#I have a lot fond memories with gen 6

[jaynosurname]

It’s weird how I felt literally nothing towards the announcement of Pokémon Legends Z-A

Especially because X was my first Pokémon game so you’d think I be hyped as hell. But nah… I don’t really care.

[tactician]

it's time for a reides update!!! this post is going to focus on reides the kingdra's generation 6 adventure!

first of all, you might be wondering why there's no post devoted to the ribbons of generation 5. like i mentioned briefly towards the end of my gen4 post, the gen5 pokemon games have no ribbons in them... not even one for entering the unovan hall of fame! thankfully, this weird lapse in the ribbon trend was relatively short-lived, as ribbons came back in earnest for generation 6! and so the grind continues...!

this generation of the pokemon games includes both the kalos AND hoenn regions. thanks to my friends and our shared memories of playing these games together, i have a whole lot of personal fondness for this generation - so i knew that i'd enjoy this segment of reides' journey. also, since reides hails from emerald version, it meant that he was going to have a bit of a homecoming.

of course, i gotta take a quick moment to mention my other ribbon master posts! they can all be found in my ribbon master tag or on my neocities blog.

now then, let's get started!!!

luckily, since i got my first file of y to the post-game and never replayed it, i was able to use playthrough from Way Back When in reides' ribbon quest. this saved a whole lot of time, of course! for those who don't know, gen6 of pokemon introduced a somewhat controversial decision. in an attempt to streamline the ribbon page, gamefreak consolidated all of the contest and battle tower ribbons into two fancy plaques. on one hand, this is kind of sad, as it meant that 48(!!!) ribbons were now just... 2. that meant for way less scrolling on the ribbon page. however, on the other hand, it's kind of cool, too, as the contest memory ribbon and the battle memory ribbon are both styled like plaques and are really, really gorgeous.

since reides managed to gather all of the relevant ribbons, he got two shiny gold plaques for his hard work. you can see those plaques in the bottom row of this picture, which i took upon his arrival in kalos.

it's worth noting that, in generations 6 to 8, the golden battle memory ribbon has a requirement of 8 battle tower-related ribbons. in these gens, if you have less than 8 battle tower ribbons, you get a silver plaque instead. a few months ago, however, gamefreak made a FANTASTIC decision and changed the golden battle memory ribbon's requirement to 7 ribbons! this was likely implemented to make up for the now-defunct gen4 wifi servers. it was great news for people who didn't have the means of connecting to the fan servers that i detailed in my gen4 post. regardless, i was still really happy to have the gold plaque at this part of my journey. i didn't regret my decision to take on the world ability ribbon in the slightest... even if the sight of a perfectly normal machamp now makes me tense up out of fear of dealing with a hacked no guard sheer cold user.

anyway, my first order of business was definitely opening up pokemon amie so i could FINALLY play with reides!

i was looking forward to this for such a long time!!! i immediately fed him a bunch of poke puffs and pet him a whole bunch. i would've done this even if i didn't have to do it to get a ribbon - but it turns out that maxing out your pokemon's affection in amie is, in fact, a requirement for one of the gen6 ribbons! namely, you need your pokemon to ADORE you for the best friends ribbon.

there's actually a way to grind for this ribbon so that you can get it pretty quickly! i'd feed reides pokepuffs until he was full, then i'd pet him until he started spawning music notes instead of hearts. at that point, i'd play three rounds of tile puzzle on easy mode so that i could get more pokepuffs, reset his appetite, and get my petting to spawn hearts again. each round of this puzzle game can be completed really quickly, so i figured it was the optimal difficulty for my purposes - but any minigame would definitely work! the tile puzzle game also gives you some cute little pictures of your party as you complete each puzzle, which i thought was a great added bonus! sometimes, additional pokemon would photobomb, too.

for maxing out reides' affection, i got a throne fit for royalty.

i then visited bonnie in lumiose city, where she was chillin over in prism tower. (apparently, she only shows up after you beat lumiose's gym leader - namely, her brother, clemont.) she was impressed with the bond that reides and i shared and we got the best friends ribbon.

we then scuttled on over to the pokemon league, which we challenged in order to get the ribbon for entering kalos' hall of fame. i'm still sad that we couldn't get one in unova, but i digress... maybe someday, be it in a remake or some sort of new adventure set in unova. (since we're going to unova for the upcoming indigo disc dlc, maybe it'll even be there!)

at any rate - i somehow forgot that kalos' league is absolutely amazing! each member of the elite four is so iconic, and they each have BEAUTIFULLY decorated rooms that reflect their respective personal styles very well. i had to take a photo of champion diantha's room; it was just so, so gorgeous. the stained glass flooring reminded me a lot of terapagos' terastal form! the place's aesthetics aside, reides was pretty much able to solo the league on his own... what a champ! even though he did most of the heavy lifting, my whole party (including this random gengar named gaspar that i got wonder traded way back when; he was in my party when i arrived so i decided that he could come along) got kalos champion ribbons.

it was then time to take on one of my favorite little mechanics introduced in the kalos games: super training! while ev training off wild encounters is my usual go-to nowadays, i really like this feature. back in the day, it pretty much introduced me to the concept of ev training, so i feel like it deserves a whole lot of my respect, haha. i had all of the courses unlocked thanks to my training in the past, but i still had to clear all 30 of them with reides. i got to work on that while i was doing some super training of my own - i.e. while i was walking on a treadmill. lmao.

eventually, reides had all 30 of the necessary medals for the training ribbon. i hopped in a cab to go see the character who'd give it to me and learnt that super training is a whole Thing in kalos; the term 's.t. meatheads' had me losing it.

though i put it off for as long as i could, it was finally time to face gen6's battle tower - the battle maison. thankfully, gamefreak realized that they went a little too wild with gen4's six battle tower-related ribbons and i only had to get two battle maison-related ribbons in gen6. the first of these ribbons would be from beating one of the normal battle modes (namely, emerging victorious against the chatelaine at battle #20 of it). the second one was for achieving a streak of 50 on one of the super battle modes, which would require beating the chatelaine at battle #50. i decided to take on the single battle mode for this ribbon master quest, which... may have been quite the choice. it was my first time taking the maison on, and i heard (both from friends and from various posts made by people online) that the single battle mode was the hardest one. you may be wondering why i opted to choose that mode, then. unfortunately, i don't really have an answer for that. I Just Did. HAHA. speaking more seriously, i'm generally more comfortable with battling one-on-one, so i opted to go with what was familiar to me versus what would be easier to me. as it turns out, the first battle maison ribbon (the skillful battler ribbon) was incredibly easy to get on reides. i used the same ol' team of albatross, origin and reides and yoinked it on my very first try. after breezing through it, i had one HELL of an ego. "gen4's tower was way worse," i told myself. "if my team got through that, they can get through anything." I WAS WRONG. AND THIS SMALL CHILD WAS RIGHT.

my streak in the super singles battle mode broke several times in the 30s; more times than ever before!!! my team was being hard-countered. even when i opted to replace reides with persana the suicune (you only need your ribbon master for battle 50; it's fine if you don't have them present in your party for the full streak), we were still having an incredibly hard time. i knew that i couldn't brute force my way through the maison if i wanted to get through gen6 in a timely manner. so i opted to try out a very, very popular little strategy for grinding wins in it.

this strategy involved none other than the cute steel bug known as... durant.

(fair warning: this part of my post is gonna get a little technical!)

wild durants typically have the swarm or hustle abilities. however, truant is available to durants as a hidden ability... and a truant durant is the absolute crux of this strategy.

truant is a strange little ability that makes it impossible for your pokemon to attack consecutively; your truant pokemon can attack on turn one but will then spend the entirety of turn two lazing around. this ability sounds like it'd be absolutely useless on a durant, right? it probably would be... if our awesome little bug didn't learn entrainment at level 44.

entrainment allows your durant to change its target's ability to match its own ability. this isn't permanent, of course - a pokemon who got its ability changed by entrainment gets its ability back to normal once it's switched out, or after the battle ends. but pokemon in the battle maison are very rarely switched out, so... you see where i'm going with this, surely!!!

the truant durant strategy basically relies on outspeeding your opponent and landing entrainment on them so as to pass the traunt ability to them. after doing that, you swap your durant out for another pokemon. it can't just be any pokemon for this strategy to work, though. you'd need one with the move protect, as well as a stats-boosting move, such as dragon dance or shell smash. by using protect on the turns that you expect your opponent to attack on and using your stats-booster on its traunt-afflicted turns, you can safely max out your pokemon's stats and proceed to sweep the entire enemy team. the general pattern is therefore as follows:

your durant uses entrainment, giving the opponent traunt

you swap to your stats-boosting pokemon*

your stats-booster uses protect, avoiding damage from the opponent

your stats-booster uses its stats-boosting move*

repeat 3 and 4 until your stats-boosting pokemon has maxed out stats

SWEEP!

* = your pokemon takes no damage, as it is a traunt turn for your opponent.

please note that this order shifts a bit if your durant gets knocked out on turn one! if it does, you get a free swap *into* a traunt turn, so your stats-boosting pokemon doesn't need to start off with protect and can get right to boostin'.

in order to get a traunt durant, i knew that i'd have to use sweet scent in order to spawn horde encounters. within hordes, pokemon have a small chance of having their hidden ability. however... i also needed that durant to have a speed boosting nature so that it could outspeed whatever enemies it faced. ideally, i wanted a jolly one; one that would have reduced special attack for increased speed. i COULD have simply caught a small army of truant durants, but i was wary of testing my luck like that and decided to test it in another way that was, hopefully, less time consuming. basically... i hatched ralts eggs until i got a jolly one with synchronize. with this ralts leading my party, the pokemon that i encountered had a 50% chance of being jolly natured, themselves - even while the ralts was fainted. i then grabbed my sweet scent user - a cute little spritzee - and got to challenging hordes of durants. after catching 3 truant ones, i finally managed to get my hands on a jolly natured durant with the traunt ability. i named her 'donatella.'

then came the matter of my stats-boosting sweeper pokemon. i went through my boxes and noticed that i had a ton of leftover pokemon from various breeding projects during my y playthrough. (just as this gen opened my eyes to ev training, it also opened by eyes to iv breeding!) i saw that i had an adamant dratini with perfect ivs, as well as its hidden ability. i knew that dragonite's hidden ability, multiscale, would give it some tankiness in the battle maison (it reduces the damage that the pokemon takes when its hp is full), and i also knew that dragonite could learn dragon dance (a move that increases both speed and attack) as well. i decided that it was finally this little dratini's time to shine after spending years and years in my pc. i named her 'venus.'

finally, there was the matter of my third pokemon. using one of my already-trained pokemon was definitely an option, but i saw a LOT of people online talking about how cloysters with the skill link ability can easily hard-counter the super single battle chatelaine's team. to employ strategy, you give your cloyster a focus sash and have it use shell smash on the first turn of the battle. the focus sash keeps your cloyster safe from being ohko'd on that first turn, and, after getting the shell smash buffs, it can outspeed most of the battle chatelaine's team. skill link allows cloyster to land the MAX NUMBER!!!! of hits for multistrike moves, giving its icicle spear attack a whole lot of power - enough power to k.o. the chatelaine's tornadus and thundurus. while the chatelaine's choice scarf-wielding landorus potentially poses a problem (as it may outspeed your cloyster and potentially finish off the last of its hp), you can easily circumvent this by using ice shard on it, instead.

this little strategy works consistently, so i figured i'd raise a skill link cloyster, myself... just to be safe. while trying to hatch a jolly ralts with synchronize, i actually hatched an adamant one with synchronize, too - so i used him for my little shellder hunt. i fished a suitable shellder up from the sea in no time at all and named her 'applause.' here is a picture of my new battle maison warriors, all ready for the training grind:

i ev trained this trio of pokemon by giving them power items (which boost the amount of evs that you get per battle) and by taking on hordes via sweet scent. since i had the same ev build in mind for all three of them AND since gen6 introduced the party-wide exp share, i was able to ev train them all at once. i took out weepinbells on route 19 for attack evs, wingulls on route 8 for speed evs, and hoppips on route 7 for special defense evs. you can make this process SUPER fast if you use a high-levelled pokemon with earthquake or surf, as you can take out all 5 members of the horde with one use of the move!

once everyone was all ev trained, i levelled them up by repeatedly challenging cafe le wow in lumoise city while keeping the party-wide exp share on. it was during this training-fest that reides finally hit level 100, too!

in the end, this was my battle maison team:

donatella the durant (choice scarf) ability: truant nature: jolly evs: 252 atk, 252 speed, 4 sp. defense - entrainment - toxic - x-scissor - iron head

venus the dragonite (lum berry) ability: multiscale nature: adamant evs: 252 atk, 252 speed, 4 sp. defense - earthquake - fire punch - dragon dance - protect

applause the cloyster (focus sash) ability: skill link nature: adamant evs: 252 atk, 252 speed, 4 sp. defense - shell smash - icicle spear - ice shard (for landorus) - protect

this team worked like a dream for the whole maison, and i was able to get my streak of 50 wins on my very first attempt with it.

admittedly, i kept applause the cloyster in my pc until the final battle, during which i swapped donatella the durant out for her and slotted reides in, as well - but i was just so relieved to maintain an unbroken streak. there were a few thorny situations, so i don't think this team is entirely unbeatable or anything of the sort, but i definitely recommend the truant durant strategy if you're struggling with the maison. it felt SOOOO great to finally get through it... i did NOT expect it to be as difficult as it was.

also, in hindsight, i could have likely sped this process up a whole lot more if i followed donatella up with applause the cloyster rather than venus the dragonite. i seriously underestimated skill link; that thing lets icicle spear hit like a TRUCK! furthermore, venus needed to use dragon dance 6 times to max out her attack and speed stats, whereas applause's shell smash would only need 3. so... you know. i do think that dragonite offered better coverage, at the very least, so all's well that ends well, i guess. while it may have taken longer to clear the maison with venus, i'm really happy that i was able to raise her properly. that alone is a huge reward, since i LOVE dragonite. more pals sharing in reides' ribbon master journey is always a good thing, too, right?

once i got those final two ribbons, reides' time in kalos reached its end. before leaving, i randomly decided to raise a kangaskhan, because i remembered how cute mega kangaskhan was and wanted one for myself. (shoutout to my friend, rachel, who traded me a kangaskhan with awesome ivs Way Back When and made it super easy for me to raise one of my own!) i named this new kangaskhan 'chips,' since i was snacking on some really delicious sour cream and onion chips at the time, and decided that she'd accompany reides on his adventure, too. (...along with her little baby, of course. that goes without saying!)

with kalos' ribbons handled, it was time for reides' homecoming! i plopped him back into pokemon bank and then booted up my copy of omega ruby. he was all ready to go home to hoenn. hilariously enough, i didn't have a file in the post-game for omega ruby. if this ribbon master challenge has taught me anything, it's that i have a shocking amount of pokemon games that i drifted from without ever completing. fake fan alert. (I'M KIDDING!!!!!) but, anyway... i only had to wrap up some wild plot cover-legendary-related business and nab my 8th badge, so it wasn't like i had to replay the entire game. i really enjoyed how everything played out, and it was also a treat to meet wallace again. he's one of my fav pokemon characters ever, and his oras redesign is absolutely incredible!

immediately after getting my 8th badge, i slotted reides into my team and rushed on over to the pokemon league. since my alpha sapphire file is currently devoted to my shiny badge quest (which will hopefully be a post of its own, someday!), it was actually my very first time taking on the pokemon league in the oras games. not gonna lie, i had low expectations, as i figured it'd be a simple 1:1 reskin of the rse league rooms - but it kind of took my breath away.

like the kalos league, the revamped hoenn league was utterly gorgeous. i tore through it with my team until we eventually faced the LEGENDARY steven stone. it was reides' first time facing him as a champion, as, in emerald, wallace was champion, instead. since he was a level 5 horsea while the rest of my team faced wallace in emerald, i gave him a shot at a hoenn champion battle and let him take steven on.

once reides single-handedly took down steven, my team entered the hoenn hall of fame. even though reides already had a hall of fame ribbon from hoenn, he actually got a second one for entering the oras one!

after weeping openly at omega ruby's beautiful credits, we then headed to lilycove city. once there, we took a bit of a break from the ribbon grind and paid a visit to the cove lily motel. it turns out that some small indie company called gamefreak had just checked in. i talked to the game director, who was amazed upon seeing reides. since reides was from emerald version, he noted just how far he had come and gave us the time travel award. as lovely as this award is (you can even put it up in your secret base!), it's worth noting that the art featured on it is inexplicably shiny locked?!?! so reides had his normal kingdra colouration in mine! it's still a beautiful award, though, so i edited it for the purposes of this post!

i put the award up in my secret base and focused on a much-anticipated part of reides' ribbon master quest: the hoenn contests (part two)! the contests on oras are similar to the ones in rse - however, instead of giving ribbons for each and every contest win, the oras contests give a brand new ribbon for each *master* contest win. this meant that reides needed to take on the master contests for each of the 5 contest categories (the same ol' cool, beautiful, cute, clever/smart, and tough ones). like i mentioned all the way back in my gen3 post, oras also took the sheen limitation away, so i was finally able to max out reides' contest stats. since his stats were already really good, i didn't have to feed him too many pokeblocks for him to have the perfect contest spread.

i was so proud of him for finally having everything maxed out!! it's truly what he deserves. the contests themselves were also pretty easy. i'm not sure if it was necessary or if having perfect contest stats meant that they hit a cap, but i went and picked up the red, blue, pink, yellow, and green scarves from the pokemon fanclub in slateport and put them on reides just in case. also, while i couldn't use the amazing rest + snore combination of rse fame, i used the double team + secret power one (which i learnt about thanks to this post on the ribbons subreddit). my general strategy was:

turn 1: double team for the 1st pumped-up star.

turn 2: double team for the 2nd pumped-up star.

turn 3: secret power! (big boost thanks to being pumped up!)

turn 4: double team for the 3rd pumped-up star.

turn 5: secret power! (for yet another big boost thanks to being pumped up!)

the audience wasn't too pleased about the repeated double team on turn 2, but that didn't matter, as reides was able to win each and every contest category on his first attempt.

since he got the 5 ribbons for winning each contest category at its master rank, reides also got the contest star ribbon as an added bonus!

this was the last ribbon that i needed in gen6, which meant that reides' time in hoenn had come to an end. after wandering around the region a bit, peeking into various friends' secret bases and seeing the sights... it was time to pack our bags once more and gear up for the next part of reides' adventure.

gen7 has even less ribbons than gen6, but i never thought that the battle maison would end up being such a big challenge in gen6 - so who knows how gen7 will go?! (...i do, actually, because i was slightly evil and grinded out gen7's ribbons before making this post. sorry. i won't spoil it, though.) regardless, i hope you enjoyed reading about reides' gen6 journey!

[pokemonruby]

okay i have so many thoughts. good lord. that was not on mine or anyone else's bingo cards i imagine.

we've heard whispers of pokemon z being in development or at the very least it was planned but ultimately got scrapped, and overall x/y while i have extremely fond memories of them definitely had areas that deserved more polishing especially in regards to its story. the lore for the great war, the origins of mega evolution, and AZ for christ's sake who got little to no time to shine despite his overall importance - i think a new legends game will (hopefully) be able to iron out all the issues that x/y suffered from and bring us the true gen 6 experience we've all been waiting for and hopefully cast aside some of the infamy poor kalos has been subjected to throughout the years.

of course it will likely be some time before we get all the details (and that 2025 release date looks promising if it's later in the year, at least) but honestly, legends arceus is the best mainline pokemon game in recent years in my personal opinion (though a lot of others hold this consensus as well) so i'm optimistically excited! kalos is an absolutely beautiful region with a lot of untapped potential and i'm so excited to see it get brought to life proper.

ALSO WELCOME BACK MEGAS, THE BEST MECHANIC!!!

[ghostace]

boring answers. this question thingy i don't do 30 days.

1. which race was the first one you played with?

2. show us your favourite fashion look you’ve created

most recent fave. have lots of others

3. which core Tyria map is your favourite?

don't ask why just instinct

4. your favourite world boss?

triple trouble and the chaos of waiting on the organised maps

5. an enemy you find really annoying

the aggressive invisible boxes in core tyria that i smack into with my skyscale

6. favourite elite spec

the literal worst mirage in existence and i refuse to stop. 400+ deaths in a year and counting. getting into specter. love firebrand's versatility. scrapper. probably others.

7. do you have a favourite place to afk/chill out?

arborstone for the xp bonus but lately the DR vip area for the crafting stations. laziness only.

8. favourite expansion

HoT for everything. PoF for the prettiest night skies. EoD for just wandering around and not getting destroyed.

9. your favourite npc

who can choose? but actually it's braham. and frostbite.

10. an action screenshot!

there's real ones if you look for them

11. which profession are you not good at?

all of them. mirage. everything elementalist.

12. any friends you play with?

they know who they are uwu i mostly play by myself because i keep inconsistent hours. fractal squad.

13. favourite dungeon/fractal/raid/strike mission

haven't done enough to have an opinion. fractals seem fun though

14. favourite enemy faction (inquest, white mantle, etc.)

nightmare court fashion always on point

15. an underrated part of the game you love

is anything underrated? i like map completion. and fishing.

16. favourite living world season

s4 for story, icebrood for maps

17. show us something you worked hard on!

gen 2 legendary + HoT specialization weapon. i haven't done that much tbh

18. favourite elder dragon

jormag

19. a place that reminds you of a fond memory

orr is always good for Feelings

20. favourite jumping puzzle

weyandt's revenge. love a ghost pirate. probably some others

21. favourite legendary weapon

22. what is the best thing about guild wars 2?

just being able to vibe. stumbling on fun lore. running into meta events and being able to just jump in. getting unearned birthday gifts because i played for 6 months 5 years ago.

23. your favourite meta event

all the HoT ones and dragon's end

24. what’s something you hope ArenaNet will add someday?

gem store skins being weight-neutral. cultural skins being weight-neutral. dyeable weapons. idk

25. favourite belief system (eternal alchemy, spirts of the wild, etc)

i don't go here sorry

26. emote!

27. your favourite non-playable race

the fluffy canthan tengu. and quaggan.

28. your favourite mount

soft spot for warclaw

29. which character is your main?

exhausted co-commanders

30. now show us your character roster!

[angelkerisimasi]

NOSTALGIA TAG

dig into your youth and bring it into the present. the answers can be things you liked back then that you still go back to today, or maybe some you haven't checked out since your younger days, but still have fond memories of. tag whoever you want to do this 😀

TV Shows: i'll always love going back and watching nickelodeon cartoons i grew up on. top 5 are probably Avatar: The Last Airbender (and Legend Of Korra obvi😁), All Grown Up, As Told By Ginger, Danny Phantom, and Hey Arnold!

Movies: i probably shouldn't have seen it when i was 8 or however old i was, but Mortal Kombat (1995) is one i still go back and watch. one of my best friends and i recently rewatched it and it was still fairly good. MK Annihilation is not, but we said we gotta rewatch it while high 😆

Video Games: Guitar Hero III & Rock Band got me started with music, so they get automatic first mention. Jet Set Radio Future is my fave game maybe ever. i literally just finished a replay of it 2 days ago. i still want a current gen console sequel

Songs/Artists: i can't remember much of anything i listened to before age 13, so i'll go with Dream Theater. pretty much all of their albums can get me vibing. i love the complexity, the way they switch time signatures, the riffs, the beats, the stories they tell. but Paramore is my number 1 and i don't feel a need to explain; it should be obvious😄

Collectibles: i used to collect wrestling action figures. i had like 4, maybe 5 dozen at one point. my dad even built a custom 6-sided ring for me to play with them when i was 14. we moved a lot during my teen years, so i had to give them away.

Toys: idgaf if it's not actually a toy, my favorite thing to play with/on as a kid was our trampoline. my cousin and i used to play wrestle fuckin body pillows and couch cushions on that thing. it's why i can even do a moonsault now😊

Fun Fact About You/Fun Fact You Learned As A Kid: i had memorized the entire 2004-2008 wwe roster's ring announcements. i've since forgotten most of them, but i knew where everyone was from, how much they weighed, and their monikers.

i tag @whysamwhy123 @saltydornishman @likesummerrainn @vonschweetz @adampage @cowboyshit @cutoutskies

[twildflower]

watching build fighters oh my fucking god i love my boys so much

fucnin yapping again guys i think i might have adhd

why the hell do i keep saying guys. i nedd hep i need to be killed

i miss them so much theyre so silly i am sooooooo ajhdgfshfga this is so much nostalgia im aghgfhgsgkjfhakfhajkhdsjh and just episode one too i cant think how hype id get watching finale itll be so fucking awesome I LOVEEEE BUILD FIGHTER my fav gundam show.... mercury is second i guess i only watched mercury and i think its iron blood or whatever its called in eng im not even sure if its gundam lol but anyway i love sei and reiji theyre actually sooo damn <3333 i think they were the first two guys i ship together bc theyre actually so gay even tho reiji has a gf or whatever its like one of the first pieces of media i consumed and didnt just like whichever main ship the plot has... yea iirc. i think theres mainly only jp twinkle n shugo chara before build fighters but then i went back to main ship in pokemon xy and macross delta lmao... shits awesome tho i think im cool and like whatever i like i love sei so much hes so adorable and reiji is so cool and theyre blue and red theyre so made for each other like ahhghdgfsjgfhsgfisgfjgfjdghsuifguiwdg i think i mightve gave myself way too much adraline its fuckin 430 am and i wanted to cut my hair a bit tmr agh damn. i guess i could stay up the night and binge....hehe....... was watching horizons too i love horizons a lot i really dont mind ash not being protag anymore but the fact that they ended with him looking like a fuckin ugly ass idiot that looks even worse than gen 1 ash tho..... i have beef with only that fact bc like fuck you man i hate whoever the fuck made that artstyle after xyz with a passion i think tney deserve to go to hell. the fact that its a downgrade from gen1 is crazy. i dont hate that artsyle but i hate the way ash is drawn in that artysle like most other people look okay but the past travel companions and ash look fucking shit and i think theyre doing it on purpose and i fucking HATE THEM

ermm back to gunpla hehe its 6 am im so tired im gonna sleep em anyway i love them soso much damn id so build a gunpla of their moedel in the episdoe.... yknow my dad used to record the edpisodes when they played on tv and idk was it a bug or there wasnt enough space anymore so he deleted all the episodes excepgt the las one or maybe seocnd last im not sure but anyway we kept rewatching it every now and then and go feral over how awesone it was it was the best endin episode i wached when i was a kid like shugo chara i didnt watch or they didnt play till like season 2/3 i think the wedding dress end and all that shit was crazy but the only other thing i watched was jewelpet and it was like not as crazy as this one i like it alot but build fighters was a lot more visually and emotionallly stunning lollll

i think if i had to choose a best ending for all the stuff i watched itd still be xyz tbh that shit was stunning and so. urgh. my heart. i get. so much agsjhahlf. its just so good. peaked tbh. then itd probably be build fighters tbh like idk man. delta was like. cool. very cool. but like. idk. build fighters either is more nostalgic or whatever it just appeals to me more than macross. it would be third tho. i think it is. then itd be shugo and then twinkle. these are like. the main stuff i have really core memorty w lmao. yeh i uess this is it. gn im so eepy

last edit lol i didnt remember the uhhh handsome guy being just a guy that also liked gunpla a lot at the start lmaooo i just remember him being a bad guy turned good at the end w everyone to help destory the crystal........aghhhh i loveeeeee build fighters sm.....

oh yeah i guess i did watch brs too. black rock would like. hm. be at the bottom tho bc..idk. i dont have too fond memory and i like my stuff better i have my prioritys lmaooo.. hm. yeah now i really dont rmb anything i just remembered brs bc the blacckkk rockkkk shooooterrrrr is just ringing in my head its such a good song owo

[akajustmerry]

why is the eleventh doctor your favorite? /gen

i was gonna try n be funny like "cos he's just like me fr" but anyways its a mix of reasons honestly!

a big one is i just have a lot of fond formative memories tied up with that era so there's a nostalgia element. especially because I feel that was the height of dw's popularity in recent memory so it was really fun to be a fan at that time, particularly around the 50th anniversary. idk if I've ever had more fun as a who fan than being a who fan between 2010-13. if you weren't a fan or involved with the fandom then, it's one of those things that's hard to explain because it really was event television.

and then there's um............[checks notes] i'm bisexual and matt smith, karen gillan, alex kingston, arthur darvil, jenna coleman, etc. they were all, you know, very beautiful and adorable and talented and sometimes right? sometimes............i just watch things with my coochie as much as my eyes. also, i now recognise that i had immense gender envy for the 11th doctor so there's that too.

there's obviously some bias in this next part but i genuinely think that matt smith's performance as eleven is insanely good. the way he totally embodied the "old man pretending to be young cos his body is young" complex sooooo well. like the way he could drop that silly goofy awkwardness facade and switch to just being an angry vengeful old man was really haunting honestly. i remember reading a quote from someone that was like, "matt smith plays the Doctor like a young man built by old men from half-forgotten memories" or something and it's so true. 

he also just had really fun chemistry with literally every person/character (i BEG ppl to watch eleven’s guest appearence on sarah jane adventures because the way he interacts with sarah and jo is absolutely perfect!! i fucking CRY). obviously he’s from the only Doctor Actor™️ to do this well (Capaldi and Tennant also do this compellingly), but he made it very easy to believe that you were watching the Doctor, the same character that's been here the whole time, and not just a version or interpretation of the Doctor in the moment. a joy to watch as someone who grew up with classic who!!

and eleven is just..........kind, you know? like. yeah he got grumpy and genocided some bitches but that's just the gig being the doctor. eleven and his era was just so full of love and wasn't afraid of that and i loved it!! i love 12's era for this too ftr. like if I could travel with any of the current Doctors, I'd pick 11 or 12 because they're kind, not always nice, but kind!! 

He’s a great Doctor, especially considering some of the nonsense material moffat wrote. the whole first half of season 7 and middle of season 6 has some of the most mediocre writing in the show’s history, but matt smith did an amazing job of making it fun and compelling anyway and idk if he always gets the credit he should for that. 

I think it’s easier to be a great doctor when you have great material to work with (Eccleston and Tennant), or easy to just roll with whatever content you’re given because fuck it (Whittaker), but Capaldi and Smith did not have good shit to work with a lot of the time, and they put their whole hearts into being a great character anyway, even at the show’s lower points. i’ll always walk through fire for them both for doing that. but especially eleven, because that’s my blorbo, my manic pixie mass murderer 🥺🥰

[mithrilwren]

Fanfic ask game for procrastinating on writing, which as of this week is actually accurate, since I’m finally writing again! (or, more specifically, editing what I wrote two months ago so I can get back to writing.)

Tagged by @essektheylyss! Thank you, this is exactly the kind of activity my brain needed tonight.

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

72! I was hovering at 69 for quite a while, sad to break the streak haha

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

~550K, which is somehow both more and less than what I expected

3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Many, lmao. According to my Ao3 (omitting any blanket tags) I’ve got 22 there, plus at least two more over on ff.net from back in the day, and probably a couple more just on Tumblr. Most of them I’ve only written one fic for, though. I think the only fandoms where I’ve written more than one are Critical Role (35), Supernatural (15), Haikyuu!! (3), The Exorcist (2), Dimension 20 (2), and Yu-Gi-Oh! (2)

4) What are your top five fics by kudos?

Pick a Number, Any Number

Surprisingly, my number one is NOT a Critical Role fic, nor is it even one of my longer multi-chapters! It’s actually a one-shot I wrote for Haikyuu!! back in the day that took off far beyond what I expected. I wrote it for DaiSuga week, which was a ship I (to be completely honest) wasn’t even terribly invested in, but I had a fun idea and people seemed to like it! (It’s also much fluffier than what I usually write, which might be part of its broader appeal ;))

A Winter’s Ball

Unsurprisingly, the next four are all CR ;). This one was a M9 x VM crossover that I primarily wrote between the hours of 3-8am over the course of two insomnia-wracked nights and honestly, I think it shows in its uncharacteristically unstructured format (compared to my typical style, which tends to favour shorter scenes with very intentionally-placed breaks between, as opposed to scenes that flow into each other without pause). That’s not to say I think it’s a bad thing! The story, which follows Beau as she drifts through a party in Whitestone and observes the interactions between the various guests, actually flows better without that kind of interruption. This was also my first Beaujester piece. I started writing it right before Beau’s confession aired, and published it the week after, which definitely pushed me to make what had been only subtextual in the first half of my draft into the emotional lynchpin of the story.

Only the Nightingale Sings

I’m really glad this one still ranks as high as it does, because this story is absolutely my pride and joy. At one time (though I’m not sure that’s true anymore) it was the longest gen fic in the fandom, which is pretty cool! Plot-heavy, twist-heavy, angst-heavy, with seven points of view to follow and multiple interwoven storylines, it was a beast of a thing to write, and took almost exactly a year to finish, but the long process was oh-so worth it. Literally nothing makes me happier today than seeing a new comment or kudos on this story.

Closer Still

One of my earliest shadowgast fics, this one asks the question “how can you make the ‘stuck in an elevator trope’ fantasy?” The answer is, as always, demiplanes. This fic, perhaps more than any of my other shadowgast fics, is interesting to revisit, because it was written before the ep 97 reveal, but literally everything Essek does in it would suggest otherwise. It reads like I already knew he was a spy working with Trent, and yet I was firmly in the “Essek is NOT the spy” camp at the time. Gotta chalk that up to Matt telegraphing his growing guilt into the preceding episodes - even if I couldn’t see it, it was clearly there.

your dust from mine

My other novel-length CR multichapter, this fic brought me so much joy in the otherwise bleak summer of 2020. Most of my best memories of those four months come from working on this story. A Fjorclay adaption of The Goose Girl (my favourite fairytale) this story is about healing, growth, and figuring out what happiness means to you. While I know most people don’t read stories for this pairing anymore, for obvious reasons, I still cherish your dust from mine for how much of my heart I poured into it, and I look back on it with a huge amount of fondness.

5) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do my absolute best to respond to every comment someone leaves on a story of mine, even if it occasionally takes a month or two. Replying to comments is one of my favourite parts of the fic-writing process - it gives me a chance to revisit peoples’ kind words and (often, incredibly insightful) observations, and I hope it also shows how appreciative I am of each and every one. 

6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Though I write a lot of angst, I honestly tend more towards bittersweet endings than straight-up sadness. The only one I can really think of is What You Own - mind the tags if you follow the link, this is definitely one of the gnarlier things I’ve written for CR - whose ending is, admittedly, bleak. But this story so far removed from canon that I don’t think it’s the kind of angsty ending that lingers with you, as much as it packs a punch and then lets you go on your way.

7) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I tend to enjoy thinking about crossovers moreso than actually writing them. I’ve brainstormed a few, but none have ever made it much farther than the first page.

8) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

A few times! Not often, thankfully. Only one time in particular really sticks out to me, mostly for how it rocked my confidence in a way that I don’t think any comment could now, since I’ve had a few more years to build up faith in my own writing.

9) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Very, very occasionally.

10) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I hope not! 

11) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

12) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Oh man, back in the Glee days... yeah. Yeah, I have. Nothing that ever got published, though ;)

13) What’s your all time favourite ship?

Not sure I have one! Ships come and go with the seasons, and sometimes they’re best left in the era you found them.

14) What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

The Shadowgast figure skating AU. It’s never going to happen, but I wish it had.

15) What are your writing strengths?

I would say probably structure, in terms of constructing narrative arcs and through-lines. I’m organized with my writing in a way that I am in few other areas of my life, haha. I’d also say my sense of place - I think I’m pretty good at constructing living, breathing settings and exploring how my characters interact affect/are affected by them.

16) What are your writing weaknesses?

I have a tendency to be wordy (which you might surmise from the length of this post, lol) and repeat myself, usually by going over emotional beats that don’t need the extra reinforcement. On the other hand, I tend to underexplain certain elements (particularly, important plot details in fic, and character motivation in original writing), which can lead to confusion.

A couple years ago I would have said dialogue, but I’ve put a lot of practice into it and I honestly think I’ve improved a lot, which is pretty cool!

17) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’ve never done it myself, and it’s not generally my favourite thing to read (like @essektheylyss said, it makes me hyper-aware that I’m reading words on a page, especially if I have to follow a footnote somewhere). That said, I’ve definitely also seen it used effectively, so I think it’s more down to whether it suits the particular story!

18) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Yu-Gi-Oh!

19) What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

As mentioned above, Only the Nightingale Sings.

[relicshamecircle]

“End of Year” Questions for Writers and Artists

Answering some questions for my friend @gooddaygalaxy  :) 1. What project are you most proud of and why? Hard to choose, but I’m very proud of Pieces of Heaven, one I wrote for day five of Diarmute Week. I just think that, style-wise, it’s pretty good! I liked writing the Mute’s memories and dreams and his confusion going in and out of consciousness… I’ll also mention Life and Love and Photosynthesis, the High School AU no one asked for, because multiple people told me I did a good job on capturing that teenage feeling of wanting to throw yourself off a cliff at the smallest perceived misstep. 2. Which project did you have the most fun making? Hmm. Probably Courtship and Correspondence, because I got to really let loose with that Regency Romance Novel style. It was fun, and I’d like to write a sequel for it at some point. 3. Which project was the most unexpected and/or challenging and why? to mend bone, muscle, soul aka the Diarmuid is the Relic AU. Still a WIP! Would you believe it was meant to be a oneshot? I always feel more pressure when I’m writing a canon setting fic, and this one is set (at least partially) during the actual movie! And I had to choose which scenes to show again and which to skip and which to add on to… At least now, as I work on the fourth chapter, we’re going full AU! The path has split! 4. Which project would you like to receive more attention? I’m very fond of The Knight and His Prince! Personally I just really like Royalty AUs. And I’m proud of the duel scene between David and Raymond. The fic was partially an excuse to try and write a bit of combat, and I think I pulled it off pretty well! And also any gen fic I’ve written lol. I know most people don’t think baby Diarmuid and dad Ciaran are as interesting and fun as I do, but I enjoy writing about their little adventures. 5. Is there a project you intended to work on but couldn’t find the time? If so, what is it? Vague Viking AU aka The Excuse for Nasty Public Sex Fic, one day soon I’ll write you. 6. Have you noticed an improvement in your skill this year? Did a specific project help? I was going to say no, I’ve written my best work and now I’m just continually getting worse but it’s nice that people still are reading my fics (which is how I feel a lot lol) but honestly when I take a look back at everything I’ve written I think I have improved… I tend to write a lot of similar plots, but I do mix up the genres occasionally (e.g., Regency AU, Mafia AU, Western AU, canon-setting fic, etc.) and adjust the narration style to reflect that so that, at least, is different. So, just continually writing has helped me see what works and what doesn’t. 7. If you could remake any project you’ve created this year, which one would it be and why? Hmm. I really don’t think I’d remake anything. Everything I’ve written and posted is the best I could write at the time, and even if I’m not completely happy with how something turned out (and I’m never completely happy with how something turned out) I can at least learn from it and do better on the next fic! 8. What project would you like to make next year? Vague Viking AU, definitely! It’s waited long enough! Hopefully I can also finish the Western AU and the Diarmuid is the Relic AU, too.

[underwaterdogballs]

The Birth House - Ami McKay

[ im only a new reader, so im still working on the reading daily thing ]

time it took me - 2-3 days (i was really into it lol)

published - 2006

pages - 368

TW for book: physical abuse, sexual abuse, sex scenes, sexism, violence, teen pregnancy + birth

chapters - 47 + epilogue, and there are notes from the Willow Book at the end (i actually typed the whole thing up lmao ( x ) )

genre - historical / realistic fiction

5/5 stars (but my standards are really fucking low, so don’t trust me)

honest opinion - I loved it. It was a great book for me. I loved the MC (stands for Main Character), and it was just a great book all around. I can't put my opinion into words, but I'd highly recommend it, but if you've faced sexual abuse and/or teen pregnancy I might pass it up, as it may be triggering.

basic summary (no major spoilers) (im writing this 3-4 months after reading the book, so sorry if a bit inaccurate) - 

Takes place in 1910s-1920s (WWI), Nova Scotia. Basically Dora Rare (first daughter in 5 generations of Rares), is drawn to Miss Babineau, a midwife and eventually after a few years becomes a midwife herself. But soon Dr. Gilbert Thomas, comes by and brings promises of quick, painless birth, and now many people start to question Babineau’s methods. Miss B disappears, and now Dora has to fight for her traditions. 

in depth ‘summary’ (spoilers. and a whole lot of them) !!CW!! physical abuse, sexual abuse(?), few sex scenes - 

Alrightie, buckle up.

“On the evening of a full moon in June, Silent went out in his canoe to catch the shad that were spawning around the tip of Cape Split. As the night wore on, Annie began to worry that some ill had befallen her love. . . . She walked to the cove where they had first met and began to call to him, promising her heart, her fidelity and a thousand loves to his name. The moon, seeing Annie’s sadness, began to sing, forcing the waves inland, strong and fast, bringing Silent safely back to his lover. Since that time, every child born from the Rare name has been male, and even now, when the moon is full, you can hear her voice, the voice of the moon, singing sailors home.” < why all Rare children have been men (for past 5 gen) >

Dora Rare is the only daughter in 5 generations of Rares. When Dora is first mentioned, she is 17 years old, and has 6 older brothers. Marie Babineau drags Dora to Mrs. Experience Ketch’s 13th kid, which would be a very prominent memory. Anyway if she didn’t give birth to this child today, she’d die. So she did, but she did not want her child. She pushed him away. So he died. Mr. Ketch is not deserving to be called a father, but here we are. Being the 1910s, he was a sexist wanker. “’I don’t trust nothin’ that can’t piss standin’ up.”’ like bitch who the fuck do you think you are?? 

Mrs. Ketch is a victim of serious domestic abuse, if the amount of children didn’t tell you otherwise (women can choose to have this many children, but... holy fuck.)

Archer, someone who Dora is sorta fond of (its been a while, dont remember her feelings), didn’t wish to fight in the war, but Grace and Precious really didn’t fucking like that. “’If I could, I’d march through Europe myself, killing Huns right and left, gutting them with a bayonet and crushing their skulls with the heel of my boot. But I can’t, and neither can any other woman who might wish for victory over evil... and neither can these boys who are too young to serve their king.’ She glared at Archer. ’But you can’” Mate. Take notes from Mulan. Masquerade as a man and beat them all. Fucking coward.

After Archer drags Dora to an empty room, Dora starts to become a horny fuck, and he begins undressing her, she mentions that that was her first kiss, and this Archer hoe backs off, and leaves.

Dr. Thomas comes bearing promises of quick and painless births. He makes Miss B and Dora seem like they’re using wooden tools and sawing a woman in half to get her baby out and taping her back together. Like stfu.

Well, a chapter or 2 later, Dora learns that she is marrying Archer, and she can’t refuse it. 

A couple pages later, on the start of chapter 18, B orders Dora to get her 2 long-handled spoons and to grease them up with tallow, to get a teacup cover out from Grace Hutner’s sweet spot, cause she’s a horndog.

On the day before their wedding night, Archer wants Dora to give him a bj. A motherfucking blowjob. As a thanks for the permission to marry him. 

“Come on, Dorrie. Just get on your knees. It won’t take long, no one needs to know. Now open up that mouth and take me in.” im not even going to say anything.

Anyway, the day before Dora has to marry Archer Bigelow, Miss B dies. :(

Archer wants Dora to give up the midwifery stuff (i think its sorta cool tbh, but k mate). This horny fuck wants sex every damn night. The book mentions the ‘supposed to hurt the first time’ and ‘breaking a woman in’ and just to let you know, the book talks like this bc it’s set in the 1910s-1920s, but irl, it doesn’t have to hurt the first time, i don’t think (but i havent fucked yet, and i dont plan to so idk), and breaking a woman in makes it sound like an object of some sort. 

On page 174, Archer attempts to punch her, but he misses and makes a hole in the wall. 

Dora gives in to sex when she doesn’t want to, and bc of her ‘obligations as a wife’  he treats her more like a sex toy than a human being. (not every guy is a piece of shit in this book, just most of them)

She heads to Dr. Thomas through a friend or her familys advice, and is diagnosed with hysteria, which is probably just ignored horniness, or a high libido or smth, the Doc basically uses a vibrator thing on her and the book states it’s better than what she’s felt in the arms of her husband.

(im wrapping this up cause my fingers are cold)

Influenza starts to pop up, and after Dora is outcasted for her practices, she goes to one of her older brothers.

Brady Ketch, husband of Experience Ketch, dumps his beat up and bruised pregnant 13-year old daughter on Dora’s doorstep, she dies, but delivers a perfectly healthy baby that Dora adopts as her own, and names Winnie/Wennie or whatever the fuck her name was.

After she comes back, she turns back to midwifery, and bars Dr. Thomas with a pitchfork after he attempts to interrupt a delivery (not Ketch’s daughter, as she died in childbirth) (obvi)

Archer dies out in sea, after Dora didn’t give him a thing known for protecting sailors from drowning and to bring them home safe and sound. But Archer has a brother, Hart, and claimed that he always had feelings for her, and he was disgusted at how he treated her. Dora doesn’t marry him, but stays as his lover. Also, the epilogue is about electricity coming to Scots Bay.

[cartoonsliveon]

Big Hero 6: Pokemon AU

So I’ve been wanting to do this for like forever, but I’ve been having the hardest time also figuring out what Pokemon all of them would have and Pokemon that would match their personalities, their “special” abilities, and such.

Baymax is still a robot in this universe, and his design still stays the same. Originally, I thought about him being shaped or designed to look more like a Chansey or Blissey. Chansey and Blissey are characteristically known as being healing Pokemon, they’re always in the Pokemon Center with Nurse Joy tending to their Pokemon patients. But Baymax was inspired by Tadashi’s Chansey. 

Tadashi used to have a Chansey as a child, which he’s had ever since it was a Happiny. Chansey was always taking care of him and Hiro, and their parents. He knew that Chansey wanted to help people and Pokemon, it was in the Pokemon’s nature. Chansey died in the car accident that killed Tadashi and Hiro’s parents, protecting the two children. Tadashi built Baymax in Chansey’s memory, wanting to fulfill his Pokemon’s dream of helping other. Chansey was the only Pokemon Tadashi ever owned, he never took another partner after Chansey. 

When Tadashi dies, however, Hiro doesn’t have a Pokemon. He never took an interest to being a Pokemon trainer or even having a Pokemon. Hiro’s reasoning was that, because Aunt Cass had Mochi (who’s a Meowth by the way), it never felt like he needed his own Pokemon. He’s also never come across a Pokemon that he felt particularly fond of or wanted as a partner. Especially since he could just build his own, realistic robot versions of Pokemon. 

Instead of bot fighting, Hiro participates in underground, sketchy battle tournaments where trainers not only risked big bucks but also their Pokemon is their opponents liked what they were up against. Hiro has a tiny, robot replica of a Joltik that he uses in his battling. Everyone already underestimates the pokemon because they think its a bug type and it’s so tiny. When Joltik is “defeated” against Yama the first time, it was just Hiro hussling Yama. It isn’t until after Yama loses does everyone realize Hiro had a robot instead of an actual Joltik. Which is good, but not good enough to take on more than one or two Pokemon at a time. And he has a hell of a lot of Houndour and Mightyena chasing him and Tadashi.

It isn’t until after Hiro defeats Callaghan, does he actually get his first Pokemon. A Magnemite. The reasoning behind this is mainly connected to the cartoon more than the movie, as a major part of Hiro’s “abilities” other than his super genius is his use of magnetization to solve problems. And Magnemite are drawn to electric fields. Hiro still has the robot Joltik, but its mainly used as a toy or for recon that might be too worried for the others or any of their Pokemon. Baymax is very pleased that Hiro has found a Pokemon that he wants to raise and get stronger alongside. 

Although Hiro only has one Pokemon, his Magnemite, Gogo, Honey Lemon, Fred, and Wasabi have a small team of their own Pokemon.

Honey Lemon has a Buneary, a Wigglytuff, a Duosion, and Beautifly. She has a pretty diverse team consisting of a Normal Type, a Normal-Fairy Type, a Psychic Type, and a Bug-Flying Type. Buneary and Wigglytuff are really cute Pokemon, and match Honey Lemon’s adoration for all things super cute and adorable. Plus, Wigglytuff is bouncy and Honey Lemon uses her chem-balls to bounce or soften the landing of falling objects. Duosion also follows this logic of just how she uses her chem-balls. She makes herself that bunny, gelatinous armor to protect herself. Beautifly is mainly a reference to Honey Lemon’s “butterfly parties” but is also a very pretty and cute Pokemon.

Gogo has a Pachirisu, a Luxio, and Hitmonchan. Electric Types are the closest to Electromagnetic Suspension as you can get with Pokemon. Electric types are also the fastest of all the other Pokemon types. And considering Gogo loves going fast, it’s pretty obvious. That’s why she has Luxio and Pachirisu. Luxio is an intimidating looking Pokemon, who doesn’t look like the type of Pokemon to mess with (just like how Gogo doesn’t look like the type of person you want to mess with). Hitmonchan was decided upon because Gogo practices boxing as a form of work out (this is mainly revealed in the cartoon). Hitmonchan is designed as a boxer and all of its moves typically involve punching something. Why give someone who practices boxing, even if its just for exercise and not sport, a Fighting type that wasn’t designed around boxing when it exists?

Furthermore, anyone who has seen the Pokemon anime and watched the first episode Pachirisu was featured in knows how fast they can be. The only annoying thing is that Gogo’s Pachirisu is constantly being mistaken as Honey Lemon’s because of it’s adorable, cute appearance. Everyone assumes that only Honey Lemon would have the adorable Pokemon and all of Gogo’s pokemon would be scary or intimidating. Nope. Pachirisu hates this judgement way more than Gogo, and will go out of its way to ignore anyone who makes that mistake or glare daggers at them (especially if the person refuses to correct their mistake). Pachirisu will go so far as to refuse to listen to anyone who isn’t Gogo, just to drive the point home.

With the exception of his Slakoth, Fred’s Pokemon consists mainly of Dragon Types. Why wouldn’t it, considering how much the guy loves monsters and kaijus? Dragon types fit that aesthetic the most out of any other Pokemon type. Fred has a Zweilous, Fraxure, and Gible alongside his Slakoth. Slakoth is actually the first Pokemon Fred has ever had and the oldest companion he’s had. Although his Zweilous was technically suppose to be his starter (back when it was a Dino), 

Fred found Slakoth back when he was around Hiro’s age, abandoned by its trainer because it was so slow and difficult to train and injured from a previous battle it had lost. When Fred returned home, carrying Slakoth, neither of his parents made much of a fuss. Sure, Mrs. Frederickson was worried about what her rich, socialite friends would say about Fred having a Slakoth instead of a Dratini or Growlithe. But she didn’t dare make a scene or fight with Fred when she saw how much he cared over Slakoth and loved him. If anything, Mr. and Mrs. Frederickson saw it as an opportunity to see if Fred was truly ready for the responsibility to have a Pokemon. Fred doesn’t battle with Slakoth, because Slakoth doesn’t want to battle (and won’t unless Fred is in danger) and Fred respects that. Slakoth was mainly picked because I think many people who don’t know would assume that Fred was lazy or slow just based on his appearance. But in actuality, Fred is super hyper and energetic. Slakoth’s more relaxed and slower nature balances out Fred’s energy and often forces him to slow down and relax a bit. Mr. and Mrs. Frederickson were so impressed with how attentive Fred was to Slakoth’s feelings and needs, that they would later give him the Dino meant to be his starter originally.

Probably the hardest character to decide Pokemon for was Wasabi. Mainly because I wasn’t sure what type of Pokemon would best suit his character. There isn’t exactly any Pokemon (as far as I know) that specialize in lazers. And other than Minccino, there aren’t any Pokemon (to my knowledge or memory) that tend to clean. Now, sort of obviously now that I’ve pointed it out, Wasabi has a Minccino. How can he not have a Pokemon who enjoys cleaning and is as diligent as he is about it?

Wasabi’s Pokemon team also consists of a Medicham, an Umbreon, and a Bayleef. Medicham is due to Wasabi’s interest in meditation (a hobby expressed in Big Hero 6 the series and cartoon shorts). Medicham’s powers come from meditating and meditation is how Wasabi centers himself and relaxes. Bayleef is due to Wasabi’s interest in sustainable garden, being a grass type. And Umbreon is due to Wasabi’s dislike/fear of the dark. The rings on Umbreon’s fur light up and glow in the dark, so I imagine Wasabi would find a lot of comfort from this Pokemon. 

And, for those of you who also watch the cartoon and are curious, I’ve also got some thoughts on what kind of Pokemon Karmi and Megan would have.

Karmi, much to Hiro’s frustration and anger in the beginning, has a Happiny. Hiro’s anger towards Karmi having a Happiny has less to do with their rivalry and how she treated him in the beginning and more to do with comparing her to Tadashi. He can’t stand how such a mean, intolerable person could have such a sweet, caring Pokemon. Most of what he knows about the Happiny evolutionary line comes from Tadashi and story’s about Tadashi’s Chansey. And Hiro has always thought highly of Tadashi. 

But Karmi also has a Nidorina and a Roselia. Roselia because the Pokemon reminds me of that rose Karmi had, that was a blend of robotics and biology. I just remember how really cool the rose was, how important a moment it was connected to for her and I think just an incredible blend of both Karmi and Hiro’s specialties/passions. The main reason Karmi has Nidorina is because of the Poison Typing. Karmi specializes in pathology, and the closest to pathology with Pokemon is Poison Types in a way. However, most scientist type trainers in the Pokemon games only carry around Grimer/Muk and Koffing/Weezing. Neither of those Pokemon seemed like they suited a biologist, or a pathologist to be even more specific. 

Hiro and Karmi continue to compete academically, but Karmi will also claim that she’s a superior trainer to Hiro, because she has three amazing Pokemon, and Hiro is still learning how to train Magnemite.

Megan has a Whismur. Out of all of Hiro’s friends, she is the only other person who also only has one Pokemon. As an aspiring reporter/detective, Whismur felt like the logical choice because of how focused and centralized it is around sound. Whismur, and the Whismur evolution line, is also used by the reporter/interviewer in the Gen III Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald GBA Pokemon games. Despite Whismur’s size though, it shouldn’t be underestimate and has taken on many opponents much larger than it and won. 

Despite only having one Pokemon, Megan has had a lot of experience with taking care of them because her father is a police officer. Chief Cruz has an Arcanine himself, and Megan often helped take care of the station’s Growlithes and the young inexperienced Growlithe they were training. Originally, her father wanted to give her a Growlithe or Houndour as her first Pokemon, but she instead came home with her Whismur one day. She had convinced a classmate to lend her their Pokemon so that she could capture Whismur. And the rest was history. He still plans to one day get Megan a Growlithe or Houndour for her birthday or a special occassion, but is not sure when. Nor does he want Megan or Whismur to take it the wrong way and assume that he doesn’t think they can take care of themselves.

[iapislazuli]

hi there! if you don't mind me asking - what are your opinions on all the pokemon gens?

*disclaimer these are MY OPINIONS and i DONT hate any of the pokemon games* 

gen I - probably the most lackluster of the gens in my opinion. not much else to say... i think everyones tired of kanto LOL 

gen II - i looooove the sprites from GSC, the limited palettes are so cool. also gen II introduced shinies so i gotta say its cool!

gen III -  i also find gen III a bit lackluster... i just really dont enjoy any of the pokemon very much! sorry!

gen IV - this is the gen i grew up with, so it’s got a ton of nostalgia attached to it. i have so many fond memories of playing a copy of pokemon diamond i borrowed from my friend. i love the pixel aesthetics and chibi overworld sprites! though a lot of the mechanics from this gen are a bit clunky

gen V - i havent played this gen a ton actually, haha. i love the animated sprites though! but it DID introduce the concept of shiny locking legendaries which is gonna get an L from me 

gen VI - this is another gen i grew up with (from when i was 13-16, pokemon X was basically the only video game i played). when i was younger my mom banned me from pokemon, and this was the first time i was actually allowed to have my own pokemon game and experience it as much as i wanted. so i do have a lot of fondness for it in my heart. and yes i’m aware most people dont like gen 6, i don’t care, you asked for MY opinion, not the community consensus. haha. it’s what got me back into pokemon and shiny hunting. my pokemon X file has been maxed out at 999:59 since i was 14.... so yes. i do like gen 6

gen VII - i LOVED sun and moon. to me the characters’ stories were SO compelling, i love lusamine, i think she’s the most interesting villain from the series so far. i also really love how this gen shook up the formula of past gens with having no gyms and getting to build the league yourself. it was awesome!

gen VIII - i really enjoyed this one too! the characters were so fun and the game offered a ton of QOL improvements on top of the ones from gen 7. i also loved how the rivals got real closure to their stories. the graphics were also SOOOOO amazing, it kept blowing me away how colorful the game was *-* 

[miracleboiz]

Making a Home Ch. 2

Kita Shinsuke had experienced a lot in life. He had been raised with his grandmother, a loving foster parent and for some time he followed in her foot steps before finding his own path. He thought his foster care license had expired before getting a call at three am with two small boys thrust into his arms. Miya Osamu and Atsumu, from broken homes but still fighting. Thirty days before his license expires. Thirty days to make a choice, keep the boys or let them be separated into different homes. Thirty days to fall in love with them.

Words: 4k

Relationships: Gen

Warnings: Mention of past child abuse, non-graphic abuse

Not from Kita, but it is mentioned. I will post any warnings before any panic attacks or vague descriptions of abuse.

Read below or on AO3

Getting the boys out of the car and into the house was easy enough. The exhaustion and stress of the day had turned both of them into pliable putty that flopped even as Akagi and Shinsuke carried them into the house. Shinsuke didn’t bother to put them in separate beds, the last thing they needed to do was wake up with no idea where they were and without each other.

The clock on the alarm clock was blinking out a steady 4:58 so Shinsuke threw out any idea of getting to lay down himself. If he slept in then he would throw off his schedule even more than having the boys would do. He was usually up at 5 and ready to work by six.

Now, however, he would have to shift all of that. He wasn’t sure what time the boys would sleep till and considering the night before he didn’t want to wake them up after so much stress and so little sleep. He could always call in Sugawara earlier, he wouldn’t mind especially if he explained the reason. If he did all his cleaning early, then the rest of the day would stay on schedule, atleast until he managed to fit his routine around the boys as well.

Akagi flitted around the living room while Shinsuke started some rice, watching him bound through the drawers and coo about new kitchen ware. He only lasted twenty minutes before getting too bored and declaring he was going back to Oomimi’s house. Shinsuke didn’t bother to ask for his pants back.

Instead he started on his daily routine. He’d need to move a little faster to make sure he wouldn’t get too behind, but as long as he didn’t focus on the time it wouldn’t cause too much disruption. Perhaps Akagi was right, he did need a little excitement. His grandmother always said whenever Shinsuke got too attached to a routine he wasn’t able to break it even for emergencies. Highschool memories were enough to prove that true, so a little variance wouldn’t hurt.

He started on the dishes before making his way through the rest of the house, cleaning as he went. Diving through his cupboards took longer than he thought, but he managed to put everything Osamu was allergic too in one cabinet, above the fridge where the boys couldn’t reach. It would be annoying but Shinsuke wasn’t going to risk anything with them. He did manage to write out an easy grocery list though, with the knowledge of just what was in his fridge and pantry.

By the time he’d finished cleaning and a shower 6:49 was on the clock and he barely remembered he was supposed to call in Koushi to open the store for him. He dialed the number with a yawn.

Instantly someone picked up, someone most definitely not Sugawara.

“H-hewwo?”

“Oikawa-san. Is Sugawara-san there?”

“Why are you the only one who doesn’t think I’m Tobio?” Oikawa sighed, a long aggravated groan that did nothing to answer Shinsuke’s question.

“Because Tobio-kun does not answer the phone with ‘hewo’ he speaks properly.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you mister country boy.”

“We’re both from the country Oikawa-san.”

“.... Angel-kun! Your boyfriends on the phone!” Oikawa’s voice grew dim as he shouted, probably up the stairs. The Matsukawa’s must have been watching the boys for the night, Shinsuke knew Oikawa was reckless but not enough to risk waking up Tadashi and Tobio and incurring Sugawara’s wrath.

“Then get off the phone babe.” Sugawara’s voice laughed as he picked up the phone.

“Guys stop doing that, someones going to believe you one day and I am not dealing with it.” Sawamura’s voice drifted from the background, drowned out by the mutual snickering of both Oikawa and Sugawara.

“Hello?” Sugawara hummed.

“Hello Sugawara-san, I was going to ask for a favor but if you’re busy I won’t bother you.”

“Huh? No, Tooru-kun and Hajime-kun just came over last night, I don’t have any plans. Is everything alright? I don’t think you’ve ever called me this early. Did Mrs. Saru come in to yell about flowers again? I keep saying we need to drop her as a customer.”

“No no, nothing like that-”

“Can I be a customer?” Oikawa’s voice came from the back, only to be followed by a shout as Shinsuke assumed he was smacked by his boyfriend.

“Seriously, are you alright Kita?”

“I am fine, however I was wondering if you would be able to open the store yourself today and run it for a while.”

“.... Kita are you dying?” Sugawara’s voice was instantly filled with concern and Kita could hear the rustle of keys as if Sugawara was ready to fly out the front door at that moment.

“No, Sugawara-san please calm yourself. I was called this morning to be an emergency foster parent, I don’t want to wake the boys or call a babysitter on their first day. Akagi is back in town so I can call him if you need any assistance.”

“You had a baby ?”

Sometimes Shinsuke wondered how he was friends with these people. He ignored the niggling feeling of absolute fondness that curled in his chest at the shouts in the background of the phone. Oikawa was probably trying to steal the phone while Sawamura and Iwaizumi were dying in the background. Sugawara definitely knew how to draw a crowd.

“Technically… I had two.”

“Kita Shinsuke, are you fucking me right now?”

Shinsuke had to take a moment and debate responding to that, that would probably end up causing Oikawa to react. The best course of action would be to wait for him to calm down.

“Sorry, I meant fucking with me, sorry… Seriously Kita? I thought your license expired.”

“It didn’t. According to the paperwork it doesn’t expire until next month. But I may have to renew unless I decide to adopt these two, but I don’t know them well enough for that decision just yet.”

“Kita, you’re like… a worse mother than Oikawa.” Sugawara sighed, ignoring his best friend's squawking. “I mean that in the most loving way possible. Seriously, you have this innate need to nurture and grow people, and harass them into taking care of themselves or you’ll do it for them. It’s admirable, but you need to face the facts, you’re already in love with those two aren’t you?”

“I haven’t met the other brother, he was asleep.” Shinsuke said, carefully boxing up the memory of Atsumu’s daring personality despite his situation and grey eyes that challenged the world. He was not attached, you couldn’t get attached after two hours of knowing someone you didn’t really know them. Sugawara was just being weird again,

“Uh Huh. Okay. Well, I don’t mind, though I’m sure Daichi is upset about-”

“If you even make a sex joke I am breaking up with you.” Sawamura’s voice yelled, punctuated with Sugawara’s laughter.

“I was going to say picking up the boys from Hiro and Issei alone, but okay my love. Anyways, don’t worry about a thing, take care of your boys hon, and call if you need anything. Tooru doesn’t have work today and he might get fat if he’s just sitting at home all day eating Daichi’s cooking.”

“Angel-chan! You take that back!”

Shinsuke didn’t even bother to say his goodbyes when Sugawara started teasing back. Sugawara was reliable, he would get everything done just like he said he would.

Exhaustion pulled at Shinsuke’s eyes, making them droop slightly as he laid back on his couch. He’d been awake longer than he was used too and got more done than usual, but his brain was still firing off ready for a new day at the shop.

The buzzing of the heater started up after a moment, making Shinsuke glance outside long enough to see the white snow starting to fall. In a distant, more awake part of his mind he wondered if Akagi had known the snow was going to fall and that’s why he’d come home. It was an Inarizaki tradition. Hot pot on the first snowfall.

He didn’t even realize he’d fallen asleep until he heard a crash on the floor and a scared shout.

He leaped from the couch, eyes wide as he hurried into the kitchen. Both boys were crouched down and staring at him, a bowl of spilled milk and Akagi’s over sugared cereal on the ground. The bowl was shattered and leaking across the floor even as the two twins realized they’d been caught in the mess.

Atsumu didn’t hesitate to grab his brother, yanking him through the shards until he was safely behind him. They clung to each other, Osamu’s eyes filled with fear and anxiety and Atsumu just as terrified but refusing to break down.

Shinsuke grabbed the rag off of the oven, crouching down so he could stem the flow of milk before it seeped under the fridge.

“Are you two alright?” He asked softly, not wanting to stare them down but not wanting to risk an infected wound either. Osamu’s hands tightened on his brother’s shoulders and he pinched his mouth shut so Shinsuke turned to Atsumu.

“Atsumu, can you check your brothers feet and make sure he didn’t get cut? You can wipe his feet off with this.” A job to do would help distract them atleast, Shinsuke thought as he offered Atsumu a different cloth. Atsumu watched Shinsuke for a moment before gingerly taking the cloth like it might bite him. He didn’t turn all the way around, but knelt to wipe his brothers feet off.

Osamu didn’t make a single sound, fingers fisted in his shirt now that he couldn’t hold onto his brother. He pulled it up, almost making it to his mouth before his eyes shot over to Shinsuke and he dropped the shirt with reddening cheeks.

Shinsuke mopped up the milk, trying to think of the best way to approach the situation. He didn’t want to startle them but he wasn’t really sure what they’d been doing in the first place that had caused the bowl to fall. It was probably climbing on the counters and that was definitely dangerous but harsh words and punishment would only be detrimental in the long run.

“Atsumu, Osamu, are you two hungry?” He asked as he managed to get most of the milk up. He grabbed another cloth and finished the rest, carefully dumping the cereal in the trash with the bowl. Normally he might have tried to save the bowl, super glue it back together or offer it to Akagi to fix as one of his many projects but with two children it seemed more dangerous than it was worth.

“Aren’t you going to yell at us, K… Kita-San?” Atsumu asked, tongue stuttering over the name.

“No, I think the scare from it hitting the floor is more than enough to discourage you from climbing on the counters again.” Shinsuke said smoothly, Atsumu’s cheeks turning red as he glanced down. So Shinsuke was right, he had been on the counter.

“If you don’t feel comfortable waking me up to eat, please put your bowl on the other counter so you don’t accidentally break another one. I also have a small ladder in the pantry, I will show you later.” Shinsuke stood, pointing to the table in the other room.

“If you two are still hungry you can sit in there while I make breakfast. If you’re not then you can sit on the couch while I eat breakfast and we can talk afterwards.”

“What’s… for… for breakfast.” Osamu’s voice was so soft Shinsuke thought he’d imagined it until his head moved around his brother’s to look up at him with wide trusting eyes. Osamu didn’t seem to have the same type of ferocity as his brother, perhaps he just hadn’t had need of it or maybe it’d been beaten out of him. Even still, he could just be quieter than his brother and the protective nature would make itself known later. There were many variables Shinsuke was going to have to keep track of.

“Well… how hungry are you?”

“.....” The twins glanced at each other, silently communicating and Shinsuke didn’t have much choice but to wait patiently until Atsumu turned around and said.

“Really hungry.”

“Okay.” He straightened more and pointed to the tatami table in the other room. “Go ahead and go take a seat, cushions are in the cupboard beside the window, bottom shelf.”

He grabbed two bowls as he heard the pattering of their feet and the cushions being dragged across the floor. He could hear them whispering as he filled the bowls with rice, it would keep them distracted while he made the rest of the meal.

“He seems nice.” Osamu mumbled, his voice pitched just a little deeper than his brother and breathier like he struggled to get enough air for his words.

“Everyone seems nice at first,” Atsumu countered, the same harshness Shinsuke had noticed rising up again.

“Yeah but you said he was nice to you last night. He said he wouldn’t make you leave me.”

“Remember Yoshimoto-san? He said the same thing and then he tried to take you away…. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take care of you okay?”

Atsumu closed his mouth as Shinsuke stepped into the room and put the bowls in front of them. They were both on the same side of the table but Shinsuke could see they’d pulled a mat out for him as well. Osamu was pouting over at his brother but brightened at the food being put in front of him.

“Go ahead and eat, I’m going to finish cooking the rest of the meal and I’ll bring it over when I’m done.” Shinsuke said softly, laying chopsticks down for both of them. They called out their thanks, clasping their hands together before grabbing their chopsticks and starting to eat.

Shinsuke watched them for a moment before making his way back to the kitchen and starting the miso soup and salmon.

He sat across from the boys when he finished, laying the new dishes in front of them and watching with amusement as they dug in. He started eating at a much more reasonable pace but still managed to finish as Osamu ate the last of the fish.

“Help me carry these in?” Shinsuke asked, watching them leap up and try and grab as many bowls as possible. “Ah, Atsumu if you can’t carry them all it’s alright.”

“I got it- I don’t got it.” Atsumu amended when his plate slid right back onto the table.

Shinsuke lifted it up with a gentle huff of air, amusement filling him at the look of determination on both of the boys’ faces. They marched their way into the kitchen, appearing far more serious than the situation needed. Shinsuke scooped up the rest of the dishes and followed, placing the items one by one into the sink.

He glanced over at the pattering of feet, watching Osamu rush back into the other room to try and stuff the mats back in the cupboard. Atsumu went after him a moment later, giggling softly as his brother was knocked back down as they slid free. Together they managed to strong arm the soft cushions into the closet and shut the door.

“Okay boys,” Shinsuke called, not wanting to ruin their fun and brotherly teasing. “I want to give you a quick tour of the house. If that’s alright?”

Both boys nodded, curiosity overriding their brains. They hurried over to him, eyes wide and curious as he led through the house.

“I’m sure Atsumu already told you, Osamu, but my name is Kita Shinsuke. You can call me Kita or Shinsuke-san. You’re both going to be staying here with me awhile.” Shinsuke explained as they walked. “I don’t know how long but you’ll be safe here. If you have any questions you can ask them, for now you two are in the same room. I thought you might be more comfortable like that but if you want separate bedrooms I have another room for you.”

It wasn’t the largest house, considering it was attached to his shop but it was well designed. The kitchen was in the middle of the house, the living room sat on it’s right and the dining room on it’s left. Through the living room was the hallway, one bedroom on either side and a bathroom at the end of the hall. The hallway turned, leading to a seperate one that revealed an office and another bedroom that Shinsuke pointed out as his own.

“If you need anything, please feel free to come and get me. I don’t mind if it’s about nightmares or food or anything else, I won’t be upset with you.” He said softly, the doubt in their eyes clear. He would have to prove himself, but that was fine. He didn’t mind taking the extra time to gain their trust and show them it was okay.

He led them through the hall, to the last door at the back of the house. He opened it, stepping back to let the boys look curiously at the small yard. It wasn’t large in the least, to the right a garden was dead as winter’s snow covered it and the rest was grass. On all sides the other businesses rose up around them, caging them but also providing an impassable protection from anyone sneaking in.

“It snowed!” Osamu cheered, bending down to smack his hands on the white powder. He giggled, smacking it again and turning to wipe it on his brother. Atsumu immediately yelled, grabbing a handful and dropping it on his brother. Quick as a flash Osamu returned the favor. They both squealed as the snow started to melt and seep into their hair and drip onto the floor. They turned to sneak back inside, freezing when they remembered Shinsuke.

“Come back in now, to the bathroom, I have towels.” Shinsuke said, trying to look less harsh at the twin’s fearful looks his way. “Dry yourselves off, we don’t want colds.”

Atsumu and Osamu waited until he handed the towels to them before they relaxed, scrubbing at their wet hair. They stopped halfway through and turned to each other, seeming to communicate in a way only twins could. Then they grabbed each other's towels and tried to rub the towels into each other’s heads to the best of their ability.

Shinsuke watched them torture each other, reminded of the games Akagi used to play on Ojiro-

He tossed that memory out, gently knocking on the door as the two were left breathless by their squabble. They didn’t look at him with wariness, more curiosity now. It wasn’t a quick fix, Shinsuke knew that. He knew he’d be helping them heal for the foreseeable future but still, even just a moment as small as it would be in the long run. That small glint in their eyes of cheeriness and curiosity that took over the pain and fear, it reminded Shinsuke why he had first gotten involved with foster care. Why he’d decided to follow his grandmother’s way in life all those years ago.

“We have a couple more things to go over so I want to know what you want to do.” Shinsuke started, moving to sit on his heels and look at them. He motioned for them to brush their hair back down but they just scrubbed at them harder with the towel. A soft laugh escaped him as he waved them over, Atsumu moving first.

“Do you mind if I touch your hair?” Shinsuke asked softly, jolting when Atsumu bowed his back easily to put his head in front of Shinsuke’s hand. Deftly, he brushed the hair down into a more reasonable style before turning and doing the same to Osamu. Osamu wiggled and giggled, reaching up to pat and stroke his own hair with wonder when Shinsuke finished. It made him wonder if they’d ever had someone pet their hair.

“Okay. Atsumu, Osamu.” He waited until he had both of their attention. “I have three things I want to get done today. One, I need to go grocery shopping and I’m sure you two have favorite snacks you would prefer instead of mine. Two, you two need some more clothes and pajamas and toys. I don’t have a lot in my house because I prefer working or reading over playing video games, but I don’t mind buying you something to entertain yourselves with if you do not want to join me or play games with me. Three, I would like to stop by my job before the end of the day to make sure everything is okay. I would like you to come with me so you can see what I do and so you feel comfortable with me.”

The two boys looked at each other, fingers playing with the towels in their hands. They perked up at the sound of toys, looking excited but when Shinsuke had mentioned work something had brightened in Osamu’s eyes. It was different but Shinsuke had long learned that some children were fascinated by the strangest things.

“Can we see where you work?” Osamu finally asked, ignoring Atsumu’s grumpy sigh.

“I wanted to get snacks.” Atsumu huffed but turned his head away when Shinsuke looked at him. He didn’t say anything else so Shinsuke focused on the positive, Osamu was curious and asking questions.

“Of course. If you’re not too tired after that, then we can go grocery shopping next?” Shinsuke offered, watching Osamu’s and Atsumu’s heads both tilt to the left with a question. He took the towels back from them and hung them up to dry before continuing.

“Why would we be tired? Is your work really far away Kita-san?”

“No, it’s actually really close by. But sometimes you can get people tired.”

“People tired.” Atsumu tested out the word, lips twisted in a confused scowl. “People… tired…”

“Like… When you are around people and they’re very loud and you don’t want to be around more people. Or when you’ve met a bunch of new people and you just want to be by yourself for a bit.”

“Oh!” Osamu grabbed his brother and shook him. “Atsumu gets people-tired! Sometimes when people are really loud and he’s trying to concentrate it makes him really grumpy and he says it hurts. Then he doesn’t want to leave his room for hours.”

“Osamu!” Atsumu whined, cheeks red as he slapped his brother’s arm. His brother recoiled, rubbing the spot but he didn’t complain despite the red mark.

“Atsumu, don’t hit your brother.” Shinsuke said, keeping his voice level. “It’s not necessary to resort to violence when you have your words. You wouldn’t want him to hit you, so don’t start it, okay?”

“... Yes Kita-san.”

“Thank you. Now. Why don’t we go see where I work, and if you both feel up to it, we can do the next item on the list okay?” Shinsuke asked, waiting for them to nod, Atsumu’s a little more forced, then moved to his feet and offered a hand. Atsumu grabbed it and then his brother’s.

Shinsuke moved down the hall, pausing at their bedroom when Atsumu stopped moving. He turned to see Osamu was hesitating in front of the open door, hand extended out to stay clasped with Atsumu’s. Shinsuke glanced in the room, noting the foxes Akagi had left were both on Osamu’s bed, tucked under the blanket.

“Would you like to take one with you?” Shinsuke asked softly, noting Osamu’s jump and nervous dance before he nodded and let go of his brother to grab one. He pulled the larger one out, light yellow with oversized ears, and tucked it under his arm before hurrying back to Shinsuke and taking his brother’s hand.

Shinsuke led the way back into the living room, making his way to the door almost hidden by a potted plant. He moved it out of the way carefully and opened the door, revealing a medium office.

The twins made noises of confusion, taking in the pictures taped around the wall and paperwork piled next to the work computer. Ribbons and fake flowers covered the desk along with a pack of different cards with different writing styles. Fabric was laid over the chair, four different types with a hand written note laying over it.

“This is my office, technically, though you’ll find Ennoshita in here a lot. I’ll introduce you later. The other one in the house is really just a place for Akagi to play in when he visits.” Shinsuke explained, nodding when Atsumu let go of his hand to poke a flower curiously and look up at him. Atsumu snagged the gardenia before laying it on the fox’s head. Both twins snickered at the way it was wedged between the ears.

“You work in your home?” Atsumu said, snooping around the desk without touching anything else.

“Yes, but not just in here.” Shinsuke explained, stepping around the desk to the door opposite the one they entered. “This is where my shop is.”

He opened the door, taking a step around a mannequin and letting the two boys step out and stare at the bright shop.

“Atsumu, Osamu. This is a wedding boutique, it’s where I work.”

[princessconsuelapark]

aaaaand hello everyone, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming, welcome to yet another episode of 'and that's what you missed on professional tennis players being dumb' (laver cup drama recap coming soon i promise)

- The week following Laver Cup was absolutely wild; Nick got (kind of, but not really) banned from playing tennis, Rafa was legit walking around completely decked out in LC merch for days, Sascha (*a TEAM8 social media intern about to be fired) followed Stefanos on instagram, then Sascha (*actually him) unfollowed Stefanos on instagram

- Of course, we also had Roger confirming in an interview that Rafa is his boyfriend- Sorry, I mean, Roger used the French word for friend, 'copain’, which what do you know, is widely understood to mean boyfriend, when talking about Rafa in an interview. Yep, that’s an actual thing that happened. He’s truly out of control.

- Lots of singles players got involved in doubles nonsense, most notably Sascha teaming up with Isner for some reason (if that never ever happens ever again, it’ll be too fucking soon), and Daniil randomly deciding to come for Stefanos’s ex (To be continued...? 👀)

- Shanghai started out with truly iconic scenes, courtesy of everyone's favourite hateable Italian and our one and only Sir Andy (he really is back™)

- It turns out that Roger is completely useless at parenting their 3 adopted disaster children when Rafa is not there

- Marin Cilic and Andreas Seppi almost had a baby together

- Shockingly, after Stefanos beat Sascha in Beijing the week before (highlight of that anxiety-ridden clusterfuck of a must-watch match), they actually willingly practised together in Shanghai, but that's not all, because according to Sascha’s completely unprompted ramblings, they got a “little bit closer” at Laver Cup and are now “having a good relationship”, which frankly, left me absolutely fucking deceased

- Their enemies-to-lovers practice session did deliver though, because Stefanos was officially adopted into the Fedal family when he defeated Djokovic in the QFs, guaranteeing Rafa’s return to no. 1 in a few weeks (and therefore making sure Djokovic doesn’t get any closer to Roger’s record of 310 weeks at no. 1)

- We had the next edition of ‘tall, blonde next gen player breaks his shoelaces before match even starts’, but surprise! It was Sascha ! If that's not proof that him and Stefanos are soulmates, then I don't know what is. Andrey on the other side of the net clearly thought so too (I can spot a Saschanos shipper when I see one), but then not very nicely Sascha took revenge on him with a bagel for laughing at him: 6-0 7-6 :(

- Marcelo almost died of hysterical laughter when Kubi was hit in the dick by a ball on court, and very helpfully stood next to him, watching him suffer as he lay on the ground in agony

- Then Fedverev happened and OH THE DRAMA !! If you only ever watch one tennis match in your life, make it this one. There was clowning, loads of anxiety, "code violation, unsportsmanlike conduct, point penalty, Mr Federer" (fucking wild ??), butterfly-talk and so much more. We just hope Rafa survived okay watching it, back home in Mallorca.

- It's impossible to stay mad at Sascha for besting him though, and Roger is not immune to his charms either: he immediately said some adorable dad-things about him, as expected.

- Another positive outcome was that we can keep enjoying the fact that Fedal have both won exactly 381 Masters matches in their career #couplesgoals

- The Colombian lads casually bagelled the American servebots to everyone’s immense pleasure, so we had that going for us too

- Meanwhile Stefanos fell victim to Daniil ‘Bullshit Russian’ Medvedev for the 5th consecutive time, and in true Stefanos-style claimed that the reason for that was simply because playing him is #boring

- The media turned to our resident Stefanos-nonsense expert for comment, and Sascha pretty much just said, ‘I want to have nothing to do with this, but also Stefanos is wrong as usual.’ He did seem very exasperatedly fond when he heard about it though.

- Daniil, after having just won his 6 millionth tournament of the season (he actually genuinely smiled this time, but probably only because of Sascha being cute), didn't take kindly to the whole being boring thing however, and as it turns out he hate-watched Stefanos's last few vlogs in retaliation #newsubscriber

- Meanwhile everyone was baffled at why Isner of all people was at an UNIQLO exho, but Roger beat him in spectacular fashion, so we quickly got over that

- The ace on match point was a bit of an overkill though and brought back some unwanted W*mbledon memories, but to be fair, we're used to having war flashbacks about those two championship points by now

- For a glorious couple hours, the ATP’s Race to London ranking page was showing Rafa at a joint 15th place (with FAA), with zero points, but as qualified for London. That’s just how much of a legend he simply is.

- Stefanos’s social media break was never really a proper thing, but I’m happy to announce that we're back to full-speed; we got some philosophical, emo insta posts, and also a new vlog, in which he advises us to eat our rice, and proceeds to wander around Shanghai alone and unsupervised, non-stop blabbering about his iPhone. Good to have you back, Stef 💕

- In tragic #hairupdate news, Domi got rid of all his floof (which understandably had people near-suicidal), even more upsetting: David did the same thing (honestly, just wtf), then in our new #facialhairupdate sub-segment: it turns out Stefanos is growing his beard out because he doesn’t want to look too similar to Sascha, which is fair enough; it must get awkward when you go on a date with your boyfriend and people mistake you for brothers

- Kei in glasses happened though, thank you Naomi <3

- I also feel like Patrick McEnroe had some spectacularly incorrect takes to offer on something next gen related at some point, but I can’t actually remember what, so let’s just leave it at that

[rueitae]

2018 Fic Roundup

I did this last year and it was nice to do some self reflection and make some goals for 2019. I encourage all my writer friends to do this! No tagging necessary, just tell each other to do it. <3

It’s long, so putting the rest of the fic and reflection questions under the cut.

Stats:

Fics Posted (Gen): 6

Space Birthday (9,595 words): Hunk can feel it in his bones; it’s his birthday. He wants to have a nice one... and does... after accidentally raiding a Galra outpost with Lance and Pidge.

Pilot (4,340): Shiro finds himself in a different reality post s2. Here, the mechs are called Gundams. (Shiro in the Gundam Wing universe/reality)

Code (7,321): Pidge and the others keep fond memories of Earth through oldies musical trivia. It comes in handy on a mission.

Self Insert (6,357): Lance reads a story to his niece and nephew on the eve he leaves for school at the Galaxy Garrison. The kids have Opinions on how it should go.(i totally still need to change their names to the canon ones)

Too Soon and Not Soon Enough (1,796): Keith is 13 and is supposed to go to the Galaxy Garrison next year at Shiro’s encouragement. Until the Galra invade and plans change.

Welcome to the Neighborhood (2,237): Allura gets used to being not dead and that includes meeting her cosmic neighbors.

Fics Posted (Plance): 17

Wrong Diamond (2,384): Gentlemen thief AU. “At midnight, I will steal the heart of Voltron,” the note says. Pidge has a thief to catch.

Diamond in the Rough (8,045): prequel to Wrong Diamond. How they meet!

Road Trip (4,710): Lance and Pidge are back on Earth. Zarkon has the others and the two are on the run from a bureaucratic Galaxy Garrison that doesn’t want the world to know about aliens yet. Oh, and Lotor is with them.

Exsanguination (16,255): Pidge is a vampire hunter captured by Haggar. She finds some unlikely help in the vampire’s similarly undead servant.

Power Up! (3,500): Pidge is on the cusp of finding out where Zarkon is holding her father using less than legal methods. She’s caught in the act by her lab partner (Lance, a superhero in training).

Plance on Ice (2,300): A figure skating AU! Pidge and Lance are former competitive partners having a date free time on the ice

Being Plance (3,900): Pidge and Lance pull a personality switch prank over on the rest of the team. Canon verse.

Keeping Cool (3,098): Mermaid AU! Pidge is in trouble with pirates and gets some unexpected help from the sea.

The Cake (839): Canon verse, Lance gets a cake for his birthday and assumes it’s from Hunk.

Frostbite (6,109): Pidge is a renowned super villain. Lance is a hero in training with something to prove. Lance over uses his powers one day and Pidge has some soul searching to do.

Crystal Clear (5,516): Another superhero AU. Lance is captured by his arch nemesis. They have a heart-to-heart, taunt, and flirt.

The Secrets of Beasts (2,007): AU canon verse. Years down the road, Green keeps Pidge from going on a mission with the others. It takes Kosmo to find out why.

See You Yesterday (8,132): Lance works nervously as a bartender for a 1920s mafia when all he wanted to do was leave the farming life. One night he gets a strange patron who changes his life - and his perspective of the world. Time travel AU

Shot Through the Heart (1,087): post canon AU. Lance and Pidge keep Nadia and Sylvio entertained.

Seasons of Magic (11,744): Pidge is a mage. Lance is her dragon familiar. Series of domestic-ish one shots. Not in sequential order.

Between Rocks and A Hard Place (8,144): Canon verse. Pidge and Lance are trapped due to a caved-in mine, with pirates waiting for them on the other side. And Pidge is hurt.

Cow-parent Trapped (1,099): s8 canon continuation. Pidge visits Lance at the farm and does not expect Kaltenecker to make them talk to each other.

Lotura 1

Birthday Prompt #5 (5,500): Oh gosh I never named it. Fantasy AU in which Lotor is essentially Rapunzel and Allura is Aurora with a better (depending on who you ask) birth-prophesy. Tiny hint of Shallura in this as well.

Collaborations: 3

First Encounters for the (Altean Plance AU): Pidge is an independent noblewoman and Lance is her bodyguard. Writing done with @hushman and @pidge-suggestions

To Sail, To Break, To Earn (Plance - 10,268): Lance is a pirate and Pidge is a mermaid. There’s also a curse involved. With @sp4c3-0ddity

It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like A Christmas Carol (Plance- 14,384): post s8 canon verse with @hailqiqi and @sp4c3-0ddity. Exactly as the title says. Lance is the subject of a ghostly intervention. Crack treated seriously.

Fey AU (Plance): with @vivalachocolate this was @sp4c3-0ddity ‘s prompt to Viva but I was nosy and added a chapter and I’m so glad she wasn’t mad at me for it. 😅

Ship/Character breakdown:

Ship breakdown:

I guess the 17 Plance fics speak for themselves. I did write one Lotura fic as a special birthday prompt because @ritsykitty is such a good friend.

Character breakdown:

I have a gen fic for each Paladin, but then the Plance fics outnumber those, so Lance and Pidge would be my go to.

Characters that had the main focus:

So for character POV, each Paladin has one, then within Plance, Pidge has 12 and Lance has 7. Interesting, I thought it was more even. Hunk had a POV in a Plance fic too briefly!

Specifics:

Best/worst title?

Best title: Urgh I liked a lot of them. Too Soon and Not Soon Enough probably. I like how it summarizes the story without telling you how, but by the end you know.

Worst title: Seasons of Magic aka I tried to come up with a clever title when I realized I wasn’t done with it. It’s so bland to me. I’m also basically trying to rebrand from mage/familiar AU. I don’t think it’s working 😅 (not that I care I’m trying to make it easier to reference but I’m too late)

Best/worst last line?

Best: “I love you too, Pidge,” he [Lance] says, nestling her head to his chest and not bothering to correct her. “You’re the best nemesis a hero could ask for.” - I love that line so much, from Crystal Clear. Enemies to lovers is such a good trope.

Worst: Pidge groans. At this rate her double life is definitely doomed to unravel. - for how much I love Frostbite, I really hate how lame it ends. Like I totally could have said that better or continued the scene a bit but I am LAZY.

General questions:

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

I wrote waaaaaaay more than expected. I figured I’d write something every few months. Now I can write a 2k fic in a setting if I’m on game.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

I was just doing gen fic last year, never would I have expected to be so taken by Plance that it became my main muse.

What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

Honestly? Probably Pilot. It was one of my earliest VLD fic ideas to do a Gundam Wing crossover and to actually finish a one shot early in the year (when I was still dipping my feet into fandom again) just made me so so happy. I still smile thinking about the continuation possibilities. One of my favorite parts of Shiro’s character is that he is the ace pilot. Because of Keith’s role that sometimes gets overshadowed. I was so pleased to get to highlight that.

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

On Ao3, that would be Exsanguination. No surprise there, it was my first posted Plance fic and I continued it.

On Tumblr it’s First Encounters, the first of the Altean Plance AU based on the art and headcanons. I was just struck with a clear opening image one afternoon and wrote it all right then and there. I had no idea it would be so well received.

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

Space Birthday. It may have been a bit of a mess since it was my very first VLD fic, but it has everything I love. Hunk bonding with an ‘enemy’ over cooking, Team Punk, Plance in distress, Hunk saves the day thanks to mechanics. Also heartfelt stuff with Keith. And he’s the only Paladin besides Lance to get an actual birthday themed fic from me.

Story that could have been better?

I really hate to say Wrong Diamond, but I totally could have done much better with it. It feels skimpy. Probably why I am still writing in the AU.

Sexiest story?

Ha. That would be a tie between Crystal Clear and Exsanguination. The first I actually tried and the second completely by accident. I’m not sure it worked though.

Saddest story?

All my sad fics have a bit of crack to them. Pilot is pretty melancholy. Crystal Clear has a good Plance argument that gets heated. Road Trip in general though might take the cake. It’s full of angst amid some humor due to the premise.

Most fun?

Shot Through the Heart in terms of tone.

Story with single sweetest moment? Space Birthday

"Uh, Keith, hold up a tic."

Confused, Keith turned back around. "What?"

Hunk rubbed the back of his neck. "So uh, you know we're friends right? Like, I meant what I said we're like brothers. We're tight. I mean, we share a mind inside of a giant robot."

Keith blinked, clearly surprised. "Yeah, I kinda got that from the hug you gave me back then. It was nice," he said with a smile. "And we work well together."

"Yeah so - wait what? No, I'm supposed to be giving you the pep talk here."

"It's fine, Hunk. I'm doing important work and so are you. I already had this talk with Allura."

"Oh. Well, what I'm trying to say is that we're friends. I care a lot about you and your feelings. So if I say something that's weird or you don't like, you gotta tell me. I'm a terrible and nosy person and I'm sorry."

Keith stood silent, processing the words, and then smiling. "I've accepted the side of me that's Galra," he said simply. "It's still a little weird, but I've always had this feeling that something didn't add up." He smiled a bit. "I don't mind a question or two, but I'm still learning myself."

"Deal, no Galra questions for a while then. Just as long as you come visit more often, okay? We all miss you.

"...hug it out?"

Keith snorted and obliged into Hunk's waiting arms. "Always."

Hardest story to write?

I struggled with the ending to Exsanguination. It took forever to come to me.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

I wrote The Secrets of Beasts in one setting and I still can’t believe how easily it came out. I blame the Plance discord folks for putting everyone on a baby craze.

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

Not particularly? I write based on my existing understanding of the characters and nothing really surprised to that note.

Most overdue story?

Welcome to the Neighborhood. I wanted to write that Allura gen fic all year (as I wanted one for all the Paladins) and I hoped s8 would give me the motivation. It was not worth the cost.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

Collaborations! And participating in a zine! And signing up for events (exchanges and bangs)! I learned that it’s not that scary. People are chill and so easy to get along with. Also the task isn’t as daunting as I think of it’s an idea I love.

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

This is hard because I’m already doing above and beyond what I ever expected to be doing writing wise. I suppose it will be to finish my gen fic since I’ve been writing a lot of plance lately.

[spdtactics-a]

the great irene mom rankings!

i said i’d do these earlier so here we are with irene first! 

moms are ranked based on four things: their supports with frederick, the inheritance they pass down in-game and how it would change irene as an actual unit in game, hair colour, and the corresponding sibling + their dynamic.

 i’m doing these in order of recruitment, as well as including chrom and emmeryn. i went the extra mile and included icons for all the robinsexuals just for fun, which are included at the bottom. they won’t be rated, i just felt like completing all the potential moms(tm). 

i also edited the skin tones for the moms who are naturally darker skinned ( ...or should be ), then noticed i fucked it up a little and... honestly i’m too tired to go back and redo it, pls understand i’m sorry ;____;

frederick’s daughter. an enigmatic cavalier who aspires to be as great a knight as her father. the most afraid of fire.

robin.

supports: hmm... while i love frederick/mu, the in game supports themselves feel kind of weird making the jump from being platonic to romantic... but honestly, they work for me! i think it’s just the format they’re presented in that feels a bit jumpy and choppy? in any case robin helping frederick get over an aversion and better himself for it is very cute. i like it.

inheritance: obviously, the mu is the best parent for any child unit. robin would provide access to every class in the game, so long as it isn’t gender locked-- and heck even her growth rates would vary wildly depending on how you set robin’s. 

hair colour: i just used the default one here or else i’d have gone insane, but a lot of the custom colours did look really cute! i’m especially fond of the araceli-esque blue. :3c

sibling(s): she’d get morgan as a younger sibling... or two! which... could be a pretty fun dynamic. being morgan’s sibling would be the only instance in which irene is older.

overall: the most important thing to note about the mu is that every interpretation, default or custom, is wildly different. while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it does make it kind of hard to pin down what irene’s life would have been like with robin as her mother (...or other father). that said, the mu’s disappearance would definitely have inspired her to keep going with her training as a knight. unaware of what truly happened to her missing parent, irene would hope to find them someday. again... this really does depend on the mu and their interpretation-- but all in all, a solid irene.

final rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ ( 7 scales tipped out of 10 )

chrom.

supports: the supports in game are fucking hilarious, but i don’t know how i feel about them in a romantic context? 

inheritance: chrom’s lord class is non-inheritable, but at least irene would get aether and the (albeit unrealized) ability to wield falchion, if lucina’s sibling supports are anything to go off of! otherwise, the only new class irene would get out of the mix is archer, and i actually couldn’t find the village maiden!lucina stat modifiers for a reference... but chrom’s default growth rates are the highest in skill and speed, so i feel like him as her father would definitely influence that. as for the brand, it’s on the back of her neck!

hair colour: yknow i didn’t think i’d be crazy about lord blue(tm), but it looks really nice with brown eyes... also, irene wouldn’t have to rely on magic to disguise herself as lucina while acting as a decoy. :3c

sibling(s): i’ll admit i’m not the biggest lucina fan out there anymore after some... personal stuff, but i do think lucina would be a cute older sister for irene... if not a little intimidating. while irene would idolize her big sister, she would also often feel as though she’s left in lucina’s shadow... which wouldn’t help much with her self esteem-- hell, she’d feel as though she HAD to work as hard as she already does just to match up... and it could lead to extreme recklessness on irene’s part-- which is NOT something you’d want from a princess of the realm or a knight. 

overall: i love princess irene, but chrom isn’t exactly my first pick for her exalted parent-- mostly because of lucina and the very limited class pool irene would get as a result; she’s barred from lord and chrom’s only other class that doesn’t overlap is archer... like, oof? that said, i honestly do really love the idea of chrom BEING irene’s father. he’s just... such a good dad? he’d really, really help her unlearn a lot of the habits she drilled into herself to be a “model princess” and ideal knight just by... you know. being himself! being younger than lucina, irene’s memories of chrom aren’t as vivid, and honestly a little warped by her sister’s and other father’s perceptions... getting to know the real man would be. so good for her!!! tldr chrom could be a really great dad for irene, but... he has a few teensy things holding him back from being phenomenal. when it comes to royal irene i love papa chrom, but i do think uncle is a bit better.

final rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ ( 6 unpeeled oranges out of 10 )

lissa.

supports: they’re cute! they’re not my absolute favourites, but lissa getting to marry her first love is sweet. i just happen to prefer frederick and lissa with other people.

inheritance: i’ve always really liked the concept of pegasus knight and healer irene, and lissa provides both of those things with the cleric, troubadour, and pegknight lines! also galeforce. gotta love galeforce. while they’re classes that would take a bit of work for irene to really blossom in, from a character development standpoint i think they’re wonderful. like-- she doesn’t have to imitate frederick entirely to be just as good of a knight, she can incorporate things her mom taught her as well. like owain irene does have the brand surface as lissa’s daughter, and it’s still on the back of her neck.

hair colour: lissa’s blonde and emmeryn’s blonde are actually super close in colour! it’s nearly impossible to tell, but emmeryn’s is slightly more saturated. either way i prefer irene with darker hair colours, but the royal blonde is cute.

sibling(s): oh dear god i don’t think irene’s equipped to handle owain of all people as her older brother... she was a really shy little kid, and as much as she’d love owain i do feel like his energy would be........... overwhelming?????? for her? that said i think owain would also know when to dial things down for her sake... that said, irene would really admire owain and while not bold enough to take part in justice cabal shenanigans, she would support them from a distance! still, being lucina’s cousin is... hard.  

overall: i actually don’t have strong feelings on momther lissa one way or another! it’s a pairing i’m not overly invested in, but it’s one of those pairings i think would be cool in-game, if irene was an actual unit. it’d... just come at the cost of messing up owain imo. sooo yeah. it’s not awful, but there are definitely better pairings out there.

final rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ ( 5 frog pranks out of 10 )

sully.

supports: i do like the tidbit that sully was training for knighthood at 15-- it makes the headcanon that ylisse was so desperate for recruits during the apocalypse they were knighting trainees that young a little more plausible, as my hc is that irene was knighted at the tender age of 15 for those exact reasons. that said, the supports themselves are kind of... meh. they felt perfect leaving off at a, the s-rank feels a bit “well we have to marry them off now so you can get the kid i guess” and shoehorned in than anything. 

inheritance: sully shares her base class with irene, but since frederick also has the wyvern rider class in his kit, the only new class offered to irene is myrmidon... which is kind of sad. myrm’s a great class, but OOF that class pool...

hair colour: sully’s red is the softest and dullest out of all the red haired gen 1s, and it’s nice on irene... but eh. there are nicer.

sibling(s): ... i just don’t like kjelle all that much. i don’t know why. i never really use her... i think it’s because she’s an armoured unit and eh, no thanks. i like the idea of irene and kjelle being friends, though... just not siblings.

overall: while having two knightly parents would make irene’s transition from shy, girly child to lady knight a lot easier, sully... is not a mom i’m a huge fan of for irene. her class pool is ridiculously limited, the family dynamic with kjelle isn’t one i’m a huge fan of... while i think irene would be inspired by and look up to sully, it’s hard to see her as irene’s mother. more like a mentor, if anything. you feel?

final rating: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ ( 4 business swords out of 10 )

miriel.

supports: i’m actually doing this one in my current awakening run! while the supports are fun and i like them, i’m... not a huge fan of their ending and ‘miriel vanishing for weeks at a time’. like. uh. okay.......... cool........... i guess?? that said, they’re nicer than sully’s supports lmao.

inheritance: miriel flips irene’s entire concept on its head-- as frederick’s daughter, she’s a very physical based unit who doesn’t really... excel at magic. meanwhile, all of miriel’s classes are magic. a miriel!irene inherits the mage, dark mage, and troubadour lines-- while i think she’d struggle with anima, light, or dark magic, i always see irene as having a natural, innate talent for healing. she would make a decent war cleric! 

hair colour: miriel’s hair is one of my favourites in the game and irene pulls it off well! it’s that pretty, dark red...........

sibling(s): maybe i’m just biased and adore bp too much, but the entire reason i like miriel as irene’s mother is because of laurent! i think they’re a nice match as siblings. studious, observant, kind laurent and his little sister... they’d both take care of everyone else and it could probably be a little overbearing, but... it’d be really sweet. i love it. i also headcanon laurent to have been the one who used his magic to make irene’s hair blue whilst she pulled a frey and acted as a decoy in the bad future... the angst potential there is lovely. imagine realizing your little sister embarking on what’s basically a suicide mission really is the only way to slip past enemy lines to safety? and setting her up to do just that?  r i p laurent. but also please consider irene being a late bloomer to non-healing magic and her brother teaching her. it’s good shit! >:3c

overall: the main appeal of miriel to me is getting laurent as a brother, and the concept of a late-blooming magical irene. miriel’s and frederick’s supports are good but i’m not 100% sold on their ending, and there are just frederick pairings i like better.

final rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ ( 7 mysteries of the universe solved out of 10 )

sumia.

supports: YES??? YES!!!!!! mu aside, frederick is my favourite sumia pairing! ... out of what’s available in game, anyways. sumia’s just so earnest and eager to help out as much as frederick does and he’s endeared by it and I’M endeared by it and they’re just so ridiculously SWEET it rots my teeth and yes pLEASE...

inheritance: sumia passes down pegasus knight, cleric, and knight-- once again giving me the option of f a l c o n  k n i g h t  i r e n e complete with galeforce. and i love me some f a l c o n  k n i g h t  i r e n e.

hair colour: it’s lighter and less saturated than her default fred brown, but sumia’s hair is very pretty on irene... i like it a lot! 

sibling(s): i know i said owain would probably be a little overwhelming to have as a brother, therefore it ought to be the same for cynthia... but i actually don’t see that being the case! before their parent’s deaths, cynthia was shy and soft and girly-- much like irene. i can see both sisters vowing to grow stronger and become knights of ylisse together-- they just have different ideas of what constitutes heroism. irene’s vision of a hero is more like their father’s: someone who’s always looking after everyone, even when it goes unnoticed-- and sometimes it works better when it’s unnoticed. cynthia is dazzling glamour and drama, ready to punish evildoers in the name of the moon with the coolest entrances and speeches ever. she keeps morale up with theatrics and works hard to be that shining light for everyone with them, where irene supports from the shadows. while she’d be adverse to acting out cynthia’s flights of fancy in the bad future, she... could be roped into trying in the past, and it would help her kick a lot of her reservation and shyness. cynthia and irene are good sisters and i love them!!!

overall: i love fredsumia in general, so sumia as irene’s mom is just so good to me already???? even without thinking about it too deeply, i can just look at sumia and be like ‘yeah, she could have a kid like irene.’ 

final rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ ( 9 flower fortunes out of 10 )

maribelle.

supports: i actually really like frederick’s and maribelle’s supports. they’re hilarious and sweet and just-- yeah. i like maribelle being willing to learn menial tasks to better instruct her own servants and just... yeah!!! it’s cute!!! i like maribelle/fred!

inheritance: maribelle gives irene a lot of the classes lissa does-- troubadour, pegasus knight... then mage. anything that can give me galeforce falcon knight irene is a good time!! it’s a shame brady could do better for a father...

hair colour: god maribelle’s hair is bright... but it looks cute with the brown eyes!

sibling(s): oh my god brady and irene would be really cute as brother and sister... they’re both soft kids(tm) and the narrative of irene having to work really, really hard to become a knight lends itself well to her being a duchess’ daughter!! i also have a hc that irene used to hang out in whatever ‘medical bay’ brady cobbled together after his scare with that guy who became a risen mid-healing, to both have an excuse to avoid any burning of bodies and protect brady from another incident... look they’re just. cute.

overall: while it does sacrifice some of brady’s potential, irene being maribelle’s daughter is solid and interesting!! fred’s and maribelle’s supports are genuinely good, irene’s backstory lines up well with maribelle being her mom, brady’s a great brother, and gameplay wise she gets good class options! maribelle? solid choice!!!

final rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ ( 7 parasols out of 10 )

panne.

supports: these are actually supports i quite like! frederick learning new things and overcoming fears are always a joy to see, and seeing a more relaxed side of panne is really cute... they’re good!! 

inheritance: panne gives irene a unique class in taguel, as well as thief and wyvern rider! while she’d have to be very careful of anti-beast weapons, the thought of irene with the bunny ears is... cute...

hair colour: dark colours really do suit irene; i just wish i had the patience to edit taguel ears onto that icon... because she’d definitely have them.

sibling(s): mmmm yarne’s another kid i’m not huge on, and i do feel like they’d clash as siblings... while yarne is self preserving to a fault, understanding the weight of his (and irene’s) legacies as the literal last two taguel in the world, irene throws herself into danger regularly as a knight without any regard for her own safety. there would... probably be arguments about it. i dunno, yarne just... also doesn’t work as fred’s kid imo?? it could just be personal preference...

overall: taguel irene!!! taguel irene!!! while i love panne’s and fred’s supports and the concept, the family dynamic with yarne just... doesn’t... click very well for me? they really do feel like they’d be at each other’s throats a lot over clashing ideologies, and mmmm it would be fun for character development, but... i dunno. i’m just not feeling it as something to write?

final rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ ( 6 carrots out of 10 )

cordelia.

supports: NO!!! cordelia’s supports with frederick are some of my least favourites in the game!!! i blame the mention of c h r o m and how it is in-context. it’s like frederick’s just... settling for being second best, even if cordelia claims she’s giving up on chrom, then considering severa’s recruitment dialogue... mmmmmm. i don’t... like that... they both deserve better...

inheritance: cordelia’s fun in that between all of her class lines -- pegasus knight, mercenary, dark mage -- she can use every single weapon in the game. this trait passes on to both irene and severa, and irene does get some nice options to play around with 

hair colour: the fiery red is nice, actually, but it’s a little TOO vivid to suit irene...

sibling(s): i feel like severa’s bold and abrasive nature would either extend to her little sister or she’d be an overly smothering big sister to overcompensate for perfect mom cordelia’s absence. there’d be no in between, and shy, meek irene would... suffocate from it. they’d work better as friends than siblings.

overall: while this would be a nice pairing in a playthrough WITHOUT ruining severa in the process, i don’t like it much in context. the supports are some of my least favourites, severa isn’t a good fit for irene’s sibling, and i... just like both units with other people! 

final rating: ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ ( 2 unrequited crushes out of 10 )

nowi.

supports: okay, the supports themselves are nice. they’re a sweet concept-- nowi wanting to make sure frederick receives recognition for all his hard work, despite him being content just... helping from the shadows. that said i still... can’t get past the whole nowi looking like a child thing. i know she’s over 1000 years old but it still feels super awkward to me? then again that’s a nowi complaint in general... so... rip nowi i really do love you i swear--

inheritance: manakete irene!!! manakete!!! irene!!! nowi also gives mage and wyvern rider, as well as decent magic growths-- late bloomer magical dark knight irene is fun, but... manakete irene

hair colour: nowi’s green is pretty wild, but i think that with the long ears it’d be cute!!

sibling(s): nah and irene would prooobably make cute siblings, but i don’t think nah’s backstory gels well with irene’s. in nah’s, both of her parents died when she was an infant. i hc frederick was among the last to die. something has to be altered pretty radically for this to fit, or else fred just up and ditched his kids, and... no. 

overall: honestly this would be one of my favourites if not for the massive edits to irene’s overall concept and the nowi problem(tm). manakete irene is a really fun concept, fred’s and nowi’s supports are really cute tbh and their ending is sweet, i feel like nowi’s light-heartedness and maturity underneath it all are something that would be really good for irene, but... the amount of editing needed to make it work kinda ruins the idea for me.

final rating: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ ( 4 dragonstones out of 10 )

tharja.

supports: they’re... hm. they’re... interesting? see tharja’s supports are like how i view cordelia’s: the less mentions of robin ( and chrom in cordelia’s case ), the better. tharja talks about robin a lot in the c-a ones, but thankfully there’s no mention of them in the s. so that’s points in tharja’s favour! they’re not bad, but i do think i like tharja and frederick with other people.

inheritance: tharja passes down dark mage and archer, then knight overlaps with irene’s classes inherited from frederick. magical irene is once again on the table, but given the nature of future!tharja, i feel like irene would be horribly scared of or at least averse to dark magic and against trying it for herself. 

hair colour: dark hair colours always look good on irene... though grabbing it off tharja’s sprite was weird, because the sprite makes it look more brown than black. oh well.

sibling(s): while fred/tharja isn’t terrible, ohhhhh boy the implications it has for irene’s childhood isn’t fun. she and noire sound like good sisters, but... once frederick dies tharja snaps hard, and begins using noire as a guinea pig. given i hc frederick as one of the last to die, either irene is already knighted and in a horrible position to get noire out of that situation until their mother dies too, or frederick dies earlier and she ends up trapped in the abuse too. it’s just... a very sad situation and i can’t... i feel really bad putting irene in either of them. either she chases frederick and knighthood and unintentionally abandons noire, or she has to suffer future!tharja.

overall: despite the iffy future!tharja situation, i do think that the interactions with past!tharja and noire would make for really interesting character development. and you all know i am HERE for character development! frederick’s supports with tharja aren’t bad ones, but they’re not necessarily my favourites either. dunno, just... not huge on this one, but i don’t hate it!

final rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ ( 5 hexes out of 10 )

olivia.

supports: this one was........... weird. like, it shows fred’s overbearingness extends to everyone when he’s trying to lend a hand and it’s really cute, but... mmmmmmmmmm i really don’t know. i like olivia with other people more and her supports can be kind of hit or miss as it is for me, even when i like the pairing. 

inheritance: olivia doesn’t give dancer, what even is the point-- no, but irene could inherit myrmidon, pegasus knight, and since dancer is exclusive to olivia, mercenary! if you want g a l e f o r c e  f a l c o n  k n i g h t  irene, it’s a good choice! 

hair colour: irene with olivia’s pink is cute, but i like darker tones on her, personally...

sibling(s): irene being inigo’s younger sister could be fun? they’re both shy characters and deal with it in different ways-- irene threw herself into training, inigo followed the ‘talk to girls’ advice. i can see them lowkey clashing over that, but still being close? it sets up for really fun shenanigans in fates too, as irene and corbett go to fateslandia on their own and settle in hoshido, meanwhile inigo’s summoned there by anankos and ends up in nohr... on a less potentially tragic note, irene being soleil’s aunt is cute. 

overall: this is another pairing i like more for the sibling than the parents, but it’s still a solid one! the supports are kind of weird to me, but then again as much as i love olivia her supports are... mmmmm. irene gets great classes out of the deal, as well as the coveted galeforce, and inigo is a fun brother. all in all, it’s one of the better ones! 

final rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆   ( 7 dances out of 10 )

cherche.

supports: these are my absolute favourites, with sumia’s supports being just sliiiiightly behind them. i just love how highly frederick and cherche hold each other in high esteem from day one? they learn from each other, they snark about virion in private together, and their ending and their “famously disarming smiles” is so good??? power. couple. 

inheritance: cherche passes down wyvern rider, cleric, and troubadour. healer irene is back in play, which i love!! she wouldn’t get minerva as a wyvern rider because gerome already has her, but it’s Fine.

hair colour: mmm, it looks so cute on her! i love cherche’s pink...

sibling(s): the contrast between brooding, distant gerome and gentle, shy irene is really fun to me! i feel like they’d be super close as kids but get along less as they grew older, but that also opens the doors for that sweet, sweet character development and reconciliation. and if you know anything about me, i live for character development.

overall: cherche is irene’s default mom for a reason. frederick’s and cherche’s supports are my favouites for them both, she lends really well to the idea of irene being less talented with offensive magic but having a hidden talent for healing, and her hair colour is pink-- but still that nice darker tone that i like on her. gerome is... a bit of a piece of work, but they contrast in an interesting way and the development that comes with reconciliation is appealing! so yeah! i love!!! cherche!irene! 

final rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ ( 10 snacks for minerva out of 10 )

emmeryn.

supports: they, uh... don’t have any. the draw for fredemm in general is that he’s a knight and she’s the exalt, and i mean... it’s really a sweet concept! i do prefer emm/phila and frederick with other people, but it is an emmeryn ship i still really like! it does require some shifting things around on irene’s part as she’d now have to be older than all of the children to even exist in the bad timeline, but... eh. details.

inheritance: emm’s classes are the same ones as lissa’s, so see her section! as always with princess irene, the brand is on the back of her neck.

hair colour: it looks really close to lissa’s, but it’s just a little more saturated...

sibling(s): not counting emmeryn fankids, irene would be an only child. i guess that means she would treat lucina, her sibling, and owain like siblings of her own! that said, she would still undergo the lucina problem-- being related to falchion’s bearer and unable to wield it herself  despite being a member of the exalted bloodline does a number on irene’s confidence and self image as a princess. now that i’m thinking about it, what if princess irene got geirskogul...

overall: if i’m doing princess irene, emmeryn is my favourite of the ylissean royal sibs to be her other parent. everything is a little more hc based and shifts around a bit based off portrayals and whatnot, but i really like exalted irene so it’s worth it!!  

final rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ ( 8 miracles out of 10 )

just for fun...

anna.

aversa.

flavia.

say’ri.

tiki.