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#also caught up on an old manga i used to read!! its still updating but nearing the end which is
levbolton · 1 year
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As funny as it sounds, the chapter two of Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu has strong duality vibes. 
this post is kind of messy so please excuse me beforehand
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This discussion about the difference between different dragonflies is rather obvious, because they look pretty much the same, but they’re entirely different species (you’ve caught that, didn’t you?)
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In many cultures these insects represent overall growth, one’s transformation through maturity. They can symbolize going past self-created illusions that limit our growth and ability to change, as the site I linked says. 
Which leads to that reference to Emil Sinclair from Demian (by Herman Hesse) as ‘Hikaru’ mentioned. I want to make an entirely different post about Demian and HGSN because I think it deserves it. In short Demian is coming of age story about growing up and finding yourself, that part is easy to understand, but it’s quite philosophical and that isn’t as easy to explain (thus me not making the post yet).
Update 26 July 2023: the original post is from 1st January 2023, so here I am 7 months later to tell you that it is not Demian that’s referenced, but Das Nachtpfauenauge, still by Herman Hesse. Everything I wrote here was before any official version would be out, so I might be wrong to mirror Demian, however, some aspects are still similar (maybe because both the manga and Demian are coming of age stories).
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Almost everything is expressed through concepts of religion,the mc going from seeing the world split in two (the bright world and the world that’s perverted) to Abraxas that’s the god of both good and bad at the same time, just as the scanlator said, the main theme of the book is duality. And just like that site I’ve linked, Emil grows past those self-created illusions he had as a child. It’s very obvious if you read the book, my mind is a bit burnt out so i hope you get what i mean.
*something I also wanted to point out is that the dragonfly makes its first appearance (and probably there aren’t any after chapter 2, i didn’t skim through every chapter before writing this sorry) at the end of the first chapter when he “accepts” ‘Hikaru’
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and the way I can see this is Yoshiki’s (or maybe Hikaru’s?) start of maturity journey with the “help” of ‘Hikaru’. There’s something in me that would rather think it’s about Yoshiki’s growth rather than ‘Hikaru’ (despite Moku saying they want to focus on the feelings of the one who has been substituted) after reading Demian. 
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and then my question on this chapter is, why did Moku choose to draw ‘Hikaru’ like this in these panels? Yeah the lightening of the golden hour probably (i can visualise it clearly), but why did they choose to represent it like this? half of ‘Hikaru’s face being shaded, half in light, you see the duality in this, right? 
After revising this post, it makes me think of Demian again... (i’m sorry this is so messy). Emil Sinclair is the main character, and then there’s this other character named Max Demian whose looks are rather often described as both young and old at the same time. So you can see this in Hikaru, his face is both lit by the sun and in complete darkness. Not to mention the switch between the text box fill, white and black, yeah it’s for dramatic effect, but isn’t this maybe another hint to the book? 
Even the cicadas have a meaning of being born anew, yeah they’re the sound of summer and Moku said they use it for the creepy effect but it’s interesting to see all the background details point towards one route.
My hypothesis for now, as of when the first 14 chapters are out, is that, this story will try to focus on the growth of Yoshiki, to learn about himself, to accept himself. Yeah i bet that you can see clearly that he liked Hikaru, but moku did not intend it like that from Yoshiki’s point of view, they said it repeatedly with the word “bromance”. Put yourself in Yoshiki’s place of a youth in a traditional small village with strong traditions, so i think that Yoshiki’s growth will also focus on him accepting these feelings and letting go of this grief. The whole plot? I have no idea, I trust moku’s story telling and creativity that this series will be very impactful as these 14 chapters have already been. 
All i can say for sure it’s that the manga covers represent the sky, and moku said they want the sky to turn into a gradient (did they like that heritage tumblr post?), so at some point there will be complete darkness and i’m not sure if we will reach dawn though...
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shinahbee · 3 years
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December favorites 2020!
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GREETINGS
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 Hello,
 So we have finally reached another year happy 2021! let's all hope this year will be kind to us, as I have mentioned in my previous favorites post, I finished my work term and now will be working on my art more
so please look out for more art coming soon!
also this maybe a little too early to think of but I was thinking of opening an etsy store to sells stickers/ keychains, this was a project that was on my mind for many years actually, but I have never really considered starting it
Please let me know if any of you would be interested if I do start one.
I would also like some ideas as to what type of characters from what show would you like to see merchandise from. I know there are some franchises that are not well known and most people wouldn’t be able to find so much as a fanart of that particular character/show
so if you could all let me know what you’d like to see in the shop I will highly consider it, with that being said I don't have any anime recs this month, mainly cause I was very busy in the month of December and have not watched any dramas or anime in a while,
so just a heads up, that part will not be included this month. The only thing I was watching is bunch of end of the year award shows, so like the drama awards and melon music awards and MAMA awards...haha that seems really boring to discuss so i'll skip that.
My friend and I were discussing and thought that they should rename these music awards as the BTS awards because they won so many lol.
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MANHWA/MANGA/WEBTOONS
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 This section of the favorites is on fire! you don’t even know how far deep the rabbit hole i`ve dug myself into.
I finally was able to save my progress and crawl back up to list a few of my favorites/ updates of the old favorites and a special segment to ones that triggered a raging response due to utter frustration
Let’s start with a review of the manhwa I have read and discussed so far
 Recap:
 1) Whose baby is it? (ongoing)
2) Social temperature (ongoing)
3) Salad days (ongoing)
4) To be or not to be (ongoing)
5) Path to you (completed)
6) Here u are (completed)
7) BJ alex (completed)
8) No way, vampires don't exist (ongoing)
 so some updates on the previous ones that I have listed out so far, with the exception of the completed ones.
 1) Who's baby is it? ; last time I read up to chapter 72 and now they have up to chapter 126 and I have to say so much more has happened in terms of story and relationship development and I especially love the development between
yi yun and his relationship with jinyao, they are acting more and more like a married couple without even knowing it. You see a gradual change within the two of them that shifts from being very comfortably being able to talk about their problems to one another to
physical touches that would make them  both nervous, I don't mean physical in a sexual way...it's not at that point yet, it's just holding hands and being near each other makes them, nervous and as an audience I felt that nervous energy
and it makes as the audience appreciate the development even if it is slow, it becomes more realistic over time.
Needless to say, I am still a giant fan girl of this author and her story and I can't wait to see this week’s chapter
 2) social temp; I said that I have read the novel so I pretty much knows what happened in the new chapters that were just out, this manhwa is updating a little slow so I have to wait to really comment
When they go further, there is a scene soon that will be the turning point of their relationship so I am excited to see that in the manhwa
 3) salad days; There is also a slow development here as well in terms of relationship building, so far they are working on their careers as professionals and dealing with bullying and jealousy from their peers
But it's all part of life so I appreciate that the author included these aspects as an important part of the story and not just focusing on romance alone.
 4) To be or not to be; you'd think a person who had studied Chinese for 8 years would be able to read the raws....nope,LOL
So far the story is going into a good direction so I'm hoping to see how this new development will play out in their relationship
 5) no way vampires don't exist; I have and fanart and long post dedicated to this alone, so please refer to those for more details. I am happy this is updating again and hopefully all of it will be translated in no time for others to enjoy
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Welcome to heaven
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Okay so that is all for the old ones that I have read, I will include updates throughout my favorites now and then if it is still ongoing.
now let's look at some new ones that I have found this month, these are just a few of the ones I selected out to talk about, but I have read much more as I have said and these were the ones that were the most memorable
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 1) Unintentional love story- "Wonyoung gets unjustly suspended from work after getting caught up in a corruption scandal. But when he accidentally discovers the chairman's favorite artist Yoon Taejun living under an alias, he is tasked with a tricky new mission. Could this be Wonyoung's chance to get his job back?"
 This is the summary from the licensed lezhin website, and it pretty much sums up the story, it is still ongoing right now so I can only comment on how I feel about it so far.
I really like this story its really straight forward and focuses mainly on the two characters and how their relationship went from business partners to eventual lovers
it has minimal drama and works on moving the relationship buildup between the two main characters and I really appreciate that, it makes me less frustrated, since you know there is always that one a-hole that will never take no for an answer
i will discuss that later for the other ones I plan to discuss. But so far the story is straight forward and cute, and I really like wonyoung he is really adorable. This is a manhwa but not in the form of a webtoon, so it's black and white and read in traditional manga style
if you like a straight forward story and development please give this a read, you will enjoy it.
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 2) Karasugaoka Don't Be Shy!! - "Sou Izuhara, the leader of the crime prevention group "VOICE" that protects east Karasugaoka, realizes he's in love with the man he keeps butting heads with and leader of the rival group "Karasukai," Tetsuji Shinba...!?"
 omg finally a manga recommendation? lol. you have no idea how much trouble I had remembering the title of this manga, I didn’t save it into my bookmarks and I usually did that if I was going to talk about it in the favorites.
I went through 5 websites to figure out the name but at least it was found. This story is both comedic and cute and it was a perfect break from the dark stuff I have been reading, I don't believe it has been updated in while so I'm not sure if it will ever be picked up
but there is a decent amount of chapters to get started on. But as the description says that it is a story about two crime prevention group leaders, they look like thugs but they prevent crimes from happening, so like an anti bullying campaign that recruits volunteers. two of the leaders from the largest groups apparently doesn’t get a long
on the surface but one of the leaders Izuhara really in fact admires the other leader Shinba. they start to get along after shiba went to izuharas territory to take care of some suspicious activity on that side and accidentally discovers a whole new side to izuhara due to the fact that he wasn’t wearing his glasses and didn’t know he was talking to shinba
and invited him to hang out together for that day. lol. You probably know the direction this is heading; it all starts from interest in a person right?
anways, I never recommended a  manga yet so this would be a good one to read,it has a balance of a good romantic comedy.  
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 3) Semantic Error- "Computer science major Chu Sangwoo is the epitome of an inflexible and strict rule-abiding person. While working on a liberal arts group project with freeloaders who don’t put in any effort, Sangwoo reasonably decides to remove their names from the final presentation. But he didn’t imagine how involved he would become with the person whose study-abroad plans were messed up because of that project. The involved person: the campus star who everyone knows, Department of Design’s Jang Jaeyoung. He has everything from skills, looks, family background and good relationships except for 1 big problem: Chu Sangwoo. What happens when an engineer and an artist whose personalities are like oil and water have to work together? Jang Jaeyoung is like a semantic error in the perfect world of Chu Sangwoo. Will Sangwoo be able to debug this?"
 this has got to be one of the most accurate portrays of an antagonist relationship start off ever, it was really comedic and relatable at the same time, if you are in current group assignments and are or have suffered the same as sangwoo, please let me know cause I know I have.lol.
there’s only 16 chapters so far and I believe it hasn’t been updated in a while either so I don’t know if it is discontinued or not.
I can't wait to see the development between the two male leads, because their relationship right now in the manhwa is really hilarious and worth the read.
side note, not that this will ever be considered as a k-drama but I would like to see sangwoo being played by kim soo hyun, because he looks like him in the drama it's okay not to be okay.
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 4) Tied up in twins- " The story starts off with three friends Jiwoo, sohee and woojung who had been friends since high school began to developed complicated feeling towards one another, woojung had been in love with sohee and sohee had been in love with jiwoo who was in love with woojung, things turned for the worse when jiwoo got drunk one night out and decided to confess his feelings to woojung by going to his apartment, he found 'woojung' standing outside and invited him to go drinking, he finally was able to let out his feelings and 'woojung ' accepted them without hesitation. Jiwoo felt like he was on cloud nine at the moment and slept with 'woojung' that night after thier feelings were made mutual. Turns out 'woojung ' was not actually woojung himself but his twin brother sarang, not knowing this fact he spots sarang with a man from his past eunji that used to bully him during his military service which made him confused and angry that 'woojung ' might be playing with his feelings. Sarang then confessed that he is the twin brother  of woojung and both of them decided that that night was a mistake and that they should just forget about it as it didn't happen. Of course fate had other plans as they keep running into each other during difficult times and decided to become friends. It didn't take them long to be attracted to one another which lead them to end their previous relationship, sarang especially was suffering from his cheating boy friend's abuse and jiwoo with his one sided feelings for woojung. After a series of events sarang and jiwoo found that their feeling for each other were mutual and started to dating, which poses a lot more obstacles than either of the two had bargained for...."
 This is actually my very own summary since I can't find one for this manhwa, I also did and fanart and discussed why i really like this story in that fanart, so please check out my art for my thoughts on it! Shameless self promo....
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Welcome to hell
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ooo now it's time for the fun part.LOL. Now let me just say that there is sometimes a fine line that defines what shounen ai and Yaoi are, sometimes stories is listed as both because one story that starts off like shounen ai will suddenly become yaoi
I define yaoi as a story that includes all the things that i'm uncomfortable with, which is emotional trauma from sexual abuse, sexual harassment and rape, physical abuse, suicide etc
 these stories usually include some or all of the listed above and could make you uncomfortable in many ways, so as a warning if you are bothered by any of that even a little please don't read the ones I’m about to list, because there is a lot of it and there are situations that made me really sick while reading them. on the upside there is a lot of whole heartedness from the love scenes between the two main characters, although it’s like pages of sex scenes, you know from reading that it is between two people that love and trust each other.
 so you have been warned, i'm not going to spoil it in terms of story but there is something these ones i chose out have in common and that is a SICK A-HOLE THAT EVERY PERSON WANTS TO KILL.You should have seen all those comments about calling sangwoo (killing stalking) to kill theses mofos and I could agree more, these disgusting human beings made me sick.
 so let's begin...btw these are in no particular order, I was going to list these from the least worthy of dieing to most worthy of dieing but you know in the end they should just all die...lol.
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1) My Suha -"A skillful secretary by day and choosy cruiser by night, Suha is a young professional who’s in search of some no-strings-attached action. He hasn’t had much luck lately, though, since a handsome face doesn’t always match what’s in a guy’s pants. This might be why he finds himself wondering about his dreamboat boss, Director Park Jiwoon. But there’s no way he can mix business with pleasure… That is, until Jiwoon and Suha run into each other in the gay bar bathroom."
 so where to begin, um this pretty much includes all those listed above but it mainly focuses on the relationship between jiwoon and Suha, and it is not abusive and very loving in fact,I'm glad that they show the contrast between how suha's previous realtionships don't work out because of his trauma
and how jiwoon despite being an unwanted heir in his grandmother's eyes was able to give love and protection to the person that matters to him the most. So there's this scum bag...I even forgot his name but the red haired dude in this story he`s the legitimate heir to the family, who is the absolute worse and not only sexually abused Suha when they were younger and also emotionally scar both jiwoon and suha
making them feel incapable of being loved. I didn’t get a good feeling form him when he was first introduced and I was right...lol. But at least the comments section was in agreement; let me sum up my feelings in the form of this gif alone...
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 you get the point...
I heard it was going to finish soon so hopefully these emotional scars can be resolved and that suha and jiwoon stick together to get through it all. That would be a good ending for them after everything they have been through.You really need to read it in order to under stand why these events happen the way they do but please remember that suha`s inability to feel love stems from the all of his previous relationships not lasting long yes...but started with this red haired mofo. I am never going to let this dude live, let`s just say that.
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2) Crash into me- " Seung-chan is stressed. He has enough on his plate with the long hours at work, and now he can’t even get any rest at home! Every night, the lustful moaning and violent banging from the apartment upstairs keeps him awake. Just as he’s at his wits’ end, he chances upon the gorgeous, enigmatic Hyesung outside his building. Surely all those filthy sounds couldn’t be coming from such a pretty mouth? But as Seung-chan soon finds out, there’s a lot more to Hyesung"
 from that little description you’ve probably figured out what’s going on with the neighbour next door keeping seung chan awake right? well no surprise sexual abuse, after hyesung was forced to suffer from a ordeal that wasn't his fault the brother of the person that died made it seem like it was his fault and sexually assaulted him
and so this ongoing sexual abuse progressed for several years which lead hyesung feel like life is meaningless and he should just die, until he locked eyes with seung chan walking back to the apartment and thought of jumping out the window, because he had a strange feeling that seungchan who he has not met before would catch him if he did.
I just almost cried from what I just wrote...to think there’s is some a-hole out there that would drive a person to suicide like that just to satisfy his own needs or whatever...i don't even know cause it’s still ongoing...i don’t think any amount of back story will justify any kind of sympathy for this person..
from what I have read so far it seems so be going ending soon so i hope seungchan and hyesung will be able to get through all this and live in peace because of suengchan, hyesung was able to love again and find his worth and is able to fight for himself and I’m sincerely glad that he had met and trust him whole heartedly.
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3) Dine with vampire- "Caught in the clutches of an abusive relationship, Sooin longs to escape. A vampire who finds human blood repulsive, Chi-hwan only drinks the blood of other vampires. When chance brings the two together, Chi-hwan makes Sooin an enticing proposal. Chi-hwan will help Sooin get out of his living hell, and in exchange… Sooin has to let Chihwan drink his blood. Will this proposal change both their lives for the better?”
 y'all don't even get me started on the mofo in this story....I’ve never felt so much rage from staring at a 2D character on my screen, the amount of times I hissed at him...you don't even know
like I have mentioned before ever since my twilight phase I didn’t consume anything vampire related in a while, I don't really care much for the vampire aspect but I guess it's still important over all
once you start the first chapter you will immediately know why I hate the harry potter a-hole in this story..he is despicable and that’s putting it lightly...but you know he doesn’t last long cause vampire tsukiyama (lol, not his name but they look alike) shows up and kills the mofo
and saves sooin who is the person who harry potter had been sexually abusing...to the point where you guessed it, he wanted to die.
chi hwan agrees to grant any wish sooin wanted in exchange for his blood because being vampire by nature he had not been drawn to anyone’s blood for some reason and had only consumed the blood of other vampires.
of course it was a small price to pay for sooin considering all the misery he had gone through. slowly sooin discovered that love was not abusive through the many times chi hwan...lmao i almost called him tsukiyama again...and he had sex, he discovered that it was safe and gentle and enjoyable
nothing that he had ever felt before, and so they became drawn to each other more than they thought they would to the point where they genuinely care for one another, though of course chi hwan knows that one day sooin will die and he will have to live on forever alone, thus the fate of his vampire blood.
 but here’s the catch..it's not a spoiler really cause you knew it was too easy when main villain dies in chapter 4...and he’s on the front cover...which means yes harry potter mofo is back...ugh...he should have burned his body...WTF and as a vampire no less..
i'm like great now look what happened, you should have chopped him up and threw him into the incinerator!
you know that saying " mistakes were made..."
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anyways, now he's back meaning shits about to do down and i'm not ready to see it happen, right now they are going through his back story and i’m like sorry author...whatever you try to feed me there’s no way i can have any sympathy for this dick...
 so that's all i'm going to rant about for these yaoi titles...i had to go back and read some it again to know what i'm going to write about and i revisited a lot of things i’d rather not.I think the rage I felt was ignited again all of a sudden and I felt utter frustration to finish reading it again, what I am trying to say is, ya`ll need to read this once and that`s it...these aren`t stories you`d want to revisit.lol
so if you like this hell segment let me know and i'll continue it cause there’s an endless supply of content for this genre, I have a few more but i'll save those for next month.
and i'll probably come across more in the mean time to discuss, but I guess this is where fiction and reality divides, cause you know in real life if this crap exists absolutely no one will take this bull crap!
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MUSIC
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 I have been listening to the Start up soundtrack and found a lot of songs i like from it, I don't like the drama and have not finished it, but the soundtrack is bomb
I have also been liking some old pop songs and went down the rabbit hole of 90`s pop songs...Britney spears especially
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 so that is all I have for this month, I'm sorry its manhwa and manga focused, i'll have time to watch anime that I need to catch up on and start some drams now so i'll have more
to discuss in the next month hopefully, so please take care of your selves in the new year as well!
take care,
sheena
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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INSTAGRAM: shinb_art
TUMBLR: shinahbee
DEVIANTART: she-be.deviantart.com
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randomoranges · 3 years
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here we go, the summer retrospective no one actually asked for lol
Seeing as I’ve done this summer retrospective for years, back on the old LJ and did it here last here, I thought I’d do it again. It’s under a cut, because this is for me, but like feel free to read through it and judge me, I guess lol. 
 This summer was weird. In so many ways. For starters, it was my shortest summer in a really long time – if ever, minus the year I worked at McGill. The end of the school year dragged on for like 3 weeks and by the time it actually ended, it took me, retrospectively, another 3 weeks to recuperate from it. I ended up replacing a teacher who got Covid in November and never came back and the group was hard as hell and that took a gigantic toll on me – emotionally and physically and mentally. This entire year was a shit show of stress and “anxiety”, so that was - fun. On top of that, there were also places I wanted to go to/go back to that unfortunately closed because of the pandemic.
 Then, just as I was getting into the spirit of summer, the last leg of it decided to test all my emotions at once and that was another roller-coaster.
 July was grey and overcast and I’m sure that also didn’t help.
 Regardless, I still managed to do quite a few things, so here’s the list – for my own benefit, obviously. I know it seems like A Lot, but keep in mind I was off for 7 some weeks and some things were grouped within a day.
 Ice cream places visited: Iconoglace, Hocheglacé, Unicone, Meu Meu, Armoire à glaces, Kameha, Riverside, Havre aux glaces, Pineault, Chocolat favoris, Calem, Koba, Sachère desserts, Ice cream glacée
 I caught up again with the photo albums.
 Got the second dose of the vaccine
 Restaurants and food: Pigeon café, Espadon, Paramount, Sushi Sama, Thai Express, Drogheria Fine, Gérard, La Beignerie, Mitch Deli, Slice & Soda, Sushi Shop, Bête à pain, Guillaume, Parfum d’Asie, Ma poule mouillée
 Outings and Activities: La Ronde, La grande roue, Downtown, Chinatown, Pointe à Callière, Old Port, Oratoire St-Joseph, Square Victoria, Avenue Mt-Royal, Hochelaga, watched the meteor shower and saw some on two nights, Jean-Talon Market, walked on the back of Mont-Royal, supper at Gougoune’s, Mt-Tremblant, La fromagerie St-François, boat ride, Georgie’s House – twice!, le Petit navire, plage du Quai de l’Horlogex3, Bassin Peel, Atwater Market, Pink & Green house, walked in the Village, Habitat 67, lookout du Quai de Montréal, Sunflower farm
 Friends and hangouts: Somehow or other, I managed to make new friends on the day that I went to the museum and on le Petit navire. I also had one dinner with my camp crew, went to La Ronde with a friend I hadn’t seen in years, had dinner with another friend and ice cream with another.
 I ran into some old friends from camp at the pool, a friend from school at the la Grande roue, and a friend from university while I was out and about. (And two students – one from 6 years ago and another from this past year. Lol.)
 Dad and I finally built the new shed. I fixed my Mom’s mug.
 Pool: 11x – the municipal pool I used to go to when I worked at camp reopened and they did a really good job on it.
 In the early stages of summer, the Habs were still in what feels like a fever dream of a playoff run and I decided to splurge and get my name added on my jersey.
 Painted nails: 3
 Painted plant boxes: 5
 I took care of my plants and added a few more to the collection.... oups. I also grew sunflowers from seed – and barely got to enjoy them as they unfortunately got eaten L
 Despite everything, I managed to write some fics and work on some AUs, but I would have liked to do more.
 I also managed to do some art, but even that felt like it wasn’t the amount of what I would have liked.
 I chilled in my hammock as well.
 I went on some bike rides, but equally feel that compared to past years, I didn’t go as often or as far as usual...
 Reading (re): Antique Bakery, I splurged and bought all the Sailor Moon mangas and read them, booklet on SAQ, No Time like the Future, started two other books as well that I did not finish.
 Watched: Sailor Moon 90s anime, We are Lady Parts!, caught up on some stuff on the PVR, Schitt’s Creek, Green Book
 Mended stuff that had been waiting for ages for some TLC
 Started the MOOC on Indigenous Studies
 FINALLY FINISHED FAKE FIGUARY.
 Finished updating my plant documents. Finally.
 Went to see my auntie I hadn’t seen since – Xmas 2019 lol. Went to my godparents’ house, and mom’s friend came over for dinner.
 And obviously, did some puttering around and cleaning at home and such. Got stuff ready for the new school year...
 All in all, this summer had its moments. The fact that I knew where I was going to be working before the end of summer kind of was a good and bad thing. Obvs knowing where I’d be was good, but it also didn’t let me fully disconnect. Inevitably, I felt as though I was already behind but I firmly told myself that no – I was on vacation, too bad for the rest.
 I was also able to do some things that I’d never done before – visit landmarks of the city that I hadn’t seen before and that was nice. Going back to eat at a restaurant was nice and going up north for the day was pleasant. I would have liked to see more of my friends, but it seems everyone is allergic to hanging out and too busy for me lol. Still, I feel like this summer was all over the place. Between the weather – which wasn’t our usual, the state of things in the world and my own mood, it was – ok, but could have been better.
 Tomorrow I go back to teaching and with the pandemic still going, I’m annoyed that whatever hype I had has been slowly eaten away by the general stupidity of people in regards to Covid. But that’s an issue for another day.
 Here’s to you summer 2021, until next time.
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nejisrightkneecap · 5 years
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KIRIBAKU FIC RECS
 HAVE READ WAY TOO MANY KIRIBAKU FICS AS OF RECENTLY SO HERES A RECOMMENDATION LIST:
- the laundry room ; dellsey //https://archiveofourown.org/works/11567502 It’s a really cute quick fic about special moments Kirishima and Bakugou are able to share while they wait for their laundry to finishes :) - The Beauty of a Beast ; starofjems // https://archiveofourown.org/works/6563575/chapters/15017230 A Beauty and the Beast AU!!! It’s a longer fic, but 100% worth the read. The author is SO good at portraying the characters personalities.
- Heart Strings ; starofjems //https://archiveofourown.org/works/8232415 This one is also by starofjems!! Although it is a lot shorter, it is still AMAZING. Bakugou is able to see a red string that connects soul mates together and eventually Kirishima stumbles by. - Spooky times & cuddles ; Jartz // https://archiveofourown.org/works/8423458 A VERY cute short fic about Kirishima going over to Bakugou’s house for halloween! It’s good to read any season though. - Who’s Next? ; MyBlackCrimsonRose// https://archiveofourown.org/works/7872574/chapters/17979370 Bakugou gets hella hurt during a fight and Kirishima is a BADASS in getting revenge. This one is also a quick read and I highly suggest it!! - the easy parts ; chonideno // https://archiveofourown.org/works/12794481
Kirishima gets hurt and is informed that there will be a lot of scarring. It’s follows him through his struggle of insecurity regarding the scars and his acceptance. - it’s pouring out here ; shizuumi151 // https://archiveofourown.org/works/11431818 Kirishima is on a basketball team with Bakugou and he is the team captain. Kirishima has a crush on him and they have a little run in after getting caught in the rain. - 2am Knows All Secrets ; Unbreakable_red_riot // https://archiveofourown.org/works/8738770/chapters/20035240 OH MY GOSH THIS FIC!! I really love the concept of Bakugou having nightmares about Kamino and the author does an amazing job at showing his difficulties with them. Kirishima keeps waking up to loud noises from Bakugou’s room and goes to scope it out; resulting in a few sleepovers... -  Shitty Hair and Shitty Nightmares honest_pebble //https://archiveofourown.org/works/17745419 (I have so many nightmare fics oops!) Bakugou is struggling with nightmares and Kirishima is a good friend and helps while Bakugou figures himself and his feelings out.
- a heart swelled to bursting ; eggstasy // https://archiveofourown.org/works/7350946/chapters/16697356 This fic literally stole my heart and has to be one of my favorites. It’s the next summer and they are back at the training camps, but Bakugou has been repressing some worries. It’s a very Bakugou centric story, following him dealing with PTSD with help from other characters. - Let Me Save You ; lovelylittlefruit // https://archiveofourown.org/works/18016766 A short story showing the after effects of a battle where Kirishima saved Bakugou. This is more angst/conflict than fluff but I do still recommend it!! - safe & sound ; Authoress // https://archiveofourown.org/works/6835363 This one made my heart SO happy and soft jeez ahaha. Bakugou has to be kept in a safe house after Kamino because of more threats and Kirishima is his comfort buddy. - not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all ; theroyalsavage // https://archiveofourown.org/works/7612939 AAAA!!! It’s a “10 Things I Hate About You” AU and its REALLY good even if you haven’t seen the movie. Very sweet and the character personalities are done really well. - heart stains on the carpet ; cityboys //https://archiveofourown.org/works/7085671/chapters/16104262 THIS STOLE ALL MY UWU’S AND MORE! Kirishima is Bakugou’s live in body guard who got a little closer to him than he had planned. Very cute and has some of the best dialogue I’ve read in a fic. Definitely goes with my favorites. - how they got detention for a week ; eggstasy //https://archiveofourown.org/works/6961186 Kirishima is determined to go out with Bakugou no matter how intimidating that may seem. Kaminari tries to stop him but it’s no use. I really enjoyed reading this and I loved how the authors incorporated the Bakuquad!! - How To Make Bakugou Katsuki a Decent Human Being ; keptein // https://archiveofourown.org/works/6693406 Kirishima is set on making Bakugou a nicer guy no matter what it takes. (Even if that means pulling a Pavlov on him) but along the way he catches feelings. - ten things i learnt about you ; tamacchannn // https://archiveofourown.org/works/11532900 A very soft fic about Bakugou realizing things that he likes about Kirishima. Made me gush quite a few times. - don’t count on me to tell you when ; newamsterdam // https://archiveofourown.org/works/10948695 GOD I LOVE THIS ONE TOO. It’s set in the future when they are pro-heros. Kirishima come back to see Bakugou and confess his feelings, but they end up just being friends with benefits for awhile. Very well written - do right by you ; kyoutimes // https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyoufushi81/pseuds/kyoutimes Kirishima and Bakugou are working together and Kirishima has a crisis about his sexuality. (There’s more to it than that but I don’t wanna spoil it :P) I loved the emotion in this AAAA - yes, you say you’d like to ; Authoress // https://archiveofourown.org/works/10660773 Kirishima invites a few friends to the beach, which eventually lead to THE WHOLE CLASS joining. He didn’t want to invite Bakugou, strictly because he didn’t want to get turned on at at the beach. - Kiss your knuckles before you punch me ; Claus_Lucas // https://archiveofourown.org/works/11574039/chapters/26006592 Bakugou saves Kirishima who is a boxer by lighting some of his own fireworks. I don’t know how much I can give away without spoiling it, but this is on my top three. While proud of Kirishima, Bakugou needs to remind him of his limits regarding his boxing career. - what he thinks he knows ; lovelylittlefruit // https://archiveofourown.org/works/18060950/chapters/42685514
Mainly Bakugou sided? It follows Bakugou as he realizes that there more to the assumptions he makes about his crush, Kirishima. It’s unfinished but I’m excited to see the rest soon!! - good to you ; Authoress // https://archiveofourown.org/works/6904558 Takes place directly after Kamino. The two boys refuse to stop holding hands which leads to other conclusions. I love this sm, I had very soft moments and there’s a cute little twist that I LOVED at the end. - An obvious patch ; SweetScentences // https://archiveofourown.org/works/11061918 Shinsou steals Bakugou’s eggs and Kirishima gets stabbed all the while. JK, there’s more to it than that,,, this is one of those fics I feel like it’s best enjoyed if you go in blind. I enjoyed every minute of this fic, laughed and teared up. - But for now, I’m with you; eikoexe // https://archiveofourown.org/works/8135834/chapters/18649226 A really goofy and cute texting fic!! Kirishima accidentally texts Bakugou thinking it’s Kaminari demanding a Dorito stealing confession. It’s still being written but I do love it very much so far. Read if you need a laugh!! (Sadly, it’s been over a year since the last update so I’m not expecting it to continue soon :()
-neon season; chonideno // https://archiveofourown.org/works/14716277
I really love this author jeez. It’s a road trip fic and these boys are very frustrated with their feelings toward each other (Mainly Bakugou lolololol) The way emotions are written is amazing and I fell in love with how they portrayed Kirishima and Bakugou.
-the color red; ayadormouse // https://archiveofourown.org/works/7156871/chapters/16249418
G o d . . . This is like a coffee shop/college AU and it holds a lot of family angst for Bakugou. Bakugou is an artist and Kirishima is persistent in getting know the angry guy that doesn’t know how to order coffee. Heroes and quirks are more of an old myth/history type thing, but there still are mentions of it.
-downhill; eggstasy // https://archiveofourown.org/works/10551482
Kirishima is a mom friend and loves learning small facts about his friends while in the dorms. This has almost every class 1-A character in it which I love because not a lot of authors write about some of the mpre minor roles. They play truth or dare and it gets out of hand.
-Of course I was worried; Ellieb3an // https://archiveofourown.org/works/11778534
Kirishima gets hurt after his big fight in the manga (so there are spoilers) but he gets confused when Bakugou doesn’t visit him in the hospital and avoids him when he returns to the dorms. Bakugou is just a secret softy who was worried about his mans. I love seeing the softish side of Bakugou aaaa.
-The Wild Side; Mishelledor23 // https://archiveofourown.org/works/17973662/chapters/42453836\
Kirishima and Bakugou are married and in Kirishima’s mind, everything is going great. Until, he wakes up one morning to see a letter and Bakugou’s wedding ring. My heart breaks for Kirishima in this one, and I’m so curious as to why Bakugou left. (It’s on going!) Kaminari and Mina are also present and go help Kiri with a mission.
-Roses are red and they taste like shit; Unbreakable_Red_Riot // https://archiveofourown.org/works/11747658/chapters/26475072
A Bakugou hanahaki disease fic, this is also high on my favorites list. I couldn’t put it down for the life of me. Mutual pining eventually, but it focuses in mainly on Bakugou and his families way of dealing with the disease.
-little are the things we learn; newamsterdam //  https://archiveofourown.org/works/11400303
The two boys never outright tell their class they are dating, but 5 of them figure it out and each one of them is stunned by their relationship. Perfect mix of angst and fluff, told from different characters perspectives as they see and analyze the two.
- Detonate; theroyalsvage // https://archiveofourown.org/works/6933307
Bakugou is acting weird and a little insecure almost at a party he was invited to. Kirishima finds him on the roof and tries to figure the explosive boy out.
-Trash Goblin Finds Love; wrunic // https://archiveofourown.org/works/17888012
Another coffee shop AU with a scientist Bakugou. This one made me giggle and the writing is so in character. I love how it ends and Kirishima is a big cutie in this one.
-Radio Silence; doop_doop // https://archiveofourown.org/works/16186643/chapters/37824590
After getting hit with a coma quirk, Kirishima is bedridden and can’t move. Although his body is asleep, he can hear everything that is going on. So naturally, his friends visit him as much as possible to keep the guy entertained. But Bakugou realizes there’s something more to his feelings for Kirishima. (this shit is so cute, Bakugou reads to him)
-one to ten; crunchrapsupreme //https://archiveofourown.org/works/11770692
Kirishima wants to ask Bakugou out, but Kaminari demands that he becomes friends with him first. So Kirishima sets out to become a ‘Level 10’ friend to Bakugou. (This one is also very cute, Bakugou is a cat lover and it makes me melt.)
-out of sight, within reach; Poteto //https://archiveofourown.org/works/11750853 
Gahhhh oblivious mutual pining makes me w e a k… Bakugou realizes he loves Kirishima while dragging his drunk body back to his house. Jealousy and miscommunication from both sides until there is an emergency and Bakugou drops his grudge.
That’s about it! Feel free to add more in the comments :)
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blackidyll · 4 years
Text
It's been a long while since I've been on Tumblr, but here I am, trying to get back into my usual rhythm of life. Mainly: I'm alive, but I'm really, really tired.
The end of 2019/beginning of 2020 has been really insane. I fell sick for most of December - the whole cough/cold/sore throat trifecta that got so bad I finally ended up on antibiotics on New Year's Eve. I actually took two weeks of leave in December, but I was so sick and busy during this time that I basically got no rest whatsoever, and when I got back to work in January it was to drop straight into an absolute tsunami of work - one huge project ended the day before Chinese New Year, and immediately after CNY holidays I had another huge executive event to prepare for (I was working over weekends), and when that ended last week I got YET ANOTHER project dumped on me. Covid19 and the political situation in my home country is also taking its toll. I feel like the past two months has been an absolute blur - mostly of stress and negativity.
I'm so tired, you all.
Anyway, I'm trying hard now to pull back and strike a balance between work and having down proper time. I owe quite a few of you replies to messages and chats, and TBH there's like 60+ comments in my AO3 inbox that I haven't had a chance to respond to. I'm going to try hard over the next few weeks to get to all of them. I really appreciate every message and comment I get, because they constantly remind me there's still people and the entire world out there, when sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in my head with all my stresses and worries and the day-to-day grind.
I'm going to go throw a bunch of things in my queue to get this place kickstarted again, but in the meantime - have some fic recs. I've been reading a lot of fic to keep afloat the past three months; these are the WIPs I'm following at the moment. I'm completely out of creativity so my own fics will have to wait, but it always gives me a boost when I see some love for my WIPs, so if any of these appeal to you, give them a read and drop some love to those authors too.
The Bureau Files series by Catsafari [The Cat Returns, episodic/case style canon-based sequel; Baron/Haru]
i kill giants by diasterisms [Star Wars new trilogy; canon-based sequel to The Rise of Skywalker; Rey/Ben]
Ragnarǫkr, Part 3 of the Sharingan Rising series by weialala [Naruto; canon-divergence with supernatural elements; Sasuke-centric, technically Sasuke/Naruto but is more Sasuke's relations with everyone]
Peripeteia, Part 4 of the Carry Your Heart verse by mondaze [Shingeki no Kyojin; canon-based A/B/O verse, eventually diverges at the retake Shinganshina arc because Erwin lives (\o/); Erwin/Levi]
Just Another Day by Tierfal [Fullmetal Alchemist; post-manga series, Roy has severe PTSD; pre-relationship Roy/Ed]
try something new by gdgdbaby [Nezha (2019); post-movie oneshot where the two have grown up and gotten their bodies back; Nezha/Aobing]
WIPs that haven't been updated recently but since I'm on a roll, you all should read them:
Nukume Dori by Leareth [Tokyo Babylon, X/1999; canon-divergence, kind-of time travel with X!Subaru falling back into the TB!timeline with all his memories intact; Subaru/Seishirou, a lot of trio interactions with Hokuto] 
boy with a coin, Part 5 of the signal to noise series by twigcollins [The World Ends With You; post-game sequels exploring the consequences of Neku winning the long game and Joshua deciding to bring him back to life; Joshua/Neku]
(more info and my comments on each fic under the cut, because they get long)
The Bureau Files series by Catsafari [The Cat Returns, episodic/case style canon-based sequel; Baron/Haru]
I've been (re)watching Studio Ghibli movies on the weekends and I fell completely in love with The Cat Returns (I love Whisper of the Heart but I missed this movie somehow?). This wonderful sequel fic series focuses on an adult Haru that becomes a full-fledge member of the Cat Bureau and goes on plenty of adventures with the Bureau crew. It's also 500K words (!!!) of delicious slow slow slow SLOW burn between Baron and Haru. I just found out the author will be posting the next installation in the series this month, so you know. Perfect time to read the existing content and then follow the author's weekly updates for more of this amazing series.
i kill giants by diasterisms [Star Wars new trilogy; canon-based sequel to The Rise of Skywalker; Rey/Ben]
Yes, I'm a Reylo fan. I find the grey dynamics between Rey and a vaguely redeemed Ben Solo fascinating. I think it's because I was such a huge Luke and Mara Jade shipper from the Legends days. Anyway, I'd recommend pretty much all of diasterisms's Reylo fics (they nail the characterization + growth arcs incredibly) but this WIP in particular is a direct TROS sequel, which is great for all us fans who were very WTF about the way TROS ended. Also - lots of Force ghosts :D
Ragnarǫkr, Part 2 of the Sharingan Rising series by weialala [Naruto; canon-divergence with supernatural elements; Sasuke-centric, technically Sasuke/Naruto but is more Sasuke's relations with everyone]
I think my bookmark gushes enough about this series (and the previous installment) that I don't need to rehash it here. But anyway, this sequel is flipping amazing. The world building is so incredible omg. The wait between chapters is very long but so very worth it.
Peripeteia, Part 4 of the Carry Your Heart verse by mondaze [Shingeki no Kyojin; canon-based A/B/O verse, eventually diverges at the retake Shinganshina arc because Erwin lives (\o/); Erwin/Levi]
I'm usually very, very particular about my A/B/O verses (the concept squicks me a little but some writers subvert the trope and those are amazing) and this is a really great take on the trope - Erwin and Levi bond first out of necessity and then have to rebuild/realize a romantic relationship out of it later; they're already such strong friends and incredible partners that the bond actually throws them out of whack initially lol. But the evolution of their relationship is so well written, and the sub-plot about Levi being targeted is also great. Anyway, in this particular sequel goes back to the canon-timeline; Erwin survives the Beast Titan charge, everyone finds out about Marley, and the Survey Corps goes on a mission to make contact with the outside world. I don't actually follow the manga but I know enough that this sequel is really intriguing me. Also, Erwin lives. Thank goodness Erwin lives.
Just Another Day by Tierfal [Fullmetal Alchemist; post-manga series, Roy has severe PTSD; pre-relationship Roy/Ed]
Everything Tierfal writes is golden, but this one. Oh man, this one. It gets dark, and sometimes that's bad if you're already stressed (your mood doesn't need more depressing things to drag it down) but sometimes... you also want to indulge in it, because when you see a character go through hard and traumatic times and make it out the other side, it gives you hope too, you know? Anyway, right now at chapter 2, it's all trauma and pain for Roy, so take caution while reading this fic, but......... Ed. Oh my goodness, Ed. He tries so hard. He doesn't give up. This fic reminds me a bit of But Not Buried This Time, where Ed is the one drowning in his guilt... I remember thinking while reading that fic, "goodness, everyone needs a Roy like this in their life." Well, for this fic? I just keep thinking, "goodness, everyone needs an Ed like this in their life."
try something new [Nezha (2019); post-movie oneshot where the two have grown up and gotten their bodies back; Nezha/Aobing]
not a WIP but what the hell. So this version of Nezha is hell of a lot different from the Nezha I remember of my childhood (in that....... Nezha 100% kills Aobing lol and I remember being very conflicted because I love dragons and Nezha kills a lot of them, but at the same time deity!Nezha is pretty badass?). So anyway, someone with creative control DEFINITELY has shipper glasses on when they made this movie, I cannot get over how adorable Nezha and Aobing are. I really enjoyed this movie, it was so over the top and funny. And they made Nezha and Aobing literal soulmates? This fic is cute and adorable because it's Nezha and Aobing traveling and helping the world after they grow up and regain their bodies, and it's just tons of adorable teenage(?) confusion where they're hovering on the edge of friendship and something more. THEY ARE SO ENDEARING I love them!!
Nukume Dori by Leareth [Tokyo Babylon, X/1999; canon-divergence, kind-of time travel with X!Subaru falling back into the TB!timeline with all his memories intact; Subaru/Seishirou, a lot of trio interactions with Hokuto]
Instead of dying on the Promised Day, 25-year-old Dragon of Heaven Subaru wakes up in his 16-year-old body during the Tokyo Babylon timeline. Having seen what the future holds, he decides to continue with his original Bet with Seishirou - this time fighting to win. In the latest installment, we go pass the TB timeline into the years before 1999 and the changes that the divergence makes is just absolutely fascinating, plus we start seeing more of the X/1999 cast, whom I love and adore.
boy with a coin, Part 5 of the signal to noise series by twigcollins [The World Ends With You; post-game sequels exploring the consequences of Neku winning the long game and Joshua deciding to bring him back to life; Joshua/Neku]
I love Joshua so so much but he digs his own bed willingly and he lies in it with all the broken pride he can muster. He's very much the master of forfeiting the game before he can lose, except this time it's Neku standing beside him, and Neku is very, very stubborn. Trust your bloody partner, Joshua (I say, with all the love in my heart for this Joshua and this poor beleaguered but incredibly stubborn Neku and the all the game mechanics and worldbuilding in this series). Also, the latest cliffhanger is killing me but I'm ready to see Joshua go absolutely feral on anyone who would dare touch his city and his partner.  
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vobomon · 5 years
Text
TPN Theory: Norman has been infected with Mujika’s blood and has become part-Demon
Since the beginning of time, humans have feared the inevitability of death. And they’ve striven to find a way to avoid their deaths at all costs. 
On the other hand, Demons have always striven to find a way to avoid a “metaphysical” death at the loss of their humanity. From the moment that they ate a human being and obtained their knowledge, they have tried to avoid losing this trait... at all costs.
For humans, death is when their bodies stop functioning and their heart stops. For Demons, death is when they lose all sense of personality and mental reasoning. 
So what if there was a magic “elixir of life” that could grant immortality to both humans and Demons? All it took was a little bit of cursed blood.
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Ever since I caught up with the manga, I’ve made countless attempts to guess what happened to Norman during his time stuck in Lambda. But that’s because I have a strong assumption that this particular mystery is being set up as a potential plot point of importance within the near future.
So after spending the last few weeks tossing around potential possibilities and updating ideas based on new information from recent chapters, I’ve come to one conclusion. Due to the nature of the theory that I’m about to make, @couldnt-think-of-a-better-name recommended that I write out my post using a research paper style format.
I’m going to give a brief summary of the main theory and then I’m going to follow up with my personal observations and evidence towards this theory. With that in mind, please note that there will be manga spoilers up until chapter 127.
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Lambda has been described as an “experimental facility,” which was intended to test various genetic and body modifications on children. They’d test whatever they wanted… and only worry about the after effects later.
When Norman was entered into this facility, he wasn’t exposed to the same experiments as the other children. His living conditions were vastly different and over all, he was treated a lot better than other cattle children. Almost like a highly prized research subject.
But this begs the question. What could have possibly happened to Norman that would elicit such a strong avoidance towards Lambda? Why does he avoid answering any questions about what happened to himself at Lambda?
In reality, this reaction makes perfect sense if the Lambda scientists... experimented with Demon genetics on Norman and modified his body into having a similar biology akin to a Demon. And its very likely that this happened because he was forcefully infected with Mujika’s blood.
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OBSERVATION #1 PETER RATRI’S INFLUENCE
On November 3rd 2045, Norman was shipped away from Grace Field House.
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Originally, the reader is led to believe that Norman is simply going to be harvested for meat. But in reality, it is revealed that Norman had been taken to meet Peter Ratri, the 36th head of the Ratri clan.
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Thanks to his family and rank, Peter is (arguably) one of the most important human figure heads within the Demon World. So why would he make a special appearance to simply meet with a cattle child…?
His true intentions behind meeting Norman become clear when he requests for the boy’s help with some “research” that he has been working on.
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But throughout his entire conversation, Peter’s face is covered in shadow, hereby preventing the reader (and Norman) from being able see his expressions. It is obvious that Peter is hiding something.
From here, we can presume that Norman was sent straight to Lambda.
OBSERVATION #2 LIVING CONDITIONS AT LAMBDA
When we see Norman again, we are treated to our first glimpse at his living conditions. And it actually looks rather comfortable…
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He has his own private room – complete with a bed, desk, plenty of books to read… His doctor (even) does regular check-ups on him to observe his health.
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As shown by the date, it is January 29th 2046 – almost three months since Norman had left Grace Field. Underneath the date, we see the results of Norman’s check-up such as body temperature and blood pressure.
After his check-up, Norman is treated to a full breakfast, complete with main meal and side dishes. Along with a dose of required medication.
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The rest of the day would follow the typical schedule – his routine wasn’t much different than his old schedule back at Grace Field. The only difference was that Norman has been confined to stay in a single room when he wasn’t in the presence of his doctors (or other Lambda scientists) as they needed to accompany him everywhere within the facility.
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But even when Norman is left alone in his room, he’s constantly being observed by scientists. They’ve got video cameras on him 24/7 and someone is always watching at all times.
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After only three months in Lambda, Norman has already figured out that his living conditions merely are a facade meant to imitate a sense of comfort. The harsh reality behind this set up is blatantly obvious; he’s being taken care of because he’s a highly prized specimen.
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And he knows that he’s being used as the test subject for an experiment. But the question is… what type of experiment?
OBSERVATION #3 REOCCURRING THEMES OF CHANGE
Only after the time skip, do we see Norman make his official re-debut back into the story. By this point in time – it is October 2047. But Norman had already been destroying farms for six months prior to October.
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Based on later information that Cislo provides as context, it is discovered that Norman was still twelve years old when he escaped Lambda along with the other children.
So we can make a relative guess to the time frame when the escape occurred. It likely was late February (or) early March 2047. This would make the amount of time he spent stuck in Lambda… a grand total of sixteen months. Almost a year and a half.
And ever since escaping, Norman has been playing the role of William Minerva.
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While I’ve touched on the subject plenty of times before… it can not be ignored that there an underlining theme that has persisted since Norman re-debuted in the story.
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Has Norman changed?
Is he (still) that same innocent child that he was once back at Grace Field? Or has his experiences changed him – whether for better or worse?
Both the characters (and the audience) are constantly looking for reassurance when faced with this question. Despite the length of time that they spent apart, the characters can’t help holding onto a sense of hope that things can simply “return to the way that they used to be.”
Oddly enough, Norman seems a little too eager to put these worries to rest whenever they are brought up. With a smile on his face, he eagerly reassures his family and confirms that nothing has changed – nor will anything ever change.
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But sometimes, without realizing it, his smile begins to slip. And this brief moment where his smile falters… it betrays all the reassurance that he spoke previously.
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Norman is later confronted by Vincent and this theme is brought back up again. But it is used in a different format – this time emphasizing that Norman has changed compared to his old self. This is in direct opposition to the words that he was telling everyone else in the previous chapter.
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Vincent admits that he was curious to see how the “old Norman” acted. But this simple comment is enough to upset Norman who appears to take personal offense to it.
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A reaction that seems odd at first… but speaks a lot when taken into context.
He has seen and experienced horrible things in Lambda. He has learned things that have changed his perspective and worldview. He can no longer be considered the same boy that grew up in Grace Field, without any knowledge of the world outside.
But is it possible that he has (also) changed physically – and this change is merely a contributing factor to his mental state?
OBSERVATION #4 IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DEMONS
In chapter 120, Norman takes the time to explain a question that the reader has been dying to learn since the beginning of the story.
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But he doesn’t give a simple answer to this question.
Instead he reveals an extensive and in-depth narrative about how the Demons evolved to become the sole apex predator. Along with this, he has knowledge about their biological functions and how their unique genetic traits are inherited.
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And while it is extremely satisfying to have some new information revealed that impacts the lore like this… unfortunately, there is one glaring issue that can’t be ignored.
This is highly advanced and classified information that Norman should never have possibly had access to. He had been stuck in Lambda and would have had no way of learning this.
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But Norman did gain a lot of information about James Ratri and Peter Ratri from Smee. So it wouldn’t be surprising if Smee had included some classified information about the Demons that he knew and passed it on to Norman.
Wait. How would Smee know the evolution, biology, and inheriting of genetic material–
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O H
Smee was a scientist at Lambda.
He probably came in contact with Norman because he was one of the scientists overseeing the experiment.
I’d imagine that Smee’s personal guilt got the better of him. Unlike all the other scientists at Lambda, Smee would have been the only one who saw Norman as an actual child… and not a lab rat to experiment on.
And he couldn’t stand to see them testing on a child who had absolutely no idea what was happening behind the scenes. Unfortunately, Smee paid with his life for this.
OBSERVATION #5 HOW DEMONS REACT TOWARDS NORMAN
When Norman meets with Lord Giiran… it becomes apparent that the elder Demon notices something intriguing about Norman. He can see that Norman shows no fear towards him– with the former going so far as to bring only one ally with him as a sign of trust.
But as Lord Giiran listens to Norman’s request for an alliance, he interjects with his own comment.
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This is the first time that we’ve seen someone point out how Norman’s plan appears to be built around his own personal revenge. While in the past, we’ve seen him use the cattle children as his motivation– this is the first moment that such a motivation has been brought into question.
There is a lingering suspicion that Norman is holding a grudge against the Demons and this grudge is (primarily) fueling his need for revolution.
But when faced with this question, Norman avoids answering. He simply smiles and lets the conversation continue naturally, without giving any heed to Lord Giiran’s accusation.
In a later chapter, Norman reveals that Lord Giiran had an ‘alternate’ plan alongside his primary intention of getting revenge. 
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He has every intention of obtaining Mujika’s blood for the purpose of helping his clan to survive. It is her blood that will grant them the opportunity to avoid the “metaphysical” death they’ve been trying to rid themselves of... for 700 years.
But after getting a taste of Norman’s blood, Lord Giiran comments how delectable and irresistible the taste is. From just a single drop of blood, he knows that he wants to eat Norman. Because there is something ‘especially’ tasty about his blood.
And there is another thing...
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The taste certainly proves that Norman is no “ordinary human.” 
OBSERVATION #6 HOW NORMAN REACTS TOWARDS DEMONS
In previous posts, I pointed out that Norman was displaying various symptoms of Post-Trauma Stress Disorder, both blatant and subtle.  But this fact is still incredibly important to bring up; it reveals the dramatic shift in his mental state.
He has become extremely reckless in his actions, almost as though he lacks a sense of self-preservation.
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He walks right into a den full of Demons, without so much as a single care about his own safety. And later he even acknowledges the fact that he knew that these Demons would happily eat him– had they been given the slightest opportunity.
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He has prided himself on his singular goal of protecting all the cattle children. Often he has repeated the same line in response to this goal.
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If the blood of any cattle child is spilled, then his rebellion will have been for nothing. He wants to see only Demon blood be spilled in this upcoming revolution.
So why does Norman feel that its necessary to spill his own blood for the revolution to be effective?
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Because under his new revolution, he doesn’t consider himself someone who is in need of protection. He’ll happily spill his own blood to achieve the results that he wants to acquire.
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From his own perspective, he’s simply spilling more Demon blood for the revolution.
But if Norman doesn’t consider his own blood to be worth the same as “cattle child” blood, then why does he see himself as expendable?
We’ve seen Norman eat food before… so if he were more akin to a Demon, then he’d have to have obtained a similar biology to a Heathen.
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A Demon that doesn’t have to eat human meat in order to keep their intelligence or humanoid form…
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But how in the world would it be possible for him to obtain–
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The blood of a Heathen… one that had the ability to infect another individual with their characteristics…
BONUS OBSERVATION HOW WOULD THIS THEORY AFFECT THE STORY?
What if Norman was revealed to have a biology similar to a Demon? What if he had the same blood as Mujika?  How would his motivation and plans be viewed differently in hindsight?
It is important to remember how closely this arc is attempting to parallel the Escape Arc. And one of the memorable moments from the Escape Arc was Norman’s shipment.
He’s always had a habit of trying to sacrifice himself for the happiness of Emma and his family. This personality trait certainly hasn’t disappeared– no, it’s only gotten stronger during his departure from the story.
Now that he has taken on the role of William Minerva, he’s become a “savior” or “martyr” figure for the cattle children.
And his newest goal is to wipe every single Demon out of existence.
So if Norman considers himself to “be similar to a Demon,” then he probably has every intention of sacrificing himself for this goal to come true.
In a parallel to his “death” during the Escape Arc, Norman will hide his intentions of sacrificing himself. He’ll keep it a secret from both Emma and Ray.
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He has already shown that he would be willing to kill Mujika and Sonju for the sake of his revolution. And even in spite of Emma’s pleas that they are “good individuals who saved them,” Norman’s own thoughts stand unwavering.
If they’re Demons, then they must be destroyed. No matter whether they are “good” people. They must be killed. Every single one.
Including himself.
Norman took on the identity of James Ratri/William Minerva because he can not (in good conscience) call himself “Norman” anymore.
He’s a Demon now… so it would simply be better if his family remembers Norman as he once was. Instead of the monster that he has become.
And that is why he can not let his family ever find out.
Because knowing Emma… she’ll probably just argue that nothing has changed about him. She say that he’s still the same Norman as before.
That’s just like her. She’s far too kind… and extremely naive about how the world works.
And if she found out, then she’d never let him kill the Demons. But sometimes life isn’t kind – and you don’t get what you want.
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It might just take an onscreen fake-out death to reveal the truth.
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Text
Uchitama 7 - 8 | Eizouken 8 - 9 | ID: INVADED 8 - 11 | Iruma-kun 22 - 23 (FINAL) | BnHA 82 - 83
Uchitama 7
Lemme guess…this is the ve-Yep.
The name of this segment is Ottamake. The ke means fur/hair, but it does seem like it’s referring to Tama otherwise.
For some reason, Bull’s really into cats…
LOL, you can see the cat food right there is a real brand. I dunno how they got away with that.
Hmm, this show has something to say about idol business…and it does it better than some of the human idol shows! That says something.
It even comments on the “graduation” system. Whaddaya know.
Welp, I never thought an anime could pull off this with a commentary on gender presentation, to boot. (It’s not as pervasive as Stars Align’s, but it’s still one of the better ones. I guess I shouldn’t expect it as a norm though.) I thought Kai was a dude though and so Bull’s interactions came off to me as massively gay. I’ve been thinking, maybe he’s pan? Can dogs be pansexual???
Why do I get the feeling Kai is going to be introduced into 3-chome? Update: Doesn’t happen.
This song sounds very idol-like.
Uchitama 8
Aww…I feel like we’re going to learn Nora’s backstory soon. I think it’s going to be real sad.
…Yup, there goes my kokoro. Smol Nora is cute~!
Genki can mean “healthy” as well as “energetic” – the latter is why it’s translated as “spunky”.
Why do I get the feeling Nora’s owner died…?
Oh, smol Nora has a bandaid on his leg.
Let me ask the essential furry question – they hav human ears and animal ears. Which of those sets of ears do they hear with?
Yuuki Kaji does a good job as Nora.
This song’s so sad, it almost got me crying…  
Eizouken 8
This anime is like something from Studio Trigger!
The magic of Eizouken is that you get sucked into the anime they make and never look back.
Tomodachi vs. nakama, I think it is.
Id: Invaded 8
Lately, I’ve been thinking about practical cosplay (everyday wear that also doubles as a cosplay outfit). So basically, I’ve been thinking about Sakaido and El-Melloi II’s outfits a lot, since they’re rather practical while still looking cool. All I’m missing for El-Melloi’s outfit with the red jacket is a black button-up shirt, for El-Melloi’s outfit with the black jacket I’m missing a red scarf and I’m missing a brown button-up shirt for Sakaido’s (although the yellow scarf I got today to get one step closer to two of those isn’t the right mustard colour, it’s more of a lighter yellow).
Also, I noticed it’s (according to the katakana) meant to be “Id: Invaded”, but heck, it’s been ID: Invaded for so long for me, I don’t care either way.
Kiki was born in Fukui.
I always thought Mister Fixer sounded sad and now I think I know why…the bit I remember the most (the line that goes “Mister Fixer” and the bit around it) sounds like the singer is lamenting their life. Now that I see the visuals again after a few weeks (I’d get fatigued if I watched all that Fate/ and still managed to keep up with simulcasts, so I’ve been taking the simulcasts in a few eps at one time), Mister Fixer does quite sound like a crime drama song, but not as much as Thought I Knew (from Stand My Heroes).
I’ve seen images of Anaido and Sakaido in the same well for a few weeks now, so this cooperation bit is no surprise at all.
I believe Fukuda is asking why Narihisago is a –san to her even though they’ve worked together a while.
The words “data profile” are in one corner of the titlecard.
Does Anaido remember who he is in the ID Well? I presume not, but it’s hard to tell since we haven’t had as much time with him as we have Sakaido (not to mention I’ve been regularly filling my head with Fate/ and other things as well lately…so it’s hard to remember).
It’s interesting. Fukuda has the same piercings as Anaido (and even a ring on one pointer finger that matches them!), so he must’ve tried experimenting with…more legal holes, to put it one way…before getting his most iconic one.
Kaeru’s nails are chipped. Hmm.
In #Brake-Broken, which I read the first chapter of earlier (there’s a sample on the Young Ace website), Sakaido notices he doesn’t have a phone with him to call anyone or a licence (because in that manga, he wakes up in a car). It’s likely this will work the same way and Anaido won’t have any possessions on him, aside from the clothes on his back, accessories and the item that was stolen from his wrist/s.
Rings on both fingers…so I should be talking about them in plural. Update: I like how Anaido’s off-the-wall thought processes break up the inherent seriousness of Sakaido’s deductions and utilitarian way of doing things.
Anaido, you grimdark f***er. Update: For trying to eat a dead girl.
Okay, so for the sake of my practical cosplay, I knew I’d need this episode. Sakaido wears a long-sleeve brown shirt with some kind of shirt under that (either brown or black), plus a mustard-coloured scarf. (Note El-Melloi II wears a black shirt under his black button-up shirt, so I went with black as well.) In Brake Broken, I also noticed he wears dark socks (or that could be the leggings) and runners with a lightning bolt on them (I had to make do with generic black runners with a white stripe on the bottom), plus the iconic brown shorts over those (with a triangle pattern)…Why does Sakaido have a scarf anyway, versus Anaido and Miyo who don’t? As much as I like scarves, especially where colder weather is involved, getting a specific colour scarf was a bit of a headache to be honest, since I took 3 trips before deciding on the one I was going to buy (and even then, someone got it before me! The scarf I have now was my 2nd choice). Update: The shorts, leggings and undershirt are black, but I don’t know if Sakaido is wearing any socks or if they’re black too.
Just to note what Anaido has as well (although a coat like that, with the red detailing and flaps, would be hard to find…), he has a blue coat, suspenders, a white button-up top, a string tie (had to google what that was called, although its name is pretty obvious now that I know), black pants (which kinda look like leggings, but they’re not) and leather boots.
Now Sakaido can go into the loony bin…he’s talking to Kaeru.
Is Anaido going in circles? Sakaido caught up real fast…
Um, hey, protip: When stuck in quicksand, try to “float” on it. If you move, you’ll sink into it more. I don’t know how I know that, but I did stick it into my mind for times like this.
Notably, Anaido is about a head taller than Sakaido. Either Sakaido is unnaturally short and Anaido is average…or Anaido is just tall in that way some men are.
Did the bird get to this dude…?
There appears to be a man with a bun facing Hondomachi in the ED, although you can’t tell who it is from silhouette alone…Maybe he hasn’t appeared in the show yet. (Can’t be Matsuoka though. Might be the old guy who’s the head of Kura, actually.)
Update: Is the dead guy Momoki…?
Id: Invaded 9
It’s the familiar ceiling scene from Evangelion! (Okay, I’m kidding, but it’s a similar deal.)
I think the rules of Fate/ are “do it all, until you can no longer do it” (i.e. Everything is the same, until it’s different). It seems it’s the same here too.
Huh? Momoki?
“It doesn’t seem friendly.” – Yeah, and people die whe they are killed…in murder mysteries like this, usually speaking.
I noticed Narihisago’s tie is the same colour as his Sakaido jacket, if not the shirt under that.
Where did the Challenger’s clothes go after he took them off??? Hyperspace??? He wasn’t shown tossing them.
So Kaeru was Asukai all along, huh?
“Look at this.”
“It makes me think about him.” Subbers, that’s two mistakes in less than 1 minute…
I saw a fanart where Narihisago had his arm broken. I didn’t know why, but now I do. Also, TV Tropes is bad if you want to avoid spoilers…I know that already, but I go there anyway sometimes...
“It makes me wanna puke.”
Iruma-kun 22
The anime’s final episode is next week…but there’s already a season 2 in store for next year, so hopefully I survive the coronavirus and sort out all my issues this year in time for it.
Dat OP though. I’ve grown used to it and it’s actually endeared itself to me…which is odd, since I didn’t think I’d like it at first.
Demdol = akudol. Obviously, from “demon”.
Was that…Clara’s mother???  Kuromu’s older bro doesn’t look too bad, either.
Ohmygosh, this is fabulousssssssssss (and hilarious)! I’ve been waiting for this moment for many episodes, as you can tell if you’ve been following along, and I finally got the payoff!
Clara ends her sentence with –akuma (devil), hence the translation is matching it the same way.
Oh my gosh, Ryouhei Kimura (Azz-kun) sucks at being feminine, but that’s exactly what the role requires for this!
If you just pretend Azz-kun isn’t dressed in such an outlandish outfit, he looks really good…! Ayumu Murase does a pretty good falsetto, although you can tell there’s one point where Kimura’s voice gets really manly-sounding for a lady.
“Little imp” – Koakuma.  
Oh! The Keroli family is all cute.
Ooh, Kuromu’s nails are blue. Never noticed that before.
Eizouken 9
Chojugiga are ancient pictures normally depicting animals. As for sepak takraw…
I wonder if Eizouken will tackle the Manabi Line one day…?
That’s a parallel for Comiket, LOL.
“A colossus that no one can see!” – Gridman, is that you?
When did Kanamori meet Asakusa again…?
Kanamori with a bun is cool.
“There is nothing fun about social media!” – Well, social media is fun for me because it’s where I escape reality, but sometimes you gotta be like Kanamori and use it for publicity’s sake.
LOL, the username for the Eizouken is @eizoukenn.
I just realised Mizusaki’s hairstyle is irregular…it’s much longer on on side than the other.
“Mizusaki bump” – I think this references the Colbert bump. (TV Tropes link)
Kanamori – she with the word “gold”…or “money”…in her name – struggles with maths? Wow, that was something to hear. (I guess it’s kinda like me and IT (cybersecurity) – I suck at it because I suck at modulos…or division in short…and even though I can be found on my computer a lot, that’s why I don’t pursue it any longer. I was decent at accounting, but man, I’d be bored out of my brain if you made me do business IT and I have zero skills in games and multimedia.)
“Was it thuggery?” – What’s thuggery? That word sounds funny.
Did you see how Asakusa fell off the tank?
I did CR’s Eizouken quiz sometime in the past and it gave me Asakusa. That’s true, basically. I like thinking up ideas and how cool they are, but because I can’t stop from elaborating on them, they get out of hand and that’s why I have a tonne of dropped projects. (Then again, with how freely I can imagine motion, I could’ve gotten Mizusaki too.) Update: Tried again and I actually did get Mizusaki…whaddaya know.
Id: Invaded 10
People have been comparing this to Minority Report…now I see why.
I almost feel like this is a discussion of euthanasia and suicide as much as it is memory and the consciousness.
Ohh…she remembers! Hondomachi!
You can’t see Muku’s face! Ohh, scary!
Aww, the music really sold this montage. By the way, that sign didn’t say “entrance ceremony”, it said nyuugaku omedetou, “Congratulations on your entry [into school]”.
It…this singer almost sounds like Bruno Mars, but that would be basically impossible, no?
Oh my gosh…when the song swelled, I absolutely cried. That’s rare, man – that’s rare.
BnHA 82
I think the leftmost figure might be Miruko, the rabbit lady. I’ve never read anything about her outside of wiki pages ad other small spoilers, but I roughly know what she looks like.
What does Gentle mean by “Anglaise”? Surely it wouldn’t refer to cream…(crème anglaise)
LOL, Disneyland parades…
Whew…that was dangerous. I almost agreed with Mineta there (to get the festival over and done with).
I swear Midoriya gets together with All Might, just like this, at the end or start of a climactic arc. He did it in the last season of BnHA, remember?
BnHA 83
Hmm…It’s interesting that the author likes to point out who has and hasn’t met Eri. Then again, it’s good for consistency.
LOL, Amajiki my boy…you’re so relatable.
Hmm…amidst the coronavirus concerns…this cancellation business seems quite timely.
Oh! It’s a drone.
For some reason, I thought Sero was drinking vegetable juice…? Eh, no matter. They have vegetable juice in Japan – I remember seeing some on my trip.
Hmm? Gentle is like a phantom thief, I just realised. Mostly harmless, but bound to cause a big stir if he gets his way.
What is Gentle’s Quirk, anyway…?
Work Son…LOL(…?)
Who bets their moustache on this stuff, anyway…? (LOL)
Iruma 23 (FINAL)
I don’t get to see Iruma become evil this season…but he will next season! That visual I’ve been seeing by the original mangaka confirms it!
Marathon - the demon puns are back.
Demonicon =Oricon chart.
Demon Star Platinum…was that…a Jojo’s reference?! *scare chord*
Oh! Maguro (tuna).
Azz-kun being afraid of fish? That’s news to me.
Okay, subbers. Whose idea was it to translate Iruma’s words as “My feels…”…?
There’s a post-credits segment. Keep watching.
Yay! Evil Iruma-kun!...In spring 2021. (I’ve never once been so excited for a character to turn evil than this! I also like how evil Iruma said it’s the “buttcrack” of dawn…but that’s just my immature side showing.)
Id: Invaded 11
“…being taken for a ride!” – Well, you’re in a car, so you’re getting a ride nonetheless. (LOL) I hadn’t heard of the term “being taken for a ride” until…what? 2016, I think? When I was still doing language anaylsis.
Sakaido used Headbutt! It’s…kind of effective? (Writing up these pseudo-Pokémon battles is fun. I should write more.)
“…put a drill to your head…”
“The victims of John Walker’s serial killers…”
I noticed Hondomachi is touching the side of her head which had the hole in it…if I remembered it right.
Is it “the Kura”? Or just Kura?
August 15th is a popular date for anime, huh? It’s in the middle of summer. (Refers to Kagerou Project.)
That ‘who knew you needed to lose something to be complete’ thing…I think I get it, but for some reason I only ever seem to get that feeling when it’s me trying to read asexuality into things (since that’s how I learnt to interpret asexuality), so…yeah, way to go, me.
Wait…Togo visited Momoki’s bedroom?!
Yep, so I was right about that being the side with Hondomachi’s hole.
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shreddedleopard · 5 years
Link
Decided to post AQR on AO3 too ...
Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, 進撃の巨人 | Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan (Movies) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Levi Characters: Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss, Levi, Eren Yeager, Hange Zoë, Mikasa Ackerman, Connie Springer, Jean Kirstein, Sasha Blouse Additional Tags: RivaHisu, Canon Universe, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Feels, Post-Time Skip, Reiss-Ackerman Bond, Ackerman Bond, Royal Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss, Pregnancy, Secret Relationship Summary:
When Historia realises she must become pregnant to delay the plans of the Paradis Government, she is left with the impossible choice of selecting the father of her future child. There are many possible candidates, however Historia knows that there is only one set of genes which will give her child the very best chances of survival. The only problem is, will he consent to it?
Notes:
Important information for you to be aware of before you begin:
+This is a Levihisu fic - despite this, I would invite all shippers to read - I didn't realise I shipped them until I wrote this, either!
+This work was originally posted and is updated on Fanfiction.net, where it is currently at Arc 4. The version posted here is a re-edited, tidied up version.
+I have tried my absolute best to write AQR to run alongside the Manga; there are elements that I've tweaked from canon (timescales, for example) but right now, as of Chapter 119, I don't think there are any plot points which could be seen as diverging hugely from the realms of canon possibility (don't get me wrong, the events of the story are highly, HIGHLY unlikely to be anything like Yam's reveals to us in the Manga, but what I'm saying is they technically COULD be possible.)
+Following on from the above, this story WILL contain manga spoilers right up to the latest chapters - I highly recommend you don't read this unless you're familiar with these, one so that you're not spoiled, and two so that it makes a bit more sense!
ARC 1: REQUEST
ARC 2: FULFILLMENT
ARC 3: THE FORGE
ARC 4: DELIVERANCE
ARC 1: REQUEST
'An act of asking politely, formally or officially for something.'
CHAPTER 1: A Visitor at the Orphanage
Levi pulled his hood tighter around his sullen features and swept quietly along the path to the old farmhouse. There was a faint light drifting through the window, but the usual chatter of young, excitable voices was absent in the late evening air.
He reached the door and gave two swift knocks, before glancing behind him. He was alone still; good.
A moment later, the door cracked ajar, and one pale blue iris met his pale grey through the gap.
"Oh, Captain!" Historia pulled the door open the rest of the way to reveal her short figure, clothed in a plain dress more fitting of a lowly maid than royalty. "Hange told me to expect you."
"Good." Levi swept passed her into the hallway without invitation.
Historia closed the door softly and lead Levi through into the large dining area of the farmhouse. She gestured to one of the many worn, wooden chairs set at the table at the centre of the room. Levi sat, finally removing his hood.
"Tea?" Historia asked.
Levi inclined his head. "Are all of the brats asleep now? Or are we likely to be interrupted?" He raised an eyebrow at Historia, who rolled her eyes but smiled good-naturedly despite Levi's curt words. "They're all asleep. We're good. I'll make us a pot." With that, she disappeared into the adjoining kitchen.
Levi gave an inaudible 'tch' at her eye-roll; her confidence around him these days was far from the nervous demeanour of that honey-haired girl he had threatened in the dining room of a farmhouse not too dissimilar to this those four years ago. He was reminded of the playful punch to his arm she had given not so long after becoming Queen, and her daring him to retaliate. She had been right – what could he do about it, really? He may have once been her Captain and she his subordinate, but she was now his Queen. Check mate.
"I'm surprised you don't have people to make tea for you these days, Your Majesty." He made sure the sarcasm in his voice was especially evident. She may be the Queen, but he was still as difficult as he had ever been. Some things would never change.
Historia popped her head around the door frame, tea leaves in hand. "Surely you know me better that that, Captain? After all these years, and all that tea I brewed you when you helped me open this place!" She gave a soft chuckle before returning to her task. "Keep your voice down. What's the nature of this shady late evening visit, anyway?"
It was Levi's turn to roll his eyes this time. "I forgot how much you enjoy playing woman of the people." He paused, waiting for her retort from the other room. When none came, he continued. "We've uncovered information regarding the situation with Zeke, and the plans for your, ah … future."
Historia returned to the table, a tray of tea in her hands and a frown painted across her pretty features. "What sort of information? From who?"
Levi took a cup in his fingers from the tray she set down, avoiding the dainty handle, as was his way. He sipped quietly, before raising his eyes to meet Historia's across the table. "Premier Zackley and The government don't trust Zeke, and particularly this new-found secretive relationship with Eren." Levi sighed. "Honestly, I can't say I blame them completely; he certainly wouldn't be my first choice of ally." He placed the cup down and knitted his fingers together, elbows on the table.
Historia nodded her head and took a sip of her tea. "Go on, Captain."
"They grow very nervous. They dislike the fact that Zeke is a not a pawn in this game they can easily control. They do, however, have options to change this …" Levi glanced at Historia, trying to gauge her reaction, looking for any sign she understood where this conversation was heading.
"They want control over the Beast Titan. I imagine they'd also like to know a bit more about this 'secret plan' of Zeke's," Historia pointed out. She frowned. "The easiest way to achieve this, I think, would be to have a titan under their control consume Zeke, thus inheriting his power and memories …" She glanced back at The Captain, clearly looking for confirmation.
"So you're not just a pretty face then, Your Majesty. You've been paying attention." Levi sat back in his chair, and simply regarded the young woman before him for a moment.
It was now Historia's turn to give a small 'tsk' of annoyance. "Of course. It's my duty, isn't it?" Her eyes blazed fiercely across the table at the Captain. "So where do I fit into this?"
Levi raised his eyebrows at her. "Surely you know that answer?"
Historia hesitated, her dainty blond eyebrows knitted together in consideration. Suddenly, her eyes widened with realisation. "They want to replicate Zeke's circumstances exactly, using someone from Paradis. They need royal blood … My royal blood. Just like Eren said. They ... want me to transform into a Titan, and consume Zeke...?"
Levi nodded. "They've come back to that idea. Except they want to do it sooner, rather than later, so that everything is done to their terms rather than Zeke's. They think if we wait, he could betray us and use this secret plan for his own gains." He watched Historia gaze down into her now empty tea cup.
"I see." A small frown spread across her features. "So what would you have me do, Captain?" She lifted her eyes to his once again.
"I would not 'have' you do anything, Historia." Levi tried to keep his expression unreadable and his face flat. "Gone are the days where I can coerce you into doing what I believe is the right thing, as you once pointed out to me."
Historia gave a small laugh at that. "I think 'coerce' is putting it lightly, when you decided your hands around my throat were the best approach to 'coerce' me into becoming Queen."
Levi dismissed her last comment with a small flick of his hand, feeling the very faintest trace of guilt at his previous, very physical, methods with the girl. "Either way, this is your decision to make as Queen. Except, if you don't wish to become a Titan and consume Zeke, I honestly don't think a simple 'No' would do it. If they have to do it by force, I imagine they'd have no problem, considering the level of threat they believe Zeke to be."
"I don't particularly want to become a Titan Shifter, if I'm honest."
That is probably the understatement of the century, Levi thought, eyeing Historia's apparently calm exterior disbelievingly. He wondered whether she had always suspected this day might come.
"Do you think Zeke is a threat? Do you trust him?" She asked, her blue eyes searching his.
Levi sighed. "Do I trust him? Absolutely not. Do I think he's a threat? Potentially." He paused, turning his cup in its saucer absent-mindedly. "But do I think turning him into Titan food out of fear is the right thing to do?" He glanced at Historia, and for a second was sure he caught a glimmer of fear in the girl's eyes. "No, it's not. It's a knee-jerk reaction. And we are forgetting one very important element in all of this."
"Eren." Historia murmured.
"Yes. And while I confess that Jaeger can be an idiot at times - reckless and hot headed - I truly believe that his intentions are for the benefit of Paradis, and his comrades. I don't believe he would agree to go along with any detrimental plan Zeke may throw his way, and I don't believe, either, that he could be brainwashed or otherwise persuaded to change this. His will is too strong when he knows what he wants. He's too much of a titan sized pain in the ass, quite frankly." Levi put his head in his hands, suddenly reminded of the headache that the head strong Jaeger had personally caused him over the years. Yet it was somehow because of everything that they had been through together, that Levi still felt that he could trust Eren.
There was a small chuckle from across the table.
Levi looked up "What?"
"Nothing, Captain. It's just – you seem to be speaking from personal experience." Historia chuckled again.
"Hmph."Levi sat back and folded his arms.
"So, you think we're better off letting Zeke continue with his plan?" Historia was thoughtful. "Just go along with it? Because you trust Eren?"
"Erwin trusted Eren, and I trusted Erwin." Levi raised a hand to his temple. "I think, what we need, is time. I don't know what the right answer is, but I know turning you into a titan right now and consuming Zeke is not it."
Historia nodded, slowly. "Agreed, then. But you said saying 'No' is not going to cut it, right?" She folded her arms. "So how can I stop the government from physically forcing this on to me? What, are you going to be my personal body guard? I know you're Humanity's Strongest, Captain, but there's one hell of a lot more MPs than you."
Levi rolled his eyes. "Please. As though I'd have the time to hang out in some farmhouse drinking tea all day." He suddenly lent forward, his fingers steepled. "We've got to be smarter than that, Historia. We don't want them to think we're purposefully delaying their plans. How do you suppose we might do that?"
Historia raised an eyebrow quizzically. "I've no idea, Captain, but I feel as though you might be about to enlighten me?"
Levi tilted his head slightly, wondering how to best phrase what he needed to tell her next. He'd never been very good at this shit. "You're very important to the success of Paradis, Historia. The people love you. You're also the last of the Royal bloodline who is completely, undoubtedly loyal to this island. The government would never risk harming you ... or your offspring."
The Captain sat before Historia quietly, eyebrows raised, hoping that the emphasis placed on his last words would sink in.
"My … offspring?" Historia repeated back quietly. Suddenly, she snapped her head up to meet Levi's expectant gaze. "Wait, what? You want me to get pregnant!?"
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ladykf-writes · 5 years
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Fanfic Writer Appreciation (and a little self love)
Sooooo, as talked about I wanted to do a little promo. I may not always be my favorite writer, but I try to be one of my cheerleaders. And well, if you’re here you obviously have some interest in what I’m up to.
SO! Here’s a list of my currently-published WIPs and some info about them, in the order that I’ve updated them, most recent to oldest. 
Feel free to ask questions about any of them!
Dog Whistle (Ao3 || FFN) - started off as a prompt from @snackarey​ when I reblogged some Soulmate AUs. This one was a prompt for soulmates (Zack/Kunsel) who felt what each other felt - like pain. Needless to say, this went into a canon divergent AU where Kunsel felt some of what Zack was going through when Hojo got a hold of him after Nibelheim. And saved him, setting off an ever-increasing list of revolutionary consequences. It’s nearly 58K, and though I’m a little stuck I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.
Dewprism: Journey to the [Relic] (Ao3 || FFN) - this actually has a lot more written than I’ve posted, I just got a little frustrated because well... the fandom is teeny tiny and there’s no real feedback. But! It’s an interesting piece. It’s a semi-novelization where I’m taking the old PS1 Classic from Squaresoft, Threads of Fate/Dewprism and merging the two storylines. Basically... you can’t play the game anymore unless you got it from the PSN for your PSP or... PS2, I think? Or emulate it, of course, you can do that. And I wanted to bring the experience to more people, because it’s got such a great story.
It’s Not a Game (Ao3 || FFN) - this is my Avengers/FF7 crossover, and funny story, it was actually born out of a comment back on my old Genesis RP blog about how Genesis would totally be Tony Stark’s favorite character if he played Crisis Core. It’s turned into a full blown fixit I have a type and I actually have like, 90% of the next chapter done, it just doesn’t feel quite right so I haven’t posted it. And am, of course, stuck. There’s a case of choice paralysis here; the premise is that, in the MCU, FF7 is a series like it is in our world, and Tony is a fan. So he goes to make a simulation to do a self-insert... only he somehow transports himself (and Bruce) to a dimension where it’s real. A “Stark-insert” someone called it; and it does use a lot of “Self-Insert” tropes, actually. There’s just so many ways it could go that I’m stuck on choosing exactly how to progress here.
Party of Five (Ao3 || FFN) - the MMO AU! This was actually originally a prompt @up-sideand-down​ got, that I got permission to take off with. It’s a modern AU AGSZC where they meet online playing this MMO I made up that’s based off of FF7 and modeled after a mashup of like, me studying WoW and my experiences playing SWTOR. I’ve actually got some ideas of where it’s going, I just got too caught up in technicalities and need to reroute it back to the relationships going on.
Welcome to FF7 (series link, Ao3) - this is me hashing out basically what I think went down pre-games. Most of it is headcanon, I cannot stress that enough. It’s based off of the little we know, of course, but there’s just so much we don’t that it’s mostly headcanon. Tons of OCs. It’s a whole series, and they overlap - different sections that follow different departments, mostly. The base story is Welcome to ShinRa (Ao3 || FFN) and that follows the man who will become President Shinra from back when they first discover mako energy. I’ve also got Welcome to the Science Department (Ao3 || FFN) which starts off with college students Gast and Grimoire and how they get drawn into the beginnings of what becomes ShinRa Electric.
And last but not least, honorable mention to Times of Change (Ao3) - this was actually a piece inspired by @deadcatwithaflamethrower‘s Re-Entry series. I desperately need to reread that before I can hope to continue this, but... one day. One day.... I don’t suggest reading it right now, my headcanons have changed and it needs an overhaul. But you’ll see eventually.
And now... the WIPs you haven’t seen. (Under a cut)
By fandom, just to keep things straight, but in no particular order otherwise.
Compilation of FF7
The Snowball Effect (Ao3 || FFN) ... sequel? continuation? - as one of the gift exchange presents I’ve just done this past month, it is definitely standalone as is, but if I ever figure out where I want to take it, I’ll continue that one. It was just far too much fun.
The Price of Freedom - the sequel to To Be Human, which... I’m looking forward to, but I really burnt myself out on TBH so it’s going to be longer than anticipated before I approach this one. TBH definitely stands on its own, but there were some loose ends left to tie up, so we’ll see how that goes. And when it goes, when I’m ready to approach that again. TBH needs some editing, too... lots of work there.
The Unnamed Pokemon/FF7 crossover that I’ve talked about for... a couple years now (yikes) but now actually have a plot for. It’s very interesting to me, putting Pokemon on Gaia, and seeing how that changes everything. Because like, they’d have presumably used Mew’s DNA since there’s no Jenova (I can’t see them using Deoxys, which would be the closer parallel) and since there’s no Chaos, Grimoire is still alive. Which means no extra Drama between Lucrecia and Vincent - and really, there shouldn’t be the stress between Vincent and Hojo over her being sick because Mew would theoretically be much more compatible with humans than Jenova was.
What I’m saying is Seph has three parents and at least one set of grandparents and a much more stable Sephiroth (and Genesis and Angeal, thanks to Lucrecia teaming up with Gillian) leads to some very interesting changes. Like deciding they don’t want to fight the Wutai war anymore. >_>
Hold My Flower - a timetravel fic featuring our one and only flowergirl, who has had enough of people messing up her planet and refuses to just... let it die. She is, unquestionably, a force of nature. No fragile flower to be found here, this is the gal you see in the OG who threatened a mob boss and meant it. Heaven help anyone who gets in her way. She’s going to save the world. Possibly in a Turk Suit, don’t look at me.
The Long Game - Reeve goes back in time, and holy crap this one is a monster I am truly intimidated by so it’s gonna take a while for me to get going on that. XD But basically, similar premise to the above - the world isn’t healing and someone has to do something, so Reeve is nominated due to his position in ShinRa and potential to... he’d say “influence” but let’s call a spade a spade - manipulate people and events to a more favorable outcome.
A third BIT fic is one that I started writing with my friend @askshivanulegacy back in... damn, somewhere between 2011-2013, before we switched to writing SWTOR fic together. It’s one where Zack is sent back in time, and the differences in him post-Hojo change things even before he can start deliberately changing anything. But I got permission to take and remake that, so I intend to, one day. It was Good Stuff. And you can never have too much timetravel.
Dragon Ball Z
So, this is an oooooold fandom of mine - the first fanfics I ever wrote (under a different name, no I’m not telling XD it was ten years ago) were for DBZ, and definitely the first ones I ever read, back in the days of dial up. And I read a couple interesting takes on Chichi/Vegeta fic... and I was talking with @vorpalgirl about it and said I’d love to try my hand at something with that one day. I think they have the potential to be a really great pair (don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the canon pairings but those two have a lot of potential) so... yeah someday I might dip my toes back into Z. It’s on the wishlist, as well as reviving and cleaning up an old unfinished work of mine. Someday~
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Seven Years Lost - this one I’ve been debating a long time, and even did a little on! It’s basically how I rationalize what happens when Link pulls the Master Sword out and - well, spoilers but it’s a really old game so - when he comes out as a teenager and is immediately able to handle a nearly-adult body. It involves a dreamscape scenario where he communicates with his past incarnations and learns from them, and from sharing dreams with Zelda due to their bond.
Sailor Moon (manga/Crystal based)
Second Chances - I read a lot of SM fanfic back in the day, and my favorite ones were... more real? Like, there were more consequences to these 14 year old kids out there fighting for their lives and sometimes losing them. I’d like to tell a story through Minako/Venus’ eyes primarily, covering what that’s like, and then I also just really want a happy ending for the senshi/shittenou? So... yay canon divergence, lol. You guys know the deal by now. XD
Star Wars: Legends Era
United We Stand - SWTOR fanfic, baby! Basically, I’m just dying to see the eight classes cross over each other, and I will bend canon to do it. For anyone that’s played the original class story lines, there is some cross over but believe me when I say there were huge opportunities that were let drop by nature of the game. Just with the two Jedi stories alone... but that’s #spoilers for a not-as-old game so I’ll leave that be and only elaborate if asked.
(And do feel free to ask about any of these! I’d love to hash them out more.)
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kero-reviews · 5 years
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Happy Wednesday!!
This week I’m reading:
Tokyo Ghoul: Re Volume 5 by Sui Ishida
Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
The Complete Sherlock Holmes Volume 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
and The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
I got to finish:
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Go For It Nakamura! by Syundei
Otome Mania!! Volumes 1 & 2 by Tsukigase Yurino
Bloom Into You Volume 1 by Nakatani Nio
Yona of the Dawn Volume 18 by Mizuho Kusanagi
and Claudine by Riyoko Ikeda
A long upate! Thank you for waiting while I was on a small hiatus! I’m back now! Because I was so busy in May I feel behind on my reading list, so to make up for that I’ve upped my weekly goal to 5 books. So cheer me on that I can make that goal!! I will also be straying from my “this week I’m reading:” list a bit. I bought some thrift store books and had some great finds on Rightstufanime.com’s Pride sale at the beginning of the month, so I’m trying to get some of those read before I go back to my main focuses. I’m still including my main focus books though, because they’re what I want to be reading and actively working towards, even if progress is slow because I’m reading other wonderful things. Which I’m trying to get to as soon as possible.
That being said, I haven’t made much progress in Tokyo Ghoul: Re, Sherlock Holmes, or Gemina.
Language of Thorns is so much fun!!! It’s a collection of fairy tale-like stories from the different countries in the GrishaVerse. I’m only 2/6 stories through, but I’m enjoying it, and I’ve caught wind that there’s a Darkling cameo in it? I’m excited to find it if I heard right!! This is the newest installment in my book club with @books-take-flight and our final read with Leigh Bardugo works until the next one is released.
King of Scars was absolutely fantastic. I admit I had a hard time getting into the first half, but the second half reeled me in, in a way that no one but Leigh Bardugo could do. I was absolutely enthused to have more Nikolai and Nina. And having Zoya (a wonderfully developed, strong female character) take center stage was something I never knew I needed so badly. I loved it and I can’t wait until the next installment. I’ll be doing a mini highlight of this book when I get a chance in honor of PRIDE MONTH!
Go For It Nakamura was a thrift store find, that I was very wary towards... its cover- not so pretty. But it was very cheap, and I figured it would be a nice way to read a new LGBT series (especially one I’ve never even heard of before!) and would flip in a garage sale later on. HOWEVER! I won’t be doing that. I loved it. Yes, it’s very cheesy and not exactly a rot-your-teeth-sweet love story. But it’s a very nice slice of life. Each chapter is only a couple pages, and we get not only a romantic/coming of age story in the shorts, we also get a comedy. Because the chapters are so short, there’s not a lot of commitment needed on the readers end, but it’s definitely worth a read. I like having more relaxing, low-plot books to have on hand, because I feel like we could all use a story like this on our bad days. It’s a bit unfulfilling in the romance department, but we cheee for Nakamura anyway! I’ll also be doing a highlight of Go For it Nakamura in honor of Pride Month later on.
Otome Mania I got from the same thrift store as Nakamura, and had a similar attitude towards it going in. But I was pleasantly surprised by this duology too! I love how the story is about the Otome (dating sim) industry and reads like one! I only wish it were longer. We could have had a better developed plot, and better characters . It’s a duology manga, so all the conflicts are resolved unsatisfactorily quickly, and, like in an Otome game, our characters are introduced one at a time with that chapter being the chapter with their most screen time. While that works in a game, where you have the option of exploring that character again, in a manga it feels as though there’s too many characters to get attached to in such a short time. Regardless, I enjoyed it, and was surprised to see how few Goodreads users have read it (less than a 100! Only 55 for the second book!), i hadn’t heard of it before, but I still rarely see books on Goodreads have so few reads.
Bloom Into You! I’ve been wanting to read this book! I always get excited when I hear of a new LGBT book, and this one got a very popular anime as well! So I was sooooo ready to dive right in! Going in, I had high expectations, and it took a bit to get me invested. The characters are wonderful (they give me very Liz and the Blue Birds vibes), but not quite what I expected, which was my own fault. Once I got acquainted with who these two girls actually were, I started loving it. I can’t wait to read the next one, which I thought I ordered, but I was wrong so I have to wait. I’m cheering for their romance, but also their friendship as these two girls learn about themselves and each other in this sweet High School Romance. I will also give this book a highlight as soon as I can.
Yona of the Dawn! An absolute favorite series of mine that I can’t thank @books-take-flight more for. This book we get the Yellow Dragons past, and while I knew what was going to happen, Kusanagi writes the story so well and uniquely that it still broke my heart anyway. I’m waiting very eagerly for the next book and I hope this series continues and gets to live out the authors intent for as long as possible.
Claudine, another thrift store find. I almost didn’t buy this one, because I wasn’t a fan of the art ( I came around). However, we have a trans male protagonist and I couldn’t give that up. I went into it wary, because I had been under the impression that the series was about a trans FEMALE ( I was wrong) which meant that the title of this book was a dead name. So I was cautious going into this, and didn’t come around until I read some of the Goodreads reviews, and got to about the halfway point in the book where I became more interested in our hero’s story. The Goodreads reviews helped bring the zeitgeist into perspective for me. Particularly, that this story was written in the 70s. I don’t feel confident enough in my knowledge of the subject to use that to defend this work, but please look at Goodreads if you’re curious. Overall I was pleased by the story. The art felt very fitting after a while, and I was not prepared for how self contained and tragic this one shot is. I’ve felt dissatisfied with one shots before, but this book is so complete and planned that while I would LOVE to get more of Claude’s story, having what I do I can appreciate his story all the more. It reads almost like an old epic poem, where we go through the origin and then trials of Claude’s life. And it’s through his gender and identity that we see him learn how his true relationships differ from more shallow or lust-filled ones. I loved this book, even if it was heartbreaking. I’ll be doing a highlight on this book as well.
Thank you for bearing with a long update, and I hope you look forward to my highlights for Pride Month.
H❤️A🧡P💛P💚Y💙R💜E💖A❤️D🧡I💛N💚G💙!💜
🏳️‍🌈Kero-chan🏳️‍🌈
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zachwritesstuff · 6 years
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Dragon Pilot: Old vs New
Warning: This article contains spoilers to Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan’s later parts and ending.
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Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan is, in many ways, a fabulous series. The animation is great, the characters are lovable, and the story hits emotional high points in strange and unexpected ways. It’s probably one of my most recommended series of the Summer Season, and possibly of the year! But I could spend paragraphs talking about how much I loved this series, when really, I want to talk about one specific thing that stood out to me about it.
I don’t think it’s a controversial statement to say that anime has changed in the last decade or two. In fact, it has to change, or else it will stagnate and die. But in recent years, there has been a different kind of change happening, not on screen, but behind the scenes. While reports come in on Anime shows and franchises seeing record high profits, more reports are coming out about the troubling financial and personal conditions that animators and production assistants on shows have to live in, and the treatment from upper management and fans alike that people inside the industry have to go through. It’s no surprise that more public figures, like voice actors and idols, become traumatized and sick from all of them issues they have to deal with outside of their control.
It’s reassuring to see that things might be looking up for the lower workers in the Anime industry, from more affordable dorms and housing being crowdfunded, to new avenues of production opening up new ways to get anime to an audience, doing away with the strict and punishing guidelines. And creatively, more challenging shows are starting to be made, ones that poke fun and challenge the classic cliches and tropes of Dumb Big Breasted Women, Blank Slate Heroes, and Marketing Driven Shows. Instead, we are seeing more uses of Absurdist Comedy (Pop Team Epic, Asobi Asobase); Introspective shows about the creators of anime and the people who indulge in anime (Shirobako, Wotakoi); And shows that take classic romance plots and apply them in new, inventive ways (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Recovery of an MMO Junkie).
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A wholesome slice of life comedy~
Even outside of the industry, Japan is seeing political change, with more protests against militarization of the country and support for LGBT rights popping up to challenge the instilled conservative views that have been a mainstay in Japan for so long.
I bring all of this up because I believe, whether purposely or subconsciously (And I do believe that it’s mostly on purpose), Dragon Pilot is a reflection of the changing industry and how it’s dealing with these issues, especially when it challenges the classical/traditional way of doing things.
The first major clue, and the thing that caught me on to this theory, is the design of the show. From the get go, it stands out from other shows in how it lays out it’s world. It strays away from the use of Key frame animation and highly detailed backgrounds, instead using a much more fluid movement and watercolor spaces to give everything a more down to Earth feel. And even when they use newer technology, like CG animation, it’s only used sparingly, as to not interfere with the natural flow of the animation. The two styles are used complimentary, instead of as a way to fill space.
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Inside the actual designs of the Military base, everything looks old and lived in. There are spots of dirt everywhere, doors are uneven, and equipment has been put through the ringer. Even the character designs themselves seem to carry this style, many of them being a mismatch of character archetypes from the 60s, 70s and 80s. This all in spite of being in the modern day, and many of them having smart phones and updated Military hardware, like the parts that make up the Dragon’s disguise.
This, I feel, sets up the main conflict, even before you learn what the series is even about. It’s an establishment that has done things in one way for many years, and even though it tolerates minor advancements around it, it always sticks to its core values, never straying too far from what they believe to be the proper path to success. This could be applied to the Anime industry, as even when experimenting with new ideas, core ideas have always been forced in: Fanservice, merchandising ability, storyline tropes, etc...
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Awkward situations is the main staple of modern anime
Which brings us to the main plot of the show. In a quick summation, the main Pilots, called OTF pilots, must control dragons, disguised as planes, to lead a world destroying God Dragon to it’s new resting place, a tradition that they must do every 76 years. They do not find out until after they begin, however, that one of the main parts of the journey involves sacrificing a shrine maiden, in order to ensure safe passage. This appalls the main characters, and they hatch a plan to prevent it from happening, eventually succeeding with much hardship.
This, I feel, reflects the current state of the Anime industry. For years, it’s been leaning heavily on the things that made it the most money, like shows with heavy fanservice, shonen shows that were played into the ground, harem series that allowed the viewer to place themselves into the empty husk that is the main character. While they allowed little changes in technology and storytelling, the core values have roughly been the same since the 70s. But it’s not the 70s anymore, and things do have to change, lest they get eventually outdated and left behind. Of course, the people running things do not and will not agree, so sometimes you have to be a bit more forceful and creative with how you make those changes.
It’s not just the overall plot that clues into this either. Even the smaller side plots play with classical tropes in interesting ways. Romance ends up being a leading factor, as the Pilots end up not able to link with their dragons properly if they are feeling love for someone else. While it’s mostly played literally straight with Hisone and vaping engineer Haruto Okonoji, things play out slightly differently with the other three pilots.
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The biggest crime of the entire anime, promoting vaping...
For example, let’s look at the other focused romance between the hard nosed dragon pilot Eru Hoshino and the perverted male pilot Yutaka Zaito. On the surface, they are introduced as a very played out idea: Perverted, somewhat sexist boy falls in love with a girl that is sickened by his attitude, yet still falls for him when he starts to become less sexist and perverted. And though it’s pretty much done word for word as it’s done in the past, they do pull one interesting twist out. Because she fell for him, she’s unable to pilot, and despite the man’s best wishes, he actively sabotages the relationship, making her hate him so as to complete the mission successfully. Though it works out in the end, it’s a surprising route to take for a show that has romance as a main plot mover.
And speaking of romance, let’s talk about the other two pilots: The motherly Mayumi, and the sullen Liliko. When they are analyzed for their possible romantic links, they are simply written off as “not a concern”. While it’s never openly stated, the coding for the two characters  seems to be that of an aromantic type, and at least in Liliko’s case, asexual. Throughout her time on the base, Liliko seems to show no romantic interest in anyone, and when even asked at the end if she was interested in anyone, she simply mentions “Kingdom”, the manga she reads. Mayumi is a little harder to tack down, as her interests seem to lie in caring for someone rather than having an active relationship, shown in her way she deals with her dragon and how she only seemed interested in someone else because they seemed well fed and groomed. When you have an industry filled with strict guidelines for relationship (Shonen has only hetero relationship, romance is either m/f, m/m or f/f, no crossover), it’s very refreshing to see a mishmash of different ideals represented.
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One of the funnest characters, btw
Even the way that Hisone reacts to her choice between love and duty is different. Hisone is forced to choose: Either stop loving the engineer boy Okonoji-san, who represents her personal life and self worth, or else never be able to pilot Masotan ever again, who represents her dedication to her craft and what she’s built her life around. When faced with a final choice, she initially chooses neither, instead choosing to quit. This gets a negative reaction from her higher up, who somewhat literally throws her out, yelling insults the entire time. But soon after, she chooses to actively follow the plan, only to go against it at the last moment when she learns about the sacrifice, ultimately deciding to take things into her own hands and perform the ritual herself, risking her own life.
This, in a sense, could represent the constant struggle of newer animators, producers and voice actors face when breaking into the industry. They are told the traditions and things they have to do, and to question or reject them could lead to their abilities being insulted or questioned, their job threatened, and in some cases, termination and blackballing from the entire industry.
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No pressure
When Hisone reenters the Air Force, apologizing for what she did, she is showing her respect for what the tradition is, and how it has helped their country for centuries. She feels that she can balance work and her personal life if given a chance, despite the heavy toll it takes on her, like having to work for dozens of hours on end because that’s the expectation of her; Having to follow ridiculous order after ridiculous order, with little explanation of why or what the benefit is; And any question she places against it being shot down. These conditions which might resonate, not only with production workers, but also many other jobs around the globe…
But when faced with the horrible idea of having a person losing their life, she knew it was the final straw. She saw a young person forced to take the fall for an institution that consciously and knowingly lied to and built up this person for failure, something they had done for years. Hisone knew it was too far, and instituted change herself, despite those around her telling her it was a suicide mission.
And what happens? Hisone does it, and everything works out. Despite being told for eons that this thing must be done one was, and any other would destroy everything, when Hisone tried a new, inventive, and more importantly, less toxic way of doing things, it worked out fine. Hisone lived, the Air Force learned that their lesson, and everyone was left to figure out how to live their lives with this new way of doing things.
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And being fucking adorkable while doing it all~
Ultimately, Dragon Pilot is a show of hope. It shows that, even against overwhelming odds, the way things have been done before are not the way things must always be. The world evolves, so with it, an industry must as well, or else they’ll simply be left in the dust. And even if it might seem hard, impossibly hard even, sometimes that’s just a sign that you must work even harder to make it happen. So hopefully, the Anime Industry learns a lesson from it’s own show and cleans up its act a little. A little less of shows like Darling in the Franxx, and a little more of shows like Dragon Pilot.
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ais-n · 6 years
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manga stuff
Ohoho, better fear me now! I’m now caught up on One Punch Man (the manga) as far as scanlators have it (also have bought all that’s out officially in English manga books too and will keep buying those). I’m debating reading the webcomic as well. 
I think I’ll end up reading the webcomic too, I’m just suuuuper confused on where to start. I may have to read from the beginning but I wanted to skip to around where the manga leaves off at the moment (just read chapter 86 today). 
OPM READERS: Anyone know where a person should start the webcomic? I saw on an old reddit post they said to start around webcomic chapter 54 or something because it diverges a little there between manga and webcomic?
I still need to read Haikyuu!!. I’ve still only seen the anime and then read a couple of the early volumes. I have everything officially released so far in English on that one too so I think that will become my next bus read, although right now I’m swinging between that and Demon Prince of Momochi House, though, because I got the 4 latest volumes on that one after being behind for a bit. I’m also waiting for the next Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, because the next volume is the last one I think. I have to wait for March though sad story :( I’m kind of curious about the game that the manga is based on, but I never really play games so I’ll probably never actually play it. It intrigues me though.
Also need to keep reading Bungo Stray Dogs. And I’m waiting for my latest Devils and Realist to arrive; I think the post office lost my package :(
I don’t know why I’m randomly listing some of the series I’m following; guess it’s just that time of night when I’m sleepy enough to be like BLAHBLAH ALL THE SERIES BLAHHH. 
But on a side note to that! I was just checking to see if a new Kurosagi Corpse Delivery is out (still no, still sad, that series is so great), and I saw a note that a US live-action film was/is under development - and for a second I was like “What?!  SO COOL???” But then I saw it was a note from 8 years ago and there’s been no updated T_T WHY GET UP MY HOPES MAN WHYY T_ T Probably wouldn’t have been good anyway, I don’t generally have high hopes for live action films based on manga, especially if they aren’t made in Japan, but still :( I love that series and want more things related to it. But at this point I’d just be happy to have more of the series itself. Still only have through volume 14 available :( omnibus 5 where you at it’s been 2 years come on
PS: if for some reason anyone’s wondering what series I’m reading in its entirety or has more manga recs or something, let me know! I didn’t list everything I’m reading or buying as they come out because that’s a long ass list. But it’s always fun to talk manga :)
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setsunatama3 · 4 years
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Chapter 17: growth and complications
AN/ sorry guys, I kinda got busy at work (several call-offs while prepping for a big Thanksgiving party) 😅. I haven’t had a day off to really sit down and work on this for the past month in half as its holiday season. Fortunately, I only have one more party to prep for, and that is on Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa (or whatever appropriate religious holiday you celebrate).  I may have to slow down for a bit due to all the hours I am currently working. At my place of work. At least until January. So please have patience with me while I get through the holiday season. On another note has anyone out there caught the manga and historical reference I made in the last few chapters. If not, the reference is the use of the dead Tangut dialect. And its relation to the manga by the title of shut hell it is an excellent historical romance fantasy tale. Based on the actual real-world genocide of the Tangut people by the Mongolian horde lead by the (in)famous Genghis Khan. And I also but Voldemort in my fanfic by his real name Tomas Riddle (killed him off right and proper I did) and yeah its cause I got addicted to hp fics (stop looking at me like that I don't have a problem… 
No, I don’t have a problem. You have a problem.)
For any updates follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/setsunatama3
  Chapter 17: growth and complications
Blake did not know what to think when she had sat down on the center island of the lake before the falls of truth. Honestly, she had felt that naruto was joking when he had told her. The only way for her to grow was to confront her darkness. So as one would expect, she was caught off guard when, after a minute of staring at the hypnotic serenity that was the waterfall, a figure came from its depths. A copy of herself down to the last detail. Only it did not hide its features proudly sporting her cat ears to the world. 
Standing up to walk over to confront her darkness. Blake's first thought was to fight. When Naruto's words rang through her head, they were not to fight but confront her darkness. But the real question was, what was her darkness? Why did she hide who she was from everyone else? Wearing a mask that only one person indeed saw through with only a glance. It was simple to fake who she was for so long that it soon became natural. It became her first instinct to hide who she was. Even when she faced discrimination from the masses for being a Faunus. Her first reaction was to swallow her pride and hate. For a mask of indifference. Just going with the flow. When her parents had founded the white Fang to protect the Faunus. It was one of the few times she felt anything other than apathy for the world at large. Then they changed, and her parents gave up on the Fang to hide away their shame in Menagerie. Her father, rather than curbing the violent tendency of the members of the Fang. He stepped down as leader, preferring to be a lowly chieftain of Menagerie. It was sickening to watch and caused her first act of rebellion to do what she had felt was right. By becoming an active member of the new white Fang. 
While in the service of the Fang, she met the man who would become her teacher. Her master in the art of the sword. She had served him diligently as his tool willingly. Whatever he desired, blake knew she would provide. That was at first. Until she saw the depths of his rage, the lengths he would go to get his revenge. It frightened her to her core. His willingness to kill the innocent and guilty all in the same stroke. Even though the world that they live in is in shades of gray. For her master, it was either you were on his side, or you died. 
It was why she had made a choice, she prepared to leave him. It was the hardest thing blake had ever done. To take the first steps on what she felt was the right path, a path all her own.
So with all her reflection of her past done. Blake knew what she had to do was not fight her darkness but accept it. As she walked forwards towards her double. Dropping her weapons and discarding her bow. She made to embrace her copy as if to tell it it's ok. When she felt the hot steel of the copy's clever in her shoulder. Even then, she did not stop. Not when for rounds from its gun pierced her stomach. The shade screaming at her. "Why, why, won't you fight."
As it backed away in fear using its gambol shroud to perfection, slicing open her throat. Still blake refused to back down with the single-minded determination to express her words. Even if her lifeblood was flowing free.
With blurry vision and losing blood. Collapsing to the floor at the feet of her shade. No longer able to even speak the words she was determined to say. Choking on her own lifeblood. So desperate, she focused on one goal. Even if it were the last thing she would do. She would put her dying will into this one message. 
Then she felt it power welling up from her core. Giving her the power that she needed to write her message in her own blood. And in her last moments of clarity blake wrote. "It's ok, but no more hiding…"
The shade could only stare at the message laughing maniacally. Collapsing to the ground in turmoil. As the last vestiges of her will broke, and with it the dam that held back, her tears broke as well. With remorse at what it had just done. Thinking that Blake was here to destroy her. She was Blake to all of her negative emotions. Her apathy, her rage, her wrath, greed, and, most of all, her loathing for herself. Kneeling down to the still form of Blake, her darkness chuckled. "No more hiding, huh, if you're going to do that, then we will do so together." the shade said.
Hugging her still form in her embrace. Accepting what this will mean. Her last parting words of wisdom to her other self where. "Hey blake, if we aren't going to hide anymore. Then you had better go after that, Uzumaki."
When blake next awoke, it was to a sensation she could not describe other than power. As if by accepting a part of herself self, she had awakened a power hidden within her. When calling back to the lessons of her father. "Your Semblance is the manifestation of your soul. Your truest self," Blake remembered her father saying.
So standing up from the patch of earth and undoing her bow for what she believes will be the last time. She stepped into the shallow water. Only for her shadow to extend like a solid platform. With a destination in mind. With a smirk. It appears that calling her semblance shadow clones is wrong now. Pondering what to call this evolution. When it comes to her from an old book, she had read about the yokai of Mistral from when she was young. At that moment blake decided what she would call her Semblance in honor of the yokai she would call it Hyakki Yakō or Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. 
"Hyakki Yakō," blake murmured allowed. Liking the sound of it. Remarking that she was now indeed a night parade. Not knowing that she had been in that trance for almost two days.
]|[
Weiss had never failed at something she put her mind to. So It was honestly frustrating when she failed to even make the flechettes move like instructed. The explanation was simple. The sealing script use for them enabled for independent flight. To control them was another story altogether, and to top it all off, she had not been able to replicate the proper ratios for the ice transformation. They had found while people with aura had an affinity towards an element or two. Like Weiss and her affinity with both wind and water. They also found that aura users were capable of using all the Elements, and it interfered with the transformation aspect of aura. Making it challenging to use anyone element. Thus the solution naruto and Weiss had worked out was to focus on one element at a time starting with her strongest wind. And through the use of Ninshu to speed the process. Bypassing on the experiences to her so Weiss may get a grasp on nature transformation. Working from there to learn how to do so on her own. It was why, while working on her first step. In the task of training to cut a leaf in halve. She was sitting under a tree in the clearing discarding another failed leaf, only making it partway through.
Taking a slow breath in and out, she grabbed another leaf to cut. Remembering the feelings naruto gave her. The sensation of two air currents grinding against each other as if honing a blade ever sharper. She felt her aura splitting in two. Then the sharpening into an ever fine edge. Building it higher and higher. Inhaling slowly, then exhaling Weiss released the building pressure into the leaf, cutting it in half for the first time in two days. Grinning like a loon, she ran off to find naruto.
]|[
Pyrrha stared blankly at the small tanuki of sand before her playing using its sand to make a castle. For the last two days that this creature had been a companion of sorts. She had thought naruto was joking. When he had come to her with the critter and had told her to learn from it. So for the past two days, she had been observing it, not knowing what to look for. It was honestly something that she thought was a waste of time. Until she felt it in the sand was particles of iron. So small she had almost missed it the finesse used to control all that sand was on a magnitude she had not seen. If she wanted control of her Semblance like the Biju in front of her, it would mean rethinking how she used her Semblance entirely. Starting with the flask of iron dust rather than the quicksilver.
Shukakku took note of Pyrrha's change in training. Rather than starting with the more malleable mercury, she was focusing on replicating his feats with the iron sand. Her control was not what it needed to be, but she was getting there, but with the time constraints of the upcoming mission, she would need help and a lot of it. Following Naruto's directive to aid her, he waddled over to her. He began to pour his chakra into her. Through the use of Ninshu, guiding her to refine her control over the element. It would not be long until she could use the iron sand in battle. But the quicksilver was still a way off. Even with the aid of Ninshu.
]|[
If one could describe the feeling of being one with nature. Yang would have to tell them bullshit because it was indescribable to, but the feelings into words would not do them justice. It was something that had to be felt first hand. But if she had to put it into words. It would be that she felt humbled to be allowed to be nature's avatar. It was why she was working under the steady guidance of Naruto. Focusing all her efforts in finding the balance in her meditation.
"Owwie," Yang shrieked as naruto had smashed what she had begun to call the stick of pain. Into her head once more.
"God, I would have preferred if you gave me spankings. But no, you have to hit me with that goddamn stick every time." Yang pouted. Rubbing the sore lump on her head.
"Sorry, yang, but unless you would like to turn into stone, this is the best way of purging the nature energy." naruto explained. Kneeling down to inspect the wound himself.
Seeing the opportunity, Yang leaned forward and stole a kiss. That Naruto reciprocated before pulling away. 
"Ok, I think you're all charged up and better now. So you can get back to work." naruto teased.
Yang huffed, giving her boyfriend her best pout. But naruto did not give in to her attempts at distraction. Forcing her to get back to her meditations without the oil.
Naruto could not help but think just how fast they were all growing thanks to the use of Ninshu to share thoughts and experiences. Exactly how it was intended for people to grow through their bonds. 
Going over his memories of his clones, he could see that Ren was taken to the medical training faster than he thought possible. Nora was doing good as well; it was rather frightening to see just what she would do with her affinity to lightning and earth release. The flexibility of aura was truly scary. Generating her own lightning to empower her strikes. Naruto shuddered when an explosion was heard in the distance, followed by a yell of "Nora!"
More explosions where the response to the yell. It was apparent that Nora was abusing her newfound ability to terrorize her partner into getting what she wants. Cacophonous detonations rang out in the distance, along with cackling laughter. Shouts of despair soon followed. It appeared as if Nora was having the time of her life. It was a slightly terrifying thing to hear, yet all the more impressive.
He was so focused on the clones and the memories he had almost missed it the flare of chakra. No, not chakra, he had to correct himself but nature energy. Yang had done it, and so much more, she had undergone a sage transformation. A perfect one on her first try. 
Yang's hands had grown claws and red scales up to the elbow. With trails of red script flowing up the rest of her arm to her collarbone and shoulders. Running down her spine and onto her ribs. Her ever-vibrant hair glowed with an ever-present fire. But what had set yangs transformation apart from the imperfect type. Was the markings of a perfect sage over her eyes. When she opened those beautiful eyes, they were red and slit. Yet just as expressive as before. 
When Yang gave him a toothy smirk, With her new fangs. Naruto could not help but grin as well when she leapt up and into his arms, giving him a passion-filled kiss. Losing her transformation soon after.
Breaking the kiss, Naruto voiced one thought on his mind. "How?"
Grinning even wider, Yang kissed him once more before answering. "I followed my instincts." 
The simple answer only leads to more questions. It would need to be investigated. Before allowing Yang to use this in combat of any kind. 
Pondering on what was known so far. Naruto knew a Semblance was the manifestation of one's most genuine self. A reflection of their soul made manifest. It could mean that until one comes to terms with their faults or overcomes some kind of life-changing event. When their Semblance manifests, it could easily be as a distorted weakened form of what it should be. It would mean that in Yang's case, it was always meant to be this way.
Done with his questions, for now, naruto decided the best way to find more. Was to observe the transformation in progress.
 Taking a step back from her, Naruto closed his eyes for but a moment allowing for the energy granted to a sage of six paths to flow through himself. Taking his six-paths form without using the cloak. The only difference was in his eyes. Having taken on the rippled pattern with nine tomoe in each eye showing the activation of the Rinne-Sharingan. And the marks of a sage.
Having transformed before Yang, she was a bit stunned when she felt just a portion of the power he held. Knowing she was not by any means, a sensor like what naruto had described. And she could still feel his power restrained as it was. Waiting to be free to destroy the poor souls who crossed him. She was brought back to the present when naruto called out for her.
"Yang, I need you to do what you did before to attain sage mode." naruto said.
"R-right," Yang stuttered. Blushing at the slip-up.sitting down and focusing on her breathing and soon clearing her mind. Slipping into the state of being to enter the  honored sage mode.
With his eyes, he could see the transformation guided by her will alone. The shading that marked her as a sage came first. Then he saw it that spark of her very soul he had briefly glimpsed came in full force for only a moment aiding in the transformation. As the script began its trek down her spine and her arms turning into claws. Completing her change in full. 
It was breathtaking and amazing all at the same time. It had also shown that Yang had the potential to grow even more.
]|[
As the debilitating migraines increased, Cinder was getting worried. She was having blackouts where she would wake up sore and disheveled with a searing pain in her neck and lower back. Finding bruises around her wrists and legs. Fearing the worst, she had gone to a hospital in secret. The one solace she found was that whatever was happening to her, it was not rape. But the not knowing was driving her up the wall. Making her paranoid causing sleepless nights. Unable to trust anyone. Getting desperate and reaching the end of her rope, she needed answers and soon, not knowing how much longer she would last.
Watching Cinder from the shadows, Mercury scoffed at her. The pawn in this game thinking that she was anything but disposable. In this game between the holy mother and that fool. Idly he could not help but remark how easy it was to manipulate the pathetic girl into doing what the mother wanted. Taking a maiden's power by force. He had to laugh. To do such a thing when you were incompatible in the first place is foolish. But to do so while the maiden in question is still alive is suicidal. Mother had placed him and his father in the perfect position to have one of them join her. The ideal place to keep eyes on the pawn as she danced about to mother's tune. It will be marvelous to see just how Cinder falls. Whether the power she stole rips her apart after her role is done or not is inconsequential. Cinder only needs to last until then. Mercury grinned with malice in his eyes as he watched her pace back and forth. It would be time to deliver the next dose of suppressants soon. They were the only thing keeping the girl sane and whole.
 After all, they were months away from completion, and Cinder must last until the plan is done. All he had to do was wait until she slept, then sneak in with the seer and set to work. 
When Cinder awoke the next morning with the searing pain returning in full force. And her mobility compromised. Unable to move her legs, it broke the damn of emotions inside her something was wrong, something had happened last night that she could not remember it was unsettling. She knew then and there she needed help but from where? Not knowing who to trust with this side of her. Cinder curled up into a ball and wept for the first time.
 Emerald was getting worried, pacing back and forth in her room over what to do. Things had not been working out, and Cinder's condition was getting progressively worse. With mercury acting like he did not care. She had no idea who to trust and little time in which to make a decision. She knew that, at the very least, Mercury could not be entrusted. He obviously has his own agenda. Emerald was quickly coming to the conclusion that she would have to gamble everything on getting Cinder the help she needed. Even if it cost her life.
With her decision made, Emerald stopped pacing and looked to her scroll on its charging dock. Grabbing the phone. Emerald hesitated only for a moment. Biting the inside of her cheek. As she went through her contacts, finding the number of who she was looking for. Dialing the number, she let it ring twice then hung up. All that was left was to wait for a call.
It hadn't taken long for her scroll to ring once more. Answering the call before the first ring even ended. 
"How did you get this number?" was the first thing she heard from the mystery man on the other end of the phone.
"R-Roman gave us the number." Emerald answered, knowing that this was her one and only shot at possibly saving Cinder." your K-Kitsune, right?" she questioned.
Naruto let out an aggravated sigh before replying with a very terse "yes."
"You have three minutes talk," Kitsune said in a clipped tone.
"I need your help. There is something wrong with Cinder." emerald pleaded. The desperation was evident in her voice.
Taking this into account, Naruto could undoubtedly think of several things. That could be wrong, the girl. He also remembered what the panther elder had said to him. Letting out another sigh of displeasure. He knew what it meant.
To get insight into whatever force was trying to infiltrate Vale on his watch, he needed Cinder.
"I will be there in twenty minutes. Make sure it is only those you trust with you and Cinder. Be ready to leave with her when I get there." Naruto said. Hanging up soon after 
The feeling of Annoyance that he had just hung up was only balanced by the fact Kitsune said he would help them.
]|[
Having just ended the call, Naruto was intrigued at the prospect of just what was really going on in Cinder's camp. Putting a finger to his ANBU tattoo, he sent a few quick pulses of chakra into it, letting Sarada know he was leaving Beacon in code. Making a clone to cover for him. Naruto vanished from Beacon in a flash of yellow.
Appearing in a safe house and putting on his armor and mask as his hair bled red. It only took a moment to gather the sage chakra to enter the honored sage mode. In another moment, he had found the apartment complex cinder's faction was using as a base. 
In a burst of speed and honed reflexes, he was traveling across the rooftops of Vale like only a shinobi could. When he reached the building, he paused. Sensing the area around him, many of the people in the crowd below were armed. Likely belonging to Cinder's faction. Sensing that Cinder and emerald were on the top floor penthouse. His approach would be noticed if he scaled the building. It left only a few options, one of which was his favored. Making the ram hand seal thinking (Mujin Meisai). Naruto faded from view as the water vapor in the air bent the light around his form. Utilizing the sensing technique of his clan (Kagura Shingan), Naruto kept track of everyone in the building as he leapt down to the street and made his way to the building.
Once he was at the entrance instead of entering through the front, he leapt to a third-floor balcony picking the lock and letting himself in without tripping the alarm. He pulled out a blank scroll from his vest pouch and a brush writing out the formula for the Hiraishin on the scroll and pressing his hand to the scroll, intoning (Ninpō: Chōjū Giga) the script became a small ink mouse. Scurrying into a vent. All that was left to do was wait until it made it to the top floor.
]|[
Emerald was getting worried that her gamble had not paid off. That possibly Kitsune had chosen not to find them in the twenty minutes he had said. Even so, she had managed to pack a small bag without anyone the wiser. When she walked the short distance to Cinder's room, she had seen mercury leaving her room and a pit of despair formed in her stomach. Worried but not wanting to show it, she entered soon after his leaving. Cinder was unconscious, and her arms and legs had developing bruises on her wrists and ankles. She pushed past her fear, gathering what she could and waited. It was all she could do now. 
As the minutes passed by, Emerald began to panic, looking to the clock on the wall. There was only a minute left on the given deadline. Biting her thumb in frustration of the longest minute of her life. She was about to give up hope. Maybe try to solve this on her own when a mouse crawled out of the vent across the room. It looked at her for a moment as she stared back blankly. Until it swelled to twice its size and popped silently into words. Walking over to the odd sight, Emerald could only stare blankly as she read what was left behind. ~Are you and Cinder alone? If so, press on the text once for yes, twice for no...~
It was a relief that Kitsune was here somewhere. And it was evident that he was taking no chances of discovery. All he was waiting for was confirmation that the room was secure. A confirmation that emerald made sure of one last time before pressing her hand to the ink. 
 It flashed once before an odd mark was formed from the script. Before her eyes, Kitsune appeared in the room in a flash of red light. 
Without speaking, he walked over to Cinder. Who was still out of it and looking paler than the last time they had met. He had to grimace.
Emerald was about to speak when Kitsune raised a finger to his mask. Telling her to be silent. Pointing back to the script on the floor. It read,~ There is someone just outside of the door don't say a word.~
Nodding in response, she could only hope that he had a way out of this. She looked at him, oddly make signs with his hands. When wooden copies came out of his back.
Naruto flashed through the hand signs Tiger → Dog → Snake thinking (Moku Bunshin no Jutsu). The two clones he needed fully formed and sentient transformed into exact copies of Emerald and Cinder down to the last detail. Acting on his instructions as he went to pick up the comatose girl and walked over to emerald. He latched onto her with a chakra arm as she grabbed the bags she needed, and they disappeared in a flash as the ink on the floor faded.
]|[
Reappearing in one of many safe houses, Naruto let go of Emerald. Who paled and looked like she was about to be sick. When he spoke to her directly for the first time that night. "If you're going to be sick, the restroom is two doors down on your left," he said.
She took off at a dead sprint rushing to the restroom. Naruto walked over to the couch and set Cinder down. Pulling out a scroll, he opened the medical scroll enlarging it, and began to write the necessary seals.
By the time Emerald had come back to the living room of the house. She was in awe at what she saw. Kitsune was rapidly filling out a scroll the size of a person. She was somewhat surprised when he lifted his mask enough to pull down the second mask he was wearing. Yet Emerald could not see its face as it was masked by a distortion. When he bit into his thumb hard. It made her wince. As the man bleed freely into the scroll. 
It seemed to glow briefly. Then the script shifted to form the outline of a person. He stood from the floor and made his way towards Cinder. 
It was something Emerald could not abide without knowing just what was going on. 
"Ok, I know I asked for your help. But just what are you doing?" Emerald stated. Quirking a brow as she stepped in front of her savior, shielding Cinder from his view.
"The scroll I just filled out is for a full body medical scan. I intend to find out just what is wrong with Cinder. As you asked me to do." Kitsune replied. To ease her suspicions.
Seeing her relax her as the tense atmosphere faded. Kitsune walked past her to Cinder. He began to undo the buttons of her nightgown and pulled it over her head. Removing her underwear as well. Picking up the unresponsive woman, he laid her nude form on the scroll.  
Emerald watched as he formed two distinct hand signs and spoke in a dead language that she could not place. And his hands glowed green. As he ran them over Cinder's prone form.
After making the Modified Ox → Tiger hand signs for the (Shōsen Jutsu). Naruto knew right away that something was wrong with the girl before him. What was apparent immediately was that she was drugged heavily so. 
So much, in fact, it was a wonder that she was still breathing. Naruto knew what he would have to do. Knowing that he only had a limited time to extract the narcotics from her system. Even if she would not wake any time soon. So he made the hand signs Tiger → Horse → Rabbit → Rat → Dog for the (Chakura no Mesu) without a word said. 
With a finger, he made an incision on her chest just above her heart. And with one hand on her chest and the other hovering just above the cut. He pushed hard onto her chest with his chakra. Forcing his chakra throughout her body, gathering the narcotics in her system. Pulling it out rapidly with the other. Once, her system was clear of the drugs muddling her aura. It was plain to see what was wrong with her. Cinder was dying due to the power she contained. Or rather the halve she held. It would need to be addressed, and soon she did not have more than a month left to live at this rate. Sooner the more she used her aura. The two halves were trying to become one, once more. It was ripping her apart from the inside, and this was the result.
He stood up from her prone form with the swirling ball of the drug in hand, pulling out a scroll and unraveling it with one hand. He sealed the narcotics into the scroll for later examination.
He turned to emerald. "follow me to the kitchen. We need to have a discussion. Naruto said. Making a clone to take care of dressing cinder.
Once they entered the kitchen, Naruto set about making tea while emerald waited at the table. When he was done, he set the kettle on the table along with two cups. Pouring out a cup for emerald and himself. He broke the building silence first.
"The power she has is killing her. Whatever that drug I purged from her system was. It was suppressing her aura and thus that power as well." Kitsune said.
Needless to say, that emerald was shocked. The plan to steal a maiden's power failed spectacularly, and they had only managed to get half.
"I sensed that the power is trying to leave her. And it's ripping her apart from the inside out to do so. When she wakes up, we need to have a rather frank discussion with her about what to do next." Kitsune added on. Taking a sip of his tea using a genjutsu to hide his face from view. The pair sat in silence as emerald digested the bitter truth of the situation they found themselves in.
Kitsune left soon after that his only parting words were a warning. "If I were you, I would convince Cinder to give up that power before it kills her. I will be back to discuss things in the morning." with his peace, said Naruto disappeared in a flash of light.
]|[
After leaving Emerald and Cinder Naruto had not made it back to beacon until the afternoon of the next day.upon dispelling his clone, he learned of the events that followed in his absence and was pleased to know that while he was gone blake had confessed to her fellow RWBY teammates. About being a Faunus and their acceptance of it. The girls had elected to go into town to celebrate there growth and progress in their training. His mood, however, was brought back down when he got a text from neo. ~hey foxy, going to rob the latest shipment of dust from SDC at docks Fang is involved see you tonight- neo~
Naruto could not help but curse his luck as he let out a long sigh. Thinking to himself, "man when it rains, it pours."  
]|[
-Sixteen hours earlier-
Yang was focusing on mastering the aspects of sage mode without transforming. Naruto had told her since she was no longer in danger of turning into stone. Yang could practice senjutsu on her own now. That if she mastered sage mode without transforming, then she would have better control over how long the power lasted. So far, she was able to hold the form for a single minute. 
Naruto had mentioned that her transformation, while it allowed her to gather natural energy on its own, so there was no need to make a summon contract for her. It was just that the form was a power hog. Thus it drained more natural energy than it gathered. Making it an issue about control rather than the amount of power gathered.
She was only broken from her meditation. When she had sensed Blake, Ruby, and Weiss coming her way.  
When they entered the clearing, Ruby could definitely say that this was the first time she had ever seen her sister so still. Just like a statue. If she did not know any better, then Ruby would have believed Yang was dead.
When Yang opened her eyes, she gazed at them with slitted pupils of the most vibrant red. They were almost glowing. Weiss definitely would say that it was the most fantastic sight. This was what Naruto was teaching them. In just forty-eight hours, she knew they had all come to some revelation and grown in some way. 
"So, what's up?" Yang asked.
"Well, I have something to tell you, girls." Blake began. Reaching up to her bow and pulling at the ribbon. Undoing it to show the most adorable set of cat ears.
"Ok, so you're a Faunus. That's cool." Weiss said casually dismissed the revelation. "I also suppose that you were a former member of the white fang too right." she snarked.
"How did you?" Blake questioned.
"Huh, never thought I was actually right," Weiss said. Stunned that her guess was right. 
While this byplay went on, Yang and Ruby just started watching the princess work.
"Well, you have been researching any information about the white Fang you can get your hands on. Also, we live together in a dorm. Do you really think I wouldn't notice those extra ears you have? Several other things are not important. But yes, I figured it out, and I don't care, Blake." Weiss explained. 
"B-but you're the heiress of the SDC, and I know just what the white fang has done when targeting your family." Blake started with a tone of derision. "You should at least hate me for joining the white fang."
"Blake, I have had to do a lot of growing up recently. And I have chosen not to let hatred guide me. But rather to seek equality through understanding." Weiss said. Embracing blake in a hug.
Not wanting to be left out, ruby and Yang joined in on the hug.
This was the scene naruto's team and clone walked in on. 
"Aw, isn't this adorable." the clone teased
Team RWBY soon separated. With various shades of red on their cheeks.
"Naruto," ruby whined.
"Naruto, don't you want to tell us something, it's why we were looking for team RWBY," Pyrrha suggested. Trying to get things back on track.
"Uhh, right, so since classes are already over today, you can have today off like a light maneuver day." the clone explained.
Ruby lit up with glee. Quickly pulling up her sleeve and removing the weights faster than anyone else. Dashing off soon after disappearing in a haze of rose petals. Where she was heading was anyone's guess.
As they all separated going about their own methods of personal relaxation. The clone noticed that Yang had simply sat back down in the clearing.knowing that this was definitely odd for the blonde bombshell. He sat down next to her. Taking comfort in the silence as she repositioned herself to rest her head on his shoulder.
"This is peaceful, isn't it?" Yang inquired.
"Yea, it is. I wish everyday could be like this." naruto agreed.
"Yang, I would like to take you out on a date this Friday." naruto asked. 
All Yang could do is meekly nodded with a blush on her cheeks and a small smile. Mumbling, "it's about time, foxy." 
Knowing that the boss would be relieved, the clone replied. "So at six then." the Naruto clone confirmed.
"Yeah, cool, but where are we going?" Yang asked.
"Well, I figured that you would like to go to the latest book signing for the next book Icha Icha: west. Then we can go for a ride and get dinner." naruto idly said.
Yang froze at that moment as what she had just heard settled in. In the next moment, her whole body turned unnaturally, and she hugged the clone. Excited that the next book in the series that the girl loved so much was coming out and having a book signing soon. She was so happy that she accidentally popped the clone in her embrace with her strength.
Coughing as the smoke cleared, Yang let out a meek, "oops." At the lack of boyfriend in the clearing with her. She came to the obvious conclusion that it was a clone. 
She was not surprised when another clone soon appeared in the clearing. Scowling at her, the clone let out a sigh. As Yang reiterated, she meekly stated, "oops." while giving him an adorable pout. The clone cursed the boss for making him an exact copy. With all his personality traits. Including a weakness to forward pouty blondes with a penchant for getting into trouble. It was how Ino snuck up on him after her husband sai died on a mission that when south. She hadn't known she was pregnant when Sai had fallen. But nonetheless a shinobi's life is short. And she moved on not long after his death. Despite just wanting to be there as a friend for the blonde. She almost literally forced her way into his life. Determined to live her life the way she wanted after Sai. 
Ino told him to shove it and kissed Hinata, his wife. Despite the protests and eventually got what the girl had wanted. Forcing her way into naruto's heart. Naruto had to laugh a bit. At the fond memories of Ino even at six months pregnant. Swollen ankles and all still active and ran circles around everyone driving him crazy. It was honestly refreshing to have met a girl just like his Ino. The clone thought to himself. As he sat back down, hugging her in his embrace. While thinking, man, if I pop like this, what a way to go.
With all things, the time together soon came to an end not more than forty minutes later. When a blushing, Yang hopped out of his embrace. With an excuse of, "I just remembered I have got to go meet up with my team, bye." Yang's retreating form yelled. 
Leaving the naruto clone snickering at her apparent panic.
]|[
Yang was panicking in her joy for her first date with naruto. She had not realized that there were so many things that needed to be done in preparation for the date. Running to her room, she threw open her closet, panicking over the fact that while she had feminine clothing. It was not a large selection to pick from due to her tomboyish style. It was time for a shopping spree, and she would need help. 
Pulling out her scroll, Yang looked up the one which she hoped would answer her s.o.s. 
~Yang: need help urgent~ after Sending a text to Weiss. Yang proceeded to pace back and forth in a fit of nervous energy.
Until Weiss had responded to the text not more than five minutes later with a text of her own.
~Weiss: whats up?~
~Yang: I have a date and nothing to wear. Freaking out fml~
~Weiss: calm down will get the girls will go shopping in Vale in an hour~
~Yang: Kk thanks~
As they continued to text each other. Yang had finally managed to calm down a bit. But still, she couldn't help but have butterflies in her stomach. After all, it was going to be her first date with the man she loved.
It was not long after the string of messages between Yang and Weiss. That Weiss had managed to get the other girls together. And onto an airship headed to downtown Vale. Under the guise of relaxation and therapeutic shopping. Little did they know that this trip would be one of the most interesting of the night.
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vixenfur · 7 years
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I hate to be a pain, but have you got a list of owari no seraph or specifically mikayuu story recommendations anywhere? I love your stories and trust that you have good taste lol :) Thanks!!
OH YES! Now it’s time for me to shamelessly advertise for my favorite fics! ;D Thank you for asking, and thank you for the compliment on my fics! /)///(\ you’re too kind!
In no particular order…
Cherry Boy by EtherealBeing
Summary: As if being dragged into a sex shop by Shinoa wasn’t bad enough, now Yuu also has to deal with the store’s uncomfortably attractive attendant.
Status: Ongoing
This is biased because Anna is one of my closest friends in the fandom, BUT SHE IS SO DAMN TALENTED. You will laugh, you will blush, you will be mindblown by the complexity in these character’s thoughts, it’s honestly a wild ride and I can’t wait to see the grand finale of it all that is coming to us soon. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s a must.
Corner of a Birdcage by oxeh
Summary: “So, to sum it up, you’re like Superman without the spandex… And without the laser eyes, X-Ray vision, and ice breath. Also, you kill vampires and Horsemen instead of dealing with—“
“Basically, I’m not like Superman at all.” 
or
Yuu is a university student that tends to live for the moment. Mika is a cynical superhero that’s more super than a hero. Fate is a bit aggressive with intertwining their lives.
Status: Ongoing
THIS FIC IS BRILLIANT. If you have not read it yet, I swear go do it! It’s funny, it’s exciting, it flows and it’s just a lovely, enjoyable read. Oxy is a sweetheart as well and she’s got some incredible ideas in that head of hers, lemme tell you! Go check it out!!! You won’t regret it :D
Diamond in the Rough by Hannaadi88, Sarah737
Summary: Mikaela had been the captain of the Seraph for over seven years, yet he’d never come across another ship carrying such riches. The prospect of boarding the Opal and stealing all she had made a rare smile play on his lips. 
If he did this well, he would finally make a name for himself. The Opal might just be what he’d always wanted- a chance to prove how fearsome he could be. 
Mikaela Shindo will be a name to revere among all pirates to sail the seven seas.
Status: Ongoing
THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES. Hanna and Sarah are some of the most talented people I know, and together, they are unstoppable and unrelenting!! From the descriptives to the dialogue to the intriguing plot, this story makes pirates sexy, let me tell you. LOL, seriously you will not regret it… if you want a good time, I invite you to read this masterpiece right here!
Garden of Hades by 6lilystrings9
Summary: A stubborn, annoying, and repulsive human is captured by the Vampire forces, and to his dismay, Mika is assigned as his handler.
How irritating.
(The AU where human Yuu-chan and vampire Mika meet for the first time as captive and keeper)
Status: Ongoing
I remember when Lily first talked about her fic in our Skype chat room and how when I read it, I was stunned! I didn’t realize how amazing it was, how well put-together, how structured. It’s enticing and exciting and full of vivid descriptives and intense, heart-pounding scenes. Another must-read, if you ask me, and I also cannot wait to see how it ends.
Scented by Hannaadi88
Summary: In a world ruled by beta neutrality, alphas and omegas are controlled by suppressants which modify their natural inclinations. Under constant surveillance, unproductive members of society are removed in the name of efficiency. Yuichiro Hyakuya is deemed infertile by the Board and is sentenced to certain death. In an act of defiance Yuichiro steals enough suppressants to hide his scent and joins the military under the guise of a beta. 
It would be his luck to find himself under the command of his assigned mate, Mikaela Shindo.
Status: Ongoing
Hanna is not only a friend of mine, but she is sO DAMN TALENTED! I recommend all of her fics, so please check out her page while you’re at it, but she is well known for her big multi chapter fic, Scented. This story takes the concept of omegaverse and gives it almost a Mulan-like feel to it, with Yuu being in disguise and all. It’s really fantastic and another thrilling story I highly suggest!
Afire love by stirkedawn
Summary: After Nagoya’s failed mission, an unsteady truce is formed between Shinoa’s squad and Mikaela Hyakuya, making Yuu feel conflicted inside. On one hand, he’s got Mika back, his friends are alive, and they seem to be trying to be civil with each other, even if it’s just for his sake. On the other hand, Guren is being held captive by the vampires, Shinya has just given them a mission Yuu doesn’t like, and Mika… Yuu doesn’t really know what Mika is feeling.
Maybe not even Mikaela knows what he’s truly feeling, after all.
Status: Completed
You will commonly see the fandom preach that if all goes wrong, Afire love is our accepted canon. This fic immerses itself into the canon universe of Owari no Seraph and gives us an epic climax and end to the series that it probably one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever read. I also agree that if the manga plummets to total disaster, Afire love is what I will think of for a happy ending.
Somebody to Lean On by TrashPanda
Summary: Yuichiro needs a partner to help him with vampire hunting. His only option is to seek out somebody in the slave auctions. He comes upon a discounted slave, as beautiful as he is unwanted, and Yuu claims him for himself. Little did he know, this slave would change everything he ever knew about him himself, and in the process Yuu discovers he cannot live without this man, now that he has him in his life.
Status: Ongoing
This story is fantastic! It’s got an interesting plot that’s brilliantly written, a romance beautifully described and a story that interests the reader endlessly. I can picture this fic animated like it was its own anime show. It’s really, really good and I suggest it! I can’t wait for another update! I also suggest the author in general, they have some really good stuff. 
My Inner Beast by Northernreign
Summary: Yuuichirou is a young werewolf who finds himself awake one evening in a human orphanage.
To avoid being executed, he desperately tries to conceal his true identity from the “monstrous” humans who- along with the vampires, have been responsible for his kind’s slow decline into extinction. But over time, he comes to know one particular human boy who will help him learn to embrace his humanity, not resent it. Together they will overcome countless fated tragedies with the sheer power of will and love alone. Each event will bring him closer to the answer he has been seeking for almost a lifetime.
 Just who really are the true monsters in this world? 
The vampires? 
The humans?
The werewolves?
Or himself?
Status: Ongoing
A truly underrated story!! Nathalie is an incredible writer and artist and she combines those skills to bring you this lovely story that doesn’t get enough attention- ESPECIALLY since it’s her first fic. You would never guess; she writes like a pro. This story takes you all over, from the eyes of so many of our beloved characters to shape the story and relationships in the best possible way. You can really feel everything she describes and it really stimulates the senses. Check it out if you haven’t, it’s a journey and I’m eager to see where it goes.
Rise of the Dragon by Crazyloststar, Sarah737, somnicordia (hihazuki)
Summary: Water… Earth… Fire… Air… In eras bygone, four nations coexisted in harmony. However, a series of tragedies began to befall the world, And none was left unscathed. The equilibrium of power has been tilted to a great imbalance, Its people fallen to temptation. The end is fast approaching, and all souls are fated to meet oblivion. Rumors whisper of the Avatar, the master of all four elements, holding the key to mankind’s only hope of salvation. Families pray under his guiding light, Enemies vow to divide and conquer. But the glimmer of hope is sometimes found in the darkest of places, somewhere people would least expect.
Status: Ongoing
As someone who is only just now watching Avatar for the first time, I had no idea what to expect. I’m still not 100% caught up, but this is a goddamn masterpiece and I can tell that from the first 3 chapters that I’ve read. This is an amazing project put together by some of the most talented authors and writers in the fandom that are all lovely, passionate friends of mine. They deserve all the love in the world. If you haven’t read it yet- especially if you don’t know anything about Avatar- READ IT ANYWAYS. You don’t need to understand Avatar or the original series at all to enjoy this fic. It’s magnificent; please check it out!
And, a little shameless advertising for my own stories, for those who are curious ;o
Unwritten by Vixenfur
Summary: While being forcefully dragged to KFC by Lacus- a man who had a black pit of a stomach- Mika had a once-in-a-lifetime, Snapchat-worthy experience. The guy in the left lane had no shame. He was unintimidated by a stranger with a phone and he continued to sing the song Unwritten confidently. Lacus found the experience hysterical
…. Little did they know they would run into each other again hardly an hour later- Yuu was in desperate need of a haircut, according to Shinoa.
He was dropped off at Sanguinem Salon, and was a little mortified to find out that the hot guy he just sang horribly to was Mika, the one holding hair-trimming scissors behind the chair.
Status: Completed
This fic was a blast to work on and an absolute time, from start to finish. A huge thank you to all the support and love I’ve gotten for it over the months I wrote it. I treasure every comment!
Tale as Old As Time by Vixenfur, Sarah737
Summary: An arrogant young prince named Mikaela and his castle’s servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village boy Yuuichirou enters the Beast’s castle after he imprisons Yuuichirou’s father, Guren. With the help of his enchanted servants, Yuuichirou begins to draw the cold-hearted Mikaela out of his isolation.
Status: Completed
I’m so proud of story! Sarah is my dear cowriter and friend, I’m always honored to collaborate with her and I’m so ecstatic over the love this fic has gotten. Thank you all for the love and we hope you enjoy our future projects!
Hiiragi Cirque Ave. Freakshow by Vixenfur, BlueberryApple
Summary: Yuuichirou is a Siren who cannot sing, and so he is taken captive by the Hiiragi Cirque Ave. Freakshow. He is expected to perform and earn the show money under the instruction of ringmaster Kureto Hiiragi. Naturally, Yuuichirou is opposed to his new life, but he slowly gets to know his new family and accept his situation.
Meanwhile, the ignored Nosferatu Mikaela finds himself incredibly attracted to the new Siren, and Yuuichirou can’t help but to be curious about the ghostly vampire himself.
Status: Completed
This story was so much fun to write. Destiny and I became great friends and made many memories. The sheer amount of fanart we got was OUTSTANDING and we couldn’t be more grateful for the love. Thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed this story!
Thank you for asking! Feel free to reblog and share this list around. Everything on here is something I really enjoyed reading and think everyone should experience. As for my own fics, I shared the ones I’m most proud of (excluding my current ongoing works) and I hope you can enjoy them as well!
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nejisrightkneecap · 5 years
Text
KRBK FIC REC MASTERLIST
I have compiled a massive Kiribaku fic list, please indulge. - the laundry room ; dellsey
It’s a really cute quick fic about special moments Kirishima and Bakugou are able to share while they wait for their laundry to finishes :) - The Beauty of a Beast ; starofjems
A Beauty and the Beast AU!!! It’s a longer fic, but 100% worth the read. The author is SO good at portraying the characters personalities.
- Heart Strings ; starofjems
This one is also by starofjems!! Although it is a lot shorter, it is still AMAZING. Bakugou is able to see a red string that connects soul mates together and eventually Kirishima stumbles by. - Spooky times & cuddles ; Jartz
A VERY cute short fic about Kirishima going over to Bakugou’s house for halloween! It’s good to read any season though. - Who’s Next? ; MyBlackCrimsonRose
Bakugou gets hella hurt during a fight and Kirishima is a BADASS in getting revenge. This one is also a quick read and I highly suggest it!! - the easy parts ; chonideno 
Kirishima gets hurt and is informed that there will be a lot of scarring. It’s follows him through his struggle of insecurity regarding the scars and his acceptance. - it’s pouring out here ; shizuumi151
Kirishima is on a basketball team with Bakugou and he is the team captain. Kirishima has a crush on him and they have a little run in after getting caught in the rain. - 2am Knows All Secrets ; Unbreakable_red_riot
OH MY GOSH THIS FIC!! I really love the concept of Bakugou having nightmares about Kamino and the author does an amazing job at showing his difficulties with them. Kirishima keeps waking up to loud noises from Bakugou’s room and goes to scope it out; resulting in a few sleepovers... -  Shitty Hair and Shitty Nightmares; honest_pebble
(I have so many nightmare fics oops!) Bakugou is struggling with nightmares and Kirishima is a good friend and helps while Bakugou figures himself and his feelings out.
- a heart swelled to bursting ; eggstasy
This fic literally stole my heart and has to be one of my favorites. It’s the next summer and they are back at the training camps, but Bakugou has been repressing some worries. It’s a very Bakugou centric story, following him dealing with PTSD with help from other characters. - Let Me Save You ; lovelylittlefruit
A short story showing the after effects of a battle where Kirishima saved Bakugou. This is more angst/conflict than fluff but I do still recommend it!! - safe & sound ; Authoress 
This one made my heart SO happy and soft jeez ahaha. Bakugou has to be kept in a safe house after Kamino because of more threats and Kirishima is his comfort buddy. - not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all ; theroyalsavage 
AAAA!!! It’s a “10 Things I Hate About You” AU and its REALLY good even if you haven’t seen the movie. Very sweet and the character personalities are done really well. - heart stains on the carpet ; cityboys 
THIS STOLE ALL MY UWU’S AND MORE! Kirishima is Bakugou’s live in body guard who got a little closer to him than he had planned. Very cute and has some of the best dialogue I’ve read in a fic. Definitely goes with my favorites. - how they got detention for a week ; eggstasy
Kirishima is determined to go out with Bakugou no matter how intimidating that may seem. Kaminari tries to stop him but it’s no use. I really enjoyed reading this and I loved how the authors incorporated the Bakuquad!! - How To Make Bakugou Katsuki a Decent Human Being ; keptein 
Kirishima is set on making Bakugou a nicer guy no matter what it takes. (Even if that means pulling a Pavlov on him) but along the way he catches feelings. - ten things i learnt about you ; tamacchannn 
A very soft fic about Bakugou realizing things that he likes about Kirishima. Made me gush quite a few times. - don’t count on me to tell you when ; newamsterdam // 
GOD I LOVE THIS ONE TOO. It’s set in the future when they are pro-heros. Kirishima come back to see Bakugou and confess his feelings, but they end up just being friends with benefits for awhile. Very well written - do right by you ; kyoutimes
Kirishima and Bakugou are working together and Kirishima has a crisis about his sexuality. (There’s more to it than that but I don’t wanna spoil it :P) I loved the emotion in this AAAA - yes, you say you’d like to ; Authoress 
Kirishima invites a few friends to the beach, which eventually lead to THE WHOLE CLASS joining. He didn’t want to invite Bakugou, strictly because he didn’t want to get turned on at at the beach. - Kiss your knuckles before you punch me ; Claus_Lucas 
Bakugou saves Kirishima who is a boxer by lighting some of his own fireworks. I don’t know how much I can give away without spoiling it, but this is on my top three. While proud of Kirishima, Bakugou needs to remind him of his limits regarding his boxing career. - what he thinks he knows ; lovelylittlefruit 
Mainly Bakugou sided? It follows Bakugou as he realizes that there more to the assumptions he makes about his crush, Kirishima. It’s unfinished but I’m excited to see the rest soon!! - good to you ; Authoress
Takes place directly after Kamino. The two boys refuse to stop holding hands which leads to other conclusions. I love this sm, I had very soft moments and there’s a cute little twist that I LOVED at the end. - An obvious patch ; SweetScentences
Shinsou steals Bakugou’s eggs and Kirishima gets stabbed all the while. JK, there’s more to it than that,,, this is one of those fics I feel like it’s best enjoyed if you go in blind. I enjoyed every minute of this fic, laughed and teared up. - But for now, I’m with you; eikoexe 
A really goofy and cute texting fic!! Kirishima accidentally texts Bakugou thinking it’s Kaminari demanding a Dorito stealing confession. It’s still being written but I do love it very much so far. Read if you need a laugh!! (Sadly, it’s been over a year since the last update so I’m not expecting it to continue soon :()
-neon season; chonideno 
I really love this author jeez. It’s a road trip fic and these boys are very frustrated with their feelings toward each other (Mainly Bakugou lolololol) The way emotions are written is amazing and I fell in love with how they portrayed Kirishima and Bakugou. 
-the color red; ayadormouse 
G o d . . . This is like a coffee shop/college AU and it holds a lot of family angst for Bakugou. Bakugou is an artist and Kirishima is persistent in getting know the angry guy that doesn’t know how to order coffee. Heroes and quirks are more of an old myth/history type thing, but there still are mentions of it. 
-downhill; eggstasy 
Kirishima is a mom friend and loves learning small facts about his friends while in the dorms. This has almost every class 1-A character in it which I love because not a lot of authors write about some of the mpre minor roles. They play truth or dare and it gets out of hand.
-Of course I was worried; Ellieb3an
Kirishima gets hurt after his big fight in the manga (so there are spoilers) but he gets confused when Bakugou doesn’t visit him in the hospital and avoids him when he returns to the dorms. Bakugou is just a secret softy who was worried about his mans. I love seeing the softish side of Bakugou aaaa. 
-The Wild Side; Mishelledor23 
Kirishima and Bakugou are married and in Kirishima’s mind, everything is going great. Until, he wakes up one morning to see a letter and Bakugou’s wedding ring. My heart breaks for Kirishima in this one, and I’m so curious as to why Bakugou left. (It’s on going!) Kaminari and Mina are also present and go help Kiri with a mission. 
-Roses are red and they taste like shit; Unbreakable_Red_Riot 
A Bakugou hanahaki disease fic, this is also high on my favorites list. I couldn’t put it down for the life of me. Mutual pining eventually, but it focuses in mainly on Bakugou and his families way of dealing with the disease. 
-little are the things we learn; newamsterdam  
 The two boys never outright tell their class they are dating, but 5 of them figure it out and each one of them is stunned by their relationship. Perfect mix of angst and fluff, told from different characters perspectives as they see and analyze the two. 
- Detonate; theroyalsvage 
Bakugou is acting weird and a little insecure almost at a party he was invited to. Kirishima finds him on the roof and tries to figure the explosive boy out. 
-Trash Goblin Finds Love; wrunic 
Another coffee shop AU with a scientist Bakugou. This one made me giggle and the writing is so in character. I love how it ends and Kirishima is a big cutie in this one. 
-Radio Silence; doop_doop 
After getting hit with a coma quirk, Kirishima is bedridden and can’t move. Although his body is asleep, he can hear everything that is going on. So naturally, his friends visit him as much as possible to keep the guy entertained. But Bakugou realizes there’s something more to his feelings for Kirishima. (this shit is so cute, Bakugou reads to him)
-one to ten; crunchrapsupreme 
Kirishima wants to ask Bakugou out, but Kaminari demands that he becomes friends with him first. So Kirishima sets out to become a ‘Level 10’ friend to Bakugou. (This one is also very cute, Bakugou is a cat lover and it makes me melt.)
-out of sight, within reach; Poteto 
Gahhhh oblivious mutual pining makes me w e a k… Bakugou realizes he loves Kirishima while dragging his drunk body back to his house. Jealousy and miscommunication from both sides until there is an emergency and Bakugou drops his grudge.
-i’m a mess but you’re still here; Dreaming_of_Fairys
Kirishima notices that Bakugou is struggling after failing the licensing exam. And while he wants to be there for his friend, he realizes he has deeper than platonic feelings. Bakugou isn’t very open to receiving help from Kirishima regardless. I like the authors take on how Bakugou’s outlashes are described. This one is unfinished but I’m excited for more!
-It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You); writingboom
This is one of my favorite 3 fics at the moment. It’s a band AU where Bakugou is captivated by the red-head on stage. His attraction doesn’t stop when he meets him backstage either. There is SO MUCH FLUFF OMG. But also a good amount of angst and tension. All the good stuff. I highly recommend. 
-Undoable Devotion; Haarhus and Honey227
This is a fic that two of my friends are working on! Bakugou lives alone as a hunter but begins to worry when the forrest seems to be lacking resources. Having to venture far out to get food, he stumbles upon the most enhancing red stag he’s ever seen. Even though I’m slightly biased because I know the creators, I absolutely l o v e the plot and writing style. It’s under 20,000 words right now so it’s a good time to start it.
-things soft and precious; gloop
ADORABLE MY GOD. It’s Kirishima and Bakugou falling in love through Mitsuki’s perspective and it fills my heart with so much love AH. Kirishima is a big ol’ dork and Bakugou is still as emotionally stuck as ever. I love the pacing and the different take on perspective. Would read again. 
-quote love unquote; newamsterdam
I’m pretty sure most people have heard of this one if not read it. It’s more or less THE Kiribaku fanfiction right now. I love this author and a few of their works are already in this list but I seriously can’t get enough. Another band AU, but this time with Bakugou as a very famous actor. In meeting at a party, the two boys are getting closer and Bakugou’s sexuality is exposed publicly. Which of course, the only solution entails Kirishima as his new fake boyfriend. This story was always good, but then there were so many extra details and plot twists AH. It’s lengthy, but I was so into it I finished it very fast. 
-Sun Sets Red; Shippeh
OK another one of my top 3 at the moment. Words cannot express my love for this fic lmao, it deserves all the praise it’s been getting. Kirishima winds up being a roommate to Midoriya and that includes Bakugou stopping in. There’s a lot more than what meets the eye regarding Bakugou and Kirishima figures that out very quickly. The bakusquad is strong in this one and there’s lots of angst but plenty of love. I don’t know what it is, but the emotion in the writing is phenomenal and this will be a forever favorite. 
-Infamous; AnotherWordForWeird// 
Bakugou is a hated singer. His brash attitude wasn’t the problem. It was the fact that he had attacked a lady and since then been nothing but a nuisance to the public. He considers taking his life, but hangs on when a certain redhead seems to not be aware of his fame. So, when interacting with Kirishima, he tries to lie and keep his identity of being the infamous “Ground Zero” a secret. But, Kirishima has a secret of his own. He’s internet sensation “Red Riot”, the mysterious new singer without a face to his name. This one is not finished, I am looking forward to see what direction the author takes the story!!
 -Crocs, Fate and REO Speedwagon; Hope_Neufield// 
O H MY GOD. This is the final of my three ATM favorites. This fic in its entirety blew me the fuck away. It trips me out how incredibly smart the author’s writing and planning is. Bakugou is in his twenties and he’s lost every ounce of hope he had in himself. He’s stuck at a job he hates and he lives in solitude with nothing but whiskey for comfort. So, one night, he tries to take his life. The angel Kirishima saves his life and promises him a second chance. TONS of angst LOADS of it. This one is nearly completed and I don’t know if I’m ready to let it go LMAO. I think this is the first fic I’ve re-read because I truly feel like I didn’t appreciate it enough the first time. PLEASE read this one. 
 -The Magic Song; Zacksy
A loose Cinderella AU that follows servant Kirishima. He finds a small pot of some sort of goopey substance. He is the only one able to open the jar, and before he knows, his hair is now red. His friends urge him to visit the banquet as his hair was more at a royal status and he bumps into Prince Katsuki. I read this one super fast because I enjoyed it so much the time just flew by. It’s a good fic for a bad day. 
-avian; chonideno
Bakugou didn’t want to spend his night in a crowded airport with tons of other people. He also didn’t want to spend it snuggled up to some obnoxious clingy stranger. I love chonideno’s writing so much, it’s so lovely and the style literally blossoms my heart. This one is on the shorter side, but I enjoyed every bit of it. 
-blisters; eggstasy
Bakugou has a way of building up his palm endurance. It was introduced by his father and it never faded. This fic is almost a character study in some elements, it puts Bakugou in a way I haven’t really seen. The couple-ly moments are adorable and OMG there’s some lines that just get to me. 
-Three Taps; Mintyboy
There’s something Kirishima can’t understand about a certain affection Bakugou gives. It’s just three small taps. This fic is short but it owns my whole heard GAHHH!!! I have found myself thinking about this piece of writing every so often, it sticks with you. 
-13 Things Best Bros Do Together (+1 Thing They Don’t); WhenJoshIsJoesph
This is “I love you no homo bro; The Fic”. Kirishima and Bakugou are very affectionate towards each other in a way that only happens in a romantic relationship. They seem to be the only ones aware of how strange they are acting, but sooner than later, they do something they know isn’t normal for friends and are forced to admit their true feelings. A cute fic that made me laugh and root for both of the boys. 
-Cause of Death; blueslove
Kirishima and Bakugou have been dating for a bit but they have yet to kiss. This is a short fic about warming up to a new relationship. Adorable, pretty much all fluff. I love it.
-2 A.M; cityboys 
Katsuki goes to work with his mother in rebranding a family restaurant. It’s his first long visit since his big move to Tokyo and he gets picked up from the station by a redhead he has never seen. Through the fic, Bakugou is challenged by his own feelings and overall loneliness. A question he’s asked by Kirishima is, “Do you have a 2 a.m?” GOD THIS FIC MADE ME EMOTIONAL PLEASE READ IT. There’s a really neat plot twist and a good mix of angst and fluff. I fully recommend. 
-Ransom in Red; Shippeh
Another semi-cinderella AU!!! This time, Kirishima sneaks into a party while Bakugou is trying to sneak out. They meet up, and eventually team up to get out of the place after Bakugou figures out Kirishima’s facade. When they do, Bakugou takes Kirishima to one of his favorite parts about being the prince. Their happy moment is soon interrupted and trouble follows them. I ALREADY LOVE THIS AUTHOR AND THE WAY THEY WRITE MY BOYS, But this fic is hella underrated it makes me s a d. Go read!!! 
Ok ngl I got real lazy and for now, I WILL JUST BE LISTING THE FICS WITH NO DESRIPTION LMAO WILL EDIT LATER. 
-Paper Machismo; Legendaerie
-things you said to me when you were scared; dearwormwood
-Fight Me; mr_todoroki
-done with having dreams (the thing that i believe) futurehearts
-Kids; degradedpsychotic
-Doubt; PurplePersnickety
-Soft Touches, Quiet Voices; beebuzz
-help me get out of my head; popcap
-a tenderness you can’t let go; punchmunk
-the world you keep erasing; Slumber
-Crow’s Feet; PotatoJesus
-My Ears Can’t Hear But My Heart Can; puraiuddo
-Take the world back from a heart attack; Claus_Lucas 
-this is getting kinda out of hands (this is getting kinda out of my head); multiclassmaps
-Letting You Lead Me Towards The Deep End; Uglysweater
-by that tree on the peak; shizummi151
-Rosy; mr_todoroki
-Crossfated; rashiisa
-you’ll have to take me down; pickledbrows
-Intertwined; DemiDivinedHero
-Red; mr_todoroki
-the fool’s rush; chonideno
-four feet, two hands; eggstasy
-I’m Curious (what happens when your lips meet mine?); Lulatic
-The Lessons of Flirting; CatoftheShadows
-just want your head on my shoulder; littlelionvanz
-Red Neon; Shippeh
-In the Age of the Social; singingdevil
-but i’ve got an angry heart; newamsterdam 
-Under The Same Stars; Unbreakable_Red_Riot
-Quietly; chezka
-like you’re running out of time, like you need it to survive; Slumber
-towards the light; noahczerns
-like stars burning holes right through the dark; multiclassmaps
-One Available Copy; EverythingandAnything
-Like Knives; All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
-Who do you love?; Canadiantardis
-Interpolation; deplore
-Sweet sixteen; Delitan 
-houdini; chonideno 
-It Will Find You Here; arxaris
-sunchaser; chonideno
-Wandering in the Shade; MomotoneScreaming
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pleasesavetanaka · 7 years
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500 Followers!
Well, it’s been a bit over a year, but I finally hit 500 followers! This is a pretty big milestone for me--the largest follower count on any of my accounts--so I wanted to celebrate it a bit!
I’m currently not writing anything, but I’ve finished up True End, and I just finished up moving! That took up a ton of my time, so instead of writing something new I wanted to highlight some older fics which newer followers might not have read yet, so I went through and touched up a lot of the shorter ones, as well as making a nice little directory.
That said, I do want to thank everyone who follows me - this is my first ‘real’ fandom, and it’s been a pretty interesting ride! My writing in particular has changed a lot (touching up some older fics to correct errors was an adventure in cringing at my own writing), and I’d like to say it’s gotten better over time. Hopefully you’ll find some older stuff to enjoy under the cut!
Some fics have been updated to fix tense issues, typos, etc. I’ve marked those fics in italics. Lots have content warnings, so check when clicking through.
General Fics:
Fics with no set romantic (or sexual) relationship. Often non-romantic at all, or focusing on familial relationships.
Ajin Week 2016, last years ajin week stuff! Contains a whole bunch of drabbles for a variety of prompts and characters, with associated content warnings.
Between, a series of drabbles, almost all of which are now non-canon, set between Pokerface playing ball and the present day. Focuses primarily on Satou and his Vietnam war buddies. Chapter 2 is a favorite of mine, and could still be canon! Lots of mentions of suicide as well.
Houseguest, Satou visits Carter not long after Tosaki does.
Come Home Again, a fic that I absolutely love but kind of slid under a lot of people’s radar. It’s hugely Tanaka-centric, and follows a ‘what if’ - specifically, what if Satou rescued Tanaka not long after he was captured? Heavily Features Thomas Owen, AKA Satou’s father as a major character.
Thin Red Line, Super short but also super popular. A soulmates AU with no romance, jumping between a lot of different characters to show how they adapt to it.
Not the Last, Post-anime canon and the saddest thing I’ve ever written. A oneshot.
Satou / Tanaka:
I write my Satana pretty manipulative, and that’s not for everyone. You’re not likely to get much romance out of these.
Like Riding a Bike, explicit, one of the first things I wrote, it’s some pwp smut.
Heat, explicit, another pwp smut one, this time with ABO dynamics. People really liked this one, even though I wrote it on a whim.
Bad End, explicit, the first of four parts in a much longer series. The first part stands on its own, even without the later parts (which eventually shift to Tanaka / Takahashi / Gen as a relationship).
Life After, a post-canon short fic about Tanaka’s life after Satou is caught. Very sad.
Demons are Like Dogs; They Come When Called, explicit, my secret santa fic from last year! Hard to summarize this without spoilers, but it’s teenage!Tanaka getting seduced by kindly-old-man Satou and all the horrible consequences. Primarily Tanaka POV, so very unreliable narrator.
Satou / Ogura:
One of my fave ships, even if I haven’t written much of it lately. Ogura is just so snarky...
Near Miss, explicit, the first big satogura thing I wrote. Comes with a lot of drabbles and porn. Set in an AU where Ogura got caught by Tanaka during the lab invasion and everything went to shit from there.
Double Down, explicit, technically this is a spinoff of Near Miss but I think it stands decently on its own, assuming you know the premise of Near Miss. That said, I freaking love this one and it’s some of my favorite smut. Pokerface shows up in the Near Miss universe and Satou gets territorial over Ogura.
Satou selfcest:
Man I love these. They’re all more or less plot-what-plot style stories, but some of them get a bit of angst involved even though it’s literally crack. I throw a lot of Pokerface in the mix, and I throw a lot of hat (the now non-canon mercenary Satou) into the mix as well.
Go _____ Yourself, explicit, in order, this one has smut, violence, and feelings. Satou meets three of his younger selves and does his best to impart wisdom on them in his own very Satou way. I still really like this one, mostly because I still really love Satou selfcest.
Satou / Vietnam Squad:
Satou and his teammates! It’s canon in my heart, at least in the manga universe. I call the bearded guy ‘Deck’ and the other guy is ‘Jack’.
Bettings Odds, explicit, two parts speculation about Satou’s time as pokerface, one part porn. 
Defender, explicit, technically a sequel to betting odds, this leads into Not the Last, only Defender can be read on its own. Predates the release of chapter 47, and thus is no longer canon. Effectively follows Satou’s life after the war, speculating what he might have done, and his relationship with the members of his old team. Part three is completely non-canon. Please enjoy sad ossans.
Tanaka / Naomi:
My ‘please let it happen in canon because I want Tanaka to be happy’ ship.
For Good to Do Nothing, a longer fic that serves as my primary Tanaka/Naomi fic. Has a lot of followups and drabbles that go along with it, as well as a ton of fic art. Set in an AU where Naomi does save Tanaka when he asks, rather then not and regretting it.
Tanaka / Ogura:
Restraint Series, explicit, bare with me here because it’s weird. The first part is effectively romanceless, with hints of Satou/Ogura. Second part is heavily Satou/Ogura in a very unhealthy manner. Third part? Tanaka/Ogura, with a heavy focus on recovery. Set in an AU where Satou’s IBM doesn’t save him during Grant, and he gets caught by the Japanese Government.
Takahashi / Gen:
The standby ship that EVERYONE seems to ship to some degree. I consider them pretty much canon, and they act like they’re in a relationship even in fics where they aren’t the focus characters.
First Death, mature for drug use and themes, one of many fics I’ve written about potential TakaGen backstories.
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