#because i thought the idea of trying to make a horror otome where all the classic archetypes are there but they're all secretly gonna

[bmpmp3]

has anyone ever seen an otome game yandere characters who aren’t either 1) the weird quiet guy who makes it obvious somethings up or 2) the outgoing friendly childhood friend who you’d least expect. I’m partial to the latter because i love surprise (the first otome game i ever finished was the very infamous Amnesia: Memories) but im like curious about the possibilities. whats the flirty archetype look like with some yandere sprinkled upon it. what about the oresama. the sweet and quiet one could be good for a twist

*carefully places handsome anime boys under a microscope and drops mysterious chemicals on them to see how they behave*

[tentoriwrites]

Voltage Otome Trope Bingo #1

Eons ago @hifftn​ came up with this idea to do Trope Bingo for the various Voltage fandoms. I finally finished my first piece! Circled in blue below you will see the tropes featured in this fanfic!  2,600+ words of pure indulgence with only a vague touch of plot to keep it from being too cluttered! XD Also, sorry about Atlas being a bit OOC, I haven’t really read his route in like a year now... ^_^;

“You’re the only person I know that sprains their ankle running in a straight line on level ground!” Atlas shouted as he looked over the park planter to eye our assailants. A hail of bullets ricocheted off the planter throwing up sparks and chips of concrete. He immediately ducked back down.

“To my credit, I was being shot at!” I quipped back fearfully as I clutched my throbbing ankle.

“Which makes the running in a straight line bit EVEN better.” He grumbled as he checked his ammunition.

“Well... some of us aren’t used to being shot at every day!”

“Only every other day…”

“HEY!” It’s not like I wanted to be a criminal… I pouted for a brief moment until I felt the ground rumbling. I looked around in horror as I saw everyone rushing to clear the streets. Even our assailants were booking it out of Dodge.

“What’s going on?” Atlas looked around in disbelief.

“Oh stars…” It occurred to me then what planet we were on. “Atlas… We need to get inside!”

“Yeah, like I’m just going to sit on my hands and wait for them to come back!” He was already on his feet offering me a hand.

“You don’t understand you should just leave me here!” I took his hand and gave him a quick shove towards a nearby laundry once I was upright.

Atlas let out a long suffering sigh before hefting me into his arms bridal style. “Would you make yourself useful and shut up!” He took off at a pace much faster than I imagined he could while carrying so much physical and emotional baggage around. The closer we got to the door, the more the rumbling intensified. A good Samaritan threw the door open and yanked us in. Without explanation, they slammed it shut and hit a switch on the wall. Heavy sounding metal plates slid down and locked firmly into place.

“You just made it!” An old woman standing near a basin of sudsy water chimed over the intensifying rumble. She pulled the plug to drain the water. “Another moment or two longer and you would have been cooked!” The nonchalant way she said that last line was deeply unsettling…

“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on here or do you just expect me to hack into the Union database and figure out?” Atlas huffed as he finally put me back on my feet.

The old woman eyed me a moment when I winced.

“This whole planet is covered in huge underground springs.” I pulled out my tablet and showed him a geologic map of the area. “This town is right next to one of the largest. It’s famous throughout the Union for going off once a month and spews millions of gallons of super-heated water into the air.”

“Darn right, Missy!” The old woman interjected as everyone started looking up to the ceiling. The rumbling had stopped. Suddenly, it felt like the whole world was splitting in two just before the deluge. A deafening roar of water filled the air and vibrated the building in a wholly different way than before.  The old woman met my anxiety driven expression with a serene smile. “I built this place specially to harness the mineral water and turn it into a luxury hot spring!”

Atlas and I both looked around dubious of that comment. The laundry was small, cramped, and extremely dirty. The old woman seemed to pick up on this immediately, donning a huge grin. “Follow me…”

Atlas and I both looked at each other.

“That wasn’t a request…” Her sweet old woman demeanor dropped in an instant as she shot us a death glare from the doorway.

“Listen lady.” Atlas started to give her a piece of his mind.

“I assure you, criminal, I’m no lady.” A devious smile crept across her lips as everyone in the laundry pulled out guns and aimed them at us.

My heart hammered in my chest as I eyed the still locked doors and windows. My mind was trying desperately to figure out if I could hack into the system with my tablet.

“We’re all criminals like you!” The old man chimed very pleased with herself. “Hate those Union bastards! So any enemy of theirs is a friend of mine. Come on now and have a nice soak. It’ll fix that ankle right up!”

“It’s not like we can really leave right now…” Atlas vaguely motioned to the windows on one side of the building.

“Even if I lifted the metal plates you still couldn’t waltz out there right now anyways.” The old woman started tottering down a hall.

“The water has to drain and the surface has to cool down.” I explained as I glanced at Atlas.

“Guess we really have no choice then…” Atlas holstered his gun and started for the door. He offered me a hand when he noticed me hopping along awkwardly.

The old woman was standing in the middle of a lavish, wide hall. It looked like we had stepped into a whole other world. “Nice, no?” She grinned wide as she pulled out a key ring. Pulling a key out immediately, she unlocked the door in front of her. “Have a nice rest, on the house. Once everything settles down, you can give those Unions idiots the slip.” She seemed pretty genuine in the offer, but Atlas still gripped my hand tightly.

“Give me one good reason why we should trust you.”

The old woman laughed long and hard. “We clean a lot of things here for a lot of people, Sonny. Including items for people very much opposed to the Union. You’re in good hands.” She donned a cheesy smile and stuck out her pinkie. “I promise.”

“A pinkie promise is pretty serious.”

“You have got to be kidding me…” Atlas smacked his forehead.

“Well say what you want but I take them very seriously!” I hobbled over to the old woman and linked my pinkie with hers.

“Atta girl!” She shook her hand up and down while our pinkies were still locked. Then she shoved the door open revealing the most lavish room I had ever seen. “I’ll have some food brought by soon, enjoy the bath in the meantime!” With that she tottered away leaving me to ogle the room.

Atlas finally joined me at the door, but he seemed just as dumbfounded as me. After a long moment of stunned silence, he muttered under his breath. “Smugglers…” A faint smile he took a tentative step into the room. “Well they definitely aren’t going to bring the Union here…”

“Well that’s a relief…” I wandered in behind him and closed the door. The whole room was full of rich and plush fabrics from the blankets on the bed to the upholstery on the furniture. I sank into an over-sized chair and sighed in satisfaction. “This is nice…”

“Yeah but where is this bath?” Atlas very cautiously opened the only other door in the room. “That’s not a bath…”

���What is it?” I sat up and craned my neck to look into the room.

“A damn swimming pool…”

I knew I looked completely confused as I got up and walked up behind him. Swimming pool was an exaggeration but it was definitely not a bath tub. 5 or 6 people could comfortably sit in the steaming water.

“That looks wonderful…”

“Then get in.” Atlas started to move to leave. He must have seen the pout on my face because he stopped and faced me. He was so close I could feel his breath on my face. “You look like you have something to say…” Even though his voice had a gruff edge there was a fire in his eyes.

“Well…” My eyes darted to the pooltub as I scrambled for an excuse to get him to join me. “I was just thinking I might need some help getting in and out. What if I slip and get hurt even worse?” Yes play to your strengths! Even if those strengths include being a total klutz…

Atlas rolled his eyes as if he were completely put off by the whole thing. “Fine, fine…” He offered me his hand again. “It’d be a pain in the pass if I had to carry you all the way back to the ship.”

SCORE!

I sat down on a chair near the “bath” and started taking my jacket off. I looked over and Atlas was on the complete opposite side of the room taking his jacket off. Well he did agree to take a bath with me so I guess I can’t be too mad. Except he stopped after taking off his jacket…

“I thought you were going to take a bath too…”

He gave me a smug look. “I said I would help you in and out. I never said I was taking one with you.”

Not… technically… wrong… I sighed inwardly before taking off the rest of my clothes. Gentleman that he was, Atlas didn’t look the whole time. Which filled me with one part relief, one part odd disappointment. With a towel wrapped around me, told him I was ready.

I took the hand he offered me and a ginger stepped to the edge of the bath. Just as I was about to step in, a sharp pain in my ankle made me jump. Small though it may have been, it was enough to make me slip and start falling. I watched as the water seemed to come ever closer, in slow motion, that is until something completely different filled my vision. After the water cleared, I realized that Atlas had broke my fall and was now blowing bubbles at me from under the water. As if in a horror movie with one jump scare after another, the towel lazily floated between us…

“Sorry!” I hurriedly grasped the towel and moved to get off the very unamused looking Atlas. I barely covered myself and scurried to a corner of the spacious bath to cower in mortified shame and embarrassment. Atlas looked at me completely exasperated as half his face remained below the surface, then quickly looked away.

“You gonna do something with that towel or you gonna pretend to be a bathhouse lady?” His head now fully above the water, I could see his cheeks turning a bit red. I stared at him agape for a minute while my brain argued with itself as to whether the water caused his red cheeks or he was blushing. Atlas Molniya absolutely doesn’t blush. Can we make Atlas Molniya blush? I’m certainly willing to try!

“Since you’re already all wet…”I smiled awkwardly at Atlas hoping the heat of the water would explain away my red cheeks too.

“Do you know where we are…?” There was a dangerous lilt to his voice that completely threw me off.

“In… a… bathtub…?” I was pretty sure that wasn’t the answer he was looking for but the look he was giving me made it REALLY hard to think straight. The only thing louder than my racing heart was the slow slosh of the water every time he moved closer.

“We’re in an underworld bathhouse… You do know what kinds of things happen in underworld bathhouses, right?”

“I’m… guessing more than just nice, relaxing baths?” It was more a squeak than anything.

“So much more…”

He was so close now I would have been able to feel his breath if it weren’t for the steam rising from the water. “TOO CLOSE!” I thrust out my hand and connected with his forehead

“Finally starting to understand the completely ridiculous situation we’ve managed to get ourselves in?” Atlas was back, but he still looked off.

“Well yes… But… Are you feeling all right?” I tried to sound more concerned than nervous but the shark in the water routine had been a bit much. In fact, I was feeling a little dizzy between my racing heart and the hot water.

“Never better. Why?” He stood up as he said this and immediately started wobbling. “Ok, maybe not…” He managed to get half way down again before he passed out… right on top of me…

“Oh, stars…”

Somehow I managed to get us both out of the bath and on to the floor. I had to get him out of these soaking wet clothes. And well… that was… certainly… something…

“Please don’t wake up right now… Please don’t wake up right now.” Red-faced I fumbled with the fastener on Atlas’s pants, with my eyes closed. The same quiet prayer escaping my lips on repeat.

“Ya know, consent goes both ways.” An irritated voice muttered as a clammy hand grasped mine.

“Oh stars! It wasn’t like that!” I feel as though my face got even redder at that moment. “I just thought if I couldn’t get you into the bed I could at least get most of your wet clothes off!” I huffed and turned away pouting.

“Uh huh…” I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me or truly skeptical of my motives.

“Are you feeling any better than that you’re out of the hot water?”

“Yeah.” Without saying much else he got to his feet, soggy shirt in hand.

“Uh…”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for this day to be over.”

“Oh…” I tried to hide my disappointment. It had been a really long day after all, what with the being chased and shot at, harbored by some crazy old lady in the criminal underworld, bathtub shenanigans… I came to an immediate stop next to Atlas, coming to the same realization at about the same time.

“I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Oh no! You just passed out! Take the bed and I’ll take the couch!”

“What kind of man would I be if I made a woman sleep on a couch when there’s a perfectly good bed?” He gave me a glare, but it was half-hearted at best.

“We could…” Oh stars… should I really say it?

“What? We could what?” Atlas flopped down on the couch and looked up at me.

“We could… just sleep together… in the bed… since there’s only one…”

His eyebrow quirked up ever so slightly. A blush started creeping up his neck. “I was trying to be a gentleman… But you’re making it real damn hard, I hope you’re aware of that.”

“I just don’t want you to sleep on the couch if you aren’t well.”

“It’s hard to think you have anything but bad intentions when I wake up to you in nothing but a towel trying to take my pants off…”

Oh… that is not a good look for my heart… I watched as he push the button on the wall to turn off the lights.

“AH!”

“What? Do you really want to have sex with the lights on?” I could hear shuffling as he moved closer. “I lived with Jaxson long enough that I refuse to have sex with the lights on.”

That’s fair. Jaxson does seem like the type to just… burst in at random times…

“Well no... it’s just I didn’t think you’d actually take me up on it?” There was just enough light in the room for me to see him get close. “What about you passing out?”

“I had to carry you halfway across town while being shot at. I was just overheated from that is all.”

“Ugh… I really should go on a diet…”

“Why? You’re fine just as you are…” His cool fingers worked their way under the towel until they found the flesh of my sides and gave it a firm squeeze.

“Oh stars…” Before I knew what was happening I was in the bed.

“Tonight, let’s get some rest. Tomorrow, we can take our time…” Much like the name of his ship, there was so much promise in his voice.

“Uh… are you at least going to let me put some clothes on first?”

“Nope.”

“Oh… all right…” Unable to get up through the tangle of his body of mine, I opted to snuggle up next to him and fall asleep instead.

[teddystrap]

Drama CD: [幽幻ロマンチカ・真骨頂] ≁Bakeneko Arahagi・Inugami Toneri≁

No audio track this time sorry! But anyway, I’ve made sizeable progress on the Yuuroma series: Hifumi + Utashiro’s Hatenkou, Zakuro, Toneri, and a bunch of tokuten for everybody (/*^-^)/. I’ll do the 2nd Shinkocchou first, for continuity.

And I haven’t listened to the two individual discs before this, so I had no idea who they are... or that their names are actually Arahagi (cat demon; cv. Kaji Yuuki) and Toneri (dog deity; cv, Hirakawa Daisuke) until about 3/4 into the story, since they kept calling each other ‘Stupid Cat’ and ‘Stupid Dog’. Orz

Obvsly this time there is no bromance like in the 1st disc and they fight like... err... cats and dogs (for lack of a better description XD).

As before, hidden messages from the both of them:

１．壱、都市伝説『二次元カレシ』 ２．弐、手が<か>りはどこ？ ３．参、そこは見せか<け>の幸福世界 ４．四、ここにず<っ>といよう ５．伍、意地でも負<け>られない ６．六、この世界が壊れ<る>としても ７．七、 都市伝説『二次元カレシ』看破 ８．キャストトーク

Arahagi: bold⋆ spells 「どこにでも」 (‘No matter where [you are]...’)

Toneri: <⋆> spells 「かけつける」 (‘...I will rush to your side’)

...うれしいィィ！！ありがとね、二人とも～^^

*

[The Second Rumour: Urban Legend ‘2D Boyfriend’]

All the girls at your school are addicted to a mobile otome game app. Rumour has it that players can end up getting trapped in the game world, and their bodies are found in sleeping position holding their phones in one hand.

Toilet Guy has again asked Arahagi and Toneri to investigate. This time your team name is: the Pitch-Black Executors ~DARK (K)NIGHT MESSIAH~. Σ_(꒪ཀ꒪」∠)_. And both your animal manservants have the good sense to hate this abomination of a name. But it will come in handy later on...

So. First order of business is to throw *you* into the virtual world. It’s been rumoured that collecting a full set of accessories from one game character can accomplish this, so your animal bfs possess your body and go shopping.

They push a bunch of bling on you (Toneri makes you wear a choker that reminds him of a dog collar XD), and eventually you can’t take it anymore and run out of the store because you don’t wanna turn into the lovechild of Katy Perry and Flavor Flav. And anyway it didn’t work. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ RIP Operation BringTheBling1.

Plan #2: There is another rumour that players get sucked in when they access the app at midnight. So Catboy and Dogman (henceforth ‘CatDog’) camp over in your bed, and sure enough, when the clock strikes 12, you fall into a deep sleep and enter the game world.

The game is set in a high school that’s an *exact* replica of Nanagiri, with two characters who sound (and look) exactly like your Cat and Dog bfs. [Hirarin is the senpai and Kaji is the kouhai, ofc.] You are shocked by this unfolding of events, and the two of them think you have a cold and need to go to the nurse’s office to rest.

You take this as an opportunity to escape, and as you are running you hear Arahagi and Toneri’s voices from the other side. They successfully possess your sleeping body and enter the virtual world as well.

Senpai and Kouhai can see the demons possessing you. They forcibly exorcise the duo and drag you away. As the exorcised duo come to, they find themselves turned into their chibi forms XDD. Meanwhile, Senpai and Kouhai have taken you to the nurse’s office. As they are trying to approach you, you spray the fire extinguisher at them and make your escape. Niceee.

You manage to find Arahagi and Toneri hiding in the courtyard. They repossess your body to regain their powers and apologise for not being able to protect you. But you have come up with a battle plan: Operation LoveLetter1. Dun dun DUNNN.

The plan is to put a love letter in their shoe locker asking Senpai and Kouhai to meet with you next evening. Being in an otome game, they can only do as they are told to unlock the love event. (Also what is with this 3P-harem setting where you can confess and unlock event for two characters at once?? I need to get in on dis yo. ¬‿¬)

You and CatDog stay up all night to discuss the battle plan, and Arahagi thinks this whole game reeks of the work of a human being. He figures out that they can rob the game characters of their powers by stealing their phones. (Why do even the characters have phones inside the game??) And to power-up themselves, CatDog trade hugs and kisses with each other (I WISH!!) you to feed off of your human energy.

Next day, Senpai and Kouhai show up at the arranged meeting time, and CatDog appear to start a riot. They throw out your team name Pitch-Black Executors ~DARK (K)NIGHT MESSIAH~, which confuses their opponents and gives them the perfect opportunity to steal the opponents’ phones.

Toneri ties the two characters up with chains and Arahagi drops a bunch of machinery and shit on top of them, but dis ain’t ovah ya’ll. The two of them go into *dark mode*. They change the backdrop and damage the data of Arahagi and Toneri’s bodies. As they bury CatDog alive and take you away, you tell them that you believe in CatDog, which gives them the power they need to free themselves from entombment and destroy the game characters.

...When the smoke clears, they see a student that was sucked into the game world. Strangely enough, *it’s a boy*, and they figure that he must be the human that the game monster is possessing and feeding off of.

It turns out that the boy offered himself as a human sacrifice to the urban legend and created this game world to shield his younger sister from the harsh reality. The game world begins to disintegrate, and Toneri tells the boy to face his sister properly instead of doing this stupid shit in the name of ‘protection’. To Toneri and Arahagi, who come into this world all alone, every little detail of the familial bonds and ties between humans seems magical and deserves to be treasured.

The three of you wake up in your bed, and CatDog wonder if the boy’s little sister is going to be alright. You devise a plan... for the two of them to appear to her in a dream pretending to be the two game characters. Toneri flubs his lines and gets beaten up by Arahagi XD. They tell the girl they are relieved that she has finally awoken from her slumber, and invite her to play the game again whenever she is feeling down.

Now a new urban legend has arisen: that whenever a girl gets sucked into the game world, her 2D boyfriend tells her to get out or else she won’t make it to her own wedding in the future. (#meirl XDD.) What’s more, CatDog have erased the oniisan’s memories of the whole incident, and both he and his sister have returned to school as usual.

*Meanwhile*, YOU have become addicted to this game app XD. After unsuccessfully trying to snatch your phone out of your hands, CatDog tease you with kisses and promise to make your real life more exciting than any game ever... yes please Hirarin and Kaji the two of you can come and possess me any time I don’t mind fufufufu~~~ (´┓`*)

*

[Thoughts] ⋆敬称略⋆

Ok so this was my first introduction to both characters (Arahagi/Toneri). I kept thinking as I was listening to it: wouldn’t it be great if Kaji and Hirarin switched roles? Doesn’t it feel like Kaji has more of an excitable puppy-like personality (or quality to his voice, rather), and Hirarin has more of a slow, cat-like temperament??

In fact in the Free Talk when Hirarin said that he is 100% a Cat Person and he thinks Arahagi is really cute, I was all ready to jump out of my chair all like, ‘I KNEW IT!!!’ #notoverreactingatall._(:3」∠)_. ...I guess Rejet wanted to switch it up a little? Or maybe Kimura Ryouhei was busy, because Toneri [yandere + dog ears] sounds like the job for him. Also I can’t help but wonder how perfect Hirarin would be as Utashiro lulling me to sleep with his soothing voice...

(*ฅ́˘ฅ̀*)♡

But all this fantasy casting aside, every time I hear Toneri’s adorable grumpy/growling noises that he makes when he’s dissatisfied, I feel like they made the right casting choice after all. #omgWANT ლ(⁰⊖⁰ლ)

What else, what else... HmMMmMmm, the story and characters/pair dynamics this time round is a bit more childish and less ‘tight’ than before. So idk, I didn’t feel as much of *Deh Romantic Feelz* towards Arahagi/Toneri like I did for Hifumi/Utashiro. Although I still enjoyed it because I am immature.

The doppelganger bit was pretty kewl though. Although the battle scene kind of got resolved in a very #WTF kind of way and left me wanting more. Also the overprotective older brother story would’ve benefited from a better explanation/backstory of why he did what he did, no? Overall just kind of #わけわかんない, and not a very tight story, like I said.

The otome game theme was kind of relevant and interesting, esp the senpai character in the game who kept emphasising the use of this kind of romance fantasies as a form of escapism. ...Which got a bit philosophical/personal in a way, although I’m not sure if Toneri was the best person to expound on this because he’s so... erm... simple-minded XD.

Nonetheless, the overall message was clear: that it’s always better to face things head-on, and you have limitless potential as a human being. +++

But *then again* this series isn’t meant to be analysed very deeply. It’s more just for ya’ll to enjoy the cute huggable chibi things and the powerful demons protecting the fuck out of you. Yeah? Yeahh.

Although!! From the cast commentaries it seems like the seiyuu themselves can’t/won’t actually protect you from anything in the event of an actual urban legend/haunting. It’s funny how they voice all these powerful/scary demon and spirit characters, but when they see an actual horror programme or whatever on TV they quickly look away and change the channel!! (-_-|||) SENSEI I AM DISAPPOINT. 

The only exception so far is Sakurai Takahiro, who spouted off a bunch of kaidan-banashi from his old high school enthusiastically when asked. Like, everyone else is a wimp and he is the One True Hero. He even has ‘he[/i]ro’ in his name!!

[darkmindsotome]

Risque Rouge pt14

Tagging: @umbralaperture​ @otome-smut-queen @silver-fox-of-azuchi @tsundere-mitsuhide @jennacat84

General warnings for the whole fic: Angst, some fluff, Mental health issues, emotional things, trauma, blood, death and possible triggers. Please read responsibly. 

Darkmindsotome Masterlist

---

Chapter 14

The coach driver dropped them off at the side of the road before leaving to join the other carriages waiting for their masters to return. Freshly baked bread and sweet pastries filled the air around them with a wonderful fragrance that should have had her mouth watering in anticipation of the meal to come. Should have... Evie noticed the slightly strange phenomenon but chalked it up to nerves. It was not only her first time going out with Comte, but it was also her first time in this part of town.

There were several boutique shops that in all honesty, the word extravagant didn’t begin to cover. The area felt a little like a section of Manmatre in that it was quiet and relaxed. Fresh vibrant flowers bloomed happily in containers and hanging baskets. There was the sound of happy chatter and friendly greetings all around them as she was guided towards the cafe he had mentioned before, but it was painfully obvious to her once more that their worlds were two separate things.

After walking for a short time the number of pedestrians subsided and a small family run cafe came into view. There were beautiful large windows displaying all manner of delicious sweets, the pale blue awning on the building gave some protection for alfresco dining. Chairs with woven rattan and a mixture of tables allowed for small groups of people to enjoy a meal together. Comte moved a chair for her and after making sure she was settled vanished into the shop to place their order.

She watched him through the glass as he spoke with a slightly elderly looking woman who was wearing an apron in the same colour blue as the cafe’s awning. It was a little surprising that no one else seemed to be here. It was possible that because it was not directly on the main thoroughfare that they didn’t see much in the way of casual customers. It was more likely that the majority of their repeat business came from residents of the area. Evie turned her attention to the planters made from half barrels and the multiple marigolds that were in full flower in them.

“Do you like it here ma cherie?” Comte spoke from the chair next to her.

“Oh! Oui, it’s lovely. When you said you were taking me to somewhere I didn’t think it would be...” She tried her hardest to avoid looking as embarrassed as she felt for not noticing he had returned only to find she had rambled her way into the murky waters of something that could come off as rather offensive.

There were certain things even she was aware of that you didn’t mention in polite company and drawing attention to the preconceived notion that she expected him to possibly take her somewhere more expensive or grandiose was one of those things.

“Somewhere so quaint?” He didn’t sound in the least bit offended in fact Comte was rather amused as he watched the expressions on her face change like the seasons.

“Sorry I guess I might have had the wrong impression.” She cringed avoiding eye contact as she tried to think of a way to make what she had just said sound less judgemental.

This cafe was charming it was simply not something she thought would be in an area like this given how affluent the other premises looked on their way here. She did actually find it calming to be in such a place compared to somewhere pretentious where she would have had to be sure to put on a show in order to mask her own nerves and avoid embarrassing Comte.

“Don’t apologise I should perhaps have taken you somewhere else it was my selfishness that led us here. I’m rather fond of this cafe’s macaroons.” Comte benevolently swept her concerns to one side taking responsibility on himself in a way that changed the tone seamlessly making it more the atmosphere more carefree. There was a smile on his face that made him look years younger and like a mischievous little boy. “Don’t tell Sebastian. I’m certain he is only waiting for an excuse at this point to lecture me on a more balanced breakfast.”

“You two seem very close.” Evie giggled happily letting slip one of her observations from before about the master and his butler.

“Well, we have known each other for a few years now.”

“Your order Monsieur.” A bright happy voice called from the doorway. The elderly woman was smiling brightly carrying a large tray in her hands laden with food and other objects.

“Ah, parfait merci Madam.” Comte said as he swiftly vacated his chair and went to assist her. Her eyes twinkled as he took the tray from her hands and looked at Evie.

“As you have such a lovely companion with you today I added a few extra strawberries and some more cream. Bon appetit.” Evie watched the woman who felt exactly as this cafe did, warm, inviting and comfortable. Before she returned to her shop she gave Evie a little wink with a broad smile on her face that left Evie thinking what a friendly person she was and how she was probably considered to be a rare beauty in her youth. The woman’s fine bone structure and was not easily hidden under the wrinkles of time or the spread of middle age.

“She seems to have the wrong idea.” Evie commented as she helped set out the items from the tray on the table with a blush forming on her cheeks.

There was a pot of tea with two cups and saucers also a small jug of chilled milk. A wicker basket held freshly baked bread and two gorgeously golden croissants perched on top of two plates. Small bowls of cream and fresh strawberries with the silverware neatly wrapped in pale blue napkins and a pad of butter. The entire table looked like a spread that would not be out of place in a fine hotel and she wondered if that was perhaps how such a place had managed to remain in this area where all the nouveau riche and nobles gathered.

“Does she? It is true I am not here alone and I do have a rather charming companion with me.” He was once more reminded of how sweetly innocent she could look, untainted by the world and that only served to make his own heart clench tight in his chest knowing what he was about to do. “I hope you enjoy the food and will forgive me.”

“Forgive you? I’m afraid I don’t follow, you’ve done nothing to --” Evie stammered wondering what had caused Comte to lose his jovial manner from before.

“Maybe not yet but I will. Evie, how much do you know about vampires?” There was a reserved edge to his tone as if he had accepted something finite and he began pouring tea for two with an unreadable expression that made her feel like he was masking something painful.

“Is this where you try to scare me with childish stories?” She was still struggling to understand the change in him and had no idea how someone could ask something so strange as if they were talking about the weather.

“No. Evie what can you remember of the night the doctor died?” He watched her carefully.

“That isn’t fair you know what happened that night.” Evie picked up her croissant and began pulling it apart with her fingers in an effort to distract herself from the unusual and still raw and painful topic.

“I was but I want you to tell me what you remember.” Part of him was hoping she would make the connections herself and he would only have to fill in some blanks. Judging by the blank look of confusion and horror on her face and the way her beautiful green eyes were darting around his wishful thinking would go unrewarded.

“I killed him. He came to my room saying I was responsible for everything happening to him and making him...” Evie started off talking in a mechanical way. She was trying to speak and keep her emotions in check so as to remain clear and coherent but it was by far an easy task. She looked at the man next to her no longer aware of his kindness and warmth. He was there he saw what she had done, so why ask? He also knew how she was plagued at night with grief and guilt. “I fought back and...”

“You fed on him until he was past the point of return. You drank his blood.” His words were more abrupt than he had intended. He knew this conversation had to take place but now that it was upon him he found he was struggling with the topic almost as much as she was.

“You think I am a vampire?” She tried to laugh as if it were a very bad joke but there was no joy in the sound that came from her mouth.

“No ma cherie, I know you are.” He saw her hand trembling and reached out to hold it, wrapping it in his as if it would help her understand. The colour drained from her features before his eyes like melting ice and looked at him with large pleading eyes as if to beg him to take back all he had said. He wished he could, it was affecting him far more than he expected to try to explain this to her. If only he could remove all her fears and worries, grant her the miracle that would make all this vanish.  

“Why? If you think... know I am such a terrible monster then why help me? Why take me away and put me in that big house and surround me with people? Are you hoping I do the same again?” Evie turned her hand over in his and gripped his firmly as she peered into his golden eyes. 

“Evie you appear to have misunderstood. You asked me in your room if I was not afraid of you and I said no. The reason is simple I am exactly as you are. We are both vampires, we’re pure bloods.” Comte attempted to push forward with the conversation all too aware that Evie was struggling to process what he was saying as anything other than a cruel joke.

All the carefully thought out explanations and reassurances he had planned abandoned him when he needed them most. As lost and afraid as she was right now looking directly at him he felt just as ashamed of his own ineptitude in being able to explain this better. He had never been in this position before it was completely new to him. He had explained to the ones in the mansion upon their awakenings the fundamentals of their new life but never had to explain every last detail.

“Pure bloods?” Evie muttered repeating the phrase feeling even more bewildered. She could feel herself slipping back into a numbing darkness. Her thoughts were moving faster than her mind could process and none of it was able to find a voice to receive clarity in being said. 

“We are the original cursed immortals. The vampires in stories are nothing like us. We can move in daylight, religious symbols have no effect on us. Holy water, garlic all a work of fiction.” Comte relayed all he could remember from the times he had spoken to the others.

All the ideas they had about what they now were and how very little of what they thought they had known of vampires had actually been true. He had found the differences in cultures and ideas to be interesting at the time and now he was simply hoping that it would be helpful in enlightening a lost and traumatised creature without hurting them more.

“Decapitation and stakes through the heart?” There was a frozen composure to her now as she lowered her eyes to the table.

“That would kill anyone ma petit.” Comte moved his hand from hers and reached out to place it on her head.

“You’re wrong. Not about the killing people part but you’re wrong about me you have to be. I’m not a vampire I’m human.” She avoided his hand as she spoke, recoiling in her chair. 

“Evie.” He wanted so badly to soothe her again even though he had no right as he knew this current situation was all his fault. Still, he desired to make it better, make her feel better. Such selfishness.

“NO! YOU’RE WRONG!” Her voice cracked and she knew she was crying. It was like a wall had crashed inside her head cutting off all of the world around her placing a protective barrier in her mind against the unknown. She tried to ignore the look on Comte’s face as she practically spat her words at him. She pushed off from the table causing its contents to rock under the motion and bolted. 

Fear clouded her mind preventing any real thoughts other than the desire to get as far away from everything as possible. The sunlight fell on her skin and she thought it was mocking her as she felt none of its heat, saw none of its light.

Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, it hurt so much. Her breathing was ragged and she could feel the air attempting to get into her body like small blades slicing into her. Why had he decided to tell her all that? It felt like it should have been a joke and yet there was nothing about the man spinning such absurd tales that suggested he was anything but sincere.

What concerned her more was how things that should not make sense resonated somewhere deep inside her. Ideas and characters from penny dreadfuls, macabre theatres and travelling storytellers. All of them planting small grains inside her subconscious and it took him to make them grow.

She was mad, she had to be. Vampires aren’t real and if they are she wouldn’t be one. Her eyes stung and she was well aware of the attention she was drawing as she ran carelessly through the streets with no regard to how she looked.

Screaming erupted behind her causing her to turn. Several nobles were jumping out of the path of a runaway carriage. The horse had taken on a wild look in its eyes clearly spooked by something and without a driver, there was no way to rein it in. Her distracted attention cost her dearly as her ankle turned with a painful crunch on the paved street and her body tumbled to the ground.

She watched the vehicle draw closer as she tried to get out of its path. She heard the thundering hooves and the creaking wood as the carriage strained against the velocity it would never normally reach. Evie felt the sharp lancing pain in her ankle as she tried to move her leg and then in a rush of black, gold and regal red all the wind was knocked out of her as she was shoved clear of the runaway carriage. “AH!”

The world went dark the sounds around her were muffled and the impact she expected to hit her didn’t.

“Are you alright?” A deep voice from somewhere above her spoke and she rolled herself to try to see who it was. Strong arms there had been protectively wrapped around her pulled back and the whoever had been her hero picked themselves up.

“I think so...” She winced as the movement brought back the pain in her leg.

“Here take my hand.” A man dressed in the same black and gold she remembered before being shoved was smiling at her offering his hand to help her up. He had his back to the sun but she could still make out a thick red cape that hung off one shoulder with golden tassels. He looked every bit like some sort of royal, his black hair was tipped with white and his jade green eyes were so clear they seemed unnatural.

Accepting his hand Evie was finally once more vertical and also out of danger. She tried to balance on her feet only to wobble and find her hero wrapping a strong arm around her waist to support her. Her hip caught something hard and when she looked down she saw a rapier. The golden details to the jacket of the man had her recognising him as some sort of military. She was reminded of Jean for a moment but noted he had been different. Both were certainly soldiers but she had a feeling that this man was simply more. His entire aura spoke volumes without him having to put any of it into words. He was regal, more than a Prince or a King.

“Genevieve!”

Evie automatically turned her head and saw Comte running towards her. Now she was no longer spellbound by the green eyes of the man who saved her she noticed how all the people in the street had stopped to watch the spectacle, some that had been inside were even hanging out of windows to try to get a better view.

The arm around her tensed as Comte drew closer.

“Do you know him?” Her hero asked in a low voice for her ears only.

“Yes but I don’t—” Evie nodded but she still didn’t know what she wanted. She had run as fast as she could away from the approaching man. She had hurt him, doubted him and questioned everything he had not only said but also done.

“You were running from him?” Before she could find the words to finish her own sentence her hero asked another question in response to the action her body had taken which was to start trembling.

She wasn’t sure if it was delayed shock or if she was actually afraid of the man who had once been the comfort for all her worries. What had actually happened? She had no idea why she really ran other than it was fear. She was scared that if anything of what she was being told as a truth was actually true that she was indeed a monster that she would repeat the sins of her past. She had flashes of what might be, a limp body devoid of life staring back at her with a grim death mask etched in a twisted euphoria. She could see the body becoming any number of people including the man so desperate that he would be running towards her, chasing after her after even though she hurt him.

“Genevieve, thank goodness you’re safe.” Comte spoke breathlessly after reaching them. His face no longer had a look of hurt she remembered it was only filled with a look of complete relief. He moved a little closer and was about to take her hand when Evie instinctively slapped it away.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Evie...” Comte curled his fingers into a fist. Her touch hadn’t really hurt and yet his hand stung like it had been plunged into fire. He tried to look into her eyes and saw that even she didn’t understand why she had just refused his touch. In an instant, she vanished from his sight hidden behind a strong and gallant figure of a man who was looking at him as if ready to curse every breath he took.

“I have no idea what is going on but I shall not let you lay a hand on this girl.”

“Napoleon.”

---

[salems-varieties]

Anime for Halloween

I should have posted this before my movies list. But hell, It’s here now and Y’all can binge-watch over the next month. But little disclaimer. These are anime I have seen and ones I associate with Halloween because they have to do with something from the holiday. So anything with Vampires, witches, demons, etc. Anything I got a Halloween-y vibe from. This list is gonna be kind of long. Now time for me to suffer typing it and yall to get an idea from reading it. 

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Title

Synopsis

My thoughts on the Anime

Everything in bold is strictly my opinion. Agree to disagree with me, and put down your own opinion in repost or in the comments but be respectful. Rude or anything of the sort will be deleted or reported depending on the severity.

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07-Ghost

Teito Klein, a student at the academy, is one of the most promising soldiers produced. Although ridiculed by everyone for being a sklave (German for slave) with no memories of his past, he is befriended by a fellow student called Mikage. While preparing for the final exam, Teito uncovers a dark secret related to his past. When an attempt to assassinate Ayanami, a high-ranking official who killed his father, fails, Teito is locked away awaiting punishment.

This one is religious, HOWEVER, Demons and the Gods of Death kinda make it more Halloween-y so :p Also as a side note; It’s only subbed so all y’all who prefer dub are gonna be disappointed.

Ancient Magus Bride

Chise Hatori, a 15-year-old Japanese girl, was sold for five million pounds at an auction to a tall masked gentleman. Abandoned at a young age and ridiculed by her peers for her unconventional behavior, she was ready to give herself to any buyer if it meant having a place to go home to. In chains and on her way to an unknown fate, she hears whispers from robed men along her path, gossiping and complaining that such a buyer got his hands on a rare "Sleigh Beggy." Ignoring the murmurs, the mysterious man leads the girl to a study, where he reveals himself to be Elias Ainsworth—a magus. After a brief confrontation and a bit of teleportation magic, the two open their eyes to Elias' picturesque cottage in rural England. Greeted by fairies and surrounded by weird and wonderful beings upon her arrival, these events mark the beginning of Chise's story as the apprentice and supposed bride of the ancient magus.

I love this one so much. My only issue is what would have made it more Halloween inspired would have been if they’s gone through Samhain and not skipped straight to Yule. BUT monsters, mages, witches, alchemists, and fae make this anime perfect for magic inspire Halloween watch.

Another

In 1972, a popular student in Yomiyama North Middle School's class 3-3 named Misaki passed away during the school year. Since then, the town of Yomiyama has been shrouded by a fearful atmosphere, from the dark secrets hidden deep within.

Horror, horror, horror and gore. Enjoy this with friends and family who have a strong stomach and are old enough to not get scared. The deaths are absolutely horrific and it takes place all around a middle school class. (Read the novel, of the same name, it’s based off if you dare)

Ao no Exorcist

Humans and demons are two sides of the same coin, as are Assiah and Gehenna, their respective worlds. The only way to travel between the realms is by the means of possession, like in ghost stories. However, Satan, the ruler of Gehenna, cannot find a suitable host to possess and therefore, remains imprisoned in his world. In a desperate attempt to conquer Assiah, he sends his son instead, intending for him to eventually grow into a vessel capable of possession by the demon king.

Anyone who’s been around anime long enough knows or knows of this anime. Who wouldn’t have added this into their Halloween Anime list? It has to do with Demons and the Son of Satan.

Black Butler  

Young Ciel Phantomhive is known as "the Queen's Guard Dog," taking care of the many unsettling events that occur in Victorian England for Her Majesty. Aided by Sebastian Michaelis, his loyal butler with seemingly inhuman abilities, Ciel uses whatever means necessary to get the job done. But is there more to this black-clad butler than meets the eye?

Classic as well. Don’t forget the movies and season 3. We don’t speak of season 2 0.0″ Also the manga has taken a VERY dark turn as of recent so if you’re looking for reading material, there you go.

Blood-C 

Peaceful schoolgirl by day, fearsome monster slayer by night, Saya Kisaragi is leading a split life. Equipped with a ceremonial sword given to her by her father for sacred tasks, she vanquishes every monster who dares threaten her quiet little village. But all too soon, Saya's reality and everything she believes to be true is tested, when she overhears the monsters speak of a broken covenant—something she knows nothing about. And then, unexpectedly, a strange dog appears; it asks her to whom she promised to protect the village, curious as to what would happen if she were to break that promise. Tormented by unexplainable visions and her world unraveling around her, we travel with Saya through her struggle to find a way to the truth in a village where nothing is as it seems.

Another very gory anime. Children, please do avoid.

Bloodivores

60 years ago, a strange case of insomnia struck the population, forcing them to stay awake for more than a full week. The victims, completely sleep deprived, all went mad. To cure this illness, a new medicine was produced, but the side effects turned the patients into vampires. Humanity went to war against this new species and triumphed, but some of the vampires managed to survive. Born from a Human and a Vampire, the main character Mi Liu, "The Child of Hope," is to represent the new hope that will connect the two species. Ringleader of a bank robbery, Mi Liu is arrested and transferred to a special prison of the National Defense Agency that monitors Vampires.

Genetically created vampires. Need I say more?

Blood Lad

Staz Charlie Blood is a powerful vampire who rules the Eastern district of Demon World. According to rumors, he is a bloodthirsty and merciless monster, but in reality, Staz is just an otaku obsessed with Japanese culture and completely uninterested in human blood. Leaving the management of his territory to his underlings, Staz spends his days lazing around, indulging in anime, manga, and games.

A vampire otaku... Thank you, this is exactly what I needed. 

D.Gray-Man

Losing a loved one is so painful that one may sometimes wish to be able to resurrect them—a weakness that the enigmatic Millennium Earl exploits. To make his mechanical weapons known as "Akuma," he uses the souls of the dead that are called back. Once a soul is placed in an Akuma, it is trapped forever, and the only way to save them is to exorcise them from their vessel using the Anti-Akuma weapon, "Innocence."

*Piece of advice. D. Gray-Man the first series was not finished in Dub if you’re one who prefers Dub. So heading into D. Gray-Man Hollow, you’ll be confused as hell. It’s best to just watch Sub so you don’t have to worry about missing a huge chunk of info. 

But if you like anime about demons and exorcists there’s more than just Blue Exorcist. This one I suggest because it’s phenomenal, but that’s personal opinion XD

Dance with Devils

Ritsuka Tachibana has always been a good student, so she is completely shocked when she is suddenly summoned by the student council. Even more, they seem to think of Ritsuka as a troublemaker. Led by the handsome Rem Kaginuki, the student council—also consisting of Urie Sogami, Shiki Natsumizaka, and Mage Nanashiro—tries to question her, but it soon becomes clear that they have ulterior motives.

This is one based off an Otome (Dating game) so try YT for gameplay if you wanna see the whole story. Yet another about demons and exorcists, but this time there are vampires and Cerberus added to the mix. Plus for those who know-how Otome heroines are basically pushovers, this one has a strong-willed girl as our protagonist. Thank you, Ritsuka for breaking the mold T/\T

Diabolik Lovers

At the behest of her father, Yui Komori goes to live in a secluded mansion, home to the six Sakamaki brothers—Shuu, Reiji, Ayato, Kanato, Laito, and Subaru—a family of vampires. Though at first the siblings are confused as to why the girl has arrived, they soon realize that she is to be their new "sacrificial bride," not to mention their other, more carnal intentions for her. After meeting the brothers, Yui quickly begins to question why her father would have sent her here and why she feels a strange, new pain in her chest. With each brother more sadistic than the last, Yui's life as a captive takes a harrowing turn in her new home. As her days turn into endless nights, and each brother vows to make her his own, Yui falls deeper and deeper into madness and ecstasy.

Otome with like 4? games, try YT for gameplay. I’m a little sad that it only has two seasons and the episodes are like 13-15 minutes long. Still, if you like Otome based games, you’ve most likely seen this. DO NOT EXPECT VANILLA ROMANCE. THIS IS NOT A FUN RIDE IF YOU EXPECT THAT.

Death Note

A shinigami, as a god of death, can kill any person—provided they see their victim's face and write their victim's name in a notebook called a Death Note. One day, Ryuk, bored by the shinigami lifestyle and interested in seeing how a human would use a Death Note, drops one into the human realm.

Classic... But not my personal cup of tea. I added it because it’s a salute to one of my dear friends.

Little Witch Academia

"A believing heart is your magic!"—these were the words that Atsuko "Akko" Kagari's idol, the renowned witch Shiny Chariot, said to her during a magic performance years ago. Since then, Akko has lived by these words and aspired to be a witch just like Shiny Chariot, one that can make people smile. Hence, even her non-magical background does not stop her from enrolling in Luna Nova Magical Academy.

This one is just cute and intense. Witches are starting to die out but one girl wants desperately to be a witch like her idol was. I love how this brings in witchy elements and some fairy tale elements.

Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist

The story revolves around William, an aristocratic family's progeny with rare intellect. One day, his uncle lost his possessions after his business failed. Fearing that his family's name has been tarnished, William returns home and searches with his family's butler for anything that can be converted into cash. A search of the premises yields an underground room left by an ancestor. In the room is a magical seal, and William unintentionally summons a devil. The summoned devil tells William his name Dantalion and reveals that William is the designator who can choose the acting ruler of the demon world.

If realists were like William, I think the world would be on fire. The poor people that have to deal with him. At least most of them are demons, maybe that will knock his head into gear... right?

Miira No Kaikata 

High school student Sora Kashiwagi is accustomed to receiving bizarre presents from his father, who is on an expedition around the world. Unfortunately, these gifts have been nothing but nightmares. As a result, when his father sends him a huge package from Egypt, Sora prepares himself for the worst, only to be greeted by Mii-kun—a cute, pint-sized mummy! While initially wary, Sora soon learns that Mii-kun is harmless, a delicate creature yearning for attention.

I can understand people who don’t like horror or gore. I was there once. So here’s a cute anime about a boy and his pet mummy. Sanrio really did a great job turning the manga, which was darker than the anime, into something so cute and so wholesome.

Mirai Nikki

Lonely high school student, Yukiteru Amano, spends his days writing a diary on his cellphone while conversing with his two seemingly imaginary friends Deus Ex Machina, who is the god of time and space, and Murmur, the god's servant. Revealing himself to be an actual entity, Deus grants Yukiteru a "Random Diary," which shows highly descriptive entries based on the future and forces him into a bloody battle royale with 11 other holders of similarly powerful future diaries.

I have no word on this.

Owari no Seraph

With the appearance of a mysterious virus that kills everyone above the age of 13, mankind becomes enslaved by previously hidden, power-hungry vampires who emerge in order to subjugate society with the promise of protecting the survivors, in exchange for donations of their blood.

The Apocolypse starts and vampires rule the world. I dunno if that sounds like heaven or hell for me? But in this world, it would certainly be hell. Vampires rule the world but that doesn't mean the humans are gone. An army rises to protect what’s left from the bloodsuckers. And did I mention demons? Along with the concept of corrupt angels? Oh yeah, that’s gotta be hell on earth.

Pandora Hearts

To young Oz Vessalius, heir to the Vessalius Duke House, the perilous world called the Abyss is nothing more than a folktale used to scare misbehaving children. However, when Oz's coming-of-age ceremony is interrupted by the malicious Baskerville Clan intent on banishing him into the depths of the Abyss, the Vessalius heir realizes that his peaceful life of luxury is at its end. Now, he must confront the world of the Abyss and its dwellers, the monstrous "Chains," which are both not quite as fake as he once believed.

I couldn't have found a better gif for this anime. It’s Alice in Wonderland inspired but with a much darker twist than what Disney gave us (and yes I do mean both the original and the Tim Burton version). Enjoy this one because it’s not all dark there is humor to break up the heart-wrenching. But don’t expect it to always be comical. 

Phantom in the Twilight

Set in modern-day London, the story takes place in a world where "Shadows" are born from human fear and anxiety. A young girl arrives to study abroad, only to be caught in a bizarre incident as she enters university. In a city with no acquaintances, the helpless girl wanders into "Café Forbidden," a mysterious café that exclusively opens at midnight. She meets an assortment of handsome men employed at the café, where guardians who protect the boundary between humans and shadow convene

Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and even demons; this one would be great for Halloween. I will admit though, it’s lackluster considering these guys are supposed to be Dracula, the Wolfman, and so on. It might be someone’s cup of tea, just not everyone’s 

Rosario to Vampire

Youkai Academy is a seemingly normal boarding school, except that its pupils are monsters learning to coexist with humans. All students attend in human form and take normal academic subjects, such as literature, gym, foreign language, and mathematics. However, there is one golden rule at Youkai Academy—all humans found on school grounds are to be executed immediately!

I couldn’t get through this one. I’m not gonna lie. It was basically light hentai and I’m not into that kinda stuff, but I feel like someone would have called me out for it not being here so T-T

Servamp 

Mahiru Shirota firmly believes that simple is best and troublesome things should be avoided at all costs. It is troublesome to do nothing and regret it later—and this ideology has led the 15-year-old to pick up a stray cat on his way home from school. As he affectionately names the feline Kuro, little does he know that this chance meeting will spark an extraordinary change in his everyday life.

I’m gonna be completely honest, the manga was better. I love the anime don’t get me wrong. I’ve rewatched it many times. But it cut out so much from the manga. So as an anime, watch it first before reading the manga, then go back and nitpick. If you do it the other way around you may be more disappointed.

Soul Eater

Death City is home to the famous Death Weapon Meister Academy, a technical academy headed by the Shinigami—Lord Death himself. Its mission: to raise "Death Scythes" for the Shinigami to wield against the many evils of their fantastical world. These Death Scythes, however, are not made from physical weapons; rather, they are born from human hybrids who have the ability to transform their bodies into Demon Weapons, and only after they have consumed the souls of 99 evil beings and one witch's soul. This one is perfect for Halloween with it’s dark but funny themes. If you prefer the cutesier stuff like I do sometimes try Soul Eater NOT! The concept of soul-eating monsters and a school that teaches teens to fight and destroy them, A+ content. Plus some of those teens turn into actual weapons. Where is my sign up sheet? I would gladly take that over normal boring high school. Also add the grim reaper into the mix then give him a funny voice and disposition. Gold I tell ya.

Togainu no Chi

In the wake of a third world war that left Japan in ruins, an organization known as Vischio seized control of Tokyo and renamed it Toshima. Taking place in its back alleys are battle games known as Igura, overseen by the Vischio, in which contestants battle and bathe in each other's blood to earn the chance to go up against its tournament's king, Il-re.

This one is for all my lovely fujoshi/fudanshi peoples. It’s a dark anime and based off a rated M, BL Otome. Sinners welcome.

Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo has become a cruel and merciless city—a place where vicious creatures called “ghouls” exist alongside humans. The citizens of this once great metropolis live in constant fear of these bloodthirsty savages and their thirst for human flesh. However, the greatest threat these ghouls pose is their dangerous ability to masquerade as humans and blend in with society.

This one is mainstream for a reason. It’s a good story, anime or manga. Mainly manga. Anyway, I haven’t seen Re yet, but I’ve heard it’s sheit. Still gonna watch it though cause why the hell not.

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru

Growing up as an orphan, Yuki Sakurai questions his reason for living and the ability to see a person's painful memory by simply touching them. After receiving anonymous notes telling him to die, Yuki is unable to shake off the nagging feeling forming inside of him. Unbeknownst to him, he is being watched, both by people who want to harm him and those who want to protect him.

Reincarnation from a girl to a boy and the girl had a hot lover that is now with her male reincarnation. And the lover is a vampire. Man, that’s confusing but the story is good. I have yet to read the manga. The anime was great from what I can remember, so give it a shot. It’s another BL anime, so proceed with caution.

Vampire Knight

Cross Academy is an elite boarding school with two separate, isolated classes: the Day Class and the Night Class. On the surface, Yuuki Cross and Zero Kiryuu are prefects of the academy and attempt to keep order between the students as classes rotate in the evenings. As the Night Class is full of utterly gorgeous elites, this can sometimes prove to be a bit difficult. It is completely necessary, however, as those "elites" are actually vampires. Yuuki and Zero act as guardians, protecting the secrets of the Night Class and the safety of their ignorant morning counterparts.

If twilight was an anime, but Bella and Edward were siblings and Jacob was another vampire. This is not a great anime but let's face it, some of us watched it as preteens, enjoyed it, and were head over heels for Zero and/or Kaname. It’s a trash anime, but great for those who are 21 and over. Do I hear drinking games, anyone?

All synopsis came from My Anime List (where the links take you). Also, I’m sorry it’s a lot to read, I just didn’t want to cut them down. Feel free to add what you think should have been on here, or what you think is a Halloween favorite on reposts. Comments are welcome and have a happy spooky season!

[yoolee]

Samurai Love Ballet: PARTY

A/N:  A quintessential exercise in self-indulgence. Learn about the Nutcracker here. Original headcanon here. Also, all thanks to @han-pan, the culler of commas, the tracker of tenses, the sense-maker of sentences, etc. and so forth. EDIT I AM TERRIBLE Y’ALL I forgot to credit @dear-mrs-otome, provisioner of puns that you will encounter around 10:16.

Samurai Love Ballet: PARTY – Battle for Divine Tulle

07:03

Kojuro is already grateful for his assistant. He acquiesces instantly as she swaps his long-cold cup of coffee for a fresh mug of tea. In the same motion, she swipes away his notes on funding allocations and exchanges them for a tray of breakfast with as stern an expression as any scolding mother. It’s ruined a bit by the rosiness in her cheeks, brought out by the wreaths of steam from her tea and his. Instead of stern, he thinks perhaps that she looks like one of Drosselmeyer’s delights—enchanting and entrancing.

If only he could cajole her into being a distraction as they are, but she is already off and into his  spreadsheets, and he suspects he has missed his chance this morning.  Pity, that.

Though not for his budget, he acknowledges, as he watches her at work, murmuring quiet recommendations with efficient care.

She is, undoubtedly, his left hand, and he allows himself the time to marvel until she looks up and catches him watching. With something like a dismayed pout, she points to his plate. Not quite sheepishly, he digs in to the food she’s brought and his stomach sighs in gratitude at the reprieve from his abuse. He should know better than to drink coffee on an empty stomach, but he hadn’t meant to get sucked into things so early. He has to admit, that’s what he’s said every other morning since he accepted the position. Somehow, no matter how many hours he works, there’s more to do and it’s his job as artistic director to see it all done right. And so he comes in the early hours before spats between soloists, disruptions by set design, and last-minute changes by their capricious Executive Director and Producer can be introduced to interrupt his day.

And though she scolds, she never fails to see him fed with something fresh and tasty from her kitchen.

(That wasn’t in the job description, but he appreciates it.)

Not, he acknowledges, that her uniquely evolved role really has one. She gets him to delegate, keeps track of schedules, hops on stage for blocking, and notes down Nobunaga’s endless whims with a mostly straight expression schooled on her lips (she’s getting better at that, but it still makes him smile).

In another era, he supposes, she might have been his page, though he struggles to imagine a similarly absurd set of circumstances leading her to his side through history as those that have conspired to put her here now.

“Kojuro, are you listening?”

He blinks, and offers her a smile that only makes her faint frown deepen. “Of course, precious girl.”

She looks skeptical but reaches over and brushes his cheek, a soft smile lighting her bright features even as she attempts—unsuccessfully, once again, although he won’t tell her so—to school her expression into one that is serious and scolding. “Eat your breakfast.” She glances around the abysmal mess of his office, and fails to hide a sigh. “You know, it would be easier to find things if—”

Eager to silence that thought before she can finish it and he can get roped in, he quickly (and blindly) agrees to the unfinished thought he has no wish to hear her speak aloud and so turn into action on his part, “You’re right of course!”

08:30 - Elsewhere

(Outside his office, the company begins to trickle in, bags over shoulders, circles under eyes. He hears Oichi; the smooth, confident tones of his prima floating easily over the sleepy chatter of the rest)

08:45

As is his habit at this time, Kojuro checks in on Masamune.

To his pleasure, the company’s maestro is nibbling silently on a familiar-looking breakfast of his own, steadfast in keeping crumbs from falling onto his perfectly tuned piano. Kojuro feels a surge of appreciation for his assistant once more and the thoughtfulness that marks her presence in the company. It was once a rare thing to see an empty plate in Masamune’s hands, and Kojuro can only be relieved at the change.

Beyond Masamune’s corner, tucked against the far wall where mirrors meet barres, the dancers are stretching, and Kojuro can’t help but smile at their half-asleep grumblings and mumblings. It will be the quietest they are all day, no doubt.

“Do you miss it?” Masamune asks quietly.

Kojuro glances at him in surprise, and knows there’s more to the question than an eavesdropper would guess. Because of who asked, he considers the question with due gravitas. He remembers sore muscles, charley horses at 3 AM. He remembers the stage lights, the smiles, the whispering swell of ah’s from the audience, and applause at the end. He remembers how it feels to hold another person in his hands, a partnership dependent on synchronized seconds, the slide of warm palms across satin and tulle, the toss, the turn, the temperaments and trust.

But he considers, too, the alternative and lays them neatly side-by-side in his thoughts. In the other column is laying the strategy, translating the vision, plucking the strings and soothing the tempers, turning an idea into a grand reality, and watching it from the wings as it unfolds, out of his hands and in the feet of his dancers and timing of his crew. And, of course, his assistant, whose path may have never crossed with his own it were still endlessly and intricately making circles under spotlights.

On stage, he was a commander, by necessity.

Offstage, he is more…a consultant, and no less necessary.

He smiles faintly, and says nothing.

Masamune nods, and turns back to his piano as the dance master enters the room.

Kojuro’s faint smile turns a tinge wicked as the dancers immediately scramble to the barres without a word from their already faintly-disapproving instructor. Ishida Mitsunari is no easy taskmaster, but then, nor should he be. Kojuro inclines his head in greeting and slips out as class starts, the dancemaster’s acerbic snap deriding floppy dégagés and lazy, dull dancers echoing in his wake.

9:38 - Elsewhere

(Noboyuki is leading the corps through their new steps in the party dance. He corrects a placement with a touch that’s brief and a smile that lingers. The dancer stumbles - and the warmth gains an edge of disappointment.)

10:16

It’s too quiet.

Kojuro leaves his office, concerned with the serenity, and finds his instincts rewarded; his stage manager nearly in tears.

In three seasons, Kojuro has never seen Mitsuhide lose his calm. The quintessential right hand man, Oda Company’s Stage Manager is one of the only ones willing to push back against Nobunaga (understandably so, as it’s his crew that invariably takes the brunt of his changes) and handles each immediate backstage crisis with aplomb and quiet certainty. So Kojuro can only imagine what tragedy has struck, what horror has befallen his fellow cat-herder.

“Mitsuhide!” Alarmed, he runs to the man’s side, nearly taking a spill when a waylaid prop trips him up in his haste, “What’s happened?”

The other man turns, and schools his expression into one more familiarly unruffled on his features, but it only lasts a second before crumpling once more, as he turns back to hunch over what he has discovered. His hands helplessly gesture before him to the ropes looped around stage pegs. Worried, Kojuro follows his pointing finger, stepping closer to take a look at what he is sure is going to eat into his already thin budget.

And stops dead.

Mitsuhide sniffs and gets himself under control.

Almost.

“What a good widdle kitty she iiiiiis yes, and what widdle noooooses they have!”

Kojuro’s arms cross, troubled crease pressing between his brows. Apparently the theatre’s resident mouser, Bontenmeowru, is not, in fact, a he. Being an uneasy fan at best—despite the adorable name his assistant provided in an attempt to woo him to the creature’s side—Kojuro decides to let Mitsuhide handle it. “Right.” He says faintly. “Little noses.” Part of him wants to lean closer, stroke the soft fur and say hello.

The other part remembers what claws feel like.

He turns on his heel and retreats hastily to his office.

10:17 - Elsewhere

(Mitsunari is reading the riot act over lethargic assemblés - just because something is simple does not mean it is acceptable to do it without necessary effort. His ironclad argument rattles off the mirrored walls)

10:58

One of his marzipan flutes is missing her call.

Umeko, Kojuro thinks with a sigh. He automatically looks for Matsuko, since the pair of them seem to be inseparable, but for once they're proving him wrong. Matsuko is currently trying wheedle advice—and a date, Kojuro suspects—from their Cavalier. Shingen looks nonplussed, indulging the dancer’s flirtations with a cocksure smile, and Kojuro closes his eyes.

He’ll worry about that later.

For now he has a flute to find.

He is unexpectedly aided by the thud and flash of a spotlight turning on, illuminating his wayward dancer perfectly. He’s curious for a moment just how Saizo knew who he was looking for, until he sees who Umeko is with. His flute is arched into a stretch with her ankle resting on a completely frozen, sheet-white stagehand’s shoulder. “Thanks, Yukimura, you’re just the right height to help me stretch, and I’m so—”

Kojuro fights to hide a smile and instead pointedly glances to the light booth. Saizo.

The spotlight flicks off.

“Umeko.” Kojuro murmurs. It’s his firm tone, and he has to work to keep it that way when not only Umeko, but poor Yukimura too, jump in absolute unison. Umeko looks disappointed at worst. Yukimura looks…

Red. Kojuro decides, after cycling through a variety of descriptions regarding guilt, horror, shame, and impending visits to the gallows.

“I—that’s—well, um—I didn’t…” The man stumbles helplessly, despair in his brilliant blue gaze as he runs a nervous hand through his hair.

“Of course not,” Kojuro agrees blandly, patting him on the shoulder. “You…” He has to pause to take a breath or he’ll start laughing and the poor fellow doesn’t—quite—deserve that. “Have dropped your tools…”

Yukimura blinks, and glances down, clearly failing to have noticed what would have smashed the toes of a less hearty soul. Not for the first time, Kojuro thinks wistfully of the lifts that could be effortlessly accomplished—if he weren’t afraid the tendency to drop tools would translate to dancers too. (Shingen has been coaching him. Kojuro wonders if Yukimura realizes quite what Shingen’s plans for him are - and, given the other contenders to replace the man when he retires, thinks it’s probably for the best if everyone remains in the dark).

Yes, best to keep him on sets for now, even if he does tap his toes in . Kojuro smiles sympathetically and nods before placing a hand on Umeko’s back to lead her away and back to where she is supposed to be. She looks nonplussed and pleased with herself. He gives her a look. “Please refrain from traumatizing our technicians.”

Umeko sighs, biting her lip and watching as Inuchiyo strolls by, whistling, on his way to the set shop, toolbelt slung on his hips and half of Clara’s bed over his shoulder. “But they’re so pretty…”

Kojuro makes a noncommittal sound. “Places, please.”

11:46 - Elsewhere

(There is a great fussing hullabaloo over a missing prop. Kansuke stands in the wings, holding it out to multiple people as they scurry about, frantically seeking it. No one takes notice.)

12:12

At noon, disaster strikes.

Though he has too much dignity—and awareness of ground that would be lost should he appear flustered—to run, Kojuro certainly does make his steps faster. His cast is palpably silent and that’s never good. It means one thing.

The Executive Director has paid a visit.

Kojuro closes his eyes in brief prayer that he has not yet crossed paths with Shingen, but knows it is in vain when he hears their lead dancer's low, amused laugh followed by the purring patronization, "Listen, slugger—"

"You listen you broken-down, doddering—"

Kojuro steps smoothly in between and doesn’t have time to sigh, "Director Oda—"

"—decrepit geezer, I—"

"Gentlemen!" Kojuro tries once more. This time he at least gets a glance in his direction. Where was Mitsuhide? Where was Kansuke? His assistant, at least, appears with a wink and a plate of sweets. He could kiss her. In fact he makes a mental note to do just that, and maybe more, once rehearsals were done for the night. "Director Oda, if you would follow me. Danseur noble Takeda, if you would excuse us—"

Shingen raises an eyebrow at the formal speech and Kojuro silently warns him with a gaze but to no avail. "Of course. Some of us are—"

"Hey Shingen try this, yeah?" His assistant shoves a cake in the dancer's mouth, even as her other hand busily pushes the plate into Kojuro's hands. Smooth as any choreography, he in turn offers it to their capricious financial supporter while doing his best to lead the man away. Luckily, Nobunaga is as fond of the home-baked goods as he ever was; though he looks a bit put out, allows himself to be steered away. Kojuro lets out a silent breath of relief. He rather dreaded asking, but the sooner he did so, the sooner it could be dealt with. "Now, what was it you came by…?"

"The tree needs to be bigger."

The tree already grew over 30 feet. He definitely needs Mitsuhide and is relieved when the other man flanks Oda from the other side, already looking determined. If also somewhat more decorated with cat fur than usual. “The tree is fine.”

“The tree needs to be bigger.”

Kojuro thinks despairingly of smooth rehearsals and takes a deep breath. “Why don’t we consider…”

12:30 - Elsewhere

(His assistant is everywhere, lunch in hand for those who have forgotten, chatting brightly and soothing bruised egos that took batterings during morning lessons. Mitsunari is unrepentant - and the dancers do look better).

13:34

Kojuro is thinking that he doesn’t miss the stagelights.

They’re hot, for one. Saizo is clever with them—he’s in the rafters again even now Kojuro suspects, and vaguely ( vainly) he hopes Sasuke, hasn’t clambered up after him again, because he’s certain that’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.  The boy, who takes the bus straight to the studio from school is supposed to be their production’s Fritz and not an apprentice lighting technician, but Saizo and Yukimura do keep him out of trouble. Trouble just reminds him of the rest of his cast, and he decides to go back to thinking about lights as a safer topic of consideration. It’s the nature of having them on for a two or more hour performance, and the exertion required to perform for its duration, for them to heat up.

A dancer could be spared, he supposes, if one used less lights in the production, and he is the one who could make that call. He doesn’t. The effect of them, sending the younger Sanada’s sets into gleaming brilliance, is too valuable to the performance, and even if Oda would accept anything less than brilliance in his company’s productions—which he would never—Kojuro himself is hardly satisfied with a strategy less than absolute.

So the lights stay and the stage will heat. By the end of the run, the ornately beautiful—and heavy—costumes lovingly crafted by the Uesugi costume master will be saturated with sweat and grime, the sort that no amount of sprayed vodka or deodorizer can mask. Kojuro would have been skeptical of the vodka usage had he not used it himself in his own days of drenched costumes and dance belts.

(He doesn’t miss those, either.)

14:03 - Elsewhere

(Kenshin is gleefully fitting Shingen for tights. Kanetsugu stays outside the door, and resignedly warns away any would-be knockers)

15:21

One of his dancers is throwing a tantrum.

Objectively speaking, that isn’t unusual. He is used to artistic temperaments and the delicate handling of their sensibilities. What’s unusual, this time, is that the dancer in question is not entirely known for such things. His Clara is throwing a tantrum.

That is surprising.

Ai is an angel and has displayed remarkable maturity for her age in the face of being given a role that often creates quite an ego in young dancers. Immediately, Kojuro looks around for Sasuke, who at times embraces the bratty mischief of his role as Fritz a bit too literally. But he is nowhere to be found (rafters, Kojuro resigns himself with a sigh).

Kojuro crafts his tone to gentleness, the respectful quiet he used ages ago on a younger Shigezane and Masamune. “Ai?”

It works—he sees her expression twist in the dismay of a child disappointing someone—and she squirms for a moment before confessing, clear as a bell, “I don’t want to dance with him.”

Kojuro merely waits, unsure of which him she refers to, until she points imperiously to…Ah, yes.

Well to some extent, he can’t really blame her.                

The man on the other hand of her accusatory pointing merely crosses his arms across his chest, his smile benign and angelic underneath loose curls of  gold. He looks every inch the falsely accused angel. Which is why, Kojuro reminds himself, he was cast in the first place as the prince transformed from Clara’s beloved Nutcracker.

Kojuro is smart enough not to ask Ai why. Unfortunately for him, the Rat King (a man Kojuro loves like a little brother, and briefly considers pummelling like one when he opens his mouth, but he’s too old for that) is not.  “Aww, why not, doll? He’s not so bad.”

Ai doesn’t miss a beat. “He’s a dick.”

There’s a beat of silence. Kojuro’s hand comes down hard on Ieyasu’s shoulder, locking him in place even as an outraged hiss escapes his Nutcracker Prince’s teeth. Someone snickers. Hideyoshi, probably, the other contender for the role who instead opted to play the mysterious Drosselmeyer. Kojuro quickly speaks up. “Ieyasu, please—Kenshin paged from the costume room, your costume repairs are done.”

He sees the calculation in molten eyes, the acidic rebuttal forming, and sees too the weighing of options, the bile swallowed back down as Ieyasu opts for a poison smile that is all golden acquiescence and good manners. “Of course, Director.” He bows farewell to Ai—and if there is a mocking flick in the gesture, it is brief— and stalks off with the catlike grace that keeps him employed when his attitude has sent more than one of his corps dancers weeping to the wings.

Kojuro allows himself the brief pleasure of imagining Kenshin’s assistant’s face when he learns of his daughter’s language. He bites down a smile and decides that, outburst aside, Ai has earned her secrets. “It’s only for a few steps, Ai. After the Nutcracker turns into the Prince, Clara turns into the Princess.” A different dancer, instead of the child Clara.  “Just a few steps…”He hears Hideyoshi laugh, and the cheerful whisper of then he’s someone else’s problem!  Kojuro throws a bitng glance, and then gentles his expression, and even more grateful to have decided so when Ai’s expression instantly collapses into one tremulously unsure.

“Can’t I dance with Uncle Kenshin instead?”

“He’s retired,” Kojuro murmurs gently. And happier, by all accounts, in the throes of endless tulle, sequins, and silks. So long as he stays on budget, Kojuro is happy to leave him to it – and minding the budget is Kanetsugu’s headache before it’s Kojuro’s.  And speaking of absolving headaches, Kojuro’s assistant is suddenly there, kneeling by Ai’s side with a sisterly smile.

“C’mon, let’s take a break, huh?” His assistant cajoles sympathetically. Ai nods and Kojuro hears as they walk away, “You know, Mitsuhide found kittens…”

“Can we name ‘em?”

“I don’t see why not.”

Kojuro allows himself a brief moment of sympathy for the creatures, who will surely be doomed to paw de mew and copurrlia.

But then it’s back to business. “Set for Land of Snow,” he calls.

16:38 - Elsewhere

(Inuchiyo reaches for the drop curtain pull--instead he gets the snow release. White fluff dumps down on startled ballerinas two dance sets too early.)

16:58

Now, Kojuro thinks, unable to hide the smile that takes up residence on his face, now the fun begins.

The calm before the storm. Or, he supposes – the smaller squall before the tempest, since the stage and theatre is swarming with activity as dancers chatter and stretch and snack on their break, parents drop children off for rehearsal, set pieces are hauled into place. He waves to Kojiro, being fitted for his Toy Soldier costume, and is gratified when the boy’s expression blooms into a grin as he returns the wave. Next in line is his assistant’s little brother Yahiko, already angling for a fancy corporal’s hat. Kenshin is beaming at him, and whips out a peacock feather (from where, exactly, is a concerning question for someone else to attend to) for the cap in question. Next to him, Kanetsugu snatches it away, nonplussed by the twin pouting expressions that meet him.

Kojuro moves on. In the audience, Ieyasu is smiling thinly at their Executive Director, and Kojuro can tell from his posture that the earlier slight has not been forgotten—but it has been tabled, for now. No one has glass in their pointe shoes, he supposes—he’d have heard the shouts.

Hideyoshi, eyepatch in place and swirling cape pooling around his shoulders, is entertaining Ai and some of the other toy soldiers while they wait. Solemn-faced Mitsunari glides by followed by a parade of tiny, bouncing mice, gleeful to be wearing their tutus for the first time and giggling at their rat king, Shigezane, who is trailing along as though he is one of them. Kojuro catches some of the calm, quiet instructions the oblivious Mitsunari offers his small entourage—and the grumbled complaint in their wake from Yasumasa who fails to understand why the dancemaster doesn’t treat them like that. Their choreographer Nobuyuki pats him consolingly on the shoulder, but murmurs serenely, “Because they don’t show up hungover.” Toramatsu laughs, but smothers it when Yasumasa glares. Tadakatsu does not such thing and Kojuro calmly steps between his Spanish and Russian dancers, currently dressed as party guests for the first act, silently pointing them to their places.

His Arabian dancer is missing. No—Kojuro lowers his searching gaze, and sure enough, finds the man napping in the audience. “Kageie…”

His harlequin doll pops up at his elbow, “I got him!”

Kojuro murmurs his thanks and continues his survey. Oichi and Shingen are practicing the shoulder sit lift to the gleeful oohs and aahs of the younger dancers. Yukimura is looking far happier, but that likely has something to do with kittens in his arms, all straining towards a less-happy looking Saizo. Mitsuhide is adjusting his headset, murmuring instructions. Masamune’s orchestra tunes their instruments under his gaze and Kojuro frowns at their fearful whispers. Just because Masamune has high standards…he shakes his head. “Places!” he calls, and then there’s only one more person to find.

He smiles when he sees her, head ducked against her childhood friend’s as he makes a last minute repair to toyboxes Toramatsu and Yoshichi will appear from in the first act. Inuchiyo says something that makes her laugh, and the brightness of it is still in her eyes when they lift and meet his.

There, he thinks, is the true calm. Not before the storm, but in the center of it, amidst dancers scrambling to places and 30 foot tall trees (soon, Kojuro thinks with a sigh, to be 45), sour-tongued soloists and lost slippers, napping performers and flustered stagehands. He holds out a hand and she accepts it with a grin.

“Ready, Director?”

“Are we ever?” he offers fondly, but turns to the cast and raises a hand that—mostly—invites silence, helped by Masamune silencing the instruments. He has their attention, for now. For a few hours more, he’ll hold it, and take them through the paces necessary to create a dream out of dancing feet and magic out of mechanical sets. “From the top.”

More of Lee’s Rambles

[persephone-damnedqueen]

Beginning Thoughts of the Fall Anime Season 2017 . . .

Welp, fall is here, and as usual, it is time for me to do my annual first impressions of the season’s anime titles.  My gods if you thought the amount of shows I checked out last season was a lot, this season’s amount is insane.  This season, so far, I have checked out 22 shows thus far and plan for at least 7 more to pick up.  Insane, right?  So how do they stack up so far?   Let’s see.  Also, please keep in mind, that these are solely based off of the first one or two episodes, and are purely my opinion, so if my opinion is different than yours, then I’d love to here it.   Also, I will try to remain as spoiler free as possible.  

Netojuu no Susume:  Studio Signal.MD

Dropped.  Alright, so I feel like I have to mention this.   I’m a serious gamer.  More specifically, I love me some MMOs.  How much you ask?   Well, so much so that I actually met my husband on World of Warcraft.  Insane right?  I mean my god you do not want to see our /played time on that game.  So, needless to say, I am a bit critical on gaming anime because of this, because I know what it’s like.   This anime was just. . . . cringey.  I found myself sighing every chance I got and by the 20 minute mark, completely turning it off.  Everything about the first episode was just  . . . bad.  There’s really just no redeeming qualities. . . well, one line said by the Guild Master which was something along the lines of “you have no idea what her irl gender is.”  I laughed.  It’s accurate.  85% of female toons you see on wow are actually guys. Anyways, moving on.   

Evil or Live:  Haoliners Animation

Dropped.  Mmmm  I had such high hopes.  After reading the summary, I will admit, I was hyped for this show.  On Paper, this show sounds wonderful.  I thought it was going to be some horror psychological thriller that at the end of it left you questioning the very meaning of the world around you or something.  Instead, what happened?   I . . .don’t even know.  The series starts off with massive amounts of Live Action, which, while being completely unexpected, I didn’t mind so much; the series became an instant drop for me when the MC and Co were clearly showing a break from reality and needed actual mental help, was beaten instead.   It wasn’t “horror” or “edgy” it was just poor writing.  Needless to say, I have dropped it.

Just Because!: Studio Pine Jam

Dropped.  For no other reason that fuck it’s boring.  I fell asleep watching it not once, but twice.  It was that boring.  This series proves that even the prettiest of shows can bore you to death.  

Omiai Aite wa Oshiego Tsuyoki na, Mondaiji:  Studio Seven

Porn.  With Plot.  Alright, so this is an actual hentai series.  Not like Soft-Core either like Hajimete no Gal was last season.  This is an actual hentai series, and if you could believe it, it’s actually more plot focused and semi-interesting than 95% of hentai out there.. . . Well, as interesting as a hentai series about a female teacher and a student banging and “engaged” can be.  Don’t get me wrong here, it’s totally trash, but hey, each episode is only four minutes, so I’m going to keep watching this trash just a bit longer to see where it goes.  

Sengoku Night Blood:  Typhoon Graphics

Mmmm Still waiting for the day with they make a good anime based off of an Otome Game.  Alright, so here’s the story.  Girl gets sent back into another world and gains a harem.  A vampire harem.  That’s it.  I’ve saved you the trouble of checking this series out.  You’re welcome.  

Urahara:  Studios Emt^2 and Shirogumi

Dropped.  Instant Drop.  Jesus Christ that animation is fucking trash.  You have two studios working on this series, and the animation still looks that garbagey?!?!  How?!?!?!  I can’t even with this. . . Ugh, nope, moving on.  

Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte kara:  Creators in Pack

Yet another series that will probably be dropped halfway through.  Honestly, there’s just nothing that really happens in this series, and I know it’s really hard for anything to happen in a four minute long series, but literally nothing happens.   Wife comes home.  Husband makes her drink.  Wife gets tipsy.  Thank you husband.  I mean the main reason why I’m going to be sticking it out just a bit longer is to keep getting cocktail recipes haha.   

Imouto Sae Ireba Ii:  Sliver Link Studios

Will probably be dropped.  Is it just me or is this series like Silver Link’s answer to A-1′s EroManga Sensei?  Honestly, this show is meh at best so far.  The art is nothing too great, and the story screams EroManga, and since I wasn’t a fan, I really don’t see myself watching more than three episodes.  

Boku no Kanojo ga Majimesugiru Sho-Bitch na Ken:  Studio Diomedea

I started watching it with hopes of it doing two things.  One, fill the hole in my heart that was left when Hajimete no Gal ended; and two, explain what the hell a Sho-Bitch is.  In all honestly though, this show is probably going to be dropped.  While the art is generic, the characters are bland and too common; I also the comedy too forced at time and repeatable.  Yes, we understand main waifu really just wants to figure out what Haruka likes, and obviously misinterprets everything, but does that really have to be the joke every single time?

Inuyashiki:  Studio MAPPA

Ah, the latest from Studio MAPPA.  I have one question:  MAPPA, what the fuck?  Let me clarify.  The opening few minutes of the first episode made me feel.  Fuck, I almost started crying.  It was depressing and yet the story was just relatable and beautiful all at the same time.  I was feeling feels I didn’t want to feel.  It really kept true to the Drama tag, which I love.  I’m a sucker for some hardcore drama filled series.  Then. . . .it got weird.  Some weird like mecha space alien thing weird.  So, again, MAPPA, what the fuck?  Don’t get me wrong here.  I will be continuing to watch this solely because despite the series taking that weird turn, in no way did that make the actual tone any less enjoyable.  Plus, the art style is so unique to the show, I’m curious as to where it can go from here.  

Mahoutsukai no Yome:  Wit Studio

Alright, I’m a fan.  This has to be a contender for Anime of the Season, and we aren’t even three episodes into it yet.  It’s wonderful, and not only one of my favorites from this season so far, but my favorite thing Wit Studio has ever done, (and yes, that just brought me a ton of hate from SnK fans haha).   I can see and agree with the hype this series has had.   Honestly, check it out.  It’s good  and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.  

Blend S:  A-1 Pictures

I found my Moe-Blob for the season, and I’m so happy.  I actually really like this series so far.  It was adorable, and literally just what I want in my seasonal moe-blob.  It’s nothing too driven plot wise, and definitely won’t be anime of the season or anything like that; it’s literally just Cute Girls waitressing in this cute cafe.  Regardless, I’m definitely going to continue to watch it for a bit longer at least.  

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou:  Studio White Fox

Keep your eye on this one this season.  It’s probably going to be the Dark Horse of this season.  In all honestly, I became instantly hooked watching the first episode.  The tone at the start was so eerie and grim that I found myself getting literal goosebumps.   Maybe it’s the high I’m on after the Made in Abyss ending, or just wanting to find something to fill the void that series has left me with, but I’m getting serious MiA vibes.  I’m hoping this series is even half as good as MiA was.  Also, I’m a major fan already of how unique the art is for this show.  

Ousama Game The Animation:  Studio Seven

I’m biased.  Period.  I will be watching this show no matter how terrible it could ever get solely because my favorite Seiyuu is the lead.  Mamoru is a God, and I will watch it religiously every week.  That being said, I can tell you that this show is edgy as fuck, and with it being one of two survival game anime out right now this season, this one is definitely the weaker, edgier of the two.  It is a pretty cool concept though, and I’m already a fan of the survival game concept, that I don’t mind watching this one until the end.  I would also like to warn that this one is definitely gory so if you don’t like that than this isn’t for you.    

Konohana Kitan:  Studio Lerche

CUTE LITTLE FOX GIRLS.  I REPEAT, CUTE LITTLE FOX GIRLS.  Having read the summary for the series prior,and seeing both the Seinen and Shoujo Ai tag on it and that it would be done by Lerche, it became an instant check out at least, and I’m glad I did.  This series is the calming pallet cleanser.  It’s the show where you can turn off your mind and just watch the cuteness.  Plus, did I mention cute little fox girls?  What more do you need?   

Black Clover:  Studio Pierrot

Alright, I’m split in two for this.  Part of me wants me to look at this show for what it is:  a stereotypical shounen series, with decent animation, predictable plot and bad voice acting, if you saw the first episode you’d know what I’m talking about.   This show screams Naruto, Fairy Tail and Bleach rip off; and hell, since I hate Naruto, never got into Bleach, and am still VERY pissed at Fairy Tail, combining the three into one really just makes me both cringe and glare at the screen.   Evil Glare.  A glare that if I could, would totally shoot lasers out and everything.  I mean hell, it’s even done by the same studio as Naruto.  Regardless, the tons and tons of shounen I’ve seen makes me just feel like this is repeating it all.   That’s one part of me.  The other part of me enjoys this show, solely for the fact that my husband LOVES the Black Clover manga, so watching it with him makes me at least want to give it a chance.   I do however doubt it will be as big as people hype it up to be, and if it does get big it will be nowhere near as good quality wise as a lot of other shounens, and will take a lot for me to become a fan.  

Juuni Taisen:  Graphinica

Without a doubt, my favorite from this season.  I’m hooked.  This series has it all:  unique character designs, well executed art, and a killer story line, (pun intended).  Mmmmm this story is wonderful.  It hooks you from the start, which is to be expected since the original source is written by the same original writer for the Monogatari Series.  There’s plot twists and betrayals and just epicness.  It also has one of the best openings and closings of the season.  Side Note:  THE PSYCHOTIC LITTLE USAGI BOY IS BEST BOY AND I WILL FIGHT ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE, AND IF HE DOESN’T WIN I WILL RIOT.  

Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru:  Washio Sumi no Shou:  Studio Gokumi

When I first saw that Yuki Yuno was getting another season, I was fucking thrilled.  Yuki Yuno was a magical girl series that I fell in love with not only because of the Madoka Magica vibes it had, but because of the beautiful art and animation and vibrant colors it used.  It’s visually stunning.  So, how is the prequel turning out?  Still just as stunning.  In all honestly, I’m going to love this series provided it stays true to the themes and tones of the first season, and if the opening episodes are anything to say about the rest of the series, then I know it will.  Plus, who isn’t up for Magical Girls this season?

Osomatsu-san 2nd Season:  Studio Pierrot

I actually genuinely missed this show.  My gods this show is a gift.  This has to be one of the underapprieciated comedy gems to come out in the recent years, and it fills me with joy knowing that it still shines just like the first season did.  I enjoy watching the episodic skits of everyone’s favorite sextuplets.  Seriously, why have you not started this show?  

Shokugeki no Soma:  J.C.Staff

DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I’VE WAITED TO SEE MY SON KUGA ANIMATED?!!??!  TOO LONG.  This is hands down the best season of Food Wars yet, and we are barely a couple episodes into it.   I love the pacing of this season, and having being a manga reader, I can confirm for you that it’s completely accurate with the manga thus far.  J.C Staff is clearly showing that they still care about Food Wars and aren’t rushing with the season.  Also, thank the gods for the 24 episode season.  THAT’S MORE EPISODES OF MY PRECIOUS KUGA.  

3-Gatsu no Lion 2nd Season:  Studio Shaft

I cried.  I fucking cried.  Hard.  My god I missed this series.  Everything about the first episode was fantastic.  The music and animation were spot on, but of course nothing out of the ordinary for the phenomenal Studio Shaft, but what did I love most you ask?  Character Development.  MY FUCKING GOD.  Compare Rei to the start of Season one, and you’d never think it’s the same person.  I can’t stress that enough.  If this first episode is a sign on how amazing the rest of this season is going to be then I’m beyond fucking happy.  This is the series I’ve been waiting for since the start of the year.  

Gintama.  Porori-hen:  Bandai Namco Pictures

Has there ever been like a bad season of Gintama?   Like Ever?  All this season has proved to me is: one, life is boring and dull without Gintama.  Two, Gintama is the king of comedy series.  Three, Gintama is without a doubt one of the greatest series of all time.   This season is hilarious and easily makes me burst out laughing from start to finish.  Thank you Gintama, I’ve truly missed you.  

Ballroom e Youkoso:  Production I.G.

How is the second half of the season you ask?  *Insert Pouting Face Here*  Fuck you, Chi-chan.  Worst Girl 2017.  THERE I SAID IT.  YEAH, I SAID IT.  WHAT YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?  #BRINGBACKBESTGIRL2017  Like, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Tartara has a partner now, but like seriously why her? -.-  Why couldn’t Mako just be his partner forever and they could live happily ever after?  

 So, yeah, those are my thoughts so far on the Fall Anime 2017 season.   Let me know yours, and if there is anything I’m not watching, and should be, then please tell me!  I love recommendations, and I already know of a few that I need to pick up. . . .

[deltaengineering]

Fall Anime 2017 Part 4: Screenshots don’t lie

Saturday’s a very busy day this season, and all the sequels are hitting too. Time to get to work!

Previously:

• Part 1: Maximum Something

• Part 2: The snooze cruise

• Part 3: Fooled again

Burendo Esu (Cat Balls the Animation)

Blend S is the story of schoolgirl Maika that has “mean eyes” (basically, she has tsurime in a tareme world), which prevents her from getting a job other than the one in a moe gimmick-themed café, where her duty is to make “mean eyes” at the customers. The other waitresses play a tsundere, an imouto, an idol and an onee-san. So yeah, that’s one way to get your standard moe show cast together. But wait! The twist here is that Maika is not actually mean! Quite the opposite actually! And that goes for all the other waitresses too! While girls getting forced into moe archetypes is a pretty amusing/scary concept, this is of course a Kirara manga, so they’re just different moe archetypes underneath. In short, the concept doesn’t amount to much. As far as Kiraralikes go, this isn’t a bad one though. It’s colorful, cute and a little funny, and splits the difference between a pure moefest like Knohana Kitan and the more structured comedy of a Working (obviously). Only the pervy Italian manager and his obsession with his blob underlings gets old pretty fast. If you’re down for a show like this, this is probably the one to watch, because unlike Konohana Kitan I didn’t wish for it to end.

Code: Realize - Sousei no Himegimi

While we’re on the topic of “best of the breed”, Code: Realize is an upmarket otome harem. I know, right. The setting is a basic steampunk universe, the bishounens are Arsène Lupin, Victor Frankenstein &c, and our bland heroine’s super special trait turns out to be killing everything she touches due to some jewels in “her heart”. I mean, who hasn’t been there. So everyone wants to “steal her heart” and Code: Realize is very keen to point out the double meaning of this constantly. Hey, we kinda did it in Katawa Shoujo so I can’t really complain. The thing is that Code: Realize is very obvious, but it’s also not all that bad – the fact that is has more going on than nothing at all already makes it the best otome harem since Akatsuki no Yona: It looks fairly pleasant, none of the main characters are tremendous assholes, and there seems to be some sort of story to go with the pretty boys. But it’s also not as hammy and ostentatious as, for example, Dance with Devils, so it’s caught in a middle ground where I can appreciate it not sucking tremendously, but I also don’t feel like watching it – because it’s too respectable.

Dynamic Chord

Dynamic Chord is another otome VN, this time about rock bands. Since this is 2017, apparently the production committee thought they could cut out the middleman, leave out the bland girl and just make a boyband anime instead, because those are all the rage right now. So it’s Tsukipro, apart from the bit where Tsukipro looks like a Ghibli movie next to this. Dynamic Chord is a production catastrophe that looks closer to a no-budget gag short of the Pikotarou Lullaby type (note: I mean “catastrophe” in the absolute sense, for all I know this could all be calculated perfectly and the producers are laughing all the way to the bank). The show consists almost entirely of two things: Long, quiet zooms and pans over stills, and montages, mostly of “performances”. Those performance themselves are really something else too. What if I told you that this is a show in 2017 that does not seem to feature ANY 3DCG? Turns out 3DCG actually costs money too, so when the band plays, they do paperdoll tweens of 2D artwork. Oh, and outside the performances lack of CG means you get the worst animated car since the QUALITYVAN. There’s also just baffling stuff like walk loops that don’t loop. Given that these montages are all endlessly long, you might think there’s not much space for a story. And you’d be right. Basically nothing happens, the singer of a band gets a bad case of the broods so some guy from another band has to substitute  for him. That’s it. Would have easily fit into 3 minutes, but I have to say that by the end of this show’s 24 minutes, I was straight up laughing my ass off when the next montage of bad stills started right after the last one ended. That’s something, right?

Garo - Vanishing Line

I’ve seen Garo before, but last time I didn’t know it was a tokusatsu meta-franchise, the anime versions of which really only share that there’s a gothick looking motherfucker fighting horrors called Horrors. So this has little to do with the last ones: different crew, different studio, different setting. Because this version of Garo is most definitely set IN AMERICA: The main character is a gothick looking motherfucker called "Sword” that charitably resembles Hellboy, and less charitably resembles a Leifeld original. He rides a big hawg around a Big Apple, eats big bloody steaks and looks at big boobies a lot because you know, setting. It’s charming in its idiocy, and this is MAPPA so you get a lot of fights with very nice animation too. I could watch this simply for the action, but I won’t because there’s a Murrica-sized caveat here: The fights take place at night, are edited very rapidly and most importantly their idea of an impact frame is to do an extreme camera shake effect with intense motion blur. And there is a lot of impact frames – believe me, that might have been the easiest screenshot to find for an article yet, and I highly suspect I could have found worse ones if this wouldn’t bring the point across already. I simply can’t tell what the fuck is going on because everything is an incomprehensible mess, no matter how nice the frames beneath the effects are. It’s pretty infuriating because this show is one mouse click away from being a good time, simply disable your After Effects layer with the shake on it. But I can’t do that for them, so Vanishing Line ends up being a bad time instead. And even if you are interested in some big, zany action in the ol’ Gotham, there’s a little something that makes Vanishing Line instantly obsolete:

Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront) & Beyond

Yeah boiiiiiiii, Kekkai Sensen is back. I had forgotten how fun this show can be, and we’ll discuss the reasons shortly. A lot has happened since 2015, and I have a good reference point for it now: Kekkai Sensen is basically One-Punch Man without The Joke. It’s an universe full of all sorts of crazy nonsense and a bunch of cool dudes that try to keep thing under control, usually in an explosive manner. The one really important thing that Beyond changes is that it’s not directed by Rie Matsumoto. Shigehito Takayanagi is taking over, and while that guy is a noted jobber of little distinction (previous credits: TWGOK, Dagashi Kashi and uh... Toyko ESP...), he’s at least enough of a craftsman to imitate Matsumoto’s style very well. I only found out about this after the fact, and wouldn’t have noticed the difference otherwise. It is noticeable if you look for it though: this episode has all of the stylish action antics, but none of the more moody content that Matsumoto’s original character (do not steal) White brought to the show. I liked most of White’s scenes with Leo and they gave season 1 some welcome emotional grounding, but to be quite honest, it’s not what I watched Kekkai Sensen for. I can definitely accept losing it if this time the show isn’t consumed by White’s subplot and doesn’t culminate in an ending that not only is all about her, but also comes out a season after everyone stopped caring because auteurs can’t manage a production. With Kyousougiga and Kekkai Sensen S1, Matsumoto has shown a 100% track record of donking her endings, so I’m not complaining she got replaced with someone who just gets the job done. Especially if it’s still Bones relying on Yutapon for action cuts; when shit hits the fan, it looks straight up incredible and makes me question why I slummed it with My Hero Academia for three seasons when I can get the same amount of awesome fights in a single episode of this. And hey, White is still in the ending, so maybe we will get the less crazy end of it covered as well. Just keep the priorities straight this time around, please.

Houseki no Kuni (Land of the Lustrous)

Houseki no Kuni is a manga about gijinka gems of indeterminate gender that takes the amusing step of Mohs hardness directly translating into Shounen Powerlevel™. Apart from that, there’s not much content in this episode 1: We get to know the characters and a glimpse and how a society of a bunch of brittle gems in makeup works. What makes this interesting is that the setting is intriguingly vague and very pretty (think: Haibane Renmei), and the characters seem to be fairly strong and likeable. Not exciting, but I could see myself watching this just for the atmosphere. The big downside of it is that it’s a 3DCG show, and not one of those fancy mocapped ones either. The animation is, in a word, bad: robotic and clumsy, as usual. I’ll readily admit that in screencaps it looks great, especially the crystal shaders that would be difficult to pull off in 2D animation. Houseki no Kuni seems very okay, but it has a hard time on this crowded Saturday so I don’t think I’ll bother with it right now. If it delivers in the long run, I’ll readily admit it to my backlog though.

Love Live! Sunshine!! S2!!!

Sunshine’s back as well, and finds itself in an awkward spot right away. This first episode has a lot of things to get out of the way: Tying up the last season properly because the final episode of S1 fumbled that, reminding the audience of the characters, and setting up a new drama arc. In practice, that means it ends up feeling a lot more like the lost E1S13 than the S2E1 it is, because the other two aspects are pretty pointless: Reintroducing the characters just means they all shoot off their catchphrase in turn, and the brand new conflict is (hold on to your seats for this one) that the school is getting closed and there’s a new Love Live. With all these things going on and none of them being all that interesting, the episode feels very rushed and just accomplishes establishing that yes, it’s a Love Live show. I guess that is exactly what it was meant to do and I can say that at least they have it out of the way now. Well, the last time I said Sunshine had gotten something out of the way, it was the obsession with µ’s in episode 1, the getting out of the way of which ended up lasting 10 episodes. It’s gone now (thankfully), but maybe I shouldn’t assume too much here. So yeah, fairly weak first episode, but it’s not like I wasn’t going to watch this to the end and even at its most rushed and pointless it’s still Love Live: a polished Five Guys hamburger of a show that doesn’t exactly need to be great to be a joy to watch.

Two Car

I expected Two Car to be That Show: the one where a schoolgirl discovers her sudden love for Thing and goes on to experience Thing with the help of her friends. Two Car isn’t in the K-ON/Bakuon/etc mould however, it’s much more similar to the sports show style of Girls und Panzer, wacky sport with themed teams of contenders in a world where everyone seems to care about it a little too much. It helps that real sidecar racing is already weird as hell (looking forward to the breathless Anime Now article about how it’s a thing that actually exists) and is less motorcycle racing and more Twister on a fast-moving platform. Quite coincidentally, Two Car is also tremendously gay, as you’d expect from a show about two-girl teams in very tight leather crawling over each other competitively. The main girls aren’t even so blatant (and shown to have a crush on their male instructor, who has taken off to the aptly named Isle of Man), but the opponents are all some sort of standard yuri pairing. So yeah, the setting is a goofy blast, but I’m sad to report that episode 1 has tremendous structural problems. All the team introductions are very clumsy and intercut with an equally clumsy introduction of the setting, the sport and the main girl’s extensive backstory. I will give this more chances because the setup has a lot of potential, but I really hope this shapes up on the storytelling front or I won’t make it very far in.

[greencephalopod]

Yuri on Ice fanfic reclist

Water's Edge by Mhalachai For years, Yuuri had heard people say Viktor’s skating was otherworldly. He never thought they were being literal.

Did you watch Yuri on Ice and think “well this sports show is cute but what it really needs is some supernatural horror all up in there”, if not then you need to think again because this fic is fantastic. Yuuri’s characterization is really great and serves the really ground the story as weird stuff starts happening! I came for what I thought was monster!Viktor fic and stayed for the suspenseful writing and the gorgeous atmosphere.  

a day for all the rest by Etharei Phichit clears his throat. "You, ah, might want to wear your scarf again." He taps meaningfully at his own collarbone. Victor touches the indicated spot on his neck. The skin is markedly sensitive. He presses down, unable to help himself, and the sweet little ache summons a sense-memory: strong fingers carding through his hair, then digging into his shoulder, powerful thighs like a vice around his hips, his name gasped into his ear before a hot mouth seals over the skin of his neck.

The day after the Cup of China.

A post Cup of China fic, but notably from Victor’s POV, and it’s a great character study, but what I enjoy even more is just the natural interaction between all the skaters. While Victor and his relationship with Yuuri is the focus, it never feels all consuming and their relationships with their friends and family are also in forefront and treated as an important thematic point, and that is something I’m always happy to see in fic.

Unimaginable by emilyenrose

Sixteen year old Victor spontaneously travels to the future, where he's... retired? And married?

This is a crack prompt taken seriously in the best way possible. After the first couple of laughs at the situation you find yourself seriously feeling for young Victor. Mostly it follows a younger Victor trying to figure out why he ended up with Yuuri and his slow discovery is just so satisfying in a way I can’t quite articulate. Also Victor and Yuri strike up a friendship that is just absolutely wonderful, and so in character for both of them.

Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches by Reiya ‘…Of all the rivalries in the world of sports over the years, perhaps none has become so legendary as that of Russian figure skater Viktor Nikiforov and his rival, Japanese Yuuri Katsuki…’

A single event changes the course of Yuuri’s life, throwing him into a bitter rivalry with Viktor Nikiforov that spans across his entire skating career. But as the years go on, rivalry and hatred begin to develop into something very different and Yuuri doesn’t seem to be able to stay away, no matter how hard he tries. 

Hatred and love are two sides of the same coin and even though everything changes, some things are still meant to be.

So I put off reading this fic for a while because Yuuri and Viktor being at odds with each other just doesn’t do much for me, I am just so in love with their canon relationship of support and affection. But guys. This is so engagingly written and I’m utter Yuuri self-loathing trash and that is this fic. I have to give it serious credit with how much of it leans on the ultimate unreliable narrator Yuuri that just makes you unable to look away from the utter trainwreck that is him. So, please come into the pit with me and have something to wait every week for with baited breath. This writer’s weekly updating schedule and friendly interactions with their readers give me life!

Masquerade by Ashida “Just say the word.” came the whisper as Victor stepped close, behind them Yuuri was aware of guns out and at the ready, of confused men and questioned loyalties, here Victor was offering, and Yuuri was too selfish to say no. 

“Ok.” Yuuri smiled as this game of masquerade came to an end, what would happen now, he didn’t know, he would probably die, his family would come after him and try to put a knife in his back or a bullet between his eyes, none of it mattered, because together they would fight, and the rest of the world would finally burn.

So there have been a fair number of mob/criminal aus and mostly they don’t do much for me, but wow this fic. Despite the setting it still manages to incorporate the idea of Yuuri and Victor against the world, in a way that feels emotionally true to the source material even if the actual plot is very different. Also Yuuri and Victor are just so, so in love and it’s just so satisfying to read as they finally make the decision that they care about each other more than anything else, and ugh. Also this Victor is just insane in a good way that feels very close to canon. The second chapter ends on a cliffhanger and I’m not sure if the author ever means to update, but I will wait forever in hope! (but the first chapter works great as a standalone too)   

Yuuri Katsuki Secret Route Walkthrough/FAQ by Metis_Ink The otome community uncovers the mysteries of the Nikiforov-Katsuki Route, one of the most difficult and overly-complicated routes in a game supposedly just about ice skating.

mysticdabber: okay so I've literally conquered every other route on this damn game but yuuri keeps flat out rejecting me?? I've hit like 7 different Friend routes 50 times?? What does he want?? How high are his standards?? I'VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU YUURI ALL I WANT IS YOUR HEART

Just read this, fall in love with it, and then use your talents to make this game a reality so I can play it. I actually have a friend whose hobby is playing otome games and telling me about them, so I can say that this is 100% accurate, like some of the comments sounded so much like my friend talking about her games it was a little eerie. This fic is also responsible for making me laugh whenever I see an ice resurfacer. (I would 100% romance Phichit as my first route just so we’re clear). Basically this fic is really clever and cute and a must-read, especially if you enjoy social media type fics.

[bmpmp3]

I’m watching channel zero right now and it got me in...a Creepypasta Mood(tm) and like I mentioned this once before but when I was like 14 I had the plan to make an otome game (or it started out that way, later i decided I would add pronoun options along with a name option) about dating creepypasta expies, I never got far ‘cause I had trouble designing 40% of the characters ahdsajdsa

the plot was like, yer a horror writer with writers block and you move to a spooky small town for inspiration (classic horror movie setup) and there’s a local italian restaurant (i think you can guess where this is going) that you start going to and you meet some Hamdsome Boys(tm) and then plot and romance happens lol tryna utilize read mores more often cause i talk to much so heeere we goo qwq

there was plans for 3 main love interests, based off jeff the killer, smile dog, and slenderman, but i was only ever really able to design the jeff expy and half of the smile.jpg guy ajkasfdjsk i COULD NEVER THINK OF ANYTHING FUNNY FOR SLENDERMAN i was dyin...

anyway up top is Keff the Diller! the jeff the killer expy hfrkjdslafd he pickles people (dill) his personality type was kinda just..,,, real chill and spaced out and i still love him a lot dhfjskdsla he was gonna look normal and fine when u first meet him before he gets all Fucked Up and jeff-the-killer-y, and the reason he has a pizza cutter instead of a knife.... he works at an italian restaurant edit: im so mad okay i named him Keff ‘cause i couldnt think of a name that rhymed with seth so i just used the letter after J.....k.....keff BUT......SETH...............BETH..................IM A FOOL..........IM AN ABSOLUTE FOOL

on the bottom is smile sparkledog.jpg but i was honestly never really able to get into this guy, I thought the joke with him was hilarious but 1) i made his personality the sorta cheeky cutesy mischievous type and Ive never really been a fan of characters like that (just dont usually find them interesting to watch or make qwq) and 2) i have....never been able to design sparkledogs I WANT TO ive been trying to....for an actual decade....................... like i start out im like okay heres a dog its got scene hair and one angel wing and one demon wing okay good start alright okay piercings? piercings?? syringe in ear piercing? and then im out of ideas by the time i get to colouring hhhh one of my dreams someday in the (probably far) future is to hold a legit character design contest to design me.... a sparkledog.....the most over the top sparkledog....a sparkledog of the ages.... and like id wanna make the prize actually like worthwhile like a hundo or something....someday when i have money...................................................

anyway yeah i wasnt really into smile sparkledog.jpg as much as i wanted to be, and i straight up was never able to figure out a good joke for slenderman orz someday maybe i should play around with this goofy concept tho, its kinda fun, like it would be kinda darkly comedic at times but played straight at others, a bit of love letter to 2009 creepypasta, i dunoooo i still really like keff for some reason hes just chillin and dillin

also the reason its an italian restaurant is because......creepy.....pasta

[tentoriwrites]

Hypatia

This is my contribution to the Atlas Molniya appreciation week! Ye olde pirate AU. Sorry, folks, writing an entire fic where everyone talks like a pirate in a week’s time was a bit too much for me... It’s a pirate AU so there is some shooting and mild violence, but generally no other warnings or triggers.

Before you read: Hypatia is the name of the woman often attributed with inventing the first astrolabe. Astrolabe were the bar none instruments for helping sailors navigate the oceans by using the ship’s position relative to the stars. They are often described as primordial computers. The word astrolabe roughly means, “that which captures the stars” in Greek.

Tagging: @jane-runs-fast @dear-mrs-otome @yoolee @otomelin and @frywen-babbles

Thank you for your support in writing my first Lovestruck fic! <3

“Halt!” An imposing figure cloaked in red shouted as he spotted me dashing through the streets. Nope, nope! Not going to do it! I kept running trying to find a place to hide where there wasn’t a member of the Inquisition loitering about. My daring escape from custody was made all the more difficult by a suffocating corset and billowing skirt. Not sparing any blame on the heels of my shoes getting stuck in the cobblestones street sorely in need of repair! I mean really, if they aren’t using our tax money to fill pot holes, what are they using it on?!

My feet were taking me to the port where my brain told me I could hide on a ship until I thought of a better plan. I had almost made it when someone grabbed my arm and forced me to stop. His strong grip pushed me out of the middle of the crowded street and up against the rough brick wall.

“Turn over the device and renounce your heretic ways and you might just live.” I dragged my eyes up the expanse of polished armor to the insignia emblazoned on his chest. I could tell from how he was dressed he was a high-ranking member of the Spanish Inquisition. My hands rubbed against the rough texture of the wall behind me, the cool brick a stark contrast to the sickening heat of fear coursing through my veins.

The device in question pressed unpleasantly into my back and I fidgeted out of instinct. What better place to securely hide it than in the back of my corset where no one would find it? It sounded like a completely brilliant idea at the time. It was working well so far but If this jerk kept me pinned against the wall much longer I was going to faint, and it might just pop out!

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I’m pretty sure my voice could not have sounded any less convincing.

“Don’t play coy…” His eyes narrowed a fraction as he looked me over. “We know you have an Arabic astrolabe in your possession.” Arabic? The astrolabe I had found laying around and cleaned up was Arabic? “We have it under good authority that you have been working with the Arabs to undermine the Reconquista, the Inquisition, and all Christendom.” Well that’s news to me!

“I just found some books and tools laying around and studied them.” My voice came out on a shaky breath as my body trembled beneath his touch. I could tell from the way his grip tightened and his brow dug down he was not buying that.

“We will see how well that holds up during interrogation.” He hissed into my ear in a way that made him seem more a demon and less a man of faith. I wondered why a person of obvious belief such as himself would be so bent on my being guilty. I didn’t have much time to dwell on it as a low rumble started coming from one of the nearby streets. We both looked in the direction of the rumbling. Somehow, despite the fear singing through every fiber of my being, I managed to smile.

“It’s a Tuesday…” I remarked in relief.

“What does that have to do with…” His question was cut short by a man frantically rounding a corner nearby.

“CLEAR THE STREETS! CLEAR THE STREETS!” The man rushed by us as the rumbling intensified. It almost felt like the ground could open up at any moment and swallow us whole.

“What happens on Tuesday?!” He glared down at me and my broadening smile. I opened my mouth to answer him, but a stampede of cows rounded the corner before I could utter a single syllable. A charging bull at the front of the herd collided right into him, horns barely missing my arm. The bull took him off to parts unknown.

“Tuesday is when the cows are brought in for slaughter.” I answered smugly as I used the dust cloud for cover to slip into a narrow alley. At the end of the alley was the sea glittering in the sun brighter than the finest cut jewels. I made a break for it as fast as my ridiculous fluffy dress would allow in the cramped space.

 I looked around the docks to make sure the coast was clear before venturing out of the alley. There were boats of all shapes and sizes lining the docks. Many were in some stage of being loaded or unloaded. It would certainly look suspicious if a woman wandered on to any of them. Then one caught my eye, a smaller boat, with no one milling around. It had a Greek name on the hull making me hopeful the crew would be foreigners out for a good time right now. I tried to act as casual as possible as I walked quickly over to the boat’s gangplank. A rather clumsy hop, skip, and jump later and I stumbled onto the deck.

I glanced around before making my way to the door of the cabin. I slowly turned the knob and opened it just enough to slip inside. I heaved a sigh of relief as I slid to a crouched position against the door. I made it! I really made it! Relief washed over me as I let out a sigh. That’s when I heard it, a tell-tale click. I winced as I looked up. Seems it was a bit early to be celebrating.

“Who are you and why are you on my ship?” I followed the sound of the voice to a man leaning back in a thick wooden chair, feet propped up on the heavy table. He wore sturdy black leather boots to just below the knee with black trousers tucked into them. Burnt orange leather vest peeked out from the black waist coat draping off the side of the chair and dusting the floor on either side. Faded orange embellishments drew attention to tarnished brass buttons.

He seemed aged beyond his years, flecks of grey in his dark hair betraying a younger looking face. The large coat that hung loosely over his frame obscured most of his body. For a moment I pondered what his physique was like hiding under there. Regardless, he painted a stunningly handsome picture that hit me completely off guard. That is until a cold glint in the dimly lit cabin caught my eye. He had the barrel of a gun pointed right at me.

“Well it’s a very interesting story actually…” I called back as I quickly scampered to my feet. “You see the Inquisition thinks I’m a heretic because I found this astrolabe and fixed it up… So now they want to take me in for questioning.” There is a long moment of uncomfortable silence that compelled me to continue, but he beat me to the punch.

“So, you thought you’d just meander on the first boat you found and stowaway?” He sat the gun down on the table as he spoke flatly.

“Not exactly, no… the name caught my attention. Asteri. It’s a beautiful name! Did you know Asteri means…”

“Star in Greek? Yes, I’m the one that named it.” He cut off my nervous meandering with those few short words. Now is not the time to start rambling! Now is probably the time to be leaving…

“Yes! Of course! You mentioned that… Well I just thought I’d hide out until dark when it would be easier to escape… I’ll just see myself…” Suddenly there were frantic foot falls from outside and Atlas rose wordlessly to his feet. “Out?” He crossed the room quickly, grabbing me by both arms and lifting me out of the way of the door.

“ATLAS!” At precisely the same time a man yelled, and the door flew open. “Time to go…?”

“You heard the Captain, off you go.” The man, I presume was named Atlas, gave me a pointed look as he gestured out the door with a tilt of his head.

“Why is she even here?” The captain asked as he walked out behind Atlas.

“Stowing away.” Atlas’s voice had all the compassion of an executioner.

“I guess today’s her lucky day seeing as I already pulled in the plank and Nova is already hauling anchor.” Another man wearing red chimed in merrily as he shot the three of us a dashing smile. The tramping of hooves and clinking of metal on stone filled the air as Inquisition knights drew down on the ship.

“He’s right we’ll have to take her with us to the next port.” The captain conceded causing Atlas to mutter a string of obscenities the likes of which I had never heard before. Success! Way out of town secured! A bullet whizzed past my head killing yet another short-lived moment of happiness.

“Well there you have it! Miss, if you would kindly just wait in the cabin.” The man in red motioned to the door behind me. I gaped at him as he pushed me out of the way. Not one among them seemed the least bit bothered about being shot at.

“Why is the Inquisition shooting at us anyways.” The captain posed the question as he moved to release the sails. They aren’t shooting at you! They’re shooting at me! I looked on in abject horror as they were caught in the middle between the Inquisition and I. Bullets embedding themselves in the worn wooden deck as the crew rushed to get the ship moving.

“Ask the stowaway!” Thanks, Atlas. Way to make me feel even better about this being all my fault. Just as another round of shot careened towards the ship, I saw him, the Inquisition knight from before. He was looking down at me smugly from atop his horse. The fact that he could look so smug while wearing dented armor somehow made him even more infuriating to look at. The volley threw up a cloud of smoke obscuring his face temporarily.

“Prepare to board the ship!” The knight commanded with a sneer.

“Now! While they’re reloading!” The captain yelled as he and the man in red unfurled the sails. A woman in purple gunned down the knights trying to lower a plank onto the ship with startling accuracy. The boat lurched forward at a pace that would make a snail look like the bull runner I saw earlier. Thankfully, it quickly picked up speed as we neared the entrance to the harbor. I leaned over the railing as we cleared the sea wall, watching the city start to fade behind us. Soon even the coast itself seemed small.

“I think you owe us an explanation.” The captain said pulling me back on to the deck with the sound of his stern voice. “But first I suppose we should introduce ourselves.” He added as he motioned for us to convene at the wheel with Atlas. He introduced himself and the crew. They were bounty hunters, it would seem, and they had only been in town to cash in on their latest mission when the Inquisition attacked them.

They were all looking at me now with questioning eyes. All except Atlas, he looked like he wanted to chuck me over the railing. Joke’s on him because I can’t swim! So, that would actually be a perfect way to get rid of me… Who’s brilliant idea was it to hide on a boat when they can’t swim? Oh yeah, mine… Focus brain!

“I found this old astrolabe and book full of calculations from it. I fixed it up and started studying the calculations.” I started my explanation while trying to wrest the astrolabe from my corset. The other woman on the ship, Nova, seemingly sensing my distress walked up behind me and untied the strings.

“You hid the thing in your dress?” Orion, the captain, looked at me skeptically.

“A corset is a very secure place to keep valuables.” Nova answered for me as she loosened the strings. Thank you! I couldn’t help the smug little smile that tugged on my lips. “Something flat would be better kept in one than an astrolabe though.” And there’s goes my happy little moment… again…

Once the device had been freed, she handed it to Orion, much to my apprehension. I fretted anxiously at the strings of my corset as he looked it over before handing it back to me. “Looks ordinary enough to me.” I felt myself pouting a little at his underestimation of my little treasure.

“May I?” Atlas had one hand stretched out towards me.

“Um… sure…” I slowly reached the device out and gingerly sat it in his hand. My fingertips lingered on it a moment longer than I meant to before pulling my hand away. He looked the device over carefully, a small smile on his lips for the briefest moment.

“Not a bad restoration. Definitely, Arabic.” He flipped it over and his eyes narrowed as he ran his fingers over the back.

“The inscription was there when I found it. I put the stain on it to try to enhance it and make it easier to read.”

“Had much luck with it?” Atlas wondered flatly as he flipped the astrolabe over again.

“The notes and calculations I found with it suggest the inscription is directions to a destination the astrolabe was made to lead someone to. But I wasn’t able to figure out what before I had to make my escape.” I explained as my shoulders slumped with regret.

“Don’t suppose it’s buried treasure or anything, do ya?” Jaxon, the man in red, commented playful with an amused grin.

“Whatever it is, the Inquisition wants it, which means we do not.” Atlas answered handing me the device again. Despite Nova’s earlier admonishment, I stuffed it back in the front of my corset for safe keeping. Nova suddenly gave the wheel a hard yank and the whole boat yawed. A moment later, a cannonball sailed through the air landing in the water with a splash. I looked at Nova flabbergasted.

“Nova’s what you’d call… a clairvoyant… sort of.” Jaxon explained with an easy smile.

I glanced behind us and realized the ships pursuing us were Inquisition vessels. These guys just don’t know when to give up! Just when I thought I’d lost them, they creep back up when I’m least expecting them! I looked over the deck watching the crew members scurry around to man the few guns the small, nimble vessel had. Atlas at the wheel expertly dodged the cannon fire. There I was, perfectly useless trembling in fear.

Think, think, think! This is my fault! There has to be something I can do to help. West. We’re traveling west. I took stock of our position to the coast. I looked up at the sky to figure out the time. Low tide. PERFECT! “Atlas! About face!”

“Oh yes! Let’s just drive right in to the arms of the people shooting at us!” He bit back as an irritated glare painted itself on his face. “How about you just sit down and leave the privateering to the professionals, Princess.”

Clearly, he’s not going to listen to me. Time to take matters into my own hands. Literally. I grabbed the wheel and gave it a hard yank. The whole boat whipped around violently bringing Atlas face to face with my plan.

“That sea cave loops around and comes out down the coast to the east. They would be expecting the Asteri to continue its heading west! It’s big enough for a vessel this size but not a boat the big!” I pointed to the coast and he quickly caught on. “I am fairly certain you can get us there.”

“You’re crazy.” He started to turn the boat back around.

“Atlas, we might be able to lose them on the open water for a while, but they’ll catch us again. We need to find a friendly port and get a plan together.” Chagrin clear on his face, Atlas made for the cave after Orion voiced his approval for my plan. I watched with bated breath as Atlas turned the ship around and started to head straight for the flagship.

“Atlas… The cave’s over there.” He didn’t seem to hear me, just kept our course steadfastly locked on a collision with the other ship. “Atlas…” I could see people on the ship rushing about to point their guns forward. “Atlas…” My voice was a little more desperate this time.

“Look, kid. I’m not about to hand you over to the Inquisition that easily. If they want you that badly they’re going to have to sink this ship first! And I’m not about to let them do that!” I crouched down and hugged a railing as I braced for impact. At the last second, just before the guns were primed to fire, he swerved out of the way. I watched that terrible knight fly by as the sound of cannons being turned filled the air. The smug look on his face faded once again, watching it fall deeply satisfying despite my precarious position.

“You did that on purpose…” I muttered looking up at Atlas in awe. He deliberately picked that path, so they’d have to adjust their guns before firing at us. This guy was good… Really good…

“Hey, do your hands work?” He shot me an irritated glance.

“Y…yes?” My voice trembled uncontrollably as I spoke.

“Good, light some lanterns and stick them at the front of the ship!” I looked at him confused for a moment too long and his glare sharpened. “I could drive the Asteri through a pinhole with my eyes closed, but that doesn’t mean I want to!”

“Oh! OH!” I jumped to my feet and scurried around moving all the lanterns. Caverns are dark… He needs to be able to see… Once I had all the lanterns lit I waddled back up to the wheel. I watched Atlas drive the ship with strong, steady arms into the cavern. True to my word, the Asteri just fit. He made the whole affair look effortless, almost as if it bored him. He was one of the most amazing helmsmen I had ever seen. My idle staring was cut short by Orion approaching us. Jaxon and Nova were close behind.

“What port does this come out near? The city we left from?” I nodded slowly.

“There’s another cave system on the eastern side of the city slightly larger than this one. We can use it to obscure our movements.”

“We?” Atlas barked causing me to jump slightly.

“You’re not a seasoned sailor. Not to mention we don’t want anything to do with your troubles with the Inquisition. We’re dropping you off at the next port.” With that he started to walk away.

“Wait!” He stopped and turned to look at me. Okay… We’re waiting… What are we waiting for exactly? CRAP! I should have thought of something first.

“What?” Now even Orion looked a bit miffed.

“It’s an astrolabe so it probably relates to something in the stars. That means this whole thing is just one big misunderstanding! I need to clear my name, so the Inquisition leaves me alone!” I explained quickly as I looked around the ship. “If you can take me to the College of Cardinals I can plead my case!”

“You want us to take you to Rome?” Orion asked skeptically. “Rome is nowhere near our next job.” I tried not to let them see how crestfallen I was. Come on! Think! These are bounty hunters and mercenaries! There must be something I can do to convince them.

“My Father was the leader of a shipbuilding guild!” I blurted out suddenly. They all turned their attention back to me. Save for Atlas who was steering the ship idly with one foot better than I imagined most people could do with both hands. “I may not look it,” I continued on apprehensively, but I know my way around a boat. I can build the, fix them, design them. Plus I’m well-versed in map reading, navigation. I know the coastal topography of most of the northern Mediterranean.” YES! SELL YOURSELF! Wait… that makes me sound like… NOT THE TIME! Focus!

“What are you suggesting exactly?” Orion looked intrigued and I felt relieved.

“If you take me to Rome I’ll act as your navigator and ship maintenance person for… Five years!” That’s a good number, right?”

“We don’t need a navigator or a ship maintenance person.” Atlas grumbled.

“There is a job in Greece. You have until then to prove your worth. If you’re pulling your weight, we’ll evaluate a trip to Rome.” Orion answered definitely. From nearby Atlas was string obscenities together under his breath again.

Once we were out of the caverns, Nova took over for Atlas. It was a beautiful crimson twilight outside and the stars would be out soon. “Oh um…” Atlas stopped his descent down the stairs and turned to look at me incredulously. “Where exactly will I be staying?” Atlas rolled his eyes and motioned for me to follow him. He led me down the hatch into the hold. I looked around confused as he approached one of the cargo nets.

“Aren’t the crew’s quarters usually in the forecastle?” You know… under the elevated deck at the front of the ship?

“There’s no more rooms up there so you’re sleeping down here.” He offered a curt explanation before turning to leave.

“It’s getting a little cold in here, don’t you think?” Though I said as much, I hardly expected more than the sigh I received. I’m not sure how much time had gone by as I took off my shoes and settled drop in the rope hammock. I had started staring idly out a nearby port hole completely wallowing in self-pity when something heavy and course plunked down on my head.

“Anything else, Princess?” I could already hear the heavy plunk of his boots on the wood floor before I said a word.

“Thank you!” I called out to his retreating form. As the events of the day raced through my head, they all kept circling back to that completely unreadable man. On the one hand, it felt like he could not be any more inconvenienced by my presence on his ship. On the other hand, it seemed almost as if he might actually care about my plight. Whatever the case may be, I would have plenty of time to get to know him better even if I only made it as far as Greece.

Save for a nocturnal visitation from something I’m told is a capybara named Comet, an unspeakably large rodent the crew picked up in South America at some point, the days that followed were pretty laid back. Thankfully, I had managed to escape detention with a spare change of clothes more fitting for life on a ship. Boots and pants were certainly were easier to move around in, but I still wore the corset so I could keep the astrolabe close at hand. I spent most of my free time when I wasn't navigating trying to decipher the inscription.

I started to fit myself into life on the Asteri. Fixing broken ropes, mending sails, patching holes in the planks by day. At night I would calculate our course by the stars. Atlas was usually on the quarter deck, lounging by the wheel. I seriously wondered if he ever slept. Every night he would be drinking a dark liquor from the galley while his eyes seemed to focus on something intangible. I always wondered what it was he was looking at, but never worked up the courage to pry.

Sometimes I would make the excuse that I was having trouble with a calculation to drum up a conversation with him. He was not much of a conversationalist. Prying information out of him was like pulling a rusty nail out of a pitch-soaked board. Hard, messy work. I had the feeling though, as with the nail, eventually all the hard work would pay off.

Still, no matter what I said or how I said it, he always seemed to have a sarcastic retort to put an end to the conversation. I gathered from how the other members of the crew approached him this was just his way. That didn't stop me from wondering if he'd ever open up to me like he did them.

I had picked up bits and pieces from conversations with the crew. Atlas had once been affiliated with the Knights of Saint John. The Knights of Saint John were basically the seafaring arm of the Catholic church. The Order's primary goal was to combat the pillaging of Christian vessels and lands by the North African Barbary corsairs who were Muslim. It seemed like a pretty admirable thing to do seeing as the Barbary corsairs and been pillaging the coasts of several Christian nations including my own. Something must have happened while he served for them that didn't sit well with him. I had no idea what it could be though. Tonight felt like a good night to try a different approach.

“Atlas...” I hummed out the name idly as I took stock of our position. He didn't look at me which was fine. I was really just trying to fill the silence with something besides the lonely lapping of water against the hull. “That's a very strong name. In mythology Atlas was the being that held the whole sky on his shoulders. That's quite the burden to bare alone...”

“It's the name I was born with. Don't go getting all philosophical on me.” He huffed before taking a swig of his drink right from the bottle. Well that didn't work quite the way I had hoped.

“I'm just trying to get to know you better as a member of the crew.”

“When you're a member of the crew, maybe I'll tell you about the time I found a stowaway in the cabin.” My face instantly twisted into a pout. I had been excited thinking I was going to at least get an inkling of something else about him only to have that excitement dashed like a ship of the rocks of a foreign coast. My dashed hopes and dreams seemed to be a recurring theme on the Asteri. I looked over at him when he sighed.

“One question. Can't guarantee I'll answer it though.” YES! I did a happy little jig and he let out an even more exasperated sigh. I quickly settled myself and tried to think of a question that would give me a bit of insight into the man without being so probing he wouldn't answer.

“Why did you name your ship the Asteri?” That's pretty good right? The name of a ship is usually meaningful in some way, but still not prodding too much? I hope? Atlas's reaction was not encouraging though. He sat up straight before knocking the bottle back and taking the last of the liquid in a few hard swallows. Then he corked the bottle. With one smooth swipe of his hand he wiped the residue from his lips. Damn if he wasn't even more attractive in the moonlight. But the moonlight seemed to give his features a melancholy look.

“There's nothing up there among the stars.” He started to explain as his face tilted up to the sky. “No people, no religions, no wars. Just stars.” There was an unmistakable sadness that passed over his face for a blink and you'd miss it moment. “That's what the Asteri is meant to be. A place where none of the things that divide people exist.”

“That's... a beautiful sentiment.”

“Only if you believe religion divides people more than it brings them together.” I didn't know how to respond to him. I certainly had my own thoughts on religion. Clearly now was not the time or place to discuss them with him.

“How's our heading looking?” He asked looking down at me as he got to his feet.

“Good... It looks good. We'll be in Greece before week's end if the weather holds.” I answered absently, mind still on the last subject.

“Good. Get some rest, kid.” With that, he disappeared down the stairs and towards the forecastle.

 After a few weeks at sea, I had just about figured out the inscription when we put into dry dock in Greece to make repairs to the ship and resupply while Orion, Jaxon, and Nova hunted down the bounty.

It was kind of odd working in silence next to Atlas prying rotten planks away from the hull and replacing them with new. Well let me rephrase that, Atlas pried all the planks off with those well-sculpted arms of his. I just enjoyed the show until he asked for a new one.  We had just finished sealing the repairs with pitch when a commotion pulled our attention to the city.

“Get on the ship...” Atlas commanded giving me a shove towards the rope ladder. It didn't take long before the dry dock was overran by armed men. I spared a glance over my shoulder as I reached for the ladder. Atlas was huddled behind the pile of rotten planks. Despite the fact he could reload and fire his gun a lot faster than the men shooting at us, he was still hopelessly outnumbered. As one man tried to flank him, I decided to do something truly stupid.

“ATLAS! Look out!” I screeched as I barreled towards him brandishing the hammer. One good conk and he was out cold on the ground.

“Nice hit, Kid. Now get over here!” With one solid yank I was behind the pile, though positioned squarely on Atlas's broad, strong chest. Now is definitely not the time to be appreciating his physique! I quickly rolled off him and made myself as small as possible while he shot over me.

“Who are these guys anyways?! They're not from the Inquisition!” I screeched as I held my ears.

“Might as well be! They’re Knights of saint John! The seaborne equivalent of the Inquisition. “

“But why are they shooting at us?! We aren't Muslims!”

“You think they care about stuff like that? Half their boats are manned by Christian convicts forced into servitude as their sentence!” Just as Atlas fired his last shot, and things were looking hopeless, one of the Asteri's cannons fired knocking most of the remaining Knights into the air.

“You're late!” Atlas yelled as he rolled over on his back and stared up at the ship.

“Better late than never!” Jaxon yelled back as he removed his hat and gave us a dramatic bow.

“Get on the ship. And stay on it this time.” Atlas gave me another firm shove and I took off running for the ladder again. Atlas on the other hand went running for the gate holding the water out of the dry dock. He quickly cranked the doors open as Nova manned the helm. I was barely able to out climb the rising water on the shifting, unstable ladder. When my feet finally found the deck again, my eyes searched for Atlas. At last, I saw him standing on the end of the seawall.

“He's not... Is he?” I wondered aloud, a question answered by him backing up a few steps and getting a runny go. Then he jumped landing on one of the rope ladders into the rigging. I let out an unsteady breath, though I'm not sure why I had been so anxious in the first place.

“I’m getting too old for this!” He grumbled as he tossed and turned until he was off the ladder. “Why are the Knights of Saint John after us?” He sighed as he trudged to the wheel, relieving Nova.

“It appears the Asteri and all its crew were branded as Muslims and members of the Barbary corsairs. There were wanted posters for us in town.” Nova explained the situation in a straightforward, level tone. The calmness of her voice did nothing to keep my heart from sinking into my stomach. The crew looked to me and I fidgeted with the astrolabe in my corset nervously.

“Do you have any idea what that thing is supposed to lead to?” Orion pressed me with a stern look.

“The inscription is coded, and I haven't been able to crack the code. I was able to figure out who made it and where he worked out of though. If I can get there I might be able to find a copy of the cipher.”

“Where?”

“Rhodes.” I answered excitedly. Atlas's normal scowl became even more irritated.

“Absolutely not!”

“It's not really that far from here! If we can figure out exactly what this astrolabe is for it will help clear all our names!” I pressed the issue, but Atlas wasn't budging.

“Rhodes is where the Knights of Saint John operate out of.” Atlas’s voice spoke volumes more than his words ever could.

“If nothing else we can use it as leverage to get what we need to get out of the Mediterranean until things die down.” Orion sighed. Atlas looked beyond done with the whole situation. “Do you know exactly where to go once we get there?”

“The town Archangelos on the eastern side.” Atlas heaved out another sigh when I said this.

“As long as you’re in and out quickly and avoid the castle it should be fine.” He was already moving to change our course. With Orion’s approval, I headed down to the cabin to plot our course. Anxiety played at my nerves as I charted our course. Atlas was a former Knight of Saint John, so he knew the island well. He wouldn’t have agreed so readily if he thought it would be extremely dangerous to go. His judgment had been sound so far and I was going to trust it when it came to this.

To be continued...

I’m just going to apologize now for the level of History nerdom that went into this. I tried to explain all the references as they appear, but if you have any questions or want more information on something, please feel free to ask.

I also apologize for the characterization being off. Atlas is not the type of character I normally write well, so I was trying to challenge myself. I will work on improving it as I finish the rest of this.

Thank you to the organizers of this event, to Voltage and the Lovestruck app developers, and everyone that went into creating the source material!