#but there's always a nonzero chance he's been playing the long game and He Just Wants to Fuck

[astrocarbon]

he wants to start hanging out around midnight because the traffic is horrendous from like 3-10pm. understandable, especially if the hang out is "going on a night drive". but at the same time i will not hang out with a guy i dont even know that well starting around midnight, just on principle. why can't he just ask to get lunch or dinner

[ask-lock-shock-and-barrel]

Your reboot idea is super creative! Do your versions of the three want to resurrect Oogie/have they attempted to do it like in the games?

((Thanks and great question! This is a bit of a long answer so im gonna put it under a read-more

So just to preface it, I don't consider the games canon, and maybe it's my own pettiness, but as fun as the games probably are, they aren't the most intensively written when it comes to character motivations or continuity, they're just meant to be fun games with a story to play along with. And while I'm not super intertwined with the majority of this movie's fandom, there is a sizable consensus that agrees that the trio weren't given much in the way of actual character or any sort of development from canon in the games. I know there's a manga story out there that has them as semi-principle characters that a lot of people seem to love, and from what I've seen of it, it gives them ample time to be kid characters having fun in their environment and not just being plot devices to resurrect Oogie without a thought. I wanna read the whole thing at some point, because I think I would adore it! I think just from their dynamic alone, Lock, Shock, and Barrel are fun characters who should get more spinoff media and adventures.

Now onto my takes on these guys, I'll start by saying that there is a nonzero chance that they would ever someday resurrect Oogie, but there are some pretty serious caveats that make it 98.999% certain they won't, and it can be briefly summarized with this nifty graph below.

Now if they were like how they are in the games, with identical motivations, it would be a different story, and the chance of them bringing the boogeyman back would be higher. But that's not the case here.

For Lock, I think he had ample fear of Oogie, and there are things he did on orders from him that he regrets or at least wouldn't do again on his own terms. But he is also currently very naive to how many close calls his life was probably in, as he's still a little kid in terms of emotional maturity and logical thinking. He did fear Oogie, but he admittedly did like when he recieved gifts and positive attention from the bag of bugs, as he came from a family who all but abandoned him, and he just desires to be noticed. And he probably would miss that positive attention and bribery every once in a while. He's not entirely opposed to resurrecting Oogie Boogie, and maybe even humored the idea during a period of boredom, but without Shock's booksmarts or Barrel's cheerleading, he had no means to successfully do it, and gave up after five minutes.

Shock, as has been established in a couple prior blog answers, has known Oogie Boogie for a longer time than the other two, and knows more intimate details about his motivations and intentions. She is also older and has had time to process some confusing emotions. And as a result, she knows what he is capable of, and is rightfully and utterly terrified of him, and the prospect of him returning. And not just for her self, but for those she cares about. Aside from a very brief period of feeling directionless without his control, Shock absolutely does not want Oogie to be resurrected, and if her two friends tried to pitch the idea, she will shoot it down immediately, or sabotage any in-progress attempts to do so. And the chance that Lock and Barrel could do it without her is next to zilch. The reasons of why Shock fears Oogie and why she didn't try to stop the events in the movie will be explained in later comic posts. All I can say is she is a trick-or-treater through and through, as she almost always wears a mask, real or figurative.

Barrel is the least afraid of Oogie, and not because they are somehow 'more evil' than the other two or anything, but because they were the youngest of the trio. And during the time Oogie was alive, they didn't fully process the severity of the situation, and thought most of what they did with their friends was a game. The few fearful moments they had from Oogie didn't stick, as they found comfort in their friends. As they've gotten older, they do understand more that several of the things they did were wrong, and they feel bad about it, but they didn't feel impacted by fear as strongly as Lock or Shock may have. They don't have a self-motivated desire to bring Oogie back from the dead, and they only would do it if the other two really wanted to. They've got a million other things they'd rather do than try and bring some bugs back from the dead.

Now, if Barrel and Lock were currently privy to Shock's full experiences and knowledge, they would absolutely not even think of reviving their boss. But then we'd also have to cover the scope regarding how Shock semi-unintentionally lured them into forced servitude alongside her and their reactions to that knowledge.

And that will be explored later. (; ))

[shinjukuspiritcommittee]

Alt Hopes for 2022

Let’s all join our hands in prayer for good health, fortune, and bara tiddies...

im making this up very late so some of it might be incoherent and I want to get this out before long into the year.

Alt hopes for 2022

As the title suggests this is just me rambling off about characters I hope to see get an alt or some significant representation in 2022. Feel free to reblog with your own opinions or thoughts or expand on these with a post on social media of your own! I'd love to read what everyone has in mind. ~I don't think I'm turning any heads when I am saying we really should see a Shinya alt. It really hurts that  Shinya, even after a skill evolution, is honestly one of the weakest units in the game. I understand he's a launch/year 1 character but it's a shame he really has nothing going for him. I actually really like Shinya's design and think his writing is pleasant enough. Shinya fans deserve to eat good. ~Another set of characters who have really fallen to the wayside are Agyo and Gullinbursti. I just think it's criminal how underused these two are in the grand scheme of things considering they're members of the Summoner's Guild. This is more to give their fans hope and a bit of new life more than anything just because they've been sitting in the corner hoping for a smidgen of content. ~Obligatory gamma g slot. Just pick one at this point and watch me cry as we don't see anything come from it. I think this is possibly the least likely, but it's still a nonzero chance so keep chugging that copium. ~Heracles because please. ~Fuxi. I just really like his art and design and would like to see more of him. I've heard he was a bit of a letdown in Chapter 12 (tho I have yet to get caught up myself) but I'm hoping maybe with an alt down the line he can be improved. Also I always love me a Yugioh reference! ~On the topic of Gambler's I'm incredibly curious to see what they would do with Gandharva. I won't lie I do actually like his design and think he looks really cool with him having an interesting dynamic with characters who tend to play it safe. Plus he's a buff bird man and Thunderbird getting an alt in 2021 was so much yes- ~Mineaki wasn't a character I expected to get an alt, nor was I expecting him to be as good as he turned out being so I'm hoping that Avarga turns out to be at least half as useful. He's the other Yoyogi teacher and I believe the last one of the academy to be getting an alt. Cuz Jugo of all people got an alt as well which I wasn't anticipating which I believe (at the time of writing this) leaves Avarga as our standalone teacher. So yeah Avarga 2022 make it happen please ~Nyarlahotep is a character who had quite a bit of relevance in 2021 that I was surprised about but at the same time not really the recognition he deserved. I just think it's about time he joined his Old Ones brothers and gained alt status. ~Obligatory Marchosias slot. ~Taurus Mask second alt. No I don't have to justify this one. Just let it be a reality and let me have a world where I can be happy. ~Jacob or Kresnik. At this point I'm just a Gomtang simp and would appreciate more ways to acquire Jacob. Kresnik also has that foxy grandpa vibes I can respect. ~I'm gonna throw Oz here too because the poor lad has not been treated the best. Just an alt to breathe a bit of new life into him please? ~This one's a bit more of one that's out there that I simply don't talk about him enough on my social medias, but give us a Behemoth alt. I feel like he's a bit past due for one. The main reason why I'm putting him here is because he was a big part of me getting back into Housamo alongside Ziz when I got the YouTube notification that Valentine's banner and I have had my account since. We've come a long way and I would just like to see it sort of come full circle with a Behemoth alt. I think he's got a lovable design and is someone I should probably write about in the future (?) ~To close out the list I'm just gonna be honest and say this is easily my most wanted alt and that's a Tomte alt. I was a little disappointed we didn't get his event translated in an official capacity since he's honestly a character I resonated with and enjoyed a lot. I've gotten plenty of mileage out of using Tomte- to the point I've made legitimate memes on my Twitter and Discord profiles. He's really cute and I love his design which I know not everyone is a fan of, but he's one of my favorites and I would really like to see him get more involvement. Anyways that's my sort of wishlist for 2022. I'll be honest I got most of my faves between 2019 and now so I'm not too stressed about what alts we get this year. I'm also incredibly grateful I got lucky enough to get all of the units on my radar throughout 2021 and hope that it keeps up into 2022. (Tho I dont think anything will top me getting an off focus Kengo 5... speaking of I should probably also do an updated favorite character sort maker just for funsies because my opinions have mildly shifted over the course of 2021 and new characters I've grown to appreciate) If you have any units that you'd love to see that I didn't mention you're more than free to share those thoughts and opinions!

[cannibalisticskittles]

moodboard/aesthetic board for my Toreador vtmb oc, Lucia. deets about her under the cut.

Lucia [Last Name Undecided], a Toreador in her mid-20s. her medium of choice is sculpting. she’s working with clay before, and likes it just fine, but at the moment she’s really focused on scrap metal sculpting.

(after hauling around heavy pieces of metal for so long, she’s got Arms For Days. looks fucking fantastic in a tank top or in a sleeveless dress.)

her sense of aesthetics is focused on the morbid and macabre; the ephemerality of all things, the knowledge that every living thing will one day wither and rot and turn to dust, no matter how glorious or untouchable it seems in life. life and death are forever entwined! the cycle is incomplete without death, and trying to stave it off forever is pointless and stagnant and boring! accept it! embrace it! you’ll be much happier for it.

has a tattoo on her inner thigh that looks sort of like this, poppies + her defining mindset — “this too shall rot.”

had a near-death experience in her early-twenties that reinforced her fascination with the macabre and left her with a gnarly scar around her waist/abdomen.

if you asked her what her favorite sculpture is, off the top of her head, she would probably say Lilith. the pose! the height! the eyes! the intensity! just wonderful.

has a tendency to isolate herself when she gets deep in her work; prior to the start of the game, she’d been holed up in her apartment for three months, relying on grocery and food deliveries to sustain herself. she emerged at last to meet with a friend who came to santa monica for a week-long trip; the Bite takes place only two or three days into it, after her friend got sloshed and lucia sent her back to her hotel in a taxi, choosing to linger at the bar for a while and then walk back home. finally alone, she could now be Approached.

(she may always be resentful of this. god damn it, she was trying to branch out and communicate more, trying to soak up the sounds of people and get outside, and you force her to cut ties with EVERYONE, FOREVER? her friends and family left thinking she’s dead? her art, left to gather dust in her apartment? she should have just joined her friend in the taxi. she should have been antisocial and said ‘no, i don’t want to talk.’ how was she supposed to know the dude was a vampire???)

when she was approached by her sire, she was also Kind Of Sloshed, and because of that, she’s not entirely sure what drew her sire to her or what made them decide to sire her, and that is maddening. was she acting ornery and ready to fight or did she turn up the charm? she can vaguely recall talking abt her sculptures and she thinks she even showed them what she was working on, at least in pictures, was that what did it? was she just Their Type?? did she get consigned to eternal unlife because some rando thought she was pretty? what the fuck.

her clothing style is eclectic. it ranges from super ragged things she wears when sculpting/making heavy-duty Artsy Shit since there’s a nonzero chance that whatever she wears will get absolutely decimated, to some Deliberately Provocative pieces — wear a bra as a top! unbutton that shirt and leave it open in such a way that a breeze could be responsible for a public indecency charge! and crop tips out the wazoo — to over-the-top fancy shit, sometimes to please her parents, sometimes just because it tickles her to wear smthing worthy of the met gala to go get a slushee.

comes from a semi-affluent family that tries desperately to gloss over that ‘semi-‘ part; has a subsequent distaste for the glitz and glamor that goes along with their attempts to seem ritzy, but still has no compunctions about mooching off of them to support her art for as long as she can squeeze a dime out of them.

squeezing a dime out of them usually comes with the stipulation of “please, for the love of god, do not make us look bad, don’t ruin the family name.” she gets a studio apartment to live in and make her sculptures, rent-free, and in return, she keeps her shenanigans on the down-low and occasionally makes an appearance at a fancy event, all dolled-up and ready to charm.

is pretty damn good at maintaining different Faces because of that; she can schmooze like nobody’s business. this was helped by her sense of aesthetics; people aren’t exactly vying for ownership of her sculptures, particularly the more disturbing pieces, so even though it’s absolutely dreadful to have to simper and fawn over uninspiring art, it’s important to maintain relationships with whoever is or may one day be a Big Name in the artistic communities. how else is she going to find an avenue through which she can sell her art?

flirts when she’s comfortable. flirts when she’s uncomfortable. flirts because it’s familiar and it’ll either make her feel more comfortable or make the other party uncomfortable, too, so they can be on equal playing fields. flirts with everyone. does she actually like you? probably! does she actually want to act on all the things she’s insinuating? less probable. sorry, boo, it’s just fun to tease, don’t take it personally.

died with long-ass hair, not because she preferred it that way, but because she couldn’t be bothered to cut it when she was focusing on her sculpting. it’s a source of annoyance in her unlife. even if she cuts it short one day, it’s back by the next, which REALLY doesn’t help when it comes to crawling through the sewers.

speaking of which, she does do a lot of skulking around california’s sewer systems, particularly since finding the nosferatu warrens. maybe it’s the atmosphere that keeps her coming back — the warrens ARE rather homey, and the neon lights are very nice to look at. maybe it’s the river of acid blood she nearly slips into every goddamn time. maybe it’s an unwillingness to adhere to the expectations of others and a stubborn refusal to take part in some sort of innate feud that she’s meant to leap headfirst into without question even though she has 0 ties to her clan and 0 reason to dislike the nosferatu on sight.

maybe it’s maybelline.

regardless, she likes the nosferatu. since they get kind of a raw deal by being plagued not only by prince lacroix’s wrath but by horrifying flesh abominations in the sewers that keep them fairly boxed in, she takes it upon herself to pop in between demands for her time to clear out some tunnels of tzimisce influence with her trusty sledgehammer — and to say ‘hi,’ of course.

she’d do more favors for gary if he ever apologized for being Fucking Rude when they first met.

...except, just kidding! that would be boring, and she can’t imagine he’d actually do it, anyway, so she won’t hold her breath.

it’s true that their first meeting was a bit of a shitshow, and she did NOT like being toyed with to that extent, and jesus, man, she’s never even met you before, are you that fucking mad that she still looks good in her unlife??

but after she gets a chance to actually rest and recover from the stress of a whole mess of Fucking Horrifying Fleshmonsters trying to rip her apart, all of whom were creepy enough that even her morbid sensibilities couldn’t embrace them wholeheartedly, and the additional stress of someone dancing fucking circles around her and managing to hide in plain sight to taunt her with some needlessly vicious comments, her irritation fades somewhat.

she’s gonna keep coming back to the warrens, and she’ll find the shit he asks for in his emails, and if he warms up to her a little, that’d be absolutely fucking fantastic, but if he doesn’t, well, it’s fun and pretty fucking funny trading barbs with him anyway.

hey, gary, say something else about her lovely face and sculpted body, she didn’t properly bask in those compliments the first time and she’s ready to lounge across your table with your skeletons while soaking it all in. c’mon, don’t be shy, she’s willing to really listen this time.

this ain’t deep, but a fitting song for her in the game is “loyal for” because it’s just saying “i’m loyal... for now.” once it stops feeling like prince lacroix is holding the sword of damocles over her head, she is out of here. 

she’s bi, baby!

she would absolutely try this.

it’s lucky this game takes place in 2004 or else she’d be snapchatting everything.

call her Lu. no, in fact, she quite likes you; call her Lulu.

[emilyplaysotome]

Part 37 - The Bachelorette

Down the Voltage Rabbit Hole is an ongoing story about our MC, who could easily be anyone in voltage fandom. She woke up in hospital bed only to discover that she’d somehow been transported Voltage universe.

This story is ongoing, so if you missed a part, or are new to the story, please use the link to the masterpost below to catch yourself up:

https://tinyurl.com/k4rrxna

Part 37 - The Bachelorette

I am not, nor have I ever been a religious person.

It’s fair to say that I am one of those people who would classify myself as “spiritual” in the sense that I like the idea of reincarnation better than heaven and hell, which has always felt so binary to me. 

I believe in the fact that we, as human beings, are limited in our understanding of the world around us. I have always considered myself to be agnostic, and I believe if God, or some higher power does in fact exist, he/she probably isn’t as petty as the God I learned about as a child in the bible stories that come to mind.

With that said, this particular God who ruled all over the heavens as king, appeared to be as petty as the God from the old testament.

“My poor little Zyglavis,” he said with an amused smile that I didn’t trust for a second, “Oh well! I suppose the events to come will provide me with great entertainment...and that’s really all I can ask of someone as insignificant as yourself.”

It was clear that this God was an omnipotent, all powerful shit-stirrer, and being aware of that fact I thought it unwise to rock the boat any more than I already had. I simply bowed my head in response, as I tried to formulate the best way to provoke him into giving me answers to all the questions that I was currently kicking around in my head.

When I found myself unable to find the right words, I found myself muttering an, “Um,” which turned out to be just as successful in inciting the king to engage with me further.

“Yes? Speak up human.”

“Your highness...you said I had a week. What do you mean by that?”

“The tome Huedhaut found - the door. I’ll be sure to give you a personal send off then.”

“But why in a week, why not just send me back now?”

“Because where would the fun in that be? The second I heard your thoughts to take someone home with you, I felt compelled to intervene. Giving you a deadline will only serve to make it a more enjoyable viewing for me.”

I had to chuckle at that - the king of the heavens was far more of a troublemaker than I ever anticipated. 

It was clear that intervention was not quite what he was after, and it would be more accurate to say that he wanted to shake things up and then bask in the afterglow. What he craved was obviously reality-tv style entertainment at the hands of a few Goldfish and one of his most trusted ministers. 

Not wanting to let him down, and seeing as how I have always been a fan of reality shows, I decided to take the bait and appeal to his desire for what I would consider to be good, trashy television.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” I said, fully aware of how brazen I was being towards a creature who could smite me with the snap of his fingers.

“A deal with me?”

The king of the Gods’ smile hid something darker, but I didn’t let that scare me. I was in the home stretch so to speak, and I was determined to win the otome game that I’d been playing these past few weeks.

“I get three overnight dates. One with each guy. At the end of the week I choose one of them to return home with me and you see to it that he’s able to do so...even if that means losing one of your ministers.”

“Oh-ho!”

It was suddenly clear where Leon had picked up that small quirk of his, and the King, visibly amused cocked his head to the side.

The idea of three overnight dates with three men, resulting in one winner evidently intrigued the king, as I figured it would. After all, the Bachelorette had built its entire franchise on this concept, and had managed to keep itself alive and booming for over a decade after it first premiered on television. 

If that format was good enough for millions of Americans I had to figure it’d be just as good for a God who loved a little drama.

“You know it’s forbidden for a Goldfish to lay with a God, do you not?”

“I do. But part of my deal with you, is that you allow it - you give us your blessing.”

“And what am I getting in return?”

“Entertainment. Each night this week you’ll be able to tune in and see what happens. Don’t you want to see if I’ll be able to seduce a man as steadfast as Zyglavis? Isn’t that why you were encouraging me to try moments ago? You want to test him. You want to know if his loyalty towards you can be swayed. But if it can...I get him. Do we have a deal?”

“We do.”

The king of the heavens seemed delighted at the prospect of watching me as the Bachelorette, and with a far off look in his eyes, muttered something to himself about being able to part with anyone other than his beloved Scorpio. Upon hearing that I wondered if Scorpio and the king might be lovers (considering his clear attachment), but seeing as how it was none of my business, and not wanting to engage the king further, I bowed once more and began to exit the bath.

“Goldfish.”

I paused, worried that the king might throw another curveball my way and timidly turned back to face him.

“Choose wisely. Good luck.”

With the snap of his fingers he was gone, and my time as the Bachelorette was just now beginning.

I’d watched a fair amount of reality tv in my day and knew full well what I was going to get myself into with these overnight dates. 

For once, the speed at which feelings grew between people in this world seemed to be beneficial, and I pondered how, on my overnight dates in a fantasy suite, I could accurately gauge the interest of “forever” with a man who I’d only known for a short amount of time.

On the show, The Bachelor(ette) they kept things vague in terms of how far things progressed sexually between the contestants, but knowing that I was going to be headed home in only a week made me certain insofar as how I wanted to handle things. 

I’m sure there will be many who would judge me for this, but I knew that I’d need to sleep with all of them (unless something happened on the date that prompted me to change my mind), in order to properly evaluate our sexual chemistry, along with our long term potential.

Back in Zyglavis’ room, I changed into my pajamas (not quite ready for bed) and sat at Operation GTFO HQ with my slice of cake and laptop. 

I had planned on starting to write lyrics for Revance, but with a new project fresh in my mind, I decided to focus on planning my last week in this world. Having been familiar with the king of the Heavens from the game back home, I knew him to be a trickster, who often set up situations for his own amusement. 

Even though he’d told me that he would send me home personally, I considered the fact that he might not be telling me the truth. He was the type of God who often did what would amuse him most, and if that involved me being stuck in this world, it was obvious that he’d have no qualms as far as backing out of our deal.

For the time being, I would stay committed to reclaiming my independence while going on my Bachelorette style dates. 

If the king were to back out of his promise to send me home, I hoped that Huedhaut and the other Gods might be able to get me back under the assumption that I returned to my old self and shook off the characteristics that kept me stuck in otome-ville.

With all this in mind, I did what I did best and put together a tentative plan for the week to come.

Tomorrow (or today, seeing as how it was 2:30 A.M.), I would go to Ryo’s cafe and whip up Revance’s lyrics for them. 

Once they were approved, I would ask the band to wire me payment for the songs which would hopefully cover a shopping spree on Sunday. Like any notable Bachelorette, I was going to need a fabulous wardrobe for my upcoming dates. 

The king of the Heavens was unfamiliar with the production value associated with a show like the Bachelorette, and in order to curry his favor I wanted to deliver. This meant using the money from Revance on gowns, hair and makeup, in addition to planning extravagant dates designed to create a real life fairy tale experience.

Once I secured the funds needed to bankroll a week of luxury and glamor, I would coordinate the first (and what may very well be the last) meeting of my restaurant club for Sunday night, knowing that Sakiko, Chisato, and the Conte MC would most likely be available. With a girls only friend date on the horizon, I then would assert my independence using the rest of Saturday as a day to bide my (alone) time by attempting to stretch my new fun-loving, free-spirited muscles.

I would have a “Treat Yourself” evening. 

I’d see a movie, go to a park, or maybe even try my hand at creative writing or read a book...anything that made me feel good. In this bizarro version of Tokyo there were plenty of things to see and do, and while most of the settings had been used as date backdrops, I was going to check them out myself.

With my Saturday now planned, I shifted my focus to what needed to be done on the following day.

On Sunday, I’d spend the morning and afternoon shopping with the money from Revance. Next, I’d need to book three different fancy hotels for my overnight dates - Tuesday/Wednesday, Wednesday/Thursday, and Thursday/Friday. 

I knew the schedule was aggressive, and that there was a nonzero chance I would be able to get all three men to agree, but I’d promised the king a show and I was determined to give him one.

It made the most sense to try and schedule Jin on Tuesday/Wednesday, seeing as how we’d just had a great date together and it would be easy enough to tell him that I couldn’t get him out of my head and wanted to see him again. He’d offered to take me out even if I was leaving Tokyo, so morally and ethically I didn’t feel bad on taking him up on that.

I figured having an overnight date with Shun during the Wednesday/Thursday time slot would be too aggressive (seeing as how I’d accepted his job offer and he was now my new boss), and planned to go out with him last, using our time at work together in order to line that up in the most natural way possible.

This meant that Zyglavis got my time Wednesday/Thursday, and I felt myself smiling with anticipation as I pictured what a date with him would look like. 

Unlike the other two men on my roster, Zyglavis was the most reserved. It was apparent that both Shun and Namba would have no qualms spending the night with me, but Zyglavis...he was a different story.

On that note, sexual chemistry in a relationship is something that has always been important to me, and while I knew that most of these nights would be awkward and chock full of navigating each other’s likes and dislikes, I hoped to walk away with a real understanding of how each man was in bed.

Was he communicative? Giving? Selfish? Tender? Rough?

I wanted to know before I could make my final choice, and I worried that convincing Zyglavis to break the rule of the heavens and lay with a Goldfish (despite the king’s blessing), might be an impossible task.

I sighed, alone in the empty room as I finished the last bite of my gateau slice, picturing Zyglavis somewhere in the heavens completely in the dark as to the fact the King had paid me a personal visit. 

It was obvious to me that he was the frontrunner in my heart, but that did not necessarily mean that he would be the best choice for my life back home. 

With such a short amount of time left, I’d need to really separate the fantasy of each man from the reality of what life with them would look like back in New York. Strong feelings and passion only go so far, and the most successful relationships are often between two people who share a deep mutual respect and friendship that results in an ability for them to grow as individuals, together.

On paper, Shun seemed to be the best fit for me. 

We worked in similar fields and I knew that he’d be able to easily find employment in New York. He was a cosmopolitan man who enjoyed the finer things in life, so living in New York City would suit him quite nicely. I could see him being a great plus one with my inner circle, charming them with his looks and manners, while also being able to hold his own in our conversations.

With this said, I needed to know if he was capable of being more than a charming, pretty face.

I worried he might be too much of a playboy for my tastes. I had little to no time to convince him to remove his mask for me, but I knew that before I could commit to him I would need to see who he was underneath his slick, creative director facade. 

I knew that I wanted someone who was kind and caring, and who, when things would get tough as they inevitably did in life, wouldn’t cut and run to something that seemed “easier”. 

Whereas Shun struck me as someone who preferred ease in his relationships, I knew that Namba could handle a rocky road from time to time. In the short amount of time we’d spent together, I was certain that he possessed the ability to be there for me in the way I wanted someone to be. 

The problem with him was his lifestyle. 

He’d told me himself that he’d been in the force for half of his life. He’d worked impossibly hard to move his way up to the high ranking position he was currently in and I couldn’t see him giving all that up in an attempt to join the NYPD or something similar back home.

I knew how close he was with his team and I worried that taking him home with me would force him into a world in which he was isolated and miserable. A scene of living with him in my studio apartment flashed through my mind, except this time he was depressed, smoking out a crack in the window while complaining about how gross and deplorable the city I lived in was.

Crime in New York City was so drastically different than crime in bizarro Toyko. Would he be able to handle terrorism? Murder? Sexual Assault? 

Or would the cruel world I came from destroy his optimism for life, and slowly beat him down day after day.

Finally, there was Zyglavis who would be trading in his unlimited cosmic powers for an itty bitty living space (literally speaking seeing as how I live in a small New York City studio apartment). 

He was the biggest wildcard of the group, and I had to think it was unlikely that should he be the one to join me he’d be able to keep his powers or immortality. With that in mind, could I even ask him to step foot through the door knowing that committing to me meant he’d be stripped of everything he found familiar. 

Furthermore, if he were to agree to do so, then what?

Zyglavis hadn’t worked a day in his life in the human realm. Would he be able to happily acclimate to his new life as a Goldfsih? Or would he lose patience with things and grow to resent me for dragging him along with me?

These questions weren’t going to get answered tonight, and with my eyelids growing heavy I decided to pick my planning back up tomorrow. 

I closed my laptop, hiding all traces of my upcoming plan should Zyglavis return prematurely and got under the covers, snuggling up to the pillow he’d laid on the day we’d almost kissed. It still smelled faintly of his hair and the lavender smell from the baths, and I hugged it tightly, quietly wishing that I'd see him sooner than I expected.

With the room pitch black, I found myself drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

That night, I had two dreams that felt more like a vision, and less like a mishmash of my subconscious trying to process the day. 

Both scenes took place in the King’s throne room, and I watched as the same conversation played out in two different ways. 

In the dream, Zyglavis was in his true form, which I had yet to see in real life. He was more beautiful than I could even attempt to describe, and in both scenarios I stood off to the side, as if I were an invisible bystander.

In the first scenario, the King had been the first to speak.

“Zyglavis, I have paid your Goldfish a visit.”

Zyglavis blushed fiercely, breaking eye contact with the King and said, “It would be inaccurate to describe Ami as ‘my’ Goldfish, but with that aside, why have you done so if I may inquire?”

“She and I have come to an understanding. She will be allowed to take a man from this world home with her, should he give his consent, and you are in the running.”

“Me?”

The king chuckled, seeing through Zyglavis’ feigned surprise.

“Yes. She even went so far as to demand my blessing...which I gave her. You should feel free to have your way with her.”

Zyglavis blushed furiously, unable to mutter anything other than, “Yes, your highness” as he stared down at his feet.

“But hear this - should you chose to go with her you will no longer be a Minister of Punishments. Scorpio will succeed you, and though you will be able to return to this realm once the mortal dies, you will be unable to return to the high position you currently hold. Gods will no doubt talk, and it could be entirely possible that upon your return you will be considered the disgraced God of Libra by your peers.”

“I see.”

“However, note this. True love is something that alludes both men and Gods in their lifetime. Many will go through this life never knowing what it is to experience something so priceless. If this is in fact love, you would be foolish to turn your back on it. Consider these words.”

“Yes your highness.”

With that, the king smirked and dismissed Zyglavis. He started to leave and then paused. Sensing his unease the king addressed him once more.

“What is it?”

“These...other men. Who are they?”

The king chuckled, clearly tickled to see his stoic minister showing signs of petty jealousy.

“Zyglavis. Fear not. You are a God. And a man is no match for a God.”

Zyglavis gave the king a small nod, and with that he exited. 

The king turned towards me, and breaking the fourth wall smiled, as he snapped his fingers.

A bright light flashed before my eyes and I saw the two together once more. In this second scene, Zyglavis was the first to speak.

“Your highness, you wanted to speak with me?”

“Yes, Zyglavis. As you know, I have paid the Goldfish a visit.”

“How did it go?”

“Swimmingly,” the king said, laughing at his own bad joke, “I have given you both my blessing. You should not feel as if you have to hold anything back.”

Zyglavis smirked, “I don’t think that will be necessary. Taking advantage of a woman’s affection is not my style.”

To that, an angry look flashed through the king’s face.

“Zyglavis - you will put aside how you normally proceed to ensure that she picks you. I cannot have her taking anyone from this world home to hers.”

Zygavis’ expression became stoic and obedient, “Yes, your highness.”

“My trusted Minister. I knew I could count on you.”

“You honor me your majesty.”

The king smiled, and then as if something unpleasant crossed his mind he became serious and asked, “Tell me, do you feel badly at all for the Goldfish?”

“A little, but it is for the greater good - the logical way to proceed. I look forward to the time when I can return to serving you and the Department of Punishments once more.”

“Very good. You are dismissed.”

With his head held high, Zyglavis coolly turned and exited the room. Just as he had in the first scenario, the king broke the fourth wall and with a harsh look, addressed me directly.

“One is true, one is false. Which one? That I cannot say…Choose wisely Naomi.”

He snapped his fingers, and I jolted awake, covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

Daylight streamed in through the windows, and I checked the time to see it was 10 in the morning. 

I put a hand over my racing heart, reminding myself that it had just been a dream. However, as quickly as that thought crossed my mind, I turned to see something on the nightstand that hadn’t been there before.

Almost as if he wanted to hammer the point home, I picked up the card which had my name, my real name, on the envelope. 

It read:

Not a dream Naomi - One true. One false. Choose wisely or go home alone.

I sighed aloud, realizing how difficult my last week was going to be. Now that the king of the heavens was involved, I had opened myself up to unforeseen challenges, no doubt in the interest of making things more interesting for him.

I had been the one who was foolish enough to suggest a “Bachelorette” style competition in order to secure who would accompany me home, and like any good reality producer the king had merely stirred the pot.

To be continued…in Part 38

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