#I mean I enjoyed the duel don't get me wrong

[sbd-laytall]

Because I'm re-watching the first two seasons of the Dub and then switching to the Sub in the latter two, I get some absolute goldmines for jokes, but I do have to say the whole "Chazz it up" mantra genuinely had me wondering what I was watching because I did not remember this part at all.

[cosmerelists]

How Kaladin Would Flirt With Other Cosmere Characters

As requested by @cam-ulu29 :)

Hot off the back of my post about other characters flirting with Kaladin, cam-ulu29 asked if I could also write about Kaladin being the big flirt with other characters. So let's just say that Kaladin had the ability & the desire to flirt...how might he do so?

1. Lyn

Kaladin: I'm glad that there are women Windrunners now. Lyn: Man, me too! Kaladin: And specifically I am glad that you. A woman. And a Windrunner. Are here. Lyn: Awww, thanks! Kaladin (visibly sweating): Yes you. As a woman. Who is a Windrunner. And is here. Lyn: Are you...are you having a stroke right now?

2. Renarin

Kaladin: Hey, Renarin...back when you first joined Bridge 4, did you have a crush on me? Renarin: ! Renarin: W-Was it obvious? Kaladin: N-No, not really! Syl told me. Later. That she thought you did. Renarin: Oh... Kaladin: ... Kaladin: Any chance you still do?

3. Leswhi

Kaladin: Hey, uh, Leshwi? I was wondering if you would be free for an honorable duel, maybe Tuesday night? Leshwi: Certainly. I will assemble the shanay-im. Kaladin: Oh, well, I was actually thinking of an honorable duel with just you and me, you know? Syl: And me! Kaladin: And also Syl. Leswhi: ... Leshwi: Tuesday you said? It's a date.

4. Rlain

Kaladin: Ugh, all these women keep coming to the clinic to flirt with me. Kaladin: I can't get any work done! Kaladin: I bet if they knew I was in a relationship already, they'd stop. Kaladin: Hey Rlain...do you want to hold hands? Rlain: ...Are you asking me to pretend to be your boyfriend? Kaladin: Pretend?

5. Laral

Kaladin: Crazy how we're both single now. Laral: ... Laral: You mean because you got dumped and my husband DIED? Kaladin: Uh... Laral: ... Kaladin: So...not the right moment to see if you want to get a drink and catch up? Laral: NOPE

6. Adolin

Kaladin: I think horses are mean and scary. Adolin: That's just 'cause you haven't been around them enough! I swear! They're cool and friendly! Kaladin (continuing as if Adolin said nothing): But I would accept being around horses. Lots of mean horses. Kaladin: If it meant. Kaladin: Being around you. Adolin: ...? Kaladin: ... Adolin: ... Adolin: Oh! Adolin: Nice.

7. Shallan

Kaladin: [sighing dramatically] Shallan: What's wrong? Kaladin: I want to flirt with someone, but she's much wittier than I am, so I don't know how to even start. Shallan: Oooh, that's exciting! Can I give you advice? Kaladin: I would LOVE advice. Shallan: Well, it depends on whether you can match her wit, or whether you think she's entirely too witty for that. Kaladin: I think I could. Sometimes. Probably not while also flirting, though. Shallan: Sure, sure. Well, you can always just enjoy her wit and let her enjoy how smart she is. Kaladin: Yeah? You think making her feel smart is a good tactic? Shallan: Well, it certainly can't hurt! Kaladin: [significant look] Shallan: ... Shallan: Oh! Shallan: Nice.

8. Moash:

Kaladin: You know...I bet I could swallow a WAY bigger sphere than you could... Moash: MY BED IS UPSTAIRS LET'S GO RIGHT NOW

9. Szeth

Kaladin: You know...I've been thinking that maybe this trip is a chance to find what I really need. Szeth: I feel the same way. Kaladin: You...you do? Szeth: I do. Nightblood: (Me too!) Kaladin: Well, good...because I think what I really need is... Kaladin: You... Szeth (simultaneously): Vengeance. Nightblood (simultaneously): The eradication of evil! Kaladin: ... Kaladin: I don't know what I expected.

10. Jasnah

Kaladin (talking to someone else): I mean...being partnered is fine, I guess, but the sex stuff I don't really get. Jasnah: ... [...] Kaladin (to someone else): Darkeyed Radiants is good and all but, I mean, we still have slavery. Anyone who really cared about social change would do somehing about that! Jasnah: ... [...] Kaladin: (to someone else): I like Wit, but storms can he be annoying sometimes. Small doses, you know? Jasnah: ... [...] Kaladin (talking to someone else): So then I convinced the ardents that locking up the insane in dark rooms was NOT a good thing--they're gonna change the treatment! Jasnah: ... Jasnah: Has Stormblessed always been so attractive?

[whatswrongwithblue]

The Fire in the Sin

Chapter 23 - Don't Take That Sinner From Me

Word count: 6,049. Read on AO3. Series Masterlist. <- Previous Chapter.

Summary: The day Alastor leaves Hell and his wife behind and the events following.

Artwork shared with permission from @mooneggtarts. Please give them a like and a follow as their Alastor artwork is top notch. And although this chapter isn't from Alastor's POV, I saw this piece and knew it demonstrated exactly how he would be feeling during the events of this chapter.

Series summary

In the 1950's, Alastor met the woman he would eventually marry but unfortunately his Radio Demon persona went for her soul rather than her hand. He has to learn what it means to love, and cherish, without possessing and he does. Their relationship is beautiful, strong, unbreakable . . . but he carries a dark secret through their marriage for decades until eventually he has to face the consequences of that secret and leave her, without warning, for seven years. He returns, finding her at the Hazbin Hotel, and has to convince her to forgive him, while being literally bound to secrecy, unable to tell her any of things he now is desperate to explain to her.

(This is a duel timeline fic, timestamps will be a the top of every chapter.)

Chapter 23 - Don't Take That Sinner From Me

Pentagram City

2016

Mina fidgeted in the back of the cab, nervous and anxious about getting home that afternoon. She wanted to be back at the radio tower . . . but she also felt the need to procrastinate her return as much as possible.

Alastor had been off for weeks. Acting strange, distant, and mercurial. Oddly bossy and demanding. It was different than when a rut was approaching in a way Mina couldn’t quite describe and it had her on edge. He wasn’t outwardly aggressive or upset with anyone in particular that she could tell; he wasn’t ranting about his job or the other Overlords like he tended to during that time of year. But he was much more prone to his darker moods than usual lately. He’d go days without sleep, he was drinking often to the point of being wasted, he was dismissive of her to the point of being outright rude at times. And then other times it was like he couldn’t get enough of her; showering her with affection, apologizing for his behavior, telling her how much he adored and loved her. She’d asked him directly, multiple times, what was wrong, and he’d insisted on the fact that all was well. But he got strangely and unnervingly quiet each time afterwards, almost as if he was afraid to speak at all.

Mina had almost not gone out with her friends that day but they had planned this get together a couple weeks in advance and she didn’t have the heart to cancel it just over a feeling. She missed her family from The Pit terribly. When she had first quit her job several years back, she had enjoyed the free time it had given her, even if it meant sacrificing some of her power. But over time, it felt like she and her friends were drifting slowly apart; their life continuing on as part of Abaddon’s family while Mina’s became more and more wrapped up in Alastor.

She had broached the subject of returning – just part time – to her job with Alastor the night before and he had practically blown up on her. Yelled at her. He never did that and the things he had said hadn’t even made any sense, but one thing was clear - he wanted her to stay away from Abaddon.

It had been the worst fight Mina could recall them ever having and she had nearly left then and there, at least to spend the night somewhere else until they had both cooled off but Alastor had beaten her to it; disappearing without an explanation for hours.

She’d retreated to her oasis; the pocket dimension of ocean and stars, with their large bed nestled into the sandy embankment. Even with the sounds of the waves there to sooth her, she had tossed and turned for hours; alone, confused, and hurt, but eventually sleep had found her and when she woke up, Alastor was in bed with her.

Even in his sleep, he had been wrapped around her, clinging to her, in a way he usually only did right after sex, his ears pinned back and his face buried in her chest. In her unconscious state, she must have reached for him as well because her limbs were just as entwined as his, and her hands were cradling his head, holding him close to her heart.

He’d woken almost as soon as she had and with one look at his crimson eyes, so full of regret and anguish, she had forgotten what she had been angry about. They’d kissed, holding each other tightly, but when she attempted initiating more, he’d turned her down.

Frustrated and with her pride bruised, she’d pulled away from him and got ready for the day.

He’d followed her around, acting stranger than ever. Like a puppy dog that had been kicked and was desperate for more affection. Alastor barely let her out of his sight, kept touching and caressing her, even though he had clearly not been in the mood for more amorous activities.

It wasn’t unusual for Alastor to not be interested in sex despite wanting to spend time with her, but there was such longing in his expressions that morning, Mina didn’t know what to make of it.

She’d finally snapped, calling him out on being a confusing mess of a man lately, reminding him that she was not known her for patience, and he was lucky she’d been as nice as she was, given what an ass he’d been lately.

He’d smiled, grabbed her face, and kissed her before telling her all would make sense eventually.

She’d seen something in him then, a flash of sadness despite his smile, that made her almost cancel her plans for the rest of the day.

“There’s no need for that,” he told her when she had said as much. “Go, have a wonderful day. You deserve it, more than you know. Just remember,” he’d said, pressing his forehead against hers, “despite how my actions may make it seem, I love you more than anything. You are strong and capable, my darling wife, and I treasure you above all else. Don’t ever forget that.”

Mina couldn’t help but smile up at him at those words and gave him one last quick kiss goodbye before she left to spend the day with her friends.

But as the day wore on, her mind wandered back to his odd behavior lately, and worry began to creep in again.

The taxi stopped when the tower came into view and she stepped out without looking up at it, her face buried in her phone as she walked down the sidewalk. It was only when she got under the shadow of the building that she looked up and noticed something was off.

It looked . . . dim, somehow. The red glow that usually reflected off the glass wasn’t there. Must have been a trick of the light.

But then she stood for a moment, wondering why she wasn’t being transported up. It always happened automatically; not since the first days of her learning to master the art of signaling to the tower that she wanted in did she have to think about being teleported.

She sent the mental message and felt the sluggish delay but after a couple of seconds, her body turned to shadow and lifted up until she rematerialized in the main room.

That was where she really began to worry.

Everything was shut off.

Alastor’s control panels were always lit up. Even when he wasn’t home. His magic was infused into every nook and cranny of the place. Their home was alive with his essence.

Mina went over to the panels, running her fingers over the keys and nobs that always glowed, dread sinking into her gut as she realized how cold it all felt. But signs of Alastor were still everywhere.

A half full cup of unfinished coffee sat by his chair. A record left in the player that he must have put on after she left. A cabinet door left slightly ajar – he was always leaving drawers and doors open, especially when he was distracted.

Everything else looked entirely ordinary, just . . . powerless.

No signs of a struggle. And no signs of him having packed.

Mina shut those thoughts down quickly.

No one could get in here and cause him harm and he certainly wouldn’t have left her. Not to mention this was his original home; if they were to ever split she would be the one to move out, not him.

She looked down at her phone, suddenly more agitated with him than anything. If he had just carried a cell phone on him like everyone else did these days, she could just call him and tell him something was wrong with his workstation and to get his tail home and fix it because it was freaking her out.

Mina sighed, setting her phone down on his bench, and transported herself to their bedroom.

It was that room, more than anything else, that ignited her panic and set her on her downhill spiral.

The pocket dimension that had stood in their bedroom for decades was gone.

“No, no, no, no, NO!” Mina cried out, running across the room and screaming the last word as she hit the wall where the little oasis should have been. The wood paneling, completely ordinary, and very solid, thumped against her fist as she hit it. Their bed, which had been at its ocean side location ever since the night of the honeymoon, was now back in its original corner. Made up and tidy, it stared at her from across the room, looking very wrong and out of place.

It was then that she let herself really feel it; it was like the magic of the tower had been unplugged and it was in some kind of power saving mode, closing off the things that would drain it the fastest. The only thing that was left was her ability to move through the walls of the place via shadow and the protective wards were still up, but even those were already weakening.

The place was dying.

The source of its power was gone.

Alastor was gone.

Mina flew back upstairs and ran towards the old-fashioned phone on the wall, begging for it to still be working. She picked it up but there of course was no dial tone. It was as dead as everything else.

She slammed it back down on the receiver, feeling herself begin to hyperventilate, then she grabbed her cell phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found the one she was looking for.

The call was answered after several rings.

“Hello?” The woman’s voice on the other end sounded pleasant but confused.

“Rosie?” Mina asked, her voice so small and so very scared.

“What is it, darling?” Rosie asked, quickly switching to alarmed at the tone in her friend’s voice.

“Something bad has happened,” Mina said, squeezing her eyes shut as the tears began to fall. She sunk to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest, hugging herself. Although she was well over a hundred, she barely felt 10 years old in that moment. “I think Alastor is hurt . . . or worse . . . I can’t-“ she sucked in a breath, fighting the sob that threatened to tear from her throat. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Where are you?” Rosie asked, her voice firm and calm.

“Home,” Mina answered, “but it’s not . . . Rosie, it’s like it’s dead. Everything is turned off.”

Rosie breathed in a deep sigh, audible even over the phone.

“Come here, as quickly as you can. I’ll see what I can find out.”

___

“No one has heard a thing. It’s like he’s just vanished.”

Rosie set a cup of tea in front of Mina, who stared at it, uninterested.

She was nauseous and shaky, certain if she tried to eat or drink anything she would just puke it back up. Not even on her first day in Hell had she felt so uncertain and scared.

“Someone has to know something. Somebody did this!”

“Darling, you’re worried and that’s perfectly understandable. I’m at a loss as well. But if anyone took down The Radio Demon, they wouldn’t be keeping their silence about it. It’d make them the most powerful Overlord around.”

“What if it was someone else entirely? A Royal or one of The Sins. You know everything about Alastor’s work, who has he had problems with lately?”

“No one that I know of,” Rosie answered simply and went to take a sip of her tea.

Mina slammed her fist down on the table.

“Bullshit!” she yelled. “You’re his best fucking friend, Rosie! You have to know something!”

Rosie cleared her throat, set her teacup carefully back on the table, and levelled her gaze on Mina.

“If I knew anything, I would have told you first thing,” she said cooly.

Mina could see the threat in the woman’s black eyes but for the first time since meeting her, Mina truly felt no fear of the Overlord. She was too angry and too consumed over Alastor’s disappearance to care about her own safety.

“Then I’m wasting my time here,” she said and stood, scooting her chair loudly across the floor.

“Mina-“ Rosie said, standing, but Mina cut her off.

“Fuck you,” she spat, not looking around as she walked towards the exit.

“Now that is just uncalled for!” Rosie said, putting her hands on her hips. “Don’t forget who you’re talking to. I’m trying to help.”

“I don’t give a shit who you are anymore,” Mina hissed. “Alastor was your friend. . . . is . . . he is your friend.” Mina paused on the correction, disturbed at having slipped into past tense as if she had already accepted he was gone for good. “And all you can do is sit in the safety of your own home and drink your bloody damn tea. Some friend you are. What a powerful Overlord, the great leader of Cannibal Town is, if she can’t even figure out what happened here.”

“I’ll forgive you for that insult only because I’m certain he’s not dead and would have my head if I laid a hand on yours.” Rosie’s voice was icy in way Mina had never heard it and still, she didn’t care.

“You won’t have to bother killing me if I find out he’s dead. I’ll do it myself,” she said and slammed the door on her way out.

___

She found Niffty first.

Alastor was either dead or missing and Mina had to figure out which one it was before she decided on how to continue. And the fastest, easiest way to determine that was to go after the souls she knew he owned. If they were still bound, then he was still alive.

“Show me your chain,” Mina said, standing over the shorter woman.

They were in the radio tower, somewhere safe and alone, and Mina had already explained to Niffty what had happened that day. It was the middle of the night and still there was no sign of Alastor. The news networks and social media pages had made some mentions about the radio broadcasts being cut short, the airwaves around Hell were eerily quiet that evening, but no one had any good speculations as to why. They all assumed Alastor was up to something, not that he was missing.

“Why?” Niffty said, fidgeting and looking nervous.

She was also terribly upset and worried, her usual frantic energy more subdued.

Mina lowered herself to her knees so that she was more on Niffty’s level. She was desperate, angry, willing to go to more violent extremes than she had ever gone to before, but this soul was not one she could bring herself to be cruel to.

Short and impatient with, but still, she didn’t want to scare Niffty.

“If it’s still there, then we know he’s still alive. It would give me hope, Niff, if you’d just let me see it.”

“Okay . . .” Niffty hesitated and then raised her hands up as if holding something and as she did, the faint green chains appeared in her clutches then solidified.

Alastor was alive, his soul intact enough to keep the bond between him and Niffty as strong as ever.

The relief of it crashed into Mina and she immediately let out a sob, dropping her head into her hands and crying. A very large part of her had believed he was dead; had imagined the worst, most terrible fate befalling him, that he had suffered and been tormented before being snuffed out forever.

She felt petite arms wrap around her and realized Niffty was hugging her and felt her tiny body shaking as well.

“It makes no sense,” Mina said between her gasping cries. “He’s just gone.”

“I know,” Niffty said, her voice strained with her own tears. “I’m scared too.”

___

Neither of the two women were at all tired and there was no such thing as a last call at the bars in Pentagram City.

Fearing for Alastor’s safety and desperate to not lose anymore time, the two of them tracked down the other souls that he owned that he was most closely acquainted to; the ones who would be most likely to either know anything or be involved in a means of double crossing him.

Husk was one of those souls.

Mina had begun singing as soon as the bar door closed behind her, keeping Niffty well out of earshot. The patrons evacuated in under a minute but as Husk walked around the gambling table he had been sitting on, she grabbed him by the throat and pinned him to the card table.

She had never been fond of him the way Alastor was. Mina found Husker to be too self-pitying, too lost in his drink and sorrows, and too bitter about life to be anything but a nuisance but for some reason, her husband seemed to enjoy keeping him around.

It pissed Mina off even more whenever Husk complained about Alastor, as if he wasn’t the one who had gambled his own soul away. As if he wasn’t lucky it was Alastor who had been the Overlord to take that bet and not someone who would treat Husk much worse.

With her singing halted, Husker snapped out of the trance she had put him in as she threw him to the table hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

“What the fuck,” he wheezed, gasping for air around her chokehold on him. “Mina?!”

“What do you know?” she asked, her voice remarkably calm and serious given the state of her mind.

“What are you talking about?” he gasped, grabbing at her wrists. “Where the fuck is Alastor?!”

“That’s what I want to know,” she said and let up on his throat, letting the demon sit up and rub his hands across his neck.

“Again, what the fuck are you talking about?” he grumbled.

“You haven’t noticed how quiet the radio was today?” she asked, tilting her head. “Alastor is missing and I need to know who knows about it.”

“You think I listen to that shit?” Husk said, looking around as if he just noticed the empty bar room. “I don’t tune into the radio much these days. And why would I know jack shit about Alastor going missing?”

“You work with him,” Mina said cooly. “You know him better than most. But we both know you hate him. That puts you in a pretty good position to be able to get rid of him.”

Husk’s eyes went wide as he realized what Mina was implying.

“I didn’t do anything to the bastard, though I wish I would have,” he said, pinning his ears back.

He reached for his pocket, likely going for his deadly set of playing cards, but before he could reach them, the long-pointed end of a needle was being held to his throat.

Niffty had appeared behind him, smiling down at the winged demon, waiting for him to give her an excuse to use the new weapon Mina had gifted her.

“You wanna go after anyone, you should be going after Vox. Everyone knows those two have beef,” Husker said, keeping his tone business like even if he was side eyeing the crazed woman holding his life hostage. “If you think you’re strong enough, that is.”

“I’ll work my way up there if I have to,” she said and motioned with her chin towards Niffty, who dropped her needle away from Husk’s throat.

“What, you’re not going to torture me for information?” Husker asked, shifting away from Niffty even as she jumped off the table.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Mina said dismissively, turning to leave. “But if Alastor doesn’t show up soon, it might be a wise decision to make yourself harder to find.”

___

It took them days to track down and interrogate the rest of the souls. They hardly slept or ate, barely caring for themselves at all. And they had nothing to show for it.

By week's end, Mina was completely strung out and going insane.

She had sent Niffty away and locked herself up in the tower. It was nearly completely drained of everything at that point. The wards had fallen and it took an enormous amount of her own energy to enter it.

It looked decrepit, inside and out. The metal of its base was beginning to rust and warp. A couple of the panes of glass had shattered. The walls looked like they would crumble any day now. Inside the air was musty and dank, reeking of mildew and dust.

Mina curled up on the floor of the main room; where Alastor had first shared his mother’s recipe with her, first slow danced with her, first shared the secrets of his heart with her. Where his last words to her were to never forget that he loved her.

She cried there on that floor, screaming out her anguish, sobbing until her back and ribs hurt. It felt like her heart would burst with the internal pressure of her pain. Her hands gripped at her hair, her head pounding worse than any hangover, her eyes aching from the never ceasing torrent of tears.

The not knowing was driving her to madness. Had he left her like this on purpose? Or was he stuck somewhere, hurting as much as she was, or likely even worse? Had he known this was going to happen or did he just suspect something might go wrong? Had he sent her away that day to keep her safe or to make his leaving easier?

She couldn’t think anymore; her mind was just blaring white noise, an asylum full of nothing but pain and panic.

The tower moaned and creaked around her, her ears picking up the distressing noise, even over the sounds of her cries. It didn’t matter. If it fell, she would fall with it.

Hours ticked by and then an entire day and night.

Eventually, her body gave into exhaustion and fell asleep.

She dreamed of him; of his arms around her, the glowing red of his eyes, his static voice singing in her ears, his skin caressing hers, the smell of him; whiskey and the smoke from his pipe and the woodsy coastal scent of swamp filling her senses.

Mina woke, alone and cold on the hard floor, but could still smell him.

She sat up with a start, hopeful and frantic, looking around for any sign of him.

But then she looked down and saw his shirt in her hands. She had pulled it from their dresser and held it to her face as she cried herself to sleep. It still smelled uniquely like him, and she lifted it to her nose once more, tears stinging her swollen eye corners, before she threw it to the ground and stood.

She was done searching. Done torturing and interrogating. Done wasting time.

Everyone in Hell knew he was missing now; the news was being broadcasted everywhere. Most were still afraid of him, respected him enough to not say much. But some were celebrating.

She would make them pay. Make them feel her pain. And in doing so, she would make Hell tear itself apart to bring to light the ones responsible for this.

___

This bruised and beating heart

It hungers for your pain

Fill it up until it stops

Stab it and bleed it black

This burning and thirsting throat

It yearns for the dark

Fill it up until I choke

Stopped by your silent attack

There’s children screaming in the streets

Their mothers dead under their sheets

And still it’s me you fear

My words the greatest threat your ears have heard this year

I won’t show you kindness now

You chose your hate

I chose my blade

So enjoy this bloody bed you’ve made

You won’t show your mercy then

You threw us out

You let us starve

So they’ll dance on your grave unafraid

The world’s a ruin of smoke and ash

But pockets are full of gold and cash

Of course it’s still me you fear

My words the greatest threat your ears have heard this year

Mina wrote that song when she first arrived in America. She’d thought she’d known the horrors of prejudice back home, but it was nothing compared to the class and race warfare that suffocated the most vulnerable of Americans. Black, Italian, Irish, Polish, Asian . . . basically if you didn’t have the perfect combination of last name, skin tone, and accent, the arbitrary and idiotic differences that divided the working class of the United States, you were barely seen as human. It had enraged her, filled her with hate, and she had found an even greater taste for violence . . . and the best muse for her songs and poems yet.

Now Mina was angrier than she had ever been. More blinded by her own pain, consumed by her own misery, than at any other point in her short life and far longer afterlife. And her power responded in kind.

The surge of it was practically humming through her nervous system, making her blood pound through her veins with more strength than even Abaddon’s blood had once given her.

And she put every once of that powerful intention, that driving force to find Alastor, into her most emotional, vengeful song she had ever put to paper.

Someone in Hell had taken Alastor from her and since she didn’t know who to focus her hate on, she focused it on all of them.

She walked down the main streets of Pentagram City, singing, and everyone who heard her song went mad. They attacked each other, beat each other, ate each other. Hordes of demons ran into shops, pulling innocent shoppers and business owners alike out into the street, who then heard her words as well and joined in.

There was little goal besides chaos. She simply let everyone feel what it was like inside her tumultuous mind but one thought came through loud and clear; one single clear message that entered the minds of almost every Sinner and Hellborn in Pride Ring that day.

Bring me Alastor.

Destruction reigned down all-around Mina as her Siren song took hold of the entire city. Those who were innocent, who didn’t know where Alastor was or how to find him, simply went insane.

Millions of demons went insane that day.

Hell had been torn to shreds. Mina had caught the attention of every Overlord, every Sin, and every royal Hellborn. Even the lower rings heard of the destruction that the Radio Demon’s wife set loose on Pride that day.

And Alastor was still gone.

___

Mina woke slowly, her body fighting to stay unconscious. Not from any drugs, illnesses, or maladies of the physical form; she simply did not want to face reality. She had been enjoying a dreamless state of bliss where her mind floated in nothing but darkness and quiet and yet, despite her wishes to stay that way, her body began to betray her.

She blinked her eyes, seeing a beam of morning light filter through her curtains. Black curtains, around vintage crank windows, and the dim light that streamed through them was tinted red.

When she had first begun spending nights in the radio tower with Alastor, his bedroom had been completely windowless. But as he began to experiment and grow his power with glamours and eventually pocket dimensions, he created the allusion of windows, complete with different daytime and nighttime scenery, even changing the seasons on a whim. But it was always images of Earth outside those imaginary windows, never Hell. They had enough views of Hell upstairs in the main room.

Mina sat up, wide awake now that she realized where she was.

This was her old room. Her old apartment.

Her ears twitched as she heard a thump from outside her bedroom door and then muffled voices.

She rubbed her eyes as she tried to recall the last thing she could remember. It was all just a blur of violence as she walked through Pentagram City and then . . .

It’s time to come home.

Abaddon’s voice from behind her. A rush of warmth. And then peaceful nothingness.

When she stepped out of her bedroom she was greeted by Abaddon, Niffty, and Rosie, who were carrying boxes into her living room.

“Ah, there you are darling,” Rosie said, setting a box down and clapping the dust off her hands. “How are you feeling this morning?”

Mina didn’t answer, just looked around the unfurnished living space and the dozen boxes that were scattered around the room.

Abaddon cleared their throat.

“We didn’t know what you would want to keep or not but we figured we might as well get out what we could before the tower collapsed completely.”

“Ooooooh, what’s this do?” Niffty asked, pulling out a bear trap that was nearly as big as her. It had been used as décor but was still perfectly functional. Thankfully Rosie bent down and carefully removed it from Niffty’s grasp before she could hurt anyone with it.

Abaddon chuckled. “You know, I never really cared for the guy, but I gotta say, I did like his style.”

Mina felt the burn of tears collecting in her eyes.

This was what was left of the life she had built with Alastor? Boxes full of a pathetic mix of the few materials they had collected together over the years. And now she was to do what? Just return to her life in The Pit with her broken heart and some mementos? She knew life would be easier to deal with if her heart had literally been ripped from her chest instead of this gaping hole that Alastor had left behind him.

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breath. She just stood there, staring at her friends, and silently began to cry.

“Oh dear,” Rosie said, and went over to her, crushing her into a hug. Mina buried her face in the taller woman’s bosom and sobbed. “There, there,” Rosie whispered, stroking her hair, “I know it hurts. And it hurts this bad because he really did love you. Does love you. I’m sure he’ll turn up again someday, darling, and when he does, he’ll have quite the tale to tell all of us. Just try and hold onto that hope, alright?”

Mina didn’t respond, just stayed in Rosie’s arms, clutching at her friend and weeping. She had been so awful to Rosie when she had last seen her and yet, here the Overlord was, supporting and caring for her.

The gates of Cannibal Town had just been coming into view when she had blacked out. Mina put the missing pieces together on her own then, that Rosie and Abaddon had worked together to stop her madness before she unleashed it on the one section of Pentagram City she would have regretted hurting. And then they had brought her here, kept her safe and out of the public eye, until she was ready to wake up again.

She felt Abaddon’s hand on her shoulder and heard their regretful sigh.

“Wherever he is, it’s not in Hell. I swear, Mina, I searched all seven Rings. There’s not a trace of him anywhere, I’ve never seen anything like it. But he’s most certainly alive. Or . . . well, his soul is.”

Mina sniffled, hiccupping as her crying came to a pause, and looked up at Abaddon.

“He’s on Earth?” she asked.

“It’s the next most logical place he could be. There are . . . other realms, but they would be outright impossible for him to get to.”

“Can you . . . would you send some of your hunters there to look for him?”

She knew Abaddon didn’t care for Alastor but they would do this for her. If not to just end her pain but to make Alastor answer for what he had done to her.

“I can do you one better, if you’re willing to keep a secret,” Abaddon said with the slightest twitch of a smile. They looked at Rosie who nodded at them to continue and gave Mina a gentle push at her shoulders, steering her out of her embrace to stand more directly in front of Abaddon.

They took her hands in their own, a golden glow beginning to shimmer around their silhouette.

“Work for me. You’d be the one bringing Sinners back to The Pit rather than punishing them and you’d get the chance to go to Earth any time a job is available. You know Alastor better than anyone. You would be best at guessing where he would be. You would have your family, your friends, and your home, all the security this place can offer you. And you could bring Alastor back yourself. Drag him by his antlers, if need be.”

Mina didn’t return their smile, nowhere near healed enough to begin finding humor in anything. But she turned her hand in their grip, bringing her palm against theirs and gave them a firm handshake.

“Deal.”

___

A week later

The tower still stood but just barely.

Several of the support beams had rusted completely through and fallen to the ground. The lattice was now a broken and wobbly mess that loudly groaned and creaked with every little breeze. The body of the building was tilted dangerously to one side.

Pride Ring’s very own Leaning Tower.  

A cold, broken corpse. The perfect metaphor for her life.

Mina looked up at the thing, feeling her anger beginning to boil up to the surface.

She didn’t know yet if all of this was Alastor’s fault, but she had a sinking suspicion it was. He had known something would happen before he disappeared and had done little in the way of trying to warn her.

But he had been right about one thing. She was strong and capable. She would survive this and when Alastor got back, whenever that was, there would be Hell for him to pay before she would take him back.

Despite all her resentment, she couldn’t let his image continue to crumble away like this.

His radio tower represented him and whatever state it was in was how the city would view him. She couldn’t let it continue to rot away like this. It would be better if it was simply gone rather than slowly disintegrating before the eyes of Hell.

Mina stepped closer until she was completely covered in its shadow, standing directly beneath it, and placed her hands on one of the metal beams of the base.

There was no energy there anymore. The magic had been totally drained. It was just an ordinary building now, with nothing of Alastor remaining in its essence.

She felt the heat in her hand and pushed it out with her mind, watching the flames bloom to life and lick up the metal, crackling and sizzling audibly as it traveled up.

Angelic fire was more than just a hotter version of mortal flame. When directed by a true master, it could consume anything born of Hell, and Alastor’s tower was as unnatural as Hellish creations could get.

The flames spread from each joint where the beams connected, racing wide and up until the whole thing was ablaze.

Mina stepped backwards, slowly walking away from the ever-growing heat of the inferno but kept her eyes on it and staying inconspicuously out of eyesight of the crowd that was forming to watch.

She stayed in the shadows for the entire hour that it took for the ordeal to be over with and in the end, her old life had been burned away, leaving nothing behind but a large, smoldering pile of ash. Her deepest desire now was that Alastor would return soon enough to find it exactly like this so that he would see just exactly what it was that he had done to her.

Next Chapter ->

@inuhalfdemon @saccharine-nectarine @whoknowswhoiamtoday @redvexillum @visara-valentina

[mxtxfanatic]

@reinedeslys-central While I am enjoying our convo on that other post, I figured it would better to move it off of op's post since they haven't engaged with it. So in response to your last reblog, I don't think we're really disagreeing with each other for the most part, but I do have a question for you about when you said this:

It's weird for me to think he actually feels no remorse over his actions with the wen remnants though, because, hey, killing innocent people, so I guess that's why I'm more inclined to that interpretation of mixed feelings?

Why do you feel this way? Why is it "weird" that Jiang Cheng feel no remorse about this in canon? He certainly doesn't show remorse about it at any point in the text. He certainly never thinks about the wrongs he committed against the Wen remnants in the text as "wrongs." Jiang Cheng has a reputation for attacking, torturing, and killing a lot of people off the strength of his hatred for Wei Wuxian and the QishanWen along with him just being an overall bully (like at the Dafan Mountain hunt where he attacks smaller cultivators to force them to leave the competitive nighthunt). For me, to say that it would be strange for Jiang Cheng not to feel remorse is like saying it would be "strange" if Xue Yang didn't feel bad for all those villages he tricked Xiao Xingchen into massacring. Xue Yang didn't see those villagers as people deserving of life. Jiang Cheng didn't see the Wen remnants as people deserving of life, either.

Jiang Cheng brought Jiang Yanli to see Wei Wuxian because Jiang Yanli asked for it. Just like Wei Wuxian was invited to Jin Ling's 100-day celebration because Jiang Yanli asked for it, not because Jin Zixuan wanted to be nice all of a sudden. Jiang Cheng shouldn't get the credit for the idea just because he fulfilled it. On that note, the defection duel was agreed upon by Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng because Wei Wuxian refused to return the Wen remnants to the labor camp, and Jiang Cheng kept saying that it would affect the Jiang's reputation that he would do such a public thing while still a part of their clan. In this story, reputation doesn't mean shit if you have the power to put your money where your mouth is. But Jiang Cheng's character is that he is always seeking approval from figures he considers more esteemed than himself. So he could have stood up against the Jin and been fine, just like the Jin stood up for Xue Yang and were fine. His refusal to do so was pure vanity, not strategy.

As for how the Jiang were left off after the war: Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian didn't have to rebuild because Lotus Pier was never destroyed. Wen Chao and co. were living in it because it was the supervisory office. The only thing damaged in the place were the lotus symbols that the QishanWen had intentionally defaced. Whatever wealth the Jiang had was either kept in Lotus Pier, meaning it was reclaimed immediately with the reclamation of Lotus Pier, or it was transferred to Qishan, which means it was reclaimed after the war ended. On top of all that, all of the land and wealth of the QishanWen were split amongst the victorious clans of the Sunshot Campaign, likely with the biggest clans who contributed the most receiving the largest cut. Since Wei Wuxian was a one-man army key to the Sunshot Campaign's victory, that means the Jiang would get a good portion of this bounty, which means they would be richer than when the war started. And Jiang Cheng had recruited disciples during the war, while Wei Wuxian drew in cultivators during and after with his new cultivation. There's not a single piece of textual evidence that suggests the Jiang were struggling after the war, not material-wise and not reputation-wise. It was only Jiang Cheng who wanted to attach himself to the Jin Clan by any means necessary because the Jin were very overtly trying to fill the power vacuum that the QishanWen left behind in their downfall, and Jiang Cheng wanted on the boat.

[arliedraws]

Why Sirius ran away at sixteen...

Still avoiding responsibilities so I'm back with more headcanons (trust me, this account will go quiet in a few days when I'm back in the swing of school).

I'm entertaining the idea that Sirius didn't run away during the summer holidays before sixth year. Instead, it was during the winter holidays of his fifth year.

Personally, I think the Blacks would have been annoyed that Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor but I don't think they would consider him tainted at this point. "He's young, he's rebellious, but maybe it's just a phase. We hate the Potters but at least he's associating with a pureblood." Remember, he isn't blasted off the family tree when he's eleven; it takes until he's estranged himself for his mother to do it. Don't get me wrong -- they're not kind to him, and he's just as aggressive back. Yet I think the final straw for him comes that Christmas after he's turned sixteen.

So I imagine he's dragged to the extended Black family Christmas as usual, but now the family includes Bellatrix's husband's family and the Malfoys.

While the older adults at the family Christmas party are together and talking or starting to wind down, Bellatrix invites Sirius to hang with the young adults like Roldolphus, Rabastan, Narcissa, and Lucius (and Regulus can't come) in a private room or something. Everyone is at least five years older than Sirius so this should be a great honor for a sixteen-year-old. They invite him to drink, and they treat him like an adult. I think he'd be suspicious about it all, but they would include him in conversations that reeeeeally haven't veered towards blood supremacy yet, so he gets comfortable and even finds himself enjoying his time. Part of him is wary, but it's actually nice to be amongst intellectual equals.

When Sirius is comfortable, Bellatrix mentions she's bored, and they should have a dueling tournament. This is all fun and games at first. Sirius beats his opponent--maybe Rodolphus--while Bellatrix helps him by giving him pointers as he goes. When Sirius wins, Bellatrix and the others praise him. And all of this feels so good even though he doesn't want it to. He sinks into the feeling of acceptance from his family--something he's denied even to himself that he's wanted since he was sorted into Gryffindor.

Then, he duels Bellatrix. She is still giving him pointers as they duel, and Sirius, in the end, wins (did she let him win?). Bellatrix, proud, tells him to use the Cruciatus Curse on her. He refuses, and Bellatrix is, at first, kind and encouraging. "You're the strong one, Sirius. You can do this." When Sirius still refuses, she tries another tactic and starts to goad him, and she's taunting him with all of the things he hates about her, about the family, how his mother thinks he's a bloodtraitor, etc. This gets him, and he caves into his anger, the hurt he's felt for years, the rejection. He puts the Cruciatus on her, and he finds that it's satisfying, that her screams echo in the hole in his heart. He holds the curse for too long, and the others have to force him to stop.

Then Bellatrix laughs and says he's still a Black--he's just like her. Or maybe she says something (mirroring the dialogue in OotP) that suggests the Cruciatus only works if you mean it, if you want to cause pain. Anyway, she helps him understand that at his core, he is able to hurt people.

Terrified at his own capacity for extreme cruelty, Sirius runs away that night. He could be just like her; he can be as cruel as Bellatrix. This horrible truth disgusts and scares him. So he flees to the one person who can keep him from becoming the worst version of himself.

Anyway, if this has been pulled from a fic that I read years ago, I apologize. If not, someone who is better writing at trauma than I am should take a stab at this :)

[illunicae]

I'm bored and don't have anything finished to publish yet, so I figured I'd introduce you to a Spidersona/Risesona of mine: Vesper Munroe. But using incorrect quotes...

Ves: Can I ask you another question? Donnie: Yeah! Ves: Of your three brothers– Donnie: I’m gonna stop you there. You have free-rein to ask me any question you want. Go ahead. Ves: Of your three brothers… who do you think is the better kisser? Donnie: I take back exa–like what I just said–I take THAT back

Ves: I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemy! Ves: Unless of course. We’re talking about my enemy, Kendra. Fuck you Kendra, you know what you did!

Mikey: So, are you two friends? Ves: Yes. Donnie: No.

Ves, texting Donnie: Donnie! Help I’m being kidnapped Donnie: Where are you? Ves: I’m with some strange person. In a car. Help. Donnie: I’ll call Leo. Leo, answering his cell: Y’ello? Donnie: Where’s Ves? She texted me that she was being kidnapped. Leo: Ves? Whaddya mean, she’s right next to me- Leo: Leo: I’ll call you back. *hangs up* Leo: THE BLONDE HAIR ISN’T THAT BAD! Ves: WHO ARE YOU?!

Ves: In my defense, I was left unsupervised. Donnie: Wasn't Leo with you? Leo: In my defense, I was also left unsupervised.

Ves: Come on, I wasn’t that drunk last night. Leo: You were flirting with Donnie. Ves: So what? He’s my boyfriend. Leo: You asked him if he was single. Ves: Leo: And then you cried when he said he wasn't.

Ves: If Leo and I were drowning, who would you save? Donnie: You two can’t swim? Leo: It’s a hypothetical question, Don! Who would you save? Donnie: my time and effort.

Mikey: How petty can you get? Ves: I once edited a Wikipedia article to win an argument I was wrong about.

Ves: You lying, cheating, piece of shit! Donnie: Oh yeah? You’re the idiot who thinks you can get away with everything you do. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD Ves: I’m leaving you, and I’M TAKING SHELDON WITH ME Raph, picking up the monopoly board: I think we’re gonna stop playing now.

Raph: You need to stop doing weird things. Try going out sometime. Ves: I went to the park today. Raph: There you go, I hope you got something from that. Ves, opening her jacket: Yeah, this squirrel.

Leo: Donnie won’t come out of the lab. Ves: Just tell him I said something Leo: Like what? Ves: anything factually incorrect A few minutes later Donnie: DID YOU SAY THE SUN IS A FUCKING PLANET??!!

*the Squad at Disneyland, in the teacups* April, Mikey, and Raph: *spinning a little and talking* Donnie, Ves, and Leo: *flying past them, spinning as fast as they can, screaming*

Store Worker: Would a Ms. Vesper Munroe please come to the front desk? Ves, arriving at the desk: Hello, is there a problem? Store Worker, points to Donnie and Leo: I believe they belong to you? Donnie and Leo, simultaneously: We got lost :( Ves: I didn’t even bring you guys here with me-

April: Why are Ves and Donnie sitting with their backs to each other? Leo: They had a fight. April: Then why are they holding hands? Leo: They get sad when they fight.

Ves: I love you. Donnie: How many people have you said that to? Ves: Everyone. Donnie: What? Ves: I told everyone that I love you.

April: Poison is a magic transmutation potion that turns people into corpses. Leo: This knife is actually a magic wand. Ves: Meet me in the Denny’s parking lot for a wizard duel. Donnie, cocks gun: Magic missile. Raph: What the fuck is wrong with you guys.

Donnie: Ugh, crushes are so dumb. Ves: I know. Whenever I’m near the person I like I just start acting stupid. Donnie: But you’re always acting stupid? Ves: ... Ves: Yeah, don’t think about that too hard.

Hopefully you enjoyed and maybe we'll see more of Vesper in some later projects.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Ok, it's no surprise that I deeply enjoy Much Ado About Nothing as a play (and there are some truly delightful film and filmed staged productions), and there's a lot of talk about the scene between Beatrice and Benedick after Hero and Claudio's aborted wedding (Act IV, scene i).

What I don't see a lot of though, is how Benedick literally accidentally talks Beatrice into asking him to kill Claudio.

Yeah, Beatrice didn't walk into that scene ready to ask BENEDICK to make this right. Let's walk through the lesser-quoted lines from this scene.

We all know the iconic, "Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while," but then we get this little exchange:

Benedick. Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged. Beatrice. Ah, how much might the man deserve of me that would right her! Benedick. Is there any way to show such friendship? Beatrice. A very even way, but no such friend. Benedick. May a man do it? Beatrice. It is a man's office, but not yours.

Benedick asking if a man may do "it" is a blatant offer to try to fix things, but it's pretty damn clear at this point in the text that he has big-ass heart eyes and hasn't thought this offer through, because the way to right Hero is to either get Claudio to recant--which he's not going to do because that is going to make him look like an absolute dingus and it will embarrass Don Pedro--or else to kill him in a duel. To ask a man to kill his best friend--even if that best friend is a complete and utter chungus--is cruel. It is one thing to call a friend out for being a dick to Hero, but to ask for Benedick's to be the hand that kills Claudio is a whole other level that Beatrice is going out of her way to excuse him from.

She is explicitly--and correctly, frankly, given the chains of command and power dynamics involved--excusing Benedick from being responsible for Claudio's behavior and correction. And while yes, part of dismantling the patriarchy is men holding each other accountable, murder is not accountability, it's the beginning of a goddamn blood feud. So Beatrice is over here very subtly going "You have clearly not thought this offer through, and I'm not going to ask you to kill your best friend." It is not his office.

And rather than hearing what Beatrice is saying, Benedick goes and MAKES IT HIS OFFICE by declaring his love for Beatrice. Which like...aside from this being not the moment, it just makes it even clearer that Benedick is not actually listening to Beatrice here. His focus is on her, but Beatrice is razor-focused on Hero and the fact that Claudio just more or less ended Hero's life. But here's the other thing.

I subscribe to the "Beatrice and Benedick had a prior relationship before the play and it ended badly" theory, because I think it explains a lot about their dynamics. But that also makes this scene a little bit risky and pointed. Because yeah, while Beatrice warns him not to swear he loves her and then eat his words, if they have a history, then her "Kill Claudio" is not just a request. It's a test.

He already didn't choose her once, presumably for way lower-stakes reasons. So to ask him to choose her, to be on her side, with all of what that means, is a test of a possible new relationship. And it's one Benedict comes perilously close to failing, because of course he's not going to kill his best friend and brother-in-arms.

And just like that, Beatrice is out, because Benedick "dare easier be friends with [her] than fight with [her] enemy." His choice is not her, and she will not be anyone's second choice. Especially given that choosing Claudio means that Benedick is engaging in the infuriating mental gymnastics where Hero can have been done badly wrong, but Claudio somehow isn't Hero and Beatrice's enemy.

This is not a complicated situation; Claudio was absolutely in the wrong, caused harm, and needs to be called on the goddamn carpet for it, and Benedick is over here trying to "both sides" it. I'd have been out too, and then he has the nerve to insist that he and Beatrice be friends before she's allowed to leave the stage! I adore that she then full-on goes off on him, and every single time Benedick tries to get a word in edgewise, Beatrice comes up with another argument and just cuts his ass off. There is no "letting him explain," there is no "I'm just playing devil's advocate," there is no "trust me, I know Claudio." There is only the facts of what happened, and Beatrice hammering them directly into Benedick's head. Lots of productions cut out the attempted interruptions by Benedick in favor of letting Beatrice run with a monologue, but if you look at the text, he tries FOUR SEPARATE TIMES to interrupt her.

But Beatrice just steamrolls on, and the thing is, it works.

Beatrice hits and refutes key arguments that we can just imagine Benedick bringing up. The bullshit logic of him being in a romantic relationship with Beatrice while supporting Claudio's actions. The undeniable public slander of Hero. The bullshit that is slut-shaming and measuring a woman's worth by her virginity. The divide between an "ideal" manhood and the reality of men's behavior. The nonsense that is how easily men are valorized for slandering women. Every point brought up and thrown in Benedick's face until he is left with only one final question; the only possible question that could matter at the end of this scene:

Benedick. Think you in your soul the Count Claudio hath wronged Hero?

And Beatrice is very, very sure. Which ultimately is enough for Benedick to choose her, and agree that yeah, Claudio needs to be called out and corrected, and he is now on board with taking that responsibility.

It is kind of wild to me that this scene begins with Beatrice trying to protect Benedick from the reality of the situation, and insisting that if he wants to be in love with her, if he wants to be in her life again, then this time he has to choose her for all that that means. And as Beatrice makes clear, what that means is a disruption--if brief--of the patriarchy and the status quo. Being with Beatrice means that Benedick has to stop being the prince's jester and stand against toxic masculinity and harmful patriarchy in a real, concrete way.

It's Shakespeare, so that doesn't stick beyond the happy ending, but it is here, and Beatrice really said "if you want to be with me, you have to stand with and for me and the women around me" when it was clear Benedick wasn't taking no for an answer.

[toraawa]

ive been a fan of yours for a while and i gotta say, i think you have the best grasp of yurisere/predatorshipping in the fandom. you actually take their characters into consideration and acknowledge their complexity as two stunted individuals who are very different but similar instead of diminishing them to memey single-trait characters. its amazing how many other other fans reduce serena to only "edgey mean girlboss" and yuri to only "nasty psycho" and then call any other version of the ship than constant hate fucking, backhanded affection and beating each other to a pulp "wrong". very tiring how only a handful of us dont like that to be the only thing they ever do

btw, your fics on ao3 are a godsend. judging by your stats im definitely not alone in loving how you write yurisere. thank you for doing the lords work. cant wait to see more updates

First of all, thank you for the high praise! It's the second time this week I've been told something similar, lol!

Though I will say anon, the rest sounds pretty charged towards something or someone particular in the fandom, so at the risk of aggravating some current stuff I don't know about...

Yeah. I agree. A lot. You pretty much summed up my thoughts perfectly.

"Edgy mean girlboss" and "nasty psycho" for Serena and Yuri respectively is... extremely accurate, lol, to the point where I kinda have to laugh bitterly for how pervasive it is. Like, I know they both got shafted hard by canon, but it's a bit annoying when so many people override Serena's multifacetedness to fit the girlboss mold and accuse Yuri of being one-dimensional. I'vs seen some even get strangely angry at the prospect of him not just being the sadistic plant guy. I just don't think him only being that is true. Then again, I'm a staunch defender of the assessment that most of Yuri's character is shown, not told.

Unfortunately, the fanon interpretation of characters overriding canon is something that happens in pretty much any fandom, so there's not much we can do but ignore it and find like-minded people. It's super annoying, but it can't be helped. There's also a broader phenomenon of prioritizing tropes and meme-y dynamics over actually appealing characters, so there's that too.

Since we're all waiting for more canon interaction, I'm definitely in the minority in that I don't think Yuri and Serena's interactions in Duel Links will be a pure hostility fest the entire time. I've also gotten accusations over the years that my Yurisere writing is objectively "wrong" for a plethora of reasons, many of which you stated above, so... there's THAT, too.

At the same time though, that isn't to say Yuri and Serena would never fight or bicker or even be mean to each other — I never expect them to be completely nice and friendly to each other right off the bat. And people are free to write and draw whatever they want — I want to express my disagreement and only that here — so if I don't like it, I ignore it. The people who don't fall into fanon have a much more appealing, deep, and romance-forgiving interpretation of yurisere to me, so I just focus on that!

Anyway, thank you once again for being a fan of my writing! I'm honestly surprised at the following for my current fics on ao3. The Arc-V tag doesn't get much engagement despite being updated every day. It's always great to know there are others who enjoy and share my idea of Yurisere, so to anyone lurking: don't be afraid to reach out!

[roguemage64]

I had such a fun time with this incorrect quote generator! Hope y’all enjoy what it came up with 😄

Incorrect She-ra Quotes

Catra: This is bothering me.

Adora: Well, you are digging up a corpse.

Catra: No, not that. That's, uh, pretty par for the course, actually.

Catra: So what’s for dinner?

Adora, staring at the food she just burnt: Regret.

Catra: .. .----. -- / ... --- .-. .-. -.-- [translation: I’M SORRY]

Adora: What's that?

Catra: Remorse code.

Adora: I'm even angrier now.

Catra: *Kicks the door down looking panicked*

Adora: What did you do?

Catra: Nobody died.

Adora: WHAT KIND OF ANSWER IS THAT?!

Catra: *holding a bottle* Is this whiskey or perfume?

Adora: *chugs entire bottle*

Adora: It’s perfume.

Catra, tending to Adora's wounds: How would you rate your pain?

Adora: Zero stars. Would NOT recommend.

Adora: Violence isn't the answer.

Catra: You’re right.

Adora: *sighs in relief*

Catra: Violence is the question.

Adora: What?

Catra, bolting away: And the answer is yes.

Adora, running after her: NO-

Adora: Jail is no fun. I’ll tell you that much.

Catra: Oh, you’ve been?

Adora : Once. In Monopoly.

Catra, watching the news: Some idiot tried to fight a squid at the aquarium today!

Adora: *walks in covered with ink* Well, maybe the squid was being a jerk.

Catra: Ok, maybe playing ‘whose family is the most dysfunctional’ wasn’t the best idea we’ve had. Adora's been crying in the bathroom for an hour. I can’t get her out...

The rest of the Princess Alliance:

Catra: I’m gonna need a human skull and I can't have you ask any questions why.

Adora: Only if you also don't ask why

Adora: *Pulls out 7 pristine human skulls* Take your pick.

Catra:

Adora:

Catra: This one is fine.

Catra: How did none of you hear what I just said?

Bow: I’ve been zoned out for the past two and a half hours.

Adora: I got distracted about halfway through.

Glimmer: Ignoring you was a conscious decision.

Cop: You’re receiving a ticket for having three people on one motorcycle.

Catra: Great.

Adora: Wait, three?

Cop: Yeah?

Glimmer: OH MY GOSH BOW FELL OFF!!!

Glimmer: Everyone, synchronize your watches.

Adora: I don’t know how to do that.

Bow: I don’t wear a watch.

Catra: Time is a construct.

Bow: You know those things will kill you, right?

Glimmer, pouring another glass of whiskey: That’s the point.

Catra, smoking a cigarette: We’re trying to speed up the process.

Adora: *Nods while eating raw cookie dough*

Adora: I’m an idiot.

Catra:

Glimmer:

Bow:

Adora:

Catra: If you’re waiting for us to disagree, this is going to be a long day.

Scorpia: What does 'take out' mean?

Adora: Food.

Bow: Dating

Glimmer: Murder

Catra: IT CAN MEAN ALL THREE IF YOU'RE NOT A COWARD.

Scorpia: Imagine if someone handed you a box full of all the items you have lost throughout your life

Adora: Self-esteem, haven't seen you in years!

Glimmer: Oh wow, my childhood innocence! Thank you for finding this!

Bow: I knew I lost that potential somewhere!

Catra: My moral code, is that you?

Scorpia:

Scorpia: I was just gonna show you this cool trunk my mothers left me but do you guys need a hug?

Adora: You're a loose cannon, Catra.

Catra: No, I'm not. I'm a cannon maybe, but a loose cannon? Is that what you think of me?

Bow: I think you play by your own rules.

Glimmer: No way, she think rules were made to be broken.

Adora: Those are all attributes of a loose cannon.

Catra: No, I'm just a reckless renegade. Scorpia is a loose cannon.

Scorpia: *accidentally smashes a chair*

Adora: Nothing in life is free.

Perfuma: Love is free!

Sea Hawk: Adventure is free!

Bow: Knowledge is free.

Catra: Everything is free if you take it without paying.

Catra: Poison is a magic transmutation potion that turns people into corpses.

Adora: This knife is actually a magic wand.

Glimmer: Meet me in the Denny’s parking lot for a wizard duel.

Catra: *cocks gun* Magic missile.

Bow: What is wrong with you people.

Catra: Anyone d-

Adora: Depressed?

Bow: Drained?

Glimmer: Dumb?

Scorpia: Disliked?

Catra: -done with their work... what is wrong with you people ...

Catra: We’ve been conducting an ongoing study to see what Adora will and will not eat.

Glimmer: Grass? Yes!

Catra: Moss? Yes!!

Glimmer: Leaves? Ohh, yes!

Catra: Shoelaces? Strange but true!

Glimmer: Worms? Sometimes!

Catra: Rocks? Usually nah.

Glimmer: Twigs? Usually!

Catra: Scorpia’s cooking? Inconclusive!

Perfuma: How did you… test this?

Catra: You just hand her stuff and say ‘eat this’ and if she eats it, she eats it.

Perfuma: ... I don’t know how to feel about this.

Bow: IS THAT WHERE ALL MY SPARE SHOELACES WENT?

Adora: I’ve done a lot of dumb stuff.

Catra: I witnessed the dumb stuff.

Bow: I recorded the dumb stuff.

Glimmer: I joined in on the dumb stuff.

Perfuma: I TRIED TO STOP YOU FROM DOING THE DUMB STUFF!!!

Perfuma: There are seven chairs and ten kids. What do you do?

Adora: Have everyone stand.

Bow: Bring three more chairs!

Glimmer: The most important ones can sit down.

Catra: Kill three.

Glimmer: Good morning.

Adora: Good morning.

Bow: Good morning.

Scoria: You all sound like robots, try spicing it up a bit.

Catra: MORNING SCUMBAGS

Adora: You really put aside everything and came all this way for me? How did you even get here so fast?

Glimmer: Several traffic violations.

Catra: Three counts of resisting arrest.

Scorpia: Roughly thirteen cans of energy drinks.

Bow: Also, that’s not our car.

Catra: So uhhh... my question is: my friend keeps on going into the pantry and grabbing handfuls of fettuccine... uncooked...

Glimmer: I would hope they're not grabbing handfuls of cooked fettuccine!

Scorpia: In your pantry!

Catra: Yeah... and eating them raw, and they keep calling them 'chips'. ... How do I make them stop?

Glimmer: Is your friend here?

Catra, motioning to Adora: Yeah.

Glimmer, to Adora: You're a monster! Words MEAN things!

Bow: Does anybody remember- I haven't been to Olive Garden in many moons- but they DO have a like- fettuccine bottle that you can just- grab em out of and chew-

Bow: HOLD ON. WAS THIS A PRANK YOU GUYS PULLED ON ME WHEN WE WENT TO OLIVE GARDEN AS KIDS?!

Bow: NO, STOP. EVERYBODY SHUT UP. DO THEY GIVE YOU RAW FETTUCCINE TO CHEW ON IN THE LOBBY OF THE OLIVE GARDEN

Everyone else: No.

Bow, to Glimmer and Catra: YOU MONSTERS

Glimmer: YAAAAAAAAY!

Catra: THE PRESTIGE

Catra: Bye Adora! Bye Bow! Bye Glimmer! Bye Scorpia! Bye Adora!

Bow: You said ‘bye Adora’ twice.

Catra: I like Adora.

Scorpia: What did you guys get in your yearbook?

Glimmer: 'Prettiest Smile'

Bow: 'Nicest Personality'

Catra: 'Most likely to start a bar fight'

Adora: 'Least likely to start a bar fight, but most likely to win one'

Bow: You kidnapped Adora? That’s illegal!

Catra: But Bow, what’s more illegal? Briefly inconveniencing Adora, or destroying our dreams?

Bow: Kidnapping Adora, Catra!!!

Glimmer: Bow, listen, whatever I may think of you right now- these guys are counting on you to inspire them!

Bow: What, to kidnap people?!?!

Glimmer: To work together!

Bow: TO KIDNAP PEOPLE?!?!

Glimmer: Bow, we all agreed celebrities were an exception.

*The squad is over at Catra's house*

Adora: Ohhhh, we each get our own oven?

Catra: ... N-No...

Catra, laughing: How many ovens do you think I have???

Adora, motioning to their kitchen: Three, I thought!

Bow: I see a-

Catra, motioning to one device: This is a microwave.

Adora: Oh, well I-

Catra: Hey wait wait, actually- hang on- *fiddles with the buttons on the microwave*

Catra, amazed: Its got a bake setting!

Glimmer: Ohoho, you learn something new every day!

Scorpia: Do we- Do we roshambo for who gets to pick first?

Catra: Now I've just discovered I have more ovens than I thought, we don't have to roshambo nothin!

Catra: I am someone who owns four ovens...

Catra, louder and way too happy: I am someone... who owns FOUR OVENS...

Catra: I didn't know I was so rich with ovens...

Perfuma, pointing to another appliance: Also the toaster oven!

Catra:

Adora: Ohhh, toasty boy! Four- Five ovens!

Catra:

Catra, ECSTATIC: I AM SOMEONE WHO OWNS FIVE OVENS

Catra: Well, aren’t you all a rag-tag group of adventurers with unclear goals and good hearts! Oh, let me guess: you’re out to save the world!

Adora: Well, actually, that sounds like a pretty fair assessment.

Bow: More or less, I guess...

Glimmer: That sounds awesome! Let’s do that!

Scorpia: I’m new here, but I am open to the concept.

Perfuma: I thought that’s what we were doing, guys, come on!

Bow: Just be yourself.

Catra: 'Be myself'? Bow, I have one day to win Adora over. How long did it take before you guys started liking me?

Perfuma: Couple weeks.

Mermista: Six months.

Glimmer: Jury’s still out.

Catra: See, Bow?

Catra: 'Be myself'. What kind of garbage advice is that?

Catra: Everytime I hear someone talking about updog, I’m torn between not wanting to fall for it and wanting to help them complete their joke.

Adora: Okay, but what is updog?

Bow: Updog is a long sausage in a bun, often served with ketchup, mustard, onions, and/or relish.

Glimmer: Not, that’s a hot dog. An updog is when a new version or patch of an application is released.

Scorpia: No, that's an update. You’re thinking of the fourth largest city in Sweden.

Perfuma: Surely, that’s Uppsala, where’s updog is the giant spider in Harry Potter.

Catra: That’s Aragog. Updog is a symbol conventionally used for an arbitrarily small number in analysis proofs.

Glimmer: You’re thinking of epsilon. Updog is an upward-moving air current.

Bow: No, that’s an updraft. An updog is the modern version of a henway.

Adora: What’s a henway??

Catra: Oh, about five pounds.

*Everyone is standing around the broken coffee maker*

Catra: So. Who broke it? I'm not mad, I just wanna know.

Everyone:

Adora: ...I did. I broke it.

Catra: No. No you didn't. Bow?

Bow: Don't look at me. Look at Glimmer.

Glimmer: What?! I didn't break it.

Bow: Huh, that's weird. How'd you even know it was broken?

Glimmer: Because it's sitting right in front of us and it's broken.

Bow: Suspicious.

Glimmer: No, it's not!

Scorpia: If it matters, probably not, but Perfuma was the last one to use it.

Perfuma: Lies! I don't even drink that trash.

Scorpia: Oh really? Then what were you doing by the coffee cart earlier?

Perfuma: I use the wooden stirrers to push back my cuticles. Everyone knows that, Scorpia!

Adora: Okay let's not fight. I broke it. Let me pay for it, Catra.

Catra: No! Who broke it!?

Everyone:

Scorpia: Catra... Bow's been awfully quiet.

Bow: rEALLY?!

*Everyone starts arguing*

Catra, being interviewed: I broke it. I burned my hand so I punched it.

Catra: I predict 10 minutes from now they'll be at each other's throats with warpaint on their faces and a pig head on a stick.

Catra:

Catra: Good. It was getting a little chummy around here.

*The squad right before Adora (and Catra)'s wedding*

Catra: Well I have to go, I have a wedding to attend.

Bow: Wait... Oh! I have a wedding to attend too!

Glimmer: Oh, I have a wedding to attend as well

Scorpia: I THINK WE ALL HAVE WEDDINGS TO ATTEND

Perfuma, panicked: I THINK I HAVE A WEDDING TO OFFICIATE

*Squad reactions to being told ‘I love you’*

Perfuma: Thanks fam!

Mermista: oh no

Scorpia: *cries* I love you too

Glimmer: Sounds fake but okay

Adora: *A flustered mess*

Catra: can i get a refund

Adora: We need to distract these guys

Catra: Leave it to me

Catra: Centaurs have six limbs and are therefore insects. Discuss.

Bow, Glimmer, and Mermista: *Immediately begin arguing*

Perfuma, watching in horror: Oh this. I don’t like this. I don't like this at all.

Catra: Rules are made to be broken.

Adora: They were made to be followed. Nothing is made to be broken.

Bow: Uh, piñatas.

Scorpia: Glow sticks.

Glimmer: Karate boards.

Perfuma: Spaghetti when you have a small pot.

Catra: Rules.

Adora:

Catra: Time for plan G.

Adora: Don’t you mean plan B?

Catra: No, we tried plan B a long time ago. I had to skip over plan C due to technical difficulties.

Bow: What about plan D?

Catra: Plan D was that desperate disguise attempt half an hour ago.

Glimmer: What about plan E?

Catra: I’m hoping not to use it. I die in plan E.

Glimmer: I like plan E.

Adora: So are we flirting right now?

Catra: I AM LITERALLY STABBING YOU

Adora: That doesn’t answer my question

Adora: Catra, stop! This isn't you, you've gone mad with power!

Catra: Well of course I have.

Catra: Have you ever tried going mad without power?

Catra: It's boring.

Catra: Can you keep a secret?

Adora: Do you know anything about my life?

Catra: Yes I do. Good point.

Catra: You know, I'm starting to regret showing you how that blender works.

Adora, drinking toast: Why do you say that?

Catra: Don’t worry, I know exactly what I’m doing. Everything is going to be fine!

Adora: How can you still say that?

Catra: Because sometimes, when things get tough, denial is all we have.

Catra: Don’t worry, I have a few knives up my sleeve.

Adora: I think you mean cards.

Catra, pulling knives out of her sleeves: No, I do not.

Adora: How do I deal with my enemies?

Catra: Kill them

Adora: That's a bit extreme, I was hoping for a more passive solution

Catra: Kill them only a little?

Catra: Name a more iconic duo than my crippling fear of abandonment and my anxiety. I'll wait.

Adora: You and me!!!

Catra, tearing up: Okay.

Catra: I’m going to take you out

Adora: great, it’s a date!

Catra: I meant that as a threat.

Adora: See you at five!

Adora: This is such a bad idea.

Catra: Then why are you coming along?

Adora: One of us need to be able to talk the cops out of arresting us when this inevitably goes wrong.

Catra: Am I in trouble?

Adora: Take a guess.

Catra: No?

Adora: Take another guess.

Catra: You kill people for money?!

Adora: I can explain!

Catra: And all this time I’ve been doing it for free like a chump!

Adora: I was arrested for being too cool.

Catra: The charges were dropped due to a lack of supporting evidence.

These quotes are generated from https://incorrectquotesgenerator.com

[purplepirate123]

🌟 Directors commentary for a scene of your choosing from AOMAOY pleaseee🌟

Ahh what fun. Thanks so much for the ask!

The scene I'll provide commentary on is also the scene that was easily one of the most fun to write. It's actually the transition between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, when an unsuspecting Kaiba gets home from an early morning run to find someone (Kisara) in his house. And he... flips out. Not in the "I'm-going-to-rant-and-rage-and-make-everyone-scared-of-me" way that we see in the show/manga, but in a way that shows us just how much he's changed: with panic, and not a small amount of anxiety even though he knows what's going on almost immediately.

Picture it from Kisara's point of view (which we don't and will not get for any part of the story): she's doing her usual routine in this absolutely gorgeous, yet almost totally empty house. She's never met the guy who lives here but she knows he is or was famous for some card game that she never much cared about.

Suddenly, the side door opens and in walks this tall, lanky dude who's all sweaty and flushed. She stares at him as he wipes his face with a towel, most likely as he's murmuring incoherently to himself (because if you don't think this bastard talks to himself almost constantly when he thinks he's alone you are WRONG). Then he puts on his glasses because his eyes are *total shit*, sees her and freezes.

So she's like "UUUMMMM OK THEN THIS MUST BE WHO LIVES HERE HE KINDA LOOKS LIKE THE GUY I'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS COOL" so she says hello, puts her stuff down and walks down the stairs to greet him. He's just STARING at her with this look of total panic/shock/horror on his face which is kinda freaky because his eyes are so big and blue and he's overall rather intimidating (It's Seto fucking Kaiba - I know we all love him but come on, the dude's terrifying) but she pushes it all aside by reaching out to shake his hand after introducing herself and WHAT DOES THIS BASTARD DO?! MOVE AT THE SPEED OF FUCKING LIGHT BACK INTO THE GARAGE WHENCE HE CAME, LEAVING THE DOOR TO SLAM IN HER FACE. Because apparently tall-sweaty-ripped-famous dude is terrified of this tiny-ass woman wearing sweatpants and wielding spray cleaner.

And she's like... "is it something I said?"

I've always thought Kaiba is (and has always been) a bit of a spazz*. Like, he has to be, right? He's a total ego-maniac control freak who has to be the best at everything all the time. The dude's mind is working a million miles a second and obviously he loses his cool a lot but it's nothing compared to what's going on inside. In this fic, he doesn't have the same drive and direction as he did in the series because of something that happened prior to it's beginning that he blames himself for. So all that energy that was directed at being the best at Duel Monsters has no where to go and it leaves him in something of a state, which we see so clearly illustrated here and in the scenes that follow. I love love love love writing characters that are rat-brained shits on the inside but have to pretend to be super suave and put-together on the out. Kaiba is that character for me.

Thanks again for the ask - and I'd like to officially announce that Chapter 7 of All of Me; All of You has just been posted to ao3! I hope you continue to enjoy the story as it unfolds. I'm having so much fun writing it and the support has been amazing <3

*UK readers: I know this term is one that has recently moved into the taboo sphere, but here in the states it just means someone is super hyper, type A and maybe little unhinged. Personally I use it all the time describe... myself...

[ask-the-royal-absol]

(Reply to this: https://www.tumblr.com/sinnohsiblings/732155776514260992/ive-never-seen-my-father-get-into-a-real-fight

Again, Singularity hoped that their fathers would one day meet to have a duel. He knew his father would enjoy the challenge and, hearing how Galadriel's father had never let loose before, he was certain his father would give him that opportunity.

Her reaction to his story of his father surprised him. How emotional she got over something as trivial as his father wanting to banish him. He was just used to it at this point that he didn't fully consider how awful it actually was. Especially hearing about what Galadriel's father was like, it made him stop and think. Why was it so normal for him to consider the fact his father would punish him for this little outing? It really shouldn't be. But, when it was such a common occurrence, he couldn't help but think of it as something everyone experienced at some point in their life. Galadriel's outburst made him consider how perhaps it wasn't how all families were supposed to be.

Singularity looked towards the still lake, considering her words. He grew silent, thinking back to all the times his father had punished him for something miniscule. All the times he had been banished. There were many. He shouldn't have mentioned it. He was supposed to make her feel better after the run in with her ex, not make her feel bad for him. How selfish of him. Galadriel probably thought he was awful for mentioning it.

Singularity continued looking at the lake, ashamed of the things he'd said.

He shrugged. "Father just wants things to be perfect. He's done this so many times. Seen so many universes fail. He's so anxious about everything going wrong that he has to make sure my siblings and I don't fuck up. Sure, I may have been banished more than once but that doesn't mean I didn't deserve it. I've definitely made my fair share of mistakes."

"Don't worry, he's done many things right. Given us three so many opportunities. Helped us to test the limits of our abilities. Given us so much of his time. He celebrates all of our victories. His punishments are just a bit on the harsh side, that's all. It's not anything you need to concern yourself with, my dear."

He didn't even notice his fists clenched as he spoke and his body tense up. He relaxed himself and smiled at her, though there was definitely some sadness creeping through.

"Ha, I came out here to speak with you to make you feel better. Instead, it's gotten you feeling like this. I shouldn't have mentioned anything about myself, considering your reaction and all. Sorry." Singularity rubbed the back of his head. He had to change the subject. "I'd love to hear more about you, though. What do you tend to do on an average-"

Singularity shuddered. Looks like his shadows had captured the other one. Good. Time to finally do the job he came here to do. Time to fix his mistake. He hoped father was listening in, it might make the punishment less severe. Perhaps having another express their concerns about his parenting style would make him see how wrong he was.

"I'm ever so sorry, Galadriel, but I'm gonna have to cut our conversation short. Looks like Destino and Felix are together and I have to return them back to their own universe. I'm certainly thankful for the time we've spent together. It was nice getting to know more about you and your family, even if it was for a brief moment. If I come out of this event and my father hasn't gone through with banishing me, I promise I'll take you on a date. I may have to ask your siblings what your favourite flowers are. Hmm... I'll let you know the details later on. I'll see you later, beautiful." And with that, he turned to leave.

@sinnohsiblings

[namitomoon]

Amon Garam is underrated tbh

(Warning: Spoilers for Yugioh GX)

When talking about GX characters I feel like a lot of people overlook Amon Garam/Adrian Gecko. He is probably one of my favorite characters.

Look, I get it, he's a piece of crap and deserved to be wiped out by Yubel/Johan. But I like what he represents in the story and how different he is from the rest of the main cast.

He's introduced as a jovial and sort of eccentric ace duelist in S3. Like a personal rival to Manjoume/Chazz, same background (rich boy) but somewhat...better (less impulsive, more clever, overall better duelist) which is exposed on their sky duel.

And then he starts to change and become colder, more ruthless, smug and manipulative as S3 goes on, especially after partnering with Yubel. He sacrifices the woman he loves in order to attain Exodia's power without any second thoughts and he really seems to embrace his new role as King.

The scene where he's riding Exodia and refuses to finish the recently de-SKized Judai/Jaden is quite telling. He's drunk on power. He gambled and got a hell of a pay. And unlike Judai, who became SK after a hell of a traumatic event or Saio/Sartotius who was possesed by the Light of Destruction, Amon did it all consciously and out of his own will. No demonic possession, no LoD, no ancient millenary item possesion, nothing. Just an extremely ambitious bastard. In a way, he reminds me of Seto Kaiba in the early Yugioh manga chapters, before he got Mind Crushed by Yami.

Eventually, Yubel possessing Johan snaps him back to reality by kicking his ass and wiping him out. Right before dying he 1) reveals that actually he wanted to become King to the typical "making the world a better place" shtick and 2) shows regret for killing Echo.

While number 1 seems to come out of nowhere and feels like a lame attempt to somewhat redeem him, I think it makes him even more tragic. I think of Amon and he reminds me of complex antihero "ends justify the means" characters like Canute from Vinland Saga and Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass.

(YES I just compared Yugioh with Vinland and Geass)

I feel like, if Yugioh broadened its scope to maybe a more mature setting, characters like Amon could probably be rewritten in a more neutral or even sympathetic light. And yet, because GX is deeply inside a shonen anime focused on promoting a card game, such risks couldn't be taken.

And don't get me wrong, I think Amon was very well handed. He feels like an inverse of Axel O'Brien. While Axel starts as a stoic, cold and aloof duelist loyal to the shady Professor Cobra, Amon gets introduced as a charming and skilled guy who seems to oppose Cobra's schemes (after all, that means he's a good guy, right?) And yet, Axel ends up warming up to the main cast and even being (along with Jim) the one who saves Judai, while Amon ends up going the dark route. The fact they both come from Academies located on opposite cardinal points (Amon from east, Axel from west) might not be a mere coincidence.

To top it off, I just love how Amon and Axel end up in such different spots at the series finale.

Axel? With the main cast, being one more of them, eating, drinking, cracking a few jokes, enjoying their company. He's part of the gang despite arriving later. Like Johan (and my boy Jim)

Amon? Who the hell knows. And who the hell cares. Dead. Forgotten. Vanished into nothing. Sentenced to life in the Shadow Realm. And the best part is that, aside from his aparition on the "missing student cards" on S3 ending, nobody brings him up at all. They dislike him so much that for what they know he may be being devored by harpies or tortured in some dungeon in the Dark World, it's all the same for the gang. They have better things to think about than some power drunk greedy ambitious asshole who killed the woman he loved for nothing.

Axel won friends, which is why he was given a second chance in S4. Amon lost it all, which is why he's one of the few GX characaters that died permanently. Maybe it was Shin Yoshida's intention to send a message in favor of personal bonds and connections. Maybe he forgot about Amon.

But no matter what, Amon is probably one of the GX characters that caught my attention the most.

[immagrosscandy]

Hi!

Do you prefer HPHM or HPMA? Which is better in terms of storyline, animation, and characters in your opinion?

-Sincerely, from a dumb anon that is me 💋😷

at this point i really prefer hpma over hphm for a lot of reasons and most of them are how hphm fails in everything you just mentioned

the story gets messy super messy as the years go by, they stretch the chapters like gum making em tedious and boring

the animation is sometimes nasty like some 3d models look bad very bad, as if they just wanted to get the job done instead of making sure said job is good

the characters are... meh. i like some of them but the main story focuses on some of the ones that get worse as the story progresses: like the stupidity that is jacob's sibling, the pain in my ass that is merula snyde, jacob "i am found and never seen again for some reason", the supposed-to-be big bad of the story who's VERY important as he's RELATED to the main characters and is never mentioned until the last year of school. why.

also. another problem that annoys me. the less focus the have on the story and more on adding things that don't really matter. like the amount of sidequests and how much of them they do, and how emphasis they put in them on social media. the perfect example is the big elephant in the room, the romance. like most people only care about the romance because jc stopped caring about the story and it shows, and its seems like they have some sort of dateline to make a new romantic sidequests so that the players keep in touch with the game (at least that's how it feels for me)

as you can see hphm was good, even great. i loved the story and the characters. i liked the mystery behind the vaults and our brother, the mc wasn't stupid, i even liked merula because she was a not-annoying bad bitch that knew more of the mystery than us, there was rowan khanna, they created talbott winger thanks you lord, the story was captivating and it didn't need to be like 60 chapters long i'm looking at you year 6 even the romantic subplot was okay for me, the celestial ball and the first date are peak tlsq and tulip and ismelda was dateable i mean c'mon

but they fucked up

so bad

and i'm hoping the same doesnt happen to hpma. i've finished the main storyline and i kind of like ivy and lottie's stories, they're super cute. the artstyle is GORGEOUS it blows my tiny mind, and the animation is great. i really like it! all the things you can do in the castle such as going to class, dueling, dancing or exploring the forbidden forest are really cool and they keep me interested. its just like being at hogwarts. also the characters here are great and they all have a different story to be told (i'm seeing you daniel)

also i never got to play hogwarts legacy or any of the hp games in the ps2, so this is like my first experience of an open-world hogwarts and... it's cool!

i really dont want to glorify this game, there are some things i dont like about it, but until now i'm really enjoying it!

so i feel like hpma might be better than hphm in terms of animation and storytelling, obviously. and i like the characters in both games, but in hphm they downgrade in quality and writing... so i guess hpma wins

dont get me wrong i still love hphm, but what i hate is what they've done to it

i hope this wasn't too long. if you have anything to say about what i've said feel free to do so. my opinion is just an opinion after all

[randomreadingtimewithtsuki]

Hello! so I just read your work about readers and Shihouin Chika. So I hope you can make one for me about the daily life of the reader with the original gotei 13, the reader is a lieutenant of the 3rd division and has a crush on two captains (Chika and Furuoki) where they both duel for the love of the reader and try to propose to the reader! i leave the end of the reader's answer to you. by the way sorry if my request is long...

Hello!

Thank you for requesting!

I am terribly sorry for the delay! Ihope this is of your liking!

Tsuki's note: I have no idea what their personality is like, so this is a wild guess!

Also also, not quite what you asked for as I don't see them actually fighting - yamamoto would strangle them for it, as well as your captain. Let's face it if a showdown of strength happened, Unohana would be the winner of your hand. Anyway! I hope you enjoy it!

----------------------------------------------

Being a lieutenant was not easy, especially when a war could break out anytime.

Your captain, Kinroku, really trusted you to do most missions on your own, but more often than not you met other squads in the battlefield. You hated the battles. So much bloodshed, couldn't everyone get along?

It hurted you badly to think of killing someone that could be your ally. The Quincy could help the shinigami. But that seemed out of question.

Even though a war is right at the corner, you could see a hint of playfulness whenever you met the second squad captain Chika.

He seemed to shield off a little too much around you whenever you crossed paths with him. It was surely amusing to see him grin at you and start some silly small talk.

On the other hand whenever you met the captain of the tenth division Furuoki you were engulfed in a sea of calm, all threats felt like little ants and the anxiety was thrown out of the window.

Thankfully you didn't meet them at the same time that often. Only during meetings and very specific missions. Why were you thankful for it? Because A silent battle usually began. They say little to nothing to each other but you could feel their gaze on you, a little competition to get your attention.

Soon enough the meeting began to be a bad place for that, as the planning and discussions got more serious.

So in the hallways the duel began. Chika would throw his arm around your shoulders and Furuoki would gently lead you by the small of your back.

Chika's grin would change from lovely and sweet to an annoyed one, Furuoki seemingly had no reaction on his face, except the slightly frown.

Slowly this silent competition began to shift and you got yourself a big shake from them - often trying to hang out with you, by inviting you to drink, stargazing, a walk around Seireitei, you name it.

Unfortunately finding a good schedule for anything was hard. They had their duties as captains and you as lieutenant. Does that mean you refused them? No. You did go for a drink and a chat with Chika and you did go stargazing with Furuoki.

They were both very charming in their own way and clearly knew the other had eyes on you.

Your captain was growing tired of seeing those two around you, so he started to shoo them away, which in Chika's case only made him sneak up. Furuoki respected the captain's boundaries, but still managed to meet you every now and then.

As the dread of having so many companions pass away right and left, Chika was the first one to confront you about this whole situation - he was afraid to loose you anytime: " So Y/N… what will it be? Should I sneak into some other room in the third division?"

His statement made you blush furiously and get a little mad at his implications. He giggled at your reaction, but he was not wrong.

Furuoki had mentioned a couple of times you wouldn't need to fight this war if you didn't wish to do so - he was willing to take the opponents for you since you dislike killing.

Adorable, you were so thankful for his thoughtfulness.

It was a rough few days of thinking and replaying the time you spent together with them.

Being with Chika was fun, never a dull moment, he was adventurous and supported you on getting strong. He knew you disliked killing, but there is no other way it's either be killed or kill. That doesn't mean he didn't take your feelings into consideration! Is just that he thought being prepared was better.

But being with him also meant seeing recklessness on his part ( he wasn't very inclined to follow some rules, much like Yoruichi), being looked down on by his family, having to fight for respect and receiving a harsher training. All would mean you definitely would argue over responsibilities and be pushed to the limit.

Being with Furuoki was peaceful, all the troubles and worries seemed to wash away and he wanted you to feel comfortable, so he would fight for you if you didn't wish to fight. That doesn't mean you would be a damsel in distress, it just means he was ready to protect your feelings and respect your morals. He still fully supported your training and improvements.

But being with him meant being known as Furuoki's spouse as he would let you step down from bloody fights, being hard to read his emotions to full depth and having to act more polished around his family. This would lead to arguments about what exactly he meant due to the lack of expressions on his features and wanting to detach from his name a little.

Both had good sides and bad sides, as any human would have.

Your decision came down by who would you rather spend more time with, who would you like to walk side by side with you? Who would truly appreciate you? Who felt more right to be with? Who could give you the future you never imagined to yourself?

A future that, even though it was different, held such a warm and positive feeling. One that could make you feel like every obstacle could be won, even if you two argued, even if you hurt each other's feelings and apologized in tears, even if it would be cut short by the dread of the war.

Your decision had to be postponed, as the walls of Seireitei came down with a pillar of light.

They both will make it for sure. So now, it was no time to think about men, it was time to think about you and your squad.

Time to survive and fight with your captain, to protect comrades - including those two foolish men.

You couldn't help but wonder, how would their heart be fairing right now? Would they be worried about you? Or would they be confident in your ability? Maybe this could make your answer clearer right?

So, who would you choose then?

----------------------------------------------

That's it! Thank you for reading!

Ah, yes, who would you choose?

Please let me know who you would choose out of this fine gentleman!

I personally would choose Chika.

[leatherbookmark]

oops, objective "don't read stupid ass takes" failed :(

"izzy is not suicidal, like yeah he shot himself in the head but he missed and besides that was EPISODES ago, he has since found community and joy and acceptance and saying he's suicidal is erasing all that. now ed, however," ah, well, if it was only once, then it doesn't matter i suppose.

"blackbeard is both ed and izzy, ed can't be free of blackbeard if izzy is alive, and if izzy dies, ed will never return to being blackbeard" i'm sorry. let me make sure i heard you right. even when both izzy and ed have found love and acceptance, even when izzy is his own person, having "divorced" ed in episode 3, even after izzy's shown being supportive of ed loving stede and quitting being a pirate... izzy still has to die to free ed. and this is fine and normal, and not the proof that there's something kinda Fucking Wrong with ed. sometimes you just can't be fully happy until that one person who's moved on from you and from whom you have moved on as well is fucking dead. and that's okay! hashtag self care. i gotta be honest i'm impressed. i don't remember hearing of a more fucked up dynamic, and this one belongs to a silly comedy show! truly, the writing for this show is exceptional. and by that i mean at this point i'm starting to wonder whether i've had a stroke at some point and it's only catching up to me now

"what would izzy do? just stay on the revenge and whittle? he's not fit for hard physical labor, and he doesn't want to be a captain, so he has to go!" uh oh, black pete, i have bad news for you. no no, enjoy your husband first, taste the marital bliss, make some precious memories! god knows you're going to need them once we kill him off for being useless unfit for physical labor. ha! lighthearted jokes aside, um, wow. i, er, can't quite find my words yet, so, um, well, it's. it's a pirate story, and pirates were famously all fully abled, like, can you imagine a pirate with a wooden leg doing pirate shit? that's, that's unrealistic, it doesn't-- hm? "he’s found value in not having a distinct role or purpose on the ship, decoupling his worth from the job he’s expected to perform"? aah, huh. hmm. well. well that's. hm. yknow guys i'll get back to you later i think, i need to sit on this one

"do you really think con, an experienced actor and an adult, would feel bad about izzy dying? especially after getting to explore this character so well, especially after djenks has said he took it well?" well i can't say what con would feel because i don't know the man personally, right, but if i had a chance to explore a character i really like, play him finding his happiness, queerness and place to belong unconditionally, and then found out -- halfway through the shooting, despite my character's death apparently being known to the writers from the very beginning -- that he dies shot by the antagonist who symbolizes everything he hates, not even during a fight or a duel, not even protecting someone he loves, but just because he was the nearest pirate, and his last words are all about inspiring the guy whose lil depressive episode cost him a leg to fucking, hashtag be free and live his truth, while everyone else kinda just stood by and watched and didn't even try to help, i guess because eh, if he dies he dies, then actually yeah, i would think it's a little bit unfair, i suppose. but that's just me of course

[k-s-morgan]

Loved the snippet! I always enjoy seeing Sebastian worried about Ciel, even if at this stage its all hypothetical ;)

This makes me wonder if Gremory will be able to see Ciel's potential to become a demon and try to warn Sebastian from following that path! I'm curious to hear your analysis on what you see as the OOC moment in S2. Is this Ciel's terrible idea to just randomly challenge Alois to a duel in the library during the dance of death? I love the scene afterwards where Ciel scoffs at Alois and tries to murder him and gets to face slap Claude, but the fight scene always did rub me the wrong way for some reason and I'm curious if this is the moment you were talking about.

Another ask: Thanks for the snippet it looks so good and I'm so hyped for the update!! I read your last ask response (not the same person!). i admit i don't remember season 2 or the duel at all but going off your description of it: so i've only casually been into black butler over the years, but i absolutely love your meta and gentle slopes has made me love both of them. i was wondering, maybe there's a possibility Ciel realized Alois would cheat, and played accordingly? i agree with your analysis that he's noble, but he's very calculating that way. what do you think? 

also, absolutely no pressure here at all, but do you know when you'll update next? of course take your time with it as I'm willing to wait as long as it takes, I'm just really excited. 

i wish you, your family and your pets safety. and the end of this terrible war. please hang in there. 

------------------

I combined these asks because they center on the same/similar subjects, hope you don’t mind!

@lecalcifer, I also enjoy Sebastian’s overprotectiveness, and with the line of their work, it always finds a way to show itself :D I do plan an arc with Gremory similar to the one you described. She’s also the one behind Mey-Rin’s dream - she couldn’t send it to Sebastian since Sebastian doesn’t sleep, so she chose someone else for passing this message. We’ll learn more about it soon. 

And yes, the fencing match between Ciel and Alois always bothered me. I can understand why Ciel wanted it to happen, but what he does next goes against this plan. We know that his goal was always to take revenge for what happened to him and his family. He expected this enemy to be someone grand, someone he would be unable to defeat on his own, but when he thought that Alois is the guilty party, it changed things. Alois is his age, he’s in a similar situation and he and Ciel are more or less equal. It means that Ciel has a real chance to get his revenge personally, without relying on Sebastian for it. So he waited for Sebastian to engage Claude and remove the chance of demon intervention, and he challenged Alois to a duel.

That’s why him cheating is confusing. Anon from ask 2, your explanation could make a lot of sense, but Ciel actually seems shocked to see that Alois cheated, too, and then he becomes offended and angry. This nullifies his idea of a duel to me because if he wanted to cheat, he could have simply used Sebastian. I don’t see a point in staging a situation where he and Alois are alone to pay him back personally and then just trying to trick him. Fencing was considered a noble kind of sport; duels had an element of integrity and nobility, too, so for Ciel to just spit on all of this for no reason? It’s very strange to me. So I’m introducing a made-up situation that will justify some of it when we get there. 

Thank you both for your interest and your wonderful words <3 I really, really hope to update at the start of November. Can’t promise anything since my days are unpredictable now because of Ruzzia, but for now, I’m making progress.