#although she literally is meant to be a support character but like

[sofiaruelle]

Sooooo the last few days i’ve been seeing stars and suddenly i’m juggling 6 sorcerer boyfriends. Whats a polar bear to do?

Also this is my MC, 🍨✨ Sorbetes ✨🍨.

Context why my MC is a sentient polar bear.

The MC doesn't have a set appearance and then there was this dialogue. And the emotes are polar bear themed 😂😂😂 is also literally its own spoiler

[the-90s-music-colosseum]

Round 2 Group A Match 1

expand for propaganda ↓ (wall of text warning)

Thom Yorke:

"what other musician has a five minute compilation of his moans on stage ? yeah? no one? i thought so. vote thom yorke for my well being"

"He wrote all I need. (sexiest song ever written)"

"He made out with BOTH of the Greenwood brothers (damn)"

"Three Radiohead albums are on the top 10 highest rated album of all time, therefore his cock is massive"

"Vote him please or I will cry - microwave anon"

"I actually do have a locket with his face in it. I wear it everywhere 🙂"

"He was too hot in his Pablo Honey era cant change my mind🗣️🗣️🗣️"

"I just love him so much. He's such a cutie I want to put him in my pocket and take him with me everywhere :)"

"He wrote Spectre (sexy)"

"https://youtu.be/0YuENQZTV0k?si=EM9dx5Ye0bX6Xa4a"

"He would never evade his taxes like SHAKIRA DID."

"I want to meet thom yorke in a a record store where our eyes meet for a split second and we each notice what section the other is looking through and although neither of us is brave enough to start a conversation with the other we go home and fall asleep dreaming of what might have happened if we had gotten up the courage to talk to that cute person in the store and get to know them. I need him so bad it’s appalling"

"He's really cool!! He has had great character development over the years too if you're into that sort of thing. He has a really beautiful soul"

"gotta support grampa"

"hws so fine i want to turn him into a keychain so i can dangle him from my purse & jingle him whenever km bored… i will breath on him until it fogs all over then wipe him with a cloth to keep him clean Like a pair of glasses"

"If he wins I will create the most beautiful victory art you could ever imagine. (My 6th grade graphic design class will finally come in handy)"

"he's got that disease steez hes a flotsam fairy, you can sling him around like those stretchy hands you get in the quarter machine, he'll get mad for a minute but its fine"

"https://pin.it/1v99xvI"

"https://pin.it/4nvY08s"

"Has the voice of an angel"

"I had a dream once that I saw him and Jonny Greenwood walking down the street. I walked up to them and told them how much Radiohead meant to me and asked Thom if he could sign my Pablo Honey CD I had on me for some reason and he pushed me into open traffic and I got hit by a car and died. Jonny laughed. 10/10 dream got killed by Thom Yorke"

"He made Let Down in 1997. Shakira could never"

Shakira:

"ITS SHAKIRA SHAKIRA. le lo lo le lo le??? guys come on. do u even care about latinas."

"Shakira is genuinely hotter than most people on earth, so."

"No one else sounds like Shakira. No one else moves like Shakira. (Whether you think that's a compliment or not is up to you.)"

""is anyone even voting for Shakira" ME. I AM."

"She gives me huge Stacy's mom vibe. Like I'd come over to my friend's house not to hang out with them but to talk to their mom about how her divorce makes her feel and so I volunteer to help around the house or anything she needs. I'll take the task of cleaning out the attic with the black widows I'll mow the lawn on a hot summer day so she can offer me a cold drink for my hard work. Sorry I got lost in thought but she was part of my lesbian awakening and I will not take any Shakira slander"

"Shakira literally made me a lesbian <3"

[applepie2523]

"I feel like some of this criticism towards the show being pro-Black is unfounded, but there is truth to the sentiments, specifically in how key moments in the narrative have been framed and brushed over, while similar things have been focused on in a different manner

For example, the dichotomy between focusing on the girl Aegon rapes vs completely disregarding the person that Daemon killed to let Laenor escape his life

We get a lot of focus on Dyana and get showcased Alicient's veneer of hypocrisy- she who veils herself in religion but covers up her son's heinous crimes. Then we get a scene of her disparging her son for his vile behavior and hugging Helaena for the shame Aegon brings to others and his own marriage.

On the other hand, when Rhaenyra and Daemon plan for the fake-death of Laenor, the guy Daemon kills is a completely throwaway moment, and the focus of the scene is how there plan allows for Laenor to leave Westeros behind and live a happy life

Simply put, these two scenes where two random, "unimportant" people are victimized are presented in completely different manners which provoke completely different reactions from the audience. With the Laenor scene, the audience walks away happy because Rhaenyra and Daemon don't kill Laenor like it seemed they would from their speech and the focus is triumphant and just. The dead guy doesn't matter in the slightest. With Dyana, it completely shatters any sort of character arc or sympathy that Aegon may have had and firmly places him- who is the figurehead of the Greens- to be a character that is reviled by the audience and whose downfall is something to look forward to. Who the hell can even possibly support a rapist? Murder is something audience members can forgive, justify and accept- rape never ever

There are other moments throughout the show that are along the same lines. For example, giving Rhaenyra the opportunity to propose a marriage between Jace and Helaena as a peace offering that is rejected places her in a more sympathetic light as someone who was genuinely trying to reach out and make amends. I understand that this is an adaption and things are justifiably changed, but in the books, Corlys immediately has Jace and Luke bethroed to Baela and Rhaena so his true blood ends up on the throne and the insult of trying to pass off Strong bastards as true-born Velaryons is lessened. By making Corlys literally not care about blood and names, it gives the show an opportunity to make Rhaenyra look better

They also remove some of the brutality and ruthlessness of Rhaenyra. Instead of ordering the death of Vaemond and feeding his corpse to Syrax for insulting the parentage of her children, Vaemond is killed in court. And although violent and sudden, it is framed in a "good" way to the audience, since it directly follows the amazing Viserys sequence of coming to the throne and defending his daughter, along with the incredibly touching Daemon-Viserys moment of helping him to the throne

Likewise, the "questioned sharply" line following Aemond's mutilation is not framed in a way to express to the audience that Rhaenyra meant for Aemond to be tortured. She says he must be questioned sharply and then that transitions to Viserys simply questioning Aemond

This is kind of what, for me, makes the show pro-Black. If I had to characterize the show, I would say it's pro-Black and goes out of its way to make Alicient sympathetic. But overall it doesn't care too much for the Greens

I also feel like they slightly undermined the story that they themselves were trying to tell and set-up prior to the episode 6 timeskip and change-up of the actors. The show was clearly setting up that the primary motivation of the Greens was Alicient fearing for the safety of her children and family from Rhaenyra (with the rift starting by Rhaenyra's lies at the Godswood and Otto's departure in the rain) and the danger that Daemon posed

This would have required the Blacks and Daemon to be more unsavory and vicious in the post-timeskip episodes than they ended up being at all, because the show went out of its way to avoid that kind of stuff. For example- and this is a huge point that I think has been overlooked- the whole point of Rhaenyra and Daemon faking the death of Laenor was to signal to their enemies- ie Alicient and the Greens- that they were dangerous and should not be messed with.

The death of Laenor should have struck some fear in Alicient over what the two newly weds could have done to her own children. But narratively, literally the only consequence of Laenor's death was to introduce some temporary tension between the Blacks and Rhaenys that is ultimately resolved in the very same episode. The potential impact it should have had on Alicient is just not present

Another consequence that was completely ignored was the impact Rhaenyra and Daemon's marriage should have had on Viserys. It was already set up that he greatly disapproved of whatever was going on between the two of them in the earlier episodes, but there was no payoff to that once they got married. In the books, this is what causes Viserys to kick Rhaenyra out of court, but the show instead wanted to focus on the positive relationship between Rhaenyra and Viserys and Daemon and Viserys in his last episode

Now I'm not saying that that decision was a bad one- it was really touching and incredibly emotional- but paired up with everything else, I think the post-timeskip show has definitely tilted the narrative to be pro-Black and undermine what earlier parts of the story was trying to set up. It's doing this while also trying to maintain some sympathy for Alicient

The one very stand out thing that they have done is Aemond's character though. Obviously he will be a villain, but they've done an incredibly good job at making him sympathetic and understandable (I will fiercely maintain that he has done absolutely nothing wrong so far in the show). I wish that were extended to the rest of the Greens as they could make them the obvious villains they should be in the narrative, while still making them sympathetic and understandable." -- by a random person on the r/asoiaf subreddit

[ofstardustanddreaming]

i-spy

oneshot summary: your fellow companions were complaining of boredom on your some of your side missions. so, as the leader who was getting sick of it, you bring up a game to stop them from complaining so much.

content warnings: light language.

fandom: baldur's gate 3

characters: shadowheart, lae'zel, karlach, halsin, wyll, gale, astarion, and reader (platonic, no romance)

gender neutral reader

a.n. - i wasn't sure if certain games were cannon in the game, but i just wanted to go with it because i thought it was a cute idea😭

The traversing may have been a tad long, but truthfully, you were a little glad that you weren't facing any fights yet, still feeling sore from the constant moving and fighting you've done in the past few days. Being able to just walk, and concentrate on some of the missions you have is fine with you, walking in the variety of pretty landscapes was calming. Unfortunately, some other people in the group were still thriving in the adrenaline from fights, and were itching for something that wasn't mindless walking around and searching.

"My thighs burn from the amount of chafing I have." Karlach started the complaining initially, the walking getting to her.

"You quite literally burn, you were bound to get some chafing from that." Astarion comments, but he continues with, "I know what you mean though. Isn't it exhausting looking around fruitlessly for these missions? It feels like we're going around in circles, and can't get to what we need."

Those were some of the comments and banter from the earlier in the morning, with others piping in once in a while as well about their issues. It was building up as a headache for you, and you had to hold it in, not wanting to tear down the others in their combined complaining. It felt like it wasn't a lot of times everyone agreed. Of course you didn't mind complaining, you would typically join in when you felt the same. But there was just something about the consistent grating when you had wanted a couple hours of peace in the day.

"The nature around is not so bad to walk around guys." Halsin chimes in, and you're relived he had something nice to say, but it's short lived with what he has to say next.

"Although I would have to agree with the heat. We have been out her for a while, and it's making it quite unpleasant to walk around." Your head hangs low when hearing that, and Gale decides to jump in with his opinions as well.

"I don't see why we can't rest with the shade of our camp above us. For a couple hours at least." He looks around, hoping to gather a rallying support.

"While I would agree with you, we do have these missions to complete. They're important, and the heat is not that bad if you can ignore it. But I will admit to the missions being boring." Lae'zel says, making herself look busy with the barrel she was looting. She clearly had no interest in walking around here and truly looking.

You agreed to a small break of rest, but you were sick of all the complaining of boredom. So, you pulled out a game that you remember from your childhood as you all continued looking around after the break.

"I spy, with my little eye, something glittering." You shout over everyone, and they all glanced your way with confusion.

"What the hells are you on about?" Astarion asks, whipping his head around, wondering if you lost your mind. You just repeat the instruction while you continued a bit with the mission, looking for what would help you move onto the next step.

"What could Tav possibly mean?" Shadowheart mutters to Wyll, who could only shake his head as he looked around, trying to figure out what you meant.

"What kind of game is this?" Lae'zel asks, glaring your way, trying to figure out what kind of trick you were playing. She took it to be you losing your mind, and not taking it as a literal game. She was on the look out for a trap, wondering if you had betrayed them.

"Find what it is that I've spied, that's glittery." You tell everyone, hoping this would keep them occupied. This goblin camp needed to be searched to find a certain book, and you were hoping in their search for what was glittery, they'd also find the book. It did the trick though, where everyone humored you and started scouring for the glittery object.

"It's stunning, really. Finding the book was to much for you all, but engaging in this game is what kept you occupied." You mutter under your breath as everyone looked around.

"I heard that darling. But engaging with your antics are much more fun than engaging with someone else's." Astarion calls out, determined to see what you saw before anyone else.

Unfortunately for him, Karlach was a bit quick to the game and pointed out a jeweled necklace that glittered in the sunlight. The exact object you were looking at. She holds it up in triumph, looking your way, while there were groans from others about not seeing it earlier.

"See, soldier, I found the object! Is there a prize?" She asks, and you hum.

"Not necessarily, but you can go next and start the game again since you won. We can keep it that way. Anything you can spy is fair game, it just needs a decent descriptor. It's a fairly easy game, as you all have seen." You tell her, everyone now enraptured by what Karlach would spy. You can't help but smile, now in a significantly better mood than what you were in earlier, now that everyone has a better mood as well. She looks around, eyebrows furrowed.

"I spy, with my eyes, something burnt." She says confidently, and everyone was starting their search again, taking the time to turn in circles. Karlach seemed defeated when Shadowheart piped up with the seemingly correct answer so quickly.

"It wouldn't happen to be the building over there with the charred wood, would it?" She points to the building that seemed to have been recently done burning.

"It is, in fact. Well, Shadowheart, you're next." Karlach responds, and everyone hangs onto Shadowheart's next words. The game goes on for a couple hours, everyone being able to get at least three turns, and sometimes someone had a spy that stumped people for a little while. It kept them preoccupied with something fun, and allowed you to be able to look for what you needed. Towards the end of the game, when dusk was nearing, it was your turn to spy again after figuring out Wyll's guess.

"Well, I spy, with my little eye, the book that's needed for this mission. Whoever gets to it, doesn't have to worry about setting up for camp as others will set up your area for you." And with that, you took off to where you saw the book. But you decided to engage in a bit of a fake out, running in a bit of the opposite direction, running to a barrel you knew was empty. Everyone's competitiveness kicked in, shouting and pushing each other over as they saw where you headed.

You laugh, as you make a sharp right, heading towards the dirt mound the book was cleverly hidden in. Your hand grasps it, as your roll onto your side. But there was a bit of a shocked feeling as you realize that it suddenly wasn't there anymore. You glance around, wondering if you had dropped it, and you hear a sharp laugh as you realize Gale was the one who laughed, and you noticed he wasn't part of the group that had ran. He held the book up smugly and you glare as the magic he had tricked you.

"Well, that's not fair!" You exclaim, as others also gang up on Gale. "I've been the one primarily looking for this book!" You try making a case for yourself, hoping others would join on your case.

"You did do a dirty trick yourself, giving yourself the head start. But, I think I can agree you were putting a bit of hard work into what you were doing in this mission, along with keeping us happy in a game. You should reap the benefits of your reward of at long last finding it." Halsin concedes, with Wyll and Karlach nodding along. The others, with some strong competitiveness, tried arguing some more, but eventually conceded. You shout for joy, but ultimately had fun with the others still in banter when setting up camp for the night.

"You should teach us more of your games, Tav." Lae'zel says when you're all sitting around the fire, and that shocks you a bit. You suppose she had more fun with I-Spy than you had anticipated, as you remember her cracking a couple laughs in the game, and you smile. Everyone looked toward you excited, and you nod.

"Sure thing. Next time, maybe I'll introduce something like spoons if we can finagle spoons and a deck of cards, considering if we also have downtime here at the camp." You mull over the options you have, trying to remember a lot of the games you played. You also knew that would be a game that would wreak havoc, making you laugh, as others were begging you to at least know what the rules were, to figure out what was so funny.

[clumsykleptorocketscientist]

Can I just say, whoever Nancy ends up with, be it Jonathan or Steve or neither, it is not what matters the most about her character. HOWEVER, I really don't think she should end up back with Steve. Steve is not a bad guy in the slightest. He is one of the best guys and characters in the show. But, he and Nancy want different things and I think that's really important to focus on, because it's why they don't work. Steve talks about how he had this fantasy with Nancy as a mother to his children, and that's okay that it's what he wants from a partner, but Nancy doesn't. Remember the argument her and Jonathan had all the way back in season 1 where Jonathan mentions her "rebelling" and then settling down with Steve just like her mother (which Ted and Karen Wheeler should NOT be your romantic goals). It's clear she doesn't want to do that. She literally wants to fight the government and the patriarchy, seen especially in season 2 where she wanted to "burn the Hawkins lab to the ground" and season 3 where she wanted to stick it to her douche bag bosses. Jonathan, I don't think he wants that perfect family either. He seems perfectly fine with helping Nancy do all her illegal shit. He's fine with standing on the side, holding the camera and telling her that she's doing amazing sweety. Of course, if Nancy ends up on her own, that's fine, although I LOVE Jancy especially for the dynamic of it's them against the world. I just don't think Steve and Nancy rekindling their romance is the best idea.

Quick side note, I like the idea of Ronance, but I personally love Jancy and, from the few bits I've seen, Robin and Vickie ( Rovickie? Unsure if the ship name).

Edit: Let me just address some things.

A.) I think Jonathan talking about going to the community college and not wanting Nancy to follow him and resent him wasn't saying he could ONLY see the relationship becoming loveless, he was just saying that the plan they had was not working for both of them. That he had to deviate, but it doesn't mean Nancy should and he was afraid she would and inadvertently ruin what they had. In a round bout way it's a preservation move. Going to a college because your girlfriend or boyfriend is, is never a good thing. Now, yes, Jonathan and Nancy's relationship seems strained. I don't want to say loveless, but strained. But Jonathan has been in California for awhile now so that's bound to happen. I do think there is still love there, it's just difficult to navigate and they're still technically teenagers ( in the show). I'm just saying strained, yes, but loveless, no.

B.) In season 2 Jonathan was very much willing to help her burn the lab to the ground. They knew it was dangerous, but they did it anyway and he supported and helped her. Season 3 while, yes, at first Jonathan did not want to rock the boat at first, it was because he needed that job. Think about where he comes from vs. where Nancy comes from. Really in that argument, I see both sides. Sexism bad but also he needs a job for his family. Anyway, he came around in the end, from what I remember, which again is difficult with the money decision. Again sexism is bad but he never dismissed that the bosses were douches, just that they needed to put up with it. Something I'm very sure he changed his mind about.

C.) When I say that Nancy doesn't want that, I mean that Nancy doesn't want to be like the perfect mom Steve's fantasy has her to be. I never meant no family, just no perfect family. That if they did have a family they would teach their children to make waves because " Nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world."

D.) as for Steve wanting Nancy in his future and that's all that matters, yeah I may have misread that maybe, but the perfect mom scenario he painted just wasn't something I agree with. But, hey, that's just me.

[hoonphobe]

there’s so many points i need to make abt aot, eremika, and eremin omfg. i’m just gonna bullet point it.

the last two eps are probably the most in depth mikasa’s character has ever been. i’ve always disliked that her whole personality was pretty much being devoted to eren and that she’d only ever be seen as her own person in very small increments. like even when eren wasn’t present. her character had so much potential and it was kind of wasted. she deserved so much better like how is the fmc one of the least developed women in aot

i was never the biggest fan of eremika because imo they lacked a lot of vital chemistry needed for a relationship especially on eren’s side. eren cares for mikasa deeply but i could never see it being romantic. i feel like every “advancement” eren’s made towards mikasa some other outside force caused that. like armin having to tell eren that mikasa deserves better because she’s liked him for so long and he never returned those feelings idk it feels so forced

eren’s relationship with armin is MUCH deeper than the one he shares with mikasa and it’s shown in both the anime and the manga. him and armin have always connected on a deeper level because they share all their burdens, the same dreams, they completely understand eo better than anyone else. if eren ended up with anyone it should’ve been with armin.

i think eremika had potential. if eren had a deeper connection with mikasa like he did with armin it’d make sense why they’d end up together. i’m aware that everyone has different relationships with others and love presents itself in different ways, but eren has always been someone that wears his heart on his sleeve so i find it hard to believe that he’s never express himself to mikasa once even if it’s not directly. i feel like since mikasa loved eren so much they used that to imply that eren loved her the same way which is very cheap and lazy imo.

i feel like there was sm eremin erasure after eren’s death like they had a whole conversation abt how they’ll always be together even after death and yet the only person we see reunite with eren is mikasa. i have no problem with eremika reuniting at all, it makes sense since armin was the last of the trio to die, but not even showing them all reuniting is so sick

i understand the sweetness behind mikasa being the one to help eren forget abt the stress he has, but i think it’s more powerful that armin has always been someone to not help him forget but to support him through every hardship he encounters. aot is a series abt how eren took extremely drastic measures to achieve freedom for his friends and his people, he literally committed genocide, he needs someone blunt to tell him that the decision he made was utterly stupid, that although he did it for a greater cause he still did an act that’s truly unforgivable. armin was the only one who could truly resonate with eren in that aspect, the only one who could “forgive” him because eren did it all so that armin could achieve his dream after his had already shattered.

i understand that eren confessing that he didn’t want mikasa to end up with anyone else was meant to be used as a double kill if he likes mikasa and that he’s very vulnerable, but i just feel like it was very forced. armin using it to get eren to let out his true emotions made no sense to me like armin has never used mikasa to stir eren so i find it crazy that he’s use it the final time he’d ever speak to him

and yeah those are most of my opinions, you don’t have to agree with them or are they supposed to be taken as a fact because they’re not!

[turn-to-me]

I rewatched The Social Network for its 13th anniversary. One of my favorite films of all time, and one that convinced me of Armie's extraordinary acting skills. The film is a masterpiece on every level, one of the greatest biopics of the 21st century. In my opinion also David Fincher's magnum opus, together with Se7en, if one could have more than 1. With an inimitable performance of the KILLER soundtrack.

And Armie Hammer was in it!!!

A few review quotes about Armie's performance:

* Hammer and Garfield make the glue that hold it together.

* Although the stand out award I'd like to give to Mr. Armie Hammer. His role is just Tailor fit, literally as his jacket. From his statuesque as a rower all through out as a dapper at Harvard, he is just believable in that field. He is after after all the Winklevoss BrotherS.

* Armie hammer is a best combination of grace and conceit how he played wealthy twins.

* David Fincher's cool, stylish direction and great performances by Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Armie Hammer make The Social Network a worthwhile watch.

* Now that some of the dust has settled, there’s one name that keeps coming up as a comic scene-stealer and awards dark horse: Armie Hammer, who plays entitled twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. In the movie, a Winklevoss twin declares, “I’m six-foot-five, 220 pounds, and there’s two of me,” but since there’s only one of Hammer, that meant the actor was often acting opposite a body double whose face he’d be digitally grafted onto in postproduction (and when you consider the notorious amount of takes that an exacting director like David Fincher requires, Hammer’s nimble pair of performances is all the more impressive). 

* My favorite description of the twins in the film comes from Alison Willmore's review, in which she writes, "Hammer is infinitely amusing in his dual role, exuding privilege and looking like something grown in a vat of J. Crew catalogs and Aryan race propaganda."

* No one could have played Sean Parker like Justin Timberlake, and Armie Hammer playing the Winklevoss twins is fantastic too.

* The quasi-pair of performances generated Hammer Oscar buzz at the time, and he has been a marquee mainstay ever since, appearing in films like J. Edgar (2011), The Lone Ranger (2013), The Birth of a Nation (2016), Call Me By Your Name (2017), Cars 3 (2017), Sorry to Bother You (2018), and On the Basis of Sex (2018).

* What makes Armie Hammer’s  acting performance outstanding is his use of specific body language with each of the two characters.

The different  way he moves, his vocal cadences , and facial expressions makes it so easy to believe that these were two different people on the screen. 

When Armie played Cameron Winklevoss, he played him more uptight and more formal. The formality also came out  in his dialogue. His diction was more precise.

When he played Tyler  Winklevoss,  he leaned back and was more laid back. His speech pattern was more fluid and he even used curse words as Tyler’s character.

I think that Armie’s performance was so great that I would easily see him being a contender for best supporting actor at the next Academy Awards ceremony.

This scene is epic! Great visual metaphor emphasised by this music piece.

#'In The Hall of the Mountain King' #Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross #Henley rowing scene

[justanisabelakinnie]

Okay so I know I haven’t been posting in like forever about Isabela Madrigal or Encanto despite this blog originally being meant as an Isabela appreciation blog, my interest in Encanto has kinda died down for the time being due to no new stuff being made and me hyoerfixating in other things to my own detriment(so if you’re wondering why I haven’t updated my fics in a while, this is why), and I’m sincerely so sorry about that…but also a thought has been with me for a while and I have to say it now especially because it’s exactly on topic for a blog such as this and it’s something near and dear to me that makes me so happy.

The headcanon that Isabela is a lesbian makes me so proud and grateful to be a lesbian. In fact, it’s actually what originally helped me realize I was a lesbian myself. And I’m not saying this in a “thirsty” way mind you(although she is also my cartoon crush), but seeing so much of myself in her and seeing her as a lesbian and knowing that so many people in the Encanto fandom, lesbian or not, also see her in the same way, was a huge comfort to me. I didn’t have any idea of the true reason it meant so much to me to see a character like Isabela—portrayed as the most graceful flower, unambiguously and unapologetically feminine in her own way even after her transformation, as the most beautiful and also darkest-skinned of the Madrigals, and who has my same sassy but sweethearted personality and wears my favorite color—being viewed as a lesbian, but it was. And it’s a headcanon that I’ve always held near and dear to my heart ever since I first heard it.

And it was that headcanon that lead me to start educating myself about things like lesbophobia, compulsory heterosexuality, femme erasure, labels like butch/femme, and other things related to lesbians, as my respect for the lesbian community only grew and grew. And eventually I came to the epiphany that I was also a lesbian! Crazy, right? Well, if you’ve known me long enough then it’s not crazy at all lol. So, in conclusion, whenever I think of the headcanon that Isabela is a lesbian, especially a femme lesbian, it always makes me think of my own journey accepting my femme lesbian identity and how important and beautiful it is to me. Even if it’s just a headcanon, it makes me so happy to project that identity onto a character so similar to myself. It’s cute to imagine that I have something in common with my favorite character of all time even if it’s only in my head. It helps me feel seen and validated. So thank you, Isabela Madrigal! And to all of the other people out there who also hold and support this headcanon, thank you as well!

Anyway, that’s it, so have this cute little Isabela gif to top the whole thing off!

(obligatory disclaimer that this is only about my own personal experience and feelings towards the “Isabela is a lesbian” headcanon, it is NOT meant to be taken as gospel, nor to erase the inherently cultural message that the movie sends about generational trauma in Colombian families, it’s literally just me gushing, I KNOW very well that Isabela being a lesbian is NOT CANON by any means so please don’t try and come onto this post to derail and accuse me of being racist or only having the headcanon because she didn’t want to marry Mariano, which I don’t. if you do, then you will surely be blocked. this is my own personal anecdote and is to be taken as such, don’t read anything into this that isn’t there, thank you. 😉 ik that discourse is deader than ground beef now but i just wanted to say it just in case anyone gets any smart ideas.)

[totallysora]

West Side Story (2021)

I HAVE SM TO SAY ABT THIS MOVIE IT’S UNREAL 😭 Ok so I finally decided to watch it for the first time in like,,early January and it has actually changed me 😭 IT WAS SO GOOD?? LIKE THE CASTING WAS JUST MWAH I LOVED IT SM 😕 Anyways here are some of the things (from what I can remember, I haven’t actually had time to rewatch it since 😔) that I loved about it!

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING!!

The jets were amazing, fight me

Ik that’s kinda controversial cuz they’re horrible people, and yes I absolutely get that, and do not support their actions at all (If ur a jets apologist pls leave 🥰) but GOD THE CASTING?? UGH IT WAS JUST SO PERFECT 😭 All of their songs were literally so good?? The Jet song is unfairly catchy, and Gee, Officer Krupke?? It was actually magical (THIS IS WHY WE CAST BWAY ACTORS IN MUSICAL MOVIES PEOPLE 😻‼️)

That scene with Anita?? It honestly made my blood boil, which is actually like,,the best thing ever?? Ik that sounds horrible but I mean it in a way that if a scene is meant to make you feel disgusted, or completely angry, and it succeeds?? That’s how u know it was good acting

On the topic of the Jets, MIKE FAIST?? UM HELLO WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK HE WAS PERFECT CASTING IT’S UNREAL

I struggle to differentiate between actors and characters, so the whole rumble scene was a lil bit of a mess for me at first cuz I adore Mike sm, however when I thought abt it more, and how Riff acted, I was able to think of him as Riff, not Mike, and realised holy shit yea he actually kinda deserved what happened to him yk

THE RUMBLE OML 😭 THE ACTING WAS JUST SO UGH I LOVED IT SM - Unliked in the 1961 version (which I haven’t actually watched but have seen clips of!) you could actually tell it was like,,serious yk?? And when Riff got stabbed?? Holy fuck the emotion in that scene was unreal

Also the way David and Ansel acted straight after it happened?? I kinda got a ‘I didn’t actually want to kill him’ kinda feel from Bernardo, and honestly I kinda felt for him man 😭

I love the way that this rlly showed why Tony was the leader of the Jets, the way he beats Bernardos ass?? You can see why he led such a strong gang

Completely unrelated but the fact that this whole thing was basically a newsies reunion 💀

like Mike, Kyle, Jess, BEN? GARRETT?? THE TWINS???

I will forever adore the casting tho like honestly it was so good

Also the Sharks were robbed of screen time Icl 😭 They deffo should’ve been on screen more man

RACHEL MF ZEGLER 😻‼️ The fact that this was her debut will literally never not shock me

Like this girl was 17 and could sing like that?? No wonder ppl love her sm like damn 😭

People can actually fight me on this but Ansel was such good casting for Tony

I’ve seen people bash him for it but he was literally so good?? Like sorry but I refuse to accept anyone else (obviously excluding bway lmao)

On the topic of Tony the ending actually made me cry?? Like I was fine untik they picked him up and started carrying him after he got shot 😭

Icl halfway through the movie I googled if anyone died so I was prepared for it to happen but doesn’t mesn I didn’t still cry 😕

ARIANA DEBOSE 😻‼️ HER ANITA WAS SO PERFECT OML 😭 LITERALLY NO ONE CAN BEAT HER SHE WAS SO GOOD ITS UNREAL

ALSO DAVID‼️ I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE DONT FOCUS ON HIM ENOUGH LIKE CMON HE WAS SO GOOD??

RITA MONERO 🥰 She was in the og movie and I am so glad they got her back cuz she was a m a z i n g

Also the fact that she sung her song live?? Cmon man she’s so good

Ok so Josh Rivera 😻 Although I didn’t rlly like Chino at first he definitely grew on me the more I thought about it - Ik killing Tony could be considered extreme, but realistically?? I totally get where he came from, it was an incredibly difficult situation, and I can understand why he did what he did

THE CHOREOGRAPHY ‼️‼️ LITERALLY WHO CHOREOGRAPHED THIS MOVIE IT WAS SO GOOD?? THE WHOLE THING WAS FILLED WITH AMAZING CHOREOGRAPHY AND IT WAS JUST SO 😫 If I could marry that choreography I would

Ok but the singing in general?? Like Ik they wouldn’t cast bad singers but be fr literally all of the songs slap

Ik I’ve said it before but I will say it as many times as I need to THIS IS WHY WE CAST BWAY (OR THEATRE) ACTORS IN MUSICAL MOVIES 👏👏

The soundtrack is actually so good tho like I pretty much wouldn’t skip any of it

Ok completely random but I couldn’t understand half of the movie 💀 cuz they spoke spanish and although I had subtitles on it just gave me the spanish in spanish subtitles, so half of the time I was guessing or just hoping I’ll get what’s going on 😭

If u couldn’t tell I cannot speak spanish (and tbh I’m not doing that well in it at school so 😔)

There is so so so much more I can say about this movie, and once I’ve posted this I will definitely plan a part 2 specifically focusing on the songs, and a part 3 on characters (possibly in the opposite order tho) because this movie was a m a z i n g and I could actually talk about it for h o u r s

[accirax]

A Brief and Highly Speculative DRDT Thought

This damn character order. I don't get it. It vexes me.

Because, as far as I can tell, they aren't ordered in any particular way. It's not alphabetical first name order, alphabetical last name order, alphabetical talent order, death order, order of introduction, Class Trial seating order, gender order (like doing all the girls, all the boys, and then Nico), rainbow order of official colors... And, as far as I can tell, that remains true if you do any of the options in reverse, or if you remove Teruko.

I don't think they work if you remove Xander either, or even Charles too. I say that just because I think those three could be first as, like, a top billing sort of thing. At the start, I think you're meant to believe that (following standard Danganronpa protocol) Teruko is the protagonist, Xander is the support character, and Charles is the antagonist. As arguably the three most important characters, it would make sense to put them first. Of course, that's not exactly how their roles actually turned out, but that's what you want the audience to believe as a spoiler-free first watcher.

So, if it's not any of those things, what is it? I started thinking about what the most likely possibilities are.

#1: The Order is Completely Random

As in, DRDTdev took the finished cast, put all of the names (minus Teruko, and maybe Xander and Charles) into a randomizer, and this is how it turned out. That would be a good way to avoid giving us any hints as to the characters' development or stories. Honestly, fairly likely, but bear with me here.

#2: The Order is Something Story-Relevant We Haven't Learned Yet

And thus, once we get to Chapter 6 or whatever, we'd be like, "oh, so that's why they were put in that order." This could be something like "order in which characters were accepted into Hope's Peak" or "order in which characters met Mai." Potentially interesting, although such an open sandbox that trying to pin down what it means is basically as good as it being random.

#3: The Order is Order of Creation

This is the real "Brief and Highly Speculative Thought" the title promised. I think there's a chance that this order appears random to us because it's the order that the characters were developed in. We know from the July 31st Q&A that Arei was the subject of the "first ever drawing of DT," which could imply that she was one of the characters who was created/confirmed first. However, she's currently fifth, so, what about the characters before her?

Well, Teruko is the protagonist, so it would make sense if she was the first character DRDTdev created. She also has a lot of mysteries and secrets surrounding her, which, as the protagonist, are surely strongly interconnected with the main plot. Hell, it's even possible that the protagonist of altDRDT is Teruko's brother! Having brainrot about Teruko may have been what inspired altDRDT in the first place, which would mean that Teruko would have to exist for longer than altDRDT has. Why am I talking so much about Teruko. This is not a hard sell.

It might seem strange that your literal first death, the character with the least screen time, is the second one you create, but when it's a character as intriguing as Xander, it becomes less of a hurdle. The dramatic scene that occurs to bridge the silly times of pre-first death and the oh-shit entirety of post-first death is an important enough moment that I would believe it was conceptualized very early. It's a big tone-setting moment. Xander also seems to be pretty interconnected with Mai, as "Unnamed Student" once asked him to find something for her (it's uh... in that document somewhere). That implies big overarching plot relevance, which potentially implies early creation.

As stated above, Charles is meant to look like the antagonist archetype of DRDT, so it would make sense if he was developed third. Basically, "I have my protagonist and my support character, so who should my antagonist be?" Charles is alive for at least two Class Trials, and his fear of blood and bodies seems like something that would need to be planned around long in advance. He also has a lot of parallels to Teruko, which could be important to her development. Charles third doesn't seem like a stretch.

Ace fourth, however, feels like a bit more of a stretch. I still don't think it's impossible, though. Many people (including myself, more or less) believe that Ace will be a survivor. Being at the sixth Class Trial is reason enough to be important, but if Ace was designed to do something important at that Trial (god knows what), it could make sense if Ace was created early. Ace also has a number of important relationships-- Levi, Nico, and Hu, to name the most prominent. The fact that Ace is at the center of most of those conflicts, being the one inciting the main problem, makes me think it would have been much easier to plan out the daily life if he were in it from very early on.

And then, we're back to Arei. I wouldn't have guessed that our apparent second victim was developed as early as fifth place, but, that's canon, baby! I don't have to explain this one!

The characters being listed in order of creation would have a number of interesting implications on the roles that characters play. For instance, you would probably imagine that the mastermind would be amongst the characters you would develop first, right? If so, that would diminish the likelihood that characters such as Veronika, J, Whit, or Nico were the mastermind (that actually covers a lot of really popular options, damn). Conversely, it could implicate that characters like Ace, Rose, Hu, or Eden are more likely to be the mastermind.

From a writing standpoint, later characters may have also been created for the purpose of solving problems. Going back to Ace, let's say that (as Hu has already been developed 7th at this point), DRDTdev knows that Ace and Hu need to have a big conflict in Chapter 3 that, I don't know, leads to Hu being the blackened and Ace starting to regret his foul mouth or something. To solve that problem, let's create Nico, a character who Hu likes and Ace hates, who does something highly controversial. Hu defends this "Nico", Ace insists they're in the wrong, and the arguing causes Hu to snap. That's 1) a huge oversimplification of the character creation process and 2) wildly speculative about the future of DRDT's plot, but my point is to say that one character can be inspired by the needs of the plot and still be a cool and beloved character that perfectly fits in regardless.

(To be clear, I am of the firm belief that there are no losers/unimportant or underdeveloped characters in DRDT. That's part of what makes it so great!)

(And, when I referred to "loser" characters there, I am referring to my own writing, not anybody else's fangans.)

That's not to say that there aren't any issues with the concept that the characters are in development order, though. The one that most immediately jumped out to me was David being 12th. Like Charles, he also has a lot of parallels with Teruko, and his big reveal could be something that was in the cards from early on, like Xander's death. Honestly, though, I could seem him being a surprisingly late addition. If DRDTdev perhaps realized that Charles wasn't as antagonistic as he initially intended, he may have wanted a new character to become an antagonist in Chapter 2 to replace Charles. Or, once DRDTdev decided that Teruko wouldn't (outwardly) mourn Xander, he may have wanted a character that would to keep the idea of Xander as a good guy in the audience's minds. Maybe that's just me being delusional, though.

Min's 11th place creation is also kinda weird to me. On one hand, she is the Chapter 1 killer, so a character with a short lifetime and limited important character relationships could have been added closer to the end. Then again, if Xander (the victim) and Teruko and Charles (major baits) were created so early, it kinda feels like DRDTdev would have come up with the actual killer earlier too, right? Min also has connections to XF-Ture tech, which, if not that important to DRDT, certainly seems to be important to altDRDT. However, I guess those could have been "problems" too-- "who can I create that would kill Xander to save Teruko?" and "how can I incorporate XF-Ture tech into the story in a natural way?"

The inclusion of Bonus Episodes also adds some spice to the discussion. We don't technically know that the Chapter 2 victim and killer will get their own episodes once the chapter is over, although I think most people are assuming it at this point. Min, for example, could have also been conceptualized based on a need for an early bonus episode to drop some lore about American Hope's Peak. Thus, her talent of "Ultimate Student" could have been designed to lead to a conversation about the school in the future. The same could be true of some later killers and victims as well.

Also, going back to the "actual killer" bit, things may have also been confused if any characters were ever replaced. Maybe there was originally a different character intended to be the Chapter 1 killer. This hypothetical character could have been discarded entirely or moved somewhere else-- like how, in THH, the original Chapter 1 was Hifumi killing Hiro, but after the plans changed Hiro became a survivor, and Hifumi a third victim. It's another way to potentially explain the gap between first victim and first killer.

Anyways, in conclusion, I don't know if I really believe in this theory or not. I just thought it was interesting, and decided to serve it up to y'all as food for thought.

The creation and writing of DRDT is fascinating to me, so I'll have to ask you to bear with me as my theories get less concrete and relevant and more speculative and meta as the hiatus goes on. That's just the manner in which my brain is rotting at the moment. Are my discussions of reasons for character creation peeling back the layers of the Matrix, or am I just donning my tin foil hat and pretending to know more about writing than I do...? I guess only time will tell. Thanks for reading!

[host-club-hq]

Indeed: ~The Host Club Declares Dissolution!~

➼ pairing: kyoya ootori x reader

➼ summary: the carpet is quite literally pulled out from underneath you. two morsels of unfortunate news befall you. how are you going to tell the club?

➼ word count: 8.4k

➼ what to expect: "I'm not going."

➼ warnings: heavy angst, abuse

➼ chapter navigation

➼ talk to my characters!

➼ prepare the waterworks, my loves

The school grounds are buzzing with excitement and activity. Although, this activity comes from the construction crews scattered about the courtyard, directed by teachers and administrators alike.

It's not any type of ordinary construction you'd expect for a mere school fair. There are cranes lifting metal support beams, scaffolding building enormous creations, and teams of construction workers moving furniture and props.

The Host Club, in particular, has extreme influence when it comes to the Ouran Fair, considering they're the most popular club on campus, and the Ouran Fair revolves around clubs and their creations.

So, just as you'd expect, the Host Club is among the directors for the crew to put everything in its place.

"Oh, and those go in the building's main salon, okay?" Kaoru cranes his neck over his shoulder when he spots two men transporting a particular box.

"Alright!"

"Hey, be careful with that." He calls to another pair of men, handling a piece of furniture carelessly.

"Uh... aren't school fairs meant to be, I don't know, more about students proudly showcasing unique things that they've made by hand?" Haruhi stands adjacent to Kyoya, observing all of the extreme effort that goes into making this fair look like a prestigious event. But... she can't spot a handmade vase or carefully painted canvas by a student anywhere.

Kyoya scribbles in his brown, leather-back notebook that he uses for... less important things, to say the least, "Perhaps for a mere average school, yes." He shuts the book securely as the leather strap wraps itself around the two covers, keeping it shut. He shoves it into his pocket.

"But at Ouran, the emphasis is on planning and leadership skills. Keep in mind, most of our students are being groomed into positions of leadership, so they're required to showcase a talent for upward mobility, no arts-and-crafts."

Kyoya's explanation makes perfect sense. The students here are held to higher standards than that of a normal high school. The arts don't necessarily guarantee you a position taking over your parents' company. But, leadership skills get you closer than anything.

"Huh." Haruhi nods to herself. Her next thoughts are interrupted by a whinnying horse, coming to a halt just before them.

An elegantly decorated black and cherry red horse-drawn carriage is driven by Hikaru with Mori at his side. Hikaru pulls on the reigns, "Whoa, whoa!" The horses obey his command immediately, shaking their manes with vigor.

"Nicely done. You handle the reigns like a pro." Mori nods to Hikaru seated beside him.

"Haru-chan!" Honey calls from the back seat, waving Usa-chan's arm in her direction.

Tamaki spins theatrically, offering Haruhi his hand, "Climb on board! We're rehearsing for the big Ouran Fair parade!"

Seated just beside the dancing pair of blond boys, you roll your eyes, rising to your feet and leaning over the side.

"Too much?" You chuckle as Kyoya approaches you, head angled up to your height as he stands below you.

"Just a tad." He smiles back.

"Yeah, I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't have it." You sigh.

"He never will. But, nonetheless, it is a nice touch." Kyoya shrugs, flipping through his pocketbook quickly.

Just after Haruhi climbs aboard, Tamaki immediately fawning over her, you extend your hand and offer it to Kyoya, "Come on, Kyoya, get on the carriage." You urge.

Kyoya blankly stares at your extended arm before shaking his hand, "Absolutely not, get off of there."

You blink, eyes wide-set, "What? But-"

"Just trust me." Kyoya smiles impishly.

You raise a brow, shrugging.

"Alright. I trust you."

You step down from the carriage on the steps provided, waiting for Kyoya's next action. Oddly enough, just as you set foot on the ground, Kyoya strides behind you and hoists himself up into the carriage.

"But you just-"

"M'lady." Kyoya offers you his hand, similar to your gesture before. You merely stare at it for a moment.

You snort with laughter, "Ah, what a gentleman." You giggle at his intentions, delicately placing your hand in his as he helps you into the carriage.

Kyoya's eyes disappear in a smile as you sit beside him, offering your hand a squeeze before settling his own hands in his lap.

The carriage pulls the group along, passing most of Ouran's female students, watching you all with awe and fairytale-like wonder. Mori was right; Hikaru handles the horses exceptionally well.

"Think you could handle the horses like Hikaru?" You nudge Kyoya in the side playfully.

"If I set my mind to it, perhaps." He shrugs at your odd question. When would he ever need to handle a horse-drawn carriage?

"You never know when you'll need to." You tease. Kyoya scoffs, rolling his eyes.

"Right."

Kaoru turns over his shoulder to his brother, "Hey, you know, you've gotten pretty good at this." He grins.

"There's nothing to it; you should have practiced with me earlier." Hikaru reminds.

"Well, just because we're twins doesn't make both of us good drivers." Kaoru jokes at the expense of himself.

You smile fondly, your ears easily picking up the light-hearted conversation between the two. It's quite nice to listen to each twin speak to each other rather than with each other. It's not often that they're not finishing each other's sentences, but it's pleasant when it does, in fact, happen. The notion of individualism shines through a bit more nowadays.

"It's kinda neat having all of us together like this. for a carriage ride, huh?" Honey smiles widely, settling into his seat comfortably with Usa-chan in his lap.

"Yeah, whatever." Haruhi grumbles, squished between your shoulder and Tamaki's. At least yours doesn't sport a stabbing shoulder pad.

"Oh, and for the actual parade tomorrow, we'll all be in 18th century French costumes." Tamaki pipes up excitedly.

You purse your lips, "18th Century France? As in... the century when women wore thousands of layers, including a suffocating corset, and garish makeup that makes them look like they've seen ghosts?" You deadpan.

"Precisely." Kyoya nods from beside you.

"I don't know what you expect me to wear, but it won't be that." You shake your head, chuckling with faux-mirth as you cross your arms.

"It won't be quite that accurate, but you'll still be wearing a corset." Kyoya explains casually.

"If you'd like me alive and breathing, I suggest you find something else for me to wear."

"It's only for a few hours, y/n, you'll be fine."

"Oh, so you get to tell me when I'm fine? How would you like it if I took a thick piece of fabric and wrapped it around your torso so tightly that it felt like all of your organs were being pushed together?"

"Settle down, we'll discuss it later." Kyoya urges with a nearly stern glare.

You blink, unaware of where this sudden attitude was coming from. You cross your arms and settle back into your seat, more confused than upset.

The clock tower chimes loudly at the top of the hour.

"Ah. The fair's opening ceremony has started." Tamaki observes excitedly.

"It seems it has." You peer over the side of the carriage as Tamaki offers you a beaming smile.

"Let's make this fair the best one yet!"

You snicker, "Let's do just that." Just after your statement, the clock tower continues to chime.

~The Host Club Declares Dissolution~

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~Ouran Fair Opening Ceremony...~

The chorus of violins produce elegant pieces of music as students waltz along the grounds contently. Rose petals floating gently through the soft breeze, oddly reminiscent of the Host Club.

Inside the central building salon, a lush array of pink chandeliers decorate the ceilings with grace, adding a certain poshness to the atmosphere.

On the main floor, the Host Club is open to the general public. Which basically means the students of Ouran and their beyond wealthy parents.

You busy yourself with a tray of assorted sweets and pastries, pushing them along in a serving cart. You're dressed somewhat similarly to your fellow club members, but obviously differently because of your gender. Although, you do like your outfit far better than the others. A simple, beige colored dress with a thin red ribbon sitting at your color with a dark gray turtle neck sitting under it all is just perfect for you.

"Now, remember, as part of the fair, the Host Club will be open to parents and visitors for the next two days, which means we will need to be even more charming than usual. Let's get out there and and how our honored guests the time of their lives!"

... That almost means that you'r practically working at least three times as hard as you usually would need to. You're constantly running low on refreshments and you're constantly being called over for favors, asked questions, and cleaning empty tables.

It seems that, today, your duties are reduced back to errand girl.

"Isn't it just wonderful, Mother? This is the Host Club I've been telling you so much about. What do you think?" One of the regular guests gushes to her mother fervently.

"Well, actually. I cannot say I approve of this. I think that these young men just enjoy being fawned over." Her mother replies in the haughtiest of tones.

Tamaki quite literally slides to her side, "You are quite right, Madam. We are such shameless, selfish creatures." He takes her hand in his with the gentlest of natures, "All of this is mere pretense- for spending time with lovely young ladies such as yourself. It is a weakness. Forgive me."

"Oh!" Tamaki has reduced the esteemed business woman to nothing but a flushed, infatuated mess in his hands.

"What an enchanting club!" Her attitude suddenly makes a flip at his display of flattery.

"I told you!"

"You're too kind, both of you."

"Seems we're open for business using counter-madam tactics." You grumble jokingly to yourself as you continue to push your cart along.

Knelt before Honey, Mori adjusts and pulls at his vest, "Here, your buttons are mismatched. Allow me." He fixes them promptly.

"Thank you very much!" Honey giggles charmingly.

A nearby table has the privilege of witnessing the scene, "How adorable! They must be brothers. The older one is so thoughtful." The guest's mother gushes.

Adjacent to your side, Haruhi groans, "Wrong." You snicker at her scowl.

The twins' hair is neatly combed for this momentous occasion, putting on their best 'good boys' behavior for the prestigious parents they will be attending to.

"But you see, our mother and father were both so busy that they had no time for the two of us." Hikaru's eyes remain downcast, as does his brother's.

"We played by ourselves. Which is the reason we're so lonely now." Kaoru finishes with.

Sitting before them, a guest and her mother express their sympathy, "Oh, you poor things!"

"They've got the sob story down almost as well as you do." You nudge Haruhi in the side. She's probably already used her late mother tactic on a few guests and their parents.

"You have got to be kidding me." Haruhi grumbles.

You happen to notice a group of parents surrounding Kyoya, and for good reason. The insight into his tactics for maintaining the club financially (and in many other aspects) is practically priceless.

As you wheel your cart over, several parents thank you briefly before picking up a new cup of tea and setting their empty ones back in the places of the fresh cups. You nod, "My pleasure."

"One of our daily goals here at the Host Club is to evoke different time periods. So we make it a point to thoroughly research a wide variety of historical traditions in the interest of maintaining authenticity."

And by we, he means himself. Although, when busy, Kyoya has often asked you to take up the research on certain eras and their culture so that they won't be missing anything essential.

"That's quite impressive!" A father chirps.

You place the empty teacups on the lower tray of your cart so as to keep up a clean image and bring up new, filled cups to the top.

"Yeah, quite impressively political." Haruhi mutters beside you.

"You're just not having any of this today, are you?" You sigh, propping a hand on your hip.

"Excuse me, young lady?" You turn at that, as you're the only young lady associated with the club.

"My daughter has been gushing over a charming fellow by the name of Tamaki, do you happen to know where he is?" A student's mother approaches you, looking quite lost.

"I certainly do, ma'am. He's the blond-haired princely looking host speaking with that group of lovely guests. Please, don't hesitate to ask for anything else." You bow after pointing in Tamaki's direction with an open hand rather than one finger.

"Thank you, my dear." She brushes a hand gently against your shoulder in thanks as she she slides along past you to Tamaki.

"Wow, Senpai. That was quite the act." Haruhi observes as you sigh exasperatedly.

"Kyoya told me that I 'must be on my best behavior.' Lord knows what he meant by that." You groan.

"I noticed he's been kinda stressed recently." Haruhi glances over to the host in question.

"I've been trying to be patient with him. I know Tamaki's extravagant ideas have him scrambling a bit. I know he's trying." You sigh tiredly.

"They must have had you scrambling, too." Haruhi points out.

"Oh, yes. Advertising for this event was an entire ordeal all by itself. Not to mention I had to go over plans with Tamaki for days." It makes you exhausted just thinking about it.

"Is your dad coming?" Haruhi glances around in question.

"Mm, not sure. He mentioned he might or might not. Not sure what that means." You chuckle apprehensively.

"I think he should. You're doing a really great job." Haruhi beams kindly.

"Oh, well thank you. Tamaki's been working me like a horse, but I'm happy with how everything turned out. And... if he does come, I do hope that he behaves." You chew your lip anxiously.

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Kyoya's keyboard is under much strain as he clacks his fingers across the keys, gaze determined under the glare that his glasses produce. Haruhi takes in her surroundings with wide set eyes, just a bit bewildered by the nature of the event.

"This is a bit too much even by our standards." She turns slightly to Kyoya by her side.

She sighs, letting her head dip, "You could buy a small country with all the money we're wasting."

Tamaki appears behind Haruhi in an instant, startling you, "What nonsense! That's not the Host Club way at all and you know it! Happiness is above any price tag! Besides, think of all the exposure! We'll-" Haruhi stops Tamaki's tirade by pinching his hand. He squeals, pouting.

"No, Haruhi's right, you have overshot the budget." Kyoya announces.

You take one look at Tamaki's expression after that statement and you feel your heart pulse sympathetically, "It's not that bad, is it?" You peek over at Kyoya's computer and your eyes grow considerably wide when you read over the current numbers.

"Kyoya." Tamaki whines.

"The use of this salon notwithstanding, you had a period-style carriage shipped in all the way from France. Must you always be so capricious? Your impulsiveness is overwhelms my accounting skills." Kyoya shuts his laptop and adjusts his glasses.

"Hey." You nudge him in the side when you take another glance at Tamaki's expression.

"Typical." Haruhi scoffs.

"Whatever! Capricious is just another word for creative! I'll have you know that the whims of the Host Club King are stuff of dreams, no price is too high!"

As Tamaki practically storms off, you pull up a chair and sit across from Kyoya, "I think we need to talk about your people skills." You inform him, somewhat serious.

"My people skills are not the problem." Kyoya resumes work on his laptop.

"Fine, then let's talk about your friend skills. You can't just tell Tamaki that, you know how he is." You hiss in a whisper, becoming much more stern.

"I'll have you know that I know Tamaki probably better than you do." Kyoya peeks at you over his laptop.

"Then you must know that he takes everything to heart. And if I were him, what you just said would have hurt my feelings a lot, and I would be thinking really hard about it." You narrow your eyes.

"Good thing you aren't Tamaki, then."

You scoff, "What is the matter with you? Listen, I know you're stressed and accounting is difficult, but that doesn't give you the right to treat people however you want-"

"If you wouldn't mind, y/n. I'm a little busy."

Your stunned silence is almost in disbelief. You stand up from the table, "Fine. Suit yourself." You turn on your heel and move to attend to any guests that might need you. You're much too busy to put up with his bad attitude, anyway.

You find an unfamiliar guest sitting by herself on one of the many loveseats set up for the guests to rest on. She doesn't look old enough to be a student's mother or guardian, but she doesn't look young enough to be a student yourself. Nonetheless, she's a guest.

"Welcome." She lowers her pair of theater binoculars and you're almost rendered speechless by the striking aqua color of her eyes. She's not from here.

"May I get something for you? Perhaps I could interest you in something sweet. We've got a wide selection of teas as well."

She only stares at you a moment, her gaze unabashedly judging as she rises it to meet your own.

"You're with the Host Club?" She folds her hands in her lap and you can't miss the way her posture is perfectly set.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm here at your disposal." You bow with a polite smile.

"Father!" Both of you are distracted by Tamaki's exclamation and direct your attention to a man entering, dressed completely in white save for a colorful purple necktie.

"Do not refer to me as father. The term is far too familiar. You will address me properly as Chairman."

This is one of the few times you've ever had the pleasure of meeting Tamaki's father. Your gaze narrows upon his entrance and Tamaki shuts his mouth, embarrassed.

Although, Kyoya is quick to step in and direct him elsewhere, "Ah, very good! Welcome, sir. Please, let me show you to your seat."

"Thank you."

You glance back at the woman behind you and notice that she quickly lowers her theater binoculars and turns away as if she hadn't been watching the ordeal take place.

You're not distracted for long as a very notable entrance is made not long after Tamaki's father.

You dare to meet his gaze, quickly apologizing to your guest, who doesn't seem to mind your absence terribly, and rush to greet him.

Your father barely spares you a glance as you offer him a deep bow, "Welcome, Father. I'm elated that you could make it."

"Yes. Quite the... little party you have going on." Your father scans the crowd of fawning ladies and the hosts that attend to them. He'll never quite understand why you ever joined this frivolous club.

"May I show you to a seat?" You gesture.

"If you must." He follows you as you scurry to one of the nearest open sofas. He sits down, crossing one leg over the other and glowering at you expectantly.

"Can I get you anything?" You don't specify what you have in stock- whatever he wants, you will bring to him.

"Why are you wearing that?" Your father scans your attire with a disapproving expression.

"What? This?" You glance down at your own outfit and dust if off anxiously.

"Why the turtle neck? The dress is quite perfect on it's own."

Your cheeks heat up in a terribly strong shade of red. You fiddle with your sleeve, "It matches the club..." You inform, gesturing to the other members scattered about who are dressed similarly to you.

"Well you're not even a host, are you? Shouldn't you be dressed in... something else?"

"Father... I'm still a part of the club, I'm still a member of the team-"

"You're not on a team. You're an errand girl." Your father scoffs, glancing around to see if any other parents are witnessing the exchange.

You open your mouth to retaliate, but quickly realize that you have nothing to retaliate with. He's not wrong, not wrong at all. In fact, he's completely correct. You hang your head apologetically.

"Where's this Ootori boy that you're so infatuated with?" Your father cranes his neck over your shoulder, searching for him.

"Kyoya is..." You search for him with your eyes, but they widen considerably at what they find.

You barely have time to react before a loud smack! echoes through the salon, followed by several appalled gasps, including one of your own.

A pair of thin-rimmed, silver glasses hits the carpeted floor from the force at which Kyoya's father strikes him across the cheek. No verbal or even physical reaction follows from Kyoya, he only kneels to the ground to pick up his glasses, his dark bangs covering his eyes.

You don't even manage to excuse yourself from your father before you're practically sprinting to where he kneels.

But your father isn't paying attention to you anymore, he's watching the scene unfold before his very eyes.

Is that what it looks like?

"Kyoya-Senpai!" Haruhi calls from her seat beside Tamaki and his father.

Just as you reach him, he's managed to put his glasses back on the bridge of his nose with a soft, pained breath.

"Is this how my son has been wasting his time?"

You can't seem to bring yourself to step any closer to him, watching him solemnly rise to his feet, expressionless.

"That's Kyo-chan's father, isn't it?" Honey inquires quietly.

"Yes."

"You are an embarrassment to the Ootori name." Without another word, Yoshio steps away from his son, a similar glare on the lenses of his glasses as his son's.

Kyoya pushes two fingers against his glasses to adjust them. Silently.

"Suoh, my friend. I am sorry you had to witness that." Yoshio apologizes to the Chairman as he passes him.

"That did seem rather harsh, given how exceptional he really is. For a man with three fine young sons to carry on his legacy, your avarice would seem to run deep."

Yoshio does not reply. The Chairman continues.

"I've heard about your trouble. Believe me, it's only a matter of time before the media gets wind of it. Please tell me you're not taking that out on your son."

Nothing more is said before Yoshio departs.

"Kyoya, are you alright?" Tamaki and the rest of the club approaches him cautiously.

With your arms seized to your chest, you part the crowd of hosts and finally manage to near him. Getting a better look at him, you can spot the reddening mark on his cheek as he stares down at you wordlessly.

You suppress the tightening of your throat to speak, "Are you okay?" You gently reach out to place a hand on his arm.

"I'm perfectly alright. Your father is here, isn't he?" Kyoya brushes past you gingerly.

You blink, "Y-yes, but-"

"By all means, we should greet him." Kyoya cuts you off.

Your heart sinks as he walks off. Haruhi catches his attention, "Senpai, he wasn't upset with you 'cause of the Host Club, was he?"

Tamaki tenses, anxiously awaiting his reply.

"Don't worry about it." He pushes past them easily, "It's not like I haven't been expecting this." He moves along, but not to your father like you'd expected.

"Wait, Kyoya-!" You start off after him.

"Because of... the Host Club?"

The Chairman passes his son who is frozen in stunned silence, "Whims have consequences, Tamaki. Take my word for it, they do not come cheaply for people like us. Accept it. Life is hard. It's time for you to grow up and realize that dreaming only postpones the inevitable."

"y/n!" A familiar student calls.

When you turn at your name being called, you lose Kyoya in the crowd. You sigh, putting on a stunning smile and making your way over to the group of girls that called your attention, "Coming!"

When you arrive, they greet you with excited smiles, "We really appreciate that you made time to visit us." You bow.

"Start thinking about the future, son. If you plan on becoming the head of the Suoh family, there's a long, hard road ahead of you. You're going to have to live with the choices you make for the rest of your life. I advise you to think very carefully about what it is you really want before it's too late."

The Host Club isn't going to last forever.

The doors to the salon creak open, handled by two men, and in walks an elderly, strict-looking woman.

"Now look sharp. Your grandmother is here."

Tamaki grins widely, dashing to greet her, "Grandmother! I'm so glad you could come!" He beams.

The entire Host Club watches. All, save for one, are glaring.

"Aw, that's so sweet. So that's Tamaki-Senpai's grandmother?" Haruhi smiles.

Your clench your hands into fists, brow twitching with rage, "I hate that woman." You growl darkly.

Haruhi nearly physically flinches at your harsh words, mouth agape with surprise at your choice of speech when she returns her attention to Tamaki.

"Please come in, take a seat." Tamaki gestures openly to one of the many empty sofas in the salon.

"Don't patronize me." Tamaki is left frozen at her response as she waltzes past.

"Filthy child." She spits bitterly.

Haruhi can hardly believe her ears, gasping at how shockingly Tamaki had been treated today.

"Lady Éclair, come over here for a moment, please."

At her demand, the woman you were tending to just moments ago strides along to greet Tamaki. Her hands are clasped behind her back, twirling her theater binoculars with a smug grin.

"For the remainder of the day and tomorrow, you will be Lady Éclair's personal escort."

Lady Éclair thrusts her chin up at Tamaki insistently, humming curiously. She peers at him through her theater binoculars.

"What's wrong? I gave you an order."

"Hello there, Tamaki." Éclair smirks. Tamaki remains speechless, then adorns a smile as best he can manage.

"Very well, grandmother. I will do everything in my power to ensure her happiness. Just as you wish."

You set a new cup of tea before your father on the table, regaining a straight posture to gauge his reaction. 

He lifts the cup to his lips cautiously, savoring the taste a moment before humming, neither with approval or disapproval, and setting it back down on the matching saucer.

"Your friends seem to be quite busy." He acknowledges, unabashedly scrutinizing each one with judging eyes. 

None of the hosts are as enthusiastic as they were before Tamaki decided to abandon you all. It seems that the entire aura has changed. Nonetheless, the absence of your boss doesn't mean that any of you get to shirk your responsibilities, no matter how confused you are. 

"Yes, sir." You nod, watching your friends along with him. 

"That scene with the Ootori boy seems to have put a damper on things." Your father sighs, somewhat pensively. 

You huff, "He isn't the one that caused the scene, Father." You remind. 

"I do think it's quite necessary. This club is a waste of time." He ignores you, scoffing. 

You shake your head with furrowed brows, disoriented, "A waste of time?" Where did that even come from?

"I actually applaud Yoshio for taking the initiative." 

"You applaud Mr. Ootori for abusing his son?"

Your father nearly snaps the handle of the teacup off its base and narrows his gaze toward you, "Abuse and discipline are very different things, young lady." 

A very thin line separates them, apparently.

"Like you would know."

Your audacity catches your father completely off guard. Just as he's about to retaliate, you turn on your heel, steam practically coming from your ears as you make way to storm off and occupy yourself elsewhere. 

But your father is faster. He lunges and grabs your upper arm, effectively stopping you in your tracks.

"Don't turn your back to me when I'm speaking to you, disrespectful child." He sneers. 

You twist to face him the best you can in your position, gaze boring into his own. 

"I'm turning my back so I don't do something I'll later regret."

Your father blinks, caught off guard once again. You challenge him with narrowed eyes. 

"Excuse me, sir?"

A polite, disembodied voice comes from behind your father. There stands Kyoya with a familiar cellphone held in your father's vision. As he turns, he releases you, and you're quick to backpedal away, rubbing your arm sorely. 

"Does this belong to you? I found it on the floor just now and thought it might be yours." Kyoya manages the most passive aggressive, feigned smile that he can. 

Your father all but snatches the phone away from Kyoya, shoving it back into his pocket with a grumble, "Yes, thank you, Ootori."

Kyoya nods, "It's my pleasure. Now, I'll be needing to steal y/n away for a moment if you don't mind. An errand girl's work is never done." Kyoya brushes past your father to place a hand on your shoulder firmly. 

"Go on."

Kyoya makes quick work of leading you away, almost too quickly for your liking. You half expect him to actually lead you to a guest in need when he stops you after some distance away from your father, placing both hands on your shoulder and assessing you with concerned eyes. 

"Are you alright?"

Your heart warms and you offer him a weak simper, "Perfectly fine." You assure. 

"No bruises?" He takes your arm carefully in his hand. 

"Not yet, anyway." You joke lightly. "But, thank you." 

Kyoya can't help but return your grateful smile with one of his own, "Of course."

"Senpai, are you okay?" Two voices pipe up behind you. You turn to face them, greeted with two identical heads of ginger hair and two pairs of concerned eyes. 

"I'm fine, really. Don't worry." You assure, waving them off with a soft laugh insistently. 

Hikaru and Kaoru glance at each other with apprehensive eyes, leaning on one another affectionately. Another parent is added to their list of people to keep an eye on... 

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The hosts have made a group that consists solely of themselves, observing that their guests are becoming quite self-sufficient in terms of entertainment. At this very rare break, Kyoya attempts to chip away at the ever growing budget with his laptop at the ready.

"Tama-chan isn't coming back, is he?" Honey whines. 

Kaoru appears with Hikaru perched atop his head, "So does he really plan to spend-"

"- the entire fair escorting some stranger?" Kaoru grumbles. 

"Éclair, right? Or something like that." Hikaru mutters, looking entirely bored. 

"Who is she to him? That's the mystery." Kaoru chirps. 

"I could tell you."

For the first time, the voice that pipes up is not unwelcome, but it's not enthusiastic either. You perk up when Renge approaches the group, looking solemn. 

"Oh, Renge?" 

"Éclair, Tonnerre, she's the youngest daughter of the renowned French Tonnerre family. They descend from royalty."

Glasses shining and keyboard clacking, Kyoya adds on, "Indeed, the family has quite a history. Their wealth something of a legend among financial heavyweights. In fact, just being associated with them makes you part of a very elite group."

That name rings a bell in your mind. Your brows crease, "Don't they own Grand Tonnerre?" You pipe up curiously. 

"They do. It's a firm that's been buying up a lot of businesses in Japan lately." The club seems enthralled by Kyoya's vast knowledge. But, then again, who wouldn't be? 

You groan, "But that doesn't explain why French Princess stole our boss way from his own event." You grumble. 

"It does not." Kyoya sighs. 

You catch Haruhi in your peripheral vision, her back is turned to you and the group. She's uncharacteristically un-inquisitive and quiet for a topic like this that usually would have piqued her curiosity by now. But, it seems that Lady Éclair is a sore subject. 

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The clock tower chimes, indicating your second costume change of the day. Honestly, you have no problem with changing costumes throughout the day, but you are dreading the last day's costume- the corset. But, for now, your outfit consists of an off-white, lace dress to match the cream color of the hosts' tailcoats. Your neck is adorned with a simple red choker to match the hosts' red neckties. 

You feel like you belong to a singing barbershop quartet, but you don't mind in the slightest. 

You hang your previous garments on the costume rack in the back room of Music Room #3, along with your future outfits. You grimace at the frills and ruffles adorning both your and Haruhi's costumes. Just as you place your hands on your serving cart to exit the backroom and rejoin the club that's already waiting for you, your ringtone goes off. 

Your brows crease with confusion- who on earth could be calling you if the club members are off doing their jobs? 

You stride to your bag sitting in a far corner of the room, kneeling down to the tile floor to dig through it. You fish it out of the confines of your smallest pocket and reveal the caller ID- your father. 

He was less than happy with you when he left about an hour or so ago. But you imagine he's had enough time to cool down and is calling for another reason. 

"Hello?" You exhale carefully. 

"y/n, what's the name of that hotel we stay in when we go to London? I'm always forgetting what it's called." He demands immediately. 

You cock an eyebrow, lips tugging downward in confusion. That's a very odd question to ask somewhat urgently over the phone. 

"Er... the Bulgari? It's on Knightsbridge..." You chew your lip, thoroughly disoriented by the question. 

"Ah, I knew it was something along those lines. I always enjoy our stay there, don't you?"

You chuckle nervously, still unsure about why he's asking, "I do, Father."

"I've had the maids pack everything you need; they've been quite speedy about it."

You let out a breath of air, "Are we going to London for a visit?" You inquire curiously. To be quite honest, that's exactly what you need right now. You need to step hundreds of miles away from all of this drama and return to a normal club. 

"Not visiting, no. Say, do you happen to remember the name of the driver we always reserve? It's on the tip of my tongue." Your father groans, shuffling around at the other end of the line. 

"Andrew. Father, why are you asking all of this?" You exhale in a wispy laugh, beyond baffled by this weirdly upbeat conversation. Has he had a drink or two? His cheery demeanor seems to indicate so... 

"Well, we'll need to stay there while they're preparing our estate, now won't we?" 

You blink, the gears turning in your brain and working overtime to make sense of all of this, "The estate? Why can't we just stay at the Bulgari? It's perfectly luxurious and the service is quite wonderful, at least that's what I recall." 

"We can't stay in the Bulgari forever, y/n." Your father nearly laughs. 

"Forever?" You inquire curiously. 

"Well, not forever, I guess. Until something new comes along."

"When do we leave?" You glance out the window to the large clock tower across the courtyard. 

"Tomorrow. I've waited to schedule the flight until after your little fair so that your... friends won't be too upset. Not that you'll have much to do, anyway..." 

You ignore his comment with the shake of your head, "Wha- tomorrow? When will we be back?" You ought to inform Kyoya of your traveling dates. 

"...y/n, we're moving there. We won't be returning to Japan." 

It doesn't set in right away. Your lips falter downward from a confused smile, gaping in shock. The stunned silence seems to last minutes, hours before you manage to speak again. 

"That's not funny, Father. Please put whatever drink you've gotten out away." You feign a laugh, brows creasing angrily. 

"It wasn't supposed to be funny. I thought I told you about this." His voice is deadly serious. 

"About what? Your little moving joke?" 

"It's not a joke, young lady. We're moving to London. Did I really forget to mention that to you?" 

Your heart all but falls out of your ass as you sit there, dumbfounded, on the floor of your beloved clubroom. Your face pales considerably and you feel you're going to be sick to your stomach at the way it flips violently. 

"My apologies. That's my fault." 

Your chest heaves, letting out a faint cry as you lean forward, placing your hand down onto the tiled floor for support. 

Moving. 

Moving. As in not coming back. Permanent. 

"You're not serious..." It's more of a plead than a statement. You hear your father sigh heavily. 

"I thought you'd be excited." That's a blatant lie and he knows it. He sits in your living room, surrounded by papers and his phone pressed to his ear. 

"How could you do this?" Your voice becomes more desperate and weepy with every passing second. You knew your father would jump through hoops, dragging you along with him to accomplish his means, but nothing like this. 

"You're always talking about? You love London-"

"To visit! I love to visit London!" You shriek hysterically. 

Your father can hear the absolute heartbreak in your shaking voice. He can't deny the way his chest aches at the sound of it. He pushes on despite that fact, clearing his throat. 

"Father, we've been in Japan for four years... how could we just pick up and go so soon?" You whip your head around and glance once more at the clock tower in a newfound light. 

"It'll be quite easy, you know. You haven't many things to pack-"

"But, Father, I go to a wonderful school, and- and I've got friends! I don't know what I'll do without the club-" You hiccup, throat constricting around your words as you force them out of your mouth and past your lips. 

"The club and that Ootori boy are two of the main reasons we're moving you away. And my company is fairing very well in London, and they've been needing a lot of my attention recently. So, it's really a win-win situation-" 

You let out a desperate cry, heaving in an inhale, "For who, Father?" You hiccup once more, clamping a hand over your mouth as fresh tears create a river down your cheeks. 

Your father is silent. You're completely right. He knows this is a decision that will likely tear your life apart for the next year or so. But it must be done. You can't keep influencing yourself with those idiots you call friends any more. He's not blind to the way teenagers' minds are influenced. 

"I'm not going." You straighten up defiantly. 

A deep, heavy sigh, "Yes... you are-"

"No, I'm not!" You whimper pathetically, nearly collapsing to the ground if it wasn't for your arm holding you up, trembling. 

"Compose yourself. This is not the way you are to behave." 

And you do, as much as you can, out of instinct. You sniffle, wiping your tears away only for more to trickle down. 

"We're leaving tomorrow after your fair. I'll have to arrange you a ride since I'll already be at the airport by the time it's over."

"Can we even talk about this? T-this is my life too! You can't just uproot me out of nowhere." You plead. 

"It's all done. We will discuss this later."

Your eyes grow wide, "Wait, wait, Father, please-"

But nothing. The line goes dead and you're left staring at your lock screen. Ironically, a beautifully angled photo of the school's clock tower, doves soaring across the screen. 

A trembling breath passes your lips, your phone clatters to the ground, teardrops hitting the screen.

How are you supposed to leave everything you've ever known? You've never spent more than one school year in one place in your entire life. How are you supposed to leave everyone you've ever known come tomorrow? You thought Japan was a permanent arrangement. It just goes to show you how cruel reality can really be. Not even the refuge of your precious Host Club can save you now. 

You gasp as a realization hits you, immediately crumping over in a sob: how on earth are you supposed to tell the club? How are you supposed to tell them that, come the end of the fair, you'll be gone without another trace? You're supposed to live without Hikaru or Kaoru ever teasing you again? Without Honey begging you to please, please, please have just one more sweet with him and Usa-chan? You'll forever be lost without Mori's comfortable silence by your side, without Haruhi's grumbles and stories of hardships... without Tamaki's charismatic whims. You don't even know if you'll even see Tamaki tomorrow. 

How... are you supposed to tell Kyoya? How are you supposed to give up this relationship that both of you worked so hard to begin and maintain? Just like that? You can't even imagine living without his witty comments and snarky remarks, his almost smiles when you manage to amuse him, his sweet, loving gestures of kindness when he isn't quite sure what to do to console you or spoil you. 

And so, you lay there. Curled into the fetal position on the floor of the Host Club for possibly the last time, hugging your arms to your chest as you let our heart-wrenching sobs. The clock tower chimes at the top of the hour. 

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You are... a terrible mess. Not to mention, terribly late for meeting the rest of the club to resume the festivities. You worked tirelessly to clean up your smeared makeup, doing a poor job covering up the redness and puffy nature of your eyes. At least you managed to cover the red tint of your nose. You merely ran a few fingers through your hair before stepping out with deep, heaving breaths. 

You sorrows are slightly consoled when you enter the central salon. 

"y/n-chan looks great!" Honey beams. 

"She does." Mori concurs. Such compliments from them are high honor, you would be a fool not to appreciate them. 

Kyoya's gaze only manages to slide over to peer at you through the corner of his eye. Something... is wrong. 

"Not bad." HIkaru smiles. You glide past him without a word. 

"You clean up nice, y/n." Kaoru grins. You don't spare him a glance. 

"So where did the boss go?" Hikaru inquires to the room. 

"He was looking forward to this the most." Kaoru recalls. 

Grumbling, Haruhi is less than happy about knowing the answer to that, "Our King is lounging in Music Room #3. He's entertaining Lady Éclair." 

You sigh heavily with frustration, pulling out the only empty seat available, across from Kyoya. 

"Well, well, well."

"It sounds like someone's a little jealous." The twins are back to their prying antics. Mori and Honey nod in agreement. 

Unbeknownst to you, Kyoya reaches a hand across the table and brushes his hand against yours. You jump out of your skin, yelping. 

"Is something wrong?"

You feel immense guilt pile onto your shoulders all at once. Your lip trembles before you clear your throat, hardly offering him a sheepish simper, "Nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?" 

Kyoya cocks a brow, "You seem a little down."

"Just missing Tamaki, is all." You shrug. Kyoya hums. He's not entirely convinced. 

"You said it yourself, Kyoya-Senpai. He's impulsive." Haruhi suddenly drags Kyoya into their conversation; your saving grace. 

"Tamaki is impulsive, Haruhi, but he's following orders given to him by his grandmother." You remind, features solemn. Haruhi turns away slightly, reminiscing on just what his grandmother had said. 

"Um, you know, now that I think about it, Tamaki-Senpai's grandmother seemed really cold toward him earlier. Is there some special reason for that?" 

You sit up, raising your chin from your hands. You and the rest of the Host Club exchange apprehensive glances. Yours and Kyoya's eyes meet briefly. 

"Well, everyone else knows about it." Hikaru shrugs. 

You glance up at here where she stands, "Um... Tamaki's an illegitimate child." You timidly inform. 

Haruhi gasps, baffled. Hikaru begins to spin his tale. 

"Twenty some-odd years ago, the Suoh Family patriarch died at a young age. For political reasons, Chairman Yuzuru was rushed into a marriage at the behest of his mother to a woman of her choosing. That's how he became head of the family. But several years later, the chairman fell passionately in love with a beautiful young woman he met in Paris." 

You adjust your position in your seat, "Not long after that, Tamaki was born." You continue. 

"No, Mother. I'm leaving my wife. I'm going to marry her."

"The boss's grandmother vehemently objected. Because of her poor health, living in Japan proved too difficult for Senpai's mother, and so she raised him in France until he was fourteen. His childhood seems to have been a happy one. But as time wore on, the family business on his mother's side went belly up, and when they were forced into debt-"

"- The boss's grandmother, worried about there being no heir to carry on the family name, came up with a proposal."

"I will provide you with the means to  live comfortably for the rest of your days. In exchange, Tamaki is to come and live with me in Japan. Without you. All contact between the two of you will be prohibited forever. These conditions are non-negotiable."

Haruhi sits dumbfounded at the side of the indoor fountain. You and Kyoya have migrated to a sofa while the rest of the club stands around her. 

"Wow..."

"The current patriarch may be Chairman Yuzuru Suoh technically, but for the time being, all the family's assets remain under the control of Tamaki's grandmother." Kyoya adds. 

"Even then, his mother's health is so fragile, Tamaki was very aware of the fate that she faced if she were left by to live in debt, even with him." You prop your chin up on your arm. 

"So..."

"I've decided... I'm going to go to Japan. It's all for the best. Just promise me, Mom. Promise me you'll take care."

"Not long afterward, either out of anguish or just plain guilt over having bartered her son away for financial security, Tamaki's mother left France in shame and went into hiding. Her current whereabouts are unknown. To this day, he's never seen her again. Not once." 

With all that you've been through today, you can feel your throat close up at the mere story, lip nearly visibly trembling. 

Haruhi's head hangs shamefully. Throughout the entire time she's been in the club, she's never once considered his childhood. It's strangely reminiscent of her own, having lost her own mother at a young age. 

Kyoya stands to his feet with a fond smile. You follow him with your eyes, "It's easy to feel sorry for him. But the hardships that he endured as a child helped mold him into the person he is today."

"He'll be fine. The Host Club is his refuge, which means when all is said and done, he still has us."

Your heart cracks in two, reaching for Kyoya's sleeve, "Kyoya. I have to tell you something." 

He hums expectantly. You seem to have gained all eyes on both of you. 

"I-"

The doors are thrown open before you can even begin. The Host Club is completely distracted away from whatever you had to say, and so are you. 

Honey gasps, "Tama-chan!" He exclaims. 

Tamaki's fringe covers his eyes, but his mouth does not move. Something is off; you can feel the tension forming in this very room. 

"Everyone, I have an important announcement." His tone is foreign. Never have any of you heard such seriousness in his voice. 

You all stand directly below him at the bottom of the staircase, patiently awaiting his aforementioned announcement. 

"As of today, Lady Éclair Tonnerre and I are officially engaged. Furthermore, the Host Club will be permanently dissolved after the Ouran Fair. That is all." 

Suddenly, your news seems insignificant in light of recent events.

🎵I run and run a thousand miles, and I am barely breathing. Only the fuel of a passionate heart keeps this body strong and moving forward.

Could it be I found a place to rest? How far until I’m OK?

Trees of the town reveal the time has come once again to shift our shade and colors. 🎵

🎵The world always changes around us but weakness will always remain;

Through all the pain, believe in who we are right here and now! 🎵

🎵Raise one hand to the sky; raise them both lift them high!!

And you’ll cut through the darkness make it go!

The time to start is now! And I can show you how.

Start with me, and the world will be even bigger than ever before. 🎵

♡Next time, on Indeed...♡

There's no easy way to say this... but you and Tamaki seem to be leaving the Host Club for good. Just like that, you're gone. That is, until a certain pair steps in and declares what they've been feeling all along...

♡We'll see you then!! ♡

want to read more? here's my ouran masterlist 🌹

and here's my bts blog💜

want me to write something you want to see? request something💌

have any questions? talk to my characters!🙏🏻

Adieu~ 🌹🌹🌹

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi Steph. I have some... Mary thoughts, specifically in regards to her shooting Sherlock. This is, taking TST at face value (although one weird moment to me was Mary asking Sherlock if she ever told him she liked him and he said yes, when she only said it in front of John, which could support the s4 is in John's head theory).

Her reaction to Ajay being shot, the way she screamed, changed the way I thought about her shooting Sherlock. I always thought she meant to kill him, but I never considered Mary could genuinely like and even love Sherlock and still be willing to shoot to kill.

She said AGRA was family, she was excited to see Ajay and yet she did threaten to kill him. And I believe she meant it. I think in her mind, killing to keep John around, or to save John (in regards to Ajay) is... justified?

I don't know how to feel about her yet, I can like her on the surface level if I don't think about her too much? But some things (one that always stood out to me was in the TAB plane scene where she is weirdly smirking and almost reveling in others' pain?) I know others picked up on it to, liking Mary at first and then beginning to find her suspicious upon rewatches and with new context was a very common fandom experience.

I guess I am sharing thoughts and kind of asking for your opinion? I chose to go off anon, and I am fine with it being public. Just saying that, because sometimes when I sent asks off anon people would assume it is like a private message. Still new to Tumblr etiquette, sorry -AA

Hey Lovely!

OOOOOOF I have SO many thoughts about Mary.... my blog was pretty well-known back in the hey-day for all the ridiculous amount of meta I wrote about her and coining 'the mary problem'...

I actually personally found her character interesting and fascinating up until S4, within which I feel they did a complete 180 on her character and instead went with a SHITTY "redemption arc" that was anything but.

As for her killing Sherlock, I have to disagree, she ABSOLUTELY meant to kill him. John was a trophy to Mary, and Sherlock threatened that prize being taken away from her. Ajay threatened to also upend her life, so he had to die. Mary cares about no one but herself. That much was clear even on the surface level of S4. She literally ran off without as much as a goodbye and abandoned her NEWBORN CHILD AND depressed husband. Like, she's a HORRIBLE person even if you're not reading any of the subtext, so I'm BOGGLED how Mofftiss thought that Mary doing an impossible jump in front of a bullet was supposed to redeem her character when... *waves all over* ALL THAT happened before the final moments of T6T.

ANYWAY, I wrote a LOT about Mary... you can check out the majority of my writing on these posts here:

Mary is a Femme Fatale

The Problem with John x Mary

Mary’s Brand of Abuse

Mary Meant to Kill Sherlock

Mary’s Gaslighting

The True Sociopath: People Fail to See It Unless It Happens to Them

And of course there's a TONNE to read in my 'the mary problem' tag too :)

Thanks for this ask!!! I like griping about how they ruined an amazing villain that could-have-been!

[soleminisanction]

If you ever have the time/interest, would you break down the canon surrounding Stephanie’s economic circumstances/home life? It seems like a lot of people have chosen to take it a specific way so I’d love to see your reasoning

Sure. Thanks for asking, it's honestly a fun topic.

Y’know it’s funny—I actually happen to own something that I think most people, even most Steph fans, haven’t seen: Steph’s first appearance. Not her Robin first appearance, her Detective Comics first appearance, her actual introduction. I happened to pick them up by accident at a con a few years ago because they’re also some of Tim’s first cover appearances. 

Other people might disagree with me on this, but I like to go back to the characters’ origins whenever I can to find the baseline of what they were originally intended to be and try to bring later interpretations in line with that. I like to think of retcons as new revelations, new plot twists in an ongoing story, and not a way to reset aspects of the past just to fit your story. It works especially well for this because Steph’s socio-economic status doesn’t actually change, there’s just kind of a game of telephone that happens across the decades that leads people to misunderstand. 

One thing worth noting in these early issues is just how much Steph, a 16-year-old girl, has at her disposal before she ever even glimpses Batman and Robin. Literally the first shot we ever see of the Spoiler is this: 

And because I am, in fact, that kind of nerd, I have gone in a couple of times and dug out old era-appropriate electronics magazines to figure out what that piece of equipment would cost you in 1992. Baseline for a parabolic microphone is $600, and that price is for much larger, more delicate pieces of equipment meant to be used for like, outdoor nature shoots, which wouldn’t be able to hear through glass. Steph probably dropped $1,000 on that microphone alone. 

Remember also that her costume is homemade—she doesn’t have any other way of getting it. She’s also shown using some pretty elaborate climbing and painting gear, with no indication that they were stolen or borrowed or anything, and you can see that she’s got a pretty well-stocked utility belt there.

Again, for some reason people tend to forget or overlook this but, right up until she demanded Bruce make her Robin, Steph operated as Spoiler with zero Bat support. She got some hand-to-hand training from Cass late in the game and tagged along on some of Tim’s assignments, but was otherwise being actively discouraged from vigilantism for most of her career. She made her own costume, bought her own equipment, and maintained her own motorcycle, all without the financial support of either Batman or her parents. 

So right off the bat we know she’s a teenage girl with a not-insignificant amount of personal disposable income, the only hinted source of which is the implication she works a part-time job somewhere—which I don’t think is ever brought up again when she reappears in Robin. 

We all know minimum wage went further in 1992 than it does now, but it didn’t go that much further. So it’s reasonable to assume that Steph has access to at least some money from her parents to support her vigilante habit, whether that’s in the form of an allowance, gifts that she carefully manages between Christmas and birthdays, or money that she’s able to just, take from Crystal without her noticing. 

But this page is more important to our current interests because it’s also when we see Steph’s neighborhood for the first time. We’re told here that Steph and her mother (who is called Mrs. Agnes Bellinger in this comic, although it’s possible she was using a fake name to visit her ex in prison) live in what is described as “115 South Holden Street, in Manchester.” 

Now keep in mind, the Gotham City map can be extremely fluid and tends to change depending on the needs of the story. But there have been attempts to map it, and “Manchester” has never been on any of those maps, so we have to do some extrapolation. At the very least, we can tell the neighborhood is clearly not in the city, given the very deliberate angle there in the first panel to show that they’re well away from the crowded downtown Gotham skyline.

This implies that Manchester is intended to be one of the mainland suburbs that feeds the island city of Gotham, similar to Bristol Township where the Wayne and Drake Manors are located. It’s not nearly as nice a neighborhood as Bristol—note the fenced-in front lawns, the broken shutters on the neighboring houses, and the vaguely racist lawn ornament on the Brown’s property—but it’s also not some rundown slum. People aren’t afraid to let kids play in their front yards or leave their garage doors standing open. And you'll note those aren't trailers, either, they're decently-sized suburban homes.

Also worth noting: Crystal seems to keep this house perfectly fine on her own as a single mother. Arthur doesn’t live with them; when he’s shown having residences it tends to be apartments in the city by himself, and it’s not like he could support them from prison or with his ill-gotten criminal gains. And yet, we don’t see Steph or Crystal worrying at all about bills or mortgages or anything like that throughout any of their appearances. We see the interior of their house on several occasions and, while it’s often messy, it’s not in disrepair or neglect.

This is a constant portrayal throughout all of Steph's appearances, from Robin through even her run as Batgirl. So, with that in mind, where does the idea that Steph is poor come from? Well, I’ve got a couple of theories.

One is the usual comics fandom problem: canon is huge, nobody can keep up with all of it, and some people go out of their way to be assholes about it, so misinformation gets spread like wildfire, in no small part because Steph is a character that a lot of people use as a self-insert and therefore she must be the misunderstood underdog in all things.

But on the more-interesting-to-talk-about front… I don’t think it’s controversial to say that Steph’s first big storyline was her pregnancy. Yeah? Like, it’s the first story involving her that really started getting critical attention. Whether it deserves that attention is more open to debate—personally, since reading Icon & Rocket for the first time, I’ve come to view it as Dixon pulling the comic book equivalent of white guys repackaging black music and watering it down—but the important thing right now is that it’s the first time people would’ve been specifically reading the Robin comics for Stephanie Brown. And in those comics, Steph’s house is shown as visibly run-down, covered in cracks and disrepair.

Thing is, there’s a context that people miss if you’re reading for the baby storyline and nothing else: this storyline plays out over the last days of “Aftershock” and early months of “No Man’s Land,” the storyline where Gotham is racked by a destructive earthquake that nearly levels the city and is abandoned by the federal government.

Again, we get the reinforced confirmation that Steph’s house isn’t actually in Gotham because it’s not destroyed in the quake—the neighborhood is damaged and briefly evacuated due to a gas line rupture in the immediate aftermath, but once that’s cleared up they’re free to return home, and their suburb is not part of the federal government's evacuation. Nearly every building in Gotham is shown with similar damage during this time, including Drake Manor. 

This storyline also plays into, I think, the stereotypes that people jump on when it comes to Steph’s socioeconomic status. Like I’ve mentioned before: Arthur is a criminal, Crystal is a drug addict, and Steph is a teen mom. Therefore, they must be poor, right? Because good middle class families supposedly don’t have those kinds of problems.

But, as I’ve mentioned before, that’s an inaccurate stereotype that ignores reality: plenty of drug addicts, criminals and teen moms live in the suburbs. And the Browns’ specific circumstances are distinctly atypical of the stereotype—Arthur’s not some down-on-his-luck thief pushed to crime by economic hardship, he’s an arrogant former gameshow host who thinks he’s smarter than everyone else and resents the world for not handing him the success he feels entitled to. Crystal’s not some crack addict, she’s a working nurse who used to get her doctor friends to write her scripts for prescription painkillers. And Steph is just a teenage girl who slept with a boy and got pregnant, with the costs of prenatal care and/or childrearing never seeming to be a factor in her decision to bring the child to term and give it up for adoption. 

I could go on but that’s pretty much the long and short of it: Steph is simply not shown as being poor in the comics. Ever. She’s not rich, she does clearly rely on her fists much more than any gadgets or fancy gear and lives with her mother rather than moving out on her own for college, but she’s also never shown worrying about student loans and can apparently pay for all her classes with some government assistance and a part-time job alone.

People just assume that she’s poor because they’re misinformed, or they’re projecting, or they’ve got biases they haven’t examined, or they need her to be an underdog to justify their argument against one of the other characters, or they really want her to be buddy-buds with Jason for some reason. 

Or, y’know, they just don’t want to acknowledge that they’re rooting for a middle-class white girl from the suburbs who commutes into the inner city to pick fights for fun. 

[starsunderwaterr]

ccan you write more captain 3 hcs, like part 2 of the first one? i love your writing style,,

Yes I absolutely can!! So sorry for taking forever to respond to this! I've had a bad semester mentally and have finally found time to write at the end of the semester! Thank you again for all of your support! Enjoy guys!

I will also be using the name Kaori for Cap'n 3!

(Y/N) - your name

(N/N) - nickname

All characters are 18+

Minors DNI

Headcanons for Dating Cap'n 3! (pt. 2)

Ooooo yeah we back baybeeeeee

Back to the grand old schleepovers >:3

You got even closer, and eventually began having sleepovers, and although rare, you cherished each one

You never slept together or did anything too romantic besides hand holding for a longgggg time

It takes 3 a long time to be okay with sleeping in the same bed as you, and even then, she’s pretty stiff

It wasn’t until they began to have flashbacks and nightmares when you were near for them to fully trust you

You were nose deep in a book, Kaori just resting on the bed nearby you heard very heavy breathing coming from your angel

You glanced over at her, “Kaori…?”

They didn’t respond, too busy staring at nothing.

You noticed that she began crying, her breath getting caught in her throat

The best thing was to give them space, and allow them to cry and cling onto you

They kept whimpering and mumbling out phrases you didn’t understand, but it wasn’t until Cap’n made eye contact with you that it got serious

Instantly, her eyes widened upon seeing yours, and she threw herself onto you, clinging onto you like you were going to die

You saw it; the fear, the child trapped inside of her, and you were the only person that mattered in that moment

You reciprocated, letting them cling onto you like you were the only thing they could hold

Honestly in situations such as these, it’s best to let them come to you

It broke your heart in more ways than one to hear those sobs come out, but you knew that the best you could do for them was to help them

You helped them to focus on their breathing, and validated their experiences

After, Kaori was so exhausted that all she could do was slump against you and occasionally whimper

You held onto them, rubbing the side of their arm with the utmost care

They expressed it the best they could through sign that you truly meant so much to them through opening up to you more <3

They prefer to sign to you most of the time, especially when they're really upset, but on the rare occasion, they'll speak and even hold a blunt conversation with you

TIME FOR CUDDLING 👹👹👹

Feels great comfort when you cuddle her from behind or let her curl up on your chest (even if they act like they hate it)

From never feeling that before, and being lucky to have someone as healthy as you to give that love? It means the world to them

The first time they wanted to cuddle with you was the most adorable thing ever—

You both were laying in bed on your respective sides, just trying to sleep

When all of the sudden,,,, you felt two warm arms wrap securely around your torso and a head lean and nuzzle against your back

You could feel their slow breathing, and their face smile softly when you put your hands on top of theirs

She loves the feeling she gets in her stomach, even tho they’ll never admit it <3

They like what you both call “whisper kisses”, which are just feather-light quick kisses, especially at night before bed or when they're super soft!!

Quite literally dreams and sleeps peacefully when they’re with you (they got that lil smile when they sleep)

Sometimes you watch them sleep and will rub their head as they do and you’ll literally see the smile come onto their face it’s so cute-

Honestly loves napping with you or against you bc they’re so tired from being burnt out

You know how they say that some people get really sleepy around their loved ones bc their inner child feels safe with you???

Yeah, yeah that’s Cap with you

Plssssss hold them in their swim form

They love to take naps or chill against your shoulder in their squid form when you’ll let them

Sometimes if you’re laying on the couch, you’ll just see a flash of green before a lump is thrown onto your stomach

The excited and crazed look they get in their eyes as they stare back at you is adorable—

If you’re wearing a hoodie, they’re on top of your head sleeping or in the crook of your neck peering out at everyone

Needless to say, they’re a menace 😍

The longer you date them and the more they trust you, the more her humor comes out

Cap can be very funny when she wants to be

You were in the kitchen, just putting something away, when somehow, you managed to trip on nothing

So there you lay, face planted on the floor

Cap looks at you from above and signs “How does the floor taste?” Before smirking and letting out a gentle hum

You signed back, "Delicious."

They also think it's super fun to scare you, especially when they're in their squid form

You can be chilling, doing literally whatever, and they'll be hiding in their swim form behind walls, under the couch, in the kitchen cabinet (yeah, that one scared THE FUCK out of you)

They always get a good laugh out of it, and I mean that literally in the sense that they will genuinely and audibly laugh :'>

They like to leave little gifts for you around the house sometimes, like little trinkets they find on missions that make them think of you

One day you came home to find Kaori sleeping on the couch with a small keychain of your favorite character in their hand

They left a little note, still attached to the same hand

You swiped it out of their hand, reading it

In crude, messy handwriting, it read, "Got this out of the gatcha machine for you <3"

Yeah, the heart looked like shit and you could barely read it, but you couldn't help but lean down or up and kiss their forehead

OH MY COD IF YOU DON'T HELP THIS BITCH WITH THEIR HYGIENE

They seldom clean themselves and when you notice a smell, best believe you're gonna slam them into the shower (or however the hell cephs bathe)

They hate it, and they will fuss a little bit, but they secretly love it

You'll catch them smiling gently or smelling their skin or hair after showers/wash up periods

You smirked, watching Kaori smell her hair, "Smells good, huh?"

Kaori looked over, glaring. They signed, "Hush."

basically, they're super fucking cute <3

[kitkatopinions]

Honestly, I feel like people who say Yang can’t notice Ruby’s behavior are also ignoring she’s literally meant to be protective/overprotective. As somebody who has felt responsibility for a family member growing up:

You’re attuned to the little things. You watch for them. I can list specific examples.

When upset, their texting style changes and uses briefer responses. They’re curt. They try to isolate themself when normally they want to talk about issues. They slip into being passive aggressive at times. They don’t try to seek me out for conversations as often.

I could accept Yang not noticing if she hasn’t been billed as a protective/overprotective sister and if Ruby wasn’t visibly behaving differently. I listed SUBTLE changes I’ve caught onto. So it baffles me people say Ruby was hiding it because she wasn’t. And even if she was, being written as overprotective or protective, YANG WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON SINCE SHED VIEW RUBY AS A RESPONSIBILITY IM SURE.

Even then it’s insane to act like a family member who has no history of violence will turn violent when expressing angry emotions. Then again, based on what they did to Qrow, I guess that is consistent writing.

I've seen people claim that anyone who has a problem with how Yang was written in V9 is "infantilizing" Ruby.

I don't know how to explain to people that saying "a suicidal seventeen year old in wartime who just lost a friend deserves a little more care than the occasional half-hearted 'are you okay,'" isn't actually infantilizing. It's also a wonder, because if I recall, rwde posters got told that expecting a seventeen year old girl to make the choice to help either the people of Mantle or the soldiers fighting Salem was cruel and horrible and we were all being far too hard on Ruby and nobody should expect Ruby to be able to hold it together under those conditions, but the second we say "Ruby needs a stronger support system from her friends and family" suddenly it's infantilizing, and how dare we suggest that Ruby not be able to get one hundred percent better all by herself, and how dare we suggest that maybe a seventeen year old might need to be taken care of a little bit here and there, and how dare we put all that on poor Yang who has her own life and can't spend all her screentime attached to Ruby.

For the record, I don't think that Yang needs to spend all her screentime attached to Ruby and I don't think that she can't have her own life. I don't even think 'she and Blake should have waited to get together' because like, they were basically forced into it by the world around them (which is a fact that this show absolutely won't take seriously or be interested in examining.) I do think that this "Blake and Yang got together while they were all stuck in chaos-central and Ruby had a breakdown after all the heavy stuff from V8 happened including the death of Penny and it feels like a bad time" thing was a bad writing choice, but that's the writers fault and it could've been avoided if Blake and Yang had been dating in volume 7 instead of them putting it off unnecessarily and/or choosing to make it happen mid-Ruby-breakdown (they could've had Blake and Yang kiss during their reunion instead of just hugging.) But that's besides the point, because the point is, I don't blame Yang the character for getting together with Blake. What I do dislike though is the way that the writers wrote Yang to act towards Ruby. Every moment that she has with Blake can stay the same! The almost hand-hold and making jokes? Although I think the jokes are in poor taste, having them flirt is fine. But then when Ruby and Weiss stop walking, Blake and Yang could notice and stop walking, and turn to try to join the conversation. Blake can still throw herself into Yang's arms when she sees her alive! But then when Ruby comes to after literally fainting from how bad her stress and trauma is, Yang can be super worried and be really hesitant to start moving on. Blake and Yang can still cheer each other on in the chess game! Only instead of Yang just accepting clear deflection and seeming to forget about Ruby's problems the second something somewhat distracting happens, we could've had Yang trying harder to get through to Ruby and pushing her to open up, only stopping when Ruby actually shuts her down and tells her she doesn't need it or want it right now. Blake and Yang can still have their moment on the bridge! Only it can also include them starting that scene with Yang taking a moment to call for Ruby and Blake helping to calm her down and get her to focus on the problem at hand (maybe with a cute "we can find her, but first we have to take it one step at a time, so just focus on me for a moment, yeah?" And Yang taking a deep breath and looking at Blake and being like "Yeah," more calm now and with her voice warm because seeing and hearing Blake is grounding to her.) They can still be caught up in their kiss so much that they didn't even notice the change of environment! Only then after Ruby runs off, Yang can be running after her but unable to keep up, with Blake and Weiss right behind her because they care about Ruby just as much, and they can lose track of her trail of petals and Yang can be like "Dammit!" And Blake can be like "I don't like this, Neo is out there," and Yang could be like "You saw her just now, she - she can't fight like this, she can't go wandering off alone!" We can still have Blake holding Yang while Ruby tries to commit suicide! But then we could also have Yang asking frantic questions about "where has Ruby gone? What happens to humans who ascend? She's not dead, is she?! Oh my God, what if she's dead?!" And we could have Yang have a bigger reaction to finding Ruby in the tree, and we could have given Yang focus when she sees the twisted zombie-like Ruby clones that the Cat conjured up instead of having Jaune's trauma so focused on, and we could've had Yang actually worry about Ruby and not just put her right back in the place of "perfect leader" when Ruby just said she didn't want that.

The problem is that the writers aren't writing Yang to act like a caring older sister because they are bad at emotional depth and they're bad at sensitivity, and they really seem to struggle with letting characters feel without taking them away from plot to do so. I'm not asking for Blake to be removed from Yang's story or to get less focus, I'm just asking for the writers to learn how human siblings usually react when their loved ones are having breakdowns, and improve on how they write characters to express emotions.

It's ridiculously over sensitive that fans can't stand to see any criticism of Yang at all without trying to come up with every excuse imaginable, or deflect like "Ruby can take care of herself!" Ruby is seventeen. I'm in my mid-twenties and two years ago I got roaring sick, and my older sister was concerned and helpful and kind and there for me, and I was like "gee isn't it great to have a sister who is here for me and helps me when I need it," and surprise surprise I was never like "She's infantilizing me!" Ruby the seventeen year old with clear PTSD having a breakdown to the point of fainting who was crying while an adult man screamed in her face and then ran away to sob on her own while an evil murderer was out to murder her... Actually did need support! And care! And attention! Honestly, the way that some people in the fndm have been acting towards Ruby ever since they decided she was a threat to their enjoyment of Yang and their ship is really weird.

[kaibutsushidousha]

Ok after finishing all of the main story content in Samurai Remnant, I'd really like to know your thoughts on not just Saber, but the other new servants as well. (I know you did Rider already so maybe you could talk about her Avenger form added recently to FGO)

Saving the Iori and Saber posts for after I play Entreat the Darkness but I suppose I can do this one now.

FSR's cast is built like Fate/EXTRA's. You have big arcs for the protagonist and the main Servant. And then every other Master is a supporting character for the protagonist's arc and their Servant are supporting characters to those supporting characters.

Zhou Yu is the golden example of that. He is the guy who understands Zheng's position, relates to his experiences, and serves as the model for Zheng to follow after every ending. He's not very explored in the parts of his character that aren't relevant to that, in the same way Zheng isn't very explored in the parts that aren't meant to show the ways he's similar to Iori. Although this is probably guaranteed to change when he goes to FGO because Zhuge Liang is right there hiding inside his Waver Velver skin.

Jeanne is the same Jeanne we know since Apocrypha, except in serious mode 100% and in a Master-Servant pair where both sides have firm opinions about the other side's life choices and refuse to back down there despite their fundamental disagreements. FSR and its collab event were the only two times I came out of a Jeanne story having zero problems with Jeanne's characterization, which is a major testament to how good Chiemon is and how Jeanne plays an essential part in making Chiemon the best.

Ushi Gozen is already covered here and here.

Are is different in that he exists as a personal antagonist to Saber rather than as a supporting character to either of his Masters. Saber's arc is about becoming more than Yamato Takeru, so they fight a boss who has the literal constraints of Yamato Takeru's story as his Noble Phantasm. He has his own personal goal in evidencing his own existence, but that's a really frustrating concept as it is because it doesn't give Type-Moon's reasons why Are's existence is doubted. He's a character I have ideas for how I'd have done him differently, but that's a topic for its own post.

Saburou is an accessory to Dorothea's character but he's the most poorly communicated character in the game, so he muddles the point of Dorothea along with him. His motive for wanting to test Doro is not stated but it's implied to be simply disagreeing with her decision to retreat instead of storming Yasuhiro's fortress in their last Digression, which really makes him come off as just an asshole. And I feel like more could be done with the arrangement of him and Saber being mutually weak to each other.

Musashi is the one Servant who serves as a supporting character to Iori rather than her own Master and she feels a lot more right in this role than she ever did as a main player. She's the one character who understands Iori's arc through personal experience and ultimately tries and cathartically fails to be a source of closure to Iori, the other Musashi, and to a lesser extent herself, all in a single duel. It's a satisfying loss for everyone involved.

Yoshinaka is an odd Rogue who is stripped of anything and everything that defined Yoshinaka's source character. Making Yoshinaka a good guy because they didn't want Tomoe to be heads over heels for the worst man of his time is understandable, but the narrative that Yoshinaka was unfairly hated comes with reasons why he was hated despite being innocent, and the game doesn't bother to work with that either. Their Yoshinaka is just a nobody who exists only to be Tomoe's man.

Samson is the Rogue who exists to be Takao's supporting character since Musashi is busy being another one of Iori's. He's a screamy Berserker, but for the first time, this archetype worked because the 3D models allowed for new levels of expressiveness, such as the thumbs up and him sitting next to Iori's house pouting. He's as much of a simp as any version of Samson should be and the way Takao treats that giant hulk like a baby is pretty cute. He's just nice to have around, especially when he is playable.