#ever since invincible dropped the teaser

[lunchador]

Don't mind me but I'm rambling. I'm gonna yell about this here cuz it is my fandom blog and that's what it's for.

Man, The Boys is the perfect example of seeing a comic, seeing the potential, and gutting it for something better. I used to be a fan of Garth Ennis, I used to say he was the kind of writer that could balance edgy in a fun way that wasn't too much, but after revisiting his work I'm like....very unimpressed. And I feel as he keeps releasing series they keep getting worse 😬 I can't say this on FB because some of my male friends hold it in high regards(lots of them read it as angry edgy teens) but Preacher? Kinda a super shit comic. I genuinely think the show was attempting something better by polishing up the core concept (also the casting? Chefs kiss). I liked The Boys. I own The Boys. But the show is a fantastic example of how a comic adaptation does not need to be faithful. I think they made the characters a lot more engaging, they kept the graphic violence but I'm not rolling my eyes at it, and made the overall plot more of an arc versus the previous baddie hero of the week style that made it feel disjointed. And it's nice not to be able to expect what is going to happen next, not like how some shows throw it in a new direction solely to fuck with you versus genuinely interesting. They still sprinkle tons of comic stuff nicely in the show (my friend and I screamed at love sausage). I think the timing of the show is excellent in both that there is a corporate superhero burnout with so many movies and shows being churned out (often playing it too safe where money > interesting) and also reflecting irl events in an eerie but clever way. The whole comic and show is assholes, and I'm thrilled to love to hate them. I couldn't even do much of a reread because it's just not that good to me anymore. Absolutely crazy that Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg read those two comics by Ennis and were like yeah, let's do this.

I feel the same way about Mark Millar though. I cannot stand his comics, I feel like he's pretty good with coming up with a concept but someone always executes it better on his behalf. Kingsman? Kick ass? Wanted? All superior to the comics. I think red son and jupiter's legacy are ones I did like, but I am very interested to see how netflix (?) Does jupiter's legacy in the wake of the boys. Not quite the same, but an edgy superhero series I highly expect people to make a comparison. It's about children of superheros that are struggling to live in their shadows. Drugs, sex, violence, drama.

On the other hand, I am screaming about the Invincible adaptation. IM SO FUCKING EXCITED. Invincible is in my top favorite comics, it got me INTO comics, and I always thought it was vastly superior to Kirkmans famous work Walking Dead. This I do hope sticks close to the comics (though maybe slightly better writing for women characters haha). I already know exactly what they're doing for the first arc and I really really hope we can get further than that because the series gets so fucking WILD. Insane all of the merch and now a show we are getting after the series ends. It's also super long for a western comic series at like 26 trades I think. I hope the show is a success for multiple reasons.

With the old guards success, I hope amazon finally does something with the rights they bought to Lazarus a few years ago. Greg Rucka is truly one of the best comic writers out there and that series is perfect for tv. Which reminds me I need to watch stumptown cuz I just bought the comic to reread and it's so good!!!!

And y the last man finally has its feet on the ground after being in development hell for like 10 years. Brian k vaughn writes the most human characters out there. And also paper girls is gonna be a series!!!! Fucking hell yeah!!! Hopefully it catches people attention as stranger things did. It's gonna be fun. And I hope saga never gets adapted. I truly think nothing will be able to capture it. Leave it as is.

And I'm still sad Chew ended up falling into development hell. Originally showtime wanted to use to to replace Dexter as that ended as their new bloody crime show, then it fell to an animated series which is better imo to pair with how weird it is and showcase the art style but I think the last I heard of it it was pretty much not happening. Especially since iZombie got surprising amount of traction and I guess they expected it to be too similar.

I'm also still bitter about Deadly Class's cancellation. I had a lot of potential. Great cast, good cinematography. It's such a fun tragic comic.

Locke&key was alright, it's such a good horror comic but I wouldn't be able to tell you what would have made the show better. Something didn't quite click for me.

I'm kinda really burnt out on marvel/dc. I don't think either is impressing me lately besides scattered things. I don't think I'm excited for any of the disney+ shows besides falcon+winter soldier and even then expectations are tentatively low. Maybe wandavision? I didn't give a shit about them in the movies but it's heavily based on a run of comics I did enjoy so I'm wary. I know only care about Hawkeye for Kate and she-hulk for the actress. Though I've been having a surprising amount of fun watching Doom Patrol and I enjoyed swamp thing. It's weird. It embraces that weird. There's something I feel like Umbrella Academy is missing it could learn from doom Patrol. Like ua still feels like it played it a bit safe. Idk. Haven't finished it because I'm not as motivated to.

And Faith?? Is gonna get a movie??? A plus size hero??? AHHHH. I have my first issue signed by the author I met at comic con a few years ago.

And watchmen of course.

And outcast, and happy, and powers! And I kill giants was turned into such a good movie!!! So many image comics!!

I just read nailbiter is gonna be a series so that's gonna be bloody and violent and full of serial killers lmao. The ending of that comic got a little ??? For me but I own the whole series so i guess that says something.

What a time to be a comics fan!!! We are so fucking spoiled lmao and there's still sooo many untapped series. I think Criminal would make a fantastic live action drama show. Who does like Intricate crimes and heists and overlapping stories And wic+div would make a stellar show especially if they really had fun with the music. And so many comics I like would make amazing animated series like pretty deadly, or chew, rocket girl. Haunt is another Kirkmans series that has potential to be a fun gritty superhero violent adaptation. Except the ectoplasma attacks haunt has looks like violent jizz sometimes. Idk. Like, URGHHHHHHH. Gimme gimme gimme more comic stuff.

And there's so many good things I'm not even aware it was a comic initially.

And there's so many things I hear good things I have yet to touch like black lightning, runaways ( I love the comics!!, Cloak and dagger (also great comics )

Old comic shit is good too. I've been rewatching the Spawn series. Adult animated superhero stuff is seriously underrated. The tank girl movie is FUN. ROCKETEEEEER!!!!! Disney was supposed to do a remake with a black girl. What happened to that?

I dislike all the cw shows though lmao too cheesy. Also why I can't get into agents of shield though I tried for Robbie.

So many THINGS

[avinaccia]

A Completely Objective and Logical Ranking of Every Hetalia Character Song

New character songs are dropping,  I have too much time on my hands, let’s go. 

Also here’s a Youtube playlist for the ~✨nostalgia✨~

Bring it on in the tags 

71. Ah Legendary Class⭐The Awesome Me Highway [Prussia]: Absolutely tearing it up on the drums and on the vocal cords alike (I pray for Atsushi Kousaka). Great for the memes. 

70.  Happy Thoughts Museum [???]: This is listed as an official song but I had literally never heard of the title. Then I listened to it and BAM! Smack back to 2013 watching the teasers for the show on Funimation. Not sure I’d count it as a character song though...

69. (Nice)  My Song that is written by me for me [Prussia]: Deafened me but I can appreciate the industrial grind.

68.  My House is...Quiet. ~With the Trolls~ [Norway]: I have never heard this song, nor can I find any version of it online. By default it goes here and I am so sorry Norge.

67.  Make a Wish to Santa♪ [Sealand]: The discordant notes and childish exuberance only serve to make this sound like a demonic plea to Santa to eliminate the singer’s enemies.

66.  Heaven and Hell on Earth [Rome]: Rome sounds like he’s been in the corner of a restroom. Extra points for the metal version, minus points for the fact that the beach scene was replayed like 1764 times.

65. Canada Complete Introduction [Canada]: Quiet af until Kumacheerio shows up and blows out your speakers. they did you dirty my darling 😔

64.  It’s Easy!!! [America]: I don't think any video of this has ever stayed up for more than 20 seconds. Sounds cool, but like I was listening to 20 different genres at once, someone make him calm down.

63.  Bù Zàiyì the Small Stuff ☆ [China]: I cannot for the life of me find the complete song anywhere, clips have a cool beat though

62.  Let's Boil Hot Water♪ [Italy]: Exactly what it says on the tin..though a bit too close to elevator music for my tastes.

61.  The Fragrance of Early Summer [Japan]: Very ‘from the books’ Japan-esque song

60.  Peace Sounds Nice…[Baltic Trio]: All well and good until the radio demon shows up

59.  W●D●C ~World Dancing~ [America]: How a song can sound like it’s from 4 different decades at once is beyond me

58.  Overflowing Passion [BFT]: This is just drunken karaoke and I have 0 clue what’s going on #iconicforallthewrongreasons

57. Ren●Ren●Renaissance♪ [Rome+Chibitalia]: Wholesome Grandpa with Grandson content - barring the fact that Italy sounds on the verge of a nervous breakdown and Rome has had too much wine.

56.  Roma Antiqua [Rome]: Similar energy to any one of China’s songs - there’s a part of the song where it sounds like he’s singing in the shower, and I will never not laugh at [CENSORED]

55.  Country From Where the Sun Rises, Zipangu [Japan]: Very chill, very Japan, but just meh for me.

54.  Moon Over Emei Shan [China]: Good message, okay song.

53.  My Friend [England]: What a mind palace you must have Mr. Kirkland

52.  With Love, from Iceland [Iceland]: Three words: Heavy. Metal. Puffin.

51.  Having Friends is Nice...♫ [Russia]: Russia is the cutest thing ever

50.  Mm. [Sweden]: Smooth transition from WWE Smackdown to shopping at IKEA.

49.  Why don’t you come over? ~Beyond the Northern Lights~ [Iceland]: I don’t want to be mean but...this does sound like the second closing theme to an anime whose first closing was much more popular (à la Soul Eater)

48. Gakuen☆Festa [Germany, Italy, Japan]: Sounds like a 60s song of the summer but oh dear their voices do not go together. Hella cute though.

47.  Wa! Wa!! World Ondo [Main Cast]: One time I travelled 10 hours in a coach bus with a bunch of teenagers to a city of note in my country, and the only souvenir I bought was the fucking PAINT IT WHITE DVD. Perfectly chaotic, UN ĐĕùX~~

46.  In the Bluebell Woods [England]: In the album cover for this song he’s holding a guitar but this is not a rock song. Still has ‘running through the hills’ levels of dramatism though.

45.  Poi Poi Poi♪ [Taiwan]: You’re telling me that Taiwan, someone whose has *ONE LINE* in Beautiful World (which is criminal tbh what kind of representation-) managed to get an eNTIRE CHARACTER SONG???????

44.  White Flame [Russia]: There’s something to be said for a song that is 3x the length of any Hetalia episode

43.  Ich liebe… [Germany]: Baking cakes for your friends has never been so wholesome.

42.  We Wish you a Merry Christmas [America, China, England, France, Russia]: Nice to see they’ve gotten their shit together since United Nations Sta-hmm.

41.  Ah, Worldwide à la mode [France]: Sounds like a Disney Princess song, hard not to picture France frolicking in a field of flowers.

40.  Che Bello! ~My House is the Greatest!⭐~ [Italy]: Would not be out of place in an advertisement for Sea World.

39.  May You Smile Today [Japan]: THE feel good song of the summer

38.  Let’s Look Behind the Rainbow [Italy]: I will protect you.

37.  I'm your HERO☆ [America]: “Anyone who’s sad or sullen will be arrested” did NOT age well.

36.  Mein Gott! [Prussia]: Alternating headphone effect at the beginning is cool, so is the confidence...the actual singing on the other hand...

35. Nihao⭐China [China]: Listen, all of China’s character songs are great, I just can’t vibe with this one like some of the others.

34.  Pechka ~Light My Heart~ [Russia]: I’m still having difficulty wrapping my head around the fact that this and Winter were released at the same time.

33.  Pukapuka⭐Vacation [Germany, Italy, Japan]: Seems just a bit too much like they’re running on a treadmill that’s picking up speed and trying to sing at the same time. Peppy.

32.  Santa Claus is Coming to Town [Germany, Italy, Japan]: This is unironically the best song sung by this trio; can only vibe with for two months out of the year though.

31.  Excuse Me, I Am Sorry [Japan]: Japan’s character traits speedrun. Gives me barbershop quartet vibes for some reason but is catchy as hell.

30.  The Story of Snow and Dreams [Russia]: A superhero anime opening in the making

29. England’s Evil Demon Summoning Song [England]: Sir that is not how you roast a marshmallow, don’t cut yourself on that edge.

28.  Moi Moi Sauna♪ [Finland]: Exactly the type of song you’d expect and it’s wonderful

27.  United Nations Star⭐ [America, China, England, France, Russia]: This isn’t as much of a song as it is a four minute struggle for everyone to sing without America yelling every 5 seconds...Like a particularly musical episode of Hetalia.

26.  Paris is Indeed Splendid [France]: Paris-pa-pa-pa-paris

25.  Absolutely Invincible British Gentleman [England]: Poppy, rocky, polka-dotty

24.  Vorwärts Marsch! [Germany]: To quote the comment section: “This sounds like a German version of I’ll Make a Man out of you.” There’s some truth to that.

23.  Hamburger Street [America]: The product of America’s rapper phase. 8/10 because he’s trying so hard and because I can unironically sing along to all of this.

22.  Hoi Sam☆Nice Guy [Hong Kong]: A song that would absolutely destroy the ankles of anyone in DDR.

21.  I Am German-Made [Germany]: There was once a version that had Germany and Prussia singing at the same time and it sounded positively demonic and Broadway could never

20.  La pasión no se detiene ~Unstoppable Passion~ [Spain]: Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping...

19.  Fall in Love, Mademoiselle [France]: Sounds like it should be in Mozart Opera Rock, I have kiss kiss falled in love.

18. Embrace the Très Bien Moi [France]: This is the definition of SELF LOVE PEOPLE. 

17. Carrot and Stick [Belarus&Ukraine]: Absolutely DRIPPING in 2000s power ballad energy. The type of song that plays on repeat in the mind of the widow whose millionaire husband ‘mysteriously disappeared’ (and the only legit character song ever acknowledged by the anime)

16. C.B.C (Cowboyz Boot Camp) Vol. 1 [America]: AH MAH GAWWDDD

15. Winter [Russia]: Heavy metal fever dream and the perfect song for an angst-ridden teenager

14.  Seychelles Here ⭐ Vacation Island [Seychelles]: UN👏DER👏RA👏TED SONG👏OF 👏THE 👏SUM👏MER👏

13.  Nah, it will settle itself somehow [Romano]: One day I aspire to reach this level of chill

12.  Let’s Enjoy Today [England]: I will never not feel happy when listening to this.

11.  Einsamkeit [Germany]: Ludwig manages to air every single one of his worries about not being good enough compared to his friends and always being perceived as mean or uptight when he’s actually just a softie and now my heart hurts. 💔

10.  Aiyaa Four Thousand Years [China]: A very poignant and beautiful song about the passage of time and the inevitability of its passing; comparable to an ancient ballad complete with explosive crescendos and meaningful lyrics.

9.  Bon Bon Bon❤️C’est Bon C’est Bon! [France]: Peppy, cheerful, adorable, groundbreaking; has been my alarm tone for six years and I’ve yet to tire of it. 9/10 The moaning interspersed throughout has been an interesting wake-up call.

8.  Let’s Enjoy! Let’s Get Excited! Cheers! [Denmark]: This is on par with Everytime we Touch by Cascada in terms of rage potential unlocked (the good kind)

7.  Dream Journey [Japan]: Whoever’s playing the shakuhachi is absolutely KILLING IT. Dramatic, wonderful, great metaphors.

6.  Gourmet’s Heart Beginner Level [China]: Absolute banger, I’m a vegetarian but this would inspire me to eat shumai.

5.  Always with you...Nordic Five! [Nordic FIVVVVVEEEE]: Everyone harmonizes beautifully except for Denmark. Extremely catchy, number placement seemed appropriate. 

4.  Pub and GO! [England]: I love this trash man

3. Maji Kandou⭐Hong Kong Night [Hong Kong]: If you thought Denmark’s song was a banger JUST YOU WAIT. I WILL BLOW OUT MY SPEAKERS LISTENING TO LO-HA-SU.

2. Steady Rhythmus [Germany]: THIS SONG IS METAL AF. Seriously, if it can be classified as ‘hardcore’ by my father and his group of 50-somethings who have decided to single-handedly gatekeep the metal and hardrock genres, it can do anything.

1.  The Delicious Tomato Song 🍅 [Romano]: Beautiful, absolutely awe-inspiring, poignant, catchy lyrics with an extremely deep meaning that only years of meticulous research and analysis can unlock, Romano I love you.

BONUS: Closing Songs

5. Hatafutte Parade (World Series) 

4. Hetalian⭐Jet (The World Twinkle): The song is good, the dancing is cursed 

3. Chikyuu Marugoto Hug Shitainda (World⭐Stars)

2. Marukaite Chikyuu (Hetalia: Axis Powers): nE NE PaPA

1. Mawaru Chikyuu Rondo (The Beautiful World)

[kpopisthereasonihavenolife]

Fury of Their Scales [TEASER]

m.yoongi / reader 

genre: dragon au, wyvern!yoongi, herbalist/human!reader

teaser warnings: dragon yoongi stuck in trap bc he’s a dumbdumb, y/n having a mental debate whether or not to help, flashbacks/mentions of a very short war

teaser w.count: 900+

actual fic w.count (pre edit): 17.4k kill me

synopsis:  a world of dragons, demons, devils, gods and ghouls- humans were of small number. you’ve lived on the outskirts of your human village in the woods ever since you could remember. living alone in a small cabin with nothing but woodland trees, ponds, lakes and animals was like a small paradise- with the occasional bump in the road. as someone who’s studied and experimented with nature to make all sorts of concoctions- your home was ideal. it didn’t matter that your village didn’t like it or that they rejected your life of medicine. what did matter, however, was the dragon stuck in a trap not too far from your home that you just discovered.

a/n: heh i didn’t actually proof this teaser, so the spelling errors? we don't acknowledge know them 

When you could see the clearing ahead, you slowed your footsteps and slowly crept up behind a tree to peer around it.  As you did so, your breath caught in your throat as you gasped and slapped a hand over your mouth to keep from choking and making a sound.  You spun around, nearlying dropping your basket from your arm as you hid behind the tree you peered around and pressed your back firmly to it’s trunk.

Your breath shuttered, shook, halted and repeated.  You couldn’t remember how to breathe properly as you tried to be as quiet as possible.  Around that tree trunk and indeed caught in a metal trap was no animal.

It was a dragon.

You racked your brain trying to be reasonable.  Perhaps it was just a trick of the mind? A hallucination? Maybe the leaves you boiled earlier that morning was hallucinogenic and you were too careless about what you were brewing?

You peered one more time around the tree trunk to verify and your entire body sieed up again at the same dragon from the first time you saw it.  You didn’t hide immediately this time.  You stayed hidden, tucked away but examined the situation the best you could; even if every orpheus of yourself was telling you to run.

You weren’t too well versed on the dragon race, but this particular dragon you had read about before in a book once- but only briefly.  A wyvern you think it was called.

The creature was large, as tall as the trees- one fully grown yet you imagined. Or maybe it was because the creature was folded in on itself, crouched to the ground as it tugged on it’s trapped legs.

A large bear trap had sunk it’s sharp metal teeth into the scaled leg of the mighty creature.  With nowhere near enough space to try and fly away- trap attached or not- and no room to try and back away and shake it off or even break the chain that held the trap in place, the dragon was ultimately stuck in whining pain.

It’s scales were that of ashen red; the color of a fine blush, but rough to the texture like brick. It’s arms were large and folded inwards, the talons of either digging into the earth to steady itself and the other crawling at the trap futility. It’s long tail was curled around it’s back and the length of it disappeared behind the treeline where you knew it was barbed at the end.  It’s head was long, thin and had three horns- one on the end of its nose and two on either side of it’s head.

Needless to say, it was a wonder to witness.  A dangerous wonder, but wonder no less.

Dragons were a very rare sight around human territory.  They hated the human race and for reasons that you couldn’t blame them for.  Years ago, you had read about a war- if you could call it that- that took place between human and dragon.  

The humans in their invincible high from all sorts of discoveries and conquering of other places ahd decided to set their sights on the dragons.  If they could tame the mighty beasts and use them as war creatures- the people would reign over all. That’s what they had assumed.

They had no idea just what they had signed themselves up for when they marched into dragon country. The doom that took place was instantaneous for the first brave and foolish group of marchers and it only got worse.

A group of nearly 200 men were slaughtered at the hands of just a few dragons who were the first to be approached as mere animals.  Burned alive, crushes, eaten, slashed into ribbons- the humans stood no chance in hell.

Then, the dragon’s returned the favor.  The humans wanted war, so be it.  The dragon race was smart, far smarter than the average genius human being.  With magic on their side along with their mighty strength and numbers, they took to the humanlands and burned it to the ground.

This pathetic war lasted no longer than a week and nearly one-third of the human population was blown away from the very beasts they had wanted to tame and use.  

The two had long since left each other alone, no one wanting to repeat the past.  Humans fear dragons due to the stories- that was unavoidable. However, dragons live long and hate even longer.  They can hold a grudge longer than that of a devil or demon.  

That is what shook you to your core as you gazed at this one single dragon caught in the woods of the humanslands. Why was it so far from dragon country? Had it wandered here because of boredom? Perhaps was banished by the king of dragons you had known about.  Or maybe this dragon was just foolish. You weren’t sure and you less sure if you’d stick around long to find out.

The creature was a terror and the snarls and whines and cries that came from it were something that would surely haunt you in the middle of the night when you hear the wind howl. Regardless of that however, you felt pity for the dragon.  

As of the moment, it had hurt no one and you had heard no word of any dragon attacks.  It was just stuck, injured and helpless.  Before you could muster up the conscience to quietly leave, you stepped forwards just an inch and knocked a small rock from its place on a tree root.  

The dragon’s head whipped up, it’s sensitive nose finally catching a whiff of a different scent that wasn’t of woodland desence now that it was preoccucpied with this stupid bear trap.

It’s black coal eyes narrowed as it’s mouth opened to show its rows of white fangs that could easily devour you. A violent shiver ran through your entire body as your eyes connected with its own.  You were discovered and there was no going back down.

[metalbatandzenko]

all the numbers owo

GrCUnA gaoh god sdljhdkjshfkjsh

This is gonna get long so I’ll put it under the cut. I’m also gonna remove the ones I’ve answered already.

1. What fandoms do you write for?

OPM and AtLA. I have a Miraculous Ladybug fic, but the creator is a nightmare and I hate the way the show treats the main character (literally the creator said part of the show’s episode formula is the main character “learns a lesson” every episode: usually through humiliation) and all the characters of color so I really don’t write for it anymore.

2. What pairings do you write for?

Batarou, Mumensai, and I do general fics.

3. What is your most popular fanfic?

My Miraculous Ladybug fic. By like. a lot akfdjhlgkjhfdlkg

It’s got triple the subscriptions and bookmarks, double the hits, and more kudos than any of my other fics. And I haven’t updated since January.

4. Do you write original stories as well?

I do! I’m a creative writing major, so I do a lot of memoir nonfiction and poetry, but I also write fictional short stories.

5. What fanfic of yours should everyone have read?

I don’t think there is one! Different strokes and all. But if you weren’t aware, I’m working on an ATLA fic rn about Zuko trying to repair his relationship with Azula. Not for this fandom, but a fun fic for me because it’s a bit out of my wheelhouse.

6. What is a fandom you will never write for?

Out of the ones I’ve been in, voltron.

7. What is a ship you will never write for?

There are...a lot. For the sake of my mental well being, I will not list them. But I will say any ship between a teen and someone in their mid twenties or beyond is a no go for me.

8. Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.net, Wattpad, Tumblr, etc. which platform do you prefer?

Begrudgingly, Ao3. I have my issues with Ao3 and I think I’ve made those pretty clear (and they’ve gotten me into some hot water lmao) but it’s a good place to put fics.

10. How do you stay motivated to finish what you’ve started?

I could not tell you. I am so bad at staying motivated. Certain fics I love writing. Others feel like I’m pulling teeth.

11. What’s your longest fanfic?

Hidden Horns. By a lot. like 20k words a lot.

12. Do you want to break your readers‘ heart or make them laugh?

A bit of both, but I lean towards laughing. The world needs more light.

13. What is your planning process?

Depends on the fic. For short ones or oneshots, there really isn’t one. For longer fics, I’ll have an outline, but a lot of times I’m laying tracks as I go. If I think of a good scene or line, I’ll write it down and just keep it at the end of my doc until it comes up in the story.

15. OCs or no OCs?

OC’s only when they’re necessary for plot. For example, Madame Oshitani in Hidden Horns only really showed up because I needed a piano teacher, and I couldn’t have it be an existing hero. Outside of that, I tend to avoid putting OC’s in fics, because I find them disruptive when I’m reading fics.

16. Do you use sentence starters, writing prompts and/or fandom headcanons for your fanfics?

Sometimes! Hidden Horns was based off of this fanart. If they are, I make sure to note that in the notes.

20. Can we get a list of all of your current available fanfics?

Yeah you got:

A (Not So) Brief Hiatus-Miraculous Ladybug

Promises to Keep-OPM/batarou

Little Boy-OPM/Metal Bat centric

A Game of Chase-OPM/batarou

Not Invincible-OPM/batatou death

Someone Fun-OPM/Mumensai

Date With the Devil-OPM/Mumensai sequel

Something of Note-OPM/Mumensai

Conduct Evil-OPM/batarou

Grief and Other Intangibles-OPM/Zombiedad and CE death

Horns and Fangs Series (Hidden Horns and Fear and Fangs)-OPM/batarou

Spaghetti and Juiceboxes-OPM/Zombiedad and CE

I guess they don't like me but I never figured out why (I guess they think I don't like them either)-ATLA/Zuko reaches out to Azula

21. What’s your shortest fanfic?

Conduct Evil at a whopping 354 words.

23. Long chapters or short chapters?

They vary! Mine tend to be pretty short, like 1k-4k.

24. How many WIPs (work-in-progress) do you’ve got?

*sweats* Like 17 at least

25. How many WIPs will you finish?

Rude to assume I won’t finish all of them eight if I’m lucky

26. First-person-narrative or third-person-narrative?

Third. I hate writing in first person except for in nonfiction.

27. Do you take requests?

Kind of. If people send me an ask that I vibe with, I might write something, but as a general rule, no. I’ve been considering doing commissions though, so if you want to toss a coin to your bitcher lmk

28. I will name you three things (object — scenario — fandom/ship): write a paragraph or two!

I can’t do this one without those three kdjhflkjsdh

29. What’s more difficult? Fanfics or original work?

They’re difficult in different ways, but original is way harder.

Original work means there’s zero scaffolding to build off of except for the scaffolding you make yourself, and there’s a lot of issues with worldbuilding and creating complex and relatable characters.

Fanfic relies on a solid understanding of existing characters and dynamics, as well as the internal logic of the world. The scaffolding is there, but often times it’s stifling.

30. What writing software do you use?

Word and Google Docs fkjhslgkjh

31. Do you use beta/sensitive readers?

Nope. I probably should though.

32. Past or present tense?

Past. I can’t consistently write in present.

33. Do friends and family know that you write fanfics?

Some of my friends do. I’ve shared some with them! I use fanfic as warmup, so a lot of my writing friends know about my fics.

34. How did you find the world of fanfics?

I wrote Adventure Time fanfic on middle school and published them on an Adventure Time facebook group. They were wildly popular in the group.

36. Did you ever delete a work of yours?

I don’t think so tbh.

37. Did your work ever get plagiarized?

If it did, I wouldn’t know. But I highly doubt it.

38. Do you partake in any fanfic/writing events? (Big bangs, zines, NaNoWriMo, etc?)

No because I can’t stick to a deadline.

39. Collaborations or working solo?

I’ve never done a collaboration before.

41. What is something you don’t like about your writing?

I rely really heavily on dialogue and I’m suuuper aware of it. I think the thing is I do a lot of domestic fics, and even my story fics tend to be pretty domestic. I’m looking at you Hidden Horns

My original work doesn’t tend to lean on it as heavily.

43. Guilty pleasure tropes and scenarios?

I am a die hard found family bitch. Nothing guilty about it.

44. Does fanart of your fanfic exist?

Yes, actually. The aforementioned middle school fic got mini fancomic for the first chapter, and I wrote a Miraculous Ladybug ficlet in a fic chain that got fanart.

45. Do fanfics of your fanfic exist?

I think there might be one that was inspired by my fic, but I can’t remember tbh.

47. What fanfic of yours is truly underrated?

My ATLA fic!!! give it some love tf :/ (kidding of course.)

50. Can we get a teaser for an upcoming chapter?

Yeah, here you go:

The hero removed his coat and dropped it on the ground, where it landed with a solid “thud”.

He unhooked the holster under his arms, removed a knife from both boots, and unstrapped the machetes from his back.

They joined the trench coat in the pile.

Garou watched in equal parts awe and horror as Zombieman continued to produce weapons from increasingly improbable locations.

Finally, when the pile at his feet was large enough to arm a private militia, Zombieman stopped.

“I’ve got a pistol in my chest, but I’d prefer not to take that one out,” he said, pushing past Garou. “Feels rude to invite myself over then get blood all over the tatami.”

[ganymedesclock]

So did you see the "ice popsicle" teaser? It's supposed to be foreshadowing one of the darker moments of Season 7. Do you have any theories on what it could mean? There are people who think it's foreshadowing that Pidge will betray the team, but I can't bring myself to believe that's true.

I saw the ice pop thing, and the version I saw was hypothesizing that Pidge would be captured, which I find far more likely than Pidge turning traitor.

Let’s just, for the moment, take every other reason Pidge wouldn’t- solidarity and teamwork and friendship and how much Pidge loves her friends and loves her family and would have every reason to resent anybody still fighting for Zarkon’s cause- clear the table of all that, and just poke at the practical.

What’s the empire got right now that Pidge wants bad enough to sell out her second family for it?

‘Cause just from where I’m sitting... not much.

Earth’s safety? Oh, pshyeah, like Sendak and Haggar are gonna actually keep their word and not get itchy fingers for the keys to Voltron. Pidge specifically has been around that song and dance especially when it comes to her family, and what she learned from that was that Zarkon is a dirty liar and it’s fair to assume his lovely wife and the person he practically raised as his own are gonna be about the same.

Heck, that kinda puts a damper on Pidge even seriously considering any olive branch Haggar or Sendak might wave at her- because the last time Pidge even considered taking them up on an offer, it was baited with probably the most valuable thing Pidge could ever imagine, and they burned her, bad. That makes me pretty sure the only time Pidge would really go for an offer Haggar would seem to make would be if she’s also seeking to fulfill an unspoken term of “and in return you will conveniently put your back in my taserin’ range”

Especially if the empire tries to pull a hostage situation with Earth... that’s not gonna be surprising or shocking to any of the team. They’ve been taking it as a given since season 1 that the empire is factually going to come for Earth. The word Allura uses in the very first episode is “inevitable”. Pidge hugged her dad goodbye and sent him home because everybody’s on the same page that the empire’s gonna attack Earth. And if they try to suggest hostage swaps... again, Pidge is the last person who’d look seriously at that bait because s5e2 is basically a case study in “Zarkon is a double-crossing cheat”.

And Sendak? Sendak’s literally named his faction the most blatantly white supremacist sounding bullshit ever- the “purity” he’s touting is no non-galra, no mixed race galra- and definitely no galra who ideologically disagree with Sendak’s game plan, either. There’s nowhere in this ideology that even the most fawning sycophant who’s not a “pure” galra could survive. And Pidge is the furthest thing from a fawning sycophant. She’s done a lot of damage to the empire and to Sendak personally- he’s not going to forget for a second how much of a threat she is. Even if he had any intention of genuinely negotiating, he’s not going to be satisfied until Pidge is muzzled and defanged in every conceivable way.

Pidge betraying the team isn’t a plot twist, it’s a stupid mistake. Her selling out Lotor in s5e2 was understandable because Zarkon was demanding someone she didn’t trust or care about and threatening the safety of someone who’s been half her driving motivation since the first episode in exchange- and that made her desperate enough to overlook how obviously likely it would be that Zarkon would double-cross them. If you’re not convinced she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, I’d rewatch s5e2 and the way Pidge screams when she passes through the hologram of her father.

Pidge is going to do things that work or that at least seem reasonable from where she’s sitting. She’s gonna do something that she has a reason to believe or at least hope it’ll work out in her favor.

Right now? Empire’s got nothin’ on her.

Now, it is possible Pidge might cut an under-the-table deal with someone else, however.

The generals can nicely dodge a lot of the problems that Pidge would have with the main empire- namely the one where “I have no reason to believe you’re not immediately gonna double-cross me within point five seconds because you hate my entire existence and I’m your number one enemy.”

The whole of Team Sincline dances an interesting line of antiheroics- unlike Zarkon, Sendak, and Haggar, Sincline is able to prove reasonable to the heroes’ sensibilities, and depending on how the situation is, and where everybody stands? We’ve seen that long-term alliances between members can hold pretty strongly- at least, strong enough Allura, who’s nobody’s idiot, actually tried to start a relationship with Lotor.

And the Generals actually have some pretty good rep at this point- because when Lotor went hog wild attacking the paladins, the Generals disengaged. They backed off where he didn’t- and that’s something they could point to, if they had to thaw the heart of someone holding Lotor’s actions against them.

The generals could also have an easier ratio of offering Pidge something she couldn’t otherwise get, something really worthwhile- because they’re all about procuring unusual resources through sneaky channels.

Of course, the other side of this is it could be the Generals involved... but they might not be asking. Or offering.

It’s canon that magical entities, like the Black Lion, to save someone from death by taking their spirit into themselves. Presumably Black could do this for Shiro because he was right with them when he died and they had a mind-to-mind connection.

When Narti was killed, the camera lingered heavily on Kova, to the point that it returned to showing him next to Narti’s body at a point when every other character had abandoned the cruiser and was far away from it.

Kova also has a mind-to-mind connection with Narti and was right there with her when she died.

Narti is pretty clearly Pidge’s opposite number out of Team Sincline- the infiltrating, stealth-based “hacker”. This is something I’ve found suspicious for a while- since they obviously went out of their way to invoke her with Sincline’s final assembled form, and set her up parallel to a paladin, but her arc “seems” incomplete- which I don’t think is a testament to bad writing since no other dead character in the series, even ones who could have had interesting potential like Trigel, Gyrgan, and Blaytz feel unfinished in this way.

Especially because, again- Shiro’s return raises significant implications on Narti.

Double especially because the ships that shoot tethers at the paladins in the s7 trailer are a specific, recognizable party: both the opening that fires the grapple, and the tether itself, are obviously from the rotating-wing fighter ships used only by Lotor and the Generals.

Since the four surviving members of Team Sincline took the Sincline ships with them when they fled in s4e3, they left those ships behind on the cruiser. We haven’t seen them since- just like we haven’t seen the cruiser, implying it wasn’t retrieved.

This would imply that in order to get those fighters again, the generals would have had to return to the ship, finding Kova.

Kova, who has a decent chance of being a living phylactery for Narti, now that we know that’s possible.

So, okay, you might be saying, but what does this have to do with Pidge?

Well, I’ve already aired my theory the generals are going to be trying to steal the Lions and use them to enter the rift to retrieve Lotor. This would be emphasized if they’ve got Narti back- because Kova was specifically shown reacting with what looked like kitty concern to Zarkon declaring Lotor an enemy of the empire. If Narti’s in there, the implication is she’s worried about Lotor, even after he cut her down.

Pidge loves little cute animals. Her dog at home, the bunnies on the Green Lion’s planet, the fluffballs from the trash yard- she even adopted a few of them! She’d at least be likely to drop her guard around Kova.

And in s4e2, a repeated emphasis was placed that the Holts trust their minds, more than anything else- because as Matt smugly tells Pidge, you can hack a computer, but not a mind.

This always stuck out to me as a piece of dramatic irony... because before that episode, we’d seen Narti do just that.

Throk didn’t have the passwords for the Ulippa system base written down anywhere, or stored in a computer. He kept them in his mind. Narti used that. Because as Pidge’s counterpart, Narti is the specialist of Team Sincline when it comes to getting information- but she cracks brains the way Pidge cracks computers. And all she needs is a touch.

The paladins, of course... have no idea Narti can do that. During their allegiance, Lotor would have no reason to warn them about the powers of a woman who he personally knows died, and we don’t have much evidence he talked about the Generals at all.

It’s fair to assume if Narti escaped death by fleeing into Kova’s body, then she took her powers with her. So you have a cute, harmless looking cat, you have Pidge who is unlikely to look an unexpected friendly kitty in the mouth, and- just that easily you could have a paladin controlled. Which I think would be a much more effective shock because rather than “oh no a paladin’s being Tempted To The Dark Side” which they’re not really gonna get far on because these guys are basically tethered together to the waist by the Power of Friendship and there’s only so far you can toddle away from the group before you get bungee’d back, it’s “oh no our heroes are not as invincible as we’re comfortable believing they are and we have no idea how generous the responsible party is feeling.”

[gwydionae]

Going Straight Ahead With These Scars

A/N: About a year and a half ago I wrote the >first portion to go along with a drawing I'd done<, and, liking it well enough, I decided to expand it. Problem is I'm only in a Naruto mood once in a blue moon, so I wasn't sure if it'd ever get finished. When my next mood finally took hold, I refused to let it go until I had finished this, despite being super busy with other things. I'm glad I did. It was... cathartic.

Posted on fanfiction.net >here<.

Teaser: Sasuke knew he would likely someday forget this feeling and again be tempted to sacrifice those he cared about to complete his goal, but perhaps, just maybe, this loud, insufferable usuratonkachi would be there to pull him back once more.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Title from the song "Sign" by Flow. Rated T for mild gore and language.

I'm Going Straight Ahead

He had to move. His legs were weak, and his knees trembled, but he knew he couldn't rest here. Someone else was sure to catch up to him, and at this point he wasn’t sure who he would consider friend and who foe. Before he could take a single step, however, a sharp pain tore through his body, and with a cry, he gripped his shoulder tightly and fell to his knees.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he grit his teeth. He would need medical attention, but for now the rain that had begun to fall was cold and numbing, and if he focused on each tiny drop that pelted his exposed arms, legs, and neck, he found the pain easier to ignore. With a low, deep breath, he at last opened his eyes, ready to right himself, but the view before him froze him in place.

The mess of yellow hair, the lines on those round cheeks, and the all too calm expression on the usually lively face made his own features soften. This boy had chased him down, refusing to allow him to leave, even at the cost of his own life. Unconscious and breathing shallow, it would be so easy to finish what was started, despite his own weakened state. But with the heat of battle long gone so too had disappeared his unquenchable thirst for power no matter the price. Looking upon the face of the one who had become his closest friend, who bore his same scars of loneliness, his heart would simply not allow him to rob the life from the boy who had risked so much for his sake. Not right now. Not after what they had both just been through.

As the rain continued to fall, dripping down the tip of his nose and on to the deathly still face beneath him, the ache in his chest that he’d been pushing aside for what felt like an eternity grew, overpowering the pain from his injuries. And for the first time since the man he was destined to kill demonstrated just how big a gap in power there was between them, he felt a need greater than that of his need to become stronger, a need he could no longer pretend didn't exist.

His fingers absently brushed over the mark on his neck. The promise of power was there, waiting for him. He had tasted it himself. And yet the one lying before him had stood up to that power, matched it, even. The victory was his, but ultimately it rang hollow. He did not feel invincible nor was he convinced that his newly awakened abilities would allow him to defeat his one true enemy. No, what pushed him this far was not the dark, seductive power or his ever burning hatred. It was none other than the young boy lying motionless on the ground.

With a shuddering breath, he pushed himself back until he was sitting upright with his face skyward, eyes closed as the rain caressed his skin. Arms at his sides, he merely sat in silence, his mind numb, until at last his eyes opened and he turned them on the figure prone before him. His body ached, his energy spent, but after years of turmoil, his heart was, for now, calm. He knew he would likely someday forget this feeling and again be tempted to sacrifice those he cared about to complete his goal, but perhaps, just maybe, this loud, insufferable usuratonkachi would be there to pull him back once more.

With These Scars

"Sasuke!"

Six weeks and four days. That's how long it had been since his perpetually moody teammate had run off, vanishing into the night with barely a trace, leaving his forehead protector signifying him as a ninja of Konoha neatly on his nightstand.

Naruto grit his teeth as he frantically searched the freshly made ruins. He had grown complacent. Ever since waking up to black hair in his face, pale arms carrying his battered body after their fight at the Valley of the End four years ago, he had watched Sasuke like a hawk, refusing to let him out of his sight whenever possible. If he had even the slightest inkling that his friend was about to bolt again, he'd step in, using his loud, often obnoxious personality to convince him otherwise. Somehow this had worked, and as the years passed, Naruto had felt his anxieties subside.

"Sasuke! Where are you, you jerk?"

Instead of kicking himself for his failure to see the latest warning signs, Naruto had immediately taken off in pursuit of his teammate, forgetting to tell even Kakashi or Sakura where he was going. Sasuke was unsurprisingly difficult to track, but at long last his search had proven fruitful when he met someone in a small town far from Konoha recognizing his missing team member and pointing him to the west. Shortly after heading out, he had felt the trembling of a fierce but distant battle and instantly headed toward it, unnatural smoke curling into the sky acting as his compass.

That had been over half an hour ago. It was clear that the collapsed structure he currently navigated was ground zero, splashes of blood and black scorch marks marring the few still standing walls and pillars. His heart pounded as he cast his blue eyes around wildly, unable to remain completely calm when he was so sure the one he'd been searching for was somewhere amongst the rubble.

"Damn it, Sasuke! Answer me!"

"...late as always."

The smile had barely begun to spread across his face when it suddenly collapsed in on itself, a quick turn of the head confirming with his eyes what his ears had already deduced from the quiet, almost mechanical greeting.

"Sasuke!"

Running closer to the figure slumped against what used to be a wall made every patch of crimson, every deep gash, every broken bone all the more pronounced. His left arm lay still, twisted to an odd degree at his side, his left ankle was clearly swollen, and his torn clothes clung to his pale skin, soaked in blood that Naruto could only hope did not all belong to him. But it was Sasuke's eyes that sent fear rippling down his spine. The hollow, lifeless gaze, a look he had seen on the boy's face only one time before, after Itachi had violated his mind, was never for a moment directed at him. Instead it was trained dully on the corpse at his feet wearing a tattered Akatsuki cloak.

"You jerk! What were you thinking, running off like that, idiot!"

Naruto couldn't keep the edge out of his voice as he crouched down next to Sasuke, his mind quickly trying to recall all the first aid that Sakura had forced him to learn the past few years. He fumbled through his things for his water pouch and dry cloth with one hand as he gently tried to search out the worst wounds with the other, doing everything he could to keep them from shaking.

"How many times have I told you, huh? I'm always gonna chase you down and drag you back, 'cause this is what happens when you're left to do what you want. You're pathetic! I'd beat some sense into you if you weren't already half dead! Idiot! Jerk!"

Only half dead. He wasn't dead yet, and there was no way he was going to die if the stubborn ninja had anything to say about it. Naruto quickly began tending to the goriest injuries, breathing out a short sigh of relief as it became apparent that indeed at least some of the blood was not Sasuke's. But his brow was still furrowed, and it took all of his willpower to not reopen already closing lacerations as he cleaned them a bit harsher than he meant to or pulled the bandages a little too tightly as he wrapped them.

"You're so selfish, ya know that? Not even for a second thinking about how much Sakura-chan is gonna worry about you. How do you think she'd feel if she saw - "

"Naa, Naruto..."

Jerking slightly in his attempt to secure the broken arm, the quiet, clumsy words shook Naruto out of his diatribe. A quick glance at Sasuke's face made the knot in his stomach tighten as he realized the other boy's gaze remained locked onto the nearby body. He refocused on immobilizing the arm, setting as fast a pace as he dared.

"...what?"

"Why don't I feel anything?"

Naruto's hands stilled, his work momentarily forgotten as Sasuke slowly lifted his right hand, caked with his brother's blood, and at last tore his dark eyes away from the lifeless figure at his feet to stare at it blankly.

"I spent my whole life chasing him... the envy from my childhood turning to hatred... and I made killing him my singular goal... I trained and fought for years, not allowing my focus to waver... This was my purpose, my mission... to avenge my family and clan... so why..." Balling his blood-stained hand into a fist, his eyes returned to his brother. "...why do I feel so empty?"

A heavy pause hung briefly between them before Naruto resumed his work on the broken arm and said, "Because it doesn't change anything."

He could feel Sasuke's attention shift toward him for the first time as he deemed the arm properly secure and reached for more cloth and water.

"Killing Itachi doesn't bring your family back. It doesn't get rid of the years you spent alone, it doesn't resurrect the Uchiha clan, and it doesn't make that bastard any more forgivable." Naruto pulled the raised fist toward him and began gently wiping away the dried blood. "You wasted all your time worrying about something that can't change the past and didn't help you build a future. I mean, it's not a bad thing that a murdering bastard like him is gone, but you were so set on killing him that you didn't plan for what would come after that."

Uncurling the loosely balled fingers, one by one he washed them, careful of the cuts and bruises, until at last the hand was pale once more. Putting the dirty rag away, Naruto raised his eyes to Sasuke's, finding them again fixed on the now clean hand.

"It's over. He's gone. There are a lot of people back in the village that care about you, no matter how big of a jerk you are. It's time you pay attention to what you have instead of only thinking about what you lost. You don't have to be some lonely avenger anymore. Forget about him - " he jabbed a finger at the corpse " - and start living your own life!"

Naruto waited as patiently as one such as him possibly could for a response, feeling a surge of hope as Sasuke dropped his hand to his side and turned his head until their eyes met. At last there glowed a faint spark in the apathetic gaze, but as he remained silent, Naruto grew restless. With a loud huff and an irritated frown, he moved toward the swollen ankle, setting to work on securing it in case it too was broken.

"Of course one thing I won't let you forget is that you seriously tried to kill me four years ago, you jerk!" he said a bit louder than was really necessary as he tied off the bandages.  "Punching a hole in my chest - even I had scars after that one! You're lucky you didn't go to Orochimaru, or I might have been forced to return the favor! Bastard!"

"...as if you could."

Whipping his head up with a glare and snide retort ready, Naruto quickly felt the words die on his tongue. Sasuke was wearing his signature smirk. It didn't hold quite the infuriating superiority that it normally did, but it was enough to breathe life back into his entire countenance.

The weight that had taken up residence in Naruto's gut for the past six weeks and four days seemed to lighten almost instantly, and he found himself unable to repress a smile.

"Guess I'll just have to bring you home so we can get you all fixed up and find out."

A comfortable silence fell between them as Naruto finished attending to his teammate's injuries as best he could. Once satisfied that all major cuts had been bandaged and bones secured, he stowed his remaining supplies and gently pulled Sasuke onto his back, willing himself to remain patient with every audible grimace that slipped past the other boy's stoic facade. Every step would be painful for his passenger. All he could do to alleviate that was to return to the nearby town as quickly as possible so he could find a real doctor and send word to Kakashi and Sakura of their whereabouts.

"Alright, here we go," said Naruto as he stood, feeling the grip of Sasuke's right hand tighten around his jacket in anticipation. And with one last, sidelong glance at the dead Akatsuki member, he was off. They had barely reached the edge of the ruins, however, when a soft voice spoke into his ear.

"Naruto..."

He kept his pace steady as he entered the surrounding forest.

"What?"

"...thank you."

The breath he'd been holding, fearful he'd have to come up with a different plan to get his teammate to safety, escaped as something between a laugh and sigh of relief.

"I told you, didn't I? No matter how many times you go running off like an idiot, I'll always be there to knock some sense into you and drag you back home. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" Naruto paused before adding, "Just make sure this is the last time. Jerk."

Black hair whipped around in his peripheral vision as Sasuke rested his head on his shoulder. The response he received was short and muffled, spoken into his jacket's collar, but Naruto could feel the sincerity in the other boy's voice nonetheless. With a smile and renewed determination, he pushed forward, the weight on his back more comfort than burden.

Can You Hear Me?

"Yeah... sorry."

Though he had barely the strength to utter the words above a whisper, it was obvious his message was heard from the way the shoulder and neck muscles he clung to seemed to relax, as if releasing a tension they'd been forced to deal with for far too long. Had he possessed the energy he would have laughed, those same shoulders still carrying the cause of their suffering only now in an actual physical form.

It seemed strange that this had all started with their positions reversed. Ever since choosing to save a life instead of extinguish it four years ago, being the one to bear the weight of his savior on his own back, he'd placed a yoke around his teammate's - his friend's - neck, linking them together in what he'd always intended to be a lonely goal. Being the one to convince him to return once left that mission up to him indefinitely, a responsibility the other boy had taken on gladly. But still the evidence had always been there that such a task was not carried out lightly. The usually mischievous blue eyes held a distinctly keener gaze, and the loudly opinionated boy often struggled to find the balance between being cloyingly clingy and allowing him time and room to sort through his own emotions.

And yet he had endured. Through years of his own stubbornness and pride, the other had never once tried to discard his job of both moral compass and friend to one constantly at war with his ingrained beliefs. He had only managed to circumvent the other's watchful eyes due to overhearing a rumor of his brother's whereabouts shortly after the two had parted for the night, deciding on impulse to leave immediately.

His brother...

If he closed his eyes, he saw a battered, broken corpse, two dark eyes staring back at him lifelessly, the red of the Sharingan gone from them forever. And so they remained open, the fluttering of yellow hair keeping them occupied.

He would not mourn the death of a selfish murderer. And yet he could not help the memories of days long passed when those eyes seemed to hold a kinder glint rising to the surface at the end of it all. How truly fortunate he was, then, that he had not severed his bond with the one person willing to risk everything for his sake. The memories of a brighter past, the emptiness of revenge, they may well have robbed him of his life had no one come to his aid. But despite his escape into the night, leaving team and village behind in search of personal gain, he had been chased down once again, his savior appearing before him in this the second time he found himself most in need of his help.

His grip on the other boy tightened, the words his friend had so passionately spoken to him earlier resounding in his head. Moving on from his revenge, living for a future... the concept seemed so foreign and surreal. But rather than mere advice, he'd also been given a starting point. Simply by being at his side, refusing to give up on him, laughing, breathing, living, he'd made himself an example - an example of a life worth emulating. If he who also knew the pain of loneliness would reach out and try to shoulder the burden of another, he knew he had no choice but to do his best to repay that unselfishness with the same vigor and purpose. It would be difficult. His heart had been hardened and calloused for so long, resistant to letting others in and his true feelings out. But this boy, his team, his village, deserved his effort.

He would no longer live for the dead. They would remain buried, mere memories. His life now belonged to a new cause, one that included making sure the light never left the eyes and smile of the one who even now carried the heavy weight of their friendship without regret.

So Am I

A/N: As always, critics and grammar police are appreciated!

[kitsunesbooks]

The Character Development of RWBY Volume 4.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR RWBY VOLUMES 1-4!

The fourth volume of Rooster Teeth’s incredibly popular CG anime was a return to form in more ways than one. Volume Four essentially served as new begining, but unlike Volume One, our story builds upon the foundations laid out for our characters. Or rather, Volume Four builds on what was left of those foundations. There are so many threads and connections made to previous volumes that they are just begging to be followed. So strap yourselves in cause this is gonna be a long one.

Starting things off we have the character short featuring Ruby Rose. This aired before the show’s fourth volume and was one hell of a teaser trailer for what was to come. Not only does the trailer demonstrate the phenomenal improvements in animation, the short also showcases how Ruby has been forced to grow in such a short time. The trailer is purposely animated to resemble Ruby’s debut in the Red trailer, even the music bares a striking similarity with an albeit ominous tone. But of course this time around many things are different. The cliff Ruby stands over looks a burning town that has become a grave for many as opposed to the grave of Summer Rose. Instead of fighting Grimm to defend herself, Ruby is now fighting to protect others. Not only that, but Ruby’s fighting style has dramatically changed. She shows much more restraint and control with her weapon and doesn’t show off. In the Red trailer, Ruby occasionally took off a Grimm’s arm or leg before finishing them. But instead of showing off her flair in combat, Ruby now carefully aligns her strikes and every attack is lethal. She is no longer fighting simply because she loves being a Huntress. After the events of Volume 3, Ruby’s innocence was completely shattered leaving her to face reality. She now understands exactly what it means to be a huntress. And at the very end of the trailer, we see Ruby smile as she anticipates her next fight, showing that she still is able to keep her head high in these dark situations. A trait that will definitely show itself in the early duration of Volume Four.

Cut to episode one. While the episode itself doesn’t have much in the way of deep moments. The one standout moment is of course Jaune’s new arsenal. This new set of gear is a very respectful nod to Phyrra and also shows how Jaune has been coping with her loss. Though what we see on the surface doesn’t necessarily reflect what is hiding within. While the first episode does give us a triumphant return to the series, it's the second episode that begins to hit us hard with the harsh reality of the world of Remnant. We have seen circumstances before where the characters faced scenarios where not everyone could be saved, but it was never to such an extent as shown in the villages that team RNJR travels through. But the highlight of episode two brings us back to Jaune, a man who paid for his sin of ignorance. In Volume Three, many characters lost something. But very few characters were punished as severely as Jaune. He was ignorant for a whole three seasons. He turned a blind eye to Phyrra’s  genuine affection and it was something that those of us watching never looked twice at. But when she finally died at the hands of Cinder, Jaune’s ignorance held much greater meaning. Jaune’s late night training is one of the heaviest hitting moments in Volume Four. It shows just how hard Jaune has taken the loss, but also how much he is struggling to recover from the revelation of his ignorance towards Phyrra, and his lack of a second chance.

One other character that suffered a great ammount was one of my personal favorites. Yang’s loss of limb has become a center point for her character and the cross she has been forced to bear in result of her own hubris. Later on in the Volume, Tai mentions to Yang that her whole fighting style was built around using her semblance to solve every problem. But what would happen when that semblance collided with one of similar strength or if she just wasn’t strong enough. Yang believed she was practically invincible, it is a common trope we see in characters with an ability such as her’s. But the way that trope was broken painted Yang in a brand new light. The character who definitely was depicted as one of the strongest in team RWBY, and also served as moral support during Volume 2, is now suffering from problems of her own. The trauma she went through is featured heavily throughout the story. Yang can’t even look at a shattered glass without having flashbacks. Our once unmovable bastion has crumbled. However, one of the highlights of Yang’s development comes from episode four. In said episode, Tai makes a joke about Yang’s loss which leaves everyone, even the viewer in silence. But, something strange happens. Yang starts to laugh. A lot of people might get a little irritated about a scene like this. However, it is one of the strongest points in development for Yang. Humor is an essential part in recovery. Making jokes about the past, no matter how dark allows us to accept the past and move on. It reminds us that we are still here and that what happened in the past is just that, the past. Simply put, the past doesn’t matter.

Meanwhile back with our protagonist we get to see her struggle to hold on to those close to her. It is apparent that Ruby’s involvement led to Qrow’s wound from Tyrian. This rehashes a very old conversation seen throughout the story, especially during Volume 2. When Ruby starts blaming herself for what happened to Qrow, Jaune reassures her that it is not her fault, when the evidence says otherwise. But unlike in previous iterations of this discussion, it is never combatted. Sometimes a person needs a little delusion in order to keep themselves focused. Soldiers often go through rigorous training to suppress their fear response. Ruby couldn’t afford to allow her attachment to Qrow and her self doubt get her down. Jaune understood that as a strategist and took the best course of action to keep his ally on track. It was a small detail, but an interesting one nonetheless. Ruby as a character has shown more leadership in this volume than ever before and her speech in final episode  is one of the most mature moments she has ever shown in the entire series. By the end of Volume Four it is clear that Ruby is ready to take up the responsibility that she has to uphold now.

And now I get to address the elephant in the room. Ren and Nora. These two have had the largest amount of story development and it is more than worth it. Ren and Nora were characters that we knew almost nothing about. Their story was dropped in small hints throughout the Volumes. For instance, the rant Nora has at the beginning of Volume 3. Nora casually drops the fact that she and Ren were both orphans. Throughout Volume Four we get more and more insight into just who these two were and where they came from. This is especially true from Ren’s side of things as he constantly lets his emotions take hold of him. It is clear that being home isn’t exactly the most entertaining idea for him. After all, this is someone who ran away from home to be a huntsmen. This is probably his first time being back in Anima since he arrived at Beacon, if not earlier. From the appearance of bizarre footprints in ruined cities, to the tension emanating from Ren with each village team RNJR visits it is clear that Ren has a lot of unresolved issues in Anima. Everything ultimately comes to a head with episode ten where we finally see what has been plaguing Ren and Nora’s past. I won’t spoil it here but I think Ren has been dealing with most trauma out of all the characters in terms of longevity. Finally seeing Ren and Nora face their fears was a great moment and the parallels shown between the fight against that fear and the day they both lost their home were strong devices to keep the moment as impactful as the other great moments in Volume Four. The backstory of Ren and Nora definitely served as one of the big highlights of this season and I do hope that we get to see more backstories appear in the forefront as we head further into the series.

It seems every time a new Volume of RWBY airs, it surpasses its predecessor. RWBY is by far one of Rooster Teeth’s best works and it gets better with each installment. I am almost too hyped for next year and Volume Five. I will more than likely be doing a few more articles for RWBY so do keep an eye out for them.

Stay Frosty, Adam Schmidt