#and he thought demons and Isabella were the only terrifying things in the world

[chidoroki]

Norman - 22194

March 21st is here and it’s time for yet another birthday post. I already rambled on about Emma and Ray on their special days, so now it’s finally time to complete this full-score tradition with Norman. It might not be as detailed or long as the other two, since he was absent for a good chunk of the story, but it doesn’t make him any less important! I’ll be honest now, the boy isn’t my favorite character (he doesn’t place anywhere in my top ten for this series either) so I probably missed some moments worth mentioning but I did my best to praise this child anyway!

(spoilers for the entirety of The Promised Neverland, so if you haven’t read/completed the manga yet, consider this your first warning, because I’m once again going from start to finish with this.)

Since I want to stay consistent with the other two posts, this will focus on the manga timeline, as season 2 is, well.. it’s own thing. I’ll mention some things but don’t count on much. With that, let’s go.

- He achieves a perfect score on Grace Field’s daily tests, alongside Emma and Ray.

- He is, without a doubt, the smartest kid the house has ever seen, as he passes each test flawlessly and has maintained a 300 average.

- He’s a complete strategist who is capable of achieving victory (even in something simple as tag) by observing his opponents moves and analyzing their weaknesses in order to counter.

- Knows how to pick locks. The scene from ch1 was left out but we see him doing so later on in ep02.

- Stays relatively positive and calm after learning about the truth of the farm.

- Even going as far as giving Emma a reassuring smile, which I think is impressive given the literal nightmare fuel they’ve just witnessed. 

- I’m giving him half credit for suggesting the idea of there being tracking devices, since anime has him reveal this possibility while in manga it’s Emma.

- Both of them realize what determines the shipping order and that the demons favor their brains.

- This silly panel that I love dearly.

- Made sure to do a sweep of the entire house beforehand to make sure their escape planning doesn’t get pick up on.

- Figures out that Isabella only knows the children’s locations when she checks the tracker and that it can’t identify who is who.

- Has the nerve to lie right to Isabella’s face.. not that she believes it, but still gutsy nonetheless.

- Knowing the house probably wouldn’t have any rope, it was his idea to use the spare tablecloths.

- Had a feeling that Ray would reveal the harsh reality of how dangerous it would be to escape with all the children, which turns out to be correct.

- His laugh in ep02 is so precious.

- This statement being 100% accurate.

- Manages to convince the logical Ray, who we know now has spent many years coming up with a solid, safer escape plan, to join in and assist with their crazy and reckless plan instead. Having Ray on their side also grants them many advantages.

- Absolutely hates to lose, which is a good mentality to have in a world where your life is a stake and your time is limited, which eventually leads him to consider every possible opportunity to stay ahead of his enemies throughout the remainder of the story.

- Realizes that the trackers must only send out a signal upon being broken, which we found out to be true in Ray’s one-shot chapter.

- - Him looking completely terrified in this panel.

- He managed to catch all the Grace Field kids in a game of tag even after they received advice from Ray about how to survive longer.

- The goddamn intimidating energy he gives off here is fantastic.

- Despite his body being physically weak, he manages to survive and win against Krone during their game of tag.

- Just like Ray some couple chapters ago, Norman is completely serious about this idea.

- Suspects there’s a traitor among the kids and swiftly comes up with a plan to lure them out.

- This panel of him “dead” from the first side story.

- He has a feeling the spy is Ray, so he moves up the day of the escape to catch him off guard and send him into a panic.

- Even though the anime didn’t include it, he managed to throw off Krone as well with some fake footprints to keep her off their backs.

- Was honestly considering on leaving the spy behind while the rest of them escaped, though he doesn’t seem real happy about the idea, considering the traitor is Ray.

- His plan on fishing out the spy was flawless as he finally calls Ray out by revealing that the information he gave about the ropes and where he hid them were fake locations.

- Not only was Ray the first one Norman suspected, but he caught onto him way back when Krone first came to the house. All the information Ray was feeding them helped Norman come to this conclusion as well.

- Along with Emma’s words about believing that no one in their family is truly bad, Norman refrains from cutting Ray off to allow him to become their trump card. This was a risky move itself, knowing Ray could sell both him & Emma out at any time. Norman tends to prioritize victory, so while staying alive is absolutely necessary and that could’ve been achieved without Ray (as he could’ve just used Ray then ditch him later), he still decides to make the offer as realizes that in order defeat Isabella, Ray’s full cooperation is essential.

- Realizes that it was Ray who hid Little Bunny in the first place and lead Norman and Emma to investigate the gate that night, which leads him to believe that Ray isn’t really an enemy.

- He’s also left handed. Yes, that’s important. Not only for later in the story but because we’re superior. I’m sorry y’all had to find out this way. 

- This stupid, little face he makes.

- Suspects that Ray doesn’t actually plan on escaping at all and intends to kill himself.

- Just like Emma and Ray, Norman also recognizes and understands morse code.

- Look at this precious child, not even angry after getting punched and knocked over. (because i certainly would be)

- Finds Ray’s hidden supply of oil which confirms the method for his future suicide. This also helps Norman later on when he comes up with a refined escape plan by using the fire Ray plans to start.

- Figures out Krone’s true intention about why she wants to join forces with the kids in the first place. 

- He ends up accepting Krone’s offer anyway, because despite the large risk, any information that can snag out of her would benefit them.

- You mad lad, look at you, taunting the bringer of death yet again while a smile on your face.

- And he still manages to find some strength to smile while upon death’s door.

- Not for long though, as once he’s given the chance to be alone, he finally breaks down. Having the cup overflow with water really helps demonstrate how impactful the thought of dying hit him as Norman was overcome with so many emotions that he didn’t even have the strength to hold onto the cup or his facade. It’s then he starts to feel scared and sorry for himself but away from Emma and Ray’s eyes as to not worry them.

- His entire internal monologue as he comes to terms with his unfortunate situation and flips back to his determined “I can’t lose” attitude to help everyone else escape. Also, his theme ‘22194’ hits especially hard.

- For someone with weak, physical abilities, he manages to climb the wall on his own.

- Though the cliff stopped his escape, he used that opportunity to survey the surrounding area of the entire farm to rely his findings to the duo and provide them a safer escape route.

- Completely adamant about his decision to accept his shipment in order to give the rest of his family a chance to escape. (hell, id’ be terrified right now)

- This hug that is sure to break everyone’s hearts.

- Quick to react to Emma’s last ditch effort and prevented her from slamming her already busted up leg into the ground.

- Not only did he predict that Ray would start a fire to distract Isabella and on which day, he also left behind the pen and key he received from Krone along with a new, detailed plan (which he managed to come up with in only a few hours by the way) that would allow the kids to cross over the cliff.

(post season one spoilers below. again, focusing on the manga timeline, so any new season 2 events will be mentioned sparingly.)

- Like Ray, Norman was able to figure out how the pen worked well enough to see Minerva’s message regarding B06-32.

- Since he doesn’t show up again for quite some time post-escape, there isn’t much to talk about.. but at least I can make fun of him thanks to extra pages, like how he wouldn’t have enough strength to use a bow.

- But hey, props to s2ep10 for actually giving us Norman shooting an arrow. He was pretty decent with it too, as he hit his target on the first try behind a darn smokescreen. The manga did show him holding a bow in ch161, but that’s it.

- Not relevant to the actual story at all, but his smarts certainly make anything possible.

- I’m sorry but these tiny failures of his bring me great joy.

- Though the tests at Lambda are harder than those at Grace Field, Norman still managed to get every question correct. Every single day he was there. Even when the facility manages to increase the difficulty of the tests, he continues to pass each one with flying colors.

- Since he noticed someone who’s right handed also takes the same tests he does, he makes an attempt to communicate with them via a Rubik’s cube. He waits patiently for five months until he finally gets a response from Vincent around Christmas 2046. 

- Dealt with the experiments/drugs that were forced onto him and the seizures that resulted from them.

- Even with the tight security and surveillance, he somehow acquired explosives and successfully blow up Lambda and escapes with the survivors.

- Again, not significant to the story, but seriously dude? You just fainted and yet you still get this crazy question right effortlessly?

(post time-skip)

- Contacts Lucas moments before the B06-32 shelter gets blown up and gives him the numeric code that eventually leads Emma’s group to the “Jaw of Lion.”

- Destroyed numerous mass production farms since his escape from Lambda.

- As well as save countless children from other farms and used the Paradise shelter found by Smee’s network to give them a sense of safety and taste of a normal life.

- The darn glow-up he receives, like sweet lord child, are you sure you’re still 13??

- - His cute, squishy cheeks though!

- He may look like he’s in his thirties, but still has the strength of a child. (see anime? this is how strong ray’s slap should have been!)

- Learned a great deal of demon history and gave that lengthy lesson about the demon’s genetics and how they inherit the characteristics of whatever they eat and evolve accordingly. 

- With Emma’s wish about saving everyone and lively happily still on his mind, he thought of a safe and certain method in order to create such a future for all the children raised as food.. which ends up being complete extermination of all the demons caused by a civil war. His plan also includes ending the Ratri clan as well. How cheerful.

- Are you surprised to learn that Norman getting tackled by the younger kids is my favorite panel of him?

- You weak, little bean, I’m sorry I enjoy making fun of you so much.

- Successfully forms an alliance with Lord Geelan and his clan by offering revenge on the royal family, the five regent houses, as well as the Ratri clan, thus putting Geelan in full control. In return, it would grant Norman the full release of farm children, permission to self-govern and some much needed power in terms of demon strength.

- He knows full well that the entire alliance is a lie and both parties are only using each other, though in works in his favor, as it will send the demons to destroy each other without the lose of any human lives.

- This absolute powerful panel that the anime decided “nah, we’re gonna change this too” because they’re cowards.

- Narrowed down possible locations on where to find Sonju and Mujika. Sure it was with the intention of killing our demon friends but his map was accurate.

- Survived who knows long with his seizures at level 4, and because of his severe condition, he’s completely set on following through his plan and succeeding before his time runs out.

- Seems to enjoy blowing stuff up, such as the imperial city’s bridges to send the place into a panic and trap all the citizens.

- Advised the Lambda crew on how to effectively fight against the queen by attacking relentlessly.

- Let loose a poison that causes not only normal demons to degenerate, but the royal family as well, such as the five regent heads and the queen who’s name is too long and complicated for me to ever remember, who all have the cursed blood. (at least that’s how effective it was in manga, in anime it did absolutely nothing to vylk)

- He somehow managed to learn, speak and understand the demon language, which, according to Shirai (vol16 author notes), is actually an uncommon language nowadays. (and we’ll unfortunately never know how this language actually sounds, thank anime..)

- Do I even praise him for killing a demon and well.. all this? Sure in the anime he tried killing Vylk, but old demon was fair more innocent compared to the royal family, so I have no idea.

- I will give season 2 some credit and say I prefer their take on the “right now you look like a small child, shaking with fear” panel.

- But not too much credit, as they didn’t give us the full trio hug as the manga did!

- Then again the anime did have him about to apologize to Vylk and Demon Emma for his actions, which is something, I suppose? since in ch154 he says he didn’t regret killing the queen and royals, which I guess is justified because they were the bigger problem, but oh well.

- Might have apologized to Ayshe for killing her father? Can’t be sure but that’s the unanimous consensus in the fandom right?

- Instantly comes up with counter moves and directions for the entire group upon hearing the enemies locations from Vincent during the GF raid.

- I honestly can’t look at this panel anymore and not laugh about it.. because reasons.

- He just keeps on winning. (also he looks real good here, i’ll give him that.)

- He and everyone else are skeptical about there being no “reward,” and for rightfully so.

- Upon learning that Emma is missing after everyone crossed over to the human world, they all adopt her optimistic attitude and swear to find her no matter where she might be.

- After a stressful two year search, the kids finally find Emma and Norman is so overcome with emotion that he busts out into tears of joy, despite finding out that she lost her memories due to the reward. All that matters to him is that Emma was safe and happy and he accepts her just the way she is.

And I guess.. that’s it. I’m sorry again, I know this is truly the weakest post out of the trio and I have no doubt I glanced over a whole bunch of great moments but it still had to be done! Making fun of him probably wasn’t the best thing to do on his special day either, but I assure you this child is very powerful. Who else do you know that is capable of sending an entire fandom into a panic and rage furiously by just simply showing up?

Ah ha okay, now I’m done. In all seriousness though, this lad is great and through everything he has endured, he definitely deserves to be celebrated today, so happy birthday to our boy Norman!

[mochikeiji]

Rockabye, My Love

↠ Pairing: Akaashi Keiji x Reader

↠ Warning: slight fluff, soft father/daughter moments, angst. Trigger Warning: mentions of death, depression.

↬ Word Count: 2.3k

Summary: Every lyrics had a deeper meaning in them than just words that'll fit a song. Yours was heavier than anyone could think of, and Akaashi was singing it to his beloved baby girl.

↣ a/n: ohayo world! I'm sorry for late posts, expect the upcoming ones soon. School was giving too much works again. Thank you all for loving my Day 2 fic in Akaashi Week!! Also, the lullaby in this lyrics is the same tune as Isabella's Lullaby from The Promised Neverland.

⇢ Day 3: Single Parent AU

"Love, don't you worry too much,

You're doing fine.

You are the most precious thing I have loved.

I will never allow the cruel world to take you— away nor hurt you any more.

I will sing you this song when the world, caves on.

You'll be fine, I will never leave you.

You are the most beautiful thing that has came.

I will protect you forever, my love."

Life is difficult in many ways. It's either we were born different, have lost someone dear or have lost ourselves. It's no wonder how millions of people from all around the world, evert second, minute, hour— someone gives up on everything. It was cruel, disturbing, most of all heart breaking.

Akaashi never understood your true intentions. He was one hundred percent sure he had kept an eye on you at all cost. He's made you smile brighter, he's understood you more than anyone. He made you feel alive.

Yet now you ended up being dead to your own inner demons.

He remembers coming home after receiving good news from his company. He had received a promotion and a week off just for you. That was when the hospital had contacted him. He can recall his ragged breathing when he was allowed to place a foot in your room. Your monitor beating in an ever agonizingly slow rhythm, he knew it wasn't normal and immediately ran to your side.

He wanted to yell, scream, ask you why, why did you do this to yourself but he couldn't, not when you looked at him so scared and weak. The doctors had told him that he had only a few minutes with his wife, the drugs you've intake was too much, not everything was removed nor pumped out of your system. Akaashi never felt so depressed in all his life after that situation as he buried himself into your chest, listening to your lullabies that soon died down along with the light in your eyes.

That was the only reminisces he's had with you,the lullaby you would sing to yourself as a teen who strived to survive the world, a lullaby for his anxieties and own demons to be tamed, and the last thing you ever said. He was happy that over the years before your death, you had given him a customized music box that had the right notes of your song, only this time no one was singing it.

Fingers tapping anxiously on his work table, Akaashi started to fiddle with his thumb and then his index, losing his focus despite looking at the same drafted page lit up on his computer screen. He kept eyeing the pack of cigarettes that was just on the edge of his window— he needed one right now. Cigarettes were the last options he has for when he couldn't calm his beating heart or let his emotions out. But he knows how wrong it was to be damaging his health, and he knows he's going to get an earful from Bokuto since he visits his apartment every weekend. Even if Akaashi tries to hide his dirty deeds, Bokuto wasn't stupid to read through his eyes like before.

Foot was starting to bounce, his eyebrows were beginning to furrow, as if he was irritated, in trouble, or something. It wss getting harder for him, who wouldn't after losing their wife? The person he's loved since his teen years, the one he's vowed to never make her feel like how she did in the past. He failed you. He blames himself for all that matter, if he's added more precautions, maybe you'd still be here.

He bites his lips and whimpers, hands ruffling through his tossled hair and holding his head as his elbows were supporting him on the table. Everything was closing in once more, the walls to his workspace became suffocating, how he wishes one of his friends or yours would come knocking at his door even though it was already 2:30 am knowing how reckless he's getting. He swore he wasn't going to die sooner as you did. He promised to himself to let you and his memories live on, because once he dies, no one will ever remember the battles you've fought for, the good things you've done to many, and the love you've shared with him throughout the years.

"It's so hard without you, love.."

Eyes finally cracking with tears behind his glasses, he lets them stream down his face with his body shaking on his chair. Soon enough he was bound to get another headache from extreme emotion and will probably lay the whole day about it. But none of that mattered to him anymore.

He just wanted you back.

But his cries weren't the only ones that can be heard in his apartment.

Jolting up to realization, he carelessly wipes away his tears with his sleeves and tumbles our of his chair straight to his room. His heart was beating fast in worry and adrenaline, he thought the source of the crying in his room had been taken away or worse.

But it turns out, it was just his little baby girl crying in lonliness.

As he got closer, her cries were getting deafening, but he didn't mind. Not when his heart was swooning with guilt when he thought of giving up and caving to his own needs when he's forgotten he has a reason to continue on.

With the night lamp on at the side of her crib and his bed, he cooes at the sobbing baby with sweet nothings to catch her attention. Th cries immediately died down and replaced with sniffles and the baby looking up hazily at the dark figure above her.

Smiling, Akaashi carefully picks her up from the crib to cradle her on his chest. Giving her small pats on her back with hush whispers when he feels her stretch on his body.

"Shhh, I'm sorry, were you lonely?"

Grabbing on the string of his lamp shade on the nightstand, he pulls the string, allowing more light to glow in his room, and for his little girl to finally see that she wasn't alone anymore. Akaashi swayed gently as he remained in eye contact with the baby, smiling ever so slightly at the unreadable expression his daughter was possessing and played with her fingers.

"Maybe I should work with you around, you never really like it in the dark, do you, baby?"

His little girl cooes at him, curious of what language he was speaking to her and hopes he understood what she was saying as well. Akaashi's heart swelled at the adorable sound and nuzzled his face softly on her stomach, the baby still confused as ever but just clenches her hands in wonder.

His anxieties and thoughts disappearing in the air whilst he sat down on his bed and held his baby near to where his hesrt was beating. The same day you died, was the same day you had given birth. It was a miracle for the baby to be healthy despite what you had intake. He remembers after your announced death, the nurses had to usher him out, but only to drag him into another room where lies a bassinet and a couple of IV's attached and treatments.

When he got closer, his world was shaken that day. The sight of you and his baby alive and now existing after 9 months of waiting was there right before his eyes. But his heart broke at the thought of him being the only one to raise her, and her not having to meet her beloved mother. He was so emotional that day that he almost lost it when he realizes why she was kept in there and why there were so much stuff in this room. He didn't want to think thag he was losing another one when he had just met her.

The nurses explained that there was nothing wrong with the baby, just taking further check ups and to ensure she was absolutely healthy. He was already been forced outside your room that no longer held light, he wasn't going to leave the room where his daughter was until he holds her in his arms where he knows she'll be at the safest.

As time went by to now, Akaashi feared her growing up in the future. She resembled mostly to you. She was a dead carbon copy of you and he was terrified she'd experience what you have as history might repeat itself. The very thought of his daughter having something inside her little head without telling him scares him, Akaashi knew how cruel the world can be and hoe each second in life matters because we are unaware of the deaths happening at those time.

He prayed his baby girl wouldn't go through what you did as a child and carry it until she grows up. He hopes and believed in his own strength that he wasn't going to fail her this time— that there will be no person by her side and will lovd and protect her other than her daddy.

His tears blocking his vision of her as he held her tightly. He whimpers at remembering his thoughts earlier. He wanted to curse himself from thinking of leaving his daughter to fend for herself in this world and to find a way to be back to you. But he knows he was still with you, your daughter was the last love you could ever give him and he was going to love her more than anything.

The trembling of his body stops when his baby started to cry and squirm in his hold. Her whimpers breaking his heart when he couldn't solve her distress, it seemed like she was in pain and he knew this situation like in the past.

"Shh, shh, I'm here. I'm always here. I'm sorry."

Reciting out the same line he's used when he held you against his body that night. You cried and held a hand to your heart that day as he hugged you tighter. The demons inside you he had curse to go away and leave you alone. But they didn't.

An idea popped in his head and reached out inside his nightstand drawer. The little music box you have crafted for him still looked the same as it was before since it was taken with good care. He proceeded to wind it gently to let the soft tune play as he stood up once more to cradle his crying baby.

"Love, don't you worry too much,

You're doing fine."

He sings the first verse of the long memorized lullaby you sang for him. Using his thumb to wipe away the little tears that had escaped his daughters eyes. Her cries were stopped momentarily and were replaced by sniffles. Her dazed eyes making eye contact with her father's.

"You are the most precious thing I have loved."

Akaashi would be cringing thinking his voice was terrible, but the little girl in his arms seemed to be intrigued and loving the harmonized voice of her daddy and an unknown tune from the background.

His voice was smooth and soft. Completely out of character from his monotone one, but enough to capture the attention of someone.

"I will never allow the cruel world to take you— away nor hurt you any more."

He couldn't tell if he was singing the lullaby to her or he was making a silent vow to her. The lullaby you sang to him for the first time he tried searching for in the internet what the lyrics meant and who wrote it. Sadly, there were no results that came up that day.

And you never really told him how you got that song and who it was referring to in the lyrics.

But nevertheless, the lyrics could never be at the right time as it was now. It felt like he was reminding himself of what his role was from now on and what his daughter should always remember as she grows up.

No one was going to hurt her on her watch.

"I will sing you this song when the world, caves on.

You'll be fine, I will never leave you."

At the end of that line his voice cracks as he held back his own tears. He can hear only now your voice and hoe you would thread his hair during nights of distress. How he missed so many cracks of your voice from being too intrigued with the song. How he missed the fact that you needed him the most those nights of terror, yet you chose to make him feel secure and loved without leaving anything for yourself.

Slowly, his mind was connecting all the lyrics and your actions in his head. You were a self reliant person.

You sang this song in reminder that you were loved, beautiful and was protected by the few people that truly loved you. This song was meant to keep you alive.

To keep him going.

And now

It was a vow from him to his daughter.

"You are the most beautiful thing that has came."

Smiling sadly down to his baby now calmed down and listening intently to her daddy, Akaashi leans down to press kisses on her face with his tears sliding down.

He should've sang this to you when you needed it the most. A reminder of what you truly were to him. He hopes deep inside, somewhere up there or in his room you were listening. Listening to him remind you and his daughter— his world and universe, that he was going to be stronger and fulfill his own promises.

One day he was going to meet you in another life he believed, where he'd make you stay, where you and him will raise your little girl once again and he'll wake up next to you. Where he'll be the one singing this lullaby tune as he hold you both in his arms.

But for now, it was just going to be him and his baby girl.

"I will, protect you. Forever, my love."

[stray-tori]

TPN S02E09 - Initial Thoughts (anime-only)

[ Reaction video w/ captions/subs ] we collectively have a breakdown about the pen, please enjoy it pff-

.

... hmmm... yeah I... ain’t feeling it. I think my tpn feelings overall are carrying this more than anything pff. I didn’t hate it, it was just...... mediocre... like if this wasn’t tpn, I probably would have dropped it at this point.

BUT IT IS TPN SO LET’S GIVE SOME THOUGHTS.

.

. Random thoughts I don’t want to re-arrange

when Emma was like “share your pain with us!!”, I liked how Norman turned to Ray like “Ray. help. tell her I’m right” kind of like Ray did in s1 pfff-

Norman cried the words he didn’t allow himself to say in s1 :( I’M EMOTIONAL. it might not be the icing on the cake execution wise but GOD MY HEART. And knowing he’s going to die to it’s just- (well not if the pen has something to say about it but more about that later)

where- wheres my trio hug :((( RAY HUG THE CHILD NOW

it’s interesting that while Emma got the entire emotional speech spotlight, only Ray got a reaction shot to “I won’t live long”?? equivalent.... exchange...?

I thought Norman had a seizure when he broke down in front of Emma and Ray and I kinda wish he had because while it’s good to have him say it outright (a win for communicationnn), imagine THE ANGST. “I want to live with yo- *coughs up fountains of blood*”.

So. yknow that hideout Cislo or Vincent referenced when talking to Emma and Ray. Yknow where Norman hid the children they stole from farms, making it look like demons did it? ... w-what about them? will we see them? Are they getting left behind? it would have worked for Norman’s plan, since all they had to do was stay put and wait for demons to be yeeted. But now... he’d have to take them all too. But... I doubt we’re gonna introduce a bunch of new designs and characters? Or are we? Who knows. I don’t. I have unreasonably amount of protecc feelings for those children I’ve never even seen haha- WHERE ARE THEY. I mean... the plan rn is to immediately use the gate right? or is the plan to eradicte the GF farm staff and higher ups? I guess if thats the plan it might work. Or I guess the plan is to save Phil for now???

the idea of Sonju just... slicing his arm and throwing it at demons in a loop sounds so funny to me please someone make that.

I liked that Mujika turned to the lambda kids after giving a cup to the demon children but then we didn’t see their reaction or anything and then it cuts to the temple??? that was weird. was there sth missing there? confusion.

I also like Isabella remarking "[a radio] was supposed to be there" regarding the shelter, because it further heavily implies they know of the shelters and just let them be. Which further confirms that they should have just reframed the shelter and had the kids escape from it quickly but oH WELL.

I really liked demon Emma apologizing and Norman's reaction to that. it was a sweet little moment and like, the realization of apologizing for something that she didn't do but is aware of and all that. Cycle of hatred and all that shiz hell ye. Ik the anime won't rly delve into that but I kind of relish in the angst potential of the village - sure it was undone but some were still eaten and died and transforming people back won't bring those back. So, that’s some hella terrifying implications for families; and I'm assuming Norman is aware of those so. guilt time! not that he wasn't aware it was bad but yeah- I teared up at that moment :<<

I feel like this season really does its best when it’s doing the whole two worlds/species angle. Mujika and Sonju, the village, demon and human Emma... all that stuff.

I wish we had gotten more time (god this is really the season’s downfall) thought to see Vylk talk to the GF kids more often. it’s implied he told them not to hang out there before but I would have liked to have him show up a few more times before that but yeah. Runtime very RIP.

I also feel like CW is bending over backwards to put cliffhangers at the end of episodes. that was already a problem in s1 when they had Phil come in when Don and Gilda were in Isabella's room. it was obvious it'd be a copout but they still did it. I'm just wondering why we had to have Vincent disagree with the group to this extend (and if the shock value might play a part in that). we have 2 more episodes, why are they introducing more plot threads? Just streamline it you dofuses. I just don't know what good can come of it unless it's like an ultra big brain move to help them?? (and then we're back with the forcing cliffhangers thing) - if it's actual conflict, this'll just make things more confusing and clustered, and we don't have time for that right now imo. But who knows maybe it plays into something I just don't understand yet and it'll work out somehow

.

. Animation flow kinda dead.

I felt like this episode was kind of... awkwardly executed whenever something that was a slightly dynamic movement happened?

The whole bit while Emma is walking up to Norman could have been better, but it’s passable, except that a lot is spelled out for us.

But then she takes his hand really weirdly in a far away shot with bad inbetween timing?? what is that haha-

Or him collapsing is cut really weirdly. you barely really see it, you just kinda piece it together from Emma’s reaction and her catching him.

Most facial expressions are good though, which is arguably the more important part in this scene. I feel like a better execution just would have elevated it even more.

The only one I felt was really awkward in its entirety is Barbara’s scene with the children demons. I felt like that was in particular kind of stiff and the cut between the child and her was too sudden and felt jarring. TPN anime doesn’t really do that sort of stuff a lot, so imo it’s kind of “??” when they do it. With Norman it was too, but that at least had a good transition over to it (with bg and fg panning) and nice animation. Barbara’s just kind of switched. Tbh don’t switch it out, and as the child screams, switch over to her facial expression as her own voice fades into the scream? I think that would have done it too and also be low effort.

I think it’s moreso the flow of the shots than the actual shots though? it’s a bit too fast paced and sometimes missing inbetweens (like the wild demon eating sonju’s hand is literally just 2 frames) - it’s very weird. It’s jarring, but I can’t really explain why.

I’m sorry for the staff, I’m sure the production hasn’t been easy. maybe with the bluray release we’ll get some updated animations/inbetweens.

Some appreciation though:

as mentioned, most of the facial expressions, even if the body language was a bit stiff.

the cut from the trio talking to the eye-transition of the demon and the following breath animation looked nice. Also his arm regenerating!

Sonju smirking as he cuts his arm off, what a bastard

they didn’t have to show Vylk’s arm regenerating casually while they’re talking but they did.

.

. the lambda crew

If only I cared about you guys. Hahhh it’s just... introducing characters so close to the end is just. A mess. A recipe for disaster.

Where has the anime’s “show off the younger kids” angle gone? I thought they were always pretty good at that. but they haven’t really contributed anything since the whole tidbit about the older children always eating less for them. And even then it was just Lani and Thoma.

Potentially, what segments we saw in the shelter will come back for the GF raid thematically but I’m just... EH?

.

. the cure pen

at this point, just stick a syringe part at the end of the stick and just inject it and it’s gonna solve everything probably.

I just don’t understand why that needed to happen. Assuming they go to the human world, it’d be perfectly acceptable for me for medicine to be so advanced that it’d be able to like, lessen their symptoms and significantly improve their lifespan.

Don’t just... REMOVE their struggles. It’s okay to not be normal and cured. it’s okay for their lives to be impacted by it going forward. In fact, I’d much prefer that.

(added in later) OH wait they literally spell out why the cure being in the pen is meaningful - because it opens up a path where they can live through not having annihilated all the demons - it's essentially the moral "reward" for not killing them. Since they probably wouldn't have gotten it if they did that. I still think it wasn't needed and the blueprint on its own would suffice for another pen-convinience moment but I kind of get what they're going for, I just don't think it's worth it . In their case, going to the human world (while they don't know it) means having more medical expertise at their disposal which they can then use to survive. UNLESS they're actually not welcome over there and have to hide or something, in that case... that might be hard, true. I guess I'll come back to think about this once it's over. For now, it feels kind of unearned and it wouldn’t even have to be this way in my eyes which makes it somewhat worse.

But good, let’s say in-universe you need it NOW, then at least don’t put??? the medicine??? recipe??? INTO the hologram.

What if they just checked the GF blueprint and Norman goes “hey, Vincent... do you think this [database/archive room] could have some data on our experiments?” - Norman said he tried to develop a drug to help them but the supporters who had that data were purged. but... they had Smee to help them too. But SOMEHOW, a dude from 15 years ago just HAS the cure??? (at least let Norman develop it himself and have the data be just THE DATA and not the recipe).

It might still check out somewhat??

15+ years ago, James Ratri was assumingly still the gatekeeper since the switch to Peter seems somewhat recent considering his big "era of James has ended" speech.

I guess the implication is that just like Smee => Krone => Norman, a supporter all that time ago gave random person the pen when they escaped.

When Vylk found him, he also had just the data medium of the pen (not the entire pen), so maybe the farm thought they eliminated it and that’s why they didn’t change their methods to not work with those drugs anymore? It's still a bit curious that their experimentation hasn't changed at all in 15 years but maybe that's because they keep killing the smart people instead of making them scientists to research for them :D

Somewhere since those 15 years, Smee gave Krone the pen (probably a few years before she got to GF?), which means that at that point the gate the keyword "future" sent them to, was still in tact when Smee gave Krone the pen. Maybe WM wasn't discovered yet at that point?

then WM got discovered, James was chased. He made that phonecall update and was probably eventually killed, along with the human location (and likely bunkers since they knew a radio was supposed to be there, begs the question why they didn't remove it) being discovered (the one with the future keyword) and the gate there being destroyed.

The problem is just that it can make sense when you think about it for way too long and assume things in good-faith, but it still feels unearned.

Maybe I would care more or this would feel a little more earned if we knew ANYTHING about that person? They seemed fairly young, so it’s probably not Minerva/James Ratri. The “hope” talk reminded me of the book in the shelter, but I’m not sure if that checks out either? The cookies were rotten but not completely. I know cookies hold out relatively long, but would they rly not be completely rotten after 15 years? I MEAN. Maybe not. Who knows. I tried to google it but didn’t find anything. 

But anyway. That tidbit is going into my “shelter kids OC project” I guess.

But even if the worldbuilding makes sense, I think the data set in itself makes little sense?? How did they find that pen part? Did a supporter give it to them? Why do they have the cure? Clearly their group of escapees wasn’t doing too hot (#help) and they seemed relatively young too so they probably couldn’t have worked in the farm.

Were the shelter escapees lambda escapees? but if that was the case, wouldn’t the WM group have secured the cure information more properly than in just one pen (maybe it was and those were just destroyed, to be fair) - it’s just WEIRD to put the cure for Lambda experiments on the same blueprint as the GF layout??? that makes so little sense.

Plus, why would you send them to GF, when it’s so secured and all that, and not just send them to the human support place our GF kids were sent with the “future” keyword, which had a gate. Maybe it didn’t exist 15 years ago (that the humans had control over it, that is), but even then it seems weird to me to imply to send them to GF instead of one of the other gates that existed. I mean. The “future” location’s gate wasn’t destroyed when Krone got the pen right?

I’m guessing maybe it was meant as help for escaping? But then again, why the cure? I guess if they met lambda experiments? I’m just confused.

Also: do we just accept that the layout of GUARDS and SECURITY MEASURES has not changed in 15 years???

.

*sigh* welp. Still looking forward to seeing some stuff with Isabella hopefully. Time... is not on their side and it shows. Neither run-time wise nor production wise.

[deep-tpn-hell]

TPN 177 Review

I thought I was already dead by the end of the previous chapter, but clearly, I was too naive. This one is a lot more emotional so please go read it before reading this review.

So the chapter already starts in a state of panic, and after a guard arrests the demon that stabbed Isabella, all the kids gather around her. I mentioned in my first reactions post that this panel looked a lot like Assassination Classroom. I’m sorry in advance for spoiling the end if you haven’t finished that manga yet. Nevertheless, this scene of Isabella surrounded by her kids gave me PTSD.

It’s really heartbreaking for me to see that the first thing Isabella says after being maimed is asking about everyone’s safety. I think that Emma and Gilda were a bit astounded seeing that Isabella is worrying about them before herself. And it really hurt to hear her say “I was planning to live and go to the human world” because I thought the same.

Oh and this monologue from Emma, it’s like it’s trying to tear my heart apart (pictures are from left to right). We realized a long time ago that Isabella loved her children genuinely, but it took them this long (and this late) to realize that for themselves. She also talked about how Yugo and Isabella were the “what-ifs” versions of themselves and that’s spot-on. I would love an alternate reality where either Isabella or Yugo succeed in getting out. I think I started crying here?

The emotions are piling up more and more as we turn the pages as Emma says this line in tears. It’s such a beautiful line and I think Isabella would be happy to know that her kids forgave her in the end. “You’re our only mother” broke me as well. She will forever be irreplaceable in their hearts and I’m still sobbing at that.

As Isabella is approaching her death, her final wish is to have enough strength to hug her children. I’m now in a million pieces knowing that her final desires are something so pure and simple. If you look at it closely, in the “give me a little bit more strength” panel, Isabella looked concerned and a bit scared that she might not have enough energy to hug them, then had a relieved smile when she could reach them.

Okay, I’ll be discussing this page next so please get your tissues ready (or not, if you’ve already run out of tears to cry). It’s such a simple page with not too many lines, yet it perfectly captures all of Isabella’s regrets and laments for the past 12 years and wow. Just wow. Ray’s progression as his tears leak out hurt a lot as well. He said “Mom” then “Mother”, which is quite interesting. I looked up the Japanese spoilers, and the original line was “mama…okaasan!”. “Mama” feels more like a title they call her (since Japanese people don’t call their moms like that), but “okaasan” has more meaning here, I think. It’s subtle but I really loved it.

Then the terrifying truth crashes down on them as well as us: Isabella has passed away. A moment of silence here.

And this last page, how dare Shirai and Posuka do this! I’ve already cried enough! It already hurts seeing Isabella slowly slip away, but this? This symbolism? This brief flashback? Please spare me, Shirai… And I feel like “go have fun” is a bit of a mistranslation since the original said “itterashai” which usually means “have a safe trip”. So it means more “have a safe trip in the human world” rather than “go have fun in the human world”, do you see the difference?

Regardless of translations, this chapter is definitely up there in one of the top 3 chapters in TPN, I have no more words. Though I would like to hear from people, from which page did you start crying? rachel

[threecheersforinking]

Manga Review: The Promised Neverland

The Promised Neverland manga finally ended this month! I watched the anime when it was airing last year, but a few days ago I ended up reading the entire manga in 3 days because of how fascinated I was with the world; I wanted to know how it would develop beyond the first season, but was way too impatient to wait for the second season to come out!

Because I read it so quickly I’m kind of feeling information overload right now and just want to get all my thoughts down as fast as I can. So obviously, this post is gonna have major manga spoilers. If you aren’t caught up or aren’t a manga reader, I suggest you stop reading now, but if you want to read my commentary on the anime’s first season (spoiler free!) here’s the link to that. Thanks!

Once I got past the first arc that was covered in season 1 of the anime, I was a bit nervous about what would follow. Something I worry about with series like this with a huge genre shift or huge unknown world/mystery is that the story won’t live up to what I imagine it will be. And while I wasn’t able to predict much about the world, I really liked how the story ended.

Overall, I enjoyed how they chose to end the story with all the cattle children going to the human world, and I’ll talk about that a bit later, but one gripe I had was that there were way too many loose ends for my liking. I prefer when all the loose details of a story get wrapped up at the end of a series (which explains why I didn’t like EVA lmao sry) and I still had a lot of questions at the end, some questions that I had since the first arc.

Firstly, what the fuck is the significance of the hydrangea? They did briefly explain that it’s used to show whether the gods will give you their blessing to eat something you killed or whatever, which is kinda nice but they didn’t explain what happens if it doesn’t bloom, or why it’s important... more knowledge of this world’s ‘gods’ or religion would’ve been cool.

I also feel like the way children were produced in Grace Field (or hell, any of the plantations) was unclear; like, where do they get sperm from, or was there another way they got the Moms pregnant? What about in the factory farms? Is Carol supposed to be Emma’s biological sister, because they obviously looked hella alike but they never even mentioned it?? I also wanted to know way more about the Moms’ schooling and how one becomes a Mom. I would love if there was a prequel short story or one-off focusing on Isabella in Mom-training.

Also, I think we could’ve seen more of Phil. He was without a doubt the 6th most important Grace Field kid (behind Emma, Norman, Ray, Don, and Gilda ofc), plus what happened when that scary guy interrogated him?? I straight up thought he killed him lol.

I also wish we had more background on Musica. There was no real explanation for her powers and she had hella Deus ex Machina vibes.

Despite all these unanswered questions I had, I still consider this series enjoyable and well written. I really don’t think knowing any of this stuff would’ve changed the way I thought about the story, and none of them would have really impacted the conclusion of the story itself.

And yes, I’m so glad it ended the way it did. Maybe some people weren’t expecting or wanting a ‘happy’ ending, but come on, don’t these kids deserve a fucking break??? And I don’t consider it unrealistically happy, either. These kids know what they’re doing, and they have a plan for everything. Emma is not naive, she is hopeful. Every time she tried to resolve an issue with positivity, kindness, and forgiveness, she was still prepared for her enemy to turn on her. That’s the only way she was able to convince cynical Ray and skeptical Norman to ever go along with anything she did.

I  also loved that romance wasn’t really a thing in this story at all. Familial and platonic love are what kept the protagonists motivated more than anything else. I’m sure people have their ships, but personally I was just enjoying a series without any explicit romance.

Ray was my favorite character throughout the series, but I did kind of feel like his development was pushed aside in the later arcs. This def could’ve just been because his main development was in the first arc, but compared to Emma and Norman there wasn’t a lot of focus on my boy Ray. Yes he was by Emma’s side almost the entire time, but still.

I absolutely loved Isabella’s redemption. I can see why some people might not have liked it but i thought it was extremely fitting; every one of the Moms was once a cattle child, and they were just doing what they could to survive. This obviously does not justify their evil deeds, but it explains both their initial complicity and their willingness to change sides. And based on her reaction when Emma & friends escaped at the end of the first arc, I did suspect that if Isabella appeared again she would be on their side. I cried when her kids said they still loved her and she still loved them. It just reminds the readers of the innocence and unconditional love that children have.

While I do really love The Promised Neverland as a whole, my biggest qualm with this series was honestly the portrayal of Sister Krone... I immediately read her as being a racist stereotype. It’s a shame because upon her introduction I was actually really surprised and happy that they featured a Black person with natural hair. I didn’t mind her personality/character; in fact, I think she was a really nuanced antagonist for the first arc, but the way her facial features were exaggeratedly drawn made me uncomfortable. As an American, I’m familiar with how Black people have been portrayed negatively in our country’s media throughout history and it was just a little too close to that for my comfort.

 I was concerned with how the manga would continue with racial portrayals after Krone’s death, but it did kind of seem like an isolated incident. There are kids with a variety of skin tones featured, in fact Emma mentions it in one of the first pages of the manga; not to mention, human races don’t really seem to be a concept in the demon world (presumably because race is irrelevant to the demons, who only care about brains). It is possible that the creators weren’t thinking this way at all, and just wanted to make her a scary adult; for instance, Isabella’s facial features are sometimes exaggerated for effect as well. But intentional or not, it made me uncomfortable, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Anyway, those are just my immediate thoughts after finishing the manga. Something I forgot to mention was that the illustration is absolutely hauntingly intricate. The demons in particular were wonderfully terrifying, and really helped me visualize their world. I’m really interested in how the anime series will continue to adapt the material; looking at the first season, the difference in art style between the two is slight, but noticeable. I’m especially curious about how they will handle the intense action and detail of the demon fight scenes later on. I also read this super fast like I mentioned and I definitely might have missed some stuff lol so if any of my ‘unanswered questions’ were actually mentioned and I’m just a big dummy please lmk. And if anyone has any other thoughts or comments I’d love to hear them!

Thanks for reading!

-threecheersforinking

[just-like-playing-tag]

please share your criticism for the latest episode! love your blog💗

Aaaahh thank you so much for asking!! Knowing there's someone who cares about what I have to say is really sweet.

Like, everyone was so hella happy that Isabella is back and I didn't want to ruin the mood but uhm I really have to spill it.

The thing is. I find it reeeeally unfitting for her to have come back as Grandma Isabella, worldbuilding wise.

More specifically, I think making Isabella the Grandma goes against the very foundation of the farm system: a strict and unforgiving organization, extremely hostile to the humans that are forced to work inside of it, especially in the case of top quality farms like Grace Field.

Some facts to support this include:

*Mamas aren't allowed to know anything about the outside- except for the lie that there aren't other humans, in order of making them even more terrified of the world they live in

*Never are they allowed to leave the headquarters or their plantation, otherwise they'll automatically die

*They're forced to compete and even phisically fight one against the other

*As girls, they are raised to hate the other candidates: basically, they're trained to believe that the best way to survive is by taking down each other

*They are compelled to have a child against their will

*Ok, but the fact alone that every mama is forced to send to death thousands of innocent children is enough to understand the horror these poor souls must live in

.

Now. Let's take in consideration the gravity of Isabella's mistake.

We have this mama that let 15 children escape, 2 of which premium quality, making it so that there wouldn't be any premium quality to be offered at the Tifari, the greatest ceremony of the demons' world that honores its supreme god by giving him the best meals they have to offer.

The Tifari is really some important stuff.

Her error isn't really something she could have gotten away with a slap on the wrist; it's a pretty big mistake.

Let's be real, with something of that scale Isabella would have had to pay her mistakes with her life.

And yet, what did she get from it?

She got a promotion.

Please let's not forget that it's the same system that killed Krone probably just because Isabella had reported her to be helping the children escape, and without evidences nonetheless. They killed her just like that without thinking about it twice. What I'm trying to say is this treatment should be pretty telling about how the higher-ups consider their workers, and the fate reserved to them if they're so much as suspected to be going against the system. And again, Krone was executed basically only over speculations? While Isabella?? Downright?? Confessed?? Her wrongs?????

I don't know I /was/ hiped to see her back; but this whole thing kinda bothers me because it seems almost inchoerent to the worldbuilding previously set.

Now, I /knew/ Isabella hadn't died. Because they didn't show us the body, because everyone loves her, because there were still ways to explore her character and there still are things left unanswered (Ray's,,, letter,,,,,,,). I wasn't all that surprised to see her back, because I've always been convinced she would have returned at some point.

I just didn't know how: I remember mentioning in another ask that to spare Isabella may have looked odd; still, I had hoped she would come back as a prisoner, maybe somebody for the demons to do experiments on or something. But?? To be promoted to the highest position a human woman of this world can aim for??? That doesn't sound quite right to me.

But still! I could be wrong! We still don't know what happened behind the scenes; maybe Peter Ratri interfered with giving charge and considered her particularly worthy of the position; it may also for things to have changed in these two years where we know very little about what happened in Grace Field.

.

.

.

But... There's another thing.

If through the first arc we had seen Isabella as the main villain, going against every of the children's plan and wanting them to fail, there was a moment were she didn't. At the very end, somehow she decided to act for their best.

Some sort of growth happened: she tried to protect them. After having been defeated, the last thing she could do was a desperate attempt to love them normally, and to wish the best for them.

Let's take in consideration her last actions and thoughts:

Isabella's lost everything. She's got nothing to lose anymore. So she's finally honest with herself: she admits that she did love them (by saying that she "wish [she] could have just loved them normally", she does recognize that part of her really did love them); then she wishes them good luck, and genuinely hopes for them to be safe. And it's not just that! Her thoughts are followed by actions, and she actively does something to help them: she hides the ropes, and she doesn't tell the headquarters that they've escaped from the cliff, thus allowing the children to gain some time. In her own words, she has done everything she thinks she could do to help them. Why do that if she didn't love them? If she didn't really wish for them to survive?

Now let's take Isabella's last appearance:

Here, she isn't trying to justify herself (perhaps explaining that she did all she could to prevent their escape). She isn't begging for clemency. She isn't desperately trying to fight back, because she knows there's no chance to be spared. She just stoically accepts her fate. Knowing she has lost everything, she does the only thing she has still power on, she makes her last decision before losing all the freedoms: and that is, to protect the escapees. She doesn't try to justify the situation, but she goes and take all the responsibility on herself. In this last desperate act, when she has lost everything, when all the work during all these years is gone lost because of these children, she finally, for the first time, decides to protect them the best way she can. She doesn't do much actually, the demons will chase down the children and have no pity in their regards in any case; but still, it's this last choice, her last will, that matters. And she chooses to protect them till the end.

What I'm trying to say is that at the end of the first act, it looked like Isabella's character development was going towards a certain direction. But now all of that is completely erased and forgotten (maybe for shock value? I don't know. Maybe someone thought that she was the greatest villain and also the most appreciated one in the serie, and so why not give her that role again or something).

Now. I don't want to overdramatize or anything but like. Doesn't to make her become the grandma make her ultimate decision lose its meaning? Like: what was the point of trying not to let the children escape, if at the end she wasn't going to pay any consequences for it? What was the point of sending Norman to another farm where he would have probably died, if Isabella wasn't going to be punished for him escaping anyway? Now of course she couldn't know that there wouldn't have been any consequences, but... That doesn't change the fact that there wasn't any. And even better, she got a promotion. What are the chances that the one mom that failed doing her job would be forgiven? At the very last I could see the old grandma forgiving Isabella (since she's clearly always been her favorite), but I don't think she has this much power over her higher-ups / the demons.

But again, chances are that I could be wrong! I have assumed that she doesn't want the good for the children, and, well, even if it looks like that in this moment, we haven't got any proofs she still wants to hurt them either. Maybe she accepted the role as a façade in order to protect them, becoming a spy that the other party is unaware of just like her son once did. That still doesn't explain how the heck she got the promotion after having messed up so badly, but at least it wouldn't... Erase her character development?

.

This got long lol. But thank you very much for asking!!!!!

[hailbabel]

Let's Try That Again, a mini fic. *spoilers*

I didn’t do a single productive thing at work today, so of course I thought about Nancy Birch all day instead. Here follows my little musing, a continuation of sorts of that episode. It’s short, less than 900 words. Beware, here there be spoilers.

Nancy found herself back at the door of Isabella’s home at St. James. She’d run out earlier, and the guilt of it twisted in her gut like a horrible eel. Nancy Birch never ran.

She touched her lips gingerly. Through her gloved hand she fancied she could still feel it there, bright and hot.

“Alright, Birch. You’re here? Now what? Any more bright ideas?”

A weasley looking fellow was manning the door. He was giving Nancy a look she didn’t much like.

“What?” she barked. “Never given yourself a pep talk, hm? No, I bet you haven’t you scrawny toad. Mind your own business!” Nancy raised her birch rod, but it was a hollow gesture. The man snapped back to attention with a look that said he may have soiled himself.

Nancy continued to glare up at the door.

“You think I’m some kind of coward,” Nancy accused the door, raising her voice. “You think I’m afraid of that woman?” Only, she was afraid. Not of Isabella, specifically, but rather of what she might say. What was she going to say, anyway? “What, am I supposed to apologize? She kissed me and didn’t even pay me, did she?”

Nancy grumbled under her breath.

“Slap a woman’s kin and all of a sudden she’s grabbin’ ya and in your space. Pah!”

The doorman stole a furtive glance at her while pretending to stare straight ahead.

“Don’t give me that look, you lackey. I’ll go in when I’m good and ready!” He made a small, terrified noise, but said nothing. “And while I’m at it, shame on you for letting that demon in the house in the first place!”

Just then, the door was opened from the other side. In it stood Isabella.

“Gods be damned,” Nancy muttered under her breath.

“What?” Isabella looked terribly confused. “What are you doing standing in the doorway?”

Nancy shot a look at the doorman who was trying for all the world to look uninterested.

“Nothing, nothing. I… Can I come in?”

The Lady nodded carefully, stepping aside for Nancy.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your… musing, Nancy, but the staff were starting to become distressed.”

Isabella led her back to the parlor where they had stood only an hour before. Nancy raised her eyebrow in question.

“Sound carries in the foyer, I’m afraid,” Isabella said by way of an explanation.

“Oh. Right. Ah, nevermind that.”

Isabella nodded placidly, her expression expectant. The two of them stood there staring at each other for a long moment. Nancy didn’t know where to start. She’d started off on the wrong foot and now she couldn’t get her wits together. Nancy Birch didn’t run, and she certainly didn’t find herself quelled under the gaze of some rich bint.

“Nancy,” Isabella said softly.

“Yes?” Come on, Nance, pull it together!

“You were going to tell me why you were yelling at the doorman?”

Fuck.

“I wasn’t yelling at him--I was, but it’s not about him--I mean, it’s not about you, either--Damn it all!” Nancy was losing her mind. Despite this, Isabella still smiled.

“Let me start,” Isabella said. “I’m sorry I was so forward. It was wrong of me. It will not happen again.”

Nancy paused a moment to collect her thoughts, her innards finally settling enough for her to make sense of them.

“I’m sorry I left,” she said finally. “Your brother will be out for blood, and you shouldn’t be left alone. But don’t go getting any ideas! I’m not tupping anyone for free!”

Isabella looked uncertain.

“Should I…?”

“No, woman! Listen.” Nancy drew herself up to her full height, trying to summon her usual Nancy-Birch-ness only to realize all at once how much taller Isabella was. She was ruining the effect. “Damn you, why do you have to be so tall? Sit, woman!”

Isabella had the grace to look down to hide the amused smirk on her face, and let herself be led to the chaise and sat gingerly on the arm.

“Is this better?” she said. Now they were eye to eye. Nancy considered this and nodded.

“Right. I shouldn’t have run. But I’m back now.”

“I only meant to say thank you,” Isabella said. “I didn’t mean to cause you distress.”

“Well.” Nancy hesitated. “You fucked it all up, didn’t ya? Now… try it again.”

“Nancy, thank you for what you did. I can never repay you, but only offer a token of my gratitude. May I kiss you?”

“You’re welcome. And. Yes.” This last part she said softly, the wind having gone out of her. Her insides began to squirm again as she leaned forward, bridging the distance between them, stopping just short of Isabella’s lips.

Gently, Isabella placed a kiss at the corner of Nancy’s mouth. It was chaste, and sweet, and she did not linger more than necessary.

“I hope we can still be friends,” Isabella said when she withdrew.

“Charlotte once told me that friendship has many faces.”

“Indeed. As does love.”

“Aye. Well. Don’t go getting any wrong ideas.” Nancy paused. “And you should fire your doormen, they’re terrible.”

Fin~

[chidoroki]

TPN - Ray one-shot

Me? Writing about new tpn manga content? Even I'm surprised, but I am certainly not complaining! The main series may have ended but this extra chapter gives us even more details regarding Ray's realization about the truth of Grace Field house.

I'm gonna start off and say that this whole backstory about him is absolutely wonderful and it's great to see this new side of Ray. In the main series, he was always portrayed as the calm and collected one out of the full-score trio. Right from the beginning, he comes off as an intelligent tactician who's a little closed off and quiet. So to see him finally freak out and be completely clueless.. is great (in a sad way).

We all had to be just as surprised and scared when we first learned the truth alongside Emma and Norman during our first read/watch. The idea of all the children being raised as food for the demons is enough to scare any child, as we saw from many of them throughout the entire main series.

So when Emma and Norman first inform Ray about the “shocking” news and their plan to escape, he kept his composure rather well, compared to everyone else (and probably us).

I know, at this point he was well aware of the truth for years now and had to fool everyone else so his own plans would succeed, but that's why this extra story is so good. We finally get to see his true reaction and just how scared, panicked and worried he really was, so much so that Ray also had nightmares about the truth and demons, like Emma (ch2/ep2) and Norman (ch15/ep5) did, only he had to deal with them almost every single night, for years, and it breaks my heart.

Why was he the only to realize the life they were all living was a complete lie? Should he tell the others or feign ignorance and ignore everything? Why must this precious young child be stressing out so much and I can't help him?? All he wanted was happiness!

But bless these adorable panels of the young trio though.. they make my heart so happy. I just wanna protect all of them!

Anyways, what I really like is that despite how firm Ray was about saving only Emma & Norman in the main series, this story shows he wasn't always like that. Even if the truth completely terrified Ray, he did once consider saving everyone else in the house. However, he lacked the amount of information needed and therefore couldn't come up with a solid plan.

Not being able to help his family live is painful and he wishes for this crazy world to stop so badly. Back when Emma asked Ray about the shipments, he just kept quiet, so seeing now how upset he used to get whenever one of their siblings got shipped out hurts so good.

I never doubted this boy and how much he cares for his family, but seeing how he had to harden his heart to continue with his own escape plan really hits me in the feels. Ray might have said years later that the younger kids would just be a burden during the escape, but I'm sure that just thinking about that bothered him just as much as it did for us hearing it.

He knows saving everyone will be impossible, especially after he learned more about the trackers. In the main series, we know he's performed many tests on tracking devices and became very knowledgeable on how they work. That being said, I originally thought this one scene from the manga was just showing us that Ray had just learned the location of the device and made an attempt to remove it, by scratching it or something..

I had no idea he completely broke the thing though! With a simple stick nonetheless! No wonder he spends those six years gathering parts to build a taser just to disable the devices, because damn boy. Not only that, but he used that opportunity to time Isabella's movements and confirm that the trackers indeed have an alarm that inform her once they're broken.

And yes, learning he broke his tracker raises many questions, like if he broke his when he was six, then why is there one still present year later during the fire scene of the escape? Did Isabella somehow stick a new tracker in Ray's ear? Or is this one tracking device from somebody else, perhaps one of the other 13 kids Emma and Ray escaped with, since they claimed they did remove their trackers before they left the house. I briefly saw others mention something from Shirai regarding that there's another transmitter Isabella has that's different or something? Anyway, whatever the true explanation may be, Ray amazes me okay?

One of my favorite things about this extra chapter is how it compares to the main series, especially with a scene like this. With the stick scene and this one from the main series, one could almost believe that Ray pulled off such a stunt out of retaliation, an act of defiance, maybe anger or just to test Isabella and what she's capable of.

But then the side story continues and dives even deeper as it shows us how scared Ray really was in this moment. He had no idea if destroying his tracker would result in the end of his life or a golden opportunity for more information and temporary safety. And it's here he realizes that the mom he once loved doesn't care for him at all, even if he still desperately wishes she did in this crucial moment. (hold up, my heart is breaking ahhh)

Thankfully for everyone and the entire story, Isabella accepts Ray's deal, which leads him to gather all the information he can by any means necessary. With all the spent alone reading, the anxiety that came with keeping quiet, and all the pain he had to hide as he watched so many people he cared for be sent off to die, just everything.. he endured it all to just have a chance to save somebody.

Y'all.. I've been thinking about this entire one-shot all afternoon and I can't express how much I appreciate this boy. Ray is simply the best boy and my mind can't be changed!