#Meanwhile Eri is just STUNNED LIKE

[alchemistdefective]

"... At least Sis is much silent when she's intoxicated."

[ayahachitwister]

Sorry I haven't done much BeatEri stuff lately DX~ But thank you all for being so supportive of my random rarepair!

So, another BeatEri headcanon~

Beat isn't the kind of guy that'll trip over himself when Eri dresses all nice. That kind of stuff does still go over his head some, even when they're dating...

But a moment where Eri's so genuinely happy or excited? He'll suddenly find himself stunned and tongue-tied over how adorable she is~

Meanwhile, Eri does totally get all blushy and nervous when Beat looks cool, but mostly she just appreciates how real he is. Like, despite the above, she'll still dress nice for him on dates, but she knows how he is and is really glad he likes something more than how she looks or dresses--that's why she fell for him after all~

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 116: Underlying Stress

On Thursday, Ren was eating her breakfast when Sojiro asked. “Hey. You think you could help out around here today?”

Ren looked at him. She nodded. “Yeah. I think It could help me too. There’s just been a lot on my mind.”

“Right,” Sojiro said. “Despite you not really doing any typical summer break events, you’ve had quite a busy summer.”

“Let me finish breakfast first, and then I’ll get ready,” Ren said. She continued eating, and eventually finished her breakfast. She washed her dishes, and then got ready to help around the cafe.

For the first few hours, it was business as usual. Customers came in, ordered and ate food, talked about things with each other, as well as Ren and Sojiro when they could. Overall, it was nice.

After a while, they were alone again, when they heard the bell of someone coming in. “Welcome,” Ren said. She was then a little surprised. “Dr. Maruki?”

He waved as he finished entering. “Hi.”

Ren was a little perplexed. “What are you doing here?”

Maruki sat down at the counter. “Well, there are a few reasons. For one, I looked it up, and apparently this place has some amazing curry.”

“I take it you want some?” Ren wondered.

“If you don’t mind,” Maruki said.

“Coming right up then,” Ren said. She got to work on the curry.

Meanwhile, Sojiro was giving Dr. Maruki a puzzled look. Maruki noticed this and asked “I take it you’re the owner of this establishment.”

“Yeah,” Sojiro answered bluntly.

“Are you her primary caretaker while she is in Tokyo?” Maruki asked.

“Yeah,” Sojiro answered again. He looked intently at Maruki. “You seem familiar…”

“Really?” Maruki wondered.

Sojiro nodded. “I can’t quite place it, but I think I’ve seen you before.”

While Ren was cooking, she popped her head out. “Hm? Oh, right. He worked with Wakaba.”

Sojiro and Maruki were shocked beyond belief. “You…you worked with Wakaba?” Sojiro wondered.

“Yeah,” Maruki nervously admitted. “Although I wasn’t terribly high up. I was working there a little for my college after I graduated. Until that project got shut down, that is. Oh, but I recognize you now. You’re the person from the government that would always talk with her.”

“Yeah…” Sojiro said.

Maruki turned to Ren. “But I’m not sure how you know that.”

“It's complicated,” Ren said. “Let me finish making your curry first.”

“Oh, sure,” Maruki said. Maruki waited patiently in the semi-awkward silence  while Ren finished making his curry. Once Ren finished, she plated the curry and served it to Maruki. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Ren said. “Now, as for how I’m familiar with Wakaba. Like I said, it’s fairly complicated. So, you know about our war with Medjed?”

“Um, you mean The Phantom Thieves’ war with Medjed?” Maruki asked nervously, gesturing towards Sojiro.

“He knows,” Ren informed him.

Maruki looked at Sojiro who nodded. “Oh. I see,” Maruki said. “Please continue.”

Ren nodded. “So, days into the threat, there was a second threat from The Original Medjed. The Original Medjed is Wakaba’s daughter, whom Sojiro had adopted.”

“Oh my!” Maruki said, stunned.

“She had a palace,” Ren continued, “but Eris also chose to corrupt her. We stormed the palace and broke Futaba free from both the influence of the palace and Eris. But during the exploration, something interesting happened.”

“G-Go on,” Maruki said, interested but concerned.

“Palaces have these thingd called Will Seeds,” Ren explained. “Essentially, they are the building blocks of a palace. They are planted, and then grow into a palace.”

“Huh,” Maruki said. “That’s fascinating.”

“However, when we went through Futaba’s Palace, that wasn’t entirely the case,” Ren continued. Maruki was confused. “Usually Will Seeds tell us about the events that occurred that led to the creation of the palace. And while we saw that to some extent through the palace itself, the Will Seeds we found belonged to Wakaba. And you appeared in one of them.”

Marui was stunned. “Wow. That is stunning.” He smiled. “Forgive me, but as someone who has studied this, I am fascinated. Would you mind if I asked a few questions?”

“Go ahead,” Ren said. “In fact, your expertise might be welcomed in helping us understand what’s going on as well.”

Maruki nodded. “Of course. So, before I get into what I’m most curious about, you said that you saw what a Will Seed would provide through the palace. What do you mean by that?”

Ren was taken aback a little. “Well… Without getting into too much detail, in order to get through the palace, we had to arrange these puzzles that showed us various things about Futaba’s past that probably caused the palace to form.”

“I see,” Maruki said. “Mind if I hypothesize?”

“Go ahead,” Ren said.

Maruki nodded. “This is just a guess, since I haven’t been inside any palace aside from my own, but I imagine that since Futaba is different  from other palace rulers, she’s not one to hide her insecurities.”

“I guess that makes sense…” Ren said.

“Wait,” Sojiro interjected. “You had a palace?”

Maruki was a little surprised, but nodded and said “Yeah. It got destroyed though.”

“How?” Sojiro asked.

“Eris,” Ren explained.

“Huh,” Sojiro replied. “Do you know why?”

Ren and Maruki were surprised. “Uh, I’m not entirely sure,” Maruki answered. “Maybe it has something to do with what was, until that point, my goal.”

“Which was…?” Sojiro asked.

“Eliminate suffering,” Maruki explained.

Sojiro was shocked. “Well… that’s bold.”

Maruki chuckled more casually than what may be appropriate for the situation. “Well, that’s one way to put it.”

“That might be it though,” Ren said, thinking about it. “I mean, I don’t see a reason why she would destroy a palace unless it interfered with her goal.”

“I see,” Maruki said. “Allow me to get back to the most pressing question on my mind. Why did Wakaba’s Will Seeds show up in Futaba’s palace?”

Ren took a breath. “While I’m not 100% sure, we did see something that could be the reason. The last thing we saw was Wakaba drinking some kind of concoction, and then later took a drop of her blood and mixed it in with Futaba’s food.”

“Huh,” Maruki said.

“You don’t seem that surprised,” Sojiro stated.

“Eh heh,” Maruki chuckled. “Well, as we just went over, I had a palace with the goal to eliminate suffering. Part of the plan to achieve such a bold goal, as you put it, was to figure out a way to, for lack of a better word, coerce people using cognitive psience. While we were working on it, we did find some ways to influence people, but they were limited in scale.”

“Heh,” Sojiro laughed. “A really smart person would know how to do a lot with a little.”

“True, but our project was canceled, remember?” Maruki retorted.

“I wasn’t entirely talking about you,” Sojiro said. “Although I guess it is warranted. What I mean is that if someone stole the data, they could get a lot from that limited scale.”

“I see what you mean,” Maruki said. “I will admit that sometimes I miss the trees for the forest. I tend to focus a lot on the big picture without seeing the details around me. I have been working on that though. But back to the big picture here, that methodology you described could be why there are those mental shutdowns. If someone knew that, canceled our project, and stole the data, they could probably figure out how to orchestrate all of this. Using a little to get a lot, like you said.”

Ren and Sojiro grew alarmed. “Would you happen to have names?” Ren asked Sojiro. “You worked for the government then.”

“Believe me,” Sojiro said, “I have names in excess. Too often at that old job you’d meet people who continually hunger for power. I could give you 25 names off the top of my head and none of them could be right.”

Ren sighed. “I see.”

“Well, it is a start,” Maruki said. “And as we've been discussing, a smart person can do a lot with a little.”

“Yeah…” Ren said, still slightly frustrated.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Maruki said. “Now, there’s another reason I came by.” Ren was surprised. “You told me last night during my impromptu visit that you lived here. I wanted to make sure you were doing OK.”

“Huh,” Ren said, confused by the whiplash. “Uh, yeah. As you know, Sojiro is my guardian for my time in Tokyo, and there’s a loft upstairs.”

“Well, I was kind of wondering why,” Maruki said.

“We’ve sort of explained ‘why’,” Sojiro said.

“Yeah, Futaba was, uh, not in a great place, and Sojiro figured it would be better to give her room to breathe and not overwhelm her,” Ren explained.

“Oh, I see,” Maruki said. “Honestly, now that you say it, I should have thought of it earlier.”

“Why did you come by last night?” Sojiro said.

“It’s complicated,” Ren answered. “To explain it would take too long, and I’d be betraying someone’s trust.”

“Well…” Sojiro responded. “I guess I’ll just have to accept that.”

Maruki nodded. “Well then, is there anything else on your mind?” he asked. “I mean, I know school is starting back up soon, but  as long as I’m here we can talk.”

Ren thought about it for a minute. “Well… How can I tell people something that might not be easy for me to tell people without it feeling like I’m ripping off a bandage and worry about things going wrong?”

Maruki was a little perplexed by the question. “Well… That can be a bit of a toughie. I’m not even sure there’s an answer that will work 100% of the time. But it does remind me of an idea I learned in some of my early psychology classes; The science of reasoning and logic.

Reasoning and logic is something fascinating itself. As scientists, we are taught to use deductive reasoning to come to conclusions. However, we as humans use inductive reasoning a lot, and with a high degree of accuracy.” He took a coin out of his pocket. “For instance, it is inductive reasoning that tells me that if I were to let go of this coin, it would fall.” He let go, and it fell.

Ren was slightly confused. “But didn’t we prove gravity existed?” she wondered.

“Well, that’s sort of a loaded question,” Maruki said. “To some extent, yes, but gravity as we know it didn’t not exist until Newton published his findings. And even to this day, it’s called the theory of gravity. The point is, science is a careful profession, and one which won’t outright state 100% certainty on anything. However, we can offer a general consensus on things, like gravity.

Which brings me back to your conundrum. I can’t guarantee with 100% certainty that whatever it is you have to say won’t go horrible. However, I will say that if you’ve told people you trust before, and you only aim to tell people you trust, then chances are things won’t be too bad.”

Ren was processing Maruki’s on the spot lesson. She smiled. “Thanks. I’m a lesbian.”

Maruki was a little stunned by this admission, but smiled and said “I see.” He got a little intrigued. “You know, last time you came to my office, you told me you were dating someone. Would you mind telling me who your girlfriend is, or are you not there yet?”

Ren was a little bashful, but she admitted. “...Sumire.”

“I see,” Maruki replied. “Well, I wish nothing but the best for you both.”

“Thanks,” Ren said, smiling with rosy cheeks.

Councilor-Takato Maruki: Rank 5

Maruki looked down. “Gah! We’ve been talking for so long, my curry’s almost cold.”

“You want me to make you another?” Ren asked.

“No, it’s OK,” Maruki said. “I’m sure it’ll still taste good.” He took a bite. “DELICIOUS!” He continued eating. Once he finished, he paid and said “Thanks. Today was, well, I’m not quite sure how to describe it. But I enjoyed it.”

“Same,” Ren said.

“Well, take care,” Maruki said. He left Leblanc. Ren kept helping for the rest of the day.

As evening drew near, Sojiro turned to Ren and asked “Hey, can you finish cleaning up for the day? I wanna get back to Futaba.”

Ren nodded. “How is she, by the way?”

“Well, she hasn’t thrown up in a bit from what I can tell,” Sojiro informed her. “Plus, I can maintain a conversation with her for about 10 minutes before she wants to go to sleep again.”

Ren smiled. “Well that’s good.”

“Yeah,” Sojiro agreed. “She looks like she’s going to fully recover any day now.” Sojiro nodded. “Well good night.”

“Good night,” Ren said. Sojiro left. While Ren was cleaning up, she got a phone call. She picked up. “Hello?”

“Is this Ren Amamiya?” the person on the other end asked.

“Yeah?” Ren replied, unsure of what was happening.

“This is the hospital,” the person on the other end explained. “We’re calling to inform you that your friend Sadayo Kawakami  has been admitted.”

Ren was certainly confused as to why the hospital was calling her, but she knew that she needed to be there for Miss Kawakami. “I’ll be right there.”

“Do you need to address?” the hospital operator asked.

“Yeah,” Ren answered. They gave it to her. “Thank you. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She hung up, quickly gathered her things, and rushed out. Once she arrived, the patient services representatives were a little surprised to see a high school girl, but led her to Kawakami’s room anyway.

Soon after Ren had arrived, Kawakami woke up. “Ugh,” she groaned. She tried to gather her surroundings. She saw Ren, and was shook completely awake. “Wha…What are you doing here?”

“Well,” Ren said, a little uncomfortable, “you listed me as your emergency contact?”

Kawakami looked around more and realized she was in the hospital. “Oh… I guess I passed out…”

“What happened?” Ren asked.

“Well…” Kawakami said. “I was working on my curriculum this morning. I think I lost track of time, and realized I only had 20 minutes until I had to get to…well…” Ren nodded. “I rushed over and just as I was about to start, everything went black.”

“I see,” Ren said. “It sounds like you’re overworking yourself.”

Kawakami groaned. “I know…” Just then, these two angry looking people, a man and a woman, waltzed in. Kawakami became alarmed. “What are you doing here?”

“You weren’t answering your calls,” the man said. “This is the closest hospital to your house.”

“I see…” Kawakami relented.

“Your payment is overdue,” the man said.

“We just want to be sure you can pay it,” the woman insisted.

“Yeah…” Kawakami. “I’ll send you the money soon.”

The couple looked at Ren. “Who is this?” the man asked.

“Oh, uh, she’s one of my students,” Kawasaki said. “Don’t mind her.”

“A student?” the man said in disbelief. “Coming to see you? Pah! That’s rich.” He turned to Ren. “Listen, I’d get out of here if I were you.”

“She’s a dangerous teacher,” the woman said. “Why she…” She stopped herself and let out some tears. “She’s the reason our son is dead.”

“I see,” Ren said. “So, you must be the Takases.”

They were surprised. “So, you know the story, huh,” the man said. “So why are you still hanging around this pathetic excuse for a teacher?”

“Because she’s my teacher,” Ren answered calmly, but firmly. “And I disagree with that assessment.”

“Excuse me?” the man said.

“But she killed our Taiki!” the woman protested.

Ren stood up. “What happened to him was accidental,” she countered. The parents were shook. “And I for one believe she’s paid you enough.”

“Why YOU!” The man raised hand to slap Ren.

“STOP!” Kawakami called out, causing the man to stop. She exhaled. “You leave her alone. This is just between you and me. Now, I’ve already told you you’re getting your money. Do you have anything else to say to me?”

The parents were frozen in confusion. They relented as the man said “No.” He sternly walked out.

“We’ll expect the money soon,” the woman said. “We won’t be as gracious next time.” She followed her husband out.

Kawakami sighed. “Sorry,” Ren said. She sat back down.

Kawakami looked at her in shock. “What are you sorry for?”

“Well, you know I’ve been arrested right?” Ren said. “I’m not supposed to pick fights like that while I’m on parole. I thought that since I’ve been making friends, I’ve become less adversarial, but… I can’t look past stuff like this. I know I shouldn’t, or else things will get real bad, but… something in me just keeps pushing anyway.”

Kawakami got serious. “That something is Justice. You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I should be the one to apologize. You were just standing up for me. I’ve been playing their game since Taiki’s death, and it almost led to another one of my students getting injured. Plus, there was the whole Kamoshida incident.”

She took a deep breath. “For far too long, I’ve let one bad incident define me and my relationship with my students. I feel like I’m letting them pass me by more than actually helping them. And yet, time after time, you’ve been there for me. This whole thing started as an accident, but I feel like my eyes have been more open than they have been in a long time, and it’s all because of you.

I think this is it. This is my wake-up call. I passed out because I’m over exhausted, and that over exhaustion has caused me to lose too much already. And looking further down the path I’m taking, I see no light. It’s time for me to move on.”

Ren was surprised. “You mean it?”

Kawakami nodded. “I can’t afford a second Taiki.”

Ren smiled. “You know, I think that’s what he would have wanted.”

Kawakami smiled back. “Me too.”

Temperance-Sadayo Kawakami: Rank 7

“So, uh, why am I your emergency contact?” Ren asked.

“Oh, that,” Kawakami said. “Well, um, my family isn’t in Tokyo, and I felt like I needed someone close by, and well, since you’ve been helping me and understood my situation, I figured…”

Ren nodded. “Gotcha. So, you going to be OK?”

“I think so,” Kawakami said. “I just need to rest up, and I should be out of here soon.”

Ren nodded. “Well, just message me when you get out.”

“I will,” Kawakami said. “And thanks. For everything.” Ren smiled, nodded, and left the hospital.

[feysandfeels]

ACOTAR 5 or 6?? (I don’t know which book is next)

Did someone ask for this? No, not really. Am I still going to theorize how the next book is going to go in length? Yes, yes I will. Also I’m doing a facemask that needs 20min to set in so like, I have time to kill. 

I have seen many saying that Azriel’s book is next because through him we will get Illyria, which still needs to be dealt with. Also through him we get Gwynriel and that. Even though I can definitely see the logic behind that, I thought I might throw in another option just for shits and giggles. 

This is more like a fever dream than anything. Don’t hold me to it, because I haven’t read these books with the academic rigorosity to come up with counter arguments as to why it’s Az’s and not Elain’s book that will come next. But, that being said, if I’m right I will say I told you so (lol). 

Also this will further my Elucien agenda so like... yeah you’ve been warned.

Why Elain?

Because I think it makes more sense to go have a book deal with one villain working up to Koshei, than to have Beron+Koshei as the big baddies in one final book. So like ACOSF was the human queen, ACOTAR 5 is Beron and then ACOTAR 6 ultimate baddie Koshei. And who is character that has ties to Beron? Lucien and who would Lucien’s book be with? exactly, Azriel. no I’m kidding, of course Elain. 

I also think Elain was a character that had a huge presence in this ACOSF despite having like three sentences. You could see her impact in the book and to me that was quite telling. 

ACOTAR 5: 

Right so we all can agree on a few things after being in this fandom for a couple of years or at least since the end of ACOSF: first, Elain and Lucien will deliver a Jane Austen type romance; second, it will entail a lot of court politics; and third, Elain is up to something and no one knows what it is. Yes? 

First Act:

Elain doing her suspicious stuff and we as the reader find out what it is and can already see the negative implications

Lucien still taking the brunt of the work in the SC, which is still utter chaos.

BoE content: Vassa is agitated because her curse is nowhere near close to being broken and time is running out. 

The IC finds out what Elain is been up to. I do think it has something to do with her wanting to go back to her human self. Cue the confrontation.

Meanwhile with Lucien: Vassa might attempt something it triggers a magical response from Koshei, an attack or something. Maybe Beron decides to make a move to the SC given that Tamlin is absent as a ruler. I don’t know, the point is we get a confrontation scene that sees Tamlin die to protect Lucien. Everyone is in shock because the HL of Spring just died, without heirs and close relatives. Where did the power go?

Lucien starts to feel it, but then he realizes that it’s not because it is happening to him.

Cue to Elain having her “i want to be human again I don’t care the cost” rant at the IC. Amren will call her a stupid girl, because that’s what she does. Then the power flows to her and she’s going to be hella confused, everyone in the IC is stunned and when Elain asks wtf just happened, Feyre will say: Tamlin died (because she can feel the shift of power of spring due to the kernel of power of spring that she has), so that means and Rhysand finishes the thought by saying that Elain is the new High Lady of the Spring Court (and the first cauldron-chosen high lady)

This means that now she has more ties to this fae world and can’t simply abandon them.

We will have some discussion about what to do next and Elain is all like “I don’t want to be High Lady I didn’t even want to be fae”. Trust someone in the IC, maybe Amren (since she has no problem with saying what everyone else is thinking in the bluntest-maybe even rudest way), to say that having Elain be HL of Spring would make everyone’s life easier given the unified Prythian front they must once again have because of the Koshei threat. Maybe it will even be Azriel and they will have the E/lriel fallout...

Lucien arrives at the NC to talk to Elain or well something. 

News spread about what happened and they know that Elain’s claim (if she chooses to make it) to the SC is a tad shaky and not everyone will accept it. Beron is like the fuck if you think I will accept this human-turned fae claim. The SC is an strategic location and I will take it for myself because it will be useful fo my Koshei-agenda.

Eris arrives like hello my dad is about to move his army to the SC so now is the time to kill him

And Elain is still like “i don’t want it”. Think Jon Snow in GoT.

Cue an Archeron confrontation of “you can’t run away from your responsabilities// life is not neat and sometimes it will throw at you things you thought you wouldn’t have thought you’d needed to take on// take a stance for once and think beyond your own plants”.

Details are blurry but she is like I need to leave here (the NC) because no one has my best interest at heart they are just doing what it’s politically best. But who might have my best interest at heart? That’s right, Lucien. She asks him for help or to leave or whatever.

Lucien is a politician and a courtier but for once, for fucking once he will do something that’s not for political gain (for the court he represents). He will help her because he wants to see her at peace. They go to the human lands with BoE.

The first act ends with one dead Tamlin, one unsure Elain, one willing to help regardless of the decision Lucien, and one war focused Beron. 

Second act:

The BoE content we have all been waiting for 

Vassa might be weak from whatever happened and Jurian is all worried. 

They see Elucien arrive and are like 👀👀👀👀. Lucien glares at them in a “say anything and i will in fact kill you” way. 

Elain starts to open up and mentions that if anything it should be Lucien who’s the HL and not her because he knows the territory and it suits his skillset. All she wanted to do was have a quiet life and see the world. 

Lucien says that if he were to make a claim he would need even more support from other courts, because if Elain’s claim is shaky at best, then his is like ... not great.

They agree that Lucien should travel to other courts to gather support because regardless whether it’s Elain or Lucien who will ascend to the Spring throne, they will need it. Elain asks if she can go with him because, as she said, she wanted to see more of the world. 

We also get an Eris Vanserra visit - or several - and Lucien starts to realize that Eris knows waaaaaaaaaaaay more than he has lead on. And that they need to work together because again, regardless of who takes the throne, Beron will fight it, but if Eris is on the Autumn throne he would offer support to either. 

Cue the Lads tour of Prythian ft. Politics-courtier plotline and the “how the fuck are we going to help Vassa” side quest.

Elain starts to learn more about what it takes to be a High Lady and about the territory of Spring and its people.

During visits to other courts one or two members of the IC will pop in and out.

Elucien slow burn + court romance begins (We have nice balls with tension because that’s how Jane Austen would have wanted it and this is nothing if not an austenian romance).

Elan will learn about Jessminda (that’s her name right?)

Lucien and Elain have a heart to heart one day and Lucien is like “I’ve never had a home that is mine, i’ve always owed it to someone else or it comes because they see me as a political pawn”.

Eventually another heart to heart about the complex grief (if you will) that Lucien must be feeling for Tamlin. 

When we get to the Day Court, we get the baby news. Not only are they trying to gather Helion’s support but also to figure out a spell to save Vassa. Doing something with a spell Lucien and Helion find out. I imagine that Feysand is in the DC because they are trying to keep tabs on how Elain is feeling regarding her High Lady position and they wanted to meet somewhere neutral; and so is Eris, because things are getting out of hand at the AC so they are trying to see what they should do. Also Feysand are nosy bitches so of course they would be there.

After the reveal, Lucien is shooketh and leaves, Elain leaves after him. It is raining. They get wet and he stops when he arrives at a temple (we love a good P&P reference) Lucien starts the monologue of what does this mean, who am i, I’ve always been alone and Elain cuts in and says that maybe in the past he’s been alone but that he will never be again; Lucien turns to face her and she walks up to him and kisses him like the Cauldron intended when it made them mates. 

We Eluciens are starting getting our well deserved smutt dishes. 

Third act:

Elain is still  a tad unsure about being a High Lady, because all she ever heard was that she was good at being pretty and an ornament, that she was meant to be the supporting role. Lucien is like “babes fuck what your mom said but no matter what you choose, I will choose you”. 

Finally shit hits the fan at the AC so that’s where Elucien go and Helion.. because LoA is there and he says fuck it imma go help her Beron can go fuck himself.

However they do not arrive at the palace or something like that but to another location where we can finally have visual proof of what Eris has been up to. LoA appears. Her and Helion have a nice tête-a-tête. 

Vassa and Jurian are there too beause #WereGoingToNeedAllTheHelpWeCanGet

Elucien formally arrive to Beron’s court, as is the plan. 

The tension is absurd, the coup is about to happen, something goes wrong, they need to think of their feet, somebody gets hurt.. you know the usual stuff. 

They use the spell to free Vassa and in such release of power Beron is confused and weakened

Lady of Autumn delivers the killing blow. Beron dies, power goes to Eris and everyone is like did we win??

Eris makes the joke that whichever half of Elucien will make the claim to the SC he will support it. By this moment is clear that Elain will take up the role so we all have a good laugh.

Archeron sister reunion, congratulations all around. Maybe a celebration in the SC??? or maybe that’s too tacky given that the whole court is still a mess,

Happy ending?? oh wait there’s something more uh-oh, when freeing Vassa you also freed Koshei. Oh you thought you had weakened Koshei by killing is Prythian ally? think again. Koshei is a god of death that now has full access to his powers. 

The end. 

[sabababa]

A Knight’s Heart

Mirio Togata x Fem!Reader

Summary: Mirio and (Y/n) take Eri out to the local playground, and since there is no one around, Eri asks them to play pretend with her. Mirio as the knight, Eri as the princess, and (Y/n) as the dragon guarding the castle.

Warnings: None

Notes: Reader’s quirk allows her to transform into a dragon when heat is applied, she can also be anthropomorphic in that form

Word count: 2k+

(this gif is so amazing I’m a sucker for pixel art)

     “Okay, Eri, we’ve arrived!” Mirio raised his hands in the air in a grand gesture, showing off the playground they arrived at. It was a decent-sized area, it had multiple slides, plenty of swings, and a plethora of things to climb.

     “This is a playground?” Eri asked as she stared in awe, never before had she seen one.

     “Yep, this is where kids like you like to play!” (Y/n) knelt down next to her, giving her a big grin.

     “Come on, Eri, let’s play!” Mirio grabbed the little girl’s hand and ran up to some stairs that led to a tall, winding slide. (Y/n) sat back on a bench nearby as she watched them. She giggled when Mirio hit his head on a bar, the set was clearly not made for his height, but of course, he laughed it off and brought Eri to the entrance of the slide. They disappeared into the tube and she heard Eri squeal in delight before they reappeared at the end, Mirio fell onto the ground with Eri in his lap, his weight gave them a bit of momentum as they slid down.

     Both laughed as Eri cheered; “Again! Again!”

     (Y/n) laughed from the side-lines, happy to see Eri was enjoying herself, and happy to spend the day with her crush. Mirio was everything any girl wanted in a man and (Y/n) wasn’t blind to his antics, she soon fell for the blonde.

     “(Y/n), you should join us!” Mirio called over as he followed Eri back up the stairs.

     “Nah, it’s fine, three’s a crowd!” She called back, waving her hand dismissively, she wanted Mirio and Eri to enjoy their quality time together, she could tell the small girl liked him more than she did her, which she wasn’t upset about, who couldn’t like Mirio?

     “Come on!” Mirio ran over to her and pulled her up by her wrists. “There’s no kids here, not even adults, no will judge!”

     “I wasn’t worried about being judged,” she laughed as she let him guide her to the same set of stairs he was at moments ago.

     “Then you should totally play with us!” Mirio grinned, now holding her hand.

     (Y/n) noticed that right as he turned he would hit the same bar again. “Wait, Mirio-” she tried to warn him, but was too late as he hit the same bar in the same place.

     “Owww…” He rubbed his head, it must have hurt the second time around.

     “Aww,” she reached her free hand up and rubbed the spot on his head, “poor wittle baby couldn’t watch where he was going.” She said playfully in a tone you would talk to babies in.

     “Maybe you should kiss it better?” He said back in the same tone, leaning his head over for her to kiss.

     “Maybe you should be more aware of your surroundings,” she said in the same tone again but complied to his wish. She placed a quick peck on his forehead and spoke again in her normal tone. “All better?” She smiled sweetly.

     “I feel so much better!” He grinned. “Your kisses are like magic!” He winked. (Y/n) giggled in response and he chuckled with her as they made it over to Eri on the platform. “Let’s all go down at the same time!” He suggested.

     “I think that’s too many people, Mirio,” (Y/n) said.

     “Okay, then how about you and Eri go in the slide and we make it a race? I bet I can beat you guys before you make it down there!”

     “You’re on!” Eri cheered with a look of cute determination.

     (Y/n) laughed lightly. “Okay, we can do that.” She agreed.

     Both girls readied themselves at the entrance of the slide, with Eri between (Y/n)’s legs. “Ready? Set. Go!” Mirio yelled at the end. (Y/n) quickly scooched herself and Eri into the slide and slid down. Eri squealed again at the twisting turns of the tube. (Y/n) saw light filtering at the end, but then saw Mirio appeared at the exit. “Gotcha!” He cheered with his arms open.

     “Mirio, look out!” The older girl yelped as she and the small one practically flew at him. 

     They crashed into him with a big ‘oof’ as he fell over and each girl fell onto different sides of him. They all lifted their heads up to make sure everyone was okay before bursting out into laughter. Mirio got a burst of energy as he sat up and wrapped each arm around them and squeezed them tight to his chest. “I’m so glad I’m spending the day with my two favorite girls!” (Y/n)’s heart soared at his comment. She felt a blush on her cheeks and scales appeared around her eyes from the heat due to her quirk. “Woah, (Y/n), are you okay? You’ve got scales.” Mirio asked concerned as he brushed some hair behind her ear to see the ruby-like scales.

     “Yeah, it’s just hot out, y’know,” she lied and rubbed away the scales with her hands, they turned back into smooth skin.

     “You’re right! I’ll get some water!” Mirio offered with a smile as he lifted them off the ground as he stood. “You two stay here, I’ll be back!” He said as he jogged off down the path to a nearby vending machine.

     “This kinda looks like a castle,” Eri mumbled as she looked at the playground. Then her face showed a big smile as stars filled her eyes with an idea. “We should play pretend!” She turned around to (Y/n). “I’ll be the princess, Mirio can be the knight, and you’ll be the dragon!” She pointed her finger as she named each role.

     (Y/n) smiled down at her. “That’s a great idea, Eri!” Scales began to cover her body again as she felt her body shift slightly. “Let’s steal you away to the castle, princess!” She said as she wiggled her talons at her. Eri let out a loud squeal as the older girl lifted her up over her shoulder and carried her into the castle. She had placed her on a platform near the slide entrance and walked onto a wobbly bridge that connected to a different slide. Her arms were crossed as she stood in a confident pose while she waited for the ‘knight’ to return.

     Mirio had heard Eri’s squeal and it worried him slightly. He knew (Y/n) was there with her, but he quickly ran back over with the bottles in hand. He slowed to a stop once he noticed (Y/n) was using her quirk and had a menacing aura around her. This worried him as he looked around for Eri and then saw her gripping the bars of a platform, a scared expression on her face. Did a villain show up? Were they hiding around here? 

     “Glad you could make it, knight!” (Y/n) yelled down to him at the path.

     “Huh?” Mirio gave her a confused look.

     “Save me, Sir Knight!” Eri jumped up and down as she tried to speak in an elegant tone.

     It easily clicked in Mirio’s head what was going on. He was the knight that had to save Princess Eri from the fearsome dragon (Y/n). He set the water bottles on a bench and picked up a long branch nearby before he pointed it at the mighty dragon. “I am here to save the Princess Eri, Evil Dragon!” He spoke loudly in a royal tone.

     “What will you do to save her, knight?” (Y/n) replied back in a low tone.

     “I will do anything for the princess’ safety! I will fight you even if it means my death!”

     “Glory and death are not what I want,” (Y/n) began, “I am a dragon, we covet things that humans prize and the princess here is a wonderful jewel to add to my collection!” She gestured to the princess before bringing a hand to rest under her snout in thought. “But perhaps we could make a trade?”

     “A trade?” Mirio’s voice wavered as he listened to her words. That wasn’t how the stories went, right?

     “Yes, a trade, what will you give me in return for releasing the princess?” 

     Eri looked confused as she looked between the two. That wasn’t how the stories went.

     Mirio lowered his sword as he looked deep in thought. What could he trade to a dragon who had everything? He was just a knight, he could hardly offer anything that would be worth more than the princess, not even his own life. His eyes then sparkled as he figured out what to trade. He stabbed his sword into the ground, the dragon and princess confused by his actions, and held his arms open as he stared at the marvelous dragon. “I give you my heart!”

     (Y/n) almost choked as she leaned back slightly as the bridge wobbled, his answer shocked her. “Y-your heart?” She stuttered as she tried to look menacing again.

     “I give you my heart in return for the princess’ freedom!” He held his arms open wider, a genuine smile on his face. (Y/n) stood stunned, she didn’t know what to say. She knew she couldn’t take his words seriously, it was just pretend, but she couldn’t help but imagine him actually saying those words to her out of love. 

     Meanwhile, Eri slid down the slide by herself and triumphantly cheered at her great escape. “I escaped the scary dragon!” She said proudly with fists in the air as she ran toward Mirio.

     “Aw, Eri, I was supposed to save you!” Mirio said disappointed as he crouched to her level.

     “Clearly this princess doesn’t need anyone to save her,” (Y/n) said as she flew herself down beside them before her body returned to its original form.

     Mirio stood up again when Eri ran off to play more, a grin plastered on his face. “I liked the twist you pulled, with the dragon, it was amazing!”

     (Y/n) smiled back. “I liked your answer, that honestly surprised me, I didn’t know what you were gonna say.” She laughed at the end, trying to stave off the ache in her heart.

     “Well, I just spoke from my heart.” He answered honestly with a gentle smile. (Y/n) laughed lightly at his answer, thinking he was making a joke back to the answer he made. She shoved his shoulder playfully. “I’m serious.” He spoke again. Her laughter died down as she looked him in his eyes, his beautiful blue eyes. “I meant it when I said I’d give you my heart.” He grabbed her hand and held it over his chest where his heart beat. She felt how fast it pounded against his chest, she tore her eyes away from their hands and looked back up at him. A small blush dusted his cheeks as he stared at her hopefully, waiting for an answer.

     A blush spread across her cheeks and scales soon followed. “W-w-wait- do you mean- you like me?” She stuttered as she tried to form a complete sentence.

     “Yeah, I do,” he replied instantly, “I’ve liked you for a while now, I wanted to tell you the moment I knew, but I had to make it special somehow and well you created that special moment!” He grinned and chuckled.

     (Y/n) couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on her face, she immediately covered it with her hand when she replied. “I like you too!”

     Mirio removed her hand so he could stare at her beautiful smile. “Don’t hide, you’re pretty,” he said as he cupped his hands around her face. They stared into each other’s eyes again, his eyes drifted down to her lips and hers did the same to his. They sealed the distance with a kiss as she rested her own hands on his neck, her heart sped up, butterflies filled her stomach, a tingle went down her spine, and her leg popped up from the sweetness of it all. It was a long and innocent kiss. 

     When they parted they heard someone screech in the distance. “Eww!” Eri yelled at them from atop a platform. They both looked at her and then hugged each other with a laugh.

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If you want to request some headcanons please go here for the rules!

Masterlist

[my-fan-side]

Unconventional (Chapter 2)

A/N: Thank you everyone who have liked and reblogged and made a comment on the first chapter. I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of the story. 

In case you missed it: 

Chapter 1

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Chapter 2

The flight on their way home was quiet. Cassian’s arms are tense around his mate, and his jaw was hard and gritting. He wants to say something but is still trying to find the right words to say to her. He knows that one wrong word can lead up to them fighting, and he doesn’t want that. He also knows that Nesta is aware of his predicament, and he’s thankful that she’s not pushing him to talk…yet.

They got home, prepared for bed, and was already laying on it, about to go to sleep when Nesta finally decided to break the silence.

“Alright, spit it out.” She flips to the other side of the bed, now she’s facing Cassian. Her mate however was lying on his back, arms crossed in his chest as he kept on staring at the ceiling.

Cassian sighs, they were both stubborn to initiate this conversation. But they had a rule not to let the night pass without discussing whatever was bothering them. And to be honest, a few more seconds and he would have been the one to begin the talk.

“It’s just…” Cassian can’t seem to put his thoughts into words, he just furrowed his brows and growls when he realized he can’t finish his sentence. Nesta can’t help but smirk though, sometimes he’s just so adorable when he’s being territorial. She lifts her upper body from the bed, leans on one of her elbows and look down on her mate’s face. Using her index and middle finger, she traced the wrinkled lines that form on Cassian’s brow, and he eases his glare towards the ceiling, then turn his eyes to meet Nesta’s.

Cassian tilted his head towards his mate and asked quietly. “Why?”

“Why what?” Nesta answered, now resting her cheek on his stomach.

Cassian, tucked her mate’s hair on her pointed ears before he answered. “Why are you friends with him? Why is he giving you a dress? Why didn’t I know about how close you are?” he said, his hazel eyes not leaving Nesta’s blue greys.

Nesta took her time thinking how to answer Cassian without hurting him further. Because he was hurt, more than angry, and she feels it too from her side of the bond. “Eris. I can’t give you an exact answer on how we became friends, it just happened as we work together whenever I was in their court. As to why we are friends? I guess he never gave me reason not to be friends with him.” She shrugged. “I know that you and the rest of the circle have some deep history with him Cass. Something I probably will never understand because I wasn’t there. But believe me, if I had ever sensed something was off or felt any bad intention reeking off of him, I wouldn’t let myself spend even just a minute with him. You know that. You know me.” She’s now tracing the tattoos swirling on his chest as she speaks. “Again, he just didn’t give me any reason not to give him at least a chance to know him. And it wouldn’t be fair to him if I solely based how I would treat him on what you told me about him. If there’s anyone who would know about giving someone a chance…”

“Stop. It’s not the same. You’re not the same.” Cassian cut her off.

“I’m not saying we are. But you did get what I meant, right?” Cass sighed at this and gave her a slight nod.

Nesta kissed him on the cheek before continuing on giving him answers. “Why did he give me a dress? I don’t know, maybe he just wants to? Friends give each other gifts, right? Will I wear it? I wouldn’t if you don’t want me to, Cass.” She assured her mate on this.

“Now, why you didn’t know we are close enough to tease each other & giving gifts? Well, we never really talked about how I spend my days in the Autumn court in details, because we both know it’s mostly about work. And those were discussed on a formal meeting. My conversation with him outside work were sometimes small talks or are far in between. It’s just who he is.” Nesta explained it casually to Cassian.

Cass rolled his eyes on this. “I get that, it’s just… you should’ve told me there was something going on?”

“There wasn’t anything going on.” She paused making sure Cassian is listening to her. “I talk with him about work, sometimes not work-related topics when it arises. That’s it. We, you and I, we just don’t talk about every little discussion I have with everyone in Autumn. Like when Eris told me about the book he last read, or her mom shows me her favorite flower, not even when Elain accidentally broke a 200 year old vase.” She snorts as she remembers that.  “I didn’t tell you those things because I don’t think you would be interested to know them. It’s just not the kind of things we talk about.”

“Yes, we are friends, I honestly don’t see anything wrong with that. And it’s not something you should worry about. It’s not and probably won’t be as profound as what you have with Az, Mor, Rhys and Amren.” She finished her explanation to her mate.

“Well, I sure as hell hope not. I have been through hell and back with our circle, and I’m not going to let you go through anything of that sorts for that guy!” He wrapped his arms around Nesta and pull her closer to him, then kissed her forehead.

That was the end of that discussion for now. He understands what his mate is saying. He believes her and he knows all her explanation and reasonings are right. Doesn’t mean he likes it though. He just pushed that feeling back and away. Oh, he trusts his mate alright, he doesn’t trust Eris though. And if that bastard hurts her in any way? High Lord or not, he will make him pay.

-----    

The next day, Elain and Nesta accompanied Feyre to Astrid’s Boutique so she could have her measurement taken, and decide on the type of design she’ll have custom made that she’ll wear on the Coronation Ball.   While browsing thru the fabric, she took a glance at her older sister, and bit her lip. She wants to ask her something but she doesn’t know how to ask it without making it look like she’s being nosy.

Nesta however notices her youngest sister’s dilemma, she sighed and shift all her attention to her. “Go ahead, tell me. I don’t have to have the power to read mind to know you have something you want to ask.”

“Well, I was just curious…” Feyre stalled a little bit, still not sure how to ask her question. “…will you wear what Eris gave you?” The question made Elain look at them, wondering what Nesta plans to do as well.

“I wouldn’t wear it if it would make Cassian uncomfortable. No matter how expensive or stunning it will look on me. It wouldn’t be worth it.” Nesta answered with conviction. It’s true, she doesn’t care what she has to wear, if it’s something that will bother her mate, then it’s something she would rather not wear. She turns her attention back to the fabrics she was holding, and sighed. “To be honest, I don’t really get why Eris had to give me that dress. I mean we have become friends, yes! But we never really get to that point of exchanging expensive gifts. We may have given each other books that we think the other would like, true.” Feyre raised her brow at this, she thought that exchanging-book-recommendations is something her older sister don’t usually do, and she just do it with someone whom she’ll have time to discuss that book with after. So that means, Eris and her older sister really is getting along. “Believe me, the note is something I would expect from him. But that gift surprises me as much as it surprises you.” She was looking really confused as she pointed it out to her sisters. And Feyre felt her honesty and confusion radiating from her sister, she believes her.

“Uhmm…Well.” Elain speaks quietly which made both of her sister look at her expectantly. She felt conscious but she continued speaking nonetheless. These are just her sisters anyway. “Nesta, do you remember the last day of your Emissary assignment in Autumn about months back? The one where we had lunch out with Lady Isabella, Eris and Lucien’s mom?”

Nesta nods at this, remembering that day. She remembers planning of leaving the court early that day, and not make so much out of her last working day there. But the Lady will have none of it. She has come to get close to Elain and Nesta. She said they both remind her of her lost sisters. So, she took them all to one of her favorite restaurants in Autumn before she leaves.

“Remember after our lunch, we went to one of the boutiques to check on the dress she had custom made. You were actually looking at that specific dress in there. You were so focused admiring the bead works and the design. Lady Isabella asked you if you wanted to try it on?” Elain tells the story, trying to see if her sister can recall the dress.

Nesta tilted her head, “Oh….oh, was that “that” dress? I haven’t taken it out of the box yet so I didn’t really remember.”

“Yup, that was it! The color looks good on you, and you weren’t even wearing it yet. You we’re just holding it. She offers to buy it for you as a departing gift, but..” Elain trailed off, but Nesta finishes her story.

“But I gracefully refused. Said I don’t have any occasion to wear it, and its too luxurious to wear on Emissary works.” She remembers it now. That dress was absolutely divine. She did imagine herself wearing it on some special occasion with her mate. The crimson hue reminds her of Cassian’s siphon, and the intricate design reminds her of the swirling tribal inked tattooed on her mate’s chest and shoulder. She was actually thinking of buying it, but when the Lady of Autumn offered to do so for her, she became reluctant. She doesn’t want someone to buy it for her, she’s not used to that. At the same time, she doesn’t want to buy it for herself, when the Lady already offers. She didn’t want to offend her or anything. So, she just let it go.

Feyre meanwhile was looking in between her sisters while they were sharing that story. She was glad that they are all getting along really well now. They have gone through a lot together and separately. But on moments like this she wished she was there too. So, she just sighed, but it was audible and both her sisters looked at her. They both gave her comforting smile; Elain squeezed her hands then turn to Nesta.

“So anyway, I really think that giving you that dress is not really all thanks to Eris. His mom probably has a lot to do about it as well. So, I wouldn’t really think much of it.” Elain gave them both a wink.

That finished of that conversation. They become engross on choosing fabrics and designs again. In fact, Nesta decided to have her measurement taken for herself to wear to that coming weekend, as well.

After that, they went to Nesta and Cassian’s place to have some homemade tea. It was always much more relaxing talking and spending time together when they are in one of their places instead of outside. They were enjoying the tea when Feyre noticed the gift box from Eris at the corner of their living area.

“Will you at least try it?” Feyre nods towards the box and asked her sister with puppy dog eyes. Elain agreed on her youngest sister, and was clapping her hands with excitement. “Please….” She joins the pleading look with wide grin towards the oldest Archeron.

Nesta was caught of guard at this, she was about to sip on her cup when she saw both her sisters looks. They were both excited, you would think she’ll give both of them some surprise presents. She rolled her eyes, put down her cup gently, stood up from her seat and pick up the box. She went straight upstairs to their bedroom to change without even looking back at her sisters. She wasn’t even at the top of the stairs yet when she heard both of her sisters giggling and squealing. She can’t help but smile at this. And truth be told, she’s actually pretty excited to try the dress on as well.

Tag: @sjm-things @moonbeammadness @maastrash @typicalmidnightsoul @awesomelena555 @wannawriteyouabook 

[iknowyuu]

Who says?

Izuku Midoryia x Popstar! Female! Reader

In which a popstar goes on a world tour and her next concert just so happens to be extremely close to broccoli man and blue haired babie, her biggest fans

WARNINGS: i really have no idea how concerts or meet ups work ive NEVER been to one so excuse my lack of knowledge 😔👊🏾

author's note: the song that inspired me to write this is called "Who Says" by Selena Gomez and The Scene. It definitely radiates 2011 energy so if you're looking for a throwback, there's the way to go!!!! also excuse typos pls

---

- the first time Midoriya introduced Eri to your music was when she was still in the hospital, after the festival

- she was much more open to trying new things at this point and Midoryia wanted her to listen to this one song you made that really inspired him

- it was called "Who Says"

- after that Eri had stars in her eyes. your voice was so pretty!!

- Midoriya was very happy she liked it

- he played the rest of your songs to her and she loved them

- timeskip a few weeks, Midoryia finds out you're having a world tour and one of the concerts is extremely close by!!!

- he's so excited

- he was gonna buy tickets for himself but then realized he couldn't just leave Eri and go without her

- he begged

- PLEADED the pro heroes to allow her to come

- they finally said yes, but on one condition

- they'd contact your manager and ask if they could have special seating, as well as have a pro hero accompany then

- Eri was so freaking excited!!

- she was jumping with her hands in the air with the biggest smile on her face 🥺

- of course your manager said yes.. it'd be good to up your reputation

- FINALLYYYYY THE DAY HAS ARRIVED!!

- Midoriya's wearing a hoodie with your symbol on it

- Eri's wearing a cute little floral print dress with a pink bow to wrapped around the stomach area + a hat with your signature mark on it

- so they arrive in a expensive looking car

- ((on the way there they're jamming to your music and Eri's practically jumping in her seat))

- they get to the area they're supposed to be sitting in (after being escorted by your manager, a pro hero and a LOT of security)

- staff got a lot of questions as to why they got that treatment

- everyone who wasnt involved were told they just payed for a better experience 😈🤷🏾

- they're seated in an area that's not too far from the main stage, so there's the regular seats, the very expensive seats closest to the walkway

- they sit in those ones

- the show starts!!!

- there are so many lights flashing and colorful beams and there's a fog machine

- then when the last sing comes on, Eri's eyes light up even more

- it's the first song of yours Eri listened to!!!

- while you're doing your thing on stage, the crowd is going absolutely BONKERS

- then suddenly you stop singing as you spot the little girl at the edge of your stage, alongside broccoli man

- your heart just swells up. she's so freaking cute!!!

- oh and the broccoli man is really cute as well

- hol' up

- those were the people your manager was talking about!!

- you finish off the song and finally go backstage and get ready for the people with backstage passes

- meanwhile Midoryia and Eri are staying put, waiting for the clear to go from the pro hero that accompanied them

- so long

- how much longer???

- OKAY it's time

- Midoriya takes Eri's hand and they walk backstage to where they're supposed to meet you, the pro hero trailing behind

- finally they get to the meet room!!

- they walk in and it's a huuuuge room with very few people who look like they're staff. looks like all the fans have left already

- waymin

- is that..you!!???

- your back is turned to them, seemingly talking to the lady who helped escort them before (your manager)

- and finally you turn around

- "oh hi!!!"

- you walk towards the both of them and suddenly Eri gets shy and hides behind Midoryia's legs

- "h-hello!! I'm Midoryia Izuku and this is E-eri"

- minimal stutters,, this is a phat dub

- you smile at him and he almost loses it

- "I'm glad you guys could make it to my concert! thank you for supporting me."

- you bend down and try to talk to Eri

- "hey, what's your name?" even though you already know it

- "e..my name.. is Eri"

- 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 AHHH SHE'S SO CUTE

- "aw, that's an adorable name!! thank you for coming"

- she opens up a bit more to you and you both talk about candy apples while Midoryia's standing there awkwardly

- finally the pro hero tells them it's time to go 😔

- you all say your goodbyes and as Eri is gushing about you with the pro hero, you turn to Midoryia

- "hey, we didn't get to talk much, so, uh, can i get your number?"

- he's absolutely stunned

- you??? the popstar [name]??? want his????? number???

- and you're fumbling over your words as well???????

- sum'n doesn't add up bro

- he blanks for like 5 seconds before hastily agreeing

- you enter your number in his phone and text yourself to get his

- "bye!!"

- he waves and robotically turns around to catch up with Eri and the pro hero

- gah damn he a lucky one

---

small bonus:

- late at night he receives a text from you that says,, and I QUOTE:

- "u're cute we should hang sometime :D"

- he dies

- he's dead

- you've killed him

---

15/4/2020

[thelazyhermits]

The Perfect Challenge

This is dedicated to the super sweet @mandsand who so kindly sent some Ko-Fi my way earlier this week. I remembered your ask about Nedzu and came up with an idea that I wanted to write out which goes along with one of the ideas you mentioned in your ask. 

I hope you enjoy it! Also, thank you so much for the Ko-Fi! ^-^ I really appreciate it!! <3 <3 <3 <3

Around the middle of February, you find yourself in the principal’s office, sipping tea, while the other teachers keep Eri entertained in the teachers’ lounge. While having teatime with Nedzu isn’t exactly unusual since he often likes to visit the dorm and join Eri’s tea parties, it’s been a while since you last visited his office.

Thankfully, you’re told upfront that you’re not here because you’re in trouble. However, that’s all you’ve been told, so you have absolutely no clue what he wants to talk with you about today. 

After you both spend a few minutes calmly enjoying your tea, Nedzu sets his cup down and focuses his attention on you. “I’m sure you are wondering why I called you here today.”

You nod your head. “I know it’s not ‘cause you have bad news for me, but besides that, I have absolutely no idea.”

He chuckles, “The same could be said for the other teachers. Their reactions to finding out that I wanted a private meeting with you today were all very amusing, especially Aizawa-kun’s.”

Blinking, you tilt your head curiously. “So, even they don’t know? Now, I’m even more curious.”

His smile grows. “It’s very simple, really. I wanted to discuss Class 1-A’s final exam with you.”

Your eyebrows furrow. “Their final exam? In that case, shouldn’t Shouta-san be a part of this discussion too? Why call just me here?”

Nedzu takes another sip of his tea. “Because I have an idea that I want to run past you first before suggesting it to the other teachers. I will only go through with it if you show your support.”

An idea that he’ll only use if you support it. What in the world could that be?

As if reading your mind, the principal answers your unspoken question. “I would like to do a repeat of what we did in the summer but with one exception.”

A wide grin appears on his face. “Instead of All Might, I want you to be one of the exam proctors.”

Your eyes grow large as your jaw drops. “You want me to what?!”

His eyes glow with obvious amusement and just a hint of mischief. “I want to see how much our students have grown since the summer by using the same exam structure. However, since All Might is now retired, he obviously cannot fight against the students like he did before. So, I am in need of a replacement.”

Once you finally get over your shock, you give him an incredulous look. “But, why me?! Why not another pro hero like Hound Dog?! I don’t understand!”

He rubs his chin thoughtfully. “I have considered that possibility and will likely have him be an opponent in Class 1-B’s final exam since I do agree he would pose an excellent challenge for the students.”

Confusion dawns your features. “Then, why not have him be an exam proctor for Class 1-A too? How could I possibly provide more of a challenge than an actual pro hero?”

Nedzu presses his paws together. “While it’s true that he overall would be a more challenging opponent for the majority of the students, there is one pair of students I can think of who would benefit more from having you as an opponent instead of him.”

All you can do is stare at him with obvious surprise. “Really? What pair of students would that be?”

With a wide smile, the hybrid outstretches his arms with a flourish. “Why, the two students you know best, of course! Midoriya-kun and Bakugou-kun!”

Once again, you find yourself gaping in disbelief. “You want to put Midoriya and Bakugou in a team against me?!”

The obviously amused principal nods his head. “That’s right! I want to see how much those two have grown by placing them on a team together. Obviously, they have worked together since then, so we know their relationship has improved. However, I have unfortunately not had the opportunity to witness this development with my own eyes, so I want to take the chance to do just that with this exam.”

Well, it is true that the two times you’ve seen Midoriya and Bakugou team up to fight are both times that Nedzu nor any of the other teachers could see them work together. Considering how the events of your vision about the Midoriya/Bakugou vs All Might match went, you can understand why the hybrid would want to see for himself how much they’ve actually grown since then.

While that does make sense to you, there’s one thing you still can’t wrap your mind around. “How would I be the perfect opponent for them? Those two could easily take me down if they worked together. Sure, I can predict their movements with my Quirk, but I can only dodge for so long, especially against two opponents coming at me at the same time.”

Nedzu wags a finger at you. “Now, now, I think you should give yourself more credit. While it’s true they have you beat when it comes to a contest of power, when it comes to a contest of will and intelligence, I think you could be quite the challenging opponent for them.”

Before you can tell him that you’re not so sure about that, he continues, “It seems you haven’t realized it yet, but you have a special advantage over those two, Y/N-san. One that’s great enough that I would choose you over every other teacher to be those boys’ opponent.”

At the sight of your shocked expression, the principal smiles, “You know those boys better than anyone else at this school does, excluding the boys themselves, of course. You’ve been watching those two in your visions for quite some time. So, you are likely very familiar with their strengths and weaknesses along with any habits they may have.”

His smile grows. “I also don’t think it’d be a stretch to say that you’d have an easier time predicting their movements as compared to anyone’s else, and that’s without even using your Quirk. Or, am I wrong?”

For several seconds, all you can do is stare at the hybrid, too stunned to speak. Once you eventually find your voice, you slowly shake your head. “No, you’re right. I didn’t notice it until after I started training with Nighteye, but after he showed me how to better analyze my opponent’s movements, I realized that I do have an easier time doing that when I spar with Midoriya and Bakugou as compared to everyone else.”

You didn’t notice that fact until the day Nighteye had you spar with Midoriya and told you to predict his movements without using your Quirk. You expected to have a hard time with such a feat, but soon enough, you realized that you were wrong. 

Because you’ve spent so much time watching the green haired boy, you are very familiar with how his mind works. Obviously, you’re no mind reader, so you can’t predict his every move like you can with your Quirk. However, you have noticed that he has little tells that indicate what direction he’ll be moving in or what kind of attack he’s likely to use.

In the case of Bakugou, you have a slightly more difficult time. However, like Midoriya, you are good at reading the blond’s movements when it comes to hand-to-hand combat since you’ve spent so many years watching him fight and listening to his former childhood friend analyze his movements. Of course, you learning how to fight by watching Bakugou also played a big role in you gaining such a good understanding of his fighting style.

The fact that Nedzu noticed this all on his own proves just how observant he is. You wonder how many of the spars you’ve had with the two boys he has watched for him to notice this fact or if he found out through some other means.

Eventually, you’re brought out of your thoughts by his voice. “You have a very high opinion of both boys which is perfectly understandable, but you shouldn’t throw in the towel so quickly, Y/N-san. Those boys are strong, but so are you. You all have your own special strengths. It’s just up to you to figure out how you can use your strengths to your advantage.”

A contemplative expression dawns your features as your gaze falls to your hands which are still holding your teacup. After several seconds pass in silence, you reply, “Growing up, I would often compare myself to those two. I always thought they were so strong while I.…wasn't, which always made me feel pathetic since they were years younger than me.”

Your grip on your cup tightens. “I always wanted to be strong like them, but it just seemed like an impossible dream.”

“But, it’s not, is it?”

When you lift your eyes, you meet Nedzu’s kind gaze. The tension in your frame eases at the reassuring sight. “No, it’s not. No dream is impossible if you work hard enough.”

The corners of your lips curve upwards. “Never give up on your dreams. That’s something Midoriya taught me.”

Wearing a matching smile, the hybrid nods his head. “I agree completely. Anything becomes impossible if you give up from the start, but if you persevere, anything is possible. That’s what I believe.”

At that moment, your Quirk activates. Your surroundings change, replaced with the scenery of a cityscape much like what you saw in your vision of the Midoriya/Bakugou vs All Might fight.

All you can do is watch amazed as you run all throughout the cityscape, leaving traps and causing destruction wherever you go. Meanwhile, Midoriya and Bakugou are hot on your trail, trying to stop you from causing further damage while also having to avoid all your traps. 

Much to your amazement, the boys are having a harder time than you expected. While they come close to capturing you several times, you always somehow manage to escape before they can put the handcuffs on you. 

Unfortunately for you, your vision ends before you can see the results of the exam. As your sight returns to normal, you find yourself staring at an obviously intrigued Nedzu with wonder. “I...I really can do it. There is a way to provide a challenge for them while playing to my strengths.”

A grin appears on his face. “I had no doubt about that, but please do tell. What requirements were established for their final exam?”

You set your teacup down on the coffee table before clasping your hands together. “It was obvious that they were trying to capture me, so either they didn’t want to try running to the exit even though that would be the easiest way to win or that just wasn’t an option for them.”

Nedzu thoughtfully rubs his chin. “Most likely, it was the latter. If you were to agree to be an exam proctor, I planned to do away with the option of escaping through the exit for those two since that would’ve, as you said, been far too easy for them.”

Remembering your actions from the vision, you decide to share another observation you made. “One other thing I noticed was that I was doing a lot of intentional property damage, and I think there was a reason I was doing it besides just to be true to my villain role. Also, every time I was successful at destroying a part of the city, the more panicked the guys became.”

With a chuckle, the principal finishes off the rest of his tea. “I see. Obviously, a requirement was created in which the students must capture you before you destroy too much of the town you are attacking. What a wonderful idea. Perhaps, I should include that as a requirement for the other team exams as well.”

So, that’s how it is. Now, it all makes sense. That’s why you were causing so much property damage--because you could win the match if you destroyed enough of it before Midoriya and Bakugou caught you.

Thanks to that requirement, there really is a way for you to come out on top if the students don’t bring their A game. With enough careful planning and lots of Hatsume’s beloved inventions at your disposal, you really could give Midoriya and Bakugou a run for their money.

Before you even realize it, you find yourself grinning broadly. “Looks like Class 1-A is in for a very exciting final exam.”

Nedzu dons a matching grin. “Indeed. I am very much looking forward to the results.”

So are you. 

[animefan299110]

Family Matters Chapter 11-Swimming Lessons

Hey guys, this is AnimeFan299110 with another chapter of Family Matters. So, as per usual, I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, its characters, or its locations. They are all owned by Kohei Horikoshi, Jump Comics, and Funimation. Now...here is the newest chapter of Family Matters!

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"Meteorologists are absolutely stunned by the intense heat wave hitting Japan today. While it is not unusual for hot weather to come in March, it does raise some questions as to how long this heat will last. City officials in Tokyo are encouraging citizens to find ways to stay cool or avoid going outsi-"

CLICK

"As if someone would be frickin' stupid enough to be outside," Bakugou said through gritted teeth. The rest of Class 1-A nodded in agreement; they could do without this oppressive heat. Classes were tougher to get through with the teachers having to talk over the fans they had set up. The humidity was so bad that the students were required to have mandatory water breaks in order to stay hydrated. They even had their training sessions indoors.

Today, Class 1-A was sitting in the living room of Alliance Heights with five fans blowing at their faces. The fans, however, were not enough to subdue the oppressive humidity that leaked through the windows via sunlight.

"Why did it have to be so hot today?" Mina whined before wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"I feel like a fried egg…and now I'm hungry." Kaminari stated while Jiro pinched the bridge of her nose at her classmate's randomness.

"Let's hope this wouldn't be the same for the summer." Uraraka said before directing her attention to the little girl sitting in front of a fan. "How are you holding up, Eri?" Said girl only responded with a thumbs up.

"Why does she get a fan for herself?" Mineta whined as he splayed himself out on one of the armrests. "Some of us are dying here, and she's not even breaking a sweat."

"Well, Mineta," Iida began, "children are less able to regulate their body temperature compared with adults. Therefore, not keeping a child cool could lead to dehydration and other heat-related illnesses."

"And unlike you, she's not expendable!" Bakugou snapped, causing the class pervert to flinch.

It was at that moment that Iida's phone rang. He stood up and entered the other room before answering it. A few minutes later, he returned with a content smile on his face. "I have good news," he said, getting the class' attention, "Mr. Aizawa has informed us that we are allowed to use the school pool for the day in order to stay cool."

"WOOO!" The rest of Class 1-A cheered with excitement. Most of them immediately ran upstairs to get towels and sunscreen, leaving Uraraka, Midoriya, and a confused Eri in the living room.

"What do you say, Eri?" Midoriya asked. "Want to swim in the pool?"

"Swim?" Eri asked curiously.

Midoriya and Uraraka looked at each other. They had forgotten that she might not have been taught how to swim before she was kept prisoner by Overhaul. Then again, it could be the perfect opportunity to teach her.

"It's basically playing around in a large bathtub, sweetie," Ochako explained, "and it'll help keep you cool."

"Really?" Eri asked, her eyes and mouth widening with excitement. "Okay!" She shouted as she raced upstairs to get ready.

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After a quick dash to the main campus, the boys and girls went to their respective locker rooms to get changed. Once they were all set, the boys stepped out and waited for the girls to come. When they arrived, Kaminari was still disappointed that they wore the knee-length swimsuits, though Mineta still gave a perverted thumbs-up upon seeing them.

The opening of the girl's locker room door caused everyone to turn to see Uraraka enter the area with Eri. The little girl was wearing a smaller version of the school swimsuit along with water wings on her upper arms. Her hair was also fashioned into a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes. The other girls swarmed her and doted on Eri's appearance, and she responded with a bright smile.

"Excellent!" Iida said. "Now that everyone is here, I suggest we try some exercises. We should always be up to date on our swimming techniques should a hero situation ever ari-"

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Mineta cried out before cannonballing into the deep end, with Kaminari and Kirishima following suit. Soon, most of Class 1-A joined in on the fun, splashing around and horse-playing to their heart's content. Uraraka couldn't help but giggle a bit as she saw Iida trying to maintain order amongst his peers, but to no avail.

"Uraraka," Hagakure called out, "we're going to play volleyball. Want to join?"

"Can't," Uraraka said, "Deku and I promised Eri we'd teach her how to swim." She then took Eri's hand and led her to the side of the pool.

Midoriya, meanwhile, had gotten into the pool and stood in the shallow end near the edge. "Okay Eri," he said, "We're going to start with you getting used to the water. Walk close to the edge of the pool and jump; I'll catch you."

Eri walked over to the edge of the pool and froze as she looked down at the water; it looked so deep despite it being only three feet deep. She hid behind Uraraka's legs and shook in fear.

"Its okay, Eri," Uraraka said, kneeling down in front of the girl, "The water's only three feet deep and you're about four feet tall. Besides, Izuku will catch you. You have nothing to worry about."

Eri gulped as she moved back to the edge of the pool. She then closed her eyes and leapt forward, her feet skimming the surface of the water. She felt Midoriya's arms wrap around her as she hugged him like her life depended on it.

"It's okay, Eri. I've got you." He said while Uraraka stepped into the water to join them. He then placed his hands underneath her arms and detached her from his body. "Now," he continued, "I'm going to slowly lower you into the water just so you can get used to it. I promise I wouldn't let go, okay?" He waited for Eri to nod before he began to lower her. He slowed down a little when he heard a little moan of fear coming from her. After a few seconds, Midoriya saw her feet touching the bottom. "Okay, Eri, you can open your eyes."

Eri opened her eyes slowly to see that her head was just above the surface of the water. She felt a sense of tranquility knowing that she wasn't going to drown, though it might also be the fact that Papa had a hold on her and wouldn't let go. The water felt incredibly cool and refreshing. Mama was right; it was like being in a giant bathtub.

Satisfied that Eri was now comfortable, Izuku said, "Okay, now we're going to start with staying afloat. Start by kicking your legs back and forth in the water."

"O-Okay," Eri said, still sounding a bit nervous. She closed her eyes before kicking her feet rapidly in the water. As she continued, she felt Midoriya's hands leave her's, causing her to move her arms back and forth as well. She opened her eyes and they widened as she saw herself staying afloat without any support. "Papa!" She exclaimed in excitement. "Papa, I'm doing it!"

"Great job, sweetie." Uraraka said with a smile. She then brought over a board made of EVA foam. "This is a kickboard. We're going to try kicking in order to swim. First, grab the end of the board with your hands." She waited as Eri took a hold of it before lifting her up so that the back of her body was out past the water's surface. "Now, start kicking."

Eri nodded and started kicking her feet rapidly. She slowly began to move across the water, Uraraka's hands still holding onto her. Uraraka then turned her body so that she remained in the shallow section of the pool. Eri's smile grew as she moved across the water with ease. The two of them did a lap around the shallow end before stopping by Midoriya.

"Will I always have to use this to swim?" Eri asked, looking at the kickboard.

"Only for a little while." Midoriya said. "But if you practice enough times, you'll be able to swim on your own. Want to have another go around the shallow end?" Eri nodded, to which he smiled.

"Uraraka, heads up!"

Tooru's call caused Uraraka to turn just in time to see the volleyball heading right toward her. The ball connected with her back, causing her to fall forward into Midoriya.

"Uraraka, are you okay?" He asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Uraraka said reassuringly. "Thanks for being there, De...ku." It was then that they both realized how close they were to each other. Even though she was covered, Midoriya could feel her curves through the fabric of her swimsuit. Uraraka was no better; she blushed at her fingers touching Midoriya's bare chest, feeling every scar and muscle.

They then leapt apart from each other flustered beyond belief. "Sorry!" They exclaimed as most of their classmates snickered and giggled.

"We should probably head back," Iida said over the commotion, "It's almost lunch time." The others agreed; they had all cooled down significantly and a few were starting to get hungry. One by one, Class 1-A exited the pool and grabbed towels to dry off. Midoriya grabbed one and dried Eri's face and hair. The fibers rubbing against her face and neck caused her to giggle, with Izuku smiling at her. Uraraka then took her to the girl's locker room to get changed.

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Shinobu Noshimuri stared out the window of his limousine at the ruins of Deika City. It was a little hard to believe that this was once the site of a fierce battle between the Meta Liberation Army and the League of Villains. To be honest, this was the last place and group he wanted to meet. But he had no other choice; besides, they owed him for all that he had done for them.

"We're here, boss." Watanabe said as the limo pulled up to a tall glass building.

'So this is where they've been hiding.' Noshimuri thought before scooting himself into his chair. He was then brought into the building, where he and Watanabe were met by an elderly woman sitting behind a desk. "I'm here for Mr. Shigaraki," Noshimuri said, "I'm Shinobu Noshimuri of the Eight Precepts of Death."

"Of course, sir," the woman said in a sickly sweet voice, "just take the elevator up to the top floor, and Mr. Shigaraki will meet you. Candy?" She added, holding up a bowl of assorted sweets.

Noshimuri raised his hand to decline, but Watanabe decided to take one and put it in his coat pocket. Once inside the elevator, Watanabe pressed the last button and they shot straight up. It only took them thirty seconds before they reached the top floor. As the elevator doors opened, the two criminals were met by the rest of the League of Villains. Some were glaring at them, while others were smiling maliciously.

Their gaze fell upon a desk near a set of glass windows overlooking the city. The man seated behind the desk had a scar over his lip and there were several scratch marks around his eyes. His red eyes moved to see them and he gave an ever-so creepy smile. "Shinobu Noshimuri," he said in a raspy voice, "what a pleasure to see you again."

"Shigaraki." Noshimuri said curtly as he was wheeled forward until his feet touched the desk. "I see things have improved since your downfall in Tokyo."

"Indeed." Shigaraki said before turning to see Watanabe unwrap his candy. "I wouldn't do that; the candy is poisoned." He waited to see Watanabe stuff the sweet back into his pocket before turning his attention back to the crime boss. "So...why did you want to see me?"

"I've come to ask a favor of you." Noshimuri said, his fingers drumming on the armrests of his wheelchair. "As we both know, my associate Kai Chisaki failed to keep my operations going and I lost the key ingredient to making our bullets. In order to make more bullets, we need Eri. Fortunately, I know where she is; she's residing with Izuku Midoriya in one of the dorms at UA."

Shigaraki was unamused at the news. "Then why don't you go and get her?" He asked.

"I tried." Noshimuri said. "I even offered Midoriya and that girl Ochako Uraraka ¥120 million each to give Eri back to me, but those stupid brats refused." He then gestured to Shigaraki. "And that's why I've come to you. I need your help to retrieve my granddaughter and keep her with me."

This was a silence that filled the office as Noshimuri's proposal set in. Some of the lieutenants were looking at each other, wondering who would make the first move. After a few minutes, Shigaraki finally broke the silence. "Do you really think I would be stupid enough to endanger my troops just so you can get back one stupid little girl?"

Noshimuri's eyes narrowed. "That little girl is the key to making those bullets you want. And besides," he added as he leaned forward, "after everything my organization and I have done for you and your league, you owe me this!"

Shigaraki leaned forward over his desk and glared at the Yakuza boss. "Watch what you say, old man." He growled. "Your partnership with us is only because my master wanted your services. Without us, you'd be just like the rest of your pathetic gangs."

Noshimuri matched his glare. "Listen to me well, boy," he snarled, "while you were nursing off your mother, I was making a name for myself in Tokyo. The only reason I even show respect to this little group of yours is because I respected your boss. All For One had class, dignity, and showed appreciation and respect. As for you," he paused and sneered, "you're just some angsty kid who wanted to play supervillain."

The sound of movement caused him to glance around to see the lieutenants moving towards him, some brandishing their weapons. Shigaraki raised his hand, causing them to stop. A tense silence filled the air as the Yakuza boss and All For One's disciple faced off. For a few minutes, nobody moved or made a sound until…

"You're right." Shigaraki said, lying back into his chair. "We do owe you for all that you and your organization have done. We'll help you with kidnapping the kid, as long as you make the bullets. Now, what will you need?"

Noshimuri smiled smugly, feeling as if he had gotten the best of this boy. "Good, I'm glad you came to reason. Now, I'll need 150 troops in case some heroes decide to interfere. And I'll need two of your lieutenants to make sure they stay in line."

"Of course," Shigaraki said. "And since you've been patient with us, I'll be sure to have 200 additional troops on standby, should anything go south. Now if there's nothing else, I believe that we're done here."

"Indeed." Noshimuri said as Watanabe wheeled his chair back. "Thank you for your time Shigaraki. I'll expect the troops within a few days."

As soon as the two gang members were gone, Shigaraki's face twisted into a hideous smile. "That pathetic old fool. He thinks he can tell me what to do and get away with it."

"It is a relief to see that you haven't lost your touch, sir." Mr. Compress said. "What do you plan to do?"

"I wouldn't worry, Compress." Shigaraki said with a wave of his hand. "We'll give the old man what he wants. Once he realizes what I've done to him, I'll make him see that I'M the one he should be obeying. Until then…" He pointed toward two of his lieutenants. "You two, come here."

He waited until they were in front of him before continuing. "I've decided to make you two the leaders of the troops for this operation. You do as Noshimuri tells you until I say otherwise. Is that clear?"

"Yep!" One of the lieutenants said excitedly. "You can count on us, Shigaraki! And the best part is," she added as she took out one of her knives and ran it against her face, "I might get to see Midoriya and Uraraka. Their blood is so...tasty."

"Eh, whatever." The other lieutenant said. "I was getting bored already. And who knows?" He said with a smirk as blue flames shot from his hand. "This might be fun."

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And with that, another chapter has come to an end. I know that this one is short, but I have been really exhausted and tired lately from just everything that's been going on.

Kudos to Mal who beta-read and edited this chapter.

Also, don't forget to favorite, follow, and comment.

Until the next chapter, this is AnimeFan299110 encouraging you all to go beyond...PLUS ULTRA!

[l0ve-pand0ra]

unpopular my hero opinions!!! waaa if u get offended they arent real ppl. and fyi this is one of my all time favorite animes.

1. todoroki isnt less cool now bc hes not the stoic asshole with no friends. the only reason yall think that is bc he gets so little screen time and time to shine bc when he does hes so much better then deku so they constantly dim his character down

2. todoroki would have made a more compelling and interesting and believable main character rather then deku.

3. deku was Never the underdog, he got all mights (the #1 heros) quirk Given to him for FREE. and all might favors him and gives him special treatment. and he gets away with everything. his family is super supportive. hes deadass not the underdog just bc he breaks his bones for a while. especially after season 2, underdog my ass

4. it makes zero sense that todorokis deep rooted issues and trauma got resolved with some words in a couple of episodes. meanwhile it takes bakugou 4 season to even consider changing his mindset on deku. even though bakugous whole issue is something he MADE UP in his head. again, todoroki getting done dirty

5. deku should not have beaten overhaul. when he went out to fight i literally rolled my eyes. sure the fight was impressive with stunning animation and sure he had eri. but ur telling me a freshman beat a villian with a quirk that allows him disassemble and reassemble matter which if you forgot what matter is it everything around you everything including the air.

6. todoroki and Bakugo werent in season 4 for much of it purely because of how popular they are and how much more people prefer them to Deku

7. sir nighteye rlly died without recognizing deku as being worthy of one for all... welp

8. shinsou got set up to the max going up against deku who for whatever reason on that day decided to tap into some dead mfs living inside him.... COME ON

9. this one isn’t unpopular but HOW DID U.A NOT THINK TO USE SHINSOU DURING THE OVERHAUL CASE???? like i understand hes not in the hero course but dude.......

10. my hero has weak villains, the  league is a joke with no clear direction for the whole anime, they start showing promise at the end of the overhaul arc. n i adore the league n its members but in the anime the jus seem lost with no clear direction ... and all for one aint all that. stain on the otherhand is the only good villain with conviction and is super compelling the stain arc was way ahead of its time

11. WHY TF DOES IIDA GET SO MUCH SCREEN TIME,???? FUCKING MOVE LIKE HES NOT EVEN COOL???????

12. tetsutetsu deserved to be in class 1A and has more charisma and likability then most of class 1A.

13. monama has a reason to be peeved, like come on 1B is literally known as lesser 1A... that is annoying

14. present mic is ugly n just bc him and aizawa are friends doesn’t mean you Have to ship them together. aizawa can do so much better.

15.(basically point 2 expanded lol) todoroki should have been the main character. hes way more compelling and has a way clearer goal then deku. now if deku became the worlds first quirkless hero thats one thing. but can you imagine todoroki having to decide if he should accept all mights power and if he does is he doing it for the right reason? or seeing an  in-depth look into his family situation. like come on the set up with dabi being his archenemy secret brother, n if u want some bland het romance him and momo. bruh it writes itself.

16. deku having multipal quirks is such Bullshit. like come on giving him more quirks wont make him more of a compelling character.

17. the history of one for all makes no sense. i dont understand sure its buliding of power that gets passed on but,?? why couldn’t all might use all the quirks of the past users, why wasnt he able to see them like deku??? and idk it feels like they are always changing some part of one for all making it inconsistent.

18. bakugou has the best hero custome

19. the show is missing a character in 1A with a healing quirk. i feel like having someone like that would have really added to the show and would have been interesting.

20. tamaki is so much cooler then mirio, his quirk is so much stronger and dont get me wrong I love mirio and his quirk is incredible but tamaki basically as acess to an unlimited amount of quirks. plus its not just food he ate that crystal guys crystal n produced them. its badass

22. todoroki and bakugou not passing the hero exame was bs. todoroki was provoked by the baldheaded kid and he’s the one who started the fight not Todoroki. bakugou is himself and does not do fake comfort hes not all might, whats important is saving people if he gets the job done who cares. them not passing was jus an excuse to push their characters aside for the season.

23. the gentle arc was lame and made no sense especially bc of the roller coaster that was the overhaul arc. i understand that’s the point of it was so Deku realizes that not all villains are these horrible nasty people that are human too but like the placement was just so weird especially since it was before the endeavor and hawks arc it just made no sense to me at least. it just seem like another way to make the viewers think Deku is super cool main character. and once again he gets to defeat a villain all by himself... le sigh

24. bakugous anger is completely unjustified the entire series. I adore Bakugou and I adore his character and he is one of my favorite anime characters ever but He has no reason to be mad he has an awesome quirk he’s a prodigy at everything he does he has both his parents he’s wealthy he is well liked and popular where is the justification for his anger and I’m not saying that just because you have a nice life doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to be angry but this dude is yelling is mad all the time there’s issue with that. and as I stated previously his issue is something he made up in his head. he construed a narrative in his head who deku is.

25. anyone else feel like U.A is understaffed ?

26. that wood hero is a misogynist and hates women... he was real up in arms about mont lady when she was the one who actually stopped and captured that villain.

28. best jeanist is so cool im so sad where is he please come home. he’s literally the coolest pro hero. i dont like how he tried to change bakugou but he had a point on bakugous attuide being a bit much sometimes.

29. endeavor does not deserve a redemption arc stop normalizing forgiving your abusers people don’t have to forgive their abusers no matter if they’re their parents.  and choosing not to forgive them doesn’t mean that you’re holding onto this huge anger and it’s holding you back it just means you choose not to associate with them and to keep them away from you and I totally understand that Todoroki technically needs his father to teach him how to improve them but he doesn’t have to forgive him neither do his siblings they have every right to hold endeavor accountable for everything hes done!

30. MY HERO IS AMAZING AND THESE OPINIONS WERE JUS TO HAVE FUN AND MEAN NO HARM!!!! REMINDER THIS IS ALL FOR JOKES AND FOR FUN AND U DONT HAVE TO AGREE!!!!! my hero is one of the best shonen animes up there with the classics like naruto dbz and one piece, and also am i in no way actually criticizing the author lol Horikoshi has more talent on the tips of his finger nails then my whole bloodline will probably ever have lol !



[alchemistdefective]

@beingsofheatedrealms

"... Ah? Eh? H-Huh!?"

THE FACE OF HIS EXPRESSION PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP REIMU FLOATING... and it looks almost like Reimu too!... Wait, is that.. Reimu?!

"Wooahhhh! It's a Goddess! An actual goddess! She's flying! Wooow!"

"Pssh, no it's not, it's just some woman with strings attached... I told you coming here was a silly idea... also, I thought the goddess was supposed to be a wolf or a man... mumble...-"

"But you said there's no one here, and there's a miko AND a goddess! The goddess looks so big compared to the miko too, even taller than my dad! Hello, Miss Goddess, Hello Miss Miko!"

... Meanwhile, the 'miko' is just stunned throughout the whole thing, before slapping his own face metahorically, then went back to a smile.

"R-Right, yes! Wow, to think that our Goddess would be blessing the both of you this one fine day! You two must be really good children! Alright, since you two are here, do you want to join together in prayer? Come here, let Aunty Reimu teach you, okay?"

He wasn't sure if Reimu would even act like that, but... it doesn't really matter in this situation, is it? Going to the two and guiding them, Eri stood between them in the center, kneeled down before her, and the kids followed suit too.

'I want my family to live happily, and good grades in school!'

'this is really stupid, mppph... I want a ps5'

[composereggwrites]

Imprint Zine: New Creators’ Spotlight

This is my full article for the twewy @imprintzine!!! There’s still digital copies available of the full zine, and some merch left too!!! It was a blast to write and work with the other participants!

If you like this and wanna chat with me about it hit me up here or in my twewy discord!!!

Ao3

NEW CREATORS SPOTLIGHT

Hello again readers, and welcome to this month’s New Creator Spotlight! We find up-and-coming artists of all types to highlight! From fashion, music, and art, we know how to find the hidden talent in Shibuya and illuminate them all for you to see!

Mr. Mew Creations

First up is Mr. Mew Creations, a new fashion brand led by the fabulous Eri and Shiki Misaki. This duo has taken the fashion scene by storm with their innovative ideas and inspiring designs. From dresses to bright three-piece suits, these two push the boundaries of how we define outfits.

The star of their debut collection is a marvelous dress suit! It’s a dress, and a suit, combined into one! The top half is styled as a silken tuxedo jacket in bold fuchsia, with a pale lavender undershirt and iridescent pearl buttons. The bottom half, however, is a skirt designed to evoke the image of an elegant ball gown. The slip is comfortable enough to wear all day, while providing a backing to the outermost layer, which is a cascade of feathers dyed a stunning cobalt blue.

They have a myriad of other pieces in this lineup, going beyond the binary while staying fashionable and comfortable. From a simple purple shirt with embroidered orange foxes along the hem, to a yellow sweater with a detailed pink squirrel on the front, there’s a wide variety to choose from!

We sat down with the girls for an interview in their studio to talk about their threads, and they had a lot to say!

Thank you for interviewing with us. Could you both introduce yourselves for our readers?

Eri: Yeah sure! Thank you for interviewing us! I’m Eri, the lead designer of our two-person team, Mr. Mew Creations! I do most of the conceptual work, putting ideas down on paper and seeing where that gets us. Shiki definitely helps with that, but her talent shines in, well-- She can tell you!

Shiki: Hah, yeah! I’m Shiki Misaki! I’m the seamstress, so I made all the outfits you can see here in our workspace! Taking what Eri gives me, I bring our ideas to life! We’re both good in each other’s field, but together it feels like we’re unstoppable. She’s handed me some amazing designs to work with, and some I never thought I’d be able to turn into reality. The star of our show, the dress, was one of those. It almost ended up in the trash on more than one occasion, actually. We had to completely redesign it multiple times because we’re both perfectionists, and because someone sees the laws of physics as a challenge to beat. Eri likes to see how far we can push things past their limits, but we work best together because I can reel her back in if it goes too far.

We’re glad you two make such a good team! What led you to make the half-dress, half-suit outfit?

Eri: We wanted to design something that ignored gender norms. Something that defied them, without defaulting to a vaguely-masculine, androgynous look. The fact that clothing is gendered is ridiculous, and there’s this idea that men’s clothing is the default when you want a “gender neutral” item. We decided to go in the opposite direction, and add as much gender as we could, without being limited to one gender.

Shiki: It, like most of our line, is inspired by one of our friends. This dress was originally designed for him, before we decided to use it as part of our lineup. Gender is weird, and the society we live in makes navigating it more confusing than it needs to be. To be able to wear what you want, without worrying about the perception others have of you, without worrying about the way you’ll be labeled? That’s the ideal we strive for, and we hope our work can make a difference.

You said your friends inspired your line. What can you tell us about your creative choices?

Eri: Our friends are unique individuals, and we are too, so we know how to take a look at what people want, and what they need. Not everyone has the perfect model body. Not everyone wants to wear the high-fashion bling, or keep up with all the latest trends. The trick is to find what people want to wear, and design that, instead of chasing what’s trendy. If it’s stylish, people will want it, but it has to look nice and fit right.

Shiki: Just because something is comfortable, doesn’t mean it can’t have style. People are going to notice if you’re not at ease in the clothes you wear, and that unease ruins otherwise perfect appearances. We custom make everything here, and as the seamstress it’s my job to take what Eri gives me for the design and bring it to life. Doing that, while taking sensory issues into account, and ensuring nothing irritates the person who will be wearing it, is of the utmost importance.

Can you tell us a bit about  yourselves and your brand? How you got started, or where your mascot came from?

Shiki: Oh! Our mascot, Mr. Mew, was the first thing I ever made. I still have the original, and I carry him around with me. My quality of work has improved a lot, but he’s a big comfort item. He helps me face all the big scary monsters of the world, and I want him to be there to help others too.

Eri: We met when we were younger, back in middle school. I’ve always been good at making friends, but Shiki was a lot more shy then. Actually, we got in an argument, once when we were 15. I was so worried, I thought I was going to lose my best friend forever over a misunderstanding. Thankfully, we worked it all out, and here we are now! She’s a wonderful seamstress, and all of our friends are so supportive, so it’s nice. I don’t think we’d be where we are today without each other, and the help of everyone in our lives.

 It’s clear that these girls put lots of effort and dedication into what they do!

These girls offer more than some great threads! The namesake of their brand, Mr. Mew, is an adorable cat, and you can get merchandise of him too! Show off your love by picking up one of their plushies, cat ear headbands, and more!

Check out their full line at https://MrMewCreations.Com

 Neku Sakuraba

The artist of the month is none other than Neku Sakuraba! If you’ve taken a walk around Shibuya, you’ve already seen his stuff! This graffiti expert has been gaining a name for himself with stunning displays of color and intricate designs. If you frequent 104 or Molco, you’ll have seen his stylish bold lines on ads for some of the stores!

He first started making waves in the art world last December, when he put up a mural in the Miyashita Park Underpass. Dubbed Hachiko’s Guardian Angel by the public, it features a glowing figure standing over Hachiko, with white feathery wings stretched out over Shibuya’s night-time skyline. There are people at the base of the statue, and musical notes fill the outer space. We reached out to Sakuraba himself for commentary, and managed to secure an interview in his studio!

The space was big, half-finished paintings and sketches scattered across the room. Cans of spray-paint, colored pencils, and charcoal were everywhere. Interestingly, we also spotted a couple Mr. Mew plushies laying around. A second guest, a friend of Sakuraba’s who insisted on being called Joshua, was also in the studio.

But without further ado, the interview:

Thanks for welcoming us to your studio! Can you give us an introduction?

Neku: Right, hi, thanks for interviewing me. I’m Neku Sakuraba. Music geek, CAT fanboy, unwilling follower of fashion trends. That one over there [he gestures toward his friend] is Joshua. Please ignore everything he says. He decided to be here for “moral support,” but I think he just wants to tease me.

[Joshua, at this, gasped, and said, “I would never!” but as requested, his further commentary has been cut from the interview.]

Got it! What inspired you to start making art?

Neku: I’ve always been a doodler. My mom has artwork from back when I was six. The big moment of inspiration for me, when I went, I want to do this, was when I saw CATs art. Looking up at the mural in Udagawa for the first time, back when I was ten, I felt a spark, and I haven’t let go of that feeling since. It’s been rough, I’ve struggled with mental health issues, but art has always been a solace in the dark. I never thought I’d make it this far, or get as much recognition as I have. It’s amazing, and wonderful, and terrifying all at once.

You first got popular because of the mural you put up last December, in the Miyashita Park Underpass. Can you tell us anything about it?

Neku: Oh, yeah! It was the first mural I’d ever done, and I drew a lot of inspiration from Shibuya. In my head, I’ve nicknamed it Shibuya’s Composition. The piece is loosely based off a dream, if I’m being honest. The glowing white figure in the center, with the wings, is meant to be a guardian of Shibuya. Someone who helps the city grow. Meanwhile, the people at Hachiko are waiting for their friend to show, but he can’t, because he’s watching from above, protecting them from afar.

Fascinating! Do you feel like there’s a story you can make from that, one you might tell in the future?

Neku: I don’t think this is ever going to be a story or comic, unfortunately. It’s more of a personal piece. A few years ago, I only had one friend, my first friend, but I lost him. When he died, I isolated myself, and it took a lot from some special people to draw me out of that shell. Even now, I wish I could see him again, and the idea of him still being out there, watching over me and my new friends, comforts me when I miss him the most. I guess I’m like Hachiko, waiting for a dead person to come home.

I’m sorry for your loss. Can you tell us anything about your other artwork?

Neku: I do a lot of graffiti-style works. There’s no other big murals out there by me yet, but I’m working on a few designs right now. People have commissioned me to do stuff ranging from tattoo designs to album covers and store promotions. One of my favorite things to do when I make art, though, is to take the mundane and re-imagine it as something mystical. Why can’t you make foxes purple? Who says there isn’t danger lurking in the shadows? What’s stopping me from adding fire and lightning as weapons, from creating fantastical fights?

Another big source of inspiration is Shibuya. I’ve grown up in this city, it’s my home. If I can look around and see things others don’t? Then I can put that down on paper. Whether it’s as simple as catching the neon lights illuminating the Scramble, or the leaves falling around Hachiko, I can see that, pull it apart, and let my imagination run wild.

That’s pretty cool. You mentioned doing album artwork earlier, so can you tell us what it was like to design the cover for the latest album by The Albatross?

Neku: It was fun! I can’t tell you anything about them, obviously, but it came as a shock when they asked me if I could take on this project. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense. But what I can say, without getting myself vaporized on the spot, is that it was enjoyable, and they’re fun to work with. Even if they’re kinda a priss. The amount of artistic freedom I had was nice, and I think we collaborate well together. So there might be more partnership between us in the future, but nothing’s certain yet.

Wonderful! With that, one last question: what motivates you to create?

Neku: Art has always been an escape for me. It can be pretty, or loud. It can shout your thoughts from the rooftops or disguise them under the rustling of leaves in the wind. You can influence others with it, if you’re lucky. I create art for myself, first and foremost. But if I can provide a glimpse into my own secret garden, and let others see pieces of who I am in my work? Then I’m glad. I want to share it. I want to make my mark on the world, and provide others with the escape I once sought.

 This up-and-coming young artist is going to be a big name someday! With his talent, dedication, and heart, Neku Sakuraba might just be the next CAT!

If you want to support him, you can find information about him, his store, and his commission prices at https://nekusakuraba.com

 The Albatross

Our final creator of the month, someone a bit less new, but never interviewed, is The Albatross! Their first album, Noise, featured CAT artwork on the cover: an albatross in flight, with TV static cutting through the image. These two are a mysterious duo, but The Albatross takes the title of most elusive. Despite gaining fame from fans latching onto CAT art, The Albatross has never given the public a single word.

Until now, that is! With their second album, Pulse, set to release in a couple of weeks, they have consented to an interview for the first time!

The album artwork was done by Neku Sakuraba, and it features a feathered white wing, sprouting from the right-hand side of the image. Some of the lower feathers have been replaced with graffiti-like designs.

As for the music itself, their first album featured orchestral tracks, heavy on the violin, alongside electro-punk tunes! Some were instrumental, while others had lyrics. Pulse is looking to be the same style, but rather than the dark themes of Noise, it contains brighter, more hopeful songs.

We went through a lot of paperwork, involving multiple non-disclosure agreements, and the interview took place over a call while they utilized a voice changer, but it was worth it! And we’re happy to share what we’ve learned with you!

Thank you for choosing to have your first interview ever be with us! Can you give us an introduction? Nothing too personal is required!

Albatross: You were the only ones I felt were trustworthy, and the only ones completely willing to honor my anonymity. Also, a friend may have bribed me into it with promises of ramen. As for introductions… I am The Albatross, composer of music, avid Tin Pin fan, and a nerd when it comes to all things Shibuyan. History, culture, the trends. I thrive off her, it’s like the city’s got a pulse that matches my heartbeat.

Shibuya is amazing, we agree. Can you tell us why you chose your alias?

Albatross: There’s a lot of symbolism in the albatross. The bird can be a sign of good luck for sailors, historically. In the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, though, one of the sailors kills an albatross, and thus it becomes a curse. He bears the burden as the other sailors hang the bird around his neck, reminding him of how he’s doomed them all. I’ll let fans keep speculating on why I picked it, though. I can’t give away all my secrets here.

Of course. We wouldn’t want you to spoil all the fun! How do you make your music?

Albatross: It’s amazing what you can do with technology! I know how to play the violin and piano, so any parts in my songs with those are actually me playing, but for the rest I use a few different music programs! For vocals, I outsource it to Shibuyan singers, but all lyrics are still written by me. In the end, I weave everything together, and finagle it so it fits.

Sounds like a lot of work. Where do you get your inspiration for it all?

Albatross: From Shibuya! This city has a life of her own. Feet tapping against pavement, voices reaching through the air, all the beeps and honks and the myriad of noises that resound in every corner; it all creates a rhythm, it creates music. Sometimes I’ll sit and let it all wash over me. The city holds so much, a million stories fighting for attention. They echo in my head, begging to be told, so I write them. I turn them into music in the hopes of expressing their messages for everyone to hear.

The tone between your first and second album has changed a lot, from what the previews are showing. Is there a reason for this?

Albatross: Yeah. I’m going to be blunt. When I wrote and released my first album, I was suicidal. Completely isolated from the rest of humanity, with no friends or good experiences to fall back on for comfort. My only outlet was music, and because I was so depressed and misanthropic, my work reflected this. I saw the world as poisoned, felt like people would never change, and thought my existence contributed to the negativity.

But now? I have friends. Someone entered my life, not quite of their own free will, but they stuck around. They dragged me into the sun, undoing all my self-sabotaging attempts, and they helped me grow. Helped me learn to see the good in humanity again. Shibuya is full of life, full of creativity, of people trying to do their best and help others. I wasn’t able to see it before, vision clouded with my own preconceived notions, but they… Removed the tinted glasses from my face, so to speak. And this is why my new album is more hopeful and lighthearted.

You mentioned mental health, just now. Are you able to elaborate on any of that?

Albatross: Mhm, I can. It’s not pleasant, but… Mental health isn’t talked about enough, even though it impacts so many people. I’ve had depression for years now. I still do. Some friends and a few bonding experiences doesn’t magically cure everything. There is no magic cure. What helps is finding people you can rely on when things get tough. If I lock myself in my apartment, I used to hide away for weeks. Now, though? One of them comes knocking after a few days, with ramen and orders to shower. Sometimes it can feel like you’re going to shatter into a million pieces. But instead of falling apart in secret and cutting myself on the shards of glass, I have people who hold me as I break, minimize the damage, and help me piece myself back together.

Recovery is not a straight line, and there’s no end to the winding trail you take. What’s important is having friends there with you. People who help you stand up when you stumble, who help you make camp when you need to rest. Find someone who makes you feel safe enough to fall apart. Someone who can be there to pick up the broken shards, and help you create something new and beautiful with the pieces.

 The Albatross is still a mystery to us all, but hopefully their words and music have reached those of you who need to hear them!

They don’t have an official website, but you can find The Albatross on your preferred music streaming service, or head to a local music shop to pick up their stuff! Don’t forget to pre-order their newest album, Pulse, and if you haven’t grabbed Noise yet, be sure to snag that too!

And that’s all for our New Creators Spotlight this month! Be sure to get next month’s issue for all our latest stories, and to discover the up-and-coming talents of Shibuya!

[koinodancesite]

“Pepper Keibu”

Release date: Sept. 24, 2008

Oricon Weekly placement: 3rd

B-side: “Romance”

Members: Ai Takahashi, Aika Mitsui, Eri Kamei, Junjun, Koharu Kusumi, Linlin, Reina Tanaka, Risa Niigaki, Sayumi Michishige

Before Morning Musume officially released the cover of Pink Lady’s “Pepper Keibu” in 2008, there was Nippon TV’s Hitmaker Aku Yu Monogatari -- a biopic drama of the life of legacy lyricist Aku Yu, who passed away the year before. He wrote for countless acts of Showa-era pop including Hiromi Go, Junko Sakurada and of course Pink Lady. He also directed the popular talent-search program of that era, Star Tanjo, which introduced icons like Momoe Yamaguchi, Akina Nakamori and Yukiko Okada to the nation.

Ai Takahashi and Risa Niigaki played Mie and Kei, respectively, of Pink Lady for the TV drama, and the two performed “Pepper Keibu” in one of the scenes. “My mother loved Pink Lady, she adored them, and she told me, ‘if you want to learn the dance to “Pepper Keibu,” you can count on me’ when we found out we’re going to sing the song,” Niigaki recalled. Her mother apparently coached her on some of the choreography, and from the sounds of it, her involvement to play the most iconic idol duo of Japan made more of the previous generation happy.

The official cover of “Pepper Keibu” by Morning Musume meanwhile makes some attempts to satisfy audiences who was yet to be born during Pink Lady’s popularity. While important musical elements like the signature guitar riff are kept in tact, that main guitar line also gets played via synth to update the song for a post-disco, post-electronic-pop world. The mellow tempo dates the song more than the sounds here, though it’s for the best to keep “Pepper Keibu” moving to the rhythm of its era.

That said, this cover “Pepper Keibu” is not a celebration of Pink Lady but Aku Yu’s creative work, and Morning Musume perform a fine interpretation of the song’s protagonist. Like Pink Lady’s “Southpaw” and its extended metaphor of love as a game of baseball, the lyricist likens attraction as a crime through the eyes of a woman who got shot in her heart by a crush’s stunning look. Morning Musume sings with the adult stoicism of their previous singles as well as the original duo’s, sounding weak in the knees yet still with their guard up against the titular officer daring to intrude on her romance.

Morning Musume add some twists to mark the single as theirs. The ad libs fit the cover alongside any of their other disco-indebted releases such as “Daite! Hold on Me” or “Egao Yes Nude.” Sayumi Michishige’s winking closing script provides a signature Hello! Project touch like the group’s previous cover song, “Morning Musume No Hyokkori Hyotanjima.” Just fresh off of having a similar dialogue-like part in “Resonant Blue,” Michishige seems to be the perfect one for those kinds of roles in a single.

The group’s cover of “Pepper Keibu” eventually inspired an entire album, 2008’s Cover You, full of songs written by Aku Yu. They tackled other Pink Lady singles such as “Nagisa No Sinbad” and “UFO” as well as classics by other stars like Hiromi Go and Junko Sakurada. The album came out not long after the airing of Hitmaker Aku Yu Monogatari, three months after to be exact -- a quick turnaround after the cover was out in September.

The hurried release suggests an urgency to capitalize while Aku Yu’s name was still a buzzing topic from the drama show, and yet neither the “Pepper Keibu” cover nor the rest of Cover You convinces this effort to be particularly necessary. Morning Musume served as a solid vehicle to re-introduce these hits of a past era but for whom? The younger generation’s favorite idol group has released more dynamic singles filled with more quirk, and the older generation most likely knows the originals enough to prefer them over these re-recordings. Timelessness gets reflected through this project, though this is far from the only project harping on that as the legacy of these records.

It’s not like Morning Musume hasn’t been hired to support older pop icons before. The group, for one, already performed with Pink Lady on TV in 2006. The then-recent passing of Aku Yu was a fitting time for a retrospective of his most accomplished works. But a decade since that initial reflection of the lyricist’s works, TV shows still like to highlight clips from that era to the point it’s difficult to say its stars are anywhere close to being forgotten. Amid all that media saturation, Morning Musume’s effort with “Pepper Keibu” feels small among those countless tributes.

[5]

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

KH OC Week 2019--Day 3: Friends or Lovers?

What Are Friends For?

[So this was fun to write. I was able to explore Erica's relationship with Ven a little more. And I also came to realize another trait of hers that apparently was staring right at me.

This is roughly about the same length as Together Through Wind and Sky, so this is long-ish. I can never write anything short, apparently. But without further ado, off we go! @khoc-week]

                                                    —————

Today’s mission was to hunt down a large Heartless in Wonderland. And collect Lux, obviously. It was simple enough. She’d done it before. She just hoped it wasn’t another thunder-based Heartless. There were way too many close calls last time. And Grumpy had been complaining non-stop every time she’d come by the cottage.

“I still feel that zap that darned thing gave me!” he’d complain. And Erica would apologize every time.

Stepping through the corridor of light, she was met with the slightly humid and dewy Forest Grove.

“I wonder how Alice is doing,” Erica said.

She skimmed over her surroundings before beginning to make her way through the grove. A couple Yellow Operas appeared in her path, but she was quick to deal with them with a well-placed Fire Raid.

She wondered if she’d run into anyone today. Last time she came here she had met the White Rabbit. Or rather she saw him, since he was running about as usual. But at least they had exchanged a brief greeting before he disappeared to who knows where.

Heartless riding flower airplanes blocked her path. Summoning Starlight, Erica rolled out of the way of some incoming seeds before casting Blizzara at a Heartless. She barely had a moment to ready another attack when she had to deflect more shots.

“Thunder!”

The bolts demolished the small group. And like countless times before, Lux was released from the Heartless. For a brief moment, she felt its warmth before it disappeared into the air. Or at least, that’s what she assumed. She was never told where that light went—only to collect it.

Erica briefly scanned her surroundings. “All right. Coast is clear.”

She dismissed Starlight and pressed on. Upon entering a sort of small tunnel made of leaves, she ducked her head. Dew and strangely cedarwood filled her nose, and it reminded her of Snow White’s cottage.

I wonder if the prince ever tried her apple pie. The dwarves have told me it’s really good.

A shout pulled her out of her thoughts. Picking up the pace, Erica broke into a clearing dotted with small puddles. There was also a group of Heartless closing in on something by that big leaf. . . .

A Keyblade knocked a few Heartless back, pulling a gasp from Erica.

She knew that Keyblade.

“Ven!”

Ventus blocked incoming seeds as he risked a glance at Erica summoning Starlight.

“Incoming!”

Heartless were forced back as Erica’s Keyblade struck them. Seconds later, she caught her weapon and took her place next to Ventus.

“Erica? What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I’m tracking a Heartless down.”

“Really? Me too.”

Erica eliminated a Tornado Step with Fira. “Maybe we have the same mission.”

“I guess. But, we should take these guys out first.”

“Right!”

Together, the duo combated the Heartless. Light on his feet, Ventus breezed past several shots and threw his Keyblade at the Heartless. It ricocheted from one enemy to the next, and shortly afterwards some of them were destroyed by a thunder spell from Erica.

Erica jumped back from a Tornado Step’s ground pound before darting forward, and after some good whacks it was done for. Another Tornado Step spun toward her from behind, knocking her to the ground. She turned around to counter when a bolt of lightning struck it down.

“Thanks, Ven!”

He replied with a nod before blocking a Soldier’s claws. It swiped at him again, and Ventus darted behind it and swung his Keyblade down onto it. A heart floated up, and he felt the Lux’s brief warmth before it disappeared.

It wasn’t long before the Heartless were eliminated. The two wielders finished the fight back to back, and Ventus dismissed his Keyblade with a breath.

“Are you okay?” Erica asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine,” Ventus said, leading Erica to dismiss her own Keyblade. “What about you?”

“I’m okay.”

Ventus nodded, and his eyes traveled up the giant leaf. “You said we might have the same mission. So, what Heartless are you after?”

“Well I know it’s a big one. But I can’t remember what it’s called.”

“Do you remember what it looks like?”

Erica folded her arms. “Let’s see. The arms kinda look like they’re made of paper, it has two batons, aaaand the legs bend weird.”

“I guess we do have the same mission.”

“Okay. So let’s work together.”

“What? But . . . we’re from different Unions.”

“That shouldn’t matter.”

“It shouldn’t?”

Erica shook her head. “I still think we should work together. It’ll be easier. Besides, you’re my friend. I wouldn’t let you go after it alone, even if we’re from different Unions.”

He contemplated on her words. “I guess I wouldn’t want to let you do it alone, either.” He laced his fingers behind his head. “You’re my friend, too.”

Erica smiled. “Then let’s go get that Heartless!”

With a nod, Ventus followed her up the giant leaf, and they hopped from leaf to flower as they made their way to another leafy tunnel.

“Have you run into Alice?”

“I don’t think I have,” Ventus replied. “But I did see that cat.”

“Oh. He’s kind of . . . weird. But he helps. I think.”

“I did ask him if he’s seen that Heartless we’re after, but he just told me a riddle.”

“What was the riddle?”

“Somethin’ about reaching new heights fit for a ‘skittering little servant.’ ”

“Reaching new heights. . . . Maybe we have to get better?”

“I don’t think that’s it.”

Erica landed on another flower, but she didn’t quite keep her balance very well. She teetered from one side to the next before finding herself falling back, a squeak slipping out. Luckily Ventus was right behind her to keep her steady.

“Thanks. Again,” she said.

After correcting themselves, the two continued forward a little more carefully. They were getting pretty high up now, and she bet they probably looked like ants to anything that was bigger than them. 

Hey wait a second.

“I got it!” Erica blurted, making Ventus flinch. “Sorry.”

“You figured it out?” he asked.

“Well part of it. I think the cat was trying to tell you to keep going up. So we’re on the right track so far.”

“Oh. That makes sense. But, what about the servant part?”

“Not sure. But we’ll figure it out eventually.”

Ventus and Erica soon reached another leafy tunnel that gradually led to denser foliage the deeper they went in. Trees began to tower over them, and before they knew it they had reached a familiar but odd forest. Quite a few paths split off into many directions, and the signs that were meant to point the way were . . . vague, for starters.

“Hmm. Which way?” Erica asked.

Ventus held his chin. “We could go left.”

“There’s two lefts, and one of them’s a dead end.”

“But the other one leads to that tea party.”

“Okay. Let’s check there.”

Just as they took a few steps forward, Heartless appeared all around them. Both wielders summoned their Keyblades as they stood back to back.

“Ready?” Erica asked.

“Ready,” Ventus replied.

Erica darted to the side to avoid a ground slam from a Tornado Step as Ventus swiftly moved forward. Okay. No fire spells here. Too many trees.

“Thunder!” Erica shouted.

Soldiers and Flower Riders were stunned by the spell, and she hurled her Keyblade at them to finish them off.

Meanwhile with Ventus, he was dashing from one Heartless to the next. Every now and then he would glance over to Erica to see how she was doing. And so far she was doing fine.

He blocked incoming seeds before rapidly defeating the Flower Rider. Tornado Steps and Shadows closed in on him, and he casted Aerora to toss them around. Coating his Keyblade with air, he flung it towards the Heartless.

Erica whacked a Soldier into a tree, and she spotted dots of red from the corner of her eye. A couple Red Nocturnes were taking aim at Ventus, whose back was still turned.

“Ven!”

He turned around just as balls of fire came at him. But instead of hitting him. . . .

They collided into a crystal sphere that was now sheltering him.

“Woah! How’d you do that?” he asked.

“I’m uh, still learning that spell, so it kinda just . . . comes out,” Erica tried to explain.

“Wow. . . .” Ventus quickly shook himself from him stupor and rushed behind a Heartless before defeating it with a swift strike.

Casting Blizzara, he demolished the Red Nocturnes as Erica struck down a Tornado Step. A Soldier knocked her down, and she rolled out of the way of several seed shots. Jumping to her feet, she thrust Starlight into the Soldier. She led another Soldier to spin right into its comrades, and she found herself next to Ventus just finishing off a Heartless.

The remaining Heartless grouped together and eyed the duo, who returned their look. Together, Ventus and Erica dove right in. While Ventus’s attacks were quick and successive, Erica’s were occasionally laced with magic. And they both kept within each other’s sights.

“Wow you’re really fast!” Erica said, to which Ventus replied with a small laugh.

Within minutes the group of Heartless had shrunk down to a single Flower Rider. It fired once again at them, driving the duo apart. Both of them cast a different spell, and the Heartless was easily defeated.

“Phew! We did it.”

“I guess we did!” Ventus agreed.

The two dismissed their Keyblades as Erica made use of an Ether.

“Are you okay?” they both asked. They stared at each other for a moment before laughing.

“I’m all right,” Erica answered.

“Me too, but I think we should take a break before—”

Pattering and muttering from a pathway leading to a castle brought their attention to the White Rabbit jogging by.

“Hey it’s that rabbit,” Erica said.

“He seems calm for a change,” Ventus commented.

They watched him continue on his way in the direction of his quaint little house.

Calm for a change. . . . Hmm. . . .

“I think I figured out the rest of the riddle,” Ventus said.

“Really?” Erica asked.

“The skittering servant is supposed to be the White Rabbit.”

“So if we put it together, then that means we have to . . . find the White Rabbit somewhere high up?”

“Well, his house is higher than where we started.” Then it dawned on him. Oh no.

A scream suddenly filled the air.

“C’mon!”

Erica followed Ventus down the path the White Rabbit took. Once they reached the rabbit’s house, they spotted him cowering before their towering target.

“Sh-sh-shoo! Shoo! Oh why do these monsters always try to destroy my house?!” he cried.

“We’ll take care of it!” Erica assured as she and Ventus stood between the rabbit and the Heartless.

“It’s you! A-a-and you!”

“Find someplace safe!” Ventus urged. “We’ll handle this guy!”

“All right all right! Just don’t break my house!” The White Rabbit wasted no time in fleeing the area.

“Ready?”

“Ready!” Erica said.

The Heartless swung its batons down, forcing the duo to split.

“Ven, get the legs! I’ll try to get the weak spot!”

“Got it!” Ventus darted for the legs as Erica narrowly avoided another swing.

The Heartless swung down again, but this time she jumped onto its baton. It tossed its weapon up in an attempt to throw her off, but instead, it gave her the boost she wanted.

“Freeze!” Erica shot ice three times right at its chest before hurling her Keyblade as hard as she could. And every attack was a direct hit.

Catching Starlight, she felt herself begin to drop.

And she realized she had no plan on how to land.

“Not good!”

Ventus looked up at Erica falling and throwing her Keyblade at its hand, forcing it to drop its baton to keep it from swatting her out of the air. “Wind!”

His spell surrounded her just as she was coming close to the ground.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Y-yeah. Guess I wasn’t really thinking,” Erica admitted.

They jumped back from another attack and locked onto its chest. Throwing their Keyblades, they made their mark and brought it down. With it vulnerable, they could easily attack its weak spot.

After several hits, however, the Heartless picked itself back up. Erica and Ventus veered away from it as it locked onto them. It raised its arms as Erica casted Thundara onto it, and Ventus once again came for its legs.

Only to stop once he noticed its batons were now lit.

The duo exchanged looks before evading fireballs, pulling a scream out of the White Rabbit.

“Quick, put the fire out!” Erica exclaimed.

The tip of Ventus’s Keyblade glowed an icy blue as the Heartless raised its arms again. He launched the spell at the last moment, but he was only able to put out one baton. A hand jerked him back in the nick of time, and he felt a wave of heat as the Heartless slammed down.

The ground shook, making the wielders stumble. It swung down again, and with a grunt Erica summoned a barrier. The batons pinged against it, momentarily stunning the Heartless.

Ventus extinguished the other baton the instant the barrier went down. He darted for its legs again as Erica used Blizzard Raid, but the Heartless batted Starlight away. The Keyblade embedded itself right into the tree the White Rabbit was hiding behind, pulling another scream from him.

Erica felt a breeze as she narrowly rolled away from a swing. Spotting her weapon partially coating a tree with ice, she reached her hand out to it. Come on. . . . I need you to come back!

“Erica!”

All she saw was a blur of purple and black, and the next thing she knew, she was sent flying through the air.

Her back slammed into a tree. Black flashed across her vision as she slid down, and she barely registered the ground beneath her.

“Erica!”

Ventus casted a quick Blizzard spell before sprinting for her. She struggled to push herself up, but her arms easily gave out.

The Heartless trained its eyes onto Ventus and readied an attack. Erica willed herself to speak, but any warning she had remained caught in her throat.

Ventus followed her gaze too soon, and he was sent soaring toward the White Rabbit’s garden. 

A noise was all Erica could muster as the Heartless set its gaze onto him and advanced. “No. . . .”

She weakly extended her hand out to her Keyblade, straining to keep fear from gripping her heart.

Please. I need you to come back. I need to protect my friend.

A moment passed.

Then another.

And another.

Come on. . . .

The White Rabbit yelped. A familiar warmth filled her heart, and it traveled to her hand with a shing. When she opened her eyes, Erica saw Starlight once again within her grasp.

Staking it into the ground, she dragged herself to her feet and did her best to stand tall despite her body’s protests.

“Hey!”

The Heartless looked to her.

“Get away from my friend!”

Erica held her Keyblade poised behind her as she eyed the Heartless. She sprinted forward with all her might, and with one fell strike she brought the Heartless to its knees with a flash of light.

Pain rippled across her body, but she shoved it aside and made her way to Ventus.

“Ven!”

A groan slipped out of him as he struggled to push himself up.

“Heal.”

Green light surrounded Ventus as a soothing relief washed over him, and Erica felt her usual spark of magic vanish. His eyes drifted to the downed Heartless and the line in the grass. Then his eyes moved to Erica doing her best to ignore her pain.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah but . . . you’re hurt,” Ventus said.

“You come first.” Erica held her hand out to him, but a wince forced her to pull it back.

Ventus got to his feet and summoned his Keyblade to heal her, spending nearly all of his magic.

“Thank you. Again. Heh.”

Creaking turned their attention to the rising Heartless.

“Are you gonna be okay?” Ventus asked.

Erica used an Ether and gave one to him. “As long as we stick together, I’ll be okay.”

“Then . . . I’ll be okay, too.”

The Heartless juggled its batons and stared the young wielders down. Wind from Ventus knocked the batons out of its hands and soaring into some branches. Erica casted Thundaga, forcing it back a few steps before using Thunder Raid.

“Let’s do this!” Erica cheered.

“Right!” Ventus said.

They charged forward with Keyblades at the ready. Leaping up into the air, they sliced right through the Heartless with a united strike and a streak of light.

It staggered back and strained to stay on its feet, but it eventually collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud. The Heartless faded away, releasing a massive heart as well as an influx of Lux in the process.

Erica sighed in relief as she placed her hands on her knees. “We . . . we did it.”

Ventus plopped down onto the grass with a huff. “Y-yeah. . . .”

“My house!” the White Rabbit exclaimed.

They looked to the creature running out of his hiding spot.

“You saved it! A-and me! Thank you thank you!”

“You’re welcome,” Erica said.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some tea to make.” The rabbit then hurriedly entered his house.

“I think I’m ready to head home.”

“Me too,” Ventus said.

Erica summoned Starlight as he got to his feet. “Hey Ven?”

“Hmm?”

“We’re still meeting at Waterfront Park, right?”

Ventus nodded with a smile. “Yeah.”

                                                     —————

Erica gazed at the pinks, purples, and oranges of the sky. Today’s mission was going to make her sore tomorrow. But at least she hadn’t been alone. And she hoped other wielders had the same fortune Ventus and she did. She hated that wielders going missing was a normal occurrence.

“Sorry if I kept you waiting.”

She looked to her right to see Ventus coming her way. “Don’t worry, you didn’t.”

He joined her by the rail, and the waves below filled the silence for a few moments. “Y’know, I’m glad we did the mission together. It would’ve been pretty bad if we didn’t.”

“I’m glad, too. We had some really close calls.”

“We sure did. I still can’t believe you brought that Heartless down by yourself when you came to help me.”

“I didn’t want it to hurt you.”

He paused. “I wish you’d be more careful, though. I don’t want you getting hurt, either.”

“I’ll be more careful. I promise.”

Ventus nodded. His gaze traveled to the island with the lighthouse. He wondered if he’d ever get to go there again. The beach was nice, and seeing the stars from there with Chirithy that one time was even nicer. He did almost fall asleep there, though.

“Do you ever wonder where the Lux goes after we collect it?” Erica asked.

“Sometimes. But, I don’t think we’ll ever find out.”

Erica frowned. Ephemer had mentioned something about “how it all worked” when they first met, but that was a secret. “I think it goes back to the worlds. They do have their own light, after all.”

“I guess you’re right.”

They filled the silence with idle chatter as the sun began to sink lower into the horizon. Erica mentioned an oasis she’d come across in Agrabah, to which Ventus said he’d never seen. She told him how beautiful it was and how the water seemed to sparkle like sapphires and stars. And if she didn’t know any better she’d say it was also a little cooler there despite being in the midst of a desert.

“Maybe we could go there some time,” she had said.

“It does sound really nice,” Ventus replied. “Yeah. We should go some time.”

Soon the first stars began to blink awake, and Ventus did his best to hold back a yawn.

“Maybe we should head home. It is getting pretty late.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Erica faced him. “Thanks for having my back today.”

“Sure. And uh, thanks to you, too.”

She smiled at him and gave him a quick hug. “See you tomorrow?”

Ventus nodded. “I’ll try my best.”

                                                    —————

[jflashandclash]

Traitors of Olympus IV: Fall of the Sun

Forty-Six: Ajax

Keeping it Holy

             Really, it was Pax’s fault for getting floored.

           He had been so wrapped up in the excitement of his surrogate father’s horrifying voice ringing through the battlefield and Tony the Egyptian Tiger punching through the ground that Pax may have forgotten the whole near-death family feud going on.

           But now, at least he understood Calex’s fanboyism over Percy and the others. Pax was ready to storm over and ask for autographs of their reinforcements. That way he could jack up the price and sell them to Romans later.

           During all this, Pax had to remember not to crush anyone when he jumped for joy. Flattened Romans: not good for positive demigod relations.  

           Plus, Pax was shrinking and weakening as some of the fighting slowed, bringing him closer to cute panda size. By laws of familial mythological powers, that meant his mom was losing powers too.

           By the time Pax realized this, he also realized how much he’d screwed up by taking his eyes off his mother.

           Something swept one of his legs.

           Pax flopped backwards, crushing something. He hoped it was a ghoul, otherwise he’d have to add someone to the Nightmare Counter.

           He slapped his hand against the strawberry field to break his fall, but a squawk—oh gods, did he really squawk when he was in eagle form? Hawkward[1]—erupted from his lips. Despite the hot, muscly bod his Mayan magic granted him, the impact spread pain through his recently fractured shoulder and recently healed hand.

           Pax expected stickers, lollipops, and kisses-to-make-it-better for months after this.

           Though a queasy weakness made his limbs shake, he had hoped he would keep the whole demigod super speed a little longer.

           He didn’t.

           His mother jammed her stiletto high heel into his injured hand before he could move.

           Pax screamed. For an instance, he could remember the Leonis Caput lurking closer as Pax squirmed and withered to escape his own dagger. The smell of blood and smoke was too familiar. Panic bubbled in his stomach. Or maybe that was bile. Could never be too sure nowadays.

           Pax thrashed. His now-talons tore into his mother’s ankle, shredding some of the leather boot.

           His hand felt like it was on fire as she twisted her heel deeper.

           He wanted to scold his mother and say Kally had just fixed that, but all that came out was, “What do the Fates have against my hand!?”

           Eris released her fashionable Joker laugh. She leaned down. He’d torn the bandana off her face during their fight, revealing a smeared mash of reddish-black lipstick stretched into a crazed grin. It complimented the maniac glint in her eyes. “Oh, my little Terror Muffin. I would hope that you would do the same to me if I got in your way.” Her long, black plaits slipped from her shoulders to dangle in his face.

           Tears wheeled up in his eyes. “No! I wouldn’t! I really wouldn’t!” Ichor spilled all over his fingers from where he clawed at her ankle. Why wouldn’t she get off? “I can’t balance in high heels tall enough!”[2]

           Definitely impressive, but more horrifying at the moment.

           When she leaned more onto that leg, Pax heard something crunch in his hand. He squealed. Not again! His fingers had barely been able to move from having a dagger shoved through the tendons—

           “Now, come along. Join us! I’d have so much more fun fighting alongside you instead of against you!” she said with a huge grin, like none of this was weird.

           Not for the first time, Pax became queasy at wondering how his parents had flirted, especially if this was his mother’s version of a Bring Your Son to Work day. He was also frustrated to remember his mother knew exactly how he fought: she’d kept her stance wide enough that he couldn’t tie her boot laces together.

           He was about to point out that godly social services might not like this, but a ball of glowing, turquoise fur beat him to it.

           Something their size smashed into Eris’ side.

           Eris toppled backwards, down Farm Road’s hill.

           Someone’s hands grabbed him, claws pinching his skin. The momentum happened so fast, he barely registered the plan before it started. “Smile for the audience.”

           More tears threatened to well in Pax’s eyes, not that he had stopped crying recently. If these last few weeks kept at their current rate, he could probably team up with global warming to flood all coastal towns in the world.

           That was a phrase Frasco used to say back in the circus whenever one of them fell or forgot their part. As Frasco explained in private, Frasco never cared about the mistakes they made during the performances, just that they had fun and were safe at the end of the day. Frasco said those words when lifting them for a quick recovery flip, so they could hop out of the flip with more excitement and pride than embarrassment or shame.

           The same way this person lifted Pax for an assisted flip, apparently realizing his shoulder and hand were less than functional.

           Pax landed back onto his feet, digging his ankle talon into the ground for stability.

           Even though everything was not Reese’s Stick and Weasels, Pax still grinned with nostalgia. He glanced to the side at the glowing cat-headed avatar beside him.

           For some reason, seeing Axel as a giant cat-chick didn’t scare Pax. Yea, this giant cat-chick was terrifying. But this could be any terrifying giant murder machine, not the special kind of PTSD-forever terrifying the Leonis Caput inspired.

           While nausea did hit Pax’s stomach with the renew pain in the new hole in his hand, he didn’t flinch away from his brother.

           A sense of giddy hope calmed Pax. While they couldn’t erase how Ares and Aphrodite had forced the Leonis Caput to give Pax How to Fillet a Demigod lessons, maybe he and Axel could be fine after this. Maybe he could still have one healthy, happy familial relationship.

           Pax wanted to share his calm with Axel and comfort Axel after whatever ordeals he had to suffer going—apparently—to a magical, Egyptian Halloween store that landed Axel with the new outfit. He needed to say something that would make all this chaos and madness feel normal and easy. Something for a real heart-to-heart—

           “Nice rack,” Pax said.[3]

           Eris had regained her footing and was making her way up the hill. She hummed happily, like things couldn’t have been going better.

           Axel growled deep in his throat as he shifted within the cat warrior. The avatar mimicked his defensive stance. “I’m twisting your ear off as soon as both our trauma settles,” Axel said.

           “All I heard was, ‘Ajax, you have a free pass to harass all your friends and be inappropriate for the next few years,’” Pax said.

           The cat avatar’s weird W mouth tweaked into a smirk. “Use it well. And know I have an excellent memory for when that pass runs out.”

           The brothers stood side-by-side, one with claws out, the other talons, as Eris leveled with them.

           This wasn’t their usual fighting stance. Normally, Pax practiced more of the hiding-behind-Axel-style, but he liked the change. It wasn’t like he hadn’t trained for it.

           Eris’ serial killer, black eyes glistened with glee. “Santiago would be so proud of you both—”

           Pax didn’t want his mother to finish the comment, since he guessed it wasn’t going to end with anything about his pranking glory. Clearly, Axel didn’t oppose some quality interruption either.

           The brothers attacked at the same time, moving in harmony the way they might have if this were a circus performance with Frasco, Hiro, Lapis, and Kouta cheering them on.

           Eris may have been able to handle Pax alone and even given him some nasty knife kisses, but alternating attacks between Axel and Pax sent her retreating.

           As soon as Eris went to stab at one of Pax’s quick kicks, Axel would rush at her open side, slashing his claws out. She couldn’t block them both.

           There was one major disadvantage of Axel’s new form: sword fighting and grappling were a little difficult when you had Mrs. O’Leary-sized-toothpicks for nails. At some point, Pax would need to make a haiku with that: Axel finally gets rid of his curse on swords. Gains sexy cat-lady form that will never need swords.

           Pax, meanwhile, could barely use his hands. His fingers wouldn’t respond where his mother had smashed the ligaments again and where pain racked his shoulder with every movement. Plus, Pax had to admit, he hadn’t really wanted to hurt his mother. Until this point, he’d been mostly stalling to keep her from attacking the rest of camp.

           They combo-ed everything they knew—using acrobatic and fighting, tumbling around her, kicking, attempting grapples. Each attack sent Eris stumbling backwards with more ichor smudges to her makeup.

           The nice thing: Axel wasn’t here to save him or let Pax reduce to his cute fluffy self. Axel was here to fight beside him. Axel’s presence made it less chaotic. The attacks were methodical, designed to force Eris to focus—something Pax guessed was a deficit for his whole side of the family.

           She could wear them down. Pax knew his Mayan blood sacrifice would run out, and he guessed Axel’s Tony the Egyptian Tiger suit would fail too, and, if it didn’t, Pax had a million questions he wanted to ask Reyna about her attraction to his brother. Regardless, they would need to end this fight fast.

           Eris laughed hysterically, her form shrinking with each step backwards. Pax hadn’t realized it, but he was shrinking too, now smaller than Axel’s flickering avatar.

           Flickering?

           Eris let Axel’s next slash hit, grabbing his clawed hand and jamming it further into her side.

           Axel growled and wrenched to withdraw, sensing the trap.

           Eris spun, positioning herself between Pax and Axel, leaving her back completely open to Pax when she tossed something between she and her son.

           A flashbang.

           Sometimes, Pax really hated how much he was like his family.

           “Stop—”

           The last thing Pax saw over his mother’s shoulder was her knife digging deep into Axel’s avatar chest.

           Then everything went white.

           His ears rang.

           Having super-eagle vision super sucked when you’re staring at a miniature sun explosion. A pop and flash left Pax stunned and disoriented.

           His heart pounded in his head. Pax rubbed at his eyes, slashing a claw forward to snatch at his mother or find his brother’s avatar or a magical rewind button hovering in the air.

           “Axel!” Pax screamed.

           “I’m fine!” Axel said, sounding very not-fine. He sounded weak and raspy. His voice came from somewhere near the ground. It didn’t resound the way it had with the cat warrior suit. Tony the Egyptian Tiger was no more.

           Pax should have seen this coming. This was his usual tactic: when outnumbered, drop a smoke bomb to confuse the enemy, take out your biggest opponent, do the world’s shortest victory dance, then run away to pet your weasels for another day.

           While Pax still reached out blindly, something powdery puffed into his face.

           Pax realized he should have held his breath after the first inhalation.

           His lungs felt like they were burning. Chokes and cough racked his chest.

           Maybe his Mom’s utility belt was a lot more dangerous than his. The grenades should have cued him in.

           One thing was for sure though: Eris had not retreated to pet her weasels for another day. Her knee slammed into Pax’s diaphragm. Whatever breath he had left in him deflated as he collapsed to his knees.

           He couldn’t even grab something from her utility belt or tie her shoes together. His fingers wouldn’t react enough. His mind was fuzzy from whatever she’d thrown in his face, now making him wheeze worse than a hippopotamus with bronchitis.

           Eris pulled off his Silver Tongued Snake helm and pinched his cheeks together with her thumb and fingers, probably making him look like a fish. “Oh, little Terror Muffin,” she cooed. “I think you’re out of steam.”

           She was right. Pax could feel a numbing, icy tingle as the Mayan power surge left him. Pain pierced his fingers, ankles, and arms. He wasn’t sure why until he managed to lift one hand to claw at her grip.

           One of his finger talons snapped off. Although Pax knew they weren’t permanent, the rip felt very permanent. His arms felt weak and gangly, not nearly hot enough for his normal sexy, runaway acrobatic look.[4]

           She patted his head, smearing some of her own ichor onto his skin. If Pax hadn’t already been conditioned to feeling sick, he might have thrown up a satyr.

           He tried to look for his brother, to make sure Axel was actually okay, but everything was still too bright and blotchy. He felt too weak to turn his head.

           “Darkness’ end: pax or chaos,” Eris muttered, reciting the last line of the Traitors of Olympus prophecy. “Such an odd thing for an oracle to say, almost too ambiguous. Your sister thought your choice of involvement would alter the end. After all, Axel would have never led his crew to help Euna if not for you. Some of your friends would have never found the courage to stand up the way they did today, to stand up and fall. My inspiring little hero.”

           Eris tickled him. Normally, Pax would pretend to be ticklish when she did that. Now, he batted her hand away, mind reeling for a plan, but Pax had always been weak in the planning department.

           “You take a nice nap here,” Eris said, “Now that I’ve taken care of you and your brother, I’m going to kill all of your friends while they’re distracted playing with the other gods.”

 ***

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned next week for another Ajax chapter, Two out of Ten Stars on the Monologue.

 ***

footnotes:

[1] Mel betacomment, “Pax! How have you survived this long! Right.. Axel.”

[2] False. He totally can and he knows it. One of the few actual lies Pax tells in the series.

[3] Mel was very concerned about whether or not cat avatar had boobs. Canon. Boom.

[4] Mel, “It’s like a delirious and sick Pax trying to do the sexy arm on a door thing to Kally and Kally scolding him.”

Jack, “I need to draw this now XD”

[my-fan-side]

Unconventional (Chapter 3)

A/N: I was suppose to post this yesterday but I wasn’t sure where to cut the scene. I hope this is okay. :) Also I have read one of my Nessian FanFic where they also attend a ball, I realized I have the same idea on what Nesta should wear on formal occassions like that. haha.. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this and on next chapter there will be more Eris-Nesta-Cassian interaction. :)

Previous Chapter: Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Not a few minutes after Nesta went upstairs, Feyre and Elain saw Cassian land on the porch. But instead of coming inside from the front door, he raised his hand to wave at them and pointed out the pack he was holding, then walk beside the house towards their backyard, where his small smith room was located. He was dropping his materials to his workstation first before coming in. The two youngest Archeron just nodded back and smiled to him.

Then footsteps were heard from the stairs, both sisters turned their attention to it and they were both rendered speechless on what they saw. Nesta walks carefully down towards her sisters. The beautiful red dress fits her body perfectly, showing off her generous curves. The intricate sequins and elaborate embroidery over the meshed-up fabric compliments each other impeccably. Both sisters would agree without saying a word that she looks like a Queen in her own right.

Apparently, there’s another one that have the same thoughts as the younger Archerons’, because the next thing they know, a broken glass was on the floor, and a certain Illyrian was blinking dumbly as he stared at his mate, with his mouth hanging open. They all turned their attention to him, trying not to laugh at his reaction.

Nesta’s mind tells her to tease him, but her body was tingling with the way Cassian was staring at her. She can feel the awe, the desire and the love from his eyes and through their bond. She blushed and her eyes soften a little bit, but then she managed to control herself and put her hands on her hips instead. She raised her brow and smirked towards her mate. “I’m not cleaning that up.” She nods towards the broken glass that he had dropped as soon as he saw her.

Cassian though, without taking his eyes off of Nesta, waved his hand and with a breeze of wind the broken pieces flew towards the trash can. He stepped towards her one at a time, looking at her from head to toe, until he’s finally in front of her. They were so close, there’s barely any space between then. He was looking down on her and she was staring back up at him.

“Yeah, we’ll just… get on our way home.” Feyre said as she quietly dragged Elain out of the house. “Uhuh… see you tomorrow.” Elain agrees softly, then closed the front door. Meanwhile, Nesta & Cassian doesn’t seem to hear or care on where the other two occupants have gone and said. They just keep on looking into each other’s eyes, until Cass finally spoke. “Gods damn it, why did he have to be the one to give you this dress.” He was holding the edge of the sleeves that ends on Nesta’s wrist, tracing the embellished swirls in it.

Without breaking eye contact, Nesta traced her fingers from her mate’s wrist, then arms, then shoulder, until she settles it at the back of his neck. “Will it make you feel any better if I tell you that according to Elain, this is probably Lady Isabella’s idea, more than Eris?”

Cassian didn’t answer immediately, he keeps on staring at his mate’s blue grey eyes as he moved his hands from her sleeves, to her hips. He leaned in closer and slowly moved his caresses to her lower back just above her butt, then higher towards her spine. But not a moment too soon his hands froze, because on a place where he expects to touch more fabric, his hands met a warm and soft skin instead.  Nesta didn’t miss the slight tilt of her mate’s head when this happen, so she smirks at him and completely leaned into him, resting her head by his shoulder. Cassian then nuzzles her neck, taking a peek at her exposed bare back.

“I don’t care who gave you this or who made this dress for that matter, Sweetheart. All I know is that this dress is made for you, and only you. It would be a shame if the world won’t see how stunningly beautiful you are wearing this.” What he said is true. Right now, looking at his mate, Bryaxis could’ve given this dress to her and he still wouldn’t mind if she wears it. If anything, he wished it was him who gave her this outfit.

Nesta couldn’t help the reddening of her cheeks so he burrowed her head further towards Cassian’s neck to hide it. Cassian found it amusing and snorts, but kissed her forehead nonetheless. Nesta slap him slightly on the chest because how dare him laugh at her being flustered.

Pushing slightly away from Cassian, she looks straight to his eyes before asking: “Are you sure?” She wanted to be certain that he’s not just admiring how she looks on that dress now. She stands by what she said to her sisters and him, she won’t wear it if it would bother him. Not because she has to have his consent, no, of course not.  But she’d rather not have her mate itchy and irritated the whole time they were supposed to be relaxing and having fun.

Cassian nods and give her a sincere smile to assure her. “I’ve just got one request though.”

Nesta raised her brows at this, curious at what he would ask from her.

But instead of answering her question, he grins bigger towards her, then without warning he pulled the tie that was holding her hair up. Her wavy golden-brown hair tumbled down all the way mid her spine. It covers the upper part of her bare back, but still exposed generous amount of it. He touched her hair softly and whispers so close to her ear “Let your hair down on the party, please?”. When he got the soft nod from his mate, she kissed her temple and kept admiring her on that dress for a little while more, before finally Nesta decided to step out of it.

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The weekend can not come any sooner, they were all preparing to leave the House of Wind and go to Autumn for the ball. Rhys and Cassian were by the window talking about some topics they weren’t able to discuss on their meeting earlier. Az already went ahead to check on the surroundings that they’ll be winnowing in. Mor and Lucien is by the couch talking about Winter, sharing stories on their experiences when the last time they were on that court. Amren is nowhere to be found, but with Varian already in the night court having agreed to come together with her little monster going to the ball, they’re not surprised that the couple were a bit late.

They’re all waiting for the Archeron sisters, who’ve decided to prepare together and come out when the three of them are all ready. Clicking of heels were heard from the hallway, and then there was a vision of red, green and black in front of them. Nesta, Elain and Feyre stepped out of the hallway, stunning their precious mates with their presence.

Feyre is wearing a black sequined dress with thin halter top and deep plunging neckline ending mid-waist. Its torso has a corset fit that accentuates her small waist. The mesh fabric was covered with swirls and diamonds that gives that sparkle when she moves. The thigh high slit gives that sensuality that always radiates from the High Lady of the Night. Her hair was up in a slightly messy updo and she only have her earrings and arm tattoo as her accessories. She radiates both elegance and magnificence on how she looks. The High Lord shook his head, and as he continues to roam his eyes on his mate, he thought he will never not find his mate beautiful.

Elain’s outfit was a light contrast to her sister’s dark hues. She was wearing a green dress whose shade was between fern and mint. The neckline was in line with her shoulder blades, and the bishop long sleeves were made of see-through chiffon. There are embroidered flowers by the shoulder and on both ends of the sleeves. There’s a dark ribbon as her belt knotted on her waist, and the rest of the dress flows down in an A-line cut. With her hair loosely braided on one side decorated with small floral trinkets, Elain emits a fairylike ambiance and sophistication only a true Lady can have. Lucien’s embellished jade green tunic with gold-work thread was a perfect match for his mates’. His smile was somewhere between awe, gratefulness and pride that she has this brown-eyed Lady as his mate.

Last but not the least, Nesta was wearing the grandest among the sisters. Her mermaid dress emphasizes her hour glass figure, from her generous front to her curvy hips. The neck line was not as deep as Feyre’s but still exposes that ample cleavage and sharp collarbone. The intricate design over a sheer layer of fabric runs from her shoulder and arms, to her chest, all the way to her hips. Her hair was down in a loose wave flowing through her exposed back. She emanates such class and opulence that only Queens usually gives out. And Cassian, frozen in the middle of the living room, could not comprehend how he had deserved such female as his mate. Yes, he has seen her wear this before, but seeing her now all made up and looking like a royalty, he shook his head and approached Nesta steadily. He then made a slight bow of his head and raised his arms for her to take. “My Queen, may I have the privilege to escort you through out the night?” He looked Nesta in the eye with a genuine smile of admiration towards her. Nesta tried not to blush on her mate’s antics, but with all her friends and family’s eyes on them, she can’t help it. She bit her lip and took her mate’s arm, pull him slightly close to her and give him a kiss on the side of his lips then whispers “Yes, you may.”

There was a moment of quiet as the Illyrians and the Fox keep on admiring their mates, Mor raised her eyebrows at this. She found the sisters absolutely gorgeous, but the way these Males are looking at them she knows her compliments wouldn’t probably be heard. She was about to break the silence, when suddenly Amren spoke behind her that made her jump a little. Actually, it startled all of them whether it was obvious or not. That sneaky little…

“So, are we going or are you just going to keep on staring at each other?” Amren raised a brow towards the couples and wander her eyes to all of them. She gave the ladies nods of approval, and the males an eyeroll.

“Alright, let’s go.” Rhysand held her hand out towards Cassian so they can winnow together. “See you in a few Feyre Darling” He gave his wife a quick kiss on the lips before disappearing. The rest of the circle paired up and left one after the other. Elain was with Lucien, Feyre winnowed out with Nesta, and Amren, Mor and Varian left as a group.

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Looking at the entrance of the palace, they all admire the elaborate decorations that surrounds the place. The fairy lights on trees, bushes and walls; the velvet banners by the balcony; and the beautifully arranged cluster of red and orange flowers that awaits every one that was to enter.

Walking down the hallway towards the great ballroom, they were greeted with the same luxurious interior. They’ve entered the room just in time as the speaker was making an introduction for the new High Lord of Autumn before he comes out. Also already on the stage was Lady Isabella, and some Officials of the Court.

“…And now, let us all welcome Eris Vanserra--the eldest son of the late High Lord of Autumn- Beron Vanserra, and his beloved wife, Lady Isabella.” Settling down on one side of the room, near the front, the members of the Night Court joined the crowd in clapping and looking towards the stage. They watch as the auburn-haired Lady approach his eldest son whom have kneeled at the center of the stage awaiting the crown his mother was carrying. As the crown was settled on his head, the crowd erupted into another round of applause and cheers. His mother touched his face tenderly and kissed his cheek, then she took a step back to give the stage to his son. Eris spread his arms wide and a burst of fire flew out of his hands. The ballroom was surrounded with fireworks, then there were floating candles by the ceiling and the torches by the wall was lit. Eris was glowing, and the crown in his head was burning brightly. Everyone can feel the power radiating from him, but instead of fear, it was the amazement that was more dominant.

Eris gave the obligatory speech; it was short but poignant. “….Again, thank you everyone who is here and have given their time to celebrate this occasion with me. Know that your presence is very much appreciated. Now, I would not let you wait any longer. Please, enjoy the rest of the night. And let the dining and dancing... begins.”

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