#Members got to preview this ahead of time

[dreammeiser]

“Can You Keep A Secret?”

[lomlhwa]

scandal (l.c)

pairing: idol!reader x idol!chan

preview: you got into a dating scandal with another idol and chan is not happy. it should've been him, he's your actual boyfriend after all.

tags/warnings: fem reader, mentions of beomgyu and other idols, possessive chan, kisses galore, pet names (pretty, baby, my love, angel), oral (fem.receiving), holding hands while fucking, so much praise, monster cock chan, marking, did i say possessive?, unprotected penetration (wrap it before you tap it), creampie

trigger warnings: n/a

wc: 1.8k

song rec for this fic: obsession by exo

a/n: i tried making fake tweets + texts for this how did i do? also i just threw in random female idols to make a fake group lol

you sigh, putting your phone down and rubbing your temples. dating as an idol is so tiring and sometimes you honestly forget why you even try. but you love your boyfriend so much. beomgyu is your good friend and sometimes you fail to remember to be sneaky when hanging out. even small things like going out to eat together makes fans assume you’re madly in love. this isn’t the first time you’ve been roped into media with beomgyu and you’re certain it won’t be the last. 

with your swift rise to fame, you’ve had many dating scandals in your time. what pisses chan off the most is the fact that it’s never been him that you’ve had a scandal with. you’ve gone out on many public dates before and no one has ever picked up on the fact that you’re together. he even kissed you in the view of a sasaeng one time and they didn’t notice. he wonders if it’s intentional on the media’s part or if they’re seriously just that oblivious. 

you run your hand through your hair, trying to fathom why the general public knowing about your relationship is so important to him. everyone within the industry knows so why does everyone else have to? relationships can ruin idol reputations and he doesn’t seem to care. maybe it’s because you’re both already so big that he’s not worried? or he’s hoping your fans are just accepting enough to be okay with it? 

your members come wandering into the living room and you’re quick to compose yourself. you don’t want them to know you’re having relationship problems again. “you okay, y/n?” minji asks you, concern spreading on her face. you nod and smile to the best of your abilities. “hmm, i don’t believe you but we have schedules so i’m not gonna push,” karina shakes her head before gesturing for you to follow the group out the door. you gather your things and do your best not to think about anything but the late night ahead of you. 

___________________________________________

after a late night at dance practice you finally get the time to check your phone. you know chan had a fansign today so you decide to check on some of his fan accounts. you smile as you’re met with cute photos of him posing with gifts from fans. you find lots of updates on things he said as well. his current favorite movies, foods, tv shows and… songs. of course he mentions you. it’s cute that he listens to your music and likes to promote you to fans. 

you jump as you realize sana is perched over your shoulder, reading your text messages. “he’s gonna get in trouble when people realize he keeps talking about you,” she comments, clicking her tongue. you sigh dramatically, slouching your shoulders. “that’s what he wants.” suddenly all your members are gathered around you, confused as to what you’re talking about. “i got into another scandal with beomgyu and chan is jealous that it’s not him. so he’s putting in extra effort to try and get people to assume things.” your members share a weird look between them before turning back to you. “i think you should go on the most public date ever and make sure everyone knows you’re with lee chan of seventeen,” lily smiles brightly at you. this comment shocks you a little but you agree. 

“will you guys help me set up a giant celebration at the restaurant under our dorm?” you ask and they all agree excitedly. you all rush to get back to your dorm, eager to plan an extravagant dinner for you and your boyfriend. you talk to the owners of the restaurant and they agree to vacate the restaurant for you. they even promise to make food on the house. your girls help you pick the perfect outfit, hair and makeup for the event. they even “accidentally” tell a well known media outlet that you have plans for tomorrow and they should be there. 

___________________________________________

you sit in eager anticipation waiting for your boyfriend to show up. you can see a photographer out of the corner of your eye, waiting for something to happen. you hear the backdoor open and chan walks in, confidence filling his every step. your eyes fall on the suit he chose for tonight. he left his blazer undone, showing off that the buttons resting on his chest were begging to burst open. 

“hello, my love,” he says as he pecks your cheek before sitting down across from you. “what’s the occasion for such a fancy dinner?” his face changes to panic for a moment before he speaks again; “did i miss our anniversary? your birthday?” you shake your head and chuckle just as a waitress comes scurrying out of the kitchen with pre prepared food. you thank her and shoot her a quick wink before turning back to your lover. chan looks at you with an unreadable expression, but you hope it’s positive.

the two of you eat your food happily, the atmosphere feeling very comfortable. your share anecdotes from your lives as idols, laughing that the ridiculousness of your respective companies. before long, your meal is coming to an end. chan gives you a look you know all too well and you’re quick to scurry away, up the stairs and to your dorm. your boyfriend follows swiftly behind you after thanking all the staff. 

you thank your members mentally as you enter your normally occupied dorm. as soon as the door is closed, chan’s hands are on you. he drags you by your hips, crashing you against him. he kisses you with such aggression that you would think he was trying to eat you. your tongues tangle like snakes, drool spilling from the corner of your mouth. “fuck, baby. you’re so sexy, you know that?” he connects his lips to your jawline, sucking on your skin gently. he sucks dark red marks on your collar bones, taking a moment to lean back and admire his work. 

“jump,” he mutters as he hooks his hands under your thighs. you hop and he catches you before quickly scurrying towards your room. he lays you down on your bed, pressing your legs wide open. he groans as he realizes you aren’t wearing any panties. you bite your lip as he admires you. “stop fucking me with your eyes and fuck me for real,” you demand. chan drops to his knees in front of you, desperation filling his eyes. you lift yourself onto your elbows so you can see him better. he kisses his way up your thighs before meeting his lips with your drenched core. 

his skilled tongue darts out to circle your clit, small whines escaping from your throat. he grips your thighs, holding you exactly where he wants you. he slurps and drinks you up as you twitch and squirm under him. he focuses his attention on your sensitive clit, rubbing his tongue back and forth over it. “channie, please please ple-ah,” he silences you with a harsh smack to your inner thigh. “let me enjoy your cunt. god, i love that you’re mine,” he presses kisses against your slit, licking a fat stripe up it to follow. “fucking mine.”

he grazes his teeth over your clit, drinking in the way you squeak and raise your hips towards his mouth. your hands fly to his hair and drag his mouth back to you. he chuckles before he wraps his lips around your clit, sucking on it before letting it go with a small ‘pop.’ you grind your core against his face, his nose brushing your clit as you get more and more desperate for release. “you have the most perfect pussy, baby. could eat you forever.”

a low moan slips from his lips as he watches you clench around nothing at his words. he places one final kiss to your core before rising off his knees. “you’re so tasty, angel. but i think i might explode if i don’t get inside you.” he reaches down to undo his pants and let them pool around his ankles. he aligns himself with your desperate hole before pressing in gently. “my pretty, pretty girl.” he grabs your hands and intertwines all ten of your fingers with his. a gesture like this always felt so romantic to you. 

he arms flex in reaction as you clench around him in an eager effort to get him to move. he draws his hips back slowly before returning himself to the hilt. your eyes cross and your back arches off the bed as he repeats this ritual over and over before he can’t take the slow pace anymore. he tightens his grip on your hands as he speeds up, the sounds of skin slapping filling the room. he stares between the two of you, watching as he disappears and reappears between your legs.”fuck, baby. you’re all mine. i don’t care what the media says. i’m the one fucking you. not beomgyu, me.” you nod your head, panting like a dog in the summer heat. “say it. who does this pussy belong to?” he thrusts into you faster, as if to make it harder for you to answer. “y-you, chan. fuck, it’s all yours.”

he lets go of your hands and opts to wrap his arms around your waist, pressing his face into your chest. he ruts into you with such vigor you think you might snap in half. he lifts you partially off the bed so you’re kind of sitting in his lap. your grind down on him, desperate for more. “channie… god, need it so bad,” you plead, your orgasm threatening to rip its way out of you. he runs his tongue between the valley of your breasts before pulling back to look at your face.

“keep eye contact with me while you finish. let me see how fucking good i make you feel.” you nod, digging your teeth into your bottom lip as he connects the pad of his thumb to your clit. you let out a deep sigh and fight your hardest not to throw your head back. the way chan looks at you through his sweaty bangs has you seeing stars. “cumming. oh my god i’m cumming,” you cry out as your whole body spasms. “yeah, that’s it baby. squeeze my cock like that.” your arms give out and you fall back onto the bed, gripping the sheets until your knuckles turn white. 

your lover’s orgasm is quick to follow, ropes of cum painting your walls white. he moans and whines out your name like a hymn, gripping your waist so hard you might bruise. you twitch as he rides out the last of his high before stilling completely. he pulls out of you slowly before laying next to you. he pulls you tightly against him, panting slightly as he settles. “i promise i don’t care what the media says. i love you."

___________________________________________

© lomlhwa 2024

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Chapter 1 Part 2 Preview

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies. Not a full translation.

Mitsuhide: "Oh? It seems we have a guest."

Sasuke: "Pardon the intrusion. Lord Kenshin."

(Sasuke!)

While everyone's attention shifted, Sasuke casually walked in from the hallway.

Kenshin: "You're late. You finally caught up."

Sasuke: "Please don't go ahead on your own. Stalling the guards was pretty tricky."

Kenshin: "Struggling against just a few opponents? Pathetic."

Sasuke: "Being a ninja in this chaotic era is one of the worst jobs ever."

Sasuke: "But at least I got to meet my idol, Tokugawa Ieyasu, so I guess it's all good."

Ieyasu: "Huh? I think I just heard my name."

Sasuke: "Yes, can I shake your hand?"

Ieyasu: "Why are you holding out your hand so seriously? There's no way that's happening."

(Oh yeah, Sasuke's a history buff and a huge fan of Ieyasu.)

Kenshin gave Sasuke a piercing glare.

Kenshin: "Sasuke, stop wasting time. Where's Kanetsugu?"

Sasuke: "Kanetsugu is..."

Sasuke glanced towards the hallway, and someone gracefully entered the room.

Kanetsugu: "Where's Lord Kenshin?"

Kanetsugu: "Hm? The sliding doors are broken. Was there an attack?"

(This is my first time seeing Kanetsugu.)

Kanetsugu looked down at the broken sliding door as Ieyasu let out a sigh.

Ieyasu: "That's the work of your lord, you know?"

Kanetsugu: "I see. The blade technique is impressive."

Mitsunari: "Yes, it looks like the sharpness has been improved even more since the last time I saw it on the battlefield."

Ieyasu: "Don't start analyzing the door."

Sasuke: "This is serious. This is a valuable sliding door and a historical artifact."

Sasuke: "To the members of the Oda army, I'm really sorry."

Nobunaga: "You're the one apologizing?"

Sasuke: "Well, my boss would never apologize even if the world turned upside down, so I might as well apologize on his behalf."

Nobunaga: "That's an unusual statement. Interesting."

Nobunaga: "How about you join the Oda army as a ninja?"

Kenshin: "Oh? If you're trying to pick a fight, I'll gladly accept."

Sasuke: "Headhunting, huh? I'm honored. But first, let's use this for now."

Sasuke pulled out of his pocket a round, brown-shaped thing.

(Is that the kind of packing tape that's always found at hardware stores!?)

Hideyoshi: "Hey, what on earth are you planning to do in someone else's castle?"

Sasuke: "Don't worry. I'm just going to repair it."

Kanetsugu: "How exactly are you going to use that tool?"

Kanetsugu curiously crowded around Sasuke.

Sasuke: "This is something I recently developed, the Sticks-to-Anything Tape."

Sasuke: "It's a strong adhesive applied to a sturdy strip of paper."

(He's saying this so casually.)

Mai: "You can even make things like that? As expected from you, Sasuke!"

Sasuke: "Thank you; I have my background in astrophysics to thank."

Sasuke: "By the way, I originally came up with this at Yukimura's request to keep Lord Shingen from stealing sweets. Though that plan ended up being scrapped."

(Better not to wonder how he planned to stop Shingen with it.)

Sasuke: "Lord Hideyoshi, could you hold this for me?"

Hideyoshi: "Hmm? Like this?"

Sasuke: "Thanks. Kanetsugu, you hold that side."

Kanetsugu: "Why me? Hey, isn't it a bit off? Measure it precisely."

Sasuke: "Understood. Trying to minimize the area to avoid damaging a national treasure painting is tricky."

Kanetsugu: "Then, Keiji, you lend a hand too."

Keiji: "Alrighty!"

Masamune: "Need my help as well?"

Kanetsugu: "One-Eyed Dragon, I didn't say you could step into my view."

Masamune: "No need to be so wary."

Kanetsugu: "Don't speak to me so casually."

(I'm definitely not imagining Kanetsugu giving Masamune that glare.)

Hideyoshi: "Mitsuhide, stop grinning over there and help."

Mitsuhide: "Sorry, but I'm far too busy cheering you on."

Hideyoshi: "You're obviously just relaxing."

Mitsunari: "Then I'll help. I just need to put the adhesive here, right?"

Ieyasu: "Great, now I've got that thing on my sleeve. Don't touch me, and don't come near me!"

(Oh no! Ieyasu's kimono is all messed up.)

Still, the work somehow progressed, and Sasuke wiped the sweat from his forehead when he finished applying the tape.

Sasuke: "Phew, I managed to fix it somehow, thanks to everyone's help."

Kanetsugu: "The strength looks sufficient."

(I'd heard Kanetsugu's name many times as Kenshin's brilliant retainer, but…)

This was my first time meeting him in person.

(He looks so unapproachable, but since I finally got to meet him, I should introduce myself.)

Mai: "Kanetsugu, nice to meet you. My name's Mai."

As I stepped closer and extended my hand, Kanetsugu coldly avoided it.

Kanetsugu: "I haven't yet acknowledged you."

Mai: "W-What?"

(Hasn't acknowledged me?)

Startled by his harsh words, I returned his gaze, looking into his purple eyes.

Mai: "Could you tell me why? If I've made a mistake, I'll correct it."

Kanetsugu: "Hmph."

Kanetsugu: "I have no intention of accepting that you've become the lover of Lord Kenshin."

(That's the reason?)

(Wait, no, that's really unreasonable!)

Kenshin: "Kanetsugu."

Kanetsugu: "I apologize. Please forgive my immaturity in questioning my lord's thoughts."

Kanetsugu bowed his head quietly under Kenshin's low reprimanding voice.

Nobunaga: "Oh, so the strategist of Uesugi isn't fond of Mai?"

Hideyoshi: "What's wrong with our Mai? Go on, say it!"

Masamune: "We can't just let someone like him be around Mai, can we?"

Ieyasu: "Masamune, you're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Mitsuhide: "If you don't find this amusing, there's something wrong with you."

The warlords exchanged light banter, but their gazes were intimidating, creating a tense atmosphere.

Mitsunari: "Lord Kanetsugu, Lady Mai is a wonderful person."

Keiji: "I just met her, but I think so too."

Sasuke: "Everyone in the Oda army, you're all being overly protective; ahem, I mean, please calm down."

(He said overly protective.)

Sasuke: "To put it simply, Kanetsugu worships Lord Kenshin, so it doesn't matter who becomes his lover."

Sasuke: "He doesn't particularly dislike Mai, so please understand that."

(I've heard rumors about his devotion.)

(Apparently, Kanetsugu's loyalty is absolute; he's been completely devoted to Kenshin since he was young.)

Kanetsugu: "You're saying unnecessary things."

Facing the disgruntled Kanetsugu, Sasuke nonchalantly pushed up the bridge of his glasses.

Sasuke: "Kanetsugu is just being Kanetsugu."

Sasuke: "He's not a mother-in-law who refuses to accept a bride based on personal feelings."

Kenshin: "Bride, huh? That has a nice ring to it. Say it again."

Kenshin pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

Kenshin: "You think so too, don't you, Mai?"

[nagiwrites]

Starlit bonds

A/n: hi I’m back with the myth stories so urs is first so a long chap ahead. Also there will be a poll at the end. Thanks for reading.

Characters: sylus, y/n

📌 Synopsis:

In the myth event, Sylus fights through illusions, deception, and dark magic to rescue Y/N from the grip of the Wicked Step-Mother. From twisted trials to a powerful final battle, he proves that fantasy or not he would always come for her. And when the dawn rises over a freed kingdom, Y/N gives him one thing they’ve never given anyone else: a kiss.

[← back] [→ next]

Sylus hovered over the screen, thumb poised to pull, when a maintenance notification abruptly popped up. He sighed, leaning back in frustration. Of course. He’d have to wait. Impatient but resigned, he set his phone aside and tried to distract himself. Time dragged—but eventually, the maintenance ended. As soon as he reopened the app, a new event banner flashed across the screen, vibrant and shimmering with stardust. The Starbound Myths were here and he wasn’t going to miss this chance to pull.

[Limited-Time Event: Starbound Myths ✦]

Special 5-Star Myth Cards Available! Unlock exclusive alternate universe stories for each crew member.

Sylus grinned, already navigating to the event banner with practiced ease. A fantasy-themed alternate storyline? Yeah, he was definitely pulling for that.

On the event screen, each of the girls had their own Myth Story, represented by unique character illustrations:

Nova – The Wandering Swordswoman 🗡️

Kaela – The Cursed Alchemist 🔮

Reyna – The Icebound Oracle ❄️

Y/N – The Lost Cinderella 👑

His gaze lingered on Y/N’s card, and he tapped on it, triggering the preview cutscene.

[Myth Preview: “The Lost Cinderella”]

The scene opened with a grand ballroom bathed in golden light, chandeliers hanging from towering ceilings.

The camera panned downward to reveal Y/N, dressed in an elegant yet delicate gown, their f/c hair cascading over their shoulders, their expression hesitant yet longing as they stood at the edge of the dance floor.

A narrator’s voice-over began:

“Once upon a time, in a kingdom lost to time, there was a girl who did not belong. She had no title, no riches, no claim to the world that ignored her.”

The screen zoomed in on Y/N, showing the way they fidgeted nervously with the fabric of their gloves, eyes darting toward the grand clock above the hall.

“Yet, for one fleeting night, she could pretend… that she did.”

A masked figure—Sylus’ avatar in this world—approached them, bowing slightly before offering his hand.

Y/N’s eyes widened, their cheeks darkened as they hesitated.

“Why would you ask me?” they murmured, uncertainty laced in their voice.

A dialogue preview flashed, showing potential choices the player could make during the story:

1. “Because you deserve this moment.”

2. “Because I’ve been looking for you all night.”

3. “Do you trust me?”

Sylus exhaled, more invested than he expected to be.

If he pulled this card, he wouldn’t just unlock a new combat buff—he’d unlock a new storyline.

The temptation was too strong.

He tapped the Wish Pool, ready to pull for his Cinderella.

Sylus tapped “Draw 10,” watching as the familiar wish animation unfolded.

A meteor shower of glowing orbs streaked across the screen, each one bursting into cards of varying rarity. His pulse quickened as he scanned the results—most were decent pulls, some upgrades, but then—

A golden glow erupted from the center of the screen.

[MYTH CARD OBTAINED: The Lost Cinderella – Y/N ✦✦✦✦✦]

Sylus smirked, leaning back in satisfaction. He got it.

The screen faded to black, transitioning into the fantasy myth storyline.

[Myth Story: The Lost Cinderella]

The ballroom was alive with music, the soft hum of violins carrying through the grand hall. Y/N stood at the center of it all, though their posture remained uncertain, hands delicately folded before them.

They weren’t like the other guests—the noblewomen adorned in dazzling jewels, the men wrapped in silks and royal embroidery.

They were something different.

Something unnoticed.

Until now.

The masked Prince—Sylus’ avatar in this world—approached, his hand extended toward them.

“Why would you ask me?” Y/N murmured, voice barely above a whisper.

A dialogue choice appeared, and Sylus selected the first option.

“Because you deserve this moment.”

Y/N’s lips parted slightly, they hesitated—always hesitant—before placing their hand in his.

The moment they did, the world seemed to disappear around them.

The music softened, the background faded into something distant, unimportant.

It was just the two of them.

“I… don’t know how to dance,” Y/N admitted, their grip on his hand just slightly too tight, as if they expected him to change his mind.

“Then let me lead.”

The game transitioned seamlessly into a mini-game, where Sylus had to time his taps to the rhythm of the waltz.

He guided Y/N across the floor, and for the first time, they looked at ease.

Y/N glanced down at their feet, clearly overthinking every step. Sylus gave a small chuckle.

“Don’t worry,” he said, lowering his voice as they moved into the waltz rhythm. “If you step on my foot, I’ll only cry a little.”

They let out a startled laugh, covering their mouth with one gloved hand. “You’re not exactly easing my nerves, you know.”

“Good,” he smirked. “That means you’re not thinking about running yet.”

Y/N shook their head, a soft smile breaking through their nerves.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet, here you are… dancing with me.”

For a moment, the tension lifted. Their steps fell into rhythm, the music guiding them across the floor. Y/N laughed again—lighter this time, real—and Sylus felt something settle between them.

Not just warmth.

Trust.

As the dance slowed, Sylus brought them just a little closer, their hands still locked, breaths mingling. The lights above softened into gold, casting a glow over their faces.

Y/N looked up at him—eyes wide, cheeks flushed, lips parted ever so slightly.

He leaned in, gaze flicking from their eyes to their mouth and back again.

So close.

Y/N didn’t move. If anything, they tilted their head ever so slightly forward.

But just as the space between them narrowed to a breath-

DONG

The chime of the grand clock struck midnight.

The music faltered. The illusion broke.

Y/N’s eyes widened in horror as they snapped their gaze toward the towering clock face above.

“No—no, I have to go.”

Sylus’ character instinctively reached for their wrist, but they twisted away, their gown swirling as they turned to flee.

“Wait!”

The game shifted into chase mode, but the path was already set.

Y/N disappeared into the crowd, weaving through masked figures and gilded staircases, slipping through the castle doors before he could reach them.

The screen dimmed, leaving only the soft echo of the final clock toll.

Then—

A single glowing object appeared at his feet.

Not a glass slipper, but something more personal—

[Y/N’s Ribbon – An Irreplaceable Clue]

The camera panned down, focusing on the delicate piece of fabric left behind in their escape.

A new objective flashed on screen:

[Find Her Before It’s Too Late.]

Sylus’ grip on his phone tightened.

He wasn’t just playing anymore—

He was hunting for his Cinderella.

[Myth Quest: The Search for Cinderella]

Objective: Track down the mysterious girl before she disappears forever.

The town was alive with movement, but not the welcoming kind. The streets were filled with shadows, whispers curling through narrow alleyways as cloaked figures darted between buildings.

This wasn’t just a simple search.

This town was dangerous.

Sylus’ prince avatar rode through the streets with his loyal knights, his character navigating the maze-like roads of the kingdom as he knocked on doors, asking for any sign of the girl who had left behind the delicate ribbon now tied around his wrist.

[Mini-Game: Investigate the Town]

• Gather Clues from Locals 🗣️

• Chase Down Suspicious Figures 🏃‍♂️

• Bribe Informants 💰

Sylus moved methodically, interrogating merchants, slipping coins into greedy hands, and chasing down a hooded stranger who had been watching him for too long.

Slowly, the clues built up:

• A merchant woman claimed she had seen a girl in a simple cloak hurrying through the streets at dawn.

• A guard at the city gates swore no noblewoman left the kingdom that night.

• A tavern drunk whispered that he had heard a name muttered by those who lurked in the shadows—“Y/N.”

He was getting closer.

Then, at last, the trail led him to a grand castle at the farthest edge of the kingdom.

A dark, towering fortress, draped in cold marble and twisting ivy, its high walls meant to keep people out.

Or keep someone in.

The moment his avatar and knights approached the front gates, a new Quick-Time Event flashed—

[Knock on the Castle Door]

(Tap now to demand entry!)

Sylus tapped.

The screen zoomed in, focusing on the massive iron doors as his knights pounded their fists against them.

A moment of silence.

Then—

The doors creaked open.

A figure stood in the entryway, clad in royal garments, eyes sharp and scrutinizing.

“You come seeking something that does not belong to you.”

The man’s voice was calm, but firm.

Sylus’ character took a step forward, holding out the ribbon.

“I come for the girl who left this behind.”

The man’s gaze flickered to the ribbon for a fraction of a second before his posture stiffened.

“You’ve made a mistake.”

The screen dimmed, and a dialogue choice appeared:

1. “Then why do you look nervous?”

2. “I’m not leaving without her.”

3. “If I have made a mistake, then prove it.”

Sylus smirked, his thumb hovering over the choices.

The prince had found the castle.

[Inside the Gilded Cage]

Objective: Find the real Cinderella among the deception.

The castle doors creaked open, revealing a grand hallway bathed in soft candlelight. The air was heavy with the scent of perfumed flowers and something unspoken, a lingering unease that settled over Sylus as his prince avatar stepped inside.

At the far end of the lavish corridor stood an elderly woman—her regal gown adorned with subtle gold embroidery, her gray-streaked hair twisted into an intricate bun.

Her sharp, calculating eyes swept over him, a knowing smile curving her lips.

“Ah, Your Highness, what an unexpected pleasure,” she purred, clasping her hands together. “It is not often we receive royal visitors at such an hour.”

Sylus narrowed his eyes at her. She already knew why he was here.

The stepmother.

Before he could speak, movement flickered from the side.

Three young women, all dressed in the finest gowns, stepped into view. Their features were strikingly similar—the same delicate frame, the same painted smiles, the same soft, practiced voices.

“Your Highness,” one of them curtsied, her voice light and airy.

“What an honor,” the second giggled.

“How may we serve you?” the third added, tilting her head coyly.

[A Game of Deception Begins]

A subtle chime rang through the air, signaling that something wasn’t right.

The three girls spoke in perfect unison, their smiles never faltering.

“I was at the ball, Your Highness.”

“I danced with you under the stars.”

“I left something behind… didn’t I?”

Sylus gritted his teeth.

They were mimicking her.

Y/n.

His real Cinderella was somewhere in this castle, but these three were designed to confuse him, to mislead him.

The stepmother let out a soft, knowing chuckle. “You are quite the romantic, Your Highness. But surely, if you have found your beloved, you will know her immediately?”

A new challenge flashed on screen—

Listen carefully, observe the details, and choose the girl who isn’t lying.

Hints:

• The real y/n was hesitant when she danced. Would she speak so easily now?

• She left in a hurry. Would she have remembered exactly what she left behind?

• y/n is quiet. Would she be so quick to seek attention?

Sylus exhaled.

He wasn’t about to let these impostors trick him.

His Cinderella was here.

And he was going to find her.

[Challenge: The True Cinderella]

Objective: Identify the fake and expose the deception before time runs out.

Sylus stared at the three girls, their voices overlapping, their movements eerily in sync. It wasn’t just about picking the right one—this was a deliberate trap, a way to wear down his judgment.

The Step-Mother watched, her smirk knowing, her eyes daring him to fail.

“Come now, Your Highness,” she drawled, amusement lacing her voice. “Surely, if she is the one, you will have no doubts?”

A timer appeared at the top of the screen—

⏳ Time Remaining: 60 seconds

[Mini-Game: Find the Mistake]

Each girl will speak, but one detail will not match Y/N’s real story. Tap the incorrect statement before the timer runs out!

The first girl stepped forward, curtsying.

“At the ball, you told me I had the most captivating smile in the kingdom,” she said sweetly.

Sylus frowned. He never said that.

The second girl twirled gracefully.

“When I danced with you, I told you that I had been waiting my whole life for this night.”

Y/N had been nervous. They never would have said something so bold.

The third girl touched her wrist lightly, smiling coyly.

“And when the clock struck midnight, I placed my hand in yours and whispered that I would see you again.”

That was wrong.

Y/N had run.

The timer ticked down—⏳ 15 seconds

Sylus tapped the third girl words hoping to slash through her lies.

The screen flashed red—he missed!

His heart skipped a beat.

A small taunting laugh came from the Step-Mother.

“Oh, dear. Do you doubt yourself?”

⏳ 10 seconds.

Damn it.

He quickly tapped the first girl words instead slashing through them.

✨ SUCCESS ✨

The girl stiffened, her polite smile faltering.

“W-What? That’s not fair—”

Her voice glitched, like a holographic error, before she and the other impostors flickered away, dissolving into nothingness.

The Step-Mother’s smirk vanished.

A new notification popped up:

[Challenge Passed!]

The deception has failed. The true Cinderella is hidden somewhere inside the palace.

[New Objective: Search the Palace]

Something isn’t right. Find where they’re keeping Y/N before time runs out.

The screen transitioned into Exploration Mode, and Sylus guided his avatar deeper into the castle.

The atmosphere had changed.

The lavish decor felt colder, more suffocating. The hallways stretched endlessly, looping back into themselves, forcing him to navigate carefully.

Then, in the farthest wing of the palace—

He found a locked door.

It wasn’t grand like the others. It was plain, old, almost forgotten. But something about it felt wrong.

Sylus tapped the Interact button, and his character pressed his palm against the wood.

From the other side…

There was a soft, familiar voice.

“…Who’s there?”

Sylus’ grip tightened on his phone.

He had found her.

[The Locked Room]

Objective: Rescue Cinderella.

Sylus’ avatar pushed against the door, testing the handle—locked, of course. But now, he knew Y/N was inside.

Their soft voice had barely reached him, muffled through the thick wood.

“…Who’s there?”

He tapped the Interact button again. His character leaned closer, resting a hand against the door.

“It’s me.”

A pause. Then, a quiet, shaky breath.

“You… you came?”

The screen shifted, fading into a cutscene.

Inside the dimly lit chamber, Y/N lay on the cold stone floor, their delicate frame wrapped in tattered rags, the elegant gown they had once worn nowhere to be seen. Their wrists were bound with rough ropes, their ankles the same.

A faint bruise darkened their skin just above the elbow—a sign of struggle.

They weren’t just hiding.

They had been kept here.

Their dark eyes lifted weakly, searching the shadows, but there was no hope in them.

They thought they had been forgotten.

A dialogue choice appeared:

1. “Who did this to you?”

2. “I’m getting you out of here.”

3. “I swear to you, they’ll pay for this.”

Sylus didn’t hesitate—he tapped the second option.

His avatar slammed his fist against the door.

“I’m getting you out of here, Y/N.”

Their lips parted slightly, disbelief flickering in their tired expression.

“You… really came for me.”

Before Sylus could answer, the screen flickered.

[WARNING: A Presence Approaches.]

Footsteps echoed outside.

The Step-Mother.

She knew.

And she wasn’t going to let him take Y/N so easily.

[Confrontation: The Wicked Step-Mother]

Objective: Escape with Y/N before it’s too late.

Sylus’ avatar tensed, his hand still pressed against the door. The footsteps outside grew louder—deliberate and slow—a predator closing in.

Then, the voice came.

“How very bold of you, Your Highness.”

The Step-Mother’s voice dripped with amusement, but underneath it, Sylus could hear a cold edge—one that hadn’t been there before.

The screen transitioned into a tense cutscene as the camera zoomed in on the shadow just beyond the doorway.

“You broke into my home. You disturbed my daughters. And now you think you can steal away what is mine?”

Sylus tapped the Interact button, making his character step back, fists clenched.

“Y/N isn’t yours.”

The door rattled slightly, as if the force of her presence alone had made it tremble.

“Isn’t she?” the Step-Mother mused. “Then tell me, Your Highness—why did she not call for you? Why did she sit in silence, waiting to be forgotten?”

The game gave him no response options.

He had to watch.

Inside the room, the camera zoomed back in on Y/N, still lying on the cold stone floor, their wrists bound, their expression a mix of exhaustion and… something else.

Guilt.

Their lips parted, but they didn’t speak.

Sylus felt his pulse quicken.

They had never called for help.

Had they believed… no one would come?

[New Dialogue Choice Unlocked]

1. “Y/N, don’t listen to her. You were never alone.”

2. “Did they make you believe you deserved this?”

3. “No more running. We’re leaving—together.”

Sylus hovered for a moment, his chest tightening. The second option… felt too real.

He tapped it.

His character softened his voice, stepping closer to the door.

“Did they make you believe you deserved this?”

Inside, Y/N flinched.

For a long time, they didn’t speak. Then—

“I… I don’t know anymore.”

The Step-Mother chuckled.

“She knows where she belongs. But you… you’re too blinded by fantasy to see the truth.”

The door lock clicked.

The camera snapped back, revealing the Step-Mother’s pale hand resting on the iron handle.

She was opening the door.

[New Objective: Prepare to Fight]

She had no idea who she was messing with.

[Boss Battle: The Wicked Step-Mother & The Shadows of Deception]

Objective: Defeat the Step-Mother and her cursed daughters to free Y/N.

The door swung open, revealing the Step-Mother in full form—no longer just an elegant noblewoman but something twisted.

Her once refined gown shifted like black smoke, tendrils of darkness creeping from its edges, rooting her into the very foundations of the cursed castle. Her eyes glowed an eerie silver, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

And behind her—

The three stepsisters, no longer perfectly composed noblewomen but warped, hollowed figures, their limbs unnaturally elongated, their faces frozen in soulless grins.

[BOSS FIGHT ENGAGED]

Survive the illusions and break through the deception!

Step-Mother’s Abilities:

• Lies That Bind – Y/N hesitates, unable to act for a short duration.

• Illusion Waltz – The battlefield distorts, causing fake versions of the stepsisters to appear.

• Final Judgment – Instant KO attack if the player falls for too many illusions.

Shadows of the Stepsisters’ Abilities:

• Echoed Voices – They repeat Y/N’s voice to confuse the player.

• Mirror Step – They imitate attacks, making it hard to tell which one is real.

• Draining Gaze – Slowly saps health if looked at for too long.

Sylus immediately dodged as the Step-Mother raised a gnarled, blackened hand, sending waves of dark energy toward him. The shadows of the stepsisters laughed in sync, their forms splitting into five copies each, surrounding him.

“She was never meant for you,” the Step-Mother crooned, her voice overlapping with Y/N’s own.

The battlefield was warped—a spiraling ballroom twisted by dark magic. The marble floor cracked with each step, reflections rippling beneath like water. A constant whisper filled the air, echoing Y/N’s voice to throw Sylus off balance.

The Step-Mother raised her arms, smoke curling like claws from her fingertips.

“Lies That Bind!”

Dark chains burst from the floor, coiling around Y/N’s legs. She staggered, caught mid-step, eyes glazed in confusion as her form flickered—hesitating.

Sylus gritted his teeth.

“Y/N—stay with me!”

Suddenly, the Stepsisters scattered across the room, their limbs elongating, distorting like puppets in a nightmare. Their voices echoed in eerie unison:

“He’ll never choose the real you…”

One lunged forward—“Mirror Step!”—mimicking Sylus’ last combo exactly, forcing him to dodge his own moves.

Another locked eyes with him—“Draining Gaze.”

The screen dimmed subtly. His health bar ticked down.

“Don’t look at them too long,” Y/N called out.

Then the game hit him with a challenge—

[Which One is the Real Y/N?]

• Five versions of Y/N appeared on-screen.

• The wrong choice would stun him, making him lose health.

• If he hesitated too long, the illusions would merge and attack all at once.

The countdown began—

⏳ 5… 4… 3…

Sylus quickly scanned the options. All of them had the same face, the same trembling expression… but one detail was different.

One Y/N still had the faint mark on their wrist from where they’d been bound by their ribbon.

He tapped their image just as the timer hit ⏳ 1.

✨ CORRECT! ✨

The illusions shattered, the false stepsisters screaming as they dissolved into shadows.

“No!” the Step-Mother snarled, her voice losing its composed façade.

TAP to launch a synchronized attack!

Sylus smashed the screen, activating his strongest attack.

His prince avatar lunged forward, sword glowing with light, slashing through the dark chains that had kept Y/N bound.

The Step-Mother let out a piercing wail, her form splintering like glass, the cursed shadows dispersing into nothing.

The screen flashed white, the castle’s dark aura lifting as the curse broke.

✨ VICTORY! ✨

[Boss Battle Complete!]

Y/N is Free.

The golden light of dawn spilled across the shattered remains of the cursed room. The dark energy was gone. The shadows, the illusions—they were nothing but dust on the wind now.

“I didn’t think anyone would really come for me…”

Their voice was quiet, almost broken.

A dialogue choice appeared:

1. “Always.”

2. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

3. “Let’s go home.”

Sylus selected the first option.

Sylus knelt in front of Y/N, still offering his hand.

“Always,” he said.

Y/N stared at him, eyes glossy with disbelief and something softer. Their fingers trembled as they reached out and took his hand, letting him gently pull them to their feet.

For a moment, they just stood there—quiet, close, the castle crumbling behind them.

Then Y/N leaned in.

It wasn’t a bold kiss. It wasn’t dramatic.

It was hesitant, trembling—like they weren’t sure this moment was real until their lips touched his.

Sylus didn’t move, didn’t breathe. He just kissed them back—steady, warm, grounding them both.

The game faded out, the castle dissolving around them as dawn broke over the kingdom.

[Myth Story Complete: The Lost Cinderella]

✨ 5-Star Bond Strengthened! ✨

Sylus leaned back, exhaling sharply.

That… had been incredible.

And as the game returned to the main screen, Y/N’s new myth-themed portrait now replaced their normal one, their gaze softer, trusting.

They had been freed.

And Sylus had been the one to save them.

A/n: thanks for reading this was long but hopefully not too boring. Don’t forget to vote in the poll below please for who’s myth u wanna see next or none at all.

Tags:

@kaylauvu

@codedove

@crazy-ink-artist

@animegamerfox

[pumpkin321xxx]

Little Nurse

Mori x Gn!reader (PLATONIC)

Preview: You are working under Mori to learn about medical procedures since you wanted to gain experience to make it easier for you to adjust to university, and be an experienced and well-trained doctor.

c.w: Protective Mori, mentions violence, clueless reader, mentions of gun, and all the other medicine stuff-

The busy days and packed schedule started once you finally convinced a local doctor to let you study under him and embraced yourself with whatever hardships you were about to face.

Oh naive you, if only you have known how hard it is to keep up with the busy and torturous life as his nurse. However, it never bothered you.

Why even be bothered when he always spoils you with snacks, treats, and his constant concerns for your health? You felt so loved in his clinic that you would rather spend time there with him and Elise with no knowledge that you are working in the Mafia's clinic to treat its members!

It was heartwarming that Mori was ready to support you throughout every step of reaching your goal. You worked so hard in school to achieve a perfect grade but studying about random stuff was never enough. Mori can see the determination that you wanted the real stuff, rather than wasting your time solving algebra or writing a useless long essay.

But the real stuff would be too much for someone who just got started to explore the real world, isn't it?

And the naive you have realized this the moment a group of men in black rushed in with a severely wounded patient, desperate in need of help and clinging on to the threads of his life.

You were obviously frozen in place, as if the ground had grabbed you, stopping you from saving the patient. A gunshot immediately snapped you out of your delirium, your scared wide eyes meeting that scary look on Mori's face. This immediately urged you to go ahead and treat the patient.

You wanted this, didn't you?

As the intense moments pass by, Mori wouldn't skip a chance to apologize and treat you with snacks, he wouldn't risk scaring his little helper all for his feelings to get in the way, but he wouldn't miss the chance to scold you lightly either, advising you to be careful the next time.

Mori was also very protective of you, he couldn't stand the sight of some of the strangers you're treating staring at you or even attempting to make a move. A scalpel to their throat was a great and successful method to make them behave whenever they were not looking. And he was ready to splatter the walls of his precious clinic red whenever he had to.

Unsure why, Mori never let you take a day off, and even planned to not let you go after you graduate.

Of course, a mafia boss has a lot of responsibilities but due to his skills in medicine, he was also forced to treat those careless members of his which left his schedule packed and tiring so having you by his side to ensure the treatment left him in relief due to the burden decreasing on his shoulder.

So he wouldn't let you go no matter what! Who knows that he will pay you better than any hospital in Yokohama.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep2 Musings

I absolutely adore the title cards; the "fangs" reflecting main locations of the episodes/seasons. GOD this show's attention to detail.

We open with Lou & Claud in Paris bickering about French & money; already shown in the Pix11 preview (I gave my opinions on the full scene, and another post about Claudia specifically.

Then we get Dubai. O_O Omfg. I made a separate post all about Louis & Loumand, cuz those queens were DIABOLICAL this episode.

Skipping ahead a bit! To the coven/theatre! ^0^

Ohhhh....that's a Children of Satan/Darkness nod! 👀 Only thing's that the old guard from the CoS/D actually weren't part of the Coven/Theatre anymore by the time Louis & Claudia arrived (Alessandra, Eleni, and the rest of Rhoshamandes' fledglings Santino indoctrinated & had train Armand).

So Armand is REALLY showing off, tryna impress Louis; cuz none of the members of THAT Theatre troupe are older than Armand, and not even he's as old as Charlemagne. Armand, your yaoi is showing. XD

It's wild how on one hand we have the coven simping over how pretty Louis is (except Santiago, cuz ofc 🙄); while just HATING on Claudia.

Naw, let her stay! Estelle is THIRSTY and I love her for it, bless! XD

Santiago, you shady wench, you're already on my hit list, BUFFOON; but THIS striped heifer, Celeste--

Wench, are all Parisian vampiresses frumpy busted haters like YOU?

Anyways. 🙄 I hate this effing coven already. 😒

Foreshadowing AF, Mr. I Could Not Prevent It.

Sure, Jan. 🙄 But not all violence/abuse/trauma is physical/sexual. By allowing the Theatre to put their hands on Claudia, Armand harmed Louis more than anyone ever could. Claudia was the glue keeping Louis together when he was already falling apart, and he hasn't been right ever since. BOTH of these dudes are living in a fantasy, frikkin la-la-land, as they think they're HELPING e/o, going thru all these theatrical acts & performances. But are they REALLY happy? Esp. cuz we know who's endgame for them in the books. It's bittersweet, cuz their affection's REAL. But this weird codependency just isn't healthy or right. U_U

Eff you, Daniel Hart. tryna make me cry!

Eff you, Daniel Hart, tryna make me laugh!

This scene with the naked lady (Annika) was SO GOOD! I'm glad they tastefully didn't fully show her whole body like they did in the film--if we can't see full frontal nudity for the dudes, then I don't wanna see it on the gals either. 😤 Fair's fair!

But WOAH, the sexckshuhality~!

👻💀⚰️

I don't even have words for this! 😅 Claudia! Let the man win ONCE!?

But I LOVE how candid this show is about everything from sexuality to race--and ofc discrimination.

Oh they're cooking. O_O

THEY ACTUALLY SPOKE ON THE FACT THAT ARMAND'S A BROWN ASIAN DARKER SKINNED THAN REDBONE LDPDL, I'M SHOOK--COLOR CONSCIOUS AWARD GOES TO~~~!

Armand gets to lead the coven through meritocracy, not racial privilege. HOWEVER, we've got bleach-blonde Santiago still waiting in the wings, so.... I can't wait to see more of their dynamics.

We been knew, Louis, it's ok. U_U

Armand clearly been knew, too! Like: Yeah, I'm not surprised he's cruising all the gay parks--I could tell by the way that American walked! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I KNOW this bish ain't talking, not Mr. Polynesian Marys! Not Mr. I Did What I Had To Do To SCORE. Not Mr. We Met In A GAY Bar. Not Mr. Black Tar And Heroin! Not Mr. Is Alicia Even REAL!? I KNOW he's not tryna shade Louis for cruising, when his closeted arse can't even handle being in a room with Armand making come-hither eyes!

I love Daniel, how he's written & acted, but ISTG I hate his character.

As opposed to Santiago, who is just--BRUH. WERK.

And this is exactly what Lestat was getting at, too. And why Akasha was wrong when she said men are the problem. Like, don't get me wrong, THEY ARE, but chile, ALL HUMANS are the problem; eff gender. Homegirl sold that old dude down the frikkin river, just to save her own skin, and her family's. COMPLICIT. OFFAL.

Santiago's disgusted by humanity, and Annika proved his point.

As for Lestat, his cold willful detachment stems from his attitude that humans are just The Meat. This version of Lestat is SO dang jaded, that humans are reduced to mere food--just like he called Miss Lily.

He doesn't need the Evil Doer creed, if he thinks ALL humans are evil/irredeemable; only worth living if they can sing & make music or something artistic. Otherwise who cares? (Which makes it VERY interesting to see what AMC!Les would say to Memnoch the Devil....)

Speaking of....

I frikkin knew it. ISTG Lestat must be asleep in 2022--if y'all have him do a Merrick and wake up in the finale, I will pass out and DIE.

The question is: WHAT put him to sleep? Is he just sad & grieving post-trial? WTF is Raglan James doing in 2022? Are we post-Memnoch? Where are TWMBK? I NEED ANSWERS, AMC! 😭

[zazter-den]

A Preview of Fluffy Dom Bakugo x Sick Reader

With your face nestled into the cool sheets, you were on the verge of slipping back to sleep. At least you were, before a sudden melody filled the room. The calming marimba cover of the Final Fantasy intro was a sound only assigned to your closest party members. With a groan, you reluctantly popped your head out from under the warm cocoon of your comforters. Your fingers clumsily fumbling for the source of the noise. The cellphone screen hurt, even with the reduced brightness of night mode, and you squinted at it, trying to make out the caller ID. Your heart skipped a beat as your eyes finally focused on the TNT emoji that popped up with the video call.

Katsuki.

A facetime call? This early? Your sleepy confusion only got worse. Your... well, you weren't quite sure what to call him. Best friend? Lover? Bro with benefits? It was complicated. Bakugo was supposed to be away on a mission in another country. Their calls were always scheduled ahead of time, taking into account the time difference and the unpredictable work shifts you both had.

An unscheduled call like this was… unusual, let alone a video chat. With a sense of growing dread, your mind started racing with possibilities. Was the mission a success? Was he okay? What if something had happened?

Pushing down the worry that had begun to creep up, you swiped to connect the video call. Your heart pounded in your chest as you waited for the connection to go through. The phone flickered, and then Katsuki's face filled the screen. It was a bright afternoon wherever he was. His spiky blond hair glinted in the sunlight, and his red eyes seemed even brighter. His face was a sight for sore eyes, and without realizing it, a sleepy smile found its way onto your face. Whatever was going on, it was good to see him.

“You wanna tell me why I had to hear from Deku that you're sick?”

Oh. Oh, you take that back.

Will tag when it's finished ^^

[staynoonaz9290]

Hello Again 🥰 My 2025 Reset

Well, for anyone reading this, I am happy to announce that I am BACK ONLINE! 🎊

(Warning: Long Post Ahead 📝)

I left back in mid-2023 and stopped posting stories for a while. Mainly this was because of:

My mental health 🙃

I got too busy 🤯

My expectations for myself were too high 😖

After being gone for over a year, I realized how much I missed sharing my writing online, and decided to give this another try! 👏🏻

My page has been under EXTREME construction 🚧 for the last few days, and here are the updates on how this blog will be structured moving forward:

My inbox will stay open for requests, however the time it takes me to get to them will vary depending on what is going on in my work/personal life. 📚

I am no longer posting any chaptered-stories/novel-length fanfictions on Tumblr; those stories will exclusively be on my AO3 page. I will post previews of each story here on Tumblr, then give the link to the story from there. As I release new stories on AO3, I will jump on Tumblr to announce this story and give updates when a new chapter has been added, along with a link. 💖 Why? One of the biggest headaches involving Tumblr was how long it took me to set up chapters. Making sure I had all the hyperlinks set up on both the masterlists and the chapters, plus keeping consistency with the tags, formatting, etc start to overwhelm me. I've also found a higher reading-rate for novel-length stories on AO3. Since AO3 is a lot easier to use for this sort of thing, I've decided to transfer my longer work over there. 🥰

I am still posting all my shorter work- including prompt fics, one-shots, and mini-series- to this blog; these will come as I write them on no particular schedule, although I expect as I get into the swing of things, I will be more motivated to post these types of things! I already have a few drafts just waiting to be edited! 🎁

I am in the process of getting things situated right now, and will begin reblogging my previous work as well as releasing my new "preview" posts with all AO3 links.

What to look for these next few months:

2 (possibly 3!) new seasons of my ✨Temptation✨ series ft. Stray Kids!

A few multi-part one-shots ft. Sunwoo and Hyunjae from The Boyz

A new, re-mastered novel I wrote long ago featuring members from Stray Kids, The Boyz, and Seventeen.

More pieces from me, including one-shots, mini-series, prompt fics, etc.

I am excited to be back online and look forward to bringing my page back to life! 🌞

[accirax]

Disventure Camp All Stars Power Ranking (Round 12)

Well, I can already tell that this is going to be a SUPER episode! (Also, @venus-is-thinking is finally caught up and is joining me this week, so make sure to check her rankings out too if you enjoy mine!)

In case you haven't seen my previous power rankings ( 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11), the Power Ranking Format is essentially a way of ranking how well each player is doing in the game. So, in essence, this is a long form way of predicting who I think will be eliminated from the competition in the next episode. There will be spoilers for last week's episode (obviously) and its power ranking, so make sure to read that first if you don't want to be spoiled on how I ranked our last boot. If you want more clarification on the rules, that first post will help you out as well. Furthermore, I'm going to be spoiling the preview for next episode, so if you want to go in TOTALLY blind, save this for later. Let's go!

Recap - Tom's Elimination

Current Score: 49 acquired/73 total

HOW THE FUCK DID YUL NOT GO HOME?????

Anyways.

The fans have been rooting for a Tom/Jake/Aiden elimination for a while now, and I think it will be beneficial for the show moving forward to not have all three of them in the heroes' cast. I'd still probably call myself a Tom fan overall, but... goddamn did this guy make it hard to like him sometimes. Between the three of them, I think I baseline like Aiden the most, and I think Jake has the most potential, so I'm glad it was Tom of the three of them. I also got a whopping 8 points from him, so haha >:D

(I was SO worried about my score if Gabby had gone home... I still don't really understand why they targeted her in the first place, but, no matter.)

It's really weird to finally have more S2 characters than S1 characters given how the season started, though. I guess these guys are finally getting their time in the spotlight.

Trailer Analysis

IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER THEMED EPISODE!!!

Therapy from Nina? This will be interesting...

Alec will get #whitegirlwasted at his reward. I know he's neither white nor a girl, but it's the vibes that count.

THE INTERVIEW ROOM??? Is Emily back?! :D

Quirk analysis time! I very much assume that this will be in the same simulation program that presented the zombie apocalypse challenge in S1, although this time, it seems participants will be aware of it ahead of time. Yul appears to have lightning powers, and possibly the ability to teleport, although that's very likely just him spawning into the program for the first time.

Riya's repping the fire nation.

Aiden has super speed and a great expression. The fact that this is his power is part of what makes me thinks Yul won't be able to teleport.

We "don't see any scenes of Connor using his powers"* (I'll come back to this later), but we do have a suit design for him. The gray color and geometric shapes make me think he could have some sort of earthbending-like ability?

Grett appears to be the water to Riya's fire. Do all of the former Yellow team members have elemental abilities? That could fit if Connor is earth, and Alec is air.

Gabby can turn into an eagle at least, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was just animal shapeshifting in general. Very fitting ability for her.

Another fitting power, because Jake is really fruity--

(I really hope he can only manipulate bananas instead of having telekinesis in general.)

Ally has stretchy powers, representing how she's carrying all of the other characters on her back. (/j) I would say that this scene is an argument against Connor being able to move rocks, though, because then it seems like he would have made a bridge.

These could be random creatures on the island, but I wouldn't be surprised if one or both were actually Gabby.

Beyond being hilarious, this is where we come back to that asterisk from earlier! I think this scene could be evidence of Connor having super strength as his power. That seems fitting with his character.

"And you never will...!"

Riya's definitely showing off her fire abilities here. My guess is that this could be in response to Connor trying to "get under her skin" (AKA genuinely help her) again. Riya would see that as a threat to her game, or possibly just to her winning immunity this episode.

Another really weird thing to note is that we don't see Alec's superpower in this trailer at all? The team seems pretty cavalier about showing off what everyone's abilities were, so I doubt they're concealing it for spoilers' sake. Here are a couple of my theories on that:

Alec gets so intoxicated before the challenge that he can't compete/gets eliminated instantly.

Alec is actually the dinosaur/kaiju that I mentioned earlier could be Gabby. However, I don't know if they would really want to make two different competitors' abilities "going beast mode."

Alec's power is invisibility. He could even be whatever Riya hears in the bushes and starts to throw a fireball at in that one scene. I think I like this theory the most, because invisibility matches Alec's cunning well.

Power Ranking

#1: Grett

I don't think I need to repeat my same argument again. Who is targeting Grett? There are far more problematic villains to target, from both the heroes' perspective and the villains'. We also know from last episode that, when Ally, Aiden, Connor, and Jake (and Tom) had the choice to vote for Gabby, Grett, or Yul, they chose to vote for Gabby. That makes me think that Grett is in less danger than Gabby at least.

Then there's all the stuff about Grett's character arc and how it would feel weird to eliminate her before Yul at this point... But, hey, didn't I say that I wasn't going to waste my time repeating myself? I would be incredibly surprised if Grett were ousted this episode.

#2: Ally

I have to admit, Ally's placement here is mostly a meta read as opposed to actual character dynamic analysis. Simply put, she's (currently) the only female hero left in the game. If Ally were eliminated now, it would leave Aiden, Connor, and Jake as the only heroes, which would just feel... weird. She also hasn't done a lot in the last couple of episodes, which would make the villains targeting her feel pretty random.

There's also that fake alliance that Riya attempted to set up with Ally last episode. Despite me arguing that Riya should actually be trying to set up Alec-less endgame options, it seems that Riya isn't actually intending on working with Ally at all at this point. Still, if Riya at least intends on keeping up the illusion of forming a women's alliance with Ally, she probably wouldn't be the one pitching Ally's name to an otherwise seemingly disinterested group.

There is still the argument that Ally doesn't seem to have a lot going on right now, so you could say that having her unfruitfully taking up space as an actual competitor would be worse than suffering one episode of a mediocre elimination. However, it seems like Ally and Connor will be spending a lot of time together in this episode, so I'm hopeful that the writers will capitalize off of the brief bond that Ally and Connor formed in S2 to create a new relationship for her to bounce off of in upcoming episodes. Well... assuming that both of them make it through this elimination, anyways.

#3: Jake

I can't really tell if Tom getting axed makes it more or less likely that Jake would be going home soon. On one hand, now that the TomJake plot is "over," Jake theoretically has fewer plotlines to justify his continued inclusion in the story. He made enough progress in his character arc of becoming a better, less paranoid person that he could exit the competition on a good note at this point. The writers may also want Tom and Jake to both be eliminated at the time of the fabled Loser's Motel episode so that we can wrap up their story with a heart-to-heart conversation.

However, with Tom gone, Jake also gains more opportunities to explore plotlines on his own, like his growing friendship(?) with Aiden. He has made progress in his character arc, but there's still a ways to go if his former backpedaling foreshadows anything. And, well... even if that Loser's Motel thing is true, they might want to eliminate Jake closer to when it would actually happen, so that they don't have to explain why Tom and Jake wouldn't have talked to each other for the entire time period before the episode takes place. (Venus theorized that the Motel episode will take place pretty close to the end of the season so that they can have as many characters in it as possible. That made sense to me, so I'm sticking with it.)

At the end of the day, Jake winds up pretty high because I overall think it's more likely that a villain will go home than a hero, and I think that the villains have two heroes that they're more likely to target than Jake. The votes simply don't seem to be there, in my opinion. Also, he still gives me some winner vibes, no matter how bananas that may sound to some.

#4: Aiden

Yeah, I know. I talk some big talk about there being two heroes that the villains are more likely to target than Jake, and then I put one of them directly below him. But, look, one point in ranking differences is a huge gulf at this point! And I do think that the villains are more likely to target Aiden than Jake, I'm just not convinced that it would actually go through.

Aiden still has a lot of enemies in the villains alliance. Even if Gabby confirmed last episode that she doesn't really have it out for Tom or Aiden anymore, Riya and Yul still dislike him. If there's some reason why they aren't allowed to target Connor this episode-- such as, if Connor wins immunity-- I imagine Aiden would be their most likely backup plan. And, if the heroes can't manage to do anything to split the villains up at this point, they have the majority, and Aiden is gone.

That possibility relies on a lot of contingents, though, and is overall pretty unlikely. Still, it's not like I would be stunned if it happened. I don't really think that Aiden is going to be a finalist again, so, if that's true, he's gotta go home at some point or another. It could be now! However, there are more compelling reasons for me to think that others might be eliminated, so I'm sticking Aiden here.

#5: Gabby

Trust me, I want to put Gabby higher. But, after last week's scare, I'm afraid that I have the wrong read on the group's dynamics. Clearly, the heroes thought there was something to worry about with Gabby, and she got a whopping five votes last episode. Being that close to elimination can't bode well for her odds in this round.

However, now that the heroes are down in numbers, it seems like it'd be a lot more difficult for them to actually manage to eliminate Gabby. This is because, now, they'd have to convince one of the villains to vote for Gabby with them. I can't imagine that Alec or Riya would be down for that for strategy reasons, and, despite Grett's complaints, I do think that she would struggle to vote Gabby out after all Gabby has tried to do to help her.

Really, their only option is Yul, but I do think that's possible. If Yul hears wind from Riya that Gabby wanted to flip on the alliance and vote him out, he could panic and decide to work with the heroes to vote out the biggest threat to his game. If that did happen, it could be the final nail in the coffin for Grett, who could work with the (still) four remaining heroes to eliminate Yul next time. You know. Because Yul's elimination seems to be a next time issue.

However, that fringe scenario would require the heroes to actually choose to work with Yul to vote out Gabby instead of working with Gabby to vote out Yul. Even if Gabby wouldn't have heard of that plan on her own, the heroes could always pitch that vote back to her, and she would presumably agree. That would be good for their games, because a vote would further cement Gabby with their alliance moving forward.

Wait, I'm not supposed to be writing about why Yul would go home! This is about Gabby being eliminated! I do definitely think it's possible. But, there are flaws with the premise as well. Thus, she winds up in the middle. That's what happens when half of me wants to put her higher, and half lower.

#6: Connor

I mean, what am I supposed to do in the face of the villains alliance directly saying last episode that Connor would be in trouble as soon as he didn't have immunity? Assuming that he doesn't win immunity again this episode, I find it incredibly likely that the villains' plan will be to throw all five of their votes on Connor. And, if everything goes according to plan, he would be eliminated. But... will it go to plan?

Yes, Connor has had one episode back in the game at this point to do things. And, do things he did! His motivational speech got all of the heroes to finally put their personal agendas aside and work as a team. Even if they lost the tiebreaker competition, that was a big step. Connor had an impact. He could be voted out.

Except, having your returning competitor be back for two episodes, only surviving the one because the host gave him immunity, is still pretty lame. It feels like we're on the precipice of a villains loss, which would be the perfect excuse timing for keeping Connor in the game for a little bit longer, even without immunity.

My internal feelings say that Connor wouldn't be voted out so soon, but, I've certainly been wrong before, so I'm trying not to rely too hard on gut instinct. Unless he has immunity, there probably will be votes headed his way. It's just a question of whether there'll be enough of them to knock Connor down.

#7: Alec

Alec... I really don't know. He's such a threat. He has too much power! People have to be coming for him at some point. He wouldn't win immunity again now... could he? What is this man doing?!

I can't help but feel like we're reaching the point where Alec's game takes a turn for the worse. The fact that he seemingly gets drunk at the reward bodes poorly for him, in my opinion. He's in control, and he's getting sloppy. He could even make a mistake directly as a result of him being drunk/hungover, like accidentally revealing too much of his true opinions. Opinions about what? Not liking Yul? Actually liking Riya? I can't say, but it could stir up trouble with the villains for the future.

Still, even if Alec will be in trouble soon, would it really result in his elimination now? Well, maybe. I maintain that if the heroes could eliminate anyone of their choosing, they should pick Alec. The issue is, he does seem pretty well insulated within the villains alliance, so getting Grett, Gabby, Yul, or Riya to flip on him could be tricky. Honestly, despite all my praise for their friendship, I feel like Riya could be the best choice. After all, she would be the most likely to realize the true threat that he poses.

Here's a classic Accirax Crack Theory: Maybe Alec does have the power of invisibility in this episode, but, not being able to see him, the other competitors assume that he was too hungover to compete, or that someone else eliminated him without their noticing. At the end of the challenge, someone will believe that they've won, only for Alec to sneak attack them and steal immunity from right under their nose. While he celebrates his third straight victory, Riya will have a sobering moment realizing Alec's ability to sneak, deceive, and win challenges. It plants the seed in her mind that she needs to get Alec out sooner rather than later, especially because the friendship she's been building with him (showcased in this episode with the reward) has been keeping her from seeing him as a threat. That's dangerous. He needs to go.

Now, you may have noticed that that Accirax Crack Theory does not actually support Alec going home in this episode, because he would have immunity again. Yet, I still have him at #7. Oops. Well, it's because, even if that theory isn't exactly right, parts of its logic could still be used to justify an Alec boot. Maybe that exact thing is about to happen, except Alec's sneak attack doesn't succeed. Maybe it's just that sloppy gameplay that causes Riya to panic and seek out that "fake" alliance she built with Ally.

I don't, like... really think that Alec is going home this episode, but there's still enough going against him that I feel okay putting him down here. There are still obvious reasons why Alec would go home, even if the votes aren't necessarily there. Although, hell, if the villains are split between voting Gabby and Yul (like Yul/Riya/Alec on Gabby and Grett/Gabby on Yul) or whatever, it would be really funny if the heroes could use their four votes on Alec in the exact same way that the villains did on Ashley. Weird things can happen, and I do feel like Alec's timer could be running out. It could just be pessimism, though. Can't forget the pessimism.

#8: Riya

Much like how Riya feels about Connor, I'm sure that, now that Riya (theoretically) no longer has immunity, Connor will want to vote her out if he has the chance. Aiden and Connor both want her gone, so I wouldn't be surprised if the heroes wind up throwing their votes on her if they don't have a better plan. The main point against that plan is that throwing four votes on Riya won't do a whole lot unless you can get a fifth vote or if the villains split their votes. Could that possibly happen?

Well, the "splitting the votes" option is basically the same thing I described for Alec, just with the heroes' votes landing on Riya instead of Alec. It could be a result of Alec having immunity again, or of them just having more of a personal vendetta against Riya. But, how could a fifth vote happen?

One option is definitely Yul. Despite working together for so long in DCAS, Riya and Yul definitely don't like each other, so Yul could flip to take her out. Remember that vote that Riya cast on Yul for funsies back at the Miriam vote? Now that Connor is back in the game, he could once again try to prove to Yul that it was Riya who cast that vote. If he could come up with some convincing proof, it could set Yul off. Wouldn't it be fitting for Riya to be eliminated as a result of her former pettiness?

This would also work in terms of Connor being the one to get Riya eliminated. I assume that, much like they were going for with Ashley and Fiore, the writers will want Connor to get his revenge on Riya at some point in this season. It could be now.

The dialogue scene shown in the trailer also gives me reason to worry for Riya. She seems to be having a dramatic and emotional moment, possibly losing control of the That Bitch(tm) persona she's tried to cultivate and reestablish in Connor's absence. If she freaks out in a way that winds up losing the challenge for the villains, it could remind the former Yellows of the way she lost them the musical challenge. It could be additional fuel to the fire of Yul's flipping, or even convince Alec that she's too much of a liability...?

I don't know. I definitely feel like there's something there to support a Riya elimination, but I sorta worry about putting her this low, because I might be calling it too early. But, it's gotta be #9's time to go, right?!

#9: Yul

I'm NOT making my Ellie mistake again. I'm not going to let the fact that I feel like Yul should have been an obvious boot an episode or two ago cause me to gaslight myself into moving him away at the eleventh hour...!

I already talked about one way that Yul could be eliminated back in Gabby's section, and that's not even the most obvious way he could get axed. Gabby and Grett just straight up turning on him seems far more likely. I'm sure that the skin tight superhero suits will only invite more negative commentary from Yul to Grett, which could further motivate Gabby.

This point isn't necessarily directed at solely Yul, but, the superhero imagery certainly seems to bring a heroes' victory in this episode to mind, doesn't it...?

Yeah, I don't have much else to add about Yul. I think that I've already said everything I have to say about him in prior power rankings. Other than that the tiebreaker loss thing probably isn't happening anymore, just because I doubt they'd want two tiebreakers in one season. Ah well. You can't win 'em all... but hopefully I'll finally win by putting Yul at the bottom this week.

Well, that's it! I'll once again plug @venus-is-thinking's own power ranking if you want something else to read now that you're done with this. See you all on... Saturday? Woah, what a twist! We're really picking up the pace heading into the Disvengers: Endgame. I'm sure the superhero timing was purely intentional. Until then!

[jaysficarchive]

Preview: The Lady's Storm

Stormlands

A cool fog hung around while the rosy light of the sunrise illuminated the horizon. There was little movement going on inside the house. No maids, no butlers, nothing except one eager lady.

Quietly creeping out of her room, Lady Oya made her way downstairs and out the back door to the stables. In her arms was a dark blue cloak to conceal her identity. Upcoming events were about to make going out on her morning rides more difficult.

Once at the stables, she took a beautiful black horse out and strapped a saddle to its back. She then led the horse away, holding onto the reigns.

"Good girl, Ayomide." The lady pet the mare once she arrived at a trail surrounded by a forest. "I'll give you lots of apples and carrots when we get back."

Carefully, she mounted Ayomide then rode off. The serene scenery made her feel like she was in a novel. This trail was a secret part of her estate. She discovered it one day while surveying her land on horseback. Behind the trees was a beautiful river full of clear water. Chirping birds combined with the river water were music to her ears during her rides as was feeling rushing winds. It was a nice break from the morning chaos of her home.

Oya stopped at a clearing to watch the rest of the sunrise.

By the time she got back, almost everyone was awake. Thank goodness she planned ahead by having a change of clothes. Last thing she needed to hear was her mother scold her about riding again. Only one time of year got people this up and early.

"Good morning, My Lady." The servants bowed upon her entrance. Oya sliently nodded at them before climbing up the stairs back to her room. If she was lucky enough, she could-

"Ahem."

Nevermind.

Oya stopped and turned, knowing who just cleared their throat. Only the fiercest, most daring woman she knew.

"Good morning, mother."

She bowed gracefully in the hopes of lessening whatever blow her mother was about to deal her.

"And where have you been?" Uche, Oya's mother, asked. She was a woman with deep brown dressed in a rich purple gown with gold embroidery. Her jewels lost not a single bit of luster. Her dark hair was pinned up and out of her face.

"I was in the garden. I wondered if the new flowers ever bloomed." It wasn't entirely a lie. She did stop to admire the new blossoms. Their colors were captivating. Hopefully it was convincing enough for the lady of the manor.

"Right," Uche hummed. She didn't buy the story but decided to spare her daughter. Besides, there was much to do today. "Get bathed and dressed. I will meet you in your room."

After taking a warm bath with rose petals and flowery soaps, she sat still while her maids pinned up her hair in a similar fashion to her mother's. Right on time too since Uche walked in just as they were finishing. She smiled proudly at the young woman in front of her. From the day she found out her second child was a girl, she knew her daughter was destined for greatness. After all, she was a member of one of the greatest houses in all of Eden.

"You wanted to see me, mother?"

"Yes. You will marry this season. I can feel it." Uche sat on the bed next to Oya.

@calciumcryptid

[nicohverse]

Halftime Update!

Fifteen days have gone by, and fifteen days remain! I’ve had a few quiet days with a lot going on in my personal life, but I’m back to share some more now that we’re at the campaign’s halfway point- Datewise, that is! Thanks to your wonderful support, we’re well past halfway when it comes to funding, at over a hundred percent! These fifteen days are still plenty of time to push ahead towards our stretch goals, but first, how about a preview of what you’re supporting?

This is ‘The Hermit’, a witch who’ll be appearing in Letters To A Beloved Ghost. The DLC doesn’t have very many new characters, being mainly focused on expanding the lives of main and side characters seen in the first game, but there are a few and she’s one of them.

“The Tale Of The Secret Knowledge” by Guest Author Kinu Nishimura II

One year after the events in the Clock Tower, the McGermanottas arrive for a summer trip in the town of Mesteri, Washington, to visit the Nozomis. Despite the dreary, hopeless nature of the town, a new mystery unfolds before Stephanie's eyes—but is it a mystery that will allow her to win the battle against herself?

A tale of 'the bonds of family' unfolds in the world of Entropic Float! Though, that's not to discount the burning-hot young love, either... Perhaps it's a bit long of a diversion from your goal of reuniting with 'her', but it's up to you to choose to continue.

More info on the Tale here: https://pastebin.com/kJJDTFbb 

That’s just one of the many side stories you’ll be able to find in the DLC- Which, I’ll reiterate, you get a key to download with any pledge above $5 USD! For Entropic Float 2 to be the best game it can be, it’s going to take some time, so I hope that the Letters To A Beloved Ghost will be a wonderful narrative snack in the world of Entropic Float before I can get you the main course.

Moving on to those stretch goals mentioned above!

We’re well on our way to the first stretch of $2,500 ! As a reminder, at this goal, we’ll be able to produce an official cover of the full version of Midnight’s Requiem~

If we surpass this goal, the next in line is musical as well! At $3,000 USD, we’ll get the opportunity to make an actual Renfield Future song- The guy whose design you can vote on if you’ve pledged at least $15 is a musician after all! This song would be featured in both the DLC and EF2, so it’s a stretch goal everybody can appreciate. Help us show off his personality with his band’s hot single!

If we manage to pass that goal, $3,500 waits on the horizon! Reaching this goal allows us to commission several more title screens from the artist Soyokaze, adding versions with different characters and allowing those characters to be added as acrylic standees! In addition, reaching this goal will add a poll for backers to vote between a few options for a bonus side story to be included in the DLC- These would be stories featuring characters from the second game, as opposed to the current lineup that mainly features those from the first, a great way to get another taste of EF2’s characters prior to its release.

Finally, with one last big jump, $5,000 is a stretch goal that would let us add a substantial amount more voice acting! It would still be limited to key moments, but we’d get a few more voiced lines from each of our wonderful VAs to help the characters feel even more alive. And if this goal is reached, every option that would have been included on the poll will be added to the DLC!

See something that excites you, but you've already got your pledge in? Share this project with a friend or family member who might be willing to help us out! And whether we stretch it out or not, any and all additional funding is a more wonderful Entropic Float 2 and more wonderful ways to thank you for all of your support. Thank you, as always, for reading!

[mmorpg-escapism]

I'm seriously wondering if Estinien is planning to show up again at any point.

Anyway! I sense a dungeon ahead... Time for the usual cut for that!

Once again, I'm doing these dungeons with the NPCs for the sake of dodging the queue times since I'm on VPR for this. I'm excited to see where this leads.

Wow this place is haunting. And not just because of the ghosts lurking about, but the music and the cavernous atmosphere? And the hundreds of tiny urns literally covering the floor under the water in here... Chills.

Our first boss is a very muscular-looking stingray... neat. And the mechanics are even cooler! The design of encounters is clearly getting more complex as we go on - this one has you be the source of the boss's attacks, first via a thin cone you have to position to avoid hitting party members, then by way of spewing bubbles out. Pretty neat!

And now we're in the quarry... it's massive and there's spiders. Ugh. I don't have arachnophobia per se but I sure don't like being around the things... The stone worker thingies are neat though. And that leads us to our next boss...

Firearms! I expected the name to be somewhat literal and was not disappointed. The crazy stone golem thing had cannons for arms and used them to both fire artillery and to do this neat mirror mechanic that bounced a beam into an orb that then detonated with a massive explosion. I hope that last one comes back in the future, that was neat!

...the hell is up with the purple stuff on the walls? This looks like it belongs in Solution Nine based on the preview images we got... oh my god we found the door. Why is this entire expansion so pretty!?!? I love it!

Unfortunately boss #3 is guarding said door. My first thought when the boss cutscene played was "his name is hammerhead" and I was uh. close? Maulskull is close, right? Whatever I was expecting the mechanics to be, they were not. Notably the bonk/pushback we saw in one of the Triad raids... Sephirot, I think? That's in this one. Halfroom alternating aoes like with Gulool Ja Ja's sparring, big bonks and falling rocks galore. This one took me two rounds to get through... and honestly I could do it again. I had a LOT of fun with that fight.

Seriously, though, not one single headsmash with a name like Maulskull. I expected big bonks with it! :(

[destinygoldenstar]

Chris McLean Lives On (TDDRI Chapter 5 Preview)

*Total Drama Danganronpa Island Chapter 4 Spoilers*

I get a good nap in before the scraping of my head on dirt stops. How I'm not dead from it, I don't know. 

"Alright, here you go!" Admiral sings. One flick of the wrist and the ribbon comes off me, leaving me laid on the ground.

I don't move. I like my face in the dirt.

Too bad she grabs me by the back of the head and lifts it up. "Come on, no sleeping on the tour."

I swat a hand at her to get her off me. She does so, leaving me to see what she took me to.

The confessional booth. The old confessional booth. 

"H-how did you find this?" I ask.

Face turned towards it, Admiral shrugs. "It's always been here. One thing Chris never took away from us was freedom of speech after all."

I guess that's true...

"Well, go ahead. Say your peace." She turns to me to smile. "I'll be fixing my new do up so you don't have to worry about me eavesdropping."

I narrow my eyes on her.

"...seventy eight two tenths of the time. Did you know that point is actually an incorrect saying of decibels? It's actually tenths, hundredths if there's another digit-"

"Okay I'll do it to get you to stop talking." I sit up. If everyone says 'point', it might as well be 'point', cause clearly no one cares.

I slowly stand up, my legs shaking a bit. I haven't stood in awhile. 

The old confessional booth. The little wooden stall. We all used to love its place. It was the only place we could have a sense of privacy to just... say what we needed to.

Total Drama just wouldn't be Total Drama without the confessionals we've had.

Admiral is seated by a log nearby, probably acting as a guard. "I'll be here. Let me know when you're done."

Is that it? I just have to go in the stall.

With no say in the matter, I go in to say my thoughts. Whatever they may be.

The stall is exactly how I remember it. It's a small wooden space with a toilet for a seat and a camera pointed at it on the front wall.

That sounds like a crime out of context. It probably is even with it.

I remember when Chris first introduced this to us. He told us this was our free space to say our will and get anything we needed to off our chest. 

Is the camera still active?

Hesitantly, I take a seat. Nothing else is going on around me. 

It's just me talking. 

I spend a good minute in silence. As though I'm waiting for something to happen. Maybe it was a trap set by Admiral to kill me. 

No. Nothing.

It's just me talking.

"Well... what do I even say? Um... what is there to say?"

"I'm here. I'm dying. Everyone is dying around me and yet I'm still alive. Chris McLean is dead. Chris McLean, the man who tortured us since the day we signed those stupid contracts... dead in an instant. The man universally despised by every cast member who fell in his trap. Dead."

"So... why is there nothing I have to say?"

"I should be happy. Honestly, I really should. We should all be happy and cheering that the man is gone. He's done nothing but destroy our lives, with his f*****g ego and his contracts and his blackmail and his disregard for our privacy and feelings. He's a f*****g villain. No questions asked. No doubt."

"So why are none of us happy to see him gone? Why are we so... blank faced about the whole thing?"

"Maybe it's cause only Courtney got the revenge and none of us did. No one else got to say their peace and get the revenge they wanted. Courtney snagged all of it. Course, no one can blame her after that. We all hated Chris. If there's anyone here to trust, it's the one who killed him."

"I know I would've felt good about the revenge. I never trusted that bastard anyway. Nor have I ever cared about him. After the shit he's put be through, arresting me and all of that..."

"So why...?"

"That's-that's all I got. So why?"

"So why did I even sign the damn contract if I knew it was shady?"

"It's simple, really. I'm into shady shit and I wanted to nap somewhere that wasn't juvie for a change. Simple answer. That's all there was to it..."

"Actually, that's not true."

"Before we did auditions, I was in juvie with my pals as usual. We were sick of prison shit, so we snuck out to grab some cheeseburgers. We got good enough at it to the point that we could just do that. Then we found a hiring poster on the window, knew criminals like us had no chance. Then it warped into a whole conversation of 'hey what do you want to do when you grow up? We'd be in big boy bars if we stayed like this much longer'."

"We all said, 'I don't know.' Except Tim. He wanted to be a musician. He actually got a gig in London a year later, which I was very surprised about. Anyway, we also found the audition poster for Total Drama, and the cash money. Who the f**k needed a job when you could become a celebrity instead?"

"So when we got back to juvie, we all made auditions, filming ourselves breaking out and getting caught by the guards on purpose to get attention, to build character. Everyone loved a bad boy, so why not give options and see who won?"

"Guess which one of us did."

"Because we were Juvie inmates, Chris McLean had to bail me personally. Everyone was pretty shocked when he arrived, let alone for me. He walked in like some king, and all the cops bowed to his will. When I saw that and everyone's reactions, I thought 'Wow. Fame and glory is a f*****g treat.'"

"So he came in my cell and pulled me out to chat with me about contract deals. I gave him the tough shoulder, that's who I am, and he said, 'Look kid, I'm putting a dent in my bank account to bail you out of Juvie and give you a better life. A better shot. A better chance. I chose you cause I see great potential in you on screen. Grow up to be something extraordinary. Grow up to be the best Delinquent I could ever ask for. Cause I can send you back behind bars in a snap if you disappoint me.'"

"Blackmail? It's okay cause he's famous. He can get cancelled on the Internet for it, ain't gonna change shit."

"I did. I signed. I didn't see my parents again before I got on the show, I was officially Chris McLean's property. A pawn he could morph into whatever he wanted."

"And I was great at my job as my label: The Delinquent. I was so good at the role that Chris would often break the rules of the game and lie to everyone just to keep me on screen as long as possible. He said I was a very beloved character. Thus, I guess I could be milked like a cow."

"There was no escape. Not even when I tried to quit and do my own thing with Tim, he just dragged me back and kept me in a season I wanted no part of. At first at least."

"That's the thing about Chris's contracts. Not even with just Total Drama. Once you sign a contract, you sign your soul and you become what the narrative of Chris's story wants you to be. It may start as an act... then it just becomes 'you'. You are this archetype. You are everything that archetype is. And if you do something that isn't surrounded by that archetype, you're 'out of character'. You're a character on a television screen made to entertain audiences and make fanbases horny. You're not a real person. You're just 'The Delinquent'. 'The Ultimate Delinquent'. You're not your own name anymore."

"You know the crazy part about that? I was aware of it. I'd say I was aware of it before anyone else was. My family is addicted to cop shows it's f*****g insane... But I fell for it anyway, cause I wanted it."

"I wanted to be 'The Delinquent'. I wanted to be morphed into as stereotypical of a bad boy as you could get. I wanted to be this character. I didn't want to be 'me'."

"Maybe that's why Chris milked me so goddamn much."

"But you know what the crazy thing is? He kept his word. Not about the resort, but about everything else. He gave me a better place to stay than Juvie. He gave me hope for a future. He gave me a purpose outside of being a low life criminal, as my father put it. It was a shit purpose, but it was still a purpose. Maybe that's what's so great about having a label. Don't have one, you're just... an aimless being."

"He made me a millionaire, and he helped support me and my image in public. I made a tweet joking about f*****g Courtney without her consent, and Chris deleted it and called me out before anyone saw it. I think my image would've been ruined a lot sooner if he hadn't done that."

"Then he was put into a corner when I kissed Gwen. Something that got both of us cancelled. Something he couldn't remove from memory."

"I'm the one who asked to be in All Stars when Gwen begged. But I was an outcasted archetype at that point, especially after what I did. I would decrease ratings if I was there. But he humored my will to not abandon Gwen, and said 'You can stay on the show, but you'd have to get a redemption arc.' So I'd be put on the Heroes Team of the season where the show could portray me as a former villain that had a change of heart and became something different. Something kinder and more selfless."

"I guess I betrayed Chris's entire faith in me when I burned his cottage-mansion-thing down."

"...was he right to do that? Was he right to ditch me like that? After everything he had done to me?"

"Was that worthy revenge for an abuser? Or was that a petty act of betrayal caused by someone ungrateful for what they've been given?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I don't know."

"It would be easy to blame Chris for everything and say I was a victim, say we were all victims."

"So why was I the one thrown behind bars by that logic?"

"It's not like victims can be forgiven for doing similar terrible actions just because they have some sympathetic backstory. You do something shitty, you'll be seen as shitty. But what happens when both sides are doing something shitty? What then? Do we just lock up everyone? Arrest everyone? Murder everyone?"

"Chris was a chaotic person. That much we all knew. But I remember one day that wasn't in shooting, me and the rest of the Killer Bass were snagging chips and partying over our dodgeball victory. Chef Hatchet, under orders, stalked us with a chainsaw as a prank. Harold screamed 'Gosh! Can't you give us just one day of peace?! We're not even shooting!'"

"And Chef told us there was no such thing as peace. As long as people were people, chaos wasn't ever gonna go away. Even when you think the worst has past, someone will revive the worst deeds known to mankind. So by that logic, everything would be peaceful when everyone was dead."

"But that's also genocide. Something not even Chris sought out to do."

"If that's the bar we're raising, then... shit."

"Tortured as we were, he kept us alive and only sought to kill us if he saw entertainment. Even then he was gonna leave at least two of us alive. If Gwen is true, then with the resets, he'd have no consequences for killing us. Reset, we survive with no memory, and he does it all again."

"The only time that ever broke for him was when he lost his power to Izzy."

"His power, not physical magic power, but power by fame. Power by influence. Power by leadership. It was something very important to him, and that was taken away by the Ultimate Punisher, and then Izzy."

"Only then did he break and become desperate."

"Then Courtney killed him."

"He got no redemption. He didn't apologize to us, he didn't say he was wrong, he didn't even get to process anything before he died. He just died."

"And the game isn't even over. And the host is dead."

"What left is there? Why is the game still going on if the host is dead?"

"When you die, it's all over. Chris is over. But what he made is still here."

"Us. His characters. His island. His show. It's still here. It didn't die with him."

"He tortured us for years, he beat us to pulps mentally, but removing the beater didn't heal us at all. It's all still here. All the despair we got from him, all the trauma, all the humiliation, all the memories... still here."

"Chris McLean never died..."

"B-but that makes no sense! The body's gone! It's mauled to whatever gore you want to imagine! He can't hurt us anymore! So we can just discard what he's done to us and heal, right?"

"Or maybe it's still there cause I didn't even get any TV fashioned closure with him."

"I wanted to hurt him so badly. I wanted to let him know what was what and see him cry and break and suffer the same stuff I did. From the bottom of my heart, I wish he didn't die solely so I could see him suffer. Even if it was just for a day..."

"Instead the last time I directly talked to him was when Gwen and I beat him for information on how get out of that stupid manor. It was about the mission. Not him. And whatever he tried to do to make it about him, we gagged his mouth shut."

"I wish I heard him out."

"Why so? Why would I want to hear him out? Learn more about him, figure out what he wanted to say? He's an evil man. Why would I want to be in the same room as him? Learn more about him? Figure out what made him so evil in the first place?"

"I'm pretty evil myself, but I know people aren't born evil. Not even Mal. So Chris obviously wasn't born evil either. What exactly did he go through to get to Total Drama? Where did his friendship with Chef start? How were they even friends at all?"

"I remember in Total Drama Action when I stole a phone to talk to Geoff, this was the night DJ quit. I guess I just wanted a friend to catch up with after the second close friend of mine in the cast left. He vented to me. A lot. Mostly about how unfair the industry was being to him and making him harm people for content, which he went along with because underage drinking... Geoff and I had a whole fight of me trying to get him to quit the habit after the season. Which I won. Thank god. Anyway, he told me of some old scripts he found while filming that he skimmed over. Some that were about Chris, talking about his first time on the big screen. Geoff told me 'Dang man, Chris was seriously this sweet and nervous young'in? Wonder what in TV demand made him so horrible?'"

"That's it? TV? Was he just a victim of TV demand? Did he also have his abuser?"

"That would make him a victim. But none of us saw him as one. Because he was an abuser towards us."

"So... were we just scrapegoating him and taking it out at the wrong person?"

"Like, there was no controversy among us to hate Chris. It was universal. I have not met a single cast member who actually liked Chris. But think. Were we just whiny ungrateful teenagers?"

"If it weren't for the show Chris made, we wouldn't be the people we are now. We wouldn't have had our fame, or our talents, or even our friendships and relationships. I would've never met DJ and Geoff as friends, I would've never met Courtney to love, I would've never met Gwen to cheat on her with. I would've never met any of these people."

"Hell... I would say if I was never on the show I wouldn't have been sent to prison. But knowing me, and how the show was the one chance I had to change my streak of petty crimes, I probably would've been sent to prison anyway. Just probably not for arson."

"Can I thank Chris then? Should I mourn Chris? A man that changed my life? Should I thank him for making the show that gave me a chance? And apologize for me blowing it?"

"So why is that not so easy to say?"

"I'm not saying anything I've done is pure in comparison to what Chris has done, but it makes sense good people turn into maniacs because of his chaotic influence."

"I always wonder, if say, Courtney was never on the show, would she be an angel? The show screwed her over, and Chris as well, in favor of me. He unfairly misused her and disregarded any and all feelings she had. Again, in favor of me. The one time that wasn't true was when I was arrested. Obviously this isn't to say Courtney was in no way responsible for the chaotic woman she became, but she probably would've never been enabled if it weren't for Chris."

"I would've had an actually stable girlfriend. Wow."

"She's one of those peace talkers looking for the best solution. A solution she has to lead for that to happen. Makes sense she'd resent Chris who destroyed peace every waking moment of every day and screwed her over just because he was personally annoyed by her nature."

"Makes sense that she'd get the killing blow on Chris in the end. In a way, I guess she suffered far more than me...?"

"I don't know. I'm not Courtney."

"So why do I not feel upset about not getting the revenge?"

"Why do I feel nothing about it? I should. I really should be. Something. Anything... that'd at least be something I could take and move on with my life with."

"If I was crying for him, I could realize he was a misunderstood soul who gave me another chance and I could take what he gave me as gratitude."

"But no."

"If I was happy for his demise, I could say he was a terrible person that nothing he did or said could have any weight on me going forward and I was free."

"But no."

"If I was angry I could yell at God for not giving me justice I wanted for so long."

"But no."

"There's... nothing to it. Yet there's everything still here..."

"Why can't feelings just be simple?"

"He said he was like my dad at one point. Bullshit. Even my birth dad was better than him. But I guess he did make me a millionaire... and threw me and Courtney in and spun me around the moment the cameras went off... and how he said over and over again how proud of me he was for being a near perfect character to him... and how Courtney was so annoyed she forced us out of that hug, but even after Chris told me I could contact him whenever to be more than a character, a friend, a son. He respected me. He showed pride and love, even if it was for my character and not me, it felt... sweet. That after my own father abandoned me in prison, he finally came back for me, saw me as me, and told me he was my son all along... it was one speck of sugar, but even in the pile of salt it was placed in by accident, it was there and I can still taste it..."

"...but the majority was still salt."

"So why can't that just be discarded?"

"Maybe he saw myself in him. I don't know. He mentioned he was in military school as a kid, so... was he like me?"

"If he was abused by another TV executive, he would pass that down to me and everyone else... then I would do that too?"

"Is it my own fate to become the next Chris McLean? To carry on what he's done to me and inflict it on everyone I come across? I thought I was already doing that..."

"Maybe that's why he picked me. Maybe I was always like him. Maybe I really am just as horrible as Chris. If not more so."

"Maybe that's why Chris didn't die."

"Maybe that's what Chris wanted to tell me that night with Gwen. When he tried to explain it to me. Was he trying to warn me about something? Was he trying to warn me to not go on the same path he did? Was he trying to influence me to become him? Was he trying to mock me? Did he lose all hope in me when I burned his house down and held onto that? Did he still have hope for me to at least learn a lesson he had in mind?"

"Before we gagged his mouth shut at least."

"Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid..."

"Chris McLean is dead. But he lives. That's the worst part about the whole thing. Because now going forward I have no one to blame for shitty me. I have no one to come and rescue me and give me a chance to change my ways. There is no one who can close off the show with an ending by saying 'Right here on Total Drama Island'."

"This is a show that never ends. No matter how long dead its host may be."

"Thus, there is no emotion that justifies it at all."

"So... why...?"

I slump on the side of the stall and let out a deep, long, painful sigh. I pinch in between my eyes, and I stay like that for what feels like an hour.

All I feel from that is exhaustion.

***

Hello fans of this fic. I'm stuck at the DMV trying to get my registration to vote, all while certain family members are giving me a hard time with trying to help people suffering in real life right now.

So... yeah, that's why Chapter 5 is taking longer than expected. That's going on, and thus I can't tell if updating this fic is bad timing or not. Second, I just don't have as much time as I'd like anymore. I am working a 9 to 5 now. Seriously, I stay up till like 1-2AM the nights I do decide to write. Which really isn't healthy.

But while I am at the DMV trying to put my country's political power in its place, I wrote one of the more important monologues of the chapter. This only spoils Deadly Life Chapter 4, which I'm assuming you all read. Obviously it's around the beginning of Chapter 5. Cause... I kinda killed Chris off with no closure. That's kind of on purpose actually, and this monologue explains why.

Anyway, look after yourselves while the wait is there. Use the Internet to support a good cause. I'm trying to do that. Hope you're having a fine day.

[sterlester]

#DoctorDonnathon Part 2 - A Tangential Talk On Expectations

    Today is Thursday 2nd November. Tales from the TARDIS debuted yesterday, alongside nearly all of classic Who on iPlayer for the first time, and the latest SFX magazine has really got my excitement bubbling. Not that I haven't been actively counting down to November 23rd all year - I don't have a lot going on clearly. Or maybe Doctor Who just means that much to people. Either way, excitement is going from a consistent simmer towards boiling point. Part of my enthusiasm is driving me to believe there may be more to expect at this #DoctorDonnathon, maybe a recorded message from RTD or a preview of the Blu Ray exclusive conversation between DT and RTD, but I feel I'm getting ahead of myself. This screening will be of Series Four (plus The Runaway Bride), and that is more than enough. 

    I tend to get ahead of myself often. Always anticipating something truly extraordinary out of the ordinary. I went to see the Pixar Orchestra nearly 10 years ago at the Eden Project here in Cornwall, and there was talk of dinosaurs featuring - I interpreted this as possibility of a preview of the music from the then-upcoming The Good Dinosaur, only to be humbled at the visuals of Rex from Toy Story being shown on screen. Likewise with the release of hashtags alongside the public filming of these upcoming specials, I (alongside a few enthusiastic fans) wrongly suspected that on the heels of DT & CT's announcement to expect two hearts and a bowtie to be shared, only for the equally humbling yet intriguing reveals of NPH and YF as players in the episodes. This instinct to hope for the best is not a bad thing, but I'm learning it can lessen the impact of genuine surprises and maybe should be averted. I had a very recent example of this last week.

    One of my other non-Whovian interests is Dungeons and Dragons - I run a Star Wars-themed game and play in a fantasy game regularly (my notes for this campaign just crossed 100,000 words last night!) Part and parcel with this interest is following the adventures of the nerdy voice actors of Critical Role, whose live-streamed ongoing campaigns have lead to the creation of two Amazon animated shows to name but a few of their incredible accomplishments. I was lucky enough to secure tickets for me and my D&D party to see them live in London last week, and the show was amazing. I went in with a great sense of mystery, with no knowledge of the show's content other than knowing the characters and the rough situational context, and was blown away by the story that unravelled before us. But that was not the event that shattered my expectations of the trip - I was walking through London with my friends the day after the show, still reeling from the revelations as we went shopping for jelly beans and trinkets. We'd humoured the idea that we may bump into one of the cast members in the city, being naive little Cornish folk who see everywhere through the lens of Cornish village life where you can't go a minute without being stopped by someone who knows you or your family. So consider our shock when we bumped directly into DM extraordinaire and the incredible player Matthew Mercer and Marisha Ray. I thank my lucky stars that not only did my poor navigational skills accidentally put us in the right place at the right time, but also that my best mate was a lot more present and composed that I was. Thankfully the two were humble, generous, kind and simply as wonderful a people as you could hope for, and took the time to talk to us and even offer to have a photo with us. We apologised for inconveniencing them before letting them go (and before we crumpled into a messy pile of sweat and disbelief). 

    This was exactly a week ago as of this writing, and I still genuinely don't believe that it happened. And this is the point of this ramble - I went in with the mildest expectation, humouring the possibility but only in jest, and when the fates aligned and decided to bless me and my friends with a cartoonish accidental bumping into our heroes, the fact it was so unreal and unexpected made it so much more worth it. With that in mind, I need to go into this knowing what to expect. I have seen every episode I'm about to watch on Saturday many, many times. I've thought about this Series so much, holding it as a benchmark for other series' to aspirationally meet and exceed. By expecting more, I feel I will tarnish this experience - and why would I want that when I know how much of a joy it will be to watch with my fellow fans?

    Long story short - I am excited for this month of Who mania, ready to revisit this incredible series in this viewing, and ready to begin this journey as soon as- HOLD ON TOMORROW IS THE 3RD?! OH GOD I NEED TO GET PACKING!!!

Cornish TARDIS #DoctorDonnathon

(Picture from last week bumping into Matthew Mercer and Marisha Ray - thank you so much for your kindness, taking the time to speak with us and have a photo! And apologies for my inability to speak or react beyond shaking hands and being completely incoherent.)

[greensparty]

2024 IFFBoston Fall Focus - Dispatch

Right now, the Independent Film Festival Boston's mini-festival Fall Focus is happening (for my Preview see here). I got to attend a packed screening at the Brattle of the documentary Devo about the Akron, OH band. The group is finally getting the music documentary treatment thanks to director Chris Smith (he did the excellent doc American Movie as well as as well as a string of pop-culture based docs including Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, Fyre, "Sr", and Wham!). The doc itself premiered at Sundance in January and has been plugging along at festivals since then. I am by no means an expert on the band, but as a music video historian, I have nothing but respect for them as music video pioneers. I have listened to their Greatest Hits album on many a trip and it only gets better.

Devo circa 1980

Devo wasn't so much a music group as it was an artist collective in many ways. The members including Gerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh were art students at Kent State University. After witnessing the Kent State Massacre, they came together with the concept of de-evolution - that society was actually not evolving but regressing, hence the name Devo. They were inspired by art movements and by artists like Andy Warhol, by the concept that art could be an idea, no matter what format that idea was being presented in. The group present their de-evolution idea within music, visuals, graphics, and film. The group was always a little ahead of the curve, i.e. making their own music videos for their songs in the mid-70s years before MTV or other video outlets had begun. Eventually their debut was released in 1978 along with SNL and media appearances, celebrity endorsements like David Bowie, and making numerous music videos as well as video albums. Their big mainstream breakthrough came with "Whip It", a Top 40 hit. There was also band members who came and went, issues with the record label, mis-interpretations of their music, yada yada yada. After the band initially ended in 1991, the members brought their creativity and vision to other areas like Mothersbaugh scoring films (some of the early and best Wes Anderson films) and Casale directing commercials and music videos (he directed the first Foo Fighters video for "I'll Stick Around"). But it shows that while they were ahead of their time, they eventually have been recognized not just for their music but that the message of de-evolution has sadly become true to an extent.

I'm glad I got to see this on the big screen with an audience, many of whom were dressed like the band in flower bowl hats and hazmat suits. I do wish that the doc didn't just end with their initial breakup in 1991 and had show that the group re-formed in 1996 with new members joining the core group like drummer Josh Freese (when I saw him right after he joined Foo Fighters in 2023, they introduced him by playing some of his famous bands and did a short cover of "Whip It"). I wished they had shown that Devo 2.0 next phase instead of ending it in that earlier era. But there was a message that they were too ahead of their time, even with the visuals onstage that was off-putting for some in the mid-80s and today you see that all the time. But what made this doc super special was that they had the group on-board not just for interviews but for proving some archival footage and early films and art. It was a deep dive into this group that have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times and have actually never been inducted, but should be.

For tickets and info go to IFFBoston Fall Focus

[pure-garbage]

Water And Air! The Weakness Of A Power Holder!

Something unexpected happened to Lana on her way into Fishman Island. After the tense standoff with the fishman who identified himself as Hammond, she was on edge, fully prepared to fight. A confluence of intentions let her know a little beforehand that the fight would never come to fruition.

'Coup de burst... but it's gonna get tight in here!'

Even so, the crew was only pressed down to the deck for a few fleeting seconds before the ship crashed through the first bubble surrounding Fishman Island and lost its coating in the process. As the Sunny soared through the unexpected layer of air, Lana's sense were still heightened. Her haki was working at its highest level yet after her preparedness to deal with the threat of the unknown fishmen who had greeted them outside.

She sensed the alarm of her crewmates, fear from some, excitement from others. Anticipation was high, nerves were strung tight as fiddle strings ready to snap in an instant. That much was to be expected, but somewhere past the hectic parade of emotion and panic, beyond the palpable sum of the contents of her friends anxious hearts, a new picture formed. Hurtling toward the second bubble, Lana watched a scene play out five seconds ahead that was strangely detached from the intent of those involved. She immediately knew this vision was different than what she was used to sensing with her haki, but she didn't have time to question its nature.

Lana gasped audibly, harshly enough to warrant a look from Zoro. She grabbed his wrist, her fingers a vise on his flesh. Four seconds left.

"Water!" she shouted, holding onto him for dear life as fear of drowning gripped her.

Zoro understood her warning. For a split-second, he almost felt like he could see the impending moment through her eyes. The physical contact aided his own haki, though that hadn't been Lana's aim. Zoro felt more than glimpsed the brief resistance from the second bubble, followed by helplessness and the agony of immediate asphyxiation. A preview of the experience that was about to envelope Lana.

'We're about to go under!' he realized with a jolt of alarm.

Three seconds. Zoro's gaze swept over the crew, scattered on deck to brace themselves on whatever solid fixture was closest. His mind worked through strategic scenarios in a flash, but with so little time to organize, there was no way he could pair power holders up with the crew members who were still able to swim. No way he could so much as yell out a plan, let alone have time to see it executed. It caught his attention that Sanji was near Luffy.

"Cook!" Zoro barked, returning the strength of Lana's hold on his wrist in kind, locking them together more effectively than any chain would have been able to. "Grab hold of Luffy!"

"Huh?"

One second. Sanji's confusion was the only natural reaction, but it cost them. There was no time left to prepare.

The Sunny breached the second bubble, leaving the straw hats awash in a current that ripped them apart before anyone else had so much as a second to prepare.

The panic that filled Lana was senseless, overwhelming as fatigue drained her of the will to so much as move her body, never mind keep her grip on Zoro's wrist. Her fingers slipped, involuntarily lax. For a split-second, Lana was afraid that the current would take her away, sweep her forever out of reach of her crew to drown in some dark, freezing corner of the deep sea.

Zoro's fingers tightened on her wrist to the point that it was almost painful, but the ache filled Lana with gratitude.

'I've got you.'

The sentiment was familiar, an unspoken promise he'd made her before and which his grip now reminded her that he would never break.

Zoro fought the current, but its hold was unbreakable. Despite his best efforts, there was no way he could reach his other crewmates as the rushing water swept them off in different directions. He and Lana were moving at breakneck speed, but with no knowledge of where they were heading, Zoro couldn't trust their lives to fate.

'I have to do something!'

Lana was completely useless, struggling even to hold her breath as the ocean sapped her strength and left her at the mercy of time and Zoro's ingenuity. He pulled her close, slung her over his back and wrapped her arms around his chest. He quickly bound her wrists with his bandanna, freeing both his hands. Behind him, he could feel the breath leaving Lana's body in a defeated, stuttering sputter.

Zoro drew all three swords, keeping calm even as his lungs burned, begging for air as the current around them refused to let up. He clamped his teeth around the Wado's hilt and extended Shusui and Kietetsu a full arm span apart. It wasn't much to go on, but he released a breath and took note of the direction the bubbles trended toward against the current. Was there air to be found at the end of their path? He would find out soon, or they would both die.

'Tatsu Maki!'

Zoro executed his attack with every ounce of power he could muster, aiming the force down and using it to propel them both upward. The current was so strong that even as they shot up, they moved on the diagonal, but they reached a point after which the force of the rushing water faded.

'We're clear of the riptide!'

Zoro sheathed his swords. There was light in sight and he swam for it, keeping himself from passing out with sheer force of will as he streaked through the water. Breaking the surface, he dragged in a desperate, gasping breath. The sunlight was so bright and unexpected that he had to close his eyes against it for a few seconds as he tread water with soft waves lapping against him.

"Lana! Are you breathing back there?!" he demanded, jamming an elbow into her ribs. She coughed and sputtered, spitting up water onto his shoulder and flashing him a weak little thumbs up with both her bound hands.

"Not dead," she managed hoarsely. "Great work, Zo."

"What'd I tell you about shortening my name?" he grumbled. He spotted a shore and started swimming for it.

"Cut me some slack. I'm dying here," Lana protested defensively.

"Zo. Ro."

"I'll use both syllables after I catch my breath," she assured him.

"You sound just fine to me."

"You're such a jerk."

"I just saved your life. Don't be ungrateful or I'll cut you loose and let you drown."

"No you won't. Swim faster, I feel like garbage."

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