#curious to see if anyone can guess the scene/card

[whenthewallfell]

it's been like four months since i last tried drawing anything so here's a sneak peek at something i'm working on (because i don't have enough wips as it is)

[marleyybluu]

Oscar x pregnant!reader

Wc: 1.9k

warnings: daddy issues, use of OMB scenes so spoilers I guess, sad Spooky, shitty ending cus my attention span cut out

"No, no, no! You can not put down two draw fours!" Yn shouted at Cesar while the two dabbled in an intense game of UNO. Cesar chuckled waving his one card in her face. "You're just mad because you're losing." He bragged. Though it was confirmed she would never admit it, she quickly pouted and placed her hand on her stomach, he chuckled shaking his head knowing the card that she was about to play. "I'm gonna tell your niece or nephew you didn't let their mommy win."

Her boyfriend Spooky could be heard letting out a bellyful laugh from down the hall, he emerged from his room making his way toward them where they sat around the table not too far from the living room. "Mamita, you can't say that every time you don't get your way." She stuck out her tongue. "I can and I will for the remaining six months."

He rolled his eyes and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Fine," She reluctantly picked up eight more cards just for Cesar to dramatically slam his last one on the table. He stood up took the last swig of his beer and rested the empty bottle on the table, he was next to kiss her head before grabbing his things and heading out. "I'll see you guys later, I'm with Monse if you need me."

"Have fun." She called out. The door closed and the house was once again silent, Yn gathered the cards and packed them nicely back into the box they came in. She heard the sound of the front door opening and assumed it was Cesar, she said "What'd you forget knucklehead?" But frowned when she was met with their father, Ray. A few days ago the older gentleman had found himself across from the traphouse, Cesar panicked about a stranger just stalking outside so Spooky went to investigate, and with Yn's nosey ass at the window, she noticed Spooky's body language and he was not happy.

Spooky never spoke about his dad, maybe once, but that was it. She could tell he had resentment in his heart for that man, he was a stranger and for him to pop back up after all these years wasn't ideal for anyone in this situation. YN had to admit it was nice seeing Cesar happy and hearing him talk about all the things they were going to do and how much they had to catch up on but judging by the look on Ray's face right in front of her... those plans would never set in motion.

She pitied him a half-smile before dodging into the kitchen. Spooky sat in the background on the couch observing the cold interaction, internally smiling that she would be on his side no matter the minor details that she knew. Ray disappeared into one of the rooms, Spooky was curious as to what he was there for but was brought out of it when he was called to the kitchen. He got up and followed her voice, she was desperately trying to reach the third shelf and was failing miserably, usually, she'd grab a chair but with a baby inside she was more cautious of what she did.

"Can you grab a plate for me papito?"

"Of course, baby."

She squealed and applauded the small gesture as he handed the plate over to her. "Thank you." She blew him a kiss but he wanted a real one, his hand snaking around her waist he pulled her in tightly. Her hands ran up his neck and landed under his jawline. Their lips touched, fitting like pieces of a puzzle, melting together like it was the first time. She could feel his hands slide a little further down, she gasped at the hard squeeze he delivered she pulled back smacking his chest. "Why can't I have one little innocent kiss?"

"That question is what got you pregnant in the first place." He joked gently pressing his hand on her little belly. Yn shooed him off. Oscar laughed and left her alone only to return to the main area and see Ray with his duffle bag on top of the table packing his clothes up. "Finally cleaning up your mess?" He asked. Ever since he arrived it'd practically become a pigsty, his girl often complaining that she wasn't some maid for a grown-ass man, especially one she had no relation to. Ray avoided eye contact as he answered. "I'm leaving, think I've caused enough drama."

Leaving. All he did was leave, run away from his problems, and scram when things got serious. It wasn't the first time Oscar experienced it but there was no doubt that it still hurt, he felt himself shrink into that little kid again, watching the man who was supposed to be there for him vanish, the man who was supposed to teach him how to become one disappear without a trace leaving him and Cesar alone to fend for themselves.

"Good," He responded. "You tell Cesar your plan?"

There was a moment of silence, Ray had stopped packing and sighed making eye contact with his oldest. "I'll tell him when I get to Bakersfield, there's a guy up there who can help me out... help you out too-"

Spooky had turned cold, that scowl plastered on his face, the boiling hate flashing in his eyes. "I don't need help, I got everything I need."

Ray let out an amused chuckle. "The Santos? That girl?" Oscar took a step forward, fists balled up, father or not he would put down anyone that disrespected his girl. She was his home, his family, she was everything that he needed. "Her name is Yn, and she let you stay with us, not me... if it were up to me you'd be out on the street with the rest of the stray dogs."

Little did they know they had an audience for this performance, not too far off Yn had poked her head from the kitchen she had stopped what she was doing the minute she heard their voices. "I hope they don't sell you out, I hope she's good to you because one day all that love you think you're getting from them is gonna be gone."

"Ray." He warned. "This street shit isn't the life man, you don't have to stay here, go and make something of yourself."

Oscar's eyes softened, and he began to nod in agreement. "Thanks, Papa, you're right. I could be president or a fucking astronaut, maybe even a movie star right? Because I had such a great fucking role model!"

"I had a shitty dad too, mijo," Ray's tone was so nonchalant when he said it and something about it was making Yn's skin crawl it just sounded like he didn't care. "But you gotta let that rage go."

It took everything for her not toa put in her two cents. How do you let the rage from constant and consistent disappointment go? She could tell Spooky had this overbearing feeling that he was a failure, that he failed Cesar, failed the Santos and even failed her-- so how was he just supposed to let that go?

Yn had thought the fire between them had died down, that Ray had left and Spooky was just standing there disassociating at the fact that he was in his twenties and still being abandoned. But when she brought herself into frame the two of them had gone, their muffled argument had moved outdoors. Her feet carried her to the front door, where she stood behind the screen watching it go down from a distance.

"Everything bad that's ever happened in my life is because of you! You're gonna crush Cesar the same way you crushed me!" His voice weakened, almost cracking like he was fighting to keep that little boy inside. Ray was already at the end of the path, one foot almost on the black tarmac road, he dropped his bag and turned around to face Spooky. "You never wrote to me... you didn't call, you didn't even visit not once! Did you even think about me?"

YN placed her hand over her heart, she wanted nothing more than to drag him inside and coddle him for all he's been through but he needed to let this out he'd been holding it in for far too long. She looked as Ray walked back toward Spooky.

"Oscar-" He began but Spooky shut it down. "You wanna know the worst part about not having a father? I had to be a father to my brother without having been a son first!" He sniffled. "I have a girl in there who loves me, who taught me how to love since I didn't have you or mama as examples... she's having my baby and I'm scared that I'm gonna end up like you!"

Oscar broke, completely shattered. Yn didn't think there'd be a day when she heard her partner weeping from the deep sadness that he felt, the sadness that was cloaked in anger. Ray didn't say anything, he pulled Oscar in for a hug and he resisted at first but once again his inner child betrayed him and he loosened a bit returning the embrace and they stayed like that for a while. Oscar buried his head in his father's shoulder, nothing was said, it was a bittersweet and brief moment before that rage entered his system again. That wall reappeared in seconds.

He wasn't little Oscar Diaz anymore he was back to Spooky who aggressively shoved his father off of him. "Take your shit and go, make sure I don't see you here again."

And just like that, he was gone again. Spooky turned around with a pout on his face, he stopped at the front door seeing Yn through the screen. "Did you eat?" Funny that even in his obvious time of need he was still worried about her. She shook her head, stretched out her hand to his and gently pulled him inside. Once the door closed the tears that he had just soaked back up were released once again. Yn pulled him over to the couch, sat him down and then took her place beside him.

He fell apart in her arms. "I fucking hate him." She rubbed his back. "All he does is fucking leave me... what did I do?"

"Ay! You didn't do anything papito, he's just an asshole."

"Am I not good enough?"

She frowned. "You are more than enough my love, I promise you. You are more than enough for me, for Cesar and for the baby. You did a great job raising him and you will do an even better one raising ours."

He lifted his head from where it rested on her shoulder, she swiped her thumb across his cheeks to wipe his tears. "How are you so sure?"

"You already do enough for the baby and they're not even here. You make sure I'm eating enough, you make sure I'm relaxed. I wish you could've seen your face when I told you." Now she was tearing up. "I couldn't have picked a better person to make a family with."

He softly smiled. "I love you."

"Duh." She sarcastically answered which received a decent chuckle. "I love you too, we're good okay? I'm not going anywhere."

"I know." He mumbled. She smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. "Let's eat, yeah?"

"Yeah."

I just felt like writing something kind of sad. idk why.

for the Pedro girlies im working on Truth or Drink3

for the Rio girlies, working on The Nanny 3

trying not to burn tf out lol just put me down at this point.

if you liked this fic feel free to like this fic, reblogs and comments are appreciated.

peace and love.

[tabithatwo]

Can I ask why you don’t like this new season of yj? No hate or anything, I’m just genuinely curious

I’m so tired and probably won’t be very coherent but that’s okay there’s like six more of these in my asks if I want a second more thorough answer tomorrow lol but a lot of how I feel is in posts on my blog and I’ll just talk mostly 2x08 here. I’ve been hanging on tight until this episode but it has BROKEN me. Like I’m in mourning lol. To anyone who likes it I’m so happy for you I’m not coming for you at all.

But to me the main issue I’ve had is how they have constantly had opportunities to go DARK and SHOW the devolution but they played it very fucking safe (the makeup being the catalyst, Shauna’s birth being truly the safest option possible, like an episode of call the midwife except a fucked up dream happens, etc) and there was no actual build to the level of violence and depravity (or even RELIGION BUILDING) that the card draw sacrifice calls for. The ate Jackie because she was already dead and the wilderness slow cooked her, they were all mourning the baby last episode, they showed us Misty feeling potentially genuine remorse and guilt for Crystal? The “cult stuff” up until now has been mostly fucking dbt techniques and self harm. Yes the shauna lottie last episode was intense but we got absolutely zero follow up on it in any real characterization way for shauna this episode.

Then they kicked us out of the room when the decision was being made and I PROMISE people who think that was a shit move are largely not thinking they needed to explain the card game. It’s about showing your characters in pivotal huge moments. Yellowjackets is advertised and set up in s1 as a psychological horror. I want to see the characters GRAPPLE with things in a psychological horror. Seeing how they got from point a to point b isn’t about understanding the rules of their game, it’s about seeing developed characters reactions to crazy fucking shit.

Instead we get a jump straight into everyone drawing a card and the group deciding to kill one of their two hunters. Would some be on board with no questions asked? sure, but to ask the audience to believe that it just Makes Sense that they landed here after being very fucking relatively TAME all season until that one fight (I was so scared after that scene and no one reacting that this is the jump they were making, based on one moment alone and I was so sad to see it happen lol) is a big ask.

Now add on top of that the way they’re cutting us out of the actual character driven moments. That wasn’t psychological horror, that wasn’t delving into characters psyches like we’ve been promised. It was a thriller moment, change on a dime, maybe for shock value I guess. To me that interim would’ve been a very hard scene to write, a glimpse even of them deciding and reckoning with this belief and darkness in themselves. It’s a large group with a lot to juggle and big messy dynamics. And the easy way out of that is to just not show it at all.

People keep saying “they don’t have time to develop things this season because of side plots.” But they CHOSE to have those side plots in the first place. They’re filling shit in because they don’t WANT to get into the nitty gritty. We watched musical theater and cops and whatever the hell else and whatever. Fine. Sure. But it isn’t that those plots magically overtook some extra brilliant deep moments that they planned on showing with these characters to actually WITNESS their devolution, like s1 set us up to expect. They added them to fill empty space.

I GET that they become brutal. I GET that they devolve. I UNDERSTAND that from moment fucking one. The draw of the show to me is not watching them chase someone. We got that in the first scene. It’s seeing HOW they get there. What has to happen to get them to that place AND how does it impact each main character. Don’t just list the bad things for me. Show me their reasoning and their religion building and their arguing and their giving in. That’s what the real story is to me. Because we just saw them do their first ritual kill, but we didn’t see much more DEPTH to it, with these characters that we’ve now spent 18 episode getting to know, than the pilot already showed us.

1 am ramblings please forgive confusing turns of phrase or typos lol

[lunerna21]

……Is anyone else kinda disappointed with how Playful Land ended up being?? Or it is just me??

***Slight Spoilers for Playful Land Ahead***

Don’t get me wrong, it was an enjoyable event and everything and I loved seeing new people bonding that we typically wouldn’t see interact like Leona and Trey.

But besides that, it felt sort of lackluster compared to Glorious Masquerade.

Like Azul, Idia and Malleus and the others demonstrated growth compared to their involvement of the main story. Even in Glorious Masquerade, we witnessed everyone going through something traumatic with how dangerous the Fire Lotuses could be, to the scary thought that anyone could lose their magic forever because of Rollo’s choices.

Like I was on the EDGE of my seat as I’m watching students from NRC fight this with everything and EVERY SINGLE STUDENT progressed and showed how much they’ve grown over time.

AND I LOVED IT! ITS STILL MY FAVORITE EVENT!

…..But I don’t think Playful Land lived up to the potential it could have been…

Don’t get me wrong, Fellow blew Rollo out of the water with how fucked up and dark the concept was for Playful Land.

I had to stop SEVERAL times to compute the fucking fact that this is happening to people, and many others weren’t able to stop Fellow and Gidel in time. Like shit was FUCKED UP

BUT WHY DID THEY STOP TALKING ABOUT THE DUDE BEHIND THE SCENES INVOLVING HUMAN TRAFFICKING!?

LIKE NO IT SHOULDN’T JUST END WITH EVERYONE CELEBRATING AND DANCING AND SINGING

SHOULDNT SOMEBODY REPORT WHOEVER THIS WAS, MAYBE HAVE FELLOW RATTING HIM OUT SO IT STOPS HAPPENING!?

Like why did they show Ace slightly scared with the concept of turning into puppets? If it was me, I’d be shitting bricks thinking my body is slowing turning into a mindless puppet and never returning NRC.

And even Kalim I feel like they didn’t really use the opportunity to grow from how he was in Book 4. Ortho showed some growth, but Fairy Gala Remix demonstrated more of how much Ortho was beginning to grow from an android to a human being, to being himself.

Not only the main three, but Lilia, Jade and the others didn’t really get a spotlight moment where we feel proud from how far they came from their involvement in the main story.

ALSO ME BEING AN ACEYUU PSYCHO I WAS HOPING FOR A MOMENT LIKE IN GLORIOUS MASQUERADE WITH ACE COMING IN TO SAVE US OR SHOWING SOME HINT OF WORRY.

BUT NO. NOPE. WE DIDNT GET ANY OF THAT AND I WANNA FLIP THE FUCK OUT I NEED MORE ACEYUU MOMENTS TOGETHER

One thing I did enjoy was there was more interaction with Fellow, Gidel and MC, even after the reveal of Fellow and Gidel’s intentions.

But I just feel like it didn’t live up to being a potential contender for Glorious Masquerade.

Even some of the groovy cards weren’t spectacular. I loved Ace, Ortho and Kalim but the others kinda seemed half-assed

AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT WHY THEY ALWAYS FUCK UP THE COLOR OF LEONAS SKIN IN EACH OF HIS GROOVY CARDS!? That and it just looks they didn’t put any effort into his groovy whatsoever.

Can we please give Leona a stunning groovy with perfect lighting and color for once!?

I’m kinda worried of what they’re gonna do with the concept of Halloween next year, but I just hope they don’t make it another traumatic event like the past Halloween event

Let’s just give the NRC students and staff a break because what the fuck they went through I would’ve been traumatized, ESPECIALLY TURNING INTO A FUCKING WOODEN PUPPET

AND I HAVENT EVEN SEEN ANY OF THE VIGNETTES BEING MENTIONED (part of it obviously due to some cards not having a vignette) but when Glorious Masquerade came out EVERYONE WAS IN SHAMBLES

I guess only time will tell, but let me know what you thought of Playland Land too I’m super curious if it’s only me who felt this way

But anyway, enjoy the rest of your day~~!❤️❤️❤️

[wavytam]

SaNami in Thriller Bark and Whole Cake: How one arc was used to foreshadow the other

In this post I will talk about how Sanji's and Nami's storylines in Thriller Bark were used to foreshadow a lof of elements that played out in Whole Cake Island...

... and might as well foreshadow their dynamic in future arcs.

I decided to write this post after I rewatched Thriller Bark. 

As the episodes went by, having in mind that I had already caught up on Wano in the anime, I noticed some odd… similarities left in Thriller Bark that made me realize how much it foreshadowed future arcs (like Marine Ford and Fishman Island), but especially Whole Cake Island (and Egghead, but this is an analysis for the next post) especially the moments relating to Sanji and Nami.

I also remembered something that was speculation at the time and if anyone has a source for this information, please share, since it's been a while I've read about it and I don't remember where I got it from: apparently, during the time Marine Ford was being animated (and the manga was in Fishman Island) one of Oda's employees lost some type of sketchbook containing concepts and plans about Whole Cake Arc.

If this is true, it means that Oda had a lot of things figured out way ahead of the current storyline of One Piece - which is not exactly a surprise. But after rewatching Thriller Bark, I dare to speculate that Oda already had a lot of things planned for Whole Cake even before Fishman Island and even Marineford, and he actually used Thriller Bark itself to foreshadow it.

Obviously, every arc of One Piece usually leaves hints to future arcs (especially when it comes to Wano and Elbaf - Oda foreshadows both in almost every arc), but I'd like to take a moment to talk about the ones (on top of my head) that Thriller Bark left hints of.

Wano: Zoro's encounter with Ryuma's Zombie and Moria mentions Kaido.

Marineford: By the very end of the Thriller Bark arc, Boa Hancock's name is mentioned, and we also have a scene of Lola warning Luffy about Ace's vivre card.

These are just some of the elements I remember and won't get into much detail, otherwise this post would need two parts lol.

Anyway, with what I said in mind, there's one arc that Thriller Bark strangely foreshadows more than any other and, not only that, but also introduces elements that will later be essential in said arc: which is Whole Cake Island. There are so many moments thrown here and there, especially during Sanji and Nami's moments, that it got me curious to know for how long Oda:

Had planned to write Whole Cake

Had the entirety of Sanji's storyline figured out

Had planned some specific interactions between certain characters

As you can already guess by the title of this analysis, my assumption is that Sanji and Nami's roles and interactions in Whole Cake Island were something that Oda had planned ever since Thriller Bark… and maybe even before.

In this next part, I will show you the reasons why and also why I think that some of their moments in Thriller Bark still weren't mirrored in Whole Cake but might be in Egghead or maybe Elbaf.

Nami and Sanji’s roles in Thriller Bark

First, let's remember what happens to Nami and Sanji separately and how both their storylines intersect throughout Thriller Bark.

Nami starts off by getting lost from the Straw Hats along with Usopp and Chopper (the infamous Weak Trio) inside Thriller Bark. Through their perspective we see how weird and macabre the setting is and how there is something wrong with its inhabitants - specifically Doctor Hogback.

Meanwhile, Luffy, Sanji and the rest of the Straw Hats follow the trio's tracks and have an entirely different perception of the place. Through their perspective, everything that scared Usopp, Nami and Chopper is… kinda pathetic and weak? Lol, I loved how Oda planned this.

Once the Weak Trio arrives at Dr. Hogback's Manor, Nami is assaulted (ugh) by an invisible Absalom (mind you, a guy who has lion parts - a symbol that usually is connected to her throughout One Piece) and he decides to take her as his wife. Meanwhile, as the trio tries to escape, and the rest of the Straw Hats are looking for them, Sanji's and Zoro's shadows are taken by Gecko Moria and put inside Zombies. Something interesting happens: because Sanji is not well known like Zoro, Moria underestimates him and puts his shadow inside the body of a weaker Zombie (keep that in mind for later).

Sanji's zombie finds Usopp, Chopper and Nami, and rebels against his "programming" to protect Nami specifically.

That's when Moria's minions realize that Sanji is much stronger than they anticipated.

Later, Chopper and Usopp escape, but Nami is taken by Absalom. She also meets a Zombie named Lola whom she ends up befriending. Through Usopp, (original) Sanji finds out Nami was harassed by Absalom and was planning to force her into a marriage.

He gets so mad, he lights himself on fire and we have these interesting exchanges.

(Posting two translations of the same panel because both translations are so interesting: one of them Zoro says that he might “transform” into something, but the other says he might “mutate” - and considering the things we know now of Sanji’s past once again shows how Oda gives a lot of thought to Sanji’s characterization.

Anyway, if anyone knows which phrase is the closest to the original japanese and what else it could be talking about, feel free to comment or DM! I have zero knowledge of Japanese and I just know how many hints we might be missing because of it). 

Meanwhile, Nami is (probably) drugged by Absalom and is carried to the altar to get married.

Obviously (and under Luffy's orders) Sanji goes to look for Nami and we know how things go after this. He

crashes Nami's "wedding",

fights Absalom as he protects her body against any minor harm,

and ends up talking about his dream to become invisible and how he studied devil fruits when he was a kid (that moment for me is enough to prove that Oda had already planned Sanji's entire storyline with Germa, his siblings and his metal mask - I will talk about it in more detail later)

All of that effort seemed to go nowhere since Sanji was unable to free Nami. Absalom escapes with her and tries to marry her again, only for her to (finally) wake up and defeat him.

That's when we realise that it was thanks to Sanji, who weakened Absalom in their previous fight, that Nami was able to (in a sense) oneshot Absalom so easily.

So, unbeknown to himself and Nami, Sanji did end up saving Nami - this is an interesting motif in their relationship, and something I plan to talk about more in future posts.

Later, after everything is resolved, Nami befriends the real Lola. Lola not only talks about her mother Linlin (the Big Mom, one of the Four powerful Yonkos) but also gives Nami Linlin's vivre card. Only later in Whole Cake we find out Lola ran away from home and Chiffon mentions how she rejected the advances of a prince (Loki - Elbaf foreshadow) whom Nami takes interest upon for being… well, a prince.

Obviously a bunch of other things happen, but I only talked about the points I wanted to explore in this analysis. I'm sure you noticed there's a lot of them to talk about already.

Also, if you watched/read WCI I'm sure that, as I listed what happened in Thriller Bark, you already noticed how there are some interesting elements in it that later become crucial for While Cake to play out the way it did.

As I mentioned, one of the most important things that I think Oda had been planning to write ever since Thriller Bark (or before) was for Nami specifically to participate in Whole Cake.

This part I will leave for last, since the next topics will serve as a way to explain it.

TB Absalom's Invisibility and Sanji's Dream mirror WCI Stealth Black and the Rejected Germa Prince Storyline

Well, this topic is kinda controversial because of the sexual undertones it has and because of how Oda portrays Sanji's perviness. I won't talk about this part here since it's not the focus of this analysis, but I will link you to an amazing post that explores exactly that part of Sanji's character.

Here I will focus on the other part that Oda left implicit: which is the fact that Sanji had the dream to be invisible ever since he was a kid (when he still didn't have his hyperfixation on women) and how, at the same time, it was the exact power he was "supposed" to have as a Germa soldier and prince.

To me Oda not only used Absalom's powers as a way to leave open the possibility of Sanji having invisibility related powers in the future (which he kinda did in Wano), but also to tie it to his past with Germa. 

Only now do we know that the power Sanji was originally supposed to have was invisibility and the fact that Oda put Absalom with that exact power might show how ahead he was on the story (or how good he is with improvising hehe).

Now, this raises the question: if Sanji's mutation was supposed to be invisibility, where exactly did those fire powers come from? (This is something for a future post ;))

TB Nami and Lola mirrors WCI Nami and Chiffon

Through the bond Oda developed between Lola and Nami, the Straw Hats (and we, readers) gathered a lot of important information that would later be used by Nami herself to survive their adventure through Whole Cake.

First, Lola had a twin sister, Chiffon, who, because of the bond already established between Lola and Nami, ended up taking a liking to Nami in Whole Cake (and vice versa).

Big Mom's Family and Political Marriages

Second, as we get to know Lola in Thriller Bark we see that the idea of finding the man she loves and marrying him is an important concept for her. This is later on explained in Whole Cake, where we realize that Big Mom uses political marriages to gain more power and wanted to force Lola to marry prince Loki. That’s the sole reason for Lola to leave Big Mom and, once again, it seems like something Oda had already planned in Thriller Bark.

Big Mom's Vivre Card

Third, the Vivre Card Lola gave Nami was crucial for Nami, Luffy and the rest of the crew to navigate through Whole Cake and control Big Mom's henchmen. A lot of the problems that they were going through in Whole Cake were resolved because of that simple vivre card given around six arcs earlier, Thriller Bark.

Sanji and Nami Wedding Crashing Each Other's Weddings and Bridal Carries

Well, this is the part the SaNami Fandom has already talked about the most and for obvious reasons. It's not everyday a ship has so many wedding motifs, and the fact that Oda chose to parallel a lot of things that happened during the wedding in Thriller Bark at Whole Cake with Sanji and Nami, obviously adds more fuel to the fire.

This topic, along with Lola, is actually the reason for me to write this analysis, since, in my opinion, there are a lot of details that seem too coincidental to be considered unplanned.

First detail: we have the fact that Nami was the main reason for Luffy to ever decide to invade Big Mom's territory and go after Sanji, whilst in Thriller Bark it was Sanji himself who was determined to stop Nami's wedding at all costs and Luffy… well, he just gave Sanji permission to do his thing lmao.

Second: during both wedding ceremonies, Sanji carried Nami bridal style; something that the groom was supposed to do with the bride.

Third detail: both Nami and Sanji were being forced to get married and it was always the other side that would try to save the forced groom/bride. The best part about this is the fact that neither Sanji nor Nami knew about the amount of difficulties the other went to save one another. Which brings me to the next topic:

Nami's Obliviousness to Sanji's efforts mirrors Sanji's obliviousness to Nami's efforts

Okay, this is more of a fact for the entirety of One Piece, but I think it's more evident in both Thriller Bark and Whole Cake. Again, although this is a topic that I want to talk about in more detail in another post, I do think it's worth mentioning a bit in here.

In Thriller Bark, Nami does not realize how important she is for Sanji and the extent of the things he is willing to do for her safety. Not only that, but Nami is also not aware of the things Sanji already did for her ever since Arlong Park.

In Whole Cake, it's more subtle, but the fact that only Luffy truly saw Sanji's breakdown and how much he was sacrificing himself for his crew, shows that Nami still does not know the true extent of Sanji's care and selflessness. 

And it raises the question: why? Why is it that Oda does not let Nami (until this day) know how much Sanji did to his crew and especially to her? To me, it's because, if Nami knew, she would treat Sanji differently. If she knew that Sanji does have a preference for her, that he defended her in Arlong Park, that he tried everything he could to protect her in Thriller Bark, and that he did a lot of things he wouldn't do for any other woman, maybe her view on him would change.

Consequently some type of tension between the two could eventually build up and what Oda has been trying to avoid for years (which was a romance between the crew) would eventually happen, and the entire dynamic of the crew would shift (but this is speculation ofc, it might be nothing and even if Nami knew, nothing could change).

And let's also consider that, although Sanji looks for Nami's validation when she witnesses him fighting, he never tries to brag or tell her about the times he defended her when she wasn't looking.

Obviously, in Whole Cake, Sanji is thinking about the entire crew when he sacrificed his happiness, not only her, but as I said, it's more about the fact that Nami does not know how much Sanji truly works under wraps to make sure the people he loves are safe - and how selfless he truly is for her when she only sees his perverted side.

Now, the same can be said about Sanji, to some extent. It's clear in the manga that Sanji does have strong feelings for Nami, if it's reciprocated, it's up to debate. But no one can deny that Nami does care about Sanji and sometimes, she cares more than anyone else in her crew.

We all noticed how Nami was the most eager to rescue Sanji, always trying to bring the seriousness of the situation to the rest of the crew and dragging Chopper, Luffy and Brook to the right path whenever they got distracted by something else. 

However, when it came to truly knock some sense into Sanji to accept help, Nami was conveniently taken out of the picture in favor of Luffy. 

Keep in mind that I am in no way complaining, the moments Sanji had with Luffy were beautiful, and he obviously would have the focus: Luffy is the main character and Sanji's captain.

But the fact that Oda kept Nami away in one of Sanji's moments of fragility, when he exposed his true nature and showed how caring he really is, can come off as suspicious. As if Oda does not really want Nami to see those moments… yet.

You can say that Oda also kept Chopper and Brook out of the picture, but even when Nami is with them, Oda kind of separates Nami's behavior from theirs. He emphasizes Nami's reactions and gives her serious expressions while the rest are put in more comical situations.

Also, during the Luffy vs. Sanji fight, one of the most emotional moments of WCI, Nami didn't need to be there if Oda only wanted to emphasize the importance of Luffy to Sanji.

In my opinion, he put Nami there, because Sanji cares about her and her opinion more than any other woman’s, even more than Robin’s. Which makes the following moment even more hurtful, especially because that was the only time Nami didn't use the "kun" honorific - showing how she lost respect for him.

Conclusion: the importance of Sanji and Nami in each other’s stories

By looking at these topics, I think it's very interesting how Oda made sure to use parts of Nami's plot in Thriller Bark to gather information that would help her, Luffy, Brook and Chopper to save Sanji in Whole Cake.

To me, the fact that so many of these things seemed to point out something: the interactions that both Nami and Sanji have is something that Oda thinks about carefully. Not only that, but everytime they are having a major moment/development, most of the times one is there to support the other.

Examples:

In Arlong Park Sanji defended Nami's actions

In Ennies Lobby Nami had a major fight against Khalifa because she knew Sanji wouldn't fight a woman

Until Nami decided to forgive Jimbei, Sanji was there to defend her

Again, the only exception is during Sanji's and Nami’s arcs in Wano -  but in my opinion it's because Oda’s intentional hiding of Sanji’s story from the other Strawhats will pay off in the future and will be a major factor in the One Piece story.

Well, this is it.

Okay, with all of those topics in mind, there are two main events in Thriller Bark that happened in relation to Nami and Sanji that still don't seem to have been mirrored:

Sanji's Zombie fought his own programming to protect Nami in Thriller Bark mirrors (?)

The underestimation of Sanji's True Power, what it truly is and how will it be activated

I plan to write that part for my analysis of SaNami in Egghead. If anyone is interested, stay tuned!

For everyone who stayed until the end, thanks for reading!! See you in the next post.

[yuri-is-online]

for the 500 followers event, could i request prompt 6 for jamil and ace?

Of course you can my darling friend. This was by far the most popular prompt, which really should not have surprised me but it did because I am ever so slightly dumb.

notes: they/them used for Yuu, Ace is a brat, I decided to try and write Jamil post overblot but before Chapter 6 this time for a bit of a challenge, so he is a bit more comfortable with his feelings for the prefect. The other event requests can be found on my masterlist here.

Jamil

"It is easier to prevent a bad habit than to break one." Jamil remembers seeing that on your notes, a simple saying generic enough to have been thought up in both your worlds. Like many things in this world, Jamil had associated it with Kalim. So many bad habits formed over so many coddled years, certainly he was immune from such criticism himself. But he wasn't, there is a particularly nasty habit biting at his tongue, begging him to choke on his intended words and stuff his intelligence to the back of his mind.

"Prefect please take off your mask and see yourself up to the balcony. And with our first victim selected," Crewel waves his hand in a show of magical theater Jamil would have otherwise been impressed with "the night falls once again, as a reminder dear detective you only have one chance to make the correct guess, let's not be hasty."

Jamil had, without much thought he realizes now as he surveys the scene before him, intended to let this game go on for a good while. Middling results had been the only thing he was allowed to produce, and unless Kalim was the first "victim" he would be content to let the killer pick off a few students, and only naming them when he could be assured no attention would be drawn to his "brilliant reasoning."

That's not the outcome he wants from this situation. He keeps to the outskirts, eyes darting around for that poor actor unfortunate enough to have been placed in his dormitory, and completely at his mercy in both this game and whatever else the boy might have planned. It's a curious feeling, this desperation for a single person's praise instead of an entire room's, seconded only to the idly possessive anger at the thought of any genuine harm coming to Yuu that intensifies when he's forced to look into the shining eyes of this B-List Scarabia resident.

"Can I see your card please?" he presents his, wicked smile gracing his face at the brief look of surprise that the younger student gives, only growing as the shock stretches into awe.

"Wow Jamil," he passes over the killer's card almost in a daze "I didn't realize you liked the prefect that much."

"That didn't have anything to do with it." All amusement immediately falls, that fear from the before times roaring back when he was insistent on not admitting to himself, let alone other people, that he had any affection for anyone other than maybe his family and even then never out loud. "You started showing tells as soon as Crowley gave you the card." It's true, and directs him towards his appropriate shame for someone claiming to represent the Sorcerer's spirit of mindfulness instead of the truth he had intentionally unearthed.

Yuu has everything to do with it. There is a constant thrumming desire for praise in every beat of his heart that they sate like no other. Kalim would praise a fish for swimming, his dorm mates have had their expectations sadly lowered by his leadership, but Yuu, lovely despite their unpredictability Yuu has a voice that drowns out all others.

Praise me, praise me until I am completely satisfied and don't be surprised when I always demand more.

Ace

Sometimes you wonder why Rook chose to call you Trickster when Ace existed.

"Ahhh because Monsieur Heart wears himself on his sleeves so beautifully it would be a shame to not recognize it."

Bullshit, you huff to yourself as Ace laughs as Crowley reads out your death sentence and shooes you up to the balcony with his expected indifference, Rook just saw his Queen of Hearts mandated make up and got lazy. Sure, Ace's face settles into something more serious once he sees you are no longer looking, sure he flinches when he reaches out after you and gets ignored. And sure, Rook sees all of this with a self satisfied grin on his face, already satisfied enough with this victory to wonder just what he should do for the rest of the game.

It's not exactly like Ace is going to be an actual obstacle to his hunt after all.

~~~

This sucks ass and Ace doesn't really want to admit to himself why. Protecting Yuu is something he really prides himself on; as much as he might like to say that he only ever puts forward the bare minimum, or that his goals were only to beat his housewarden, or meet the measure of his upperclassmen, the real truth was that he just wanted Yuu to be safe. Most of the time he did a good job hiding that.

That time was not tonight.

"Say, did you see who Yuu was talking to before-" he mimes a knife across the throat and dies a little inside, despite the tight grin on his face. Hurting Yuu is unacceptable, even if it's in a game he's the only one allowed to make them the butt of the joke because he's the only one whose intentions are never actually mean. He barely registers Crowley announcing another victim, even as Ace makes sure to note the name he continues his line of questioning to those who were around them.

“Did you know that was the prefect?”  Most people did not.  What a bunch of losers, how could they not realize who they were talking to?  Did they just forget everything that had happened this past school year?

“They didn’t seem surprised to get picked.”  He noticed that himself genius, try harder.  Or don't, he doesn’t need another numbskull accidentally hurting Yuu with their stupidity.

“Oh they looked really annoyed!  Did you make them mad again?” 

“What do you mean again?”  Ace glares at the person even as he backtracks into his own mind hyper aware of all the times he’s made Yuu mad, some very much intentional as Crowley calls out yet another set of victims and he grinds his teeth together looking for a pattern.

“Vil Schoenheit!  Oh dear I thought you would be quite safe.  Please take off your mask and make your way up to-" As the headmage drones on Ace finds his head whipping around to make eye contact with an all too amused looking upperclassman, who suspiciously isn't wailing at all.

"Seriously?!"

"Monsieur Heart you look quite troubled," Rook's sympathetic head shake would fool most anyone in the room, but not Ace, not when he's this upset "has the loss of your bosom friend affected you that much?"

"Oh fuck off and give me your card." He tries to pass himself off as annoyed at loosing the game, but Rook circles him like a particularly annoying bird, if only someone could name one. "You're not the one who has to listen to their whining every time someone singles them out from the crowd." Rook tuts, not particularly annoyed at having "lost" as he passes over his card.

"Non, non, there are three things you cannot hide Monsieur Heart, a cough, poverty and-" mercifully Rook shushes himself as Yuu appears, but he doesn't have to finish his sentence. It shines through in Ace's eyes, the way he jumps at the little backhanded praise Yuu gives as he needles for more, heart firmly bleeding on his wrist as his hand seeks out the small of their back to guide them away from all perceived threats back towards the safety of the roses.

As if Ace could ever claim to be a trickster when he only ever wants to fool himself.

[maskyish]

Re:vale LIVE 2023 WINTER FESTIVAL!! - 1st Intermission Talk (Part 1)

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3

Please note: I am NOT a professional and my level of JP is very, very basic. I do this for practice and to share with other fans for fun. Please take my translations with a grain of salt as there may be mistakes. If you see any, please let me know and I can correct them. If anyone else has this card and wants to translate this at any time then please feel free to do so!

Re:vale: Happy New Year, everyone! 

Momo: I’m Momo! 

Yuki: And I’m Yuki! 

Momo: And together—! 

Yuki: We’re Re:vale! 

Audience: Kyaaaaa!!

Momo: Thank you for coming to the “Re:vale LIVE 2023 WINTER FESTIVAL!!” today!! 

Momo: I’m ultra happy to be able to start the New Year off by seeing everyone! Let’s all make it the best year ever together! 

Yuki: Our juniors have brought us through the spring, summer, and fall seasonal lives, so shall we tie it off? 

Yuki: We’ll have to make it a worthy live to finish on. Can you all get excited with us? 

Audience: Kyaaaaa!!

Momo: WHOA, so lively! It seems like you’re all ready to go! 

Momo: Then to start us off, let’s show off our outfits! 

Yuki: I’m sure everyone's curious about them, too.  

Momo: If that’s the case, then here’s Momo-chan reporting from the scene! 

Momo: Yuki-san, what are your thoughts on your new outfit? The word on the street is since it’s New Year's, it has a kimono design! 

Yuki: That’s right. I quite like the feel of the fur. And best of all, the cloth covers everything but the face, so it’s a good way to keep from the cold. 

Momo: Ahaha! I see! Then the new outfits are perfect against cold weather too! 

Yuki: Yeah. It’s also perfect for stuffing warmers in the clothing.

Momo: That’s…. Shhh! That’s something secretive! It’s embarrassing to sing with such a cool face while having body warmers stuck everywhere! 

Yuki: Then just scratch that. 

Momo: You’re posing as if we can cut it out (1), but isn't this a live broadcast– or rather, a live concert?! 

Yuki: ….. Momo, do you think I’m uncool with my warmers? 

Momo: Never! Even with warmers covering your whole body, or if you're curled up into a tiny ball in front of a heater, Yuki is the most handsome man in the entire world! 

Yuki: Fufu. It’s fine then. 

Yuki: Next up, please tell us the points of your outfit you recommend, Momo. 

Momo: Let’s seeee… I guess it’d be the mix of Japanese and Western clothing! 

Momo: It’s hakama-style (2), but there’s a fur jacket on the top, plus the belt and chain and stuff is super fashionable right? 

Momo: Although, it makes it a bit difficult to put on! 

Yuki: Oh yeah. It took you quite some time to take off the gloves. 

Momo: Exactly! During the fitting, I couldn’t even take them off by myself! 

Momo: We really pulled and struggled to help each other undress! 

Yuki: We had to get changed really quickly today so we had to get the staff to help us out.  

Momo: It would’ve taken us way longer if we did it on our own!

Momo: But also, isn’t this stage amazing? Re:vale finally built a castle! 

Yuki: It really is amazing.

Momo: So, this may be sudden, but here’s Momo-chan’s Quiz for Yuki! 

Yuki: That really was sudden. What is it? 

Momo: What’s my favorite thing about this stage? 

Yuki: For this stage…? 

Yuki: …. Isn’t it our castle? During our rehearsals, you looked really happy and took a lot of pictures. 

Yuki: You were happy like you were lord of the castle. 

Momo: You remembered me in so much detail, Yuki…. The points are through the roof…! 

Momo: But… not quite! 

Yuki: It's something else? 

Momo: Of course I like the castle too, but… I like the snow (3) the most! 

Yuki: Snow…? 

Momo: I’m so happy I get to start the year singing on a snow-covered stage with Yuki!

Yuki: Fufu…. What a cute thing to say.

Yuki: In that case, the next time we do an outdoor concert we'll have to have some peach blossoms planted. 

Yuki: Since I also want to sing on a peach-covered stage with Momo. (4) 

Momo: Yuki……! 

Yuki: Let’s have another live when the peach blossoms bloom. It should be a bit warmer than it is now. 

Momo: You have a point! But, it’s still cold…… So for now, let us warm you up with our songs!

Momo: Next up will be a song that will slowly warm your hearts.

Yuki: “t(w)o…”

~End of Part 1.~

TL Notes: 

This card has little chibi versions of the characters talking so their facial expressions and poses change, so during this part Chibi!Yuki is crossing his arms into an X, as if to say “Cut!” 

Hakama is a traditional type of Japanese clothing that is worn over kimonos. You can find out more information about them here. 

This is a play on words off of Yuki’s name since 雪 (yuki) means snow so there's a double meaning here.

Just like the previous note, this is a play on words off of Momo’s name now since 桃 (momo) means peach. The literal translation for this line would be something like “I also want to sing on a stage surrounded by Momo/peaches.” but I worded it to pair with Momo’s line before it so it would sound a little more natural while still keeping the double meaning. 

And thank you @hunieday for helping me reword some of the lines~

[sassykattery]

The Club of the Unseen and Obscene, Part 1

Welcome, obscene one. This meant to be filth, so read at your own discretion.

This title is part of a series I'm doing where Altaira will be paired with various demons. The introduction will be the same, but her new partner will change. I won't put who it is here, but if you want to be sure it's a character you want to read, it'll be in the tags below. Maybe see if you can guess who it is based on the beginning!

Pairing: ? x oc! Altaira

Written in third person POV

CW: Altaira is afab and uses she/her pronouns. Smut scene: piv sex, fingering, unprotected sex. Orgy. Voyeuristic and exhibitionist sex. Multiple creampie. Breeding kink (no pregnancy)

Themes: Sex club. Voyeurism. Exhibitionism.

Minors and ageless blogs DNI

18+ only

Enjoy

Masterlist

Part 2

"Hmm," Altaira murmured, examining a matte black envelope in her hands. It was addressed to her at the House of Lamentation, so she took it with her to her bedroom. Flipping it over, it said, "From The Unseen and Obscene."

Curious and slightly concerned, she used her nail to slide under the lip of the envelope near the top edge and slid it across to slice it open. She then fished out a black holographic card with black sparkling lace details along the edges. It was blank until she took a good look at the card as words began to appear.

"It has come to our attention that you are of beautiful prestige and exotic in your humanness. We here at the Club of the Unseen and Obscene wish to invite you to our wonderland of renowned pleasure. We eagerly await your response. Come at your earliest convenience on the night of the next full moon for your acceptance."

An address then appeared across the bottom of the card, and quickly, she took a picture. Rightfully so, because the words began to disappear again. She flipped it over and just saw the words in a beautiful script, "Seeing is obscene, noble one."

Altaira walked over to her dresser and slid the card under her folded undergarments. She walked back over to her bedside to sit and do a web search for the club the card mentioned. After some reading, she found that the address was listed under a business in creating spots for online dates to meet up.

Immediately, she switched over to texting Asmodeus.

Altaira: Asmo.

Asmo: Yes, kitten?

Altaira: Club of the Unseen and Obscene, have you heard of it?

Asmo: ...

Within eight seconds, there was a knock on her door, and before she could answer, Asmo walked in and locked it behind him. He had a serious look on his face.

"Show me," Asmo demanded, his hand held out. She found the photo in her phone and showed it to the demon. He looked it over, and his eyes widened.

"What?"

"This... Well, it's a prestigious honor, to be sure. But, uh... I don't think it's your speed, honey," Asmo admitted.

"What is it?"

"It's hard to explain because every experience is different. A group of lust demons own the club, and every set of guests has an entirely different experience. How it works is that they send out invites to those they deem "worthy" of attending their "parties." Those who receive certain invites for a particular week will experience something no other group gets to see," Asmo replied, handing her phone back.

"Have you been?" She asked quietly.

"I have, just once. That's all anyone is allotted is a one-time entry," Asmo answered, sitting on the edge of her bed. She joined him as well.

"What was your experience like?" She pressed.

"That's another thing; we're not allowed to talk about it. What happens in the club stays in the club," he answered vaguely.

"Should I go?" Altaira then looked down at her feet, feeling confused and unsure of herself.

"There's no harm in going– well, I take that back. You are human, so there's always harm here. But I will take you there and ensure they won't do anything to you," Asmo offered. "And you can always back out at any time. They have a strict consent policy, and that consent may be withdrawn at any point in the experience."

She then nodded and looked askance, feeling nervous.

"Okay. I'll go."

Asmodeus stopped as he felt his human companion come to a halt in front of the club, a two-story matte black building with a pitched roof, gothic opaque windows, and steeples along some of the tall points of the roof. He looked at her and found her staring up at the pink neon sign above them.

"Still okay, kitten?" He asked.

"Y-yeah..." she mumbled. Asmo wrapped his arm over her shoulders and squeezed.

"I'm here," he reminded her. She swallowed and nodded. Together, they walked inside the building.

Inside was dark with magenta uplights filling the room along the walls. The floors were a checkered tile, and everything was dimly lit to the human. It was a small front area with only a desk just ahead. A lust demon was reading a magazine as the two approached.

"Invite?" They asked without looking up.

"Yes," Altaira murmured, sliding it across the desk. The demon finally sat up and put their reading material aside. Looking at the invite, their lips curled into a smile.

"Ah, you're that one. Welcome. Asmo, you may wait out here or outside. Follow me, noble one," the demon purred, stepping away and gesturing toward a door that wasn't there before across from the desk. The human looked back at Asmo once more.

"Have fun," Asmo mouthed to her. She nodded and followed the other demon past the door while the Avatar stayed behind.

Altaira got a good look at the lust demon she followed. Their lower half was that of a goat, looking much like a satyr. Their hooves curled into talons, and their tail was a long, thin member with a spade at the end as it thrashed about behind them. Their horns curled behind their head, and then the very ends curled straight up into the air.

"Keep staring, and I'll have to keep you for myself, noble one," the demon purred as they walked across a long darkened hallway with yellow uplights along the bottom trim.

Altaira's eyes snapped back at her shoes as they walked. Finally, they stopped at another door just ahead of the demon, who then turned and stepped back.

"I believe your other half is already here. Have fun, and welcome to the Club of the Unseen and Obscene, noble one," the demon announced with a bow.

"Who is it? There's more? Or just one?" She asked timidly. "And what are we doing? I'd like some explanation first."

"I cannot give away such secrets, little noble. Just know we have curated an experience that you've dreamt of, and you will lack nothing when you're inside," the demon replied. "And that of who is already is inside has the same desires, and therefore you are part of their experience as well, just as they are yours."

Suddenly, the demon turned away and walked off down the hallway, eventually disappearing in the darkness.

Altaira stared at the doorknob for a few seconds before grabbing it and turning it, keeping her eyes on the floor. She walked in and closed the door, keeping her back to the rest of the room as she laid her head against the door, unsure of whatever was about to happen.

"You did what?!" Lucifer barked at Asmodeus in front of the club. "She's not ready for something like this! She could be injured or killed depending on who's in there with her!"

"I know who it is," Asmodeus replied coolly. "And she'll be fine."

The fifth born had "bribed" the front desk attendant after they returned from dropping the human off at her room.

"You don't know that. Anyone in this damned place is capable of hurting her," Lucifer hissed, getting in Asmo's face.

"The one that's in there is one who I very well doubt is capable, or would be willing to tarnish their reputation for doing so," Asmo answered in a soft but stern tone.

"If this goes awry, this will not just be on your shoulders, but mine as well, and likely our brothers, too. I hope you are aware of that," Lucifer snapped, walking back to his car to sit and wait.

Altaira finally was brave enough to look over her shoulder, only to find a dimly lit but large room ahead of her. The lowlights were a soft white, creating a peaceful atmosphere. In the center was a large, white, round bed on a platform with steps with plenty of pillows and covers on it. The walls were darker as if to create a focal point on the bed.

Slowly, she started walking toward the bed, looking around for whoever else was supposed to be there. She walked up the steps and stood at the edge of the bed, drawing her fingers across the soft sheets.

"Welcome, noble ones. We are honored to have you join us. Tonight, we have curated an experience we think will be up to your... preferences. Your desires shall be made seen, and your kinks will be... obscene. Everything and anything you should need for the night will be located in the side tables or along the walls. Should there be any emergency or need to stop, simply hit the red button next to the door. And, good night, you two."

The voice sounded unfamiliar, one that could've been anyone, easily disguised and quite vague in tone and accent. There was a legato in their tone, like a singing voice to lure one to sleep.

"Altaira."

She blinked a few times before registering the voice. That one was familiar, one that made her heart skip, stomach flip, and words slip.

"...Diavolo."

The human finally turned and saw the demon prince at the bottom of the steps leading to the platform. In the dim, soft light, she could see he still had his uniform on, hands to his sides.

"You came," she looked away shamefully, her hands coming together in front of herself to fiddle nervously.

"So did you," he replied neutrally. They were thinking the exact same thing:

Was he expecting someone else?

Was she expecting someone else?

The prince looked up and around before decidedly heading up the steps toward her. "I must admit, I had doubts about coming. I've never been invited before," he explained. She said nothing, and as he came closer, he could easily read how uncertain she looked, and likely, felt.

"I see..." is all she replied.

"You can leave. I won't blame you if you don't want to do this," Diavolo murmured, halfway up the steps but now eye-level with the human who refused to meet his gaze.

"And what will you do if I leave?" She asked, folding her arms but still not looking at him.

"I'll leave as well."

"And if I stay?"

"Then I'll stay, too."

Altaira finally looked up and saw his golden orbs glittering in the soft light, as he was finally close enough for her to see him in some detail.

"Let's sit for a little bit," the prince offered, gesturing toward the bed. Altaira nodded and scooted back to sit on the edge of the mattress. The demon joined her, sitting close to her but not too close.

"So..."

"Yes?" He asked.

"What is this place? I'm still confused as to why I was called here..." she trailed off.

"I'm still not sure myself, honestly. I don't own this business, but it's been here for quite a long time," he answered. "This was here before the brothers fell."

"Ah..." she replied, shifting around uncomfortably.

Music began to play, a soft, sexy, jazzy sound that could make one instantly feel relaxed. Diavolo glanced over at her and followed her gaze to her twiddling fingers.

"The trouble is," she finally began to say, catching the prince's attention, "I want to stay."

"Because...?"

"Because it's you," she replied.

"Me?"

"We don't get to spend too much time together," she clarified. "This could be a good opportunity to spend some time together and get closer."

He pondered for only a moment before giving a soft grin in return. "I can't help but agree."

The lights around the room went off, and the pair were left in the darkness, a spell to create a dark blanket across the space to where the prince couldn't even see. Immediately, her hand reached for his in panic, and he gave it to her.

"I'm here," Diavolo murmured to her.

She squeezed his hand and held it tightly. He almost wondered if she'd he able to feel his pulse hammering away in his wrist.

"I have a question," she said into the darkness.

"Yes?"

"The demon that brought me back here said something. They said, "That of who is already is inside has the same desires," before leaving me in here..." she trailed off for a few moments.

"Do you desire me?" She asked timidly.

"Does that mean you desire me as well?" The prince asked calmly.

They were both quiet then, their silence all too telling of their answers.

"You know of this place more than I do. So tell me, who did you expect to be in here?" She asked a bit more firmly.

"There was only one person I wanted to see here. If they weren't here, I would've left by now," he answered in the same manner.

She was quiet again.

"And you?" He asked.

"The same," she replied, nothing but truth lacing her voice.

Her free hand began to wander, searching for him blindly before landing on his thigh. Slowly, she turned and faced him, sitting sideways on the bed with one leg tucked beneath herself. Using his hand to rest on her forearm, he turned as well as she felt the mattress dip down, mirroring her pose.

"Tell me," she murmured, holding his hand still and using her other place light touches across his torso to imagine how he was sitting. "What is it you want with me then? If we are so interested in one another, this may be our only chance to act on it in privacy."

"You could be right..." he agreed before trailing off that time, thinking of his next choice of words. "I suppose I would like to show you how I feel about you, Altaira."

"Then I will also show you, Diavolo," she nearly purred back.

Their joined hands broke apart and began to run up and down each other's arms and thighs. Eventually, his hands cupped her face and held her there, so she placed hers upon his wrists.

"May I kiss you?"

"You may."

He leaned down and towards her while gently thumbing over her cheeks. His lips found hers quite suddenly, making them both jump in slight surprise. She started to pull herself forward towards him, and in one swift movement, his hands dove for her waist and swept her up onto his lap. Her hands ran through his rusted locks, fingers curling and gently tugging, which caused him to grunt happily.

The Demon Lord broke the kiss first, sensing her twitching against him from a lack of oxygen. He felt her ragged sweet breaths fanning against his cheek.

"Shall we get comfortable?" He asked softly, his fingers dancing across her forehead.

"Yes, I'd like to," she mumbled.

Lowlights came on again, and across from one side of the bed were two sets of robes, two distinctly different sizes.

"Go on, I'll let you go first," he said to her. She nodded and left his lap to go over.

When she looked back, he had his back turned to her out of respect. Quickly, she undressed to her undergarments and donned the charcoal silk robe with black lace trim that stopped just above her knee. She walked back to the bed, and as she walked up the steps, Diavolo finally turned to look at her. His gaze softened, clearly, and he gave her his hand.

"Beautiful," he murmured. She took it and sat beside him.

"Your turn."

The prince left, and she gave him the same privacy he had given her. When he returned, he was in an all-black robe with gold trim that hit his knee and a gold sash. Both climbed up the bed to sit in the middle, shoulder-to-shoulder.

"Better?" He asked softly.

"I think so," she replied. He nodded in agreement as well.

"Shall we... pick up where we left off?" He asked even softer.

She nodded that time and slowly sat up to her knees, to which he guided her onto his lap, straddling his thighs with her knees on either side of his hips. The lights in the room lowered again, and the two were washed in a sea of darkness once more.

Leaning forward, her lips eventually brushed the hollow of his cheek while the scent of her hair filled his senses when her locks fell forward to gently rest on his face. He kissed her jaw and chin in return with his hands finding purchase high upon her waist. Their lips finally found each other again, and this time, she deepened it with her tongue, asking for permission to enter by swiping across his lips. He granted it and met her tongue with his, eager to taste her. Her hands curled into his hair again. Their tastes intermingled and tongues intertwined for the first time, and they naturally melted into one another.

After a while of making out, he trailed lower, kissing her jaw again and continuing to the soft flesh of her neck. She briefly opened her eyes and froze, her grip tightening as she looked around. A strangled whimper rose in her throat, and immediately Diavolo pulled away to check on her. What she was looking around at also got his attention as he looked out:

Around them, along the walls, were friends and subjects from the Devildom, watching the pair tangled up together. The brothers, friends from RAD, even the Devildom's nobility all stood around the room.

"It's an illusion," he murmured in their ear. "They're actually not here."

Her brows furrowed in confusion, and then she cupped the prince's cheek. "Why? Why are they here?"

"I suppose I wish to show everyone how I feel about you. To let everyone know that you're mine and mine alone," he admitted in a deeper pitch.

Her body felt aflame at the notion that the Demon Lord wished to show her off, to show everyone else that she was his. It was a lot to take in, but not unwelcome.

"Then show them," she replied seductively, turning her face toward his again while keeping an eye on their "visitors."

"The things I've thought about doing to you are nary even a bit appropriate. Such thoughts would be reserved for a partner of the night, but with you, I can't help but be filled to the brim with ideations of having you a million different ways," he confessed, his hands now on her shoulder blades over her robe.

"And why do you think there's a bed here? One that seemingly now looks like a larger version of yours?" She asked with a coy swing in her tone. Diavolo had side-eyed the mattress they laid upon and noticed earlier that it had indeed changed its form to look like his in the castle. "I want you, Diavolo," she finally added.

His heart nearly stopped then. Such words were only ones he had heard in his fantasies, ones where he was stroking himself late at night while plagued with thoughts of her, or when he was daydreaming during a particularly boring meeting with the aristocracy.

"And I want you, in the million and one different ways I've dreamt of, and however many more we can come up with, Altaira," he purred to her. She nodded in agreement, and he held her tighter.

"Let's start with one of them then," she murmured with a smile. He smiled back and kissed her excitedly. The prince could hardly contain himself, after waiting for so long to have her.

"Before we do, I just want to make sure you know that at any time, we can stop. You don't have to tell me why, just that you can't continue," he stated a bit less lustfully and more clearly. "I never want to force you when we're intimate. Let it be your will as much as it is mine when we're together like this." She murmured her agreement against his lips.

Her hand reached for his sash but stopped short, twirling the silk in her hand.

"Would you like to disrobe me?" He asked softly.

"If that's okay."

He hummed his agreement, and she pulled the silk tab, causing the garment to become loose and open in the front.

"C-Can... Can I t-touch you?" She stuttered, feeling shy again.

"I want you to," he answered sweetly. Her hands slowly pushed forward, a doll still in the darkness, until she reached his bare chest, and the robe naturally fell away as her hands brushed it around while feeling his skin. His skin prickled as her delicate hands ran over him. He could have let a moan escape then, too, but he wanted to be just a touch restrained. "May I as well?" He asked after a few moments.

"I've dreamt about you touching me," she mumbled. "Go ahead."

His hands gently pulled the sashes of her robe, causing it to fall away as well. He desperately wished he could see then, but there was something about being in the dark with her that kept him intrigued, too. His hands landed on her breasts first, by sheer coincidence, over her lace bralette. Her fiery arousal and sweet natural scent had him completely encased in her, and he only wanted more.

"I–" she started to say but stopped herself short, feeling embarrassed.

"Don't hold back, darling. Tell me what you need," he commanded of her in a soft tone.

"I'm... ready," she replied quietly.

"For?" He asked for clarification, but somewhat had an idea.

"For you. For... us to..." She then swallowed thickly, finding her bravery and words. "I want to make love with you."

He kissed her next then, smiling like a fool and squeezing her waist in his hands in excitement.

"I've wanted you to say that for so long," he groaned, feeling the heat of his own desire start to build.

"Then let's not wait any longer," she murmured. He, of course, agreed.

Both shuffled the other's robe down around their waists, and he helped rid her of her undergarments, only to return to their original pose of her settled on his lap as he sat upright on the bed. He kissed her shoulder, leaving dark marks that would soon be evidence of the night they would share. The music in the room changed, something darker and more sexy with a pop music flair.

She grabbed his chin and pulled him back towards her face to kiss him on the lips. "You'll have plenty of time to mark me," she murmured, "But right now, I need you here. I'm... I feel like I might implode."

"Desperate for me, are you?" He teased in his deepest register against her lips.

"You have no idea," she mumbled, kissing his cheek and jaw.

"I think I might," he replied while grabbing her hips. He shifted slightly, and she could feel his bare erection rubbing against her upper thigh. Her excitement only increased exponentially.

"You might," she chuckled in agreement. He smiled again and kissed her lips, his own hands curling into her blonde locks and tugging gently. She moaned outright into his mouth and grabbed onto his forearms. The lowlights around the bottom of the platform barely came on, giving the two dim light to finally see each other. He pulled away and looked her over, his hand coming up to run down her torso.

"I didn't need the light to know you're beautiful... but you're even more ravishing than I thought," he informed her, his gaze lustful.

She looked him over, too, and was unsurprised by how sculpted he appeared to be, but more than anything, being able to see him like this only served to arouse her further. He then shifted her back slightly, his hand trailing down further until he brushed her mound.

"Go ahead," she nearly pleaded.

With her permission, he slid two fingers down to touch her lower lips, finding she was absolutely drenched even outside of her folds. He groaned and sank further, rubbing her folds slowly. His free arm encircled her waist to keep her close as he began kissing her collarbone and curling around her to kiss her breasts. He took the time to suck on each nipple, causing her to roll her hips and gain more stimulation from his fingers. His hand moved lower, and he offered his middle finger as it rubbed against her entrance. She shifted forward to sink down on it, an easy glide into her cunt.

"Ahh... ha, oh, Dia," she moaned when his palm ground itself against her clit.

He groaned again at the sound of those words alone, even if they didn't carry much substance. Her pleasure was everything to him, so when she froze again, he immediately pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were wide open as she stared ahead at the walls. When he looked around, he realized why she had such a tight grip on his shoulders, pulling herself flush against his body and remaining still.

Around them was what could only be described as an orgy of demons fucking along the walls. Some were in their naked demon forms, others not, a variety of groups and partners scattered around in different positions. Her pulse jumped, and her breath rate quickened, to his surprise, and he realized this wasn't just his own fantasy.

"What do you think, darling? Do you want to do this in front of all these people?" He whispered in her ear.

But it then occurred to him as she didn't answer but continued to keep a tight grip on him that she might have liked to watch, too. With his digit still buried in her pussy, he began to pump it in and out, twisting his wrist as he did. She moaned and finally looked back to the prince, gaze full of lust, desire, need, and much deeper emotions, too.

His free hand came up to her chin and lifted her face again. "Keep watching and let me take care of you," he ordered. Her eyes flitted back up, and her breathing became shallow and ragged. He continued fingering her pussy, quickly adding a second and third digit as she opened up for him.

"That's it, baby," he grunted, kissing her breasts again and leaving more hickies in the wake of his lips.

"I need your cock inside me, Diavolo," she rasped, a sweat sheen building on her upper body and back. He nearly lost his rhythm at that, but it was a welcome thing to hear from her lips, something he so longed for.

"As you wish, my little darling," he purred. She finally looked back at him as he situated her more on his lap to sit up above his cock, his large hands gripping her waist. He slowly lowered her down, the head breaching through and gliding through her folds. Her little whines were more music to his ears than the music playing in the room. Finding her entrance and easing on in, he allowed gravity to bring her down the length of his cock, filling her up nicely.

"Ah!" She cried out when his cock rubbed her sweet spots inside. Her focus was solely held on the demon before her, impaling her on his cock. Though she didn't see the size, she knew he was massive as she felt the burn the deeper he went. She was nearly panting and had tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Nothing had felt this good in all her years, and if only she knew how similarly he felt in that moment. His fist wrapped around his cock while he imagined this moment did no justice to the actual thing. No one, human or demon, set him on fire the way she did. She ignited something deeper, more primal, darker, within him.

When he was fully sheathed within her, or, at least, when the head of his cock was shoved up against her cervix with nowhere else to go, they both sighed in content.

"You're perfect," he groaned. "You've ruined me."

"You're all I've wanted for months now," she murmured in reply. "No one else. I would lie awake at night, imagining this with you. Every. Single. Night."

"That makes two of us," he agreed softly. "Tell me when you're ready. I'm enjoying you just like this."

"That also makes two of us," she purred, using his words. Her gaze finally left his to look up at the scene still unfolding before them.

"Do you like watching or being watched?" He inquired curiously.

She blinked a few times before looking to him again. "Both."

"Hmm," he hummed, delighted by the response. He looked past her shoulder and took in the scene as well. Some of the illusion demons fucked one another, while some watched the prince and his human companion or the other illusions. Some even watched the pair while fucking each other.

"I'm ready," she finally stated.

His attention immediately focused back on her. He wrapped his arms high around her, along her bustline. She felt safe and comfortable in his arms like that. Her own arms then wrapped over his shoulders and around his neck, keeping their bodies as close as possible. She started rocking her hips back and forth, little gasps exchanged between the pair as they felt the first sparks of pleasure ignite their cores.

The prince used his own strength, not much of it, to guide her into a suitable rhythm for both of them, taking over to let her just enjoy the ride while he moved her. Both occasionally looked out and watched as the other demons fornicated and, or, watched them in return. But more than anything, the pair drank in each other as they made love, feeling joyous pleasure building between them as her slick dripped down his balls, and his precum leaked into her cunt and adding to the slippery slide in and out of her.

"Is this okay, love?" He murmured to her, looking at her face with an almost pleading look.

"This is perfect. You're amazing," she mumbled in reply, her eyes fluttering shut as she basked in the pleasure. Satisfied, he went back to placing more passioned kisses across her upper body, leaving nary an inch untouched by him. Keeping one arm wrapped around her, his other snuck back as he dipped his hand between their joined bodies to rub her clit with his fingertips.

Her eyes snapped open, and her jaw fell slack at the sensation. "Yes," she rasped. "That's it."

He hummed and continued his ministrations. Between kissing her body and rubbing her clit while gently now thrusting up into her, it was a symphony of bliss to both of them. She felt her knot begin to twist and burn as she stepped closer to a release.

"Diavolo," she grunted. "I'm gonna cum."

Understanding his cue, he kept up what he was doing for her to bring her closer to her orgasm. He wanted nothing more than to feel her tight walls further tighten down on him, to milk him for all that he had.

"Are you going to cum in front of all these demons? Show them who knows how to please you. Let them see I'm the only one who can do this to you," he growled back.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes..." she babbled, losing the battle of staying aware as more heat flushed her entire form.

"Mm, darling, you feel so good," he moaned. "I'm close too."

"Please," she whimpered. She leaned forward and rested her head against his shoulder and neck while panting. "Inside me."

Those two little words set him ablaze, thrusting up into her a bit harshly as he chased his pleasure. They were a bumping and grinding mess of one another, moans and groans filling the entire room. Up until this point, both would occasionally look up at the demons around them, but now, all they could see was each other. Their focus wholly centered on the other. When he looked at her, her face awash with orgasmic bliss, all he could imagine was making her his again and again, as much as she'd let him. And when she looked at him, his brows furrowed and a singular bead of sweat rolling down his temple, she fell that much deeper.

Moments later, both teetered off the edge of oblivion and down into the chasm of euphoria. His cock throbbed and pulsed deep within her cunt, shooting out rope after rope of his hot cum against her cervix. Her walls gripped him like a vice and milked every single drop out of his pulsing member. They held onto each other during the whole ordeal, cries and whimpers exchanged.

Altaira slumped against him as her body released itself from the tight confines of her orgasm. He held her as he moved around to lay down. Once settled, he cradled her against him as the lights shut off once more, but music continued to play.

Her hands began to search around until one found his face.

"What is it?" He asked, kissing her palm.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

His cheeks burned. He wasn't expecting her to thank him, especially when he felt like he should be thanking her for the honor of such pleasure.

"I should be thanking you," he murmured, kissing her palm again. "Thank you."

"Do you..." she started to ask but trailed off. She brought her hand back to herself, feeling shy.

"I think, my little darling, after what we just did, you have no reason to shy away from me. Tell me what you want," he informed her, caressing her side with the arm that was wrapped behind her back.

"I want to go again," she whispered.

Diavolo sent a silent thank you to whoever could hear him for giving him such a prize.

"Naughty little thing, aren't you? So greedy," he teased her. She buried her face in his chest. He chuckled and hummed while caressing as much of her that he could reach. She centered herself on top of him and found his lips again, kissing him sweetly.

Taking a firm hold of her, he swiftly rolled over to push her onto her back. Limbs became tangled up together as they found each other in the darkness. Soon enough, he was pushing his hard cock into her once more, filling her with more of him as the cum he had already spilled leaked out around him. It was easier for both of them that time around, her walls fitting snuggly around his cock and him having an idea of what she liked. He started with slow, deep thrusts and building up to pounding force, still at a slow pace. She was crying out everything she could feel and think of to him, much to his delight. Her voice was a siren song, luring him in so that he'd keep fucking her, to keep her singing.

Even with his own orgasms, he just kept pounding away at her abused cunt, but it only felt better and better with each release. He wouldn't stop until she asked him to. And with the way she was sprawled out against the bed, she wasn't interested in that happening anytime soon. He fucked her through his release, spilling his cum deep within her every time. They switched positions to take her from behind, her ass up in the air and head pressed against the mattress. The plush feel of her ass smacking into his pelvis was better than he imagined. He pulled her up to make her back flush with his torso, breathing ragged in her ear and fanning her neck as he grunted out his release.

"I don't think I can ever stop," he moaned, laying his cheek on her head as he kept thrusting into her. "I just want to breed you over and over, fill you with so much of me."

She moaned in reply, too fucked out to even speak at that point.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Want me to breed this cunt every single night? I'll make sure everyone in this damned place knows you're mine," he growled.

"Yours," she moaned, barely intelligible.

"Cum for me," he ordered, snapping his hips then. His hands latched onto her tits and groped them obscenely, twisting her nipples to add to her pleasure.

And she did. With wailing cries, she came again and again on his cock, and he followed soon after almost as many times. He then had her on her back again, pushing her legs up onto his shoulders and folding her in a mating press. There was no time wasted as he began pounding her again, reaching the deepest parts of her pussy.

"I'll fuck you like this every single day, night, dawn, dusk, whenever you want it. I want you stuffed with my cock and filled with my cum. I want you dripping every time you leave me. I'll give you my heirs if that's what it takes, my love. Whatever you want, it's yours. All I have is yours," he murmured to her.

Without inhibitions, the fear of being found, or the fear of rejection, the pair fucked long into the night. They took breaks when necessary, mostly for Altaira's benefit, and picked up right where they left off. Truly, this place had helped uncover a part of each of them, long tucked away but now fully bloomed. Their chemistry was undeniable, and now that especially the prince had a taste of her, he was never going to let her go, nor would she let him.

Morning arrived all too soon. The pair awoke and got dressed for the day. Before they left, there were two cards on the side tables, one for each. Both essentially thanked them for coming to their establishment and that they hoped all of their fantasies came true.

Lucifer groaned as he sat up in the driver's seat. He had fallen asleep waiting for Altaira, and just in time, he looked up to see her step out of the building. But what he didn't expect was to see Diavolo trailing behind her. Furthermore, once they were out, they joined hands and walked over to a black limousine that had pulled up.

If there was one thing the eldest could take for solace, it was that at least she wasn't hurt. But it didn't make the sting lessen.

---

Thanks for reading! <3

Post made by sassykattery. Do not repost. Reblogs and comments appreciated.

Tags: @delphi-dreamin @bite-sized-devil

[bexorok]

Poorly written Sonic movie 3 pitch/outline pt. 6

Who’s ready to have their hearts ripped out?

Both of these scenes jump forward a bit in the movie. I usually write what I can visualize most in my head first and then go back and fill in the rest of the story later. I wanted an Amy backstory scene that was reminiscent of the scene in Sonic 2 with Sonic and Tails, even taking place in a little lodge in the mountains. I believe it’s already been confirmed that the ski lodge from the Knuckles series will be a location in the next movie, so I wanted to include it in a few scenes.

This is around mid-way through the movie. Several of the chaos emeralds have been found (one of which was near the ski lodge) and team Sonic decides to camp there for the night.

I also wanted a Shadow flashback scene right after it to contrast what’s happening between them and Shadow, as well as give some Maria flashbacks to really break your heart.

Amy backstory scene

Interior: Ski lodge

Tails and Knuckles are both seemingly sound asleep next to the fireplace, sharing a blanket. Sonic is on the other side, more restless. He rolls over and opens his eyes, seeing Amy by the window, looking out at the blizzard outside. He gets up and approaches her.

Sonic: Can’t sleep?

Amy: No..I tried, but I just couldn’t get comfortable.

Sonic: dang, we gave up the couch for nothing.

Amy smirks, rolling her eyes.

Sonic: I couldn’t sleep either.

Amy: Thinking about shadow?

Sonic: yeah. I guess I thought I could get through to him like I did with Knuckles, but whatever happened to him, however he lost Maria, it must have been worse than we could have imagined.

Amy: I know. We have to remember that his experience is different from ours. He was asleep for 50 years with only that memory.

Sonic: (shivers) yeah. That sounds awful. Eggman is using that anger to his advantage, but Shadow seems to know that. It was different with Knuckles. He didn’t really want to hurt anyone, he just wanted to restore his tribe's honor. Shadow just wants revenge.

Amy sighs and frowns.

Sonic: but I can’t help but feel that somewhere deep down, there’s still good in him.

Amy: You seem to be able to find the good in everyone you meet.

Sonic: I know what it’s like being alone for a long time. I spent 10 years being alone after I lost Longclaw.

Amy: You have a good heart, Sonic.

Sonic smiles, looking at Amy as she continues to stare out the window.

Sonic: Hey Ams, we never really got to hear where you come from. I’m curious, if you don’t mind of course.

Amy: No, I don’t mind at all. I’m not too different from you guys, I suppose. There aren’t all that many hedgehogs left on Mobius. A lot of them were killed because of the fear that they could control the emeralds power, even though there were only a few lineages that could. It was just me and my grandmother for a while. She taught me all about our history, with the emeralds, fortune reading, and how to spread love instead of violence so we wouldn’t make the same mistakes of our past. She was even the one who taught me how to use the cards. After she passed on, I was kind of on my own. I tried to honor her memory by finding out as much as I could about the emeralds, hoping one day I’d see them for myself, but I think I left out the most important thing she taught me…

She trails off.

Sonic: What was it?

Amy: Sharing the love I have with others. I spent so much time isolating myself, but I think deep down all I really wanted was someone to share all of this.

Sonic: We’ll, I’m happy to be the one you can share it with. I’m glad you found us. This adventure wouldn’t have been the same without you.

Amy smiles, her eyes water for a moment before she wipes at her face.

We suddenly see Tails and Knuckles walk up behind them.

Tails: we’re happy you found us, too. I was alone before I found Sonic, but he brought us all together. We’re a team now, and I’m so happy to call you guys my family.

Knuckles: yes. I lost my entire tribe and was completely alone, traveling the galaxy in search of my purpose. I never thought about what my father would have really wanted for me, and that was to find a new tribe of my own. It is an honor that I found that in you all.

Amy: you guys think I’m part of your team?

Knuckles: every tribe needs a wise and noble teacher.

Tails: of course! The more people the better!

Sonic: after all of this, you’ll always be a part of our team.

Amy: (tearing up) it really is good to be here.

Tails puts a hand in a fist.

Tails: this is the only way to make it official.

Sonic: Of course! How could I forget? An unbreakable promise that we’ll always be there for each other.

He puts his fist next to Tails, quickly joined by Knuckles.

Knuckles: it is the most sacred of earth oaths, the power bump.

Amy wipes away a tear, then ecstatically adds her own hand.

Sonic: Now you're officially one of us, and you always will be.

He pulls everyone together in a hug, and Amy and Tails happily join in. Knuckles looks a bit more awkward, but smiles anyway.

They pull away, and Tails yawns while rubbing his eyes.

Amy: Sorry about waking you guys up.

Knuckles: no worries, we were not asleep anyway.

Sonic: yeah, you can tell when Knuckles is actually asleep. He snores like no one else.

Knuckles: it is a technique to ward off any approaching enemies.

Tails: is talking in your sleep a warriors tactic too?

Knuckles: yes

They laugh as he playfully ruffles Tails hair.

Amy: Okay, I won’t keep you guys up any longer.

She walks back over to the couch on the other side of the room. The boys all return to their sleeping spots as well.

She lays down for a moment before sitting back up.

Amy: Actually, I think I’ll sleep by the fireplace. It seems… cozier over there.

Sonic smiles as he scoots over, making room for her to sleep near the fireplace without overcrowding her. She sets the pillow and blanket down, turning her back to the fire.

Sonic: Was it cold over there?

Amy: A little bit.

Sonic yawns and rolls over.

Sonic: night everyone.

Tails is already sound asleep, and Knuckles is audibly snoring.

Amy’s face softens as she looks out at all of them.

Amy: Good night, team.

The camera pans back as she finally closes her eyes. We see a shot of everyone finally sleeping

Dream sequence

Interior: Space colony ARK

Shadow is asleep on the ARK in an open room with windows all around. The earth can be seen through the windows. We zoom in on Shadow, whose face is cringing in his sleep. The screen flashes and the scene changes. Shadow is now sitting in the middle of the room with a book about earth in his hand. Next to him sits a young blond girl holding a book about various natural phenomena.

Maria: Shadow, the northern lights sound so cool! Look at these pictures.

The camera focuses on Shadow, who seems to be lost in thought. Maria hums for a moment, then squeezes at Shadow's side.

Shadow: (laughing) hey! No fair, sneak attacks aren’t allowed.

Maria: (also laughing) sorry, you just looked so serious. Is something on your mind?

Shadow: I don’t know, I’ve been in my head lately. I guess I just feel trapped. I can’t help but feel like we’re never getting out of here. If only the professor could find something, but no matter how many tests we go through there’s still nothing. I feel like I’ve failed you.

Maria: You can’t think like that Shadow!

She slams the book closed.

Maria: I know how you feel. I’ve spent my entire life here. I sometimes feel like it’s my own fault. If it weren’t for my illness, I could be living on earth and we wouldn’t be stuck here. But then again, if it weren’t for the way I was born, I would have never gotten to meet you.

Her face softens into a smile.

Maria: I wouldn’t trade that for the world. We'll get out of here and see earth together. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I know that we will one day.

Shadow smiles at her and opens the book back up.

Maria: What's the first thing you want to see when we get to earth?

Shadow: I don’t know. There’s so many places I want to see, it's hard to choose. I’d love to go to the mountains and climb the highest point, or go to the city and see all the people and lights. And the ocean. Imagine looking out and seeing nothing but water, as far as the eye can see, as expansive as space itself.

Maria: That's a lot of options! I don’t think I know what to see first either.

Shadow: You’ve been learning about countries, which one do you want to go to first?

Maria: Hm, that’s a tough one. The states are massive, and have almost everything there. Mountains, cities, beaches, everything you could possibly imagine, but Italy has mountains overlooking the ocean! Oh, but I’d also want to see snow somewhere! Maybe in Russia, or Canada, or-

Shadow: (Laughing) slow down, Maria! Even I can’t keep up with you!

Maria: (laughs) I can’t just slow down, there's still so much more I want to see. Oh! You know what I think I want to visit first? Japan.

Shadow: Why Japan?

Maria: That's where all those comics we read are made, like Lone Wolf and Cub! And those shows like Speed Racer and Lupin! They have so much art, I want to see even more of it! And the food looks so good, and the cherry blossoms they have there are so pretty!

Shadow: You’ll have to learn Japanese if you really want to visit.

Maria: I’m already on it!

She pulls out a book about the Japanese language.

Maria: I’m still learning how they spell words, but I bet one day I’ll be able to have a full conversation!

Shadow: Do you think you could teach me?

Maria: Of course! Here, we can start by learning hiragana!

He leans over to look at the book with her. The screen flashes again, and Shadow is now sitting alone while an alarm blares in the background. Red lights flash, and we pan over to see a space capsule. Shadow holds his head, seemingly in pain. He thrashes and winces, trying desperately to wake up.

The camera cuts to Shadow sitting up out of his sleep. He cradles his head in pain as his breathing settles. When he is calm, he looks out the window at earth.

Shadow: Maria… They took that away from you. Your only wish.

He clenches his fists in anger.

Shadow: I will take everything from them, just as they took everything from us.

The camera changes to the outside of ARK, panning over to the earth.

[theinstagrahame]

One of the things I like to do on Twitter is periodically post all of the stuff I've gotten from various crowdfunding and other Indie RPG sources. I am (apparently) a Kickstarter Superbacker, not in the sense of "Person who's constantly in the comments asking where something is", but in the sense of "Now that I've got some disposable income, I put a lot of it into the Indie and Small Press TTRPG scene."

This represents about 2-3 months of Crowdfunders coming to fruition and a couple of purchases from a couple of stores. Here's what's in the list (and a bit about why I'm hype for it!):

Top row

Arcon: The City of Neon Daylight - This year, I've getting into system agnostic setting guides. I recall hearing a lot about this one, because it set out to make a Cyberpunk setting that avoided some of the problematic tropes that tend to fall in with that aesthetic.

Public Guest 5 - It's an RPG on a poster! I was intrigued to see how it would play out, and really like the aesthetic. I have it framed and sitting behind my desk. Been thinking of working it into a (stalled) Ironsworn campaign to create an in-world artifact.

Die RPG - I'm admittedly a big Rowan, Rook and Deckard fanboy. I also read and enjoyed some of Kireon Gillen's work, and was intrigued by the team-up. Having since read the first 5 issues of the comic, I'm super into this whole thing. It seems like a really powerful skewering of some tropes in fantasy gaming, combined with an emotional intelligence that I'm really curious to dig into.

Upper-middle row

Anyone can Wear the Mask - I'm admittedly a big Jeff Stormer fanboy... (I was doing a bit, but honestly, he makes rad stuff. Check out Party of One asap). I loved Dee Pennyway's work on the system this is based on, and having heard a couple of playthroughs of this game, it's a must-have. Jumped on it as soon as it was available.

Scraps - Cesar Capacle's work in the scene is one-of-a-kind. I have yet to read it, but it bills itself as a crafting RPG with a hopeful streak, which I'm super intrigued by. I think I can learn a lot of design stuff from it, and I think it's going to just be a great game.

Derelict Delvers - Another Capacle banger idea. Again, got it in part because of the creator, but the concept is one I'm also intrigued by. Scrapping in space is something I've been more and more intrigued by. So, I'll have to make some time to get into this one.

The Vaults of Vaarn - I'm admittedly susceptible to peer pressure... I mean. Wait. No. I've heard really good, intriguing things about this, and Games Omnivorous has made a ton of really amazing, high-quality volumes that I guess I'm starting to collect? Lately, I've been getting a lot of Weird Sci-fi stuff, and I understand this is part of that world.

Lower-middle row

Broken Cities - I picked up another of Come Martin's works, Meanwhile, in the Subway, a little bit ago. It's an RPG printed on a subway map, that takes place in a weird public transit. This game takes place in the city that the transit serves. It's standalone, but I can't wait to see how they connect.

The Fall of Home - Zinequest is a rough month for me, because so many people make such rad stuff that I struggle to control my purchases (see, Superbacker, above). Fall of Home hit a lot of intriguing touchstones, and... well, I'm fascinated by a lot of things, but exploring ruins with a very personal touch just grabs me.

Rad-Hack - I've got a couple of other Skullfungus titles, and I keep hearing about the Black Hack. This was an impulse purchase on Lulu, where Cesar Capacle's books are printed, but I'm curious to see how close this skews to the Fallout series, and whether it's a better fit for my tastes than the Fallout RPG...

Bottom row

Spindlewheel - Honestly, when I backed this, I expected to get a beautiful, tarot-like set of cards to use as an oracle or for games of its own. I underestimated how beautiful this set was going to be. Gold-edged, they're shiny and printed on fantastic card stock. I've mostly stared at these things, I almost worry that if I play them too much I'll damage them.

Down we Go + Beneath the Necropolis - Backed this initially because I've been getting more embedded into the Plus One EXP community of late, and I think this is their flagship title. Having heard a couple of APs, and played around with the system a little, I'm super hyped to really dig into the system.

No Way to Make a Living - Early on in my time in the indie RPG scene, I recall hearing Sandy Pug Games talk about this book. A series of interviews with creators in the space, from huge names down to the more esoteric folks. When I heard this was being printed by Metal Weave Games, it became a Must-have. (Arcon was an impulse purchase to go along with it).

The Million Islands of Doom - I really love Snow's work in general, and again, setting guides are my go-to. It feels a lot like Zelda (a series that means so much to me, my therapist has told me to play more of it as therapy homework...), specifically Wind Waker, but with a more RPG-flavored world. I've skimmed it, but really want to dig in. I'm constantly trying to figure out how I'll pair this up with either Games Omnivorous' Bottled Sea, or Skullfungus' Isle of Ixx.

Dinocar - Dinoberry Press makes the raddest stuff. I nearly passed on this, but I do spend some time with some family friends whose kids are into dinosaurs, the parents are into RPGs, and I figure if we should start them early. Plus, the thought of building a city and sending dinos in cars through it? Yet another of my many jams.

On Twitter, because I kinda hate typing stuff on my phone, I don't really get this deep into why I'm hype for the stuff I get. This was kinda fun, though! Maybe I'll do it again in a couple of months.

Bonus, some other gaming and game-design stuff I've gotten

Thunder Road Vendetta - When I was a kid, a friend's family owned the original version of this game. I never played it, but always wanted to. I very loosely understood some of the components, and wanted to see how they fit together (why it took me to my mid-30s to get into game design, I'll never know). So, when Restoration Games announced a revamp, I was in. I've picked up a couple of their other titles, and they make good games.

Self Made Man - Several years ago, I went to visit a friend in Portland, ME. They had gotten really into the community for a local comic shop up there. Periodically, the owner (and some other folks in that community) make comics, like this one. I like to support them both because they're friends, and because their stuff is always fun.

The Affinity Designer Workbook - I didn't pick up the Affinity Publisher workbook when I first got Publisher, and kinda kicked myself when it fell out of print. When Affinity put out their 2.0 suite, I grabbed it, and Designer is the next on I want to learn, so when I saw it on Thriftbooks, I snagged a copy.

My hope is that these posts don't come off as anything other than me being hyped about all the really rad stuff that the Indie RPG and small press gaming scenes are coming up with. I try to give each of them a similar amount of hype, because there are some really cool designers toiling away in near obscurity, and they very much deserve to be mentioned in the same breaths as some of the bigger names.

So, if any of my hype rubs off on you, go check 'em out!

[deathsbestgirl]

Oooh, saw your tags and now I'm curious! What are the differences between my thoughts on Never Again and yours? Always open to hearing other opinions-- helps me clarify my own or add to them. :DDDDD

okay like i told you this is just going to be funny now. first because where i diverge really seems kind of insignificant to me, because it doesn't change any of your points or the ~outcome of how i think about never again as a whole. or really, t's about the evolution of scully's position, so it isn't different? second, because i literally need to shout about one specific part. it's so real. so anyway, onward.

the referenced post. most important part quoted below, but read the whole post bc it's good!! (and i really don't know much about the bts or writers but it's cool to learn about!!)

so specifically this is what you say in the context of never again. you lay it out simply and perfectly.

As much as Scully denies her actions aren't "about you" to Mulder, Never Again isn't solely about daddy issues or feeling trapped-- it's feeling trapped by being second best. Romance was explicitly written into the dna of this episode: she takes the rose from the grave-- someone's lasting legacy on their loved one's life-- extrapolates meaning from it behind Mulder's desk, and deflates when Mulder runs off to his vacation that even he rates as secondary to his quest (Mulder missed her entire point: needing his reassurance and reinforcement, needing his speech in the FTF hallway; and Scully missed that he missed it.) When she meets Jerse, she's flattered by his sole focus on her, takes his card, but still plans to leave; Mulder has been calling, but when he reconnects and hides the fact he missed her behind "how's the quest going?", it kicks Scully in the shins and she decides to change plans and meet up with Ed. "The tattoo you deserve" and one night stand with Ed drags down Scully's view of herself, in hindsight-- how did she not see that he was psychotic?-- and the final scene in the basement is tinted with second guesses of her own character: more specifically, what Scully thinks she has the right to ask from Mulder, doubting her own judgment (a theme she continually struggles with throughout the series.) If she sits and remains in the basement, Scully has to accept that Mulder won't move them forward; and she does, choosing to be Starbuck to this (in her perspective) doomed (relation)ship because at least Mulder needs her... which is why The End and Fight the Future hit her so hard, convincing her she has no use in his life, period.

obviously we agree that mulder doesn't get it from the start. you nail what hurts scully perfectly, what she needs from him. i truly think scully could wait forever as long as she knows they're on the same page. and here, she isn't.

but specifically, the part i want to shout about: the bit about scully's judgment, and what she can ask of mulder. like YES. i just don't think i've seen anyone say this and you're just right. you're so right. how often do we see scully struggle with her judgment? i think she does when diana shows up and it's part of the reason she needs mulder to trust her judgment in those circumstances. there are so few times that scully is SO sure about what's happening. she tries so hard to be rational, the voice of reason. but it's like her desire scares her, and i think that's a lot of what's happening in never again. because what can she ask of mulder? especially when it looks to her like he doesn't want her, doesn't need her, doesn't trust her with the x files. why is she there at all?

now, me being nitpicky? idk really. "it's feeling trapped by being second best." i think this is right. it's just that. at first, she was okay with this. because they were partners, the x files are his life. she thought she understood this and accepted it. at the beginning in season one, of course she did! they didn't have a personal relationship yet. everything was all about the work, and in never again, it's all about them with the work shrouding their relationship. scully definitely thinks they have something and she thinks they might be on the same page, but he seems to confirm the opposite. it's just work and there isn't really room for her, or a personal relationship. so she is absolutely reconciling if she can keep on this way. if the work and following mulder and being what he needs is enough...if she even has a choice. and she does, and reconciling her choice to stay with what she wants is the struggle.

so really?? i don't disagree. i just wanted to talk about how being second best became a concern the longer she was on the x files, the more her feelings grew (or maybe the more she recognized them), her feelings scaring her and what they mean for mulder & the x files & her life, etc etc.

SO all of that to say, i actually agree with you. i just love the slow evolution and consistency of their characters & relationship <3 now please share your thoughts on my nonsense!!

[noxexistant]

I hope this doesn’t come off as mean because i am genuinely curious and I don’t know how to phrase it that’ll read well through text 😅 but could you explain why you like the delanceys? I just see them as bullies and feel like I’m missing something plz enlighten me 🙏

i appreciate the tact! you’re all good, i love the curiosity, and thank u for asking <3

first of all, you and anyone are more than valid to just see the delanceys as bullies - they are. they’re bad guys, that’s the crux of their character. they’re antagonists. you aren’t supposed to like them, you’re mostly supposed to hate ‘em. but there is also a lot to them just beneath the surface, as implied in the script and spoken about by the actors and portrayed in their performances, and i just think they’re super compelling. they’re fantastic antagonists, especially when played and understood through a more empathetic lens.

like, you’ve got these two kids - barely older than the newsies, at most barely wealthier - who are paid to work as essentially hired grunts for one of the papers and their uncle. violence is expected of them, and they’re apparently very comfortable with it and good at it - they’re known for it. what makes two kids so comfortable with and skilled at violence? they work through the strike despite the fact that by the end of it every other young worker in the city has joined the crusade. why are they so insecure with money? they’re never separate from each other, not for one second - they literally never appear in a scene without each other. why are they so attached and codependent? and oscar’s first lines are defending the work they do and saying the most loaded line ever about their father who they apparently just took money to beat up in the street - “i guess he didn’t take care of me.” why do they hate their father so much?

according to morris’ trading card, which is really the only Solid Canon we’ve got that isn’t actor interpretation, he was abandoned by both parents as a child, and we can only assume the same for oscar. oscar openly resents their father and harbours no shame for getting paid to soak him along with the rest of the striking workers. there’s so much implication there and so much potential, so many questions about what exactly their father did, what their lives were like, what the circumstances were of their (or morris’) abandonment. why or how their uncle took them in, if wiesel is even their uncle. also, the detail that they lived on a farm first, and moved from that to this inner-city work.

and beyond that, we have the details that are from the actors. notably, mike faist (who originated the role of morris in the stage show) stating that morris’ defining feature is goodness at his core. anthony norman stating that oscar was raised in the refuge. alex prakken stating that the delanceys are just kids in an awful situation, that they are actually just like the newsies but were manipulated with money to switch sides to oppose them.

it’s about the idea of what sort of circumstances it takes to create two people like the delanceys - violent and closed off and codependent. they’re willing to do things that most people won’t in order to get money, and even during the strike they won’t risk their pay. they believe in survival of the fittest and resent weakness. all they have is each other, and in the stage show they’re violently protective of each other (in 92sies, at least the original script, oscar is abusive towards morris, which is its whole own type of compelling). they’re clingy and childish and violent and complicated and they have reasons for everything, because everyone does, and that invites all this questioning and headcanoning and analysing. what would it take to turn a newsie into a delancey? what would it take to turn them back?

and each actor brings such fantastic little details to both of them. morris being fidgety and autistic-coded. oscar looking grief-stricken when race is speaking mockingly about les and david having a mother. the two of them clinging to each others sides. the two of them always listening in on the newsies as they talk, like they’re behind glass even when they’re right there - like they stop existing past a certain point.

i just love complicated characters, i love deeply traumatised characters, i love to pick up an awful person and explore what goodness there is, what circumstances could’ve made that goodness go away, what circumstances could bring it out again. and there’s so much potential for goodness in the delanceys, particularly in this love they have for each other. how george crawford and alex james hatton played them in uksies in particular ruined me, they’re so raw and complex and so completely closed off to anyone and everything except this desperate bond with each other, oscar is ruthlessly violent to everyone else but so gentle with morris, morris is at times so visibly wrought with regret while he’s doing terrible things but he still doesn’t stop, and they’re in this position where they have this power over the newsies but no power anywhere else. they’re helpless, as stuck as any of the newsies, as worthless and resented and expendable, but they’re different because they’re paid to be. what makes the difference? the money? them taking the money? the contract in the money being handed over at all?

anyway, yeah, they’re the worst, i love them.

[petrichoraline]

why do you think everyone is so hyped up for OF? i'm not really a fan of any of the pairings or storylines like this one so i'm just here like enjoying seeing all the mutuals lose their minds lmao without really getting it i guess

took me a bit to answer because i wanted to make sure to find this post to link, i remembered it as a very nice and insightful post but for the most part it goes a bit off-topic, the answer is basicaly in the last few sentences (i do recommend going through it though!!)

i personally might be in the same boat as you, dear, as i just got reminded of the show today and my dash won't let me forget about it BUT MY MIND IS ON HIDDEN AGENDA. WHERE EVERYONE'S WAS JUST YESTERDAY i cannot keep up with this fandom goodness gracious

i was excited way back when it was announced but it was never at the level of people who'd get asked what they're most excited for from the gmm23 lineup and everyone and their mom's answer was ONLY FRIENDS DUH..with time my enthusiasm kinda faded out and was replaced by, dare i say, annoyance. it's natural when you aren't as hyped about smth as everyone else seems to be. at times i do get a bit more excited though! who knows, i might be unbearable once the show drops hahah, i haven't really gotten myself acquainted with the characters, i avoid speculating and making up theories so i hope whatever only friends turns out to be, it's fun 😊

but yeah, i think people are excited about the drama of it all. p'jojo has been teasing non-stop, it will give us favourite actors in messy relationships not contained within their assigned pair but with everyone and anyone else. it gives off the feeling a crossover does though it isn't one. seeing neo who only got a more seirous role just this past year with the eclipse as a pos gremlin wreaking havoc is new and exciting! mark as a sad pining bub that will undeniably make us scream "love, do BETTER"? EXCITING. topmew seem like they're gonna bring so much angst to the table in a more horifying way than the melancholy that sanray seem to promise. firstkhao are the basic beloved pair that everyone would love watching even if they don't tune in for them specifically - theyre great actors who also have amazing chemistry with each other and we have proof they will bring their all into it. smth else that goes for them is the fact many want to see them go beyond what the eclipse fave them in terms of opportunities to be intimate. force is about to give villain, I can feel it, and as much as it scares me I think it's very intriguing. forcebook are another established couple who are besties irl and have shown theyre comfortable and can bring that spark, this show gives us the chance to witness just how far that actor compatibility can take their performance. and markneo!! theyre absolutely a wild card. many of us are fond of them because of their memorable side roles but we haven't seen them doing anything spicy with their established partners (louis and ford). and that is another thing, theyre a completely fresh pair unlike the other two so we don't know exactly what they're capable of or how they act off of each other, that's also super fun to anticipate. I personally am going wild about papang becoming a part of the mess as a part of nick's plot, there seems to be a wlw pair too, jennie is also present - there are plenty of smaller appearances and details aside from the main couples and their plots that make viewers curious. yes, sex portrayed by fave actors who dont usually portray those scenes is a big deal but it's not just that, boundaries are being pushed with this show and the crew and cast seem incredibly excited to be working on it. it feels like a passion project and that enthusiasm gets to the fans as well. it's true however that many will be disappointed because they keep projecting their ideas of what the show should and would be on it and it simply can't be everything at once. a part of the overall excitement comes from the fandom discussions and participation but that is what gets theories to evolve and expectations to grow which is risky.

tldr: favourite actors in roles that show them either build on their already established chemistry or challenging an inexplored part of their acting skill; a big bunch of said actors tangled up in dramatic scandals - everyone is involved with everyone, gives a collab vibe; jojo's unique lens and directing style; other actors and plots that are yet unrevealed etc.

that's what I've noticed at least 😁 sorry to go on a tangent and thank you sincerely for the ask, hope you get to enjoy the show! i'm sure there will be plenty to appreciate about it even if the premise isn't your cup of tea 💗 and enjoy everyone having fun with it, when one's moots are happy one should also be happy 🥰 even if it can get a bit much lol we'll be getting some yummy meta and gifsets so we're winning anyways ✌️feel free to update me on your feelings on it haha, I'd love to hear from you again 💓

[itsana004]

ANA I AM CURIOUS ABOUT HOW YOU THINK OF GUACHE/NISTRO I know you greatly appreciate droite but what about her partner in crime? 👁️

Omg I did realise at one point that I almost never talk about that guy as much as I should, so here lays my truest thoughts on Gauche/Nistro

•How do I feel about this character

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE HIS CHARACTER! He's so fun to watch and I feel deeply ashamed I used to feel differently about him at the beginning because of a stupid ship and that was such an embarrassing phase (I didn't engage in any ship drama thank god about that but my notp clouded my judgement AGHRHHH) but my taste improved luckily overtime and better late than never to make amends of my past mistakes

His upbeat personality is fun and all but SERIOUSLY GET A MAN LIKE HIM WHO CAN DO BOTH! This man can be a dork, high spirited, an idiot and be a hilarious character giving this big dumb energy muscular man while also being super skilled, intelligent in his own way and writers bothered to give a little bit of backstory and NOT be this one dimensional comic relief character like I thought he would be at the beginning??? LIKE?? I LOVE THAT??? AND FROM THE RECENT POLL HE'S A CERTIFIED MALEWIFE SO THERE'S THAT

And his interactions with Droite omg (I LOVE MY BABIES SO MUCH MUST PROTECT THEM AT ALL COSTS) WE. NEEDED. MORE. BANTER AND MORE SCENES OF THEM DOING THEIR JOB WHERE THEY JUST SQUABBLE (please why they never showed at least one frame of Droite and Gauche dueling tf, I'm not satisfied by that mind controlled Gauche tag duel only).

His design is so cool as well! I love he just discarded his work outfit as soon as he quit, like finally a character that proves me wrong about Zexal characters not having a wardrobe with the same smelly outfit in their home other than Kotori and few others (I'M LOOKING AT YOU CASWELL).

Also the Starmann costume...sorry but I can't take it seriously 😂 but I love the message behind it and how it is tied to his childhood where he and Droite lived in the streets and dueling became their star of hope.

•All the people I ship romantically with this character

Sorry but I don't ship him romantically with anyone, not even Droite and I'll explain why in a bit. For the other characters he has interactions and chemistry with they are all minors so nope.

•My non-romantic OTP for this character

This has to be Droite and Gauche. I can't see them in a romantic lens, to me they share more of a familial bond/sibling relationship more than anything, and the fact Droite found love in someone else kind of furthers my case.

The thought of Droite being the only family he ever had in a world where he was born with none feels more meaningful to me than any common romantic tropes. It also means they share a stronger bond as in family always comes first and would be there for eachother no matter what. The media lacks this kind of friendship and bond between a man and a woman who aren't related and seeing them in this light feels like a breath of fresh air and I'm here for it! Also did you guys notice the matching bracelet they share?? I would love to know the canon meaning behind it, but for now I interpret it as a symbol of their relationship which I interpret it as familial, just like Shark and Rio's rings.

•My unpopular opinion about this character

Honestly I'm not sure... I don't think I have any other than the fact I don't ship him with Droite romantically?

•One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon

Oh hohoho, I guess I have only a few things to say

I just think ending up liking a side character in Zexal is just hell, period, but goodness

Umm, Zexal, when were you planning to ever show, or rather, why hide, the fact GAUCHE HAS HIS OWN NUMBER CARD???

HMMM???

Also I would have loved to see more interactions between Gauche and Alito. Despite their rocky start it is clearly shown they would make good friends. There were even drawn parallels between them where past Alito was a lot like Gauche, and they share the same fighting spirit. Anyway they would be good friends... too bad them being in good terms was never shown...

Also this is not a criticism but more of a wish where they expanded more in his and Droite's past and how they became elite and how he got that scar in his face. They never explained it or even shown a flashback of it. And because of how underdeveloped and mysterious they left it out to be I'm really having a confusing time understanding the true nature of his relationship with people in the Tower - they showed him having this big rivalry with Kaito and them being pissed around each other but in Spartan City, once Kaito saw him and Droite, he was smiling to the point his eyebrows became straight?? I want to know the lore stuff basically that I'll never get to knoww

Sorry if I missed anything but here is my answer!

[meimi-haneoka]

Hello! Almost all clear cards appeared in Clockland, except Record, Rewind, and Time. As such, readers have theorized that these 3 cards will play important roles in the climax / resolution in the last chapters. We can pretty much guess what roles Record and Rewind could have, but Time card is still mysterious. We still don't know what power that card has, and we haven't seen Sakura ever using it. Logically, some time after the creation (when she was feeling better), Sakura would have tried that card out to see what it can do, but so far there is no scene that suggested she has done that or not. Maybe we readers are not shown this to keep the suspense going, or maybe she just forgot. Nadeshiko's clock stopped time, so maybe that is the power the Time card has, but there is possibility that it can also manipulate time in other ways, like rewinding time or facilitating time travel to the past. Now I wonder if the real identity of MCF could be young Lilie or young Kaito, if there is time travel. Another curious thing is that in the anime, they changed Nadeshiko's clock to a key. It would be interesting to see the differences in plot points in the anime that would result from that change.

Helloooo dear! 😊 Thank you for sending me this ask! Indeed, indeed, the three cards that haven't appeared in the climax yet are under scrutiny by everyone, because almost certainly they'll play a big role in the final chapters. They are all somehow related to time. I can try to imagine Record will be used by Sakura to uncover all the "old memories" that were rewritten by Kaito (as they are events that Record could reproduce without problems), while for Rewind and Time the usage might be a little bit broader. Especially considering that the Cards' function can change depending on Sakura's wishes. I....really don't have a precise idea of how Sakura will use them, however I do think that at least one of those might be used to contribute to save Kaito and bring things back to normal. Because of course she'd never leave someone like him behind, someone who's the most important person of someone she cherishes and who basically acted out of love. We'll just need to see how she'll use them to achieve that goal! Also, your theory that MCF might be young Lilie or young Kaito is really interesting. I've thought it could be Kaito myself, but I never saw anyone considering Lilie... Also yes, the change of the pendant watch into a key in the anime version is still something that puzzles me to this day. Surely they made that change with a plan in mind. Is it supposed to turn into a staff, in the anime (since keys usually turn into staffs???)? Seriously, the more I think about this, the more I can't imagine them producing the Clear Card anime without having plans for a second season. Otherwise why making these arbitrary changes.... I'm sure there's a grand scheme behind this.

[sacred-stanning]

Ending Cards Part 2

Here are the remaining cards, including the very important Lute and Vanessa one.

Innocent Magician, Ewan

He continued with his teacher for a time, but he was too curious and wanted to learn more about magic on his own, so he left on a trip around the world.

Thanks for the...Draco Shield I think it was?

Crimson Flash, Marisa

She met her end in Chapter 15, Scorched Sand.

I sure had it in for the Jehanna sword people, didn't I?

Funny enough, I see 2 deaths here. I suspect that's because of some map that I started and it was a disaster, so I restarted it again.

I don't remember the details, but I think there were one or two maps where I just screwed up so badly in the first 1-2 turns that I restarted them.

Silent Fountain of Knowledge, Saleh

After the war, he returned to Pokara Village (Caer Pelyn). He continued to live there in his service to the Manaketes, but because he had met so many people in the war, and they sometimes came to visit, he was never bored.

Saleh's a good pre-promote. I didn't use him this time.

Pure Manakete, Myrrh

She quietly parted ways with Ephraim and returned to her home in the Darkling Woods. The people of Caer Pelyn worshiped her, and she spent many years enjoying the gift of life.

I said it already, but Myrrh is broken strong. And the number of dragon stone uses is very generous in this game.

Jade Wind Princess, Eirika

She returned to Renais after the war and worked with Ephraim to help the continent recover. When peace finally returned, her happy smile was a symbol of joy for all of the people.

I don't have anything else to say about Eirika from this playthrough. She did fine as a combat unit in the late game, despite not always being the strongest for that role.

Jade Sky King, Ephraim

Princess of Light, L'Arachel

After the war, they each returned to their own countries. But L'Arachel would periodically visit Renais, and spend long amounts of time visiting there. After a long time, Ephraim's heart was finally captured by her charms, and the 2 of them got married. It was quite a scene in Rausten when their heir married off into another country, but here too, they had no choice but to accept her wishes.

Ephraim, like I said already, is a great unit. L'Arachel has staves and a horse.

And I really, really wonder what in the world these two talk about in their married life...

Finally, I saved these two cards for last because of a weird bug, where, even when Lute and Vanessa get their A support, their shared card doesn't show up, and you just get the two separate ones instead.

Vanessa has the second most battles after Franz. She also has one death, so I guess she was another victim in one of the maps where I messed up in an opening turn.

But yeah, it's amazing what a unit can do if you favor them, even when they really aren't getting great level ups!

Lute has the highest number of enemies defeated of anyone, even beating out Franz. She was fun to use as usual.

But it's not very satisfying to see their solo end cards since it's all due to a bug. So I called up my uncle who works at Nintendo, and he gave me a screenshot of the actual paired end card for Lute and Vanessa.

And that's it. That's the game! Thanks for reading!