#again he has enough of a sad backstory where I want to see him saved

[violetlunette]

Me: Bakagou offends me on a personal level—as in our personalities don’t mess, like he likes hot peppers and I like sweet strawberries. And his writing is lacking in places...

*Discovers Bakagou wanted to kill Shiggy*

Me who REALLY hates Shiggy on a personal level: …. You know I think we might be being just a touch too hard on the boy. It’s not his fault his writing fails to hit the mark for many people and lacks here and there. And unlike the terrorists he could still turn his his life around and become better...

[dadvans]

my favorite line in the entire bucktommy saga is maddie's reading of "wait, it's the same tommy?" because at that point you know this girl has been THROUGH IT way too many times in a short period, like:

her soon-to-be husband comes home. he just fake called out sick from work to fly into a hurricane with his closest coworkers, her disaster-prone brother she mostly raised included, to save his boss and his wife. he tells her all about it, adrenaline still pumping the day after he comes back from the COAST OF MEXICO, and is like, no, it's fine! see, my old co-worker tommy works in air ops and I saved his life once, and we used to be super tight--[insert 10 minute off-topic backstory about how tommy used to be a jackass but now he's different here]--until he moved away, and funny enough, buck was the guy who filled in for him? anyways, tommy's the coolest, we could've died but we didn't! how was your shift at dispatch, honey

her brother she pretty much raised comes over and also brings up this tommy guy. yeah, he's so cool! do you think it would be weird if i called him up and asked for a tour of harbor? he just seemed like a neat guy, i want to be his friend, you think chim would put in a good word for me?

her brother she pretty much raised comes over AGAIN and is like, okay FUCK this tommy guy, he's so cool and knows everyone and his meat is huge!!! my best friend likes him more than me and they're doing things without me and i'm so sad about this in a really abstract way, can i please have a bagel

her soon-to-be husband comes home in the middle of this and is like, yeah he's cool and knows everyone and his meat is definitely huge. LOVE that guy!

her brother she pretty much raised shows up at her workplace and is like, remember how i was experiencing jealous thoughts and feelings because the coolest guy i've ever met with the biggest meat isn't paying attention to me and is new besties with my best friend? i may have caused bodily harm about this and yes i did involve your almost husband as a co-conspirator

approximately 2-to-3 business days pass where she experiences quiet. maybe too much quiet

her brother she pretty much raised comes over for a fourth time and is like, i lied to my best friend who i was just telling you i was angry at and s l i g h t l y injured because he kept hanging out with this other guy i was trying to hang out with and totally unrelated but i went on this date with someone and lied to my best friend about it and oh yeah it's the same guy but that is so besides the point it's not even worth mentioning

justice for maddie

[janaispunk]

just close your eyes

chapter 3 • series masterlist

pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

summary: An injured Joel and Ellie stumble into your home in the middle of the night. Against your better judgement, you decide to help them.

word count: ~2.2k

tags/warnings: post outbreak, slow burn, found family, age gap (sorry not sorry), able-bodied reader, angst, reader has a sad sad backstory and ptsd, hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual smut, vague description of an injury, implied death of a character, the angst is ANGSTING in this one

a/n: once again, i can't thank that jackson joel pedro photo enough for the inspiration that it's brought me. i hurt my own feelings with this chapter, and truth be told, it's gonna get worse from here.

follow @janaispunknotifs for fic updates and find my full masterlist here :)

dividers as always by the lovely @saradika-graphics 🤍

Over the following days, something of a routine forms between the three of you. 

Joel spends most of his time resting, asleep more often than not, the shape of him on your couch a picture that you grow familiar with. But as his fever goes down and the skin around his injury is less red than when you first laid eyes on it, you allow yourself the tentative hope that you might have been able to actually save him. 

You’re becoming less skittish around him, getting used to his rather gruff demeanor, slowly realizing that what Ellie said was indeed true, it’s not about you. You come to think he just doesn’t like needing and accepting help.

Ellie follows you around like a puppy, eager to soak up every scrap of knowledge that you can share with her. It’s not much, you think, mostly cooking, the task of turning supplies into various meals, given the limited resources that you have in this world. You like having her around, the almost constant stream of chatter and questions never annoying you.

It fills your usual silence, helps keeping you grounded in the present. Most of the time.

Now that you have company, it becomes painfully obvious to you how much time you spend in your head, just sitting and staring straight ahead, lost in your thoughts, oblivious to the time passing. You have taken to having a book open in your lap, to make it seem like you’re reading, but you find yourself looking down at the page without seeing it, not sure when you last turned it. 

It’s not what they would have wanted, you keep telling yourself, trying to shake yourself out of it. Well, it’s not like anything happened the way we wanted, the bitter voice in your head answers.

If Ellie or Joel notice, they don’t ask about it. You hear their voices in the night sometimes, both of them sleeping in your parents’ bedroom now, since the couch was starting to hurt Joel’s back. 

You don’t lock your door anymore, leaving it ajar, just like them. The thought of someone else being down here with you is soothing you, the fear of them being a possible threat basically nonexistent at this point. Instead, a different kind of fear sets in. 

They haven’t talked about where they are going, but you know that they’re not gonna stay forever. Once Joel is completely healed, and winter has given way to spring, they’ll most likely be off again, leaving you on your own again. You don’t want to grow attached, but it’s difficult not to, while being with other constantly. 

You and Joel are taking longer to warm up to each other than you and Ellie have, but you’ve gotten used to having him around you. It’s a quiet, but trustworthy, reassuring thing, his presence in your space. Now that he’s healing, he’s someone who you trust to take responsibility, to take care of things if needed. You’re not sure how you know, but you’re certain that he is.

One evening, Ellie finds the DVD collection that’s stashed away in the cabinet under the small TV in the corner of the room. You hadn’t watched anything in forever, not sure if it’s even still working, but her enthusiasm makes it impossible to turn her down. 

Even Joel pipes up at the prospect of a movie night, crouching down next to her to sift through the DVDs. They’re both drawn to the shitty action movies – usually not your preferred taste, but you find the corners of your mouth lifting when they both turn around simultaneously, looking for your approval of their choice. 

Joel pushes himself back up with a grunt, pressing the button on the TV and making it spring to life without issue. You settle deeper into the couch cushions, pulling a knitted blanket over yourself as you watch the opening credits play. 

It’s so comfortable, so normal, and you want to get lost in the feeling in a way that makes your heart ache. Ellie sits down beside you to share the blanket while Joel stretches his legs out on the other couch. A smile is tugging at his lips when he catches you looking at him, but it can’t hide the wariness in his eyes, mirroring your own. It’s the feeling of things being too good to be true, the fear of nothing good ever lasting, of the world crashing down around you again, that always accompanies you, and without asking, you know that he feels it too. You cast your eyes back to the screen, trying hard not to get yourself lost in the fear, but to enjoy the moments of peace while they last. 

Ellie loves the movie, her eyes wide at every action-packed sequence, gasping at every explosion. At one of the more absurd scenes, you can’t contain the burst of laughter that bubbles up your throat. You’re unexpectedly joined by the deeper rumble of Joel’s, a sound that you haven’t heard before. 

You glance at him, to find his eyes already on you, an emotion in them that you can’t place. Neither of you say a word, both quietly returning your eyes to the TV. 

When you’re lying in bed later that night, you still feel the smile on your face. 

While your closeness with Ellie came quickly, almost taking you by storm, it’s a quiet, slowly growing thing with Joel. 

It begins with him lingering in the kitchen when you’re preparing the morning coffee, asking you questions about the place, about keeping supplies, electricity, the safety measures. He helps you with cooking, grumbling about giving something back when you protest. 

He’s gruff, no comparison to Ellie’s lively chatter and endless questions, and it makes you nervous at first. But you get used to him, his more quiet demeanor, his dry humor. You can tell that he’s trying hard not to scare you again, avoiding sudden movements or getting loud, and while you appreciate it, you also can’t help but wonder how broken you must seem from the outside. 

He doesn’t ask prying questions about your past, how you’ve come to live here all alone, though you have to imagine that he’s curious. You don’t ask him about his either, even if you do wonder how he and Ellie ended up together. It’s a quiet mutual understanding and you’re grateful for it. 

You have to believe that he had his fair share of loss in his own life, that the both of them had; an inescapable reality at this point in the world’s history.

It’s like a silent camaraderie when he catches your eye as Ellie is reading out puns to the both of you once more, rolls his eyes in a way that still holds so much love for the girl next to you, but that fills you with the urge to giggle. It stops you in your tracks the first time it happens, the sensation so unfamiliar to you that you can’t place it for a second. 

When you smile at him, the corners of his mouth rise ever so slightly as well, before he huffs an exaggerated sigh at the joke that you just heard. It riles Ellie up, just like he wanted to, you suspect. But you block out her bickering at him, busy with your own thoughts. One thought in particular, one that you haven’t had about anyone since you were a teenager. 

Joel is kind of pretty when he smiles.

The both of them have also taken to working their way through the bookshelf that’s taking up most of one of the walls. It’s mostly guidebooks on hunting, gardening, self defense, anything that your father deemed possibly useful. Over time, you had added books from your old bedroom, the one upstairs, that you had hastily carried down the stairs, hoping for the familiar words to give you a sense of normalcy in a world where nothing was normal anymore. 

Joel sometimes talks to you about them, asking your opinion on which ones to read, discussing their contents with you. Over time, you realize that he does it when you’re zoning out, pulling you back into reality with the drawl of his low voice next to you. You’re thankful for it, not used to being cared for like this, but also mortified that as it seems, he does notice when you’re too deep inside your head.

It’s one of those afternoons, you’re just about to start preparing dinner, when Ellie asks if you have more books somewhere, about something cool. “Like what?” you reply, an easy smile on your face. 

“I don’t know,” she shrugs, “like comics, maybe? Ohh, or something about space?” 

It takes a moment before the words register, before they form a picture in your mind, the memory of exactly what she’s asking for. You stop in your tracks, frozen on your way to the kitchen. Your toes dig into the carpet beneath your bare feet. A faint trembling starts in your hands and slowly spreads through your body. 

Ellie says your name, an edge in her voice. You’re not sure what your face looks like. 

Your wide eyes find hers, looking up at you from where she was spread out on the floor, her hair splaying out over the scratchy rug, one of your books held over her head. You had joked about how that position couldn’t be comfortable a few minutes ago. 

You see Joel from the corner of your eye, slowly raising to his feet from the couch cushions. It feels like you can’t breathe, like you’re sucking in air but it doesn’t reach your lungs. 

A large, warm hand lands on your shoulder, making you jump. Joel rubs soothing circles over your back, your name a low rumble on his lips. 

“It’s– it’s not a problem if not,” Ellie murmurs, sitting up slowly, her eyes flicking between you and Joel, uncertainty written over her features. 

You force a shuddering breath in, using the sensation of Joel’s hand splayed over your back to ground yourself. Nodding your head, you will your voice to travel up your throat. 

“Yeah no, I– just a second.” 

Joel repeats your name, more questioning this time, but you ignore it, feet carrying you into the bathroom where you quickly shut the door behind you. Skin stretching over your knuckles, you stand over the sink, gripping its edges to stay upright. 

It’s what he would have wanted. He would have been so happy to share them. It’s true, you know what. 

You’re not sure what’s worse. Going in there yourself, crossing the threshold of a room that you haven’t entered in years, haven’t even opened the door to, or letting someone else do it, let them disturb the memory of a reality that you’ve tried to preserve in there. Too painful to touch, but too important to let go of. 

Steeling yourself, you return to the living area. Ellie and Joel are sitting close to each other, both of their heads flying up at the door opening. It’s obvious that they have been talking about you. You bite your lip. 

Ellie rises to her feet slowly, takes a tentative step toward you. “Listen, it’s not that important really–” She sounds like she’s talking to a skittish animal. 

You shake your head, not trusting your voice not to betray you. With a deep breath, you cross the room to the door beside yours. One of two that you keep firmly closed. 

It creaks on its hinges when you open it slowly, your hand shaking on the handle. You try not to look around, to keep your eyes closed to the truth that nothing changed in here, and yet everything changed. It’s stuffy, stagnant air that’s been untouched for too long, but it smells like him. Like he’s still here with you. 

You don’t see the unmade bed, still carrying the trace of the last time he got up, the stuffed lion beside the pillow. Don’t see the half finished drawings on the desk, or the mess of action figures in the corner. You grab the stack of comics from the nightstand, ignoring the way your vision blurs at the edges. Move on to the shelf, smaller than the one in the living room, blindly picking out random books. 

When you step out of the bedroom, quickly pulling the door shut behind you again, neither Joel or Ellie have moved. You can’t meet either one’s gaze, don’t want to see the expression in their eyes.

Ellie takes the stack of books from your outstretched hands, murmuring a thanks, and you sense that there are more words on the tip of her tongue. Questions, apologies, you don’t know and you don’t want to. 

Turning on your heels, you escape into your own room, closing the door as quickly as you can before you collapse on your bed. Tears flood your eyes in time with the memories flooding your head, threatening to pull you under and drown you under their waves. 

You hear their muffled voices through the door, but neither of them comes to disturb you. You’re thankful for it, not needing anyone to witness you in this state. Eventually, you drift off into sleep, your mind gladly giving way to unconsciousness.

The following night is the first time that Joel has to shake you awake from a nightmare.

thank you for reading 🤍 if you liked this, please consider reblogging, leaving a comment or sending an ask, it truly makes my day every single time!

[fanficsdumpomg]

John Dory Boyfriend Headcannons

*John Dory and y'all met during his brozone days, you were in a band that frequently opened for them. You both met during an afterparty and you hit it off.

*John Dory and you would constantly spend time after shows, you got closer to his brothers during this time as well and became like a big sister to baby Branch. However, as much as you cared about John Dory you never wanted to take your relationship to the next level for fear of crazy fans.

*Your relationship came to a head after the big brozone concert where John had wanted to perfect the perfect family harmony, you didn't hear from him after the show so you went back to his family's pod to discover they had all quit the band and left baby branch alone.

*Feeling angered and Sad at JD's disappearance and leaving his brother behind you decided to help Rosiepuff take care of Baby Branch. After Rosiepuff's death, you however became like a parent to to branch.

*In the years that followed Branch had grown out of his shell and met his bff now girlfriend Poppy who helped him become a better person. You couldn't be more proud of him but where did this leave you? You spent so long taking care of him what were you going to do now?

*These feelings continued to build but you pushed it down with hobbies, these feelings exploded however on the day of Bridget and Gristle's wedding an unexpected guest appeared.

*JD was back and you were pissed not only for leaving you without a single word but only now showing up when he needed something from his brother.

"Y/N, I'm sorry...I was so young and angry I didn't give anything else a second thought but I have never stopped loving you."

*You didn't accept his apology and wanted nothing more to do with him but when Branch had agreed to go on the rescue mission to save Floyd you immediately wanted to go feeling that motherly instinct to protect Branch Arrise again. Also, you could take care of cute little Tiny diamond who had managed to sneak his way on Rhonda so this was a win-win for you.

*Getting in Rhonda, y'all set off to find Spruce and came across Vacay Isle; where a spruce turned Bruce now worked with his wife and family. After some convincing you guys managed to get Bruce to come along but not before performing to show/prove to his kids that yes, he was in a band.

*During the performance you were glad to see how happy Branch was with his brothers again and when he pulled Poppy on stage, John Dory pulled you up on stage as well where y'all performed the last verse of the song.

"I forgot how fun it was to perform with everyone... especially you <3."

*Okay, JD still has the band charm you see; but it will not work on you you tell yourself no matter how much you blush.

*Moving on with Bruce, you were well on your way to collect Clay and on the way over you were finally civil enough that you and JD could have a talk about what the two of you had been doing the last 15+ years. You told John all about how you cared for Branch at that time (which John thanked you for) and John Dory talked about his time hiking the Neverglade trail.

"Sounds...interesting to say the least, you'll have to bring me on your next adventure JD." you said smiling resting a hand on his.

*You had finally reached Clay after Branch's brilliant yet gross plan to have Rhonda track Clay with his old Funder Underwear.

*Arriving at the abandoned gold course you meet Clay and Viva the leader of the putt-putt trolls and as it would turn out Poppy's long-lost sister.

*After Viva and Poppy went off to reconnect, Clay informed you of her tragic backstory on how she was separated from King Peppy and Poppy during the night of the troll escape. Clay also let you know that Viva is very protective over the trolls she protects here so unfortunately you would have to leave Poppy behind if you all wanted to get a move on to get to MT. Rageous.

*Unfortunately, Viva did discover y'all as you were about to leave and shut the gates effectively trapping you inside. You were however able to escape with Poppy due to Clay opening the gate again but left behind a broken-hearted Viva.

*Now you were on you were way to Mt. Rageous and the gang + poppy decided to have a little practice session which in your opinion was going very well until John Dory stopped it claiming it wasn't perfect enough. Feeling frustrated everyone lashed out and him especially Branch who was disappointed when he learned that his brothers planned to split up once again after they saved Floyd. He stormed out of Rhonda with a distraught Poppy following behind him

*You were incredibly angry not Just at John Dory this time but at the rest of them, how could they be so insensitive towards their little brother.

"You know what John Dory, you have hurt your little brother and me for the last time. You better hope when we get to MT. Rageous that he is okay 'cause I will end you!" And with that, you stormed off towards the back of Rhonda.

*And you stayed at the back of Rhonda till MT. Rageous where you were kidnapped by Velvet and Veneer. Velvet and Veneer had no use for you so they threw you for draining purposes but Velvet thought it might be cute to use you as a little good luck charm and captured you in one of her diamond earrings. Poppy and Branch confronted the two of them at the entrance to the rage dome and outed them as liars/frauds which prompted their roadshow in their car.

*Horrified you watched the brothers get drained as Branch, Poppy, and Tiny Diamond raced to save you on the MT. Rageous freeway. They eventually got aided by Bridget, Gristle, and Viva and managed to corner the Popstars on a boat.

*The fight was tough and they managed to free John Dory, Clay, Bruce, and You but not Floyd. And in one last attempt, the seven of you performed hoping to achieve the perfect family harmony. It worked and you were able to save Floyd at last, shattering the diamond prisons that trapped both you and the brothers.

"John Dory...getting kidnapped made me realize that I have never stopped loving you no matter how big-headed and stupid you are. The time we spent together these last few days has made me realize that you are still the silly goofy boy I fell in love with all those years ago." You said smiling.

"I love you too, Y/N!" he shouted with a grin pulling you into a kiss.

[tealfloyd]

A COSTUME-SHIFTING HALLOWEEN

"MC's first Halloween ended up being disastrous a marvelous one~!"

SUMMARY: During the last day of Halloween, MC encounters a singular ghost who drags her to a confusing situation... (Everyone x Fem!Reader)

WARNINGS: Death mentions at the end, jealousy (?)

CONTENT: I didn't have any ideas for Ortho :( The ghost has a sad backstory, and, uh— That's it, I think. WORDS: 7K+

A/N: Okay, I know Halloween has already passed, but I got an excuse since this is a repost, so bear with me here :)

Some costumes were hard to describe, but I think they're not that bad. They're acceptable tier, I guess.

After this fic, everything else published will be the requests I've saved, so I ask for some time before starting to work on the new ones!

Now onto the fic~

Halloween was just around the corner, and you’re still trying to figure out what is happening.

It was a strange surprise when Grim and you returned to your dorm, not expecting to see it covered with paper and cloth; somehow looking a lot like a Ghost Festival entrance.

Lilia was on charge of the decoration placements, and while you were okay with it (it actually made the Ramshackle dorm look good), Grim was demanding an explanation for this.

After he got it, you wondered if everyone was doing the same thing, and now that you think about it, you haven’t seen any of the first years after class during the recent days; most likely preparing everything for the arrival of the spooky season.

It wasn’t till the next day that you got a more detailed explanation of how Halloween was celebrated here; your troublemaker friends being overly excited for this event, and you had to admit that the joy was contagious.

And you may be wondering: “will this finally be the event where the only requisite is to enjoy it and not engage in any unusual thing?”

And to answer that question, I must ask: “MC, are you really attending NRC if not?”

8 DAYS FOR HALLOWEEN

A week before Halloween arrived, a steering committee session was scheduled so everyone could show the work they’ve done so far, talking about the venue decoration and the costume related to it.

Since a stamp rally was going to be held, everything had to be in perfect condition for when the guests would come to visit.

You got to see every dorm’s venue location and costume, amazed by the amount of work and effort they’ve put into it.

Vil tried to make you a costume, but you declined, stating that you were okay without a one. He really wanted you to have one, fuming slightly when you refused again, the response being that you didn’t want to take advantage of him. At the end, he reluctantly agreed to it, understanding your position.

However, that idea changed (non-voluntary) when the last day of the Halloween week started.

THE LAST DAY OF THE HALLOWEEN WEEK

Before I narrate the occurrences that happened the last day, first I must narrate what happened through the entire celebration.

You visited every dorm’s venue periodically, just wanting to have a fun time with your friends and talking about how cool their costumes were, along with some compliments of your own costume, the one that the ghosts gifted you in spirit of Halloween.

Everyone was trying to beat everyone, non-literally, of course (well, most of them). More like they were trying to show off in front of you, looking to gain your attention and appreciation.

It didn’t work at the end because they were all your friends, and you genuinely appreciated every performance they’ve put since that meant they were trying their hardest, and as much as they love your thoughtfulness, they wished you could have chosen their dorm.

Overall, everything went great. You were surprised at the way some of them interacted with children, finding it cute as you continued to stroll with Grim, the little creature receiving a lot of attention because of the viral picture the ghosts posted some days ago, leaving you to wait aside. This, shockingly enough, made you feel at ease, since now you weren’t the only girl roaming in the campus, which was now filled with children and their parents and/or brothers.

However, you weren’t invisible to a certain ghost, who decided to approach after seeing you for some time.

“Why are we here again? We’re missing all the fun!” Whined Grim, his little paws making it difficult for him to catch up with your fast pace.

“We won’t be here for long, but if you really don’t want to be with me then I guess you can go and—“ He didn’t let you finish as he ran away, excited to be once again the centre of attention. “—Leave me alone… Just when you think they’re going to listen."

You shocked your head in disbelief, returning your gaze to the pond, looking for something.

“Hey, little fishes~ Where are you~?” You called, gaze tracing the water to see if they were hiding. “It’s me, so there’s no need to hide—"

“I see you’ve grown quite fond of these creatures."

The unknown voice startled you, and you backed away in surprise, almost falling into the water.

“Oh, thank the Sevens…” Exhaling in relief, you exclaimed. “You scared me!"

“Isn’t that the purpose of this event?”

It didn’t come off as a surprise to be spooked by a ghost; you’ve grown accustomed to it since it was Halloween, yet it did seem weird that this one was the one spooking you, thinking that it took advantage of your unawareness.

“Can I help you with something? I don’t have candy right now but if you wait, I can bring you some," you said, hoping that your words convinced her.

“Oh dear, I’m not looking for candy," you turned your head, furrowing your brows. “I was looking for you”.

Baffled, you pointed at yourself. “Me?”

“Indeed, I’ve noticed that you are the only female student here," she floated closer to you. “I wonder why~”

You sighed. “It’s a large story, but that doesn’t explain why you’re looking for me."

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”.

“If I’m being honest ma’am, I’m more scared of Lilia’s cooking than your presence."

“Well, that works for me~," she chuckled at your response, seemingly thinking about something. “Where did you get that Halloween costume?”

“This?” You signalled the costume. “My ghost friends made it for me, since Grim and I were the only ones without one."

“I see~” She inspected it, humming in disapproval as she checked every detail. “Some of the seams are incomplete, and the colour palette can be better…”

“Hey, what are you doing—"

“I’ve decided!” The abrupt yell caught you by surprise, looking at her in shock. “You’re going to be my new muse, and your friend’s designs are the perfect way to start!”

Now you’re confused, completely and utterly confused, because you can’t comprehend what this ghost is talking about.

“Muse? I… I’m afraid I don’t understand…" You said, tone hesitant. “You shall not worry, dear! You will get it pretty soon!”

And with that final note, you seemed to have no other option than to let this ghost drag you outside the outings of the campus, floating towards Diasomnia’s location.

FIRST PARADE, DIASOMNIA: RAMSHACKLE DORM – A MIGHTY “LOONG”

The costume didn’t have any major changes on it; most of the original design was kept untouched, but what differentiated Diasomnia’s costume from this one is that it had a golden necklace, and in the centre of it was a shiny chrome diopside, the green gem contrasting with the solid colours of the entire outfit. But what did change was the head accessory, the hat being replaced by a golden crown, vaguely resembling a dragon.

“What are we doing here…?” You asked, seeing how everyone was walking around the intricate decorations.

“Now, stay still…” And just like she was using a magic wand, she started swinging her hand with grace and after some seconds and several sparks, she proudly smiled. “Done! Now tell me what you think!”

You looked down, surprised to see that your old costume was replaced with Diasomnia’s one, feeling somewhat conflicted. “I… I don’t know what to say…”

She took this as a good sign, happily exclaiming that she did an excelling job, attracting the attention of the visitors.

“Woah, look! It’s a ghost!”

“Is that girl part of the presentation? Her costume is so elegant~”

“She’s so pretty! Is she supposed to be an empress? The head ornament is really cool~!”

And with that, the people who were previously taking photos of the decorations now are asking to take photos with you.

The commotion being heard by the Diasomnia students, who approached to confirm everything was right.

Malleus is baffled. At first, he doesn’t know why you have a Diasomnia costume, but that thought is quickly forgotten as he steps closer to you, complimenting you in his unique way, accidentally making the visitors think that you were a couple. He doesn’t do anything to deny those claims, sighing sadly when you explain that you’re not, feeling slightly betrayed at that. He knows that you’re beautiful, and he understands the people who think the same, but he can’t help but apart you from anyone even the ghost that he thinks is too close, hiding you behind his intimidating form, leading you to calm him down so he wouldn’t scare the customers off. Sometimes, he wishes he could keep you safe in a tower. Just sometimes.

Lilia is enjoying the whole situation. He notices the female ghost that’s part of the “main show," and he guesses that maybe she could be the reason why you’re using his dorm’s costume he likes to play detective. He’s delighted with the design, saying some strange compliments that only Lilia would say, expressing his endearing feelings for you in a… Complicated manner, one that rivals Rook. He’s the first one that poses with you, happy to see your cute attempts as your fingers try to adopt a scary pose. He had to restrain Malleus at some point from hissing at a customer because he tried to flirt with you. He gets it, but he can’t let him hiss at anyone that tries to flirt with you!

Silver is the only normal person here, but in everyone’s defence, he’s the only person there. He compliments you too, yet it ends up sounding a bit… Frigid? He doesn’t mean it that way, you caught him, the normally collected Silver, off guard showing up with his dorm’s costume. His mind wanders from helping Lilia control Malleus, to you. He knows he shouldn’t be glancing at you; his priority is the sovereign of Briar Valley, but he supposes he can let himself be distracted when the life of his master is not in danger.

Sebek is yelling at you because “you didn’t get permission to use and change Diasomnia’s costume!” Shutting up after some seconds of this because of his master’s ominous glare. He doesn’t mean to appear so rude and the fact that he made Malleus angry is something that he would never forget, but how do you expect him to react after seeing you so… Empress-like? The royal aura you’re emanating makes him want to bow down before you and patiently wait for your orders, so that’s another bodyguard for you. He also sets aside anyone that is near you, accidentally blurting a: “haven’t you learn that royalty doesn’t interact with commoners!?” and now he’s a blushing mess, screaming: “I was talking about Lord Malleus, not you, human!”

Thanks to their unrequited actions, everyone mistook the scene as a comedy skit, fortunately helping their image because right now they’re a disaster.

They didn’t really ask about the ghost beside you, maybe a ‘why?’ and ‘what?’, but they’re pretty chill about it. Yes, even Sebek.

Lilia suggested that you all should take a selfie, and since Lilia’s the shortest he took it while floating, sending it to the group chat, most likely to annoy the other students.

As you were about to be engaged in another exhausting photoshoot with the visitors, the ghost decided that it was enough for you… In this costume.

She holds your hand, and you bid your Diasomnia friends goodbye as she leads you to the next location.

SECOND PARADE, HEARTSLABYUL: BOTANICAL GARDEN – A SKELETON GOTH LADY

The top was tight, the laces on it being identical as the original ones, while the cuffs were a bit more open. The pants were changed for a torn-up skirt, a little bit higher than the knee. Black stockings covered your legs, having a bone pattern so it would match with the skeleton concept. You didn’t had gloves, some white chains replacing them as they attached themselves to rings on every finger. Instead of a hat, you wore a skull pin on the side of your hair, a bit of black tulle added to it.

“The botanical garden, great… Why’re we here again?” You asked, a bit nervous because of the attention your costume was getting.

“My, haven’t you noticed? To change your costume, of course!” That easy going attitude wasn’t wearing off, and much less now that she’s got to see you as a source of “inspiration."

“My costume? Why? I thought it looked nice…”.

“It does! But my creativity has reached levels that I cannot ignore, so we will be changing your attire a few times today~," you couldn’t even have time to protest as she started doing the magic wand trick again, sighing at the lack of communication.

Once the magic was over, you looked down, seeing the new costume that resembled Heartslabyul’s skeleton idea.

“And…? What do you think~?” She asked, impatient for your answer.

“It’s—"

“Woah, look there! They’re holding a magic demonstration!”

“That’s such a cute costume! But I thought the students were the only ones using them?”

“I’ve heard that there’s a girl studying here, and to top it off she’s very pretty~”

“Oh no…” Indeed, here comes the photoshoot session again.

Riddle doesn’t even know where to start. He wants to scold everyone that it’s crossing your boundaries, and then he realises why it’s that. His face becomes redder than his hair, and he’s conflicted with his feelings because on one side, you look beautiful (he doesn’t understand why you’re using a Heartslabyul’s costume, but he guesses he can set it aside for now), and on the other side, some teenagers are getting too close to you, much to his and your like. He steps in, trying to be a good friend that helps another friend romantic interest, but he’s mistaken as a, and I quote, “loyal skeleton husband," Don’t worry MC, Cater’s been recording since the start of the interaction so you wouldn’t miss his flushed face. He ends up getting collared for that.

Trey chuckles, and you can’t help but think that Jade’s mannerisms had finally stuck to him. In reality, he’s doing it as a way to cover up his bashfulness, thankful of the veil covering his face. But that doesn’t mean he won’t tease you about it, saying some funny compliments in order to hide his flushed state. He’s the calmest out of the five when it comes to people approaching you, asking them to not invade your personal boundaries, his high figure making it easier for them to listen to him. He hears a comment that has him coughing out of the shock, stating that they wished they had such a gentle partner. You pat his back, completely worried because, Trey? Why’s your face so red?

Cater doesn’t know where to start; by the fact that you’re slaying in that costume or the fact that you’re using his dorm’s costume in the first place. He decides that is not important because the only relevant thing here is that you are using his dorm’s costume. He feels so proud as he announces that he was the one that came up with the original idea; not exactly this, but you know what he means. He’s the one that teaches you how to pose for photos with the visitors, snapping some quick selfies of you both and the rest of the students because it’s necessary, and no, he’s not taking any criticism. He posts it immediately, adding some fun captions and hashtags as he continues the photoshoot.

Ace remains quiet for five seconds, and you’re scared because you think he may mock you for using this. So, imagine your surprise when he muttered that you looked good in an unusual shy tone. The Ace Trappola complimenting you directly and with no teasing involved? It seems too good to be true, and it was as soon as you were about to say something nice too, he reverted to his normal personality and stated that it was because the costume itself made everyone look good. As some say, all good things must come to an end, so prepare yourself, because he’s going to tease you non-stop during your entire stance in the venue.

Deuce stays still, mind trying to elaborate the sentence he’s been meaning to say to you since some minutes ago. He’s so nervous that he ends up saying: “you look MC, beautiful." You laughed so hard that your stomach started to hurt, and the same thing happened to everyone else; even the visitors let out a chuckle at his innocent comment. He quickly tries to retract himself, blabbering that he didn’t mean it that way. He knows he just made the situation worse for him as you continue to laugh your ass off. Once you recover from the accidental joke, you tell him that’s fine, you understand what he meant by that. He’s relieved, but also concerned because he knows that Ace and his upperclassman are going to use this against him.

The whole scene seemed like a stand-up comedy show, the unintended funny comments made everyone think that it was a special performance since it was the last day.

Too bad for Deuce, now he’ll never hear the end of it because everything was recorded from start to finish. Don’t let him know that people are posting this, he’s not prepared.

Contrary to Diasomnia, they did ask about why you had a ghost accompanying you. You tried to explain them the situation, confusing them further. At the end you gave up because you didn’t understand it either, so you just dropped the topic.

After a few more photos, Cater took a surprise selfie, posing while everyone else was distracted. He also sent it to the group chat, with the captions: “Look who decided to join us~!”.

Not for long though, the ghost lady dragging you off to the following place while they were attending some customer, making them sad skeleton boys upon realisation.

THIRD PARADE, OCTAVINELLE: LABORATORY – A MUMMIFIED YOUNG RULER

Instead of the black shirt underneath the white button-up one, it had a crop top; a black harness belts covering it. An oversized white dress shirt was tucked into the skirt, some loose bandages wrapped around your waist, along with some leather belts to secure it. Your nails were painted black, and a boater hat was placed on top of your head, slightly tilted to one side.

“Are we visiting every venue because of your inspiration stroke?” You said, already getting tired of being dragged off.

“Now you’re getting the hang of it!” She exclaimed, stopping in front of the laboratory. “It’s time to change, aren’t you curious about my next work?”

“I would be lying if I said that I’m not."

She did her magic, and in a couple of seconds your costume had drastically changed; Octavinelle’s concept, you guessed.

“Do you feel comfortable in it? I don’t know if you like the top…”

“It’s fine, it’s not usually what I would wear but it’s comfy." Relieved, she exhaled, as if she could breathe for starters.

You were wondering if nobody saw you, and that thought vanished as you heard the now expected comments of the customers.

“Is that a ghost? She looks so cool!”

“And that girl over there, is she using a mummy costume?”

“Maybe she’s the female student everyone’s talking about!”

Both of you entered the laboratory, and that did nothing to soothe the stares and whispers; if something, it enhanced them.

Azul mind’s is multitasking. One part is processing the fact that you showed up, out of the blue, with a ghost and an Octavinelle costume; this is not something he can ignore, although he can’t ignore anything that has to do with you. And the other part is thinking of possible promotions for the Mostro Lounge with you on the cover; a businessman never stops being a businessman after all. He salutes you as always, cordially asking what brings you and your ghost companion there. Azul can be a great actor when the time requires it, and this is the time that really requires it; if he embarrasses himself in front of these amount of people, the tweels and you… Be certain he isn’t leaving his octopot anytime soon.

Jade knows that when something involves you, there’s always a twist, and what a charming twist you’ve made today. He’s entertained by this scene, softly chuckling as he puts on his best smile, greeting you with his gentlemanly demeanour. He’s checking your reactions at his planned compliments, finding all of them utterly adorable. The laboratory had a fair amount of people before you arrived, but since you showed up the visitors have been doing the same; and for this situation he has a subtle way to make the customers apart from you, and by subtle I mean scaring them off with “discreet” threats and a sinister close-lipped smile.

Floyd’s mood is constantly changing from happy to hostile. Happy because of you appearing with his dorm’s costume on and with a ghost; just when he thought his Shrimpy wouldn’t get more interesting! He’s stuck to you like a koala to a bamboo tree, happily talking until someone asks for a picture, and that’s when the hostile mood comes; he can’t stand anyone that comes near you in a ‘flirtatious’ manner, ominously looking down at them. You have to distract him with funny comments so he wouldn’t squeeze anyone, but there’s definitely an unspoken condition there: he’s going to appear in every picture taken, no complaints.

They’re lucky you visited two dorms before theirs, because if not people would start to suspect that maybe anything of this wasn’t planned at all.

At this point, everyone saw the two videos that went viral on Magicam, Lilia and Cater’s courtesy, which had the only female student at NRC magically changing her costumes with the help of a friendly ghost.

The three of them had seen the photos sent to the group chat, but Floyd was the one that spoke out loud, placing the phone real high, kind of not giving time for you to pose appropriately.

He sent it immediately, bragging off about the fact that they had the coolest selfie, creating a discussion under his message, giving start to a selfie war,

The ghost lady noticed the behaviour of the sly students, and so she took the advantage when they were distracted to drag you off there to continue her inspiration spree.

Less to say that they weren’t very happy about this.

FOURTH PARADE, SCARABIA: SAM’S SHOP – AN ARABIAN WEREWOLF PRINCESS

The main thing that differentiated this costume from the original is the top, which was red with some golden patterns on it, a translucent material covering your belly, same thing with the long sleeves. The pants were still baggy and white, a golden chain wrapped around your waist. You had a water drop head chain, making it easier for you to wear the wolf ears, while the clawed gloves were replaced with long, black nails.

“We shouldn’t have done that, now they’re going to look for us," you sighed, already thinking about the outcome.

“Don’t be silly, it would take a while for them to find us in this crowd," she seemed accustomed to it, and you don’t know if you should feel relieved or scared.

“I got lost in the mall once while shopping with Jade and Floyd, and they found me two minutes later. Two!"

“I know a thing or two when it comes to escaping~" Scared, that’s how you feel right now.

“I—" You thought for a second before re-doing your sentence. “What do you have planned for Scarabia?”

“I’m sure you would love this one!” She spoke with so much confidence that you were getting excited about this, staying still for the transformation.

Once it occurred, you were happy with the outcome, speaking your thoughts of it before she even asked. “This one’s great! How do you make these costumes?”

“You can say it’s my speciality~”

“Did they invite a princess?”

“I think she’s the female student of the videos; her werewolf costume is so cute!”

“MC!”

Oh, that was a different one.

Kalim acts like a puppy every time he sees you, all giddy and if he had a tail, it would be wagging. He was surprised to see you appearing in a different costume, and he happily complimented you, not realising at first that it was based off his dorm’s costume and not one of your ideas. You present him to your fashion ghost, who instantly loved his carefree personality, stretching hands with big smiles on their faces. It was cute, and that was a common sentiment as everyone asked for a photo; the supposedly ‘scary’ expressions only gained more attention, making Jamil act as a guardian for you both.

Speaking of Jamil, you thought he was mad at you for something since he didn’t say anything from the moment you arrived. He’s perceptive, so he probably knew this from the concerned look you unconsciously sent at him, muttering a small: ‘It suits you’ after. You don’t get to see his face since he’s hiding it, but you don’t mind, glad that you didn’t make him mad. As if you could make him mad in the first place; if anything, your presence makes him feel at ease, and he would’ve said something else if it weren’t because of the fact that you were dressed like an Arabian werewolf princess and the amount of people surrounding you right now.

Kalim already attracted the people, his cuteness being the cause of it. So, add to the formula you, the dress-shifter with a stylish ghost, and that equals: More people.

Jamil literally acted like a bodyguard, trying to control the crowd as you both posed for more pictures.

At some point, Kalim gave his phone to a girl and kindly asked her if she could take a picture of you three. She complied, shuttering a few photos until she was satisfied with the last one.

It was the typical best friend group photo; the lively Kalim, the annoyed Jamil and the one that’s in the middle, you.

Everything was fine until you heard a loud yell, which screamed: “Shrimpy~!” And that was the moment the ghost knew it was time to go.

FIFTH PARADE, SAVANACLAW: COLOSSEUM – A SOPHISTICATED CAPTAIN

The coat was larger than the original one, almost touching the floor; the ends were a bit thorn, but it was considered more elegant than the boy's version. You wore a fancy shirt, which was under a leather, black vest; you also wore the same pants, just a little higher and tighter. You wore several silver rings, and high leather boots. You didn't have an eyepatch though; what you did have was a pirate hat, with golden feathers neatly placed on it.

“Hey— Wait! You’ll make them angry!” You could barely stand by how fast she was floating, and you swore you were floating too because you couldn’t feel the ground.

“We are short on time; we don’t have time to worry about them!”

“But they’re 6’2! And Floyd can do parkour. It’s a matter of time before they find us!” Without context, it would seem like you both were escaping from the mafia; and with context… It’s the same, but for different reasons.

“You’re right!” She abruptly stopped, leaving you to fall face first on the sand of the colosseum. “This is the perfect situation for the next costume!”

“That’s what you’re thinking about? My personal space's on the line here!” You yelled, spitting the sand that got in your mouth.

“Shhh!” Shushing you, she helped you get up, doing once again the costume transformation. “There! Aren’t you the prettiest pirate here~”

“It does fit the context, though—”

“I didn’t know the Savanaclaw dorm had pretty girls~”

“I don’t think they do, maybe she’s the student from the videos.”

“She’s such a cool pirate~ I’m going to ask for a picture!”

“When will this end…?“

Leona was napping inside the boat in a secluded place, but he got up after hearing the commotion outside. He tried to sleep again, but the noise was too much for his sensitive audition, so he went to investigate the source of it. Less to say that he froze in place after seeing you; ‘why are you using a pirate costume’ and ‘what is a ghost doing beside you’ are some of his questions. He walked up to you, asking why you are wearing that, an unconscious smirk travelling up his features. He didn’t mean it in a bad way, it’s just his way to express interest, and you seem to get it because you thanked him. You drop the topic and explain the situation, and he’s baffled because he doesn’t get how you understand his actions yet don’t realise he’s in love with you, like, how does that even work?

Ruggie chokes. He was drinking water since his throat was starting to get dry after so much talking, and that’s when he saw you. He makes enough noise for you to notice, so you try to help him, unintentionally making it worse. Once he’s done with the coughing, he asks why you’re using his dorm’s costume; he didn’t understand the explanation, maybe because he was busy staring at you. He knows he has to say something, so he compliments you; not directly though, saying that the costume looked good. You agreed, toying with the golden buttons of the coat, failing to see his flushed face. Good, because if you did, he would have to lie, and his mind can’t elaborate a lie right now.

Jack was absent for the majority of your stay, returning from Sam’s because Ruggie asked him to bring some snacks. He did hear something about a female student changing costumes, but he didn’t imagine it was you at first, thinking that maybe a girl was taking advantage of the rumours. Now he knows that he was wrong. You spoke to him first, even retrieving his bags so you can place them aside, all while people still ask you for pictures. He only begins to move when they start to cross the line, hiding you behind him so you could take a breath from the sudden fame like a good friend would do, and not a boyfriend like the customers think- Wait, a boyfriend, your boyfriend? All the efforts he made to not blush go out of the window as his tail wags and his cheeks become red.

The visitors in Savanaclaw were more controlled than those in the other dorms since you had three scary beastmen by your side Ruggie can be scary, I’m sure of it, literally, and that reduced their shoving and overall craziness.

The idea of taking the photo was from your ghost companion, seeing that none of them brought it up.

It ended up being a pretty funny photo. A boy snuck behind you all, and before he could even pose, Leona grabbed him by the collar. Jack tried to set free the poor teenager, Ruggie was laughing, and you still stood there in the middle, smiling to the camera.

There wasn’t a second chance, she liked it too much to delete it, instead sending it to the group chat.

She decided it was enough fun for this venue and continued to the next one.

SIXTH PARADE, IGNIYHDE: LIBRARY – A MYSTERIOUS PUMPKIN DAME

Ignihyde's costume wasn’t changes in the slightest, it was the same black and neon blue armour, just that yours was adjusted so it would fit you. But instead of the greenish pumpkin head that Idia had, you had an orange one. The face in this one also changed, with mischievous eyes and sharp teeth forming a terrifying smile.

“Can I ask you a question?” You said, tilting your head to look at her.

“But of course, dear! What do you want to know?”

“Why me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not really an interesting person, and I’m sure there are a lot of people who are more befitting of these clothes than me."

“I see… Well, that is a topic I would discuss later, when I depart, but you were my only option for this, and I sincerely mean it," instead of the cheerful tone she always spoke with, she had a nostalgic one replacing it.

“Okay…” You both didn’t talk for a few minutes, only conversing again when you arrived to the library, a crowd of people inspecting the place. “Are you going to turn me into a knight?”

“Not a knight, dear. A dame!” She made her magic, and soon enough you had a new, shiny armour and a pumpkin helmet, unaware of how scary it looked. “How does it feel? Replicating that boy’s technology is extremely difficult, so I tried to make it as light as possible”

“It’s not too heavy, but this thing surely is suffocating me," removing it from your head, you organized your hair, a bit squashed because of the sudden pressure.

That movement was enough to get you a whole fan club.

“Kyah! Who’s she? She’s so cool~!”

“Right? She must be the girl that’s trending on Magicam, she’s prettier in person~”

“Who needs a prince? I want this girl to rescue me.”

“Wow, they’re getting more creative."

Idia first thought that a devoted fan of “Pumpkin Hollow” appreciated his work and decided to show up as the character to show his respect. He didn’t expect to see you out of all people but consider him a part of your fan club with that hair movement. His hair becomes pink, and he tries to deviate the conversation from your costume to the movie. To be honest, he felt betrayed when he knew that you didn’t watch the movie at first, yet he knows he can’t blame you because you were isekai’d into this world, so he asked you if you wanted to watch it. He thinks you loved the movie just as much as him, but when you told him that your new ghost friend made it for you he deflated a little. Not for long when you told him that you did like the movie, already planning a marathon for you and Ortho to watch.

Going to Ignihyde was fun from the start. I mean, sure, some of the people were annoying, but it wasn’t too uncomfortable.

At some point, you acted a bit, reciting a few lines of the movie that you remembered, making the visitors intrigued about the movie, muttering that they were definitely going to watch it Idia thinks he’s in love with you.

For the selfie, you took two: one with the helmet and one without the helmet. Idia wanted to delete the helmet-less one, but you pressed send before he could finish the sentence plead.

It was getting late, and you knew that the next location was going to be the last one, so you took the initiative and told the ghost (that suddenly became more thoughtful) that it was time to move, and so you both exited the library.

SEVENTH PARADE, POMEFIORE: MIRROR CHAMBER – AN ENCHANTING VAMPIRE COUNTESS

The Pomefiore costume really had major changes; you wore a Victorian dress, which had the same pattern and colours as the original, a black sash covering your waist. The cape had the same design, a bit larger so it could embellish the shape of the dress. You didn't have any accessories besides your black gloves. Your makeup was also done; a dark eyeshadow and lipstick complimenting your skin.

She did the transformation with no funny puns and old-styled jokes, and you thought something was… Off.

“Are you okay?” You said, calmly walking towards the mirror chamber.

“Of course, I’m okay. Why the sudden question, dear?” She replied, a forced smile making her way past her lips.

“You seem a bit… Sad." She widened her eyes at this, lips forming a gentle smile after a couple of seconds.

“It’s nothing to worry about, dear. This will be over soon."

“Huh—?”.

The usual three comments you got used to were replaced by the voices of your distressed (except Rook) friends, looking for an explanation as soon as you arrived.

“Potato! What’s the meaning of this?”

“Ma chérie, I’m glad you’re finally here!”

“I can’t believe we were your last choice…”

Vil felt offended and outraged. How can you decline him making you a costume, but you so gladly accept the same offer from an unknown ghost? He does realise he shouldn’t be mad at you; he doesn’t know if you gladly accepted after all, but he can’t help but feel betrayed. And you didn’t come visit them first; you know he’s a beauty guru, why would you hide this from him? He found out when checking his Magicam, the trending topic being: “NRC female student magically changes costumes with the help of a friendly ghost!” He calms down, not wanting to get a pimple out of stress; he does think the costume is great, sure, there are a few errors here and there, but nothing he cannot fix.

Rook is delighted. This man would praise you if you used a trash bag as a dress, so imagine the amount of compliments you’re getting from him using his magnifique dorm’s costume! He found out too when he was asking Vil something, strangely zoned out, so he decided to see whatever had him so mesmerized; but if isn’t his belle prefect! Of course Roi du Poison would be enchanted by this! He patiently waits for you to come visit, hopefully with a new costume based off his dorm, and he sure wasn’t disappointed! He even thanks the ghost at some point for enhancing your effortless beauty, and then he just straight up starts confessing in French. He knows you don’t know French, but he enjoys seeing you so confused as you try to decipher what the hell he just said.

Epel is also offended. MC! You’re one of his best friends and romantic interest and you decide to visit him last? How could you? He starts lightly scolding you, and in the middle of it, he shuts up, noting that you were indeed using your own version of his dorm’s costume. He becomes so red that he’s not a vampire anymore, he’s a tomato. Because of this, he lets you be, uttering a small compliment while looking away, not wanting you to see his blushing face. You get distracted by Rook, and he silently thanks him as he organises the stand; the gratefulness doesn’t last long because, well, it’s Rook, and Vil also added himself to the conversation, fixing a few details of your costume. He groans, discreetly commenting something so you would talk to him too.

The Mirror Chamber didn’t have any customer, and you felt a sense of relief washing over you. People would start calling you names if they noticed that you were friends with Vil, and you didn’t need that right now.

Since this was the last venue, you stayed with them until they finished cleaning, helping a little as you couldn’t really move freely in the dress.

You all went out, taking a break before returning to their respective dorms to prepare for the upcoming party, clearly taking a selfie before it which ended up winning the contest because Vil was the one who took it.

You were almost spotted by the tweels, but manage to hide before they saw you, carefully running with your friend towards your dorm.

Once you got there, she made her magic again, transforming the dress into a simpler one, white with some flowers on it, all while a heavy sigh leaving her mouth.

“What’s wrong?” You asked, now concerned because of this.

“MC, you know why I chose you for being my muse?” The sudden question caught you off guard, and you shook your head in response. “I had a daughter, just like you: young, beautiful, and had this charisma that made every head in the room turn into her direction. Truly a charm."

You stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. “I was a fashion designer when I was alive; I rarely saw my daughter, maybe once or twice in the week, and that if I had time."

“She got sick one day. I thought it was sudden, but the doctor said that it had been going for months, and that she had only a few ones to live. It turned out, it wasn’t like that."

“One week later I was rushing to the hospital, carrying her in my arms because she collapsed."

You guessed the end, but that didn’t stop the feeling of dread. “She died that day, and I couldn’t even tell her that I loved her…”

“I’m sorry…" You muttered, not knowing what else to say.

“When I saw you, I saw her; smiling and living contently with no worries, as if she was fine and healthy," she stopped to look at you in the eyes, and asked one more question. “Do you know why I’m a ghost?”

Your eyes widened in shock, and you shook your head again. “I promised her I would dress her with beautiful clothes; I promised her that I would be there …”

“Do… Do you mean that—"

“I think that this day may have given me the chance to encounter her again… That you gave me the chance to encounter her again."

“I…” You stopped for a brief moment, a warm smile forming on your lips. “Thanks for today. I really hope you can meet your daughter again."

She chuckled, slowly vanishing as she stroked your hair affectionately. “You’re such a kind girl. Those boys are lucky to have you."

And with that, she disappeared completely, white sparks fading as silence invaded the room.

You felt something wet on your cheek, only realising after touching it that you were crying.

“Henchman! Ace told me the party’s already starting! We better get there before they run out of food!“ Grim said, abruptly yelling as he passed the opened door.

“Yeah, sure, just, uh— Give me a minute…" Hurriedly wiping your tears, he stood there dumbfounded and concerned.

“Are you crying?” He asked, frowning in confusion.

“I’m okay, it’s just that… I remembered something” You smiled in order to ease him up, knowing that down deep his egoistic façade, he was worried about you.

And it worked, since he scoffed, quickly changing the topic as you two walked towards the location of the party.

There was one thing that she was right about, they were very lucky to have you, but you were just as lucky as them.

THE END~

DON'T REPOST.

EVERY CHARACTER BELONGS TO DISNEY AND YANA TOBOSO AND I DON'T TAKE CREDIT FOR THEM.

[sapphic-agent]

I think the biggest thing I've learnt from the more critical side of MHA is: don't let your favoritism affect your story. I think it's natural that you're gonna like more characters than others. But if it's like noticeable to a point where the audience sees it, it's a big problem. Or if the character is a fan favorite, they'll praise it to sky heaven. The fact that Izuku VS Shigaraki has been oddly side lined so much in favor of Bakugo VS OFA or him rescuing All Might is... weird to me. Like, I get it. He was dead for a year in our time. But... this IS Izuku's story not Bakugo's. Even if Bakugo is a deuteragonist, he's still not the MAIN protagonist. Shouldn't we be shifting more or less to Izuku VS Shigaraki? MHA has been building up their final fight for 8-9 years, and we're oddly all focused on AFO and Bakugo? And for AFO's backstory, I care less for the potato man. Shigaraki is the villain of MHA, not potato man. Such as Izuku is the protagonist of the story, Bakugo isn't. And it's so baffling to me to see MHA twt praise this series to high heaven and just don't oddily notice that Izuku is just oddily fucking quiet through out this fight?? I know he's focused on stopping Shigaraki, but nothing???? Like the Toga and Uraraka and Todoroki Family arcs got all the attention they deserved, so why tf isn't Izuku and Shigaraki?? I understand they were gonna be last, it IS the final battle after all, but it just seems it's gonna go downhill from there.

Plus, how tf is Izuku gonna be able to save Shigaraki?? Izuku is at his witt's end, and Bakugo said he would take care of AFO. Because if it's ACTUALLY Bakugo & Izuku VS Shigaraki. I'll just- I'll be so done. I get the whole "Izuku doesn't have to do everything on his own" but like- Shigaraki literally KILLED Bakugo and got revived from his goddamn blood exploding. (That shit is still funny to me.) like good Lord, can Izuku just have HIS moment??? If all of the cool power ups and cool moments go to Bakugo instead of Izuku, and Bakugo somehow saves the day.

The fucking ending is gonna be ruined by favoritism. Again, this is just an IF. But I felt crazy reading twt's and no one noticing Izuku hasn't said anything of a) Bakugo being brought back to life b) or just reacting to anything. It just seems like Izuku is just there as a device to carry us towards the ending, at this point.

You're right and you should say it.

Mind-boggling how people will look at this shit and still say Horikoshi doesn't favor Bakugou. Like, what? He is 1-v-1-ing the big bad of the series. The villain who killed almost every past OFA user (would also like to add that these are the same users he insulted and looked down on, so if he is the one to finish AFO, that's a slap in the face to every single one of them). The man who incapacitated All Might. The Demon King who's ruled the underbelly of Japan for the past 200 years.

And you mean to tell me that Katsuki Bakugou of all people is his final boss? That's just embarrassing for AFO tbh.

But the fact of the matter is, yeah Izuku's fight with Shigaraki should have been the main event. Instead, it's being treated as a side quest. Hell, it's being treated as less than a side quest as both Uraraka & Toga and the Todorokis & Dabi were given more attention.

It's sad, not only for Izuku but for Shigaraki too. Horikoshi was so close to making him a complex villain, only for all of his character progression from Deika to go down the toilet. He can't be saved because he's been written to be so completely detached from his humanity.

In general, Izuku and Shigaraki should have had more moments together throughout the series. This interaction between them is meaningless because Izuku doesn't understand Shigaraki enough to save him. It's why he's getting frustrated because there's really no feasible way for him to save Tomura. He isn't Eri or Kota who were just kids in danger and who wanted to be rescued.

I hate to say it, but Izuku hasn't had enough development to be able to save Shigaraki. It's not his fault (it's Hori's), but it's true. For him to understand Tomura, he needed to broaden his worldview and Horikoshi hasn't allowed him to do that.

It's an utter disservice to both characters

[cozage]

A few people have asked…

So here’s the 2.5 things that I didn’t love about the OPLA

[SPOILERS FOR OPLA BELOW]

Again, just to reiterate: I LOVED the Live Action. It was beautiful, lovely storytelling. Everyone involved put everything they had in it and you can really see that.  But there were some changes that I didn’t think were justified, and they were both in Arlong Park.  

1. The Cocoyasi Village Residents genuinely hating Nami. In the manga and anime it’s very heavily implied (and maybe outright said? I can’t remember) that the residents of Cocoyasi Village are AWARE that Nami is trying to save their town. They only act like they hate her to try and get her to stop sacrificing herself. I’m not entirely sure why the call to change that was made, but it made me really sad the way Nojiko treated her in the OPLA (especially after seeing the moment in the manga where she tells Nami that “tattoos are just decoration; they don’t actually mean anything!”). A lot of the decisions to cut scenes with young Nami and Nojiko (and just young Nami in general) really took the punch out of her backstory. 

2. Garp and Koby meeting up with Luffy in the East Blue. I actually REALLY loved the Garp/Koby/Helmeppo storyline up until the last moment. I think it added to the world building and showed us very early on how the World Government is morally questionable and how the world operates. It also helped close the gap of how Koby and Garp got to know each other and how he falls under his command. I really enjoyed following them along for the ride. Until Cocoyasi Village. There was something about that moment that felt…off? I don’t even know why. Maybe it was because Garp has NEVER approved of Luffy being a pirate. He knows Luffys resolve, but he would never say “I was testing you to make sure you wanted this path” and then basically grant his blessing. I know there had to be some kind of resolution between them, but I didn’t like the way it ended. I wish it had been more like the Water 7 moment. Garp felt far too serious the entire time (the only time i really remember him laughing was when Luffy fired the cannonball back at the marine ship).

Impel Down spoilers

2.5 This is so small but we KNOW that Buggy cannot travel without his feet (unless I’m misremembering?). He has a range and cannot move out of it. So his head hitching a ride to the Baratie is just so canon-breaking it HURT ME. I know it’s unlikely we’ll ever make it to Impel Down for that to be a problem (I genuinely think Skypiea would probably be the last arc the LA could cover, but Water 7/Enie’s Lobby could be done if the budget was big enough) but it just BOTHERED ME. WHY. WHY DID THEY DO THAT. I know there’s ways to fix it (maybe he can’t MOVE after a certain range, but can still be carried?) but STILL. 

That’s really it, honestly. I know a lot of people had gripes about Usopp and Syrup Village, but I liked the changes. I never felt like Usopp was overshadowed (plus, background character is the way he likes it honestly, keeps him away from danger). I liked that Kaya was so welcoming and a part of the bigger storyline, and I loved the way it took place in the mansion instead of on the beach. I was OBSESSED with the way they did the Baratie, Sanji’s interactions, Mihawk's reasoning for going to the Baratie, and how he left Zoro and Luffy. 

I. ATE. UP. the zolu content during the Baratie and Nami/Zoro sibling dynamic really coming out there. Oda approved the absolute BEST changes during Baratie specifically, hes so real for that. 

I’m going to watch it again with my family, maybe I’ll feel differently after I rewatch.  Again it’s imperative you guys understand I ADORED this show, and I NEED a season two IMMEDIATELY. It was fantastic and if you haven’t watched it, go do that right NOW. 

[sweetvixen1996]

ok, i never read manga or watched anime, but i see arlong park being mentioned in context of nami, so i wanted to know what was it about? do you mind spoiling me? 😂

as a new live action zinami shipper i just hope for any possible zonami crumbs in the future 😂😂

Oh boy, that is a BIG QUESTION. But I'll do my best to answer

Arlong Park is both an arc, a place, and an important moment in the sorta Meta of One Piece.

As an arc, is serves as very much the climax of the East Blue Saga. It has the biggest fights, the most elaborate backstory (so far), and is an event that leads to Luffy getting his first bounty.

For Nami, in particular, it is Her Arc. It is the one where her backstory, motivations, dreams, fears, and psyche are most explored. The long and sort is that the villain, Arlong, killed Nami's mother and enslaved Nami to make him maps. With the promise that if she gathered enough money, Nami could buy her and her village's freedom. For course, he's a filthy liar, and Luffy and the others need to help step to unleash some well-deserved beatdowns.

As a location, Arlong Park is where Arlong and his crew of fishmen (and Nami) live. It is a repurposed marine base and, as we learn much later, redesigned and renamed to look like the theme park that Arlong and his friends were unable to go to as children due to prejudice against fishmen. This all factors into the much large story about cycles of hatred that exist within the large story of OP that I don't have time to get into here.

But the important thing is that it serves as a great location for the final fights of the arc, giving three different environments to use and different ways to play to the different fighters' strengths. And, considering it served as Nami's prison for so many years, seeing it get destroyed is immensely cathartic.

Now, for the meta angle... When fans of OP are trying to get others into the series, we often say, "If you get to the end of Arlong Park and still don't like it, One Piece is probably not the series for you."

This is because Arlong Park is when the series really BECOMES One Piece. It's where all the elements of the story that make it great -the characters, the fights, the backstories, the worldbuilding- really come together in full force. That's not to say the previous arcs are bad, but rather that each did a few things very well while Arlong Park did EVERYTHING well.

Specifically, the famous 'Luffy... Help me' scene has become an iconic moment in anime in general. Many OP fans (myself included) cite it as the scene that made them fall in love with the series. When watching reaction videos and people reach that moment, I can sometimes even see some 'click' in their eyes. It's the moment they GET IT!

All these years later, and this moment still makes me tear up.

As for Nami & Zoro... This is definitely an important arc to their relationship.

Zoro has spent the previous arc being rather wary of Nami (and not without cause) but when Luffy orders Zoro to bring her back, he is determined to do it -even if it gets him captured. A fan-favorite moment occurs when a captive Zoro is brought before Arlong and Nami. Despite Nami herself and Arlong swearing that this cold-hearted person is Nami's True Self, Zoro decides to go with his gut and test her.

He throws himself into the water, still tied up, and banks on Nami to save him. And she does, even though it makes Arlong suspicious. Especially after Nami frees Zoro and gives him his swords back so he can escape.

(I'm really sad we don't get this moment in the live-action series)

This has Zoro convinced she's a good person in a bad situation, yet later, when it appears Nami has killed Usopp, Zoro is once again confused about her character. It's only when Usopp turns back up and explains what happens that Zoro fully throws his swords in Nami's corner. He even sleeps through her backstory because, by this point, he knows she is good.

Hope this all helps but honestly you should just go experience it yourself because I can't do the arc justice.

[wheretwofacesmeet]

Dragon Prince season 6/7 theories and ideas about what could feature:

-Terry going dark or trying to,in an attempt to win back Claudia

-When the final battle against Aaravos or of the next season goes down,it's kinda like when the Mystery Shack got upgraded. Villads steers his Giant Hermit Crab ship into battle...maybe against a full-sized colossal towering raging Aaravos?...with Team Zym/his crew/Berto and Nyx

-Callum tries to fly up to the stars on his mage wings. When he flies higher than the sky,he of course loses the wings. But it's on purpose? So that he gets as close to said stars as possible. He must connect to the Star Primal,he only has one chance,super-dramatic heartbeat-accelerating gasp-eliciting scene with probably some new beautiful music...aaand just when it looks like he's gonna fail and fall back...he does it. WHOOO YEAHHH GO BEST BOI CALLUM yells collective audience.

-Terry dies a dramatic sad death. Trying to save Claudia's life again,or fighting the heroes,or both. It breaks her shattered heart into even smaller pieces,and she goes on her redemption arc as a result .

-Aaravos is having a flashback or dream,and not an actual scene? Maybe trauma/grief over elf shown's death.

-We see baby and toddler and kid and young adult Aaravoses. Awwww !!

-The Celestial Elves somehow show Callum Aaravos's backstory,for some reason. OR,via unknown star magic-means,he finds it written in the stars. Callum sees it all...and,so do we. Awesome.

-Aaravos convinces a member/some members of Team Zym he's all repentant now,totally leaving his sins in the past. He just can't STAND this private hell he's been trapped in for hundreds of years!Please,he's paid for his crimes!Or he was just jailed wrongfully for helping humans! He just wants his freedom! Free him please!!

Master manipulator that he is,it works. Maybe it works,because like any good liar,he tells many truths mixed in with all those lies. I bet he's a fantastic actor when it suits him too. Helps if he's channeling his real emotions over his past experiences and current suffering into that performance. Certainly,he could move Ezran's heart.

Option Two of "Aaravos Pulls On Heartstrings With Emotional Plea "Theory:

Aaravos ain't lying. Just not telling everything. Sure,he's got a real tragic backstory,lots of sad stuff in there. Sure,he both does AND doesn't deserve to be where he is,depending on how you look at it. I know TDP writers write complicated situations like that,it's rarely black and white.

And sure,he just wants to be free...

(Plus,hasn't he suffered enough already?? If he IS their worst enemy,WOULD they wish this on him or not?)

...It's just that he's omitting one teeny little detail. Which is,what he's gonna do AFTER they free him. Possibly revenge. And maybe trying to knock down elves and dragons from their thrones,their pedestals,their high horses and hierarchical dominance,and usurp them with mankind +himself.

Those are all my ideas. Wonder if any of 'em are gonna be right?

[yatorihell]

Noragami Reread Volume 1-3

I am so very late because I'm doing a million things but I will be done for the next chapter. Anyway this is my first reread so it's been fun seeing all the foreshadowing!

Chapter 1

Yato being so full of hope doing the job and his original top of the nation dream vs where we are currently is upsidedownsmileyface

Ass comment counter: 1

Yato really is the coldest bitch this girl is crying and being hunted by ayakashi and he's like oh no anyway

'Curses and blessings are two sides of the same coin' vomiting at the future plaque foreshadowing!

Yato has a little praise kink going on and it's valid

Yato's reaction to people who wants to commit suicide when we later find out he has seen Sakura's death and later on Yukine's is just

Chapter 2

Penis comment: 1

Yatori meeting oh god here we go

'I think forming ties with you is just gonna cause problems' AHA!

Yato sees her kick the shit out of a ayakashi and would like to have her as a shinki well I got a surprise for you!!!!

Chapter 3

'This could be kinds fun' proceeds to be not fun for ## chapters

We found Yukine right there

The sister foreshadowing is so heavy 10 years in advance of getting Yukine's story

Yukine spent 30 years drifting and has the right reaction to bring told to devote himself to a sweaty god

He straight up takes Hiyori's stuff lol

Hiyori death forshadowing tracker: 1

Chapter 4

Yukine saying he'll die from parental neglect WELL

Yato and Hiyori having different views on suicidal people until she realises why shinki are shinki and yh

Hiyori death forshadowing: 2

Chapter 5

Yukine conman but he's valid

Hiyori's soul is rather transparent in the legs sometimes

'Why don't you try dying for once' WELL

Yukine's fear of the dark forshadowing

Little girl shinki is so sad I forgot about that

It looks like soil being poured on Yukine AHA

Sister foreshadowing again

Hiyori death forshadowing tracker: 3

Chapter 6

Yukine is such a bastard this chapter

Hiyori liking Yato's smell jahdhb

Biggest plottwist is Yato saying Kofuku is his girlfriend 0.1 second before getting punted by her real man

Daikoku really softens up in appearance as we get to know him, he looks like mafia boss

'He's got a thing for kids' had me choking I forgot about that

Yato's backstory is so well written to foreshadow so much we see in the future whilst running alongside the rest of the plots

Yato and Yukine height difference hdhd

Bishamon's introduction mommy sorry

Chapter 7

'The justice of this world is putting evil to death' foreshadowing for Father in the future

I love men being accessories to powerful women

Kazuma's debt to Yato and knowing what's coming hhdjb

The art has always been beautiful and the character designs improve compared to other mangas early days

Chapter 8

Meeting Nora for the first time and she seems quite chill considering what she does later

Interesting how Yukine asks 'why does this always happen to me' when it's his first time as a shinki, shows he's used to bad luck

Daifuku has a car and we just never see it again (it probably blew up)

Yukine's trousers being too short in the leg

'I found him and I named him' Yato not releasing him no matter how badly Yukine behaves because he knows what he went through

Chapter 9

Hiyori thinking Kazuma is going to kill her when he's the most pathetic man alive

Hiyori meets the girl who killed Bishamon’s shinki. Meets Kazuma, another of Bishamon’s shinki, and notes Yato killed his friend. Brings up the dead shinki. Shocked Piikachu face when he gets mad

Yukine is so baby face this chapter

Nora meets Hiyori and it's on sight for knowing Yato

Chapter 10

Yato gives Manabu a knife and is like fuck 'em up ig

Yukine just wants to be a kid!!!!

'One is enough, just find that one irreplaceable someone' I'm eating glass!!!!

'I wish I had one myself' EATING GLASS!!!!!

'What you really want is something you can no longer have and you've finally figured that out' Oh god oh man

Yukine is just a baby

Hiyori saving Yato's ass again and hauling him to Kofuku’s

Chapter 11

Despite all the hate she gave Yato, Mayu still volunteers to absolve Yukine

Hiyori really shows up on the war gods front garden yelling for her simp without hesitation

Yato refusing to release Yukine and at this point teb years ago we're like babe just do it

Yukine really has no luck transforming into all sorts of monsters in this manga

'It was just like something a father would say' GLASS!!

Daikoku is so daddy this volume wait what

Yato says Sekki has talent as if he isn't the biggest soft touch who wouldn't let that daddy issue child go

Trios first hug oh I'm so sad Adachitoka you make me so sad will they hug again

[pinkprimrose05]

DAN HENG.FOR THE CHARACTER ASK GAME!!

Cold Dragon Young!

General opinion/How much I care about them: Man, Dan Heng is such a fun guy. You see this quiet dude and you think he's probably all plain and straight-laced, but then he, in no particular order: gets into a an underground fight club tournament (and wins??), breaks a military fleet's banishment sentence to save his pals, and gets a whole cutscene wherethe idiot almost kisses the mc (there's no way that was a proper CPR attempt. He was 100% bullshitting his way there).

[Spoiler warning for the Luofu main quest incoming!!]

The way they handled his background and character arc makes me very sad tho. I wish the writers took their time with playing out his backstory; it could've been so much better if they waited long enough to let us get to know him and everyone else involved a little better, to see his struggle with the very interesting ship of theseus theme he has going on in light of Dan Feng's history, and deliver on all that in a way that's actually impactful in emotion and story relevance, instead of rushing it in favor of getting to the bossfight of the quest. Alas, it is what it is.

At least he got out of it with something! I mean, who can say no to 1 more little sister :D

A ship I love: *rummaging noises* huh, I wonder where I dropped that. Oh well. No ships for you, boy. Rip.

A non-romantic relationship that I love: THE ASTRAL EXPRESS. Sometimes a family is a retired Herrscher, the creator of The Dreaded Coffee™, a lonely dragon with autism, a calendar day in an ice cube, a funky ticking time bomb, and the bunny carrying the whole train on their back.

They are everything to me. Their groupchat is literally called The Astral Express Family. I love them your honor I hope they all live happy and peaceful and prosperous lives and hopefully don't get their 3rd stabbed member in a row when we head to the next planet. The Astral Express checks offs all the right boxes of wholesome and sweet for the found family enjoyer that is yours truly, which is just- mwah. I love them so so so much.

(Bonus shoutout to Bailu AKA the new little sister I mentioned a bit above. I NEED to see more of her and Dan Heng together, they're just adorable.)

The NOTP: Danmarch, Danstelle and Dancae. I just. don't see it. They're so sibling-coded to me, it feels off to see them in a romantic context.

My biggest headcanon about them: I think all Vidyadhara are cold-blooded by virtue of being dragons, so Dan Heng prefers to sleep on the floor of the archives because, given the amount of devices running in such a small space, it's always the warmest place on the Express. Or so he thinks until March drags him and Stelle for a sleepover in her room and builds a pillow fort. Turns out their newest member is actually a portable heater, and the pillows and blankets are also very warm and comfy too and- wait, what's that sweet feeling?

...Oh no.

Now he wants to try this again.

An idea for a fanfiction I would like to write/read about them: 5 times people smile at Dan Heng + the one time he smiles at them. Featuring me-typical express fam appearances, a sprinkle of Bailu and a dash of Jing Yuan, and maaaybe a hint of that one ghost from the past.

Now if only I can find something along those lines or figure out how to write it myself... hmm...

Something that makes me think of them: withered leaves, lotus blooms, small water ponds, zither music (idk), and, uh, Kaedehara Kazuha. Maple leaf windboy solidarity lmao

[richardsphere]

Leverage Redemption Log: The Debutante Job

Time to start the last season (as of current date. I know Season 3 is in production) --- We're in London... (crown jewels?)

Person is walking and phone-texting, he's being tailed. He panics. Camera slides past an old woman

Guy gets kidnapped, Hardison is here to save the day. (I dont mind post-timeskip Hardison being HackerGod with this ridiculously unrealistic level, cause he's relegated to Special Episodes. So it helps let him feel "balanced" compared to the other OG members who get to show off their coolness every episode)

Hardison and the Nerd talk about his hand-bejeweled computerajigger. --- Back in the states. Parker is dressed as a Crustacean. Elliot complains that Sophie has become a bit too much of a prepper in her newfound Mastermind position.

Hardison is working on a satelite launch with some milionaire actor (but thats a story for another time)

To be clear: Volkov's ridiculous wealth is definitly not a reference to Putin's golden toilet. Definitly not.

We need Legal Proof. --- Meanwhile at Harry's Retirementhome (i mean office) he's preparing to sue a constructioncompany over a womans injuries (judging by the way he's moving her chair she's probably at least partially paraplegic, but i dont want to say for sure)

The look on Harry's face when he sees Sophie: "here we go again" "I was unaware that civil engineers took such an oath" Ok to be clear the whole "devourer of children" thing is based on an ancient historical slander-job by one of the abrahamic religions (i THINK it was christians slandering phoenicians?) There is no actual evidence that any actual children where ever thrown into the fire-offering-statue-thingy. Sophie your script is both overwritten and under-researched. (NO SLANDERING ANCIENT GODS.)

Harry's look at the cheque like "well my client would've literally settled for less". --- I like the little acknowledgement from the team that Harry had that case on lock and that they only interfered beause they needed him quickly.

So we're definitly doing the "Sophie has to learn the lesson from The Gold Job" plotline now, arent we.

Harry still doesnt understand the "now lets go steal an inside joke"-bit. --- Harry's disapointment that his cover-story to get back in the game is "lawyer".

Parker in a Bag. "thats a supsicious amount of security"... "that is the right amount of security". Good gag, 8/10 He's trying to teach his daughter English Language and Ettiquette (gut instinct: Aranged marriage?)

Volkov wants UK high-society friends to protect them. Now if only we had a Duchess on our side. Sophie protests at the change of plans, she's forgotten that only the essentials should remain rigidly planned. --- Time to distract the pilot: Using nothing but some costumes and a sugar-ed up sandwhich. (Pretend mistaken identity for a cocaine smuggler)

Weights match stolen relics, enough evidence to past legal for the publishers. Breanna knows their locations thanks to the London Surveilance Panopticon.

Elliot is going to the safehouse with Pizza, --- "its been ages since I've been in London without having a serious problem to solve"... Goddamnit. Season 1 of Redemption was about Harry redeeming himself for past sins, and now season 2 starts with Sophie digging up her old Duchess persona (a notably long con that the nobility still seemingly believes in) and saying a line like that. We're gonna get Sophie Backstory Things arent we?

Also the safehouse... isnt. --- So the editor was a weakspot. "oh they tied him up in the basement, never good" "Basement?" What a simple fresh-eye can do.

Oh now Breanna has made me remember the Dara O'Brian stand-up thing about how those basements are dug and Chuggy.... (in related news, I am sad now.)

I apreciate Breanna taking the time to check wether Harry is legally back or just on loan, its a nice little formality.

Judging by Sophie's reaction, that neighbour is either a Celebrity Cameo, or someone from her old Duchess Days. (Makes sense, the reason the basement-diggers dig is cause their neighbours are rich-asses who cant be made to sell their house) --- Oh the BIG ASS FONT is back. (I do apreciate the little joke of it going "VOLKOVS TOWNHOUSE" before the camera moves 20 ft to the right and it says "VOLKOVS NEIGHBOUR". Its a good joke, 10/10)

he doesnt look like a celebrity cameo, so i think he's just a pastiche.

Turns out, MR Music likes sound of all types, Sonar included. Oh so its both a rockstar and one of Sophie's ex-mark's.

So for those of you keeping score: Miss Deveraux cultural footprint now includes: San Lorezo's 20 royal bill, a priceless mystery painting only 5 people have ever seen, A US military base and a UK Gold Record hit from the 70's. --- Who the hell spells Todd with an H?

The daughter does not like the slave-labour dress.

Tohd is back... Tohd is a spy.

Ok im going to ignore the "Enhance Picture" stuff, but only because this is hardisons own camera and is probably a custom-made one with a high-enough grade lens to actually capture all that data. But we better not see this "program" used on regular CCTV footage later. --- Tohd has gone missing, right around the same time that miss hates-slavery-dresses vanished. its a teen romance.

Everything is runnig in a closed loop, no way to shut it down except to make it reset itself.

And there is our Tohd-shaped complication. --- Breanna manages to talk the debutante into staying until her father's nice and sloshed.

Good on the reporter for helping our heroes find the torture-battery.

And Tohd escapes through the Rockstars Basement. Where Kiki has planned quite the welcome party. (sure he has diplomatic immunity but lets be honest... He's a despot who just lost a lot of his money. His rivals will take care of him)

Back to the theatre, news report shows reporter giving an interview. Ah, Hardison and the neurodivergent urge to tangent mid-apology

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 044: Peter's Graduation (ASM 181-186, Ann 12)

MASTERPOST

Len Wein's run finished with an astounding Green Goblin story, what will Marv Wolfman bring to the table?

Oh wow, we're not wasting time, huh!

I also know some little kitten is coming soon...

Our story begins a grave. Uncle Ben's grave!

And what a striking first page. Beautiful colors, smart positioning for the artists, overall really impressive beginning.

This issue is just a recollection of how our hero came to be, with a subtle retcon of Harry Osborn existing back when Peter was in high school. There's an entire page about Jameson's various ways to attack him--he really tried his best! The issue features really nice art, and there's a page where it recounts Spidey's foes... including Will O'The Wisps and Stegron. Uh, sure. Not gonna let me forget the latter now, are we?

My boy the Prowler also gets a cameo, which is quite lovely.

At the end, a penniless father steals Peter's old microscope he just dropped to Ben's grave. That's another kid who'll be happy!

#182 time!

Marv Wolfman's first tenure is to bring beloved supervillain Rocket Racer. Huh! Paying respect to your predecessor, I can appreciate that.

More importantly, this issue starts with one of these panels that Ross Andru seems to love and that, for me, have come to define his tenure:

Mindbending perspectives.

And you know what?

I think Ross Andru loves Rocket Racer, because their chase gives him the occasion to have fun angles and draw specific buildings, and i'm sure it was pretty much Christmas in his head, hahaha. Good for him!

So Spidey loses RR, who blackmails his employer who wants incriminating evidence against himself to make it disappear.

First off: those angles in the first three panels are a rare kind of thing, I feel! And secondly: Hmm, who might that be? A small, thin figure... I'm intrigued!

At the hospital, May tells Peter that married life is really cool. Uh-oh... Are we going to get a proposal, folks?

I didn't notice that right away, to be fair. It's MJ who lampshades it as they leave the room, and she's even about to say she's sad she doesn't have anyone like that (at least, before she gets cut off: where's Anna in all this?) when Peter, who doesn't care in the slightest, has a bad feeling. Doesn't notice anything though, although we definitely see some focus on a character...

Later, the blackmailed guy tries to end things, but Rocket Racer saves him--he wants money after all.

There's a fun scene where two police offers try to catch RR, to no avail. It channels Spidey's chase with the Tarantula through the city a bit. Just a bit.

Interestingly, Spidey says that he'll be graduating "in a few months" and he's been offered a scholarship to teach at ESU and pay his PHD. Nice!

While chasing RR, Spidey notices that his web has been getting weaker for months now... something affecting the original formula (um sure Peter, let's go with that). Set up! Set up!

Anyway, RR escapes once again, but it doesn't matter because...!

Aww that's cute! I admit the scene made me smile.

You know, that was a fun issue. The hero side was fun, and the human side was fun as well!

In #183, Spidey tells us that MJ hasn't answered the proposal yet (oof, that "gulp" was sinister enough...) and we get this...

Lmao, why does Peter look so smooth in the middle panel? Get outta here with that omega man stuff, hahaha.

So Weele, the guy blackmailed by RR, goes to the Tinkerer and decides he wants to be a supervillain too. So the Tinkerer's effectively becoming "that guy every villain comes to to become a supervillain", given that he already built RR's suit.

At the hospital, May's gonna be fine, but "Robert" is there too. His mom is not fine, and the hospital bills keep piling on. He's definitely doing something shady to pay stuff, but what?

Turns out Robert is Rocket Racer. Nice, we get backstory and motivation! Interestingly, both heroes fight while wanting to protect their mother figure in the same room, it makes for a nice moment.

You know what is bonkers?

Weele's new alter ego: Big Wheel. The famous one. I'd heard he was pretty remarkable, and. Yes. I can see that.

The fights ends with Big Wheel rolling into the Hudson. Oops. It was nice to know you!

More importantly, Spider-Man's appearance at the hospital has put May in need of intensive care, says the most asshole male nurse I've ever seen. And then MJ comes... to give back the ring. Oof.

Poor Peter. Who is this in his apartment? That era where you let anyone go to your place, I swear...

Anyway, good issue too! I definitely enjoy the tighter focus on the personal lives of the characters.

Hehehe. A lot of people had guessed it was him! I think having multiple months during the storyline definitely was in their favor.

Some people are NOT happy, but I personally am. They're not yet ready!

In #184, Betty Brant is back! Is she gonna be a serious romantic candidate? I don't feel like Peter's ready for a new partner just yet... and isn't she with Ned Leeds?

Look, if I'm putting this here, it's because Peter Parker is fine as fuck. I think he looked better some 50 issues ago, but he's fresh regardless. He doesn't look as cute anymore... Then again, he's been through some stuff.

Oh right. The plot!

So Betty just left Ned, which means Peter and Ned can finally start dating. I've been waiting for this!

Her story is kind of sad, but also, I really understand it. Not speaking the language can be pretty isolating.

Peter quickly thinks that hey, Betty and him could rekindle their old romance, but he immediately thinks that's not a good idea. She's still married, and he's a good Jewish man.

...I kind of want to see that, though. A bit of drama. Scandal!

And she's into it too, clearly, because she's not going to let Peter go alone to his graduation practice. Is that a thing? I don't have my high school diploma, and I'm still not entirely sure how/when I'll be able to get my university diploma hahaha. Oh, Americans.

Nice to see Marla's still here. And continuation of the Man-Wolf storyline, that's great!

At university, Peter and Betty have a nice time, at least until they cross the path of Philip Chang, who obviously has some PTSD.

Let me enjoy hot Peter in peace.

There's Spidey business for a bit, then back to our betrayers! Betty says Paris is depressing, and she's entirely right. It sucks! It has beautiful things, but it sucks!

Oboy.

Unfortunately, their water is Philip from earlier! Philip is not jazzed up about it, but Peter once again tries to reach out to that lonely figure that calls back to his past self. It's heartwarming, I like it!

So turns out Philip is threatened by this gentleman below.

The White Dragon kidnaps Philip and in consequence, Peter quickly gets rid of Betty, but she seems enamored still, and he has to admit he's also not indifferent to her.

Turns out, Philip has to choose between one of 4 gangs to belong to. Oh. Spidey gets rekt by the White Dragon, and if he wants to save him, Philip has to pick a gang.

But Philip can't, and Spidey's thrown in a gigantic vat of burning oil. Poor guy.

In the comments on *a certain website*, one guy tells his own horror story, about how he also proposed to his girlfriend, who accepted the ring without saying yes or no... then they gradually stopped talking. Oof. That's rough. Hang in there, buddy.

In #185, Spidey gets off fine because while the oil burns his chains, it somehow doesn't burn HIM. Suuuuure. After drowning in the nearby river, he goes back to free Philip. Turns out Philip's dangerous activity back in Hong Kong caused the deaths of his parents, and he vowed to never use violence again. Naturally, that means he can't enter a gang.

These are fun panels. The White Dragon is easily defeated.

Now, onto the graduation! Robbie brings a TV to May's room so she doesn't miss anything, that's sweet!

All of Peter's friends are there (well, not Ned, nor MJ), but there's bad news... he's not on the list! No matter, he still goes to the ceremony. Jameson does a speech that literally lasts "several hours" until, at last... he concludes with "Excelsior" and a reminder that everybody should subscribe to the Bugle.

Peter's name is never called though. The dean tells him he misses one credit, for his sports class. How ironic!

Well, at least, he can always catch up in the summer.

...Wait. What is that.

Is Ross Andru leaving? Is he gone? Was it his final issue? It's a great issue to end on, with a sense of finality, but god damn it, to say I was so happy to have him all this time! Are you kidding me?!

#186 time! Hello, Keith Pollard. Let's see how you're faring.

It's like Ross Andru never left.

Spidey saves a guy from this burning building, to Jameson's despair, but the guy's not happy...

Ooh, that outfit has aged terribly. But the Chameleon seems gay for Spidey so I'm invested.

Anyway, Peter needs money because May needs to be treated and the US health system sucks. So...

Oh my god, they actually fucked.

This is awful, I love it.

The next page helpfully informs me that no, they didn't, they just spoke all night while very obvious sexual tension threatened to ruin their lives. I'm into this too, but it's a bit disappointing, I'm not gonna lie.

Spidey is fed up with being considered public enemy, so he goes to the feds, but...

What. DOC OCK "DIED" IN A SIDE NOVEL?!

Spider-Man is starting to look dangerously like Danganronpa.

Oh well.

Spidey gets an interview in Central Park, but the Chameleon tricks him and his reputation is once again ruined.

It looks right out of a horror movie, I love that left panel hahaha

Aww, Flash, baby! My babyboy

Hmm, we haven't seen Electro in a hot minute... Okay, alright, why not!

So that was alright, this issue. The artists did a good job!

If you're wondering, Annual 12 is ASM #119 and #120, so nothing special. I covered them here already!

Overall a really good batch, I loved the amount of social life we got to see, and I'm curious to see what happened in Spectacular throughout this batch. Next time, folks! I do seem to recall we've got a mystery...

Should be fun!

[bearanimalcule]

You know what i'm finding hilarious? The fact that people around me (those few who read or to whom I was raving about it for whole last 6 years) keep telling httyd books are children's and they really mean it. I mean yes, i can joke about it but they seriously think so. One of them told me characters are too black and white, they are strictly kind or strictly evil, no third option, and that's why they are unrealistic. Told me Alvin and the Witch are evil for no reason, they have no tragic backstory that made them villains, and it's not how it works in real life, people always have motivation for their actions. Told me humans in books are too stupid and incompetent to rule tribes/countries and stay alive and such things couldn't happen in reality.

You may start asking why is it hilarious, when it's just sad 'cause i have stupid people around me who can't read by their eyes instead of their ass, or just can't read something longer than a tweetter post (not to mention the books) and do premature conclusions. And yes it is. But the hilarious part is me living in Russia. You know, that Russia, the largest country in the world, with Moscow as a capital, bears as pets and people who never smile. That Russia where it's always cold and people drink vodka to keep warm. That Russia where Putin is the president.

I won't tell you everything Putin did wrong because even a life is not enough for write it down. But let's just talk about the last events: the war in Ukraine. No one will win this war - Ukrainians and Russians are already dead, Ukrainian cities are already distroed, so Russia's world relationships and rep are. Ukraine and Russia both have become more poor and unhappy. So why? Why Putin started it? What he want to achieve by it? What is he gonna do after it? No one knows. Yes, we here in Russia have no idea too. One of my favorite political YouTube channels has a joke rubric "guess what's going on in Kremlin's mind" and they practically never guess. Putin just... do things. And that things aren't good for people or for him, they aren't even logical, they just ruin everyone's life. He is just evil, for no reason, like the cartoon villain. Even Alvin has more reasons to be evil than him. I mean Alvin at least lost some of his limbs...

So when someone in my surrounding is trying to tell me something in my favourite books is "not realistic enough" i just laugh in their face 'cause, dude, we live in Russia! Everything is possible! As you prefer, there is no impossible, only improbable, but you know, in a bad way.

Why do i even bring it up? Oh, our government just has broken another bottom. Putin announced mobilization (that means they will make all men over 18 go and die in their meaningless war) yesterday, and i were on demonstration against it (and police beat us again, but hey! at least I'm not arrested, lucky me) and made antiwar flyers, and got green ribbons ready (it's antiwar simbol) again (i were doing it after the war started), because you know, i don't want my male relatives, friends and teachers go there and die.

But all we are doing is useless. We can't stop them. We couldn't even save only one person from prison last year (if you're interested, google Alexey Navalny)! And now I'm doing it again but... Does it really makes sense? I'm furious, frustrated, depressed and exhausted now, and my hands are sinking. I'm only 18 but i can feel my country is sticking and dying and so do i.

In childhood we read books about heroes and we are sure we will be heroes too one day, and I'm not an exclusion, i did too. I were reading httyd books since my 12, and always wanted to be like Hiccup, a person, who uses his mind instead of muscles and makes people follow him by his words. This is the type of power i always wanted to have. And now i see that it really reflected on my personality: I'm arguing with people, trying to change their minds by logic arguments, question my own beliefs and looking for the truth. And the thought that i can be more like Hiccup really supports me, he is still my hero after 6 years. And i know one of his most important distinguishing features is that he never gives up. But right now? Right now i don't feel like Hiccup. I feel like Fishlegs in books 9-10. I did right thing but it didn't lead anywhere - everything has become even worse, and now I'm in prison, all my friends are prisoners too, we are ruled by crazy cartoon villain, and i can't change anything.

So does it really costs it? Should I keep trying? Or maybe it's time to give up and go dipper down the fandoms to escape from reality? I don't know. I'm loosing hope.

Sorry for this stream of thoughts, I just need to merge these feelings somewhere.

[the-chaos-siblings]

Fang

Fang disappeared, but where to?

Warning! Blood, mentioned death! Spoilers for everyone who doesn´t know Fangs backstory! Bruh, this is sad.

How....did this happen?

There he was, alone, scared, tired, in pain, hungry and cold.

He just had to know, didn´t he?

He looked once more at the document in his hands*

[Sirius Garcia

There has been a skeleton found 2 years after his disappearance.

The DNA 100% Matches our saved data.

Therefore, we will pronounce him dead for good.]

Was this information it all worth it?

Probably not.

But it was not like he could go back now.

.....

At some point he had gotten a letter from Adelinde.

[Mr. Fang

I write you, because Miss Annie has catched a fever.

She is very worried for you and awaits your return.

-Signed Adelinde]

He wished he had something to write, or even the strength to write.

But he didn´t.

He had enough for bandaging himself up, and not dying too soon.

But now, all he could do was breath, and hope.

Did he even want to go back?

He could already see Diluc's angry and disappointed face.

Alex might never talk to him again....

And Annie....what if she was angry with him too?

If that were the case......

He didn´t want to think about it.

He closed his eyes, but reminded himself that he cannot fall asleep.

Occasionally he can hear water, splashing around.

Was he near a port? Or a beach?

He didn´t know.

In his panic he just wanted to run away as far as possible.

Not home, Not to Diluc, Not somewhere in Mond.

It looked like he was in a ship, and near that, seemed to be water.

He could hear it, smell it in the air.

He could feel the electro power near, and a few monster seemed to lurk around.

He hoped they couldn´t smell his blood.

Speaking of, the wound at his left side had already bleeded through his makeshift bandage, his right leg and right shoulder didn´t look much better.

The bruises on his back also hurt him a lot, they must have turned blue by now.

And the many scratches he got during the fight.

It was a miracle he survived this long.

But if he wasn´t going to get help soon, then....

He hated himself.

He had everything.

A home, food, a lover, friends, his sister, somewhat a big brother.

Oh how he wished he just came back to them.

He would have loved to hear Annies newest adventure,

Get Adelindes good food in his stomach,

Take a long warm bath,

Write a teasing letter at Diluc,

And at last cuddel under the warm cofers with Alex.

So why? Why did he not?

Well asking now, is not going to solve anything.

He could feel the warm sunlight slowly go.

In his own fears he put his hands together and started to pray, to what? He didn´t know.

That someone. Anyone. Please find him soon.

If they do, he will never push anyone that loves him away again, he promises.

[epickiya722]

You know what, I think some of you never actually read a book or watched a movie before because...

BNHA isn't the only story where there are other side stories to fill in the gap. Yes, we get other character arcs since hello, we do have other characters. That's how storytelling works sometimes. There is multiple characters.

However! The whole plot of BNHA is about Midoriya 'Deku' Izuku. The other characters are accessories.

People complaining about villains not getting enough screentime or hating on Deku and other hero characters forgot that this story is called My HERO Academia. It's not about the villains. They get their stories and character details to make the story engaging. Villains are needed for there to even be a hero. They have backstories to show why they even became villains to give reason, to give some depth to them. Honestly, villain stans get fed just a little more than other fans. Promo art, merch, the trailers, actual backstories! A whole arc!!

Seriously, you lot need to zip your lips and stop with your nonsense. Chill out. Yes, we know the hero characters aren't perfect, whoopie fucking doo. That's one of the points made about this series. Everyone is flawed. Just because a villain has a sad backstory doesn't mean everyone is going to feel sorry for them. Let alone, in series, not everyone knows that villain's childhood trauma. Again, you do really think Miruko knows Shigaraki's childhood? No. So of course, she's going to attack him. Remember, he is still a bad guy.

Honestly, it's hard being a Miruko fan for the fact she gets hate for DOING HER JOB. Not all villain fans are like this, but some of you really need to humble your fucking selves.

Hell, that's more than... imagine being a fan of Ojiro, a kid who is in a HERO COURSE WITH A TAIL! I personally feel like he deserves a lot more love because of that reason alone.

And on that note, hero fans, same thing for you! I get wanting to see more Shoto or Iida or more Hawks or whatever other hero character, but you shut up, too if you're not understanding and complaining that Midoriya is still the protagonist. For goodness sakes he was gone for so long! All that time we did get some more of other characters! Disrespected or whatever else, at least there's a glimpse. Sucks, yeah I understand. But...

At this point, it's getting sad that some of you really don't know how storytelling works. We got a protagonist and then other characters to give the story some depth, some interesting bits. Those extra characters will probably get extra details to give even more depth or maybe some relevance. But at the end of the day, the protagonist is who the story is about. With and without flaws.

In this case, Midoriya 'Deku' Izuku, the damn 9th ninth holder of OFA with the green hair and freckles is that protagonist. He is going to do protagonist things. Powerups, extra powers, saving the day.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY!! HELLO!!!

Just know I'm also quick to block and give you memes as a respond for any disrespect. I could care less how any of you are feeling because some of you need to chill out. If you got in your feelings, tough.