming... we all did probably 🤷‍♀️

Jay took upon himself making a quick recap on how Ninjago will be destroyed this time, thanks Bluebell 👌

Yep nyeheh electricity makes Nya go crazy for sure ❤💙 ... wait it wasn't a Jaya pun?

Jay wear your seatbelt please, you risk you life enough 😅😅 Pff lol "are we there yet" and they are actually there, biggest plot twist I've ever heard of 😂

LEGO HUG 💜💜💜

And with someone who might as well join the League of Jay apparently 💙

I liked The Island yet it was not as exciting as I hoped for, but now understand the meaning of it. The ninja helped the keepers and they are all allies. Without The Island the moment where Mammatus gives Nya the amulet wouldn't be as meaningful

Is it just me or Nya looked even more gorgeous during that moment?... just me huh? Okay then 😂💕

Wait that's a fake? Wait... UNCLE POWERS?!? OMG THAT I ACTUALLY DIDN'T SEE COMING 🤯

Here I thought he was just messing around, he always makes things harder 😅 Or maybe better? I mean, they kinda missed a bullet on this one...

BENTHO IS SO SWEET AND COOL OMG HE IS ALREADY OUR FRIEND 💙🦈💙🦈

Jay somehow had his own TV show in the past and yet he's got that horrible acting skills wth 😂😂😂

Kalmaar is a very cool villain, like, deeply evil. Not only he's calculated and merciless, he stops at nothing to get what he wants. And the people that get in the way? He wants them to suffer because they had dared to confront him 😳

And yes the voice does help a lot, I'm sorry I'll keep saying it until the season is over 😂 (or even beyond? Please cast Giles again LEGO 🥺🥺🥺)

Awww Nya no my poor girl 😢 Jay wanted to hug her to comfort her he is so sweet my SHIP ❤💙❤💙

MOM PEP TALK MOM PEP TALK!!! 🤩🤩🤩 How cool was it?

Like, this isn't even Maya asking Nya to believe in herself, this is her saying that she KNOWS her daughter can do anything when she puts her mind into it. FINALLY SHE SEES HOW AMAZING WATER GODDESS IS 💜💜💜

MORE LEGO TEARS OMG THIS SEASON IS FILLED WITH TEARS 😱 Which... kinda makes sense considering it's a water based season 😂

Nice one, and now? NOW WE GO BACK TO KAI COLE AND RAY YAS!!! ❤🖤❤🖤

RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX

That is... surprisingly Egypt theme like? It feels like a title coming from the Fire Chapter of season 11... well we got two fire elementals so 😍😍

SPARRING KAI AND RAY

I REPEAT SPARRING KAI AND RAY!!! SPARRING KAI AND RAY!!! ❤❤❤ Lol Ray got old, but how can someone blame him? He did touch death while aging in Hands of Time, I'm just happy he is alive 😂

Yep, master prankster Wu, that's what I love 👌👌 I always thought Wu had become a father figure for Kai at the beginning, so seeing Ray and Wu in the same picture feels very wholesome to me 😚

Ah, uncle Powers, I both love you and hate you so freaking much 😌😌 But you make cool slides nonetheless 😂

ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME WITH BEAUTIFUL SMITH INTERACTIONS??

BECAUSE I LIKE IT KEEP GOING 🤩

Oh no you guys are stranded on an island whatever are you going to do?? It's not like you had already before and managed to survive (Skybound) or you got stranded on a rock in a sea of sand filled with giant monsters (Fire Chapter) or you were on a freaking COMET in SPACE (Rebooted). Yeee, this is the worst yet 🙂

I'm starting to think these ninja are just a bunch of drama queens so no matter what happens, it's always hopeless 😂😂 I feel like I'm kinda right on this one honestly 😛

Whoa whoa WHOA WHO IS NYAD THIS SOUNDS VERY COOL???

Aww I like that, while Ray told his kids stories about dragons and how they traveled through the Underworld, Maya told them about Nya the first water master that could summon whales 💙❤💙❤

Pff imagine if it turned out Nya was the master of fire, carrying a very water based name? Lol

Maya: I would know if it was possible!

Nya: Yeah, like she knows that I can control a bit of ice because it's frozen water

Maya:...

Maya: YOU WHAT

I find both interesting and very annoying that this explorers club thinks so highly of themselves, to the point the deny to aid even the FREAKING SAVIORS OF THEIR FREAKING LAND 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Misako got good reflexes after all, Kai was probably ready to melt this guy's face 😅

Oh, so a trial by Sphinx is a challenge? A mental one? A cultural one? A physical one? Idk but Misako is actually taking charge and that is cool I guess 🤷‍♀️

Okay this is kind of weird, how is Ray so afraid? Is it because there's fire?... did he... did he grow afraid of fire for some reason? Because it feels a bit off for now, but if there is a deeper meaning that could be interesting 🤔

Wait is that the riddle from Decoded? That's fire right?

IT IS FIRE 🔥🔥🔥

Lol at least in this one Kai wasn't completely ignored 😂 I know my flame babe isn't the most rational person, but I do like that it was an answer connected to his element where he used his head!

Ah Clutch, you really got no backbone 😅 And apparently you're the only explorer who doesn't, dang look at the others go! I'm having a bit more respect for them now 😚

LOOK AT SENSEI GO FINALLY!!! 😍😍 FIGHTING SCENES HECK YES!!!

Kalmaar: I'm your conquerer

Wu: so after skeletons, the serpentine, nindroids, the Stone Army, Chen's army, ghosts, oni, more snakes but on fire and people from a game, that makes you the tenth. Have a free cookie

Kalmaar:...

Wu: you're not special

Is this a little throwback to Possession too? Nya seems to always control better water when she doesn't actually think about it. When her feelings are free, so are her powers 🌊🌊🌊

Also this opens up more possibilities! Creatures connected with other elements might get summoned too! I would love something like that 😍😍

This was NEAT, or maybe I just missed Kai that much ❤ What's next??

PAPERGIRL

ANTONIAAAAAAAA!!!! MY GIRL IS BACK!!! All my girls are back in this season, I'm so happy 😍😍😍 And if she is here, sweet little Nelson has to be around and I cannot wait! Bring in the purple ninja! 💜

Owww Antonia's last day as a papergirl? Nooo why??

She's got a job at the... DAIRY DRAGON??? OMG OMG OMG IT'S THE ICE CREAM PLACE BRAGI TOLD US ABOUT ON TWITTER!!! 🤩🤩🤩 I remember the post, he was asking about names for the place and ice cream flavors. Now I can't wait to see what did he choose 🍦🍦🍦

UNAGAMI BABY HI HONEY!!! 🙋‍♀️ I hope he's doing great 😘😘

This is so cool honestly, Antonia got her own character arc going on! Living in a chaotic city like Ninjago City must be pretty dang exhausting 😅

Was... was that Dareth in the garbage can? Am I wrong? Poor brown ninja 😅🤎😅

SPINJITZU SWIRL, BANANAKHAN, ORANGE SERPENTINE, I'M DYING 😂😂😂

Their friendship is so wholesome, I'm so happy they are still together no matter what happens 💕

I thought Kalmaar wasn't much of a fighter but DANG he's got skills! Also the fact that he uses tentacles makes the fight very cool to watch! 😚😚

RAY RUNNING IN AFTER KAI GOT HURT HECK YES ❤❤❤

Well at least you tried Ray 😅

Ah, little cameo of the original Weekend Whip, always nice to hear it again... AND DO THE WEEKEND WHIP!!! 🌪🌪🌪

EVEN NELSON GOT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT I'M SO PROUD 💜

I don't even know what is cooler, the kids being mad lads on their bikes, Kalmaar driving a TRUCK or Kai going full parkour on the buildings to follow them 🤯

I'm sorry... am I the only one that during the Kai and Kalmaar talk kinda thought of Jestro and Clay? I miss my boys from NK, they're even more at odds now 😭😭

KAI YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE OR EVEN TRY TO DIE GET BACK HERE AT ONCE 😱😱

Kalmaar just loves to make everyone feel inferior, gotta be his hobby 😶

Oh good Kai is back

OH NOT GOOD KAI IS NOT BREATHING?!? FLAME BABE I TOLD YOU YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE 😱😱😱

Antonia, Nelson, you guys are now my heroes. You saved my fave, I'll be forever in dept with you ❤❤❤ Am I being overdramatic? Most likely, but Kai is one of the few that didn't almost die or did die in a dramatic situation and he is also my absolute favorite character so that... kinda keeps my sanity in check in this show 🥴

I wonder... does he still not know how to swim? He saved Lloyd in Possession but I wonder if he was only trying to float on the surface... THAT'S TERRIFYING

This episode was so adorable, I love Antonia and Nelson so much 💜💕💜💕 It's nice to see what the other people of Ninjago do while everything goes mad 🤣

Wait hang on my Ninjajan is a little rusty

"Ninjago City. City that never sleeps" well if that ain't the truth 😂

MASTER OF THE SEA

Like Master of the Mountain? Wait are we going back to Shintaro?? VANYA?? ANOTHER BEST GIRL RETURNS??? 💛

Hey hey hey, we got a full Nyad backstory! I really like when they do these little drawn shots, they feel more like legends! And... the ending sounds terrifying? Like, they wouldn't let Nya sacrifice herself and die... again... right? 😱

Bentho: and the world was in balance, until now because of my brother

Lloyd: and the Overlord before of course

Bentho: the what now?

Lloyd: the evil one my grandpa the first Spinjitzu Master fought?

Bentho: YOUR WHAT NOW

Why do I like this offscreen "hiiiyaaa" that sensei Wu does before actually going into the scene? 😂😂

No matter if they come from the underground or the sea, these are all snake-like creature with the same intellect 😅 Kalmaar and Garmadon would have a lot to talk about, sea king dealing with his minions does remind me of Lord Garmadon in season 2 a lot 😂😂

KAI AND RAY FIGHTING TOGETHER KAI AND RAY FIGHTING TOGETHER ❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤

OMG Kalmaar is such a brat and petty villain I love him so much 😂😂😂 Yes I didn't even mention his amazing voice!... AH DANG IT 😳😳

*Misako kicks Kalmaar and is actually useful* 🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️

*Misako gets taken as hostage immediately after* 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

KAI LITERALLY JUST GOT SAVED FROM DROWNING WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO HIM!!!... and Ray and Cole and Wu of course, I care okay 😅

OMG that face 🤣🤣🤣

That some meme material right there

Whoa Vincent that voice just got super up when the Unsinkable showed up, it kinda sounded like Jay's lol

NO NOT BENTHO!!! 😢😢😢

Kai: Nya talks to whales now? (I snorted so hard at this 😂😂)

HECK YES NYA GOT THE AMULET!! 😍😍😍 ... we got, like, four more episodes to go so something needs to happen in between... do I need to be scared? I feel like I need to be scared 😅

Jay starting a fire then blaming Kai?... this is so in character I got chills 😂😂

SHARK BOY IS STAYING TO THE MONASTERY THIS IS SO PRECIOUS!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 I want all the shenanigans and we need to write fanfictions about more shenanigans and AAAAHHHHH 🦈🦈🦈

Bless these two fire idiots

They own my heart ❤🔥❤🔥 Also Vincent, this is supposed to be a fun little gag moment, your amazing voice acting is kinda distracting me 😭😭😭

ANOTHER LEGO HUG

YOU GUYS ARE SPOILING ME OVER HERE HECK YES 💙🌊💙🌊

Maya learned that her daughter is capable of everything, I love that. Nya simply understood that she doesn't have to give up when something gets difficult. She is AMAZING and can do anything she puts her mind into. She simply has to hold on until the end 💪💪💪

Omg Benthomaar playing billiard with the guys I already love this 😍😍

YES IT IS SHINTARO!!! THE UPPLY ARE HERE OMG!!! HI VANYA YOU LOOK AMAZING GIRL MISS YOU I HOPE YOU'RE DOING OKAY!!! 💛💛💛 ... I just really like Master of the Mountain okay 😅

I love how Vanya doesn't even question it. It comes from Cole and he said it needs to be protected? Done and done 👌

Wait what, did something fall?

IS THAT THE FAKE?!?!? WHAT HOW WHEN??? UNCLE POWERS??? OR KALMAAR DID SOMETHING??? SOMEONE??? I'M LEGIT CONFUSED AND EXCITED??? 🤯🤯🤯

Well dang, I didn't see that coming, now what Seabound? What do you have for me?

[littleeyesofpallas]

I've mentioned some of Kubo's word choice in Rose's name schemes before but I never actually addressed a weird thing about his bankai...

His is the only one with attacks that aren't Japanese?? Even Sui-Feng's shikai and bankai are Japanese, despite her Chinese name and obvious strong Chinese theming. Even Choujiro who's only defining trait we ever got was being really into western culture, didn't have any sort of references to it in his shikai or bankai --reflections of his inner soul. So what was up with Rose??

Real answer, honestly, I think is that Kubo was just doing whatever the heck he wanted at the time and just didn't think about it having any weird implications. Simple as that. He was already at a point where he was starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel for ideas, so it seems to make the most sense.

But otherwise Butou is technically considered a "western" style of dance, although that's more in the broader sense of modern dance in the 60s as an artistic principle was rooted in Western post modernism, rather than the actual forms of Butou as dance having any sort of directly Western influences or origins; the actual practice of Butou is uniquely Japanese.

Although Kubo also chose entirely classical music to reference in these attacks, which doesn't really gel with Butou as a theme.

Viz did nail all these translations for once, but I'd have been more shocked if they'd screwed any of them up considering they just needed to sound it out.

シー・ドリフト: Shi~ Do-ri-fu-to: "Sea Drift"

in English and named after the Frederick Delius composition, based on Walt Whitman's poem of the same name. It's written with the kanji [海流] referring to an "Ocean Current" but literally the individual kanji for "Sea" and "Drifting."

プロメテウス: Pu-ro-me-te-u-su: "Prometheus"

in, technically, Greek because of the obvious origins of the mythological character, but referring to piece by Hungargian composer Franz Lizst. Written as [火山の使者]: "Emissary of (the) Volcano/FireMountain" which... I guess is kind of a literal description of Prometheus' role in his myth as fire bringer? Kinda? Feels a little clunky.

アイン・ヘルデンレーベン: A-i-n' He-ru-de-n'-re~be-n': "Ein Heldenleben"

in German, and a direct reference to Richard Strauss' piece of the same name. Written as [英雄の生涯]: "Hero's Lifetime" which is a pretty direct translation of the title, "A Hero's Life."

It's kind of a shame we didn't see much of Rose for a number of reasons, but I feel like we could've seen a lot between him and Shinji. Him and Hisagi. Him and Choujiro even. He sort of implicitly knows some German if he has any understanding of the lyrics to a lot of the classical and operatic pieces that seem to make up his repertoire, so it also would've been neat to see him bring that up with any of the Quincy... But no... Just a star shaped hole in his chest and double zombie. Poor Rose...

While we're one the subject, here have a list of chapters Rose appears in.

[experiment-000]

My Top 10 Ships of 2020

It's been a weird year but I've seen other people doing this. Plus this year I've been way more into gen fics (love a bit of found family especially in clone wars and marvel) than anything shippy. So I genuinely don't know what imma put on here aside from two ships for sure. Sorry this post is super long idk how to do the below the cut thing and I've had this app for 5 years...

10) Viktor Nikiforov and Yuuri Katsuki - Yuri!!! On Ice

It was a real toss up between this, supercorp, kanera and wolfstar cos they're all very integral ships to my fan heart but this son because of the Yuri on Ice fandom's rebirth this year. I've never stopped shipping this, never stopped reading fanfic of them for any extended period of time, they're still my most bookmarked ship on ao3 (although I think now star wars - all media types may have overtaken them for fandom). They were one of the first things I watched where the queer ship I loved became canon and I can't wait for the film (and hopefully someday a season 2). Heck I even made my mum watch Yuri on Ice with me so I think that says it all.

9) Edelgard Von Hresvelg and female Byleth - Fire Emblem: Three Houses

My first fire emblem game was fates when I was like 14 (and finally gay awake lol). I was so disappointed that I had to be with a guy character because the only female option was kinda creepy and also I wouldn't get the character of kana. So when three houses came out I was so happy because finally there were beautiful incredible female characters my female byleth could romance (I'm so sorry mlm you deserved so much more than you got). I got the game as soon as it came out (had to search a lot of shops let me tell you) and started on black eagles. I was actually kinda disappointed back in 2019. I didn't like the explore the monastery bit (still find it kinda tedious) and the battle mechanics weren't quite the same as fates (no pairing up?! Aka my main battle technique for protecting the weaker units). So I got like 20 hours in and put it down. Came back to it in lockdown and finally finished it! I'm so proud of myself I virtually never finish games. And I fully fell in love with the useless lesbian edelgard in the process. When I started back playing in 2020 I was like eh I wish I'd picked a different character to romance (like shes an emperor that's morally very shady) but then the romance stuff started with edelgard and I fell the heck in love.

8) Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter (and Topanga Lawrence) - Boy Meets World

Disney+ was released in the UK this year and I finally got the opportunity to watch boy meets world in its best quality (aka not on YouTube). I watched it back when I was like 12 or 13 and it's such a nostalgic show for me. Watching it again I still absolutely adore it (and my bi ass was low-key crushing on Shawn especially in chick like me - I'm 18 btw and I got so scared for a sec but rider strong was 18 when chick like me came out so it's fine woah). And of course now I see the possibilities of the beautiful Cory and Shawn relationship like they were so bromance it was basically romance and throw in topanga it's the perfect ot3 (but I'm also fine with just Cory and Shawn or just Cory and Topanga). Read some good fanfic for them this year. My favourite was one about Shawn stealing makeup and stuff and exploring gender (need more fics like this I'm biiii).

7) Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes - Marvel Cinematic Universe

I rewatched all the MCU films this year too. And got really into Peter parker whump and irondad. Plus my eternal obsession with identity and relationship reveals of course led me from Spiderman identity reveals (and found family cuteness) to stucky coming out. Especially when it involves the internet and social media. Not my favourite ship but it's been significant to my year due to the sheer amount of marvel stuff I've read.

6) Satine Kryze and Obi Wan Kenobi - Star Wars

I rewatched clone wars in prep for season 7 and wow Satine's death was sad and sudden. She first appeared in S2 E13 I think and just the sheer sexual tension of their bickering. "The sarcasm of a soldier. The delusion of a dreamer." Just ugnnhhh my bi ass can't take much more of this. And Anakin just sipping his wine in the background grinning. And I fully believe korkie is a Kenobi.

5) Commander Cody and Obi Wan Kenobi - Star Wars

I am very much an Obi wan multishipper. I don't really have a favourite but I fully believe he was with satine and Quinlan in his life. I don't think be would've actually done anything with Cody because of the whole superior officer thing. And this probably isn't even my favourite Obi wan ship - that honour probably goes to quinobi or obitine. However the most popular ships in the fandom are codywan, quiobi and obikin. No offence to anyone who ships these they're just personally not to my taste, but I can't stand quiobi, and obikin I find only slightly more tolerable and I think that's just because there's so much obikin content so if I like the concept of a fic that happens to be obikin I'll read it. I'm just not a fan of the mentor/student relationships. So I generally favoured the codywan fics when there was shipping involved meaning I read a lot of them this year. Needed that nice fix it content post season 7.

4) Zuko and Katara - Avatar: the Last Airbender

Again I am a multishipper I have nothing against zukka it's cute. But I'm a zutara shipper first and foremost because when I first watched avatar I was like 13 and denying my gayness and gayness in general so I shipped the straight things and the straight things only. Most of these ships I stopped shipping - dramione, spuffy, some my little pony ones which we don't talk about. Zutara stayed. (I have nothing against any of the things I used to ship I just stopped shipping them so much/shipped new things more). I've continuously shipped zutara since I first watched avatar even if I didn't necessarily spend that much time on it it has always been here as one of my favourite ships. It has such good fanfic I swear including my favourite ever fanfic from any fandom - love thy enemy. Plus like the black games (reread this for the millionth time this year), a delicate subterfuge (which I read for the first time this year and damn it's so good) and so many more. With the avatar resurgence this year I haven't actually rewatched avatar aside from my normal random episode every now and then when I feel like it. But there's been a lot of avatar on my dash from people I follow getting into it and people I followed for avatar returning so naturally I returned to the fandom and read quite a lot of fanfic. I also read just a lot of avatar gen fics which were great at the whole found family thing I've been so obsessed with this year.

3) Catra and Adora - She Ra and the Princesses of Power

Catradora is canon! They kissed! What more is there to say. Arguably they should've been top but I never shipped them that much since I was always very much a multishipper when it came to she ra so yes I was very happy it became canon because we actually won for once but also I've never read much fanfic for them etc. But they are very much a dynamic I love and watching she ra all again in prep for season 5 I really enjoyed the build up of their relationship. The other two only go above because Buffy is my favourite show ever and damn there's some good fuffy fanfic and Aphra and Tolvan is both fresh in my mind and star wars owns me. Would love some catradora fic recs btw if anyone has them tho.

2) Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I didn't realise it was last year that I got super into them but according to my ao3 bookmarks it was lol. 2020 I swear it's lasted an eternity. I got into them about a month before lockdown (which feels like another lifetime). I've loved Buffy since I first watched it when I was 13. It's arguably still my favourite TV show. I've been through a lot of ships for Buffy - bangel to spuffy and now fuffy. I still think angel and her were a beautiful ship back in season 2 and especially in the angel episode I will remember you. But faith and Buffy had so much chemistry in season 3 - she would've been a fresh start for Buffy and the amount of fix it fics I read I swear. My favourite has to be one where they met in LA during Anne and how that changed everything feat Buffy's internal homophobia.

1) Cheili Lona Aphra and Magna Tolvan - Star Wars

I read Darth Vader (2015) and Doctor Aphra (2016) for the first time at the end of 2020 (got a comic subscription which has served me very well already I've nearly finished the star wars canon comics). Just to see canon queer ladies in star wars was so magical for me as a queer lady. I didn't think star wars would be so overt yet as to have a queer kiss in canon (even if it's in the comics) and especially not with the main character of arguably their main comic series. Now we just gotta hope that we'll get it in live action someday soon. They weren't the ship I consumed the most content of in 2020 but they were the highlight of my 2020 because star wars did that and I finally found out about it

Honourable mentions: Vivian and Elle - Legally Blonde, Candace and Vanessa - Phineas and Ferb, Stevie and Alex - Wizards of Waverly Place, Xander and Spike - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I actually don't ship this but damn some authors are good - this was the ship that made me realise I don't need to like a ship if the author is good enough to write it well), Eli Vanto and Mitth'raw'nuruodo - Star Wars (started reading the books last year but finished this year and only started with fanfic this year), Villanelle and Eve - Killing Eve, Kanan and Hera - Star Wars, Barriss and Ahsoka - Star Wars, Remus and Sirius - Harry Potter, Kara and Lena - Supergirl (let's hope this becomes canon next year!) (Those last four are ones I've shipped forever some of my og ships but nothing particularly big has happened for me this year with them so)

I got Disney+ this year so rewatched a fair few things from my youth and though hey my obsession with that character may have been a little gay.