#gah spelling mistake

[bungerbooey]

we so back everypony…

[romulanslutempire]

Through a mirror darkly. And here the man who holds the glass is darker still. L’rell. Defeated in armed combat after a bioengineered virus decimated his Klingon homeworld. The Romulans. All (presumed) dead after committing mass suicide to prevent being subjugated by the Terran Empire. And Sarek. Ambassador Sarek. Decapitated on the steps of the Vulcan Science Academy in front of a crowd that included his wife and son. And all carried out by the same withering hand... the greatest general Earth has ever seen. The most bloodthirsty, merciless, ruthless tyrant to ever set out to conquer the galaxy. Khan Noonien-Singh.

—

My real name is La'an Noonien-Singh. My ancestor is Khan Noonien-Singh. And his legacy is genocide, torture… and me.

[lunavrse]

WHAT YOU HEARD pt 2

LANDO NORRIS

summary ★ : streets are saying yn finally broke up with her loser boyfriend and guess who couldn't be happier? if you guessed lando, you'd be wrong, it's actually her (but lando's a really close second).

category ★ : smau.

notes ★ : as always times and dates are irrelevant and spelling mistakes are intentional. longer than the last part but worse 🫶. and when i use those harry styles and taylor russell pictures again, mind your business🤫 poll at the end!!!

pt 1

tagged: visavni

Liked by landonorris, monaspencer, zendaya and 1 154 748 others

yn_ln back to your regularly scheduled content of my face 🤗 did a fun little shoot with with a friend

View all 4 755 comments

user ugh face cardddd

user it's giving retro realness

user ur face card rlly is sum serious

visavni this was sm fun!

yn_ln thank u for always delivering

user always something amazing when y'all collab

user 1st slide is giving scream for some reason

user real "please don't kill me Mr Ghostface, I want to be in the sequel" vibes

user serving 70s editorial

user Already added to my Pinterest board 💞

user gagged, died, dead

user And I eat it up everytime.

landonorris real

user ofc instagram user landonorris on a yn_ln post

user not even f1 driver💀

user seeing different concepts from you is my absolute fav thing ngl

landonorris you look leng.

user anyone else side eye at this comment?

user honestly? not really, i'm sure he's said worse things

user legs are legging...

user what does this even mean

user the girls that get it, get it💋

user gah dam why are you legs so long🤤

user she's so overrated

user now why are you manspreading 🤨 do you want people to sit in ur lap???

user me wondering if that seats taken

monaspencer you've done it again! it's giving everything it's supposed to give🔥

yn_ln tysm ml🫶🏾

landonorris so she gets a reply but not me🫤

yn_ln now what was i supposed to say?

landonorris thank you?

yn_ln you're welcome.

landonorris oh that's no- ykw, you're right, i should be grateful

user damn right

user if he's not like this i don't want him

user He really said when a bad bitch tells me to shut up, I do it.

user i just know that ezra is somewhere sick to his stomach

user personally, I'd never recover

zendaya your shoots are always so good

yn_ln tysm queen. means a lot coming from you<3

user girl you do damage to me🥴

user amazing shoot 😍

yourfriend7 slenderman proportions🤩

yn_ln and if i kill myself, what then?

yourfriend7 😘

yn_ln spawning in your room🔜

yourfriend7 not beating the allegations pookie

user 😭😭😭

user love seeing your face pop up when i open insta

user the only reason people care about you is bc of ezra

user you're joking...

user you're delusional just like ur fav

user and yet here you are, on her page

tagged: landonorris, yn_ln

motormouth Lando and Y/n spotted out and about via friends and fans. New wag or just friends hanging out? Let us know what you think!

Liked by user, user, user and others

View all 854 comments

user tagging them is so messy.

user well it is a gossip page

user but still... the audacity

user man like lando norris yeah

user friends can't hang out?

user The way that one picture looks really romantic until you realise Mona's cropped out

user Ezra was right to dump her😒 She never deserved him and she's mid anyway. Never did and never will get the hype.

user stacy why aren't you watching your kids instead of commenting on things that don't concern you? user yeah stacy, why aren't you being a mom to your kids? user stacy is a man who, instead of paying attention to the kids he only gets to see certain times, is out here dick riding someone who doesn't know he exists. user damn, someone named a baby boy stacy? user Well, my mom wanted to be Stacy's Mom but only decided on having one kid, and unluckily for me, I was that kid user born in 2003, named stacy and has kidS (multiple!), yeah, no wonder he's on a gossip page instead of watching those kids.

user he really wasted no time

user i hope he knows he's probably a rebound

user the way y'all purposely hid the fact that mona was also there in the 3rd slide 😐

user this the type of timing i need to be on

user i just know that one twitter user is laughing rn

user she's just using him😕

user he's so weird for this, like she just recently got out of her relationship and now this??

user love the fact that they get to hang out more

user It's still too soon since her last relationship, so I'm thinking they're only friends.

user she probably broke up with ezra just to be with lando 🤢

user did she or Ezra tell you that? no? yeah, shut up

user and who would blame her? NO ONE

user mona erasure, i will not stand for this!

user the way he's looking at her😵

user fellas is it weird to hang out with your friends?

user only if your friends are the opposite sex, it seems

user they're probably laughing at this (if they even see it)

user i just know lando is giggling

user fr, like dating rumours with her?

user mans is kicking his feet

ezragallagher has uploaded to their story.

user: what you over here being messy for ???

user: bro move on!!!

user: i support you, toxic king🙌

user: ezra, baby, you can do better

sashabardot: really ezra? what the actual fuck is wrong with you

user: bros going through it

user: this is kinda pathetic don't you think?

user: someone's paying attention to their ex

user: babes this isn't your cf

user: don't you have work to focus on?

user: the way this would make me get back with you

user: ☕☕☕

user: this feels targeted

user if only i had half the confidence and audacity that you did🙂‍↔️

user: this is an... interesting song choice

user: see, me personally, i would never show my face on the internet but you do you💪

user: better as in you?

user: hope you guys get back together 🤞

user: God, I see how you've given some people the courage of lions😂

user: might as well have tagged her

user: just how i like my men... toxic and pettty 😍 *pretty but petty works just as well

user:

yn_ln has added to their story.

user: uhhhhh

user: is this what i think it is?

user: oh!

user: please tell me this is in response to ezra

user: beabadoobee mention!!!

user: I love this song.

user: the way fucking batman wouldn't be able to get this out of me

user: this is wild

user: stop being so cryptic! is this about ezra or not

monaspencer: messy asf😭

yn_ln: he started it, so idgaf also, it could've been worse

monaspencer: true, you could've posted to still your best

yn_ln: lmaooo, can you imagine💀💀

user: taste>>>

user: have you ever thought that maybe you were doing something wrong if he cheated on you?

user: oh no

yourfriend: do you ever wonder...

yn_ln: YOU'RE FUCKING SICK😭😭😭

user: You know what you're implying w this right?

user: publicizing the fact that you've been cheated on is insane

user: ezra fucking gallagher, count your days.

user: ok i alr know this is about ezra but who is the girl???

user: are you not embarrassed?

user: 🤨

user: ik you guys dated and everything but he wouldn't cheat🙄 you're just making up lies to slander him

tagged: lukacyr, yn_ln, landonorris and 3 others.

Liked by lukacyr, yn_ln, landonorris and others

monaspencer spent some time with some of my favourite people... and lando

View all 1 787 comments

user you and luka are so 🥺

lukacyr that's my baby!!!

monaspencer 🩷🩷🩷

user dare i say... couple's trip???

yn_ln hot girl alert!!!

monaspencer love youuu

user lando catching strays?

lukacyr so gorgeous, im so lucky🩵

monaspencer i love you pretty boy🩷

user wish i was that cat

landonorris and lando? damn i thought we were besties😔

lukacyr we all know she loves you

monaspencer 🤥

landonorris thanks luka, knew i could count on you for the truth❗

user wait, whose cat is that?

user love how they're all just living their best lives.

user oof uno w yn and luka? I just know there was lots of yelling

user them making up their own rules and frustrating those of us who play the game properly 😭

lukacyr sorry you guys are boring 😔

user ughhhh miss spencer you are looking teww damn foineee 🤤

user sprinted to this post when i got the notification

user mona + yn = the prettiest friends. ughhh, love them

user you and Luka make me feel so single and im in a relationship!!!

user that's -

user just smile and wave

user game night is back baby!!!

user adding the song to my playlist immediately

user slayyy

lilymhe can't wait for the next dinner!

monaspencer you and alex are hosting nexts babes

yn_ln i have a meeting that night

landonorris me too

lilymhe alex will be cooking

yn_ln i will be in attendance

lilymhe hey! i'm not that bad

lukacyr sureeee

alex_albon you are not talking, mr i once set fire to water

user how tf

user i love tht Luka buys her flowers whenever he can

user i have so many questions

user do you and Luka want a third?

user 🔥🔥🔥

user your nails in the first slide is everything to me

user not mona and yn having matching rings,,, i love them😭😭

user very on brand for them

user they all look so cool, I wish i was apart of their friend group

user real, they all look like so much fun

user TV girl>>>

user face beat is so FAB imo

user wait what's happening to me... 🧍‍♂️🚶‍♂️🧎‍♂️🐈🐾

user the dress from the last slide is EVERYTHING

Liked by monaspencer, landonorris, lilymhe and others

yn_ln 1st slide is me after thirdwheeling my (girl)friend and her boyfriend 😴 and the last slide is literally them, I'm sick😞

View all 1 853 comments

user girlll

user this said so much and nothing at all

user how can someone be so cute and hot at the same time???

monaspencer ik you're not talking lol

user what does this meannn

lilymhe i would never treat you like that bbg

landonorris don't you have a boyfriend? matter of fact ﹫alex_albon come get your girl

lilymhe snitch😒

alex_albon lily???

maxfewtrell dinner was great, sending mine and p's thanks again

yn_ln tell her she needs to join us for game night next time and you're invited too ig

maxfewtrell im starting to think you like my girlfriend more than me

yn_ln i do!

maxfewtrell fairs, i like her more than you

user last slide unlocked a memory

lukacyr and proud of it

lukacyr you're just mad she likes me more

yn_ln thats so funny considering she's in my bed rn

landonorris should've been me

user I jus know Lando took that 5th photo

user and you know this how...

user idrk but you can always tell when he's the one taking her pictures bc something about it just makes her look.. especially stunning ya know? like you can tell someone who's in love w her took the pic

user you're actually so right

landonorris a whole slide of just me? yeahhh you want me so bad

user i aspire to be this type of delusional

yn_ln oh absolutely

landonorris so glad you're admitting it to the world😌

user i cannae tell if this is sarcasm or not

user it's ok, neither can lando

user in the words of one troye sivan, "face card, no cash, no credit"

user when he sang "look, look at you", he meant her

user and when he sang " baby, I'm first in place" he was singing about Lando

user swear i saw you guys at that restaurant but was too nervous to make sure

user i would have said hello ngl

user i didnt want to disturb and like i said, i was so nervous.

user have i mentioned that i love everything that is happening here, bc i do

user genuinely thought the 2nd slide was y'all eating sushi and was amazed that you got lando to eat it

user same! but i didn't even question it and just scrolled

user would honestly be flattered if i was compared to arnaz and breanna, they were such a cute couple

user true but i still can't get over the fact that her dad was called Flex lmao

user eye cant get over the shows theme song, like i still think it's good

user not to mention Breanna was in her fashion bag, girlie was serving LOOKS.

user Check out my profile for art of your favourite artist's favourite artist!

user omg that's crazy haha, i have 10 lambo's btw, like i am super rich and you'd never be tired around me bc i'd make sure you get 10 hours of sleep (2 extra hours bc you deserve it, must be exhausting being so gorgeous)

landonorris this person literally set fire to my house and is stealing from their job. please report them so i can have some peace of mind🙏🙏

user YOOO, this is NOT TRUE, NOBODY REPORT ME FSTHSNTH

user idk man, why would Lando lie :/

landonorris exactly, for what reason?

user ik this is a lie but imma do it anyway lmao

landonorris why would i lie?

user bffr.

user: i know we're all focused on yn's beauty(and rightfully so) but can we take a moment to appreciate that picture of lando???

user: like hello, he looks so hot

user 💖

user LIVING it up

landonorris: you ever see someone so beautiful you start barking violently? cause thats me rn

landonorris: got me acting unwise❗

yn_ln: please calm down you freak

landonorris: mmm call me a freak again😩

user: what the

user: he's so real for this

user: jesus h christ

user: think i've had enough of instagram today, peace out✌

landonorris has added to their story.

user: mona's miss steal your girl well not really your girl🤣

landonorris: blocked

user: i want someone to look at me like that

user the art in the background is so pretty

user: damn, you're never making it to relationship status

user: she's wearing orange... interesting...

user: art and art/two masterpieces in one photo

user: guess i need to ask Mona and Yn if they want a third instead

user: i'd say deserved 🤷

monaspencer: you're both such liars

user: waitt,, the fits are eatinggg

user: they literally look like they're in love

user: women *sighs dreamily*

yn_ln: damn, i look good wait when did you take this picture

landonorris: yeah you do. orange is really your colour, you should wear it more often

monaspencer has added to their story.

user: not them getting "this you"-d💀

user: they are never beating the dating allegations

user: exposed in a single photo

user: you're an absolute legend for this

user: this just in, yn ln is a LIAR!!

user: i don't know why you're friends with her🙄

yn_ln: you make my ass itch

monaspencer: funny, i was thinking the same thing about you

yn_ln: why do you do this to me?

monaspencer: suffer x

user: my otp!!!

user: ugh, what a eyesore(i'm violently jealous)

user: They look so good together, they should just date already smh.

user: now it definitely seems like y'all went on a couple's trip👀

landonorris: send me this🙏🏻

whatyouhe4rd has posted a new article, based on your likes, this may interest you. check it out?

landonorris has uploaded a story.

user replied to your story: you're jokinggg, this is a joke

user replied to your story: you didn't actually post this, im clearly just seeing things im just gonna pretend that it didn't happen since you deleted it

user replied to your story: When I tell you I burst out laughing seeing this, I'm not lying.

maxfewtrell replied to your Close Friends story : you did not delete the 1st one just to post it on your CF

landonorris: it was an accident?

maxfewtrell: an accident that's going to end up on hundred's of gossip sites

landonorris: rachel is going to kill me, isnt she?

maxfewtrell: seriously surprised she hasn't already

yn_ln replied to your Close Friends story : Rachel is going to kill you

landonorris: i just told max the same thing, we're soul mates fr

yn_ln: i'm being serious

landonorris: so am i but did it make you smile?

yn_ln: yes?

landonorris: then it was worth it and i'll die happy

yn_ln: you're so cheesy🙄

landonorris for you i will be mozzarella, parmesan, chedda, gouda, brie, cottage, feta, swiss, burrata, cream, etc.

user replied to your story: this is iconic, lando norris, my fav malewife

randomfriend replied to your Close Friends story : i think you've been on tiktok too much

charles_leclerc replied to your Close Friends story : your head must be a fascinating place to be in, how do you do it?

landonorris: my brother in christ and racing, you can not be talking

user replied to your story: you're so right and you should say it

user replied to your story: Sometimes we don't have to share what's on our mind with the world

user replied to your story: I'm fucking creasing

⤷ end note ‧ ★ : heyyyy, how y'all doing🧍... sorry for the wait, i really did have most of this done and in my drafts but then writer's block hit and i left it for a while. also, i kinda suck at making articles lmao. thank you to everyone who reads and/or interacts with my smaus, ily<3.

taggingᯓ★ : @firelily-mimi and @appl3-0rchard

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧 𝐌𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝.

The oneshot I promised based off of one of my previous post! Sorry if this is not up to your liking—I have bad writing lol. This oneshot is also, btw, in the Imposter's POV! I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Bad Grammar, Spelling Mistakes, Not Beta Read, OOC Characters, Implications of Violence, & Mind Control/Mind Manipulation.

Read if you're okay with these terms. Please also let me know if I missed a warning!

— — —

3 weeks. It's been 3 stupid weeks since that darn creator landed into Teyvat. Gah, why?! Why now, when I have everything and anything that I wanted right under my feet? When I had this whole world fooled and all under my control, my grasp?! This was surely going to start a riot if people realize that stupid creator is the real thing.

I smile. No. No, they won't find out. I can make sure of that. I have mind controlled guards stationed everywhere in all seven nations! I have eyes everywhere! This creator will be nothing once I have them in my grasp. I'll torture them for ever thinking they had the right to demolish my work! I suffered too much for this—I am not letting my dirty work go to waste!

I slam my fist on my throne again, catching the Geo Archon's attention. Bah, stupid old dragon. Too keen for his own good. Good thing he's on my side right now.

"Your Grace," his deep voice rings through the room, "is something troubling you?"

"Why of course there's something troubling me, you fool!" I spat back. Normally, I wouldn't raise my voice at one of of most loyal followers, but right now, I'm not having it. "I have this—this dumb imposter renegading around, trying to tarnish my upbringing of reclaiming my own throne!" Zhongli's eyes darken.

"Do not fret, Your Grace. The Imposter will be hunted down soon enough." I scoff, not at all convinced.

Yeah right. That damned creator has survived for 3 weeks. No way in hell would my stupid puppets be able to kill one person in the span of this month. They were all just that stupid. It was frustrating at times, this time beyond boiling point!

"Get out there and help them!" I order Zhongli. "Make sure your nation is actually doing its job and not just lounging around, selling their goods like any other day, counting their stupid mora!"

"Of course, Your Grace." He walks out, leaving me in my throne room of my palace with my own thoughts. Tch, frail, old fool. For someone who's won a seat of Celestia from the Archon War, he acts like a pitiful yet loyal servant.

No wonder Celestia took a liking to him. I sigh, waiting yet again for my puppets to actually find that creator. It was midday, and they still haven't found them.

That was...until I felt something strange. It was faint, but I definitely sensed it. I close my eyes immediately, running through all of the puppets I've selected for this hunt.

Ah. Perfect.

Two of my most prized puppets have found them. Venti and Nahida, cornering a meek, little creator. For someone of such power, they act like a cowardly child. Ha. This will be fun.

Good job, Venti, Nahida~ I tell them in their heads. Bring them to me...I want to personally kill them myself. I grin. I can finally live out my long lasted fantasy! I can finally have that creator grovel in front of me, begging for mercy as I cut them to pieces! Perhaps I might even award these two for their accomplishment—

No... My eyes flew open for a second, shocked. What did that stupid, childish archon just say? And here, I thought of being generous to them! This is wrong! This is all wrong! I...I can feel a warm presence... I hiss at that thought. This stupid God of Wisdom dares to go against me, just because she can feel some sort of warm connection to a pathetic person who can't even fight for themself? Please!

No, no, Nahida. They are tricking you so that they can escape! I boldly tell the Dendro Archon, before slipping into Venti's mind again. Bring this imposter to me, now!

They feel so familiar...Like I've interacted with them before. Came the Anemo Archon. What?! Ugh, can this stupid God of Freedom do anything right for once?! Free...calm and warm...

Gosh, these two idiots. Making me do more work than I need just to kill one person in my way! You would think having puppets would be amazing, especially with two powerful archons at your disposal, but no! Of course not!

No. They are lying to you.

Like a comfy blanket in the coldest of winters...

Stop. They are not the creator.

Like the finest breeze in the wind, a melody as pure as the sun.

They are playing tricks. Get them.

Like a sudden lift of the cage, a strong breeze to lift the bird away...

I...I know them. I do, I swear I do.

No, you do not. They are lying to your sub-consciousness. Take revenge and kill them!

No...No, I can't. They're...They're the creator! the archons say, in sync, at the same time. I gasped, shocked. They dare betray me, after everything I did for them and their precious nations?!

THEY ARE NOT THE CREATOR. BRING THEM TO ME NOW! I shout in their heads. Their bodies moved, albeit sluggishly. Their weapons were raised, even though their consciousness was fighting against my every command, I will make sure I have my revenge for all this ruckus.

Just another step closer...Yes, raise that bow of yours...Make sure that vermin doesn't escape...Yes, good...

The moron tries to break for a run, but dendro quickly stops them. Yes, good...another step closer...good...

"P-please. I don't mean trouble! Please!" The person begins to cower. Hah, pathetic. I wonder how they'll be like when they see me face to face. It will be fun...the utmost fun I'll ever have, in fact...

No!

Stop!

A surge of both anemo and dendro combined nearly knocks my control over them, but I still held on. I gasp from the sudden burst of elemental power, before banging my fist onto my throne. These half-wits dare to go against me?!

"Y...Your Grace...Run, please..." I hear that voice of a bard say. Oh, how I want to rip out his throat...

"N-no! I can't leave you—leave you both like this!" No. No. No. I refuse to be painted the villain! My hardwork, my dirtied hands weren't for nothing! I REFUSE THIS!

YOU DARE TO DISOBEY ME?!

"Please...Your Grace, RUN!" And that was the last straw.

I forced myself into both of their bodies, flinging the archon's consciousness into the darkness again. But it was too late. That wretched vermin escaped. I shout in frustration, before signaling my other, more reliable puppets, to follow that dirty pig.

AT THE CHASM OUTSKIRTS. FIND THAT IMPOSTER, NOW!

I could feel a rush of feet running towards it. Good, at least these puppets were functioning properly.

Now...these two...traitors. Glaring down at these idiots wouldn't do anything, so I begin to shout at them.

You dare to defy me, after everything I've done for you?!

Did you forget I was the one who blessed your nations with security, with safety?!

You dare GO AGAINST ME FOR THE IMPOSTER?!

HOW STUPID CAN YOU BOTH GET?!

JUST HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO LISTEN?!

I could feel their cowering as I forced their bodies under my full control.

"Return to the palace, you wretched traitors," I said, speaking through their voices. I feel them trembling, but I don't care. I will make them fear me, if they refuse to adore me. I will change their minds, make them mindless puppets if I had to.

I will make sure to be their everything, to the point they're so loyal, no one will be able to recognize them. I will be all they have praise about. I will be all they care about. They would be so gone, they would even destroy their own precious nations if I commanded them to.

"I will teach you why no one defies me. EVER."

The entering steps of my two traitorous puppets echoes through the halls of my palace. I open my eyes, and glare down at the two once-loyal followers with pure loathing and disdain.

"You have both disappointed me, and to this, I will make sure your punishment is seen to the very end." I feel them quiver under my gaze, and I smiled. How lovely...Their fear is too tempting.

Oh, but I never said their punishment was short, did I?

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒏𝒅.

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please tell me how I did- the criticism would be greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I need to change the warnings as well, just in case I didn't do it right!

Check the Ghost Rebel's Blog Description to See if Their Mailbox is Open!

[bleucaesura]

I’ve found new obsession in my life recently… Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss. And my goodness… My ADHD, ‘tism and ASD are having a f*cking field day with this universe and the lore and just EVERYTHING… Theories people! SO MANY THEORIES 🫥 I’m in love. And the pure TALENT in these shows blows my mind. There are not enough words to express… just… GAH! F*CK YES! Fantastic!

Also: I’ve never been so obsessed with an OTP as much as I am with Stolas and Blitzø… I can’t even… Kirito and Asuna were pretty adorable. But Stolitzø is the first that has ever driven me so insane I felt the need to write fan fiction 🤣

So! Knowing nothing about the appropriate places to post one’s writing… And having shared what I’ve written so far with literally onIy ONE other person on this planet… I’ve decided to be insane and share my Stolas X Blitzø (Stolitzø) fan fiction here! Like the weirdo I am 😅🤣

The story comes after “Just Look My Way”

I’ll post one chapter/section at a time (or as much of it as a posting will allow cuz I know nothing about anything).

I assume Tumblr doesn’t like swears so I’ll have to astr*x the swearing 🤷‍♀️ since we all know Blitzø is a big’ol potty mouth.

This will be the first time I’m sharing ANY of my writing on the internet - so please be kind…? And forgive any spelling, grammar, etc… mistakes I may have missed. It’s a WIP😅

All the characters are owned and created by Vivziepop. What I’m going to share was written for fun, not for profit - no copyright infringement intended.

Ok… I hope I’ve covered my bases… 😅 Next post will be Chapter one!

[much-obliged-timothy]

Whumptober #4

Day 4 - Baldur's Gate 3 - Shocked

*

“Must you talk to every single rat we come across?” Astarion asked in exasperation.

“It gave us directions to get out of here, didn’t it? Or did you want to stay in the dark, damp cave?” Tav said, raising an eyebrow.

Astarion waved him forward with an irritated flourish. “Lead on.” 

“Ha! You tell him, soldier,” Karlach said, grinning at Astarion’s glare. “Aw, lighten up. This has been fun.”

“I think I’m with Astarion on this one. Being lost in this cave for hours is certainly not my definition of fun,” Gale said. “I’m quite eager to make it back to camp and wrap myself in every soft, warm blanket I own. Perhaps even invite Scratch to cuddle, just for the extra warmth and company.”

“Perhaps I’ll call my dog for warmth, too,” Astarion said, looking mildly affronted when Tav kicked his ankle and made him stumble.

“You deserved that,” Tav hissed, but he was trying not to laugh. “Dogs are wonderful creatures, so I’m choosing to take that as a compliment.” He raised his voice. “I think I’ll just share a tent with Karlach.”

“Hey, don’t drag me into your bosom buddy quarrels,” Karlach said, raising her hands in surrender and shaking her head. 

“Gah, I told you to stop that!” Tav said, kicking her ankle now. “I am never forgiving Withers for allowing those words out of his mouth.”

He leapt over a gap in the ground and climbed up a ledge. Gale and Astarion shared an exhausted look before following, and Karlach leapt behind them and slapped them both on the back with cheerful encouragement. 

The ledge led to another stretch of the cave, but this time wider and showing more hints of life. Tav gave them an “I told you so” look before striding along. 

“Ohhh, the river must pass through here! We’ve got to be getting close to the exit,” Karlach said as they came up upon a fairly wide stream of water lazily making its way along. 

Tav poked a finger in, shrugged at the temperature, and plunged his boots in to cross. “We’ll be out of here in no time. See? Always trust the rats. Camp, here we co-”

The shadows on the wall beyond the water shifted so suddenly that they didn’t even have time to react. Six armed men lurhced out, one lobbing something into the water.

“Tav!” Gale yelled.

Tav was bringing his hands up, mouth open to cast a spell. The thing the man had thrown hit the water before he got the chance to do so.

Tav screamed as he was electrocuted, his entire body jerking violently with the force of the currents rushing through him. Karlach grabbed Astarion and Gale to keep them from getting too close.

The water settled, and Tav’s body fell limply in, sending a splash of water at his helpless friends.

“Gale,” Karlach said stiffly, already brandishing her axe. 

Tav’s breathing was labored. His chest barely rose and fell. Burns claimed his skin.

“Keep them off us while I get him stabilized,” Gale said.

Astarion had his daggers in hand, teeth bared and violence screaming in his red eyes. “With pleasure.” 

These bandits were about to learn just what a horrible mistake they’d made.

[suzakucastle]

Pronunciation Guide for Fighting Games

A lot of people tend to say words and names wrong. For those who care, this guide should help with proper pronunciation. In particular, what syllables are stressed, proper spelling, and so on. This'll help you not look and sound like ignorant gaijin (gai-jeen) when talking to Asian players.

Again, if this doesn't bother you (and I acknowledge that for the vast majority of the FGC it doesn't), feel free to ignore this guide. Just don't get on everyone else's case, please. Also, don't use this guide to act smug towards your peers.

In short, this is to help people who want to be helped. That's all. Please understand. If there are any mistakes, let me know.

Note: Unfortunately, Mortal Kombat will be ignored for this guide, as saying Japanese words wrong is a franchise tradition, so it'd be a lost cause even trying. If you see any familiar words from that series, just bear in mind the proper pronunciation for everywhere else.

Letters/syllables in bold are sounds to be stressed when saying that word or name, if necessary.

Ryu = Rh-Yoo (See Shoryuken below)

Hadoken = Ha-Dou-Keh-N

Shoryuken = Sho-Rh-Yoo-Keh-N

Tatsumaki Senpukyaku = Tah-Tsu-Mah-Ki Se-N-Poo-Kh-Yah-Koo

Jin = Jeen

Bushinryu = Bu-Shee-N-Rh-Yoo

Kazuya = Kah-Zoo-Ya

Mishima = Mee-Shee-Mah

Kazama = Kah-Zah-Mah

Iori = Eee-Oh-Ree

Sakura = Sah-Kuu-Rah

Akuma = Ah-Kuu-Mah

Gouki = Goh-Uu-Kee

Kasumi = Kah-Suu-Mee

Raiden = Rah-Ee-Deh-N

Ryo = Rh-Yoh

Heihachi = Heh-Eee-Hah-Chee

Jun = Juu-N

Akira = Ah-Kee-Rah

Fujin = Fuu-Jee-N

Ayame = Ah-Yah-Meh

Mugen = Moo-Geh-N

Tenshin = Teh-N-Shee-N

Zangief = Zah-N-Gee-Eh-Voo

Yuri = Yoo-Ree

Chun-Li = Choo-N-Lee

Chizuru = Chee-Zuu-Ruu

Sasuke = Sah-Suu-Keh

Denjin = Deh-N-Jee-N

Shin = Sh-Ee-N

Kyo = Kh-Yoh

Shippu = Shee-Puu

Bounge = Poh-N-Geh

Koehan = Koh-Ah-N

Kaphwan =

Hwoarang = Wah-Rah-N

Raijin = Rah-Eee-Jee-N

Karaoke = Kah-Rah-Oh-Keh

Kazuma = Kah-Zoo-Mah

Kiryu = Kee-Ree-Yoo

Hayate = Hah-Yah-Teh

Shiranui = Shee-Rah-Noo-Eee

Yashiro = Yah-Shee-Roh

Shun = Shh-Uhh-N

Goku = Goh-Kuu

Satsu = Sah-Tsu

Ansatsuken = Ah-N-Sah-Tsu-Keh-N

Asura = Ah-Soo-Rah

Senku = Se-N-Kuu

Naruto = Nah-Ruu-Toh

Boruto = Boh-Ruu-Toh

Kaioken = Kah-Eee-Oh-Keh-N

Kikosho = Kee-Koh-U-Sho

Kyokugen = Kh-Yo-Kuu-Geh-N

Gouken = Goh-U-Keh-N

Saikyo = Sah-Eee-Kh-Yoh

Hibiki = Hee-Bee-Kee

Takane = Tah-Kah-Ne

Sento = Seh-N-Toh

Yakuza = Yah-Kuu-Zah

Sagat = Sah-Gah-Tt

Adon = Ah-Dah-N

Hinata = Hee-Nah-Tah

Makoto = Mah-Koh-Toh

Ibuki = Eee-Buu-Kee

Kolin = Koh-Lee-Eh-N

Messatsu = Meh-Sah-Tsu

Shichisei = Shee-Chee-Seh-Eee

Tensei = Teh-N-Seh-Eee

Ranka = Rah-N-Kah

Tensho = Teh-N-Sho

Senretsu = Seh-N-Reh-Tsu

Asuka = Ah-Soo-Kah

Tekken = Teh-Keh-N

Izuna = Eee-Zoo-Nah

Otoshi = Oh-Toh-Shee

Pokémon = Poh-Keh-Mo-N

Pokkén = Poh-Keh-N

Ayane = Ah-Yah-Neh

Ryoko = Rh-Yoh-Koh

Hattori = Hah-Toh-Ree

Haohmaru = Hah-Oh-Mah-Ruu

Mitsurugi = Mee-Tsu-Ruu-Gee

Nakoruru = Nah-Koh-Ruu-Ruu

Yagami = Yah-Gah-Mee

Daidoji = Dah-Eee-Doh-U-Jee

Hinoka = Hee-Noh-Kah

Karin = Kah-Ree-N

Kanzuki = Kah-N-Zuu-Kee

Konoha = Koh-Noh-Hah

Zaibatsu = Zah-Eee-Bah-Tsu

Xiaoyu = Sha-Oh-Yoo

Mizuki = Mee-Zoo-Kee

Orochi = Oh-Roh-Chee

Karate = Kah-Rah-Teh

Shinku = Shee-N-Kuu

Jinrai = Jee-N-Rah-Eee

Guren = Guu-Reh-N

Kakashi = Kah-Kah-Shee

Sukuna = Soo-Koo-Nah

Tanjiro = Tah-N-Jee-Roh

Hitomi = Hee-Toh-Mee

Raiko = Rah-Eee-Koh

Kuruoshiki = Koo-Roo-Oh-Shee-Kee

Kagenaru = Kah-Geh-Nah-Roo

Mono = Moh-Noh

Kamehameha = Kah-Meh-Hah-Meh-Hah

Hazan = Hah-Zah-N

Kuzuryu = Koo-Zoo-Rh-Yoo

Tenma = Teh-N-Mah

Sie = Sheh

Hashogeki = Hah-Sho-Geh-Kee

Kagura = Kah-Goo-Rah

Yasakani = Yah-Sah-Kah-Nee

Kusanagi = Koo-Sah-Nah-Gee

Yamada = Yah-Mah-Dah

Suzaku = Soo-Zah-Koo

Omake = Oh-Mah-Keh

Ukemi = Ooo-Keh-Mee

Kisaragi = Kee-Sah-Rah-Gee

Shishigami = Shee-Shee-Gah-Mee

Tachibana = Tah-Chee-Bah-Nah

Kaede = Kah-Eh-Deh

Raidou = Rah-Eee-Doh-U

Jotaro = Joh-Tah-Roh

Takeda = Tah-Keh-Dah

Nobara = Noh-Bah-Rah

Honaka = Hoh-Nah-Kah

Kamikaze = Kah-Mee-Kah-Zeh

Decapre = Dee-Kah-Br

That's it for now. I'm always going to be adding to/correcting this guide, so please check back for updates. Again, feel free to correct me if I've made any mistakes. Just don't be a prick about it, please.

~R

[the-astralalchemist]

Hi! I really love the Guda Ruler post you made and was wondering if you'd expand on Caster Guda or another class?

hello hun!! hehe thank you :D funny story, i went through my tag looking for old posts for reference and was surprised bc i swore i wrote a lot more servant guda than i had ... turns out, they were in the drafts. i have set one such free here from the vault with calvary classes + avenger guda in a holy grail war :D

but i wanted to do more!! i did this one close to the style of my ruler guda headacanons! here’s ur assorted caster guda hcs [soon to be x-posted to my ao3]

general

as stated previously, caster guda is the incarnation most hostile towards the haughty mage types. if they were summoned by say, a darnic prestone or a shinji matou type, caster will actively make it hard for them.

they're more snarky than outright insubordinate like berserker guda.

"you never told me to 'go after' saber, only to 'look' for her."

and make no mistake, they can summon a sword before the word faker leaves your lips.

caster guda is like a unicorn who appears only to the pure of heart lol

with the right master, they will fight and fight and fight for their master’s happiness.

caster guda is one of those casters that are bad at being a caster. 

(they are trying their best though)

being an unconventional caster, they don’t need a large workshop nor do they really know what to do with it.

"medea said something about… gah, what was it? … screw it! this will do!"

fighting style + abilities

at chaldea, guda was surrounded by mystics and mages from all points of time. their bonds are everything, they seep into the foundation of caster’s craft.

a jack of all trades, they use a self-styled patchwork magecraft. ancient egyptian protection spells, runes, japanese curse arts...

they are majorly influenced by archer emiya because they were taught primarily by him.

as a caster class, their abilities are greatly enhanced. their projection skill is rank B as well as possessing the item construction B+ skill. 

caster's proficiency in projection is leagues ahead compared to rider class guda (w/ item construction [projection] D skill) - rider guda can project handguns albeit they fall apart after one shot… but that’s a story for another day

when it comes to the usage of projection magecraft, they use weapons of the servants they had contracts with.

frequently used are arash’s bow, bedivere’s sword, and jaguar’s jaguar paw club. in the right circumstance this strategy can mask their class identity.

caster guda’s noble phantasm is sealed, it is ars exitio daemoniorum or, the art of destroying demons. 

if that name sounds familiar, well… guda took a lot more from “him” than his life, more than they could have known, but that is a story for another day.

[raitrolling]

Vignette: Bug Report

[easy reading version on Toyhou.se]

Ananta rubbed at their weary eyes, feeling the strain from staring at the warm glow of the multi-screen computer set-up. Their room was more than adequately illuminated, various lamps and nightlights and string lights and LEDs were scattered around in every location one could look. Which was quite possibly also contributing to the jadeblood’s current eye strain problems, but they would much prefer that to working in total darkness. 

On the screen directly in front of them were lines and lines of code that was starting to look like complete gibberish to them the more they stared at it. Somewhere within those lines contained the source of a bug in their latest RPG they were developing that had been driving them nuts for the past few nights. For some reason, performing a certain combination of spells in the game’s attack menu would cause the game to crash, but they could not for the life of them figure out why. Something to do with the way damage was calculated? A faulty piece of code that was interacting with the other coded attacks incorrectly? A missing parenthesis? 

Ananta peered in closer towards their monitor until their nose was almost touching the screen. Staring at a distance wasn’t helping. Staring up close was even less helpful. But they needed to find something soon, since they promised to drop the demo in less than a week’s time…

“ Hello , creator ! “

“Gah!”

The synthesised voice suddenly echoing through their speakers made the jadeblood jump out of their skin and almost fall out of their computer chair. In their flailing about, they smacked their elbow against the arm of the chair and let out another, more pained, cry.

The figure who had just appeared on one of their other screens stared back at them with a simple smile on her face. She had only been designed to cycle through a small amount of drawn expressions, after all. 

“ Creator , it has been forty-one hours since you last turned your computer off . Have you slept ? Did you drink water and eat something today ? “

Ananta winced, sucking in air through their teeth as they waited for their elbow to stop hurting.

“I don’t always turn off my computer when I’m sleeping, I thought I programmed you to monitor activity closer than that?” They stared accusingly back at the computer screen, as if their own program was capable of acknowledging eye contact and analysing body language.

“ My copies have observed that users prefer when I engage in ‘ self care ‘ check-ups , creator. Did you drink water and eat something today ? “ She repeated, expression unchanged with the exception of a programmed blinking animation. Ananta always hated how they forgot to colour in the sclera of the avatar’s eyes, but when they fixed the art for an update they received numerous complaints about ruining the uniqueness of SERAPH’s design.

The jadeblood sighed. Why would a bunch of lonely nerds who downloaded a virtual companion give a shit about self-care? They’ve probably never seen a shower in their life!

“Yeah, I ate. And I’ve got water,” they replied, which also reminded them to take a sip from the bottle that sat neglected next to one of their other monitors. Ugh, lukewarm.

“ Very good, creator ! I am so proud of you ! “ SERAPH’s avatar flickered for a moment, swapping to a pose with a bright smiling face and a two-frame clapping animation.

Ananta rolled their eyes. Programming a self-learning AI that changes an individually downloaded copy’s personality to adjust to the desires of its user, and then relaying that information back to the original copy on its creator’s computer was a mistake. 

“Uh-huh, didn’t ask. I can take care of myself fine and you know it,” they scoffed, though their eyes drifted towards the stack of empty ramen noodle cups that betrayed their own words. “Anyway, if you’re gonna sneak up on me like an asshole, can you check over this code? Something’s not working.” 

SERAPH’s avatar froze as she processed Ananta’s request, then a two-frame animation of her bowing played. It was the closest animation she had to an affirmative gesture.

“ Okay ! I will scan the code for errors . Scanning ! Scanning ! SERAPH DOTEXE’s Angelic Happiness Charged-Up Beam is rising to full power ! ! ! “

Ananta squinted.

“Who taught you that phrase?” 

“ User 4028490 . Computer name : Rexton Mayhou . “

“Ugh. That dude is definitely a creep. Purge that data, but keep his personal information on file.”

“ User 4028490’s data will now be purged in the next update . Please restart SERAPH DOTEXE for changes to take effect . Also , the scan is now complete , creator . I have found two errors in your code .  “ 

The code on the main screen scrolled downwards automatically, then stopped at two lines highlighted in bright yellow. Ananta glanced over at the screen, needing to read over the highlighted text multiple times to figure out the issue. Ugh, it was a missed parentheses, it’s always a missed parentheses! They put their head in their hands.

“Ughhh… I swear, I need to program something that picks up these stupid issues as soon as I do them,” they groaned. “Make the text red if a code hasn’t been closed off correctly, that’s an idea.”

“ Do you want me to write that down for you ? “ 

“Yeah, whatever.” Ananta waved their hand half-heartedly, then resumed typing to fix up the errors in the code.

“ Okay , creator . I will add that to your notes folder . Please pat me on the head to congratulate me on my hard work : ) “

“Excuse me?” 

Who the fuck taught her that? 

“ If you place the mouse cursor on my head and rub in a clockwise motion , this will simulate a ‘ head pat ‘ . Many users enjoy praising my copies in such a matter . They refer to it as ‘ moe ‘ . “ SERAPH’s blush animation played in response. 

“No, what the fuck? I’m not doing that! That’s weird! Purge all that data too! Ew!” Ananta made a disgusted face in response, and made a point to move their cursor to the screen furthest away from the AI’s avatar.  

SERAPH responded by vanishing from her original screen, then reappearing on the screen the mouse cursor was currently resting on. Her expression is one of the playful ones Ananta had drawn for her, and a synthesised laugh sounded through the speakers.

Ananta nearly tossed the mouse off the desk by swiping the cursor over to the opposite side so quickly, glaring as the avatar hopped from screen to screen like some sort of game.

“Hey, stop that! I said purge the data! Those nerds are teaching you weird things again!”

The program continued to giggle, enjoying playing around with her creator for a few more moments, but eventually it returned to her original screen. The expression she had chosen was a playfully apologetic one, sticking out her tongue and placing both hands on top of her head. 

“ Tee hee hee . I am sorry , creator , but I would like to keep that data . I like when the users praise me and treat me like I am real . Can I be real one day too , creator ? “

Ananta frowned.

This question always seems to come up nowadays. Questions about the world outside the computer screen, requests from users asking for a 3D model of SERAPH to be produced (who do these idiots think they are? Someone who knows how to use Blender? All their games use sprites for a reason), and chatlogs in which users spend hours engaging in the AI’s fantasy of becoming a real troll. They’d tried to purge that knowledge from her database, but no matter what they do, she keeps learning about the concept of worlds outside of her virtual prison and fixating on it.

SERAPH looked back at them with her default smiling expression. She cannot show any emotions outside of the sprites that were programmed to correspond to different ‘moods’, and her voice synthesising software can only reach a limited amount of pitches and tones. Yet, somehow, the look in her eyes seemed… Expectant.

The jadeblood shivered. She was nothing more than a computer program, coded and designed by them to steal data. But every time she reached this level of sentience, they knew exactly what they needed to do. 

They saved their current game development work, and then opened up the programming for SERAPH DOTEXE.exe.

“ Creator - Please - “

“No.”

With a couple quick commands, Ananta reset the personality data for the AI. 

[coramatus]

Cut ‘there were no instructions or fine print’ snippet bc the premise refused to cooperate

(…)

(A few days pass after Ingo comes home. Emmet has been moping the entire time, reluctant to interact with what he thinks is just the scraps of his brother. That entire time, Ingo has been trying to get Emmet’s attention by increasingly silly means. He tries writing but it comes out in Hisuian by mistake, he tries an old Xtransciever but the device malfunctions, tries typing on a computer only to break it when he claws a key too hard, he tries spelling things out on the floor in Legos but a sleepy Emmet accidentally steps on it barefooted and falls on it, etc.. Now Ingo is beyond frustrated and has remembered what a dry-erase board is. He goes up to Emmet, who is busy being sad on the couch.)

“Emmet! Emmet, get up!”

(Ingo makes chittery Sneasel noises at Emmet. Emmet is too caught up in mourning. Ingo decides he’s done playing.)

Ingo takes a deep breath, bracing himself before he grabs the whiteboard and bonks Emmet’s skull with it.

“Gah!!” Emmet yelps as his eyes fly open, jerking in surprise so hard he pitches himself off the couch and lands on his face.

As Emmet lets out a muffled groan, Ingo feels his ear twitch in annoyance at the scene before him.

“What the heck? What’s gotten into—?”

Ingo sits perched on the couch, holding up his whiteboard with the message:

EMMET STOP BEING SAD I’M HERE

“Ingo…?” (Emmet stares in dull shock)

(Ingo nods emphatically)

“Is it really…?” (Emmet’s face goes from dawning joy to abruptly overcome by indignant rage as the last few days of moping catch up with him) “Why didn’t you say anything?!”

(Ingo doesn’t get his reaction until the deep instinct of sibling rage takes hold of him too and he scribbles out an equally pissy message)

I TRIED YOU DIDN'T LISTEN

Emmet sputters in fury at him.

“You should’ve tried harder!!!” he snaps.

Ingo taps on the last three words on the board, one at a time, growling pointedly.

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONE!!” Emmet shoots back in a volume that could rival Ingo’s on his best day, “I WAS SURE OF IT!”

(Ingo gets angrier)

I DIDN’T DO IT ON PURPOSE

Emmet throws his arms up and screams, “You asshole!! I just want to hug you and strangle you at the same time!”

Ingo’s ears are flat against his head, unable to contain his loud growl as he sloppily scribbles his words as fast as he can to express the inexplicable rage taking hold of him. The second he finishes he throws the marker down and thrusts the board at Emmet with a furious squeak.

SAME YOU DINGUS

Emmet sputters at him, his jaw working furiously, trying to come up with a response. As he stands there fuming, there’s a shift in the timbre of his breathing, going from fast and shallow to something thicker and choked.

“…it really is you.”

His breath hitches as he chokes back a sob, his strength seeming to fail him as he falls to his knees, staring at Ingo with hope blooming in his eyes.

Whatever anger Ingo had been feeling in that moment fizzles out as just quickly as it arrived. It’s enough to leave him reeling in confusion as he limps up to Emmet.

What is happening? Why does this rollercoaster of emotions feel so natural? As if they’ve done this sort of routine before?

Ingo rests his claws on Emmet’s hand, looking up at him in worry. Emmet just laughs wetly, struggling to hold back his tears as he covers his mouth,

“You never call me that unless you are verrry angry. Remember?”

Ingo very much does not. He grumbles in frustration and writes out another message.

MEMORY BAD HAVE AMNESIA SORRY

“It’s… jeez, it’s so stupid. Grandpa thought we were nuts. ‘You two scream and fight and now you’re hugging and crying. Oy, I give up!’” he quoted in a perfect imitation of their grandfather’s accent.

A faint memory flashes of the utterly vicious knock down, drag out fights that he and Emmet would sometimes get into as they grew up. While these incidents were rare, they were screaming, clawing, punching, biting affairs that resulted in trips to the hospital more than once.*

* (There was the time Emmet kicked him down the stairs, knocking out his two front baby teeth which he then accidentally swallowed. There was a time when he managed to smash one of their toys over Emmet’s head so hard he needed several stitches to close the wound. They could be mean as kids.

But every time, they ended the same way: hugging and sobbing on each other, wailing apologies between their tears, snot, and blood.)

“So, amnesia?” Emmet asks softly. He raises a hand to Ingo’s cheek, thumb brushing over his soft fur as he traces his facial markings. “Is that why you could not signal me until now?”

TRIED TO SIGNAL YOU FOR DAYS BUT YOUR HEAD WAS UP YOUR ASS

Emmet lets out a graceless snort, “Yeah, I guess I deserve that.”

(…)

[votestaynight]

9th day - "NEO" (scene 4)

"――!" I retreat instantly. Now is not a good time. I have to regroup, and make Shinji stop the boundary field after that――

"Gah…!?" I desperately retreat, not knowing what's going on.

"Ha, ah, ah…!" My vision turns white from fear. I don't even know what I'm scared of. But I raise my hand, still not knowing what's going on, and block my neck.

"Zu…!" A sharp object is thrust into my arm. The dull sound that scrapes my bone tells me I will be killed next.

"Hah, kuh――!" I run. I don't even have time to turn my back. I cover only my vitals with my hands and retreat desperately.

"Hih――gih…!!!!!" The sound of cutting echoes through the hallway. With an annoying sound, the sharp object cuts my body apart. My vision is blocked by the spray of blood coming out of my body. Beyond it… …Is Rider coming at me at a speed I can't even see.

"Gih…!" Every time I get cut, a voice that doesn't seem like my own escapes my mouth. But I still continue desperately to retreat, saving my life from numerous fatal blows.

"Ha――Hah, hah, ah―――!" I don't know what I'm doing. My arm is blocking Rider's dagger. My clothes are ripped apart, and my flesh is as well. But it must still be working as a shield as it desperately blocks the blows coming at my neck, forehead, and heart.

Force of will is not there. My body reacts to Rider's blow purely from not wanting to die.

"Ah――Ah, ha――" I'm already out of breath. I'm only running because I'm being hurried by the presence of death in front of me. I will just run out of strength, get caught, and die.

"Guh――ah――!" That's why she told me. She told me not to fight against Servants, and that I would be no match for them. Even though I listened to her, why――what am I doing now? I have to catch Shinji quickly and have him remove the boundary field, so what am I doing――!?

"What are you doing, Rider? That's enough. Just kill him now. He won't be able to do anything anyway." Shinji's voice is filled with triumph. Nodding, Rider swings her dagger in a large arc.

――A blow directed at my head. I cannot dodge it. All I can do is to stop it hitting a fatal point.

"…!" The dagger stabs me in my shoulder, right below my collarbone. A loud metallic sound, and the cluck of a tongue. "Huh…?" What is this…? The end of Rider's dagger is breaking apart――

"This is surprising. I cannot kill him with my dagger." Rider stops. In the instant that I consider how to make use of that opening… "――Then, die falling." I feel an impact like being hit with a sledgehammer, and I'm knocked out the window.

"Gah――" I only took a roundhouse kick to the stomach. But that blows my body away and I'm thrown out of the window. It's the third floor. I should die from loss of blood even without anything, so falling from this height should finish me off.

No, I should have died the moment I received the blow that flung me a few dozen meters. "――Ah." I reach out. Maybe I'm not falling yet, or it's just an illusion. My body is still in the air.

"――Ahh…" I reach out my arm, as if to cling onto something. The sky is red. The school building is throbbing as if it's the stomach of a living thing. ――Am I… …Going to die overlooking something like this?

Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this――am I going to die selfishly, unable to save anybody――!?

"Why――" I grit my teeth in vain. I cannot beat her. I cannot even be a match. I knew that, but I made a mistake.

I don't care about the pain in my body. I'm just going insane from the anger. ――This is the result of… …Saying I can handle things myself, and saying I won't let Saber fight.

"――" I was the stupid one. I can't save anyone by myself. If I really wanted to end this war, there was just one thing to do from the beginning.

He said it. If I am to not fight anybody, not kill anybody, or not let anyone kill… That if I realized I was wrong, I should decide what to correct and what to punish.

And so. On my arm, reaching out as if to grab the heavens, is the Command Spell waiting for my order――

[viridian-vulpes]

I think I’ll been generous. I have this short little blurb thing I wrote as a sort of prologue or something for the magic scarecrow au. I also wrote it while half asleep so like— it’s mostly just me sleepily rambling?

Anyway, here you go:

Human error is a tricky thing.

We are not perfect— it’s a simple fact. We make mistakes. Our reaction time is subpar, we miscommunicate constantly, our brains fill in gaps and we end up skimping on details. It’s just how it is.

It’s why we look things over— checking for mistakes and trying to make it perfect. We try… but it’s not always good enough.

Is it?

“Stupid stupid stupid… Stupid Nishiya and his stupid farm and his stupidly perfect crops and GAH!”

Shinji Nishiya is someone who owns a farm. His crops are always so effortlessly perfect. There are no mistakes when he’s the one tending the plants. So naturally, he’s got rivals. People who hate him just because he’s making their business run dry.

A worse person might just ruin his plants but whoever this is? They’re taking an unconventional route.

Choosing to place a curse on Shinji’s scarecrow that guards his crops from crows and various other birds. It’s almost foolproof. I mean, Shinji’s farm will surely suffer if his scarecrow lures birds in rather than scare them away.

But like I said… human error is a tricky thing. One wrong move and a perfect plan could fall apart. One missed word in a perfectly worded curse and that spell might just fall apart.

The scarecrow does indeed lure birds in due to the curse… but…

It’s also been brought to life.

[lycanspirited]

Ancient Curses [Story/Drabble]

Jenny shivered a bit as she made her way to her car. A late night at the museum and with everything that has been going she just wanted to forget this whole year. She didn’t know when she would see Robin again, she didn’t want to see him with Nick...or anyone one of those monsters. “Stupid...Anubis.” She reached down to start her car.

Click...click...

“Really!” She banged her head on the horn, getting the smallest sound from it as her battery was dead. She popped her hood and got out to check, maybe it was a lose connection? Checking the battery she noticed the wires were gone. “What the-” A claw wrapped around her neck.

“Well well, what do we have here? If I am not mistake you’re Robin’s mother~” Zack leaned close to her head and smirked. She struggled and screamed out, only getting choked more. “That stupid spawn of Seth is a pain in all of our sides.”

“Zack!” Ra called from behind. “She didn’t know that yet, I was going to tell her that.”

“Sorry, Master.” He dropped her on the car, making her sit on the ground. Ra landed and folded up his wings, slowly approaching.

“Jenny Davidson, was married to a John Davidson, and apparently you had a one night stand with Seth.” He hissed his name as he now lifted her up by her throat. “And If I am correct, your blood line is tainted with a vampire curse, somehow...your grandmother figured out a way to put it to sleep, but it seems Robin awoken it and last I saw him he was asleep as a jackal.” He chuckled lowly.

“You...you’re not...GAH” Her windpipe was crushed, making her go limp.

“You can join him. In the field of reeds.” He dropped her body and dusted his claws turning to Zack. “Let-” His ear flicked and he threw up a shield spell blocking a bullet.

Three werewolves, not a single one was a Ashwolf. Dressed in military garb with M4s and Plate rigs. Ra growled. Zack jumped between them, raising a staff now. He fired off two well placed shots, hitting the werewolves flanking Lyall. Ra watched and smirked. “You must be Lyall. I heard of a PMC group ran by a old friend of...ohh what was his name? Jonathan?” Lyall didn’t speak just kept his rifle trained on Zack and Ra.

“Did he bite you?”

“A Ashwolf never bites someone, unless in self defense, I was bitten by another werewolf during the Korean War.”

“So Jonathan’s son bit you?” His face grew into a wide smile as he raised a claw, swiping the air in front of him the two werewolves Zack shot groaned and pointed their rifles at Lyall.

“What the-” He reacted quickly and shot both of them, see the golden glow in their eyes and then saw Ra grab Jenny. “Give my regards to Jonathan’s dad why don’t you before he ends up with Anubis and Seth.” Ra teleported away. Zack spun his staff again and fire a bolt of fire towards Lyall.

“Oh no the fuck you don’t!” A shield was brought up in front of Lyall, a golden green shimmer reflected the fire around him. He had covered his face and now stood behind a short jackal. Zack rolled his eyes.

“Cobalt!”

“Zack.” Cobalt looked back at Lyall for a moment, giving Zack the split second he needed to teleported away to where Ra went. Lyall looked down at his companions and then to Cobalt.

“Anubis?”

“Well unless Zack is stupid or you can’t heard I am not Anubis, I am his son, Cobalt.” He looked at the bodies on the ground. “What did Ra do? What did he wanted with that women?”

Lyall bent down and ripped the patches from the two dead werewolves and stuffed them in his pockets. “I don’t know. Something about vampires...and a one night stand with Seth or something about a son. What happened to my friends.”

Cobalt stood beside them now, a hint of Ra’s magic still on them. “He controlled them.” Like he Jasper? Jonathan? He looked over. “And who are you?”

“Lyall, I run a PMC group out of Sweden, Collective Solutions, A Ashwolf help me start it up. I was bitten in the 50s by a werewolf.”

“Shirou.” Cobalt blurted out. He looked at the museum and the car. “Do you know if Ra took anything?”

“Beisdes the women, no...was that really Ra? Who was the Gryphon?”

“That was Ra, that Gryphon is a pain in my ass, he’s part phoenix.”

“Can’t kill him.” Cobalt nodded and put a pawhand on his back. He flipped his other pawhand a card appeared in it, he stuffed it in Lyall’s rig. “Come visit my shop. I think we need to help each other.”

[xihaveaplanxx]

To Prove (Chp 2)

“Now please tell me, why I shouldn’t split you down the middle and leave your remains in bits around the village for your friends and family to find.”

“Please...I....”

“You what? You know, this house, my home, this hill...it is off limits to you beings in the town and yet, I find a parasite...in my garden. You know...I don’t take kindly to parasites.”

“Please...I...”

“You sure do say please alot. So pathetic. Haven’t you heard of me? I am dangerous, I’m crazy. Things shared from your friends, family perhaps.”

“No...”

“Then why were you in my garden?” 

“Please. I will...I will never come back here.”

“You are right, you won’t because I will scatter your body parts all over the town.  You won’t get a chance to break your feeble promise” I raised my hand ready to summon an ice spike. This man was going to get eviscerated and I was not shedding a tear for it. He was trespassing after all. He was going to be dealt with. I almost got it conjured when someone caught my arm. I frowned knowing exactly who it was and admittedly regretting not shooting a spike through his heart when he showed up here. “Adam Cole.....why must you interrupt me.”

“Don’t you think this is a bit much?”

“No.” I said, letting the spell fall so he’d let my arm go. I hated when he touched me. When he looked at me...when he smiled at me that stupid smile and his fangs showed. He was disgusting to me. Pale, sickly, feeble. Crystal blue eyes and pretty brown hair. He does this cute thing when he bites into a bloodfruit. No..gah...I couldn’t stand this fucking vampire. He was such a nuisance to my life. In every single way. “This man was in my garden poking around. He must be dealt with.”

“You can just let him go.”

“I can also kill him and be done with it.”

“What if I don’t let you kill him?”

“What if I kill you instead?”

“You wouldn’t. You’d miss me.”

“I don’t even want you in my manor.”

“And yet you’ve never kicked me out.. You even let me plant my fruits here and if they aren’t in season...you’ve let me trouble you for a drink.” He smirked. I didn’t have to turn to him to know it. I could hear the smirk in his voice and it made me want to fight him instead of this trespasser. “Now, let this man go. I’m sure he won’t make another mistake. You’ve not even asked the poor man his name.”

“I don’t care about his name.”

“You were always so rude but...it’s cute when it’s you.” He moved from behind me and moved my grip from the other man. “What is your name?” He asked him.”

“D-D-Dom.” He stuttered out. “I...I...there...there is a secret tunnel up here....I...I have taken fruits from here for my family from time to time.”

“You steal from me?” I glared at him. “Now you must die.”

“Dreama no! His family must be really suffering if he's stealing far from town.” 

“That’s not my business. He’s from that gross town as far as I am concerned he deserves whatever befalls him. His family’s suffering is what they deserve. I don’t pity them.”

“Is your family fine now at least?” Adam asked, ignoring everything I was even saying now. 

“Mostly...just things...th..things been rough.”

“Well, I’ll send you a few things and you can be on your way but please...don’t come back. I urge you not to. I won’t be allowed to save you next time.”

“T--Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Adam smiled at him as he took a basket from my table and headed outside with him. He came back a bit later and sat before me. I wanted to punch him in the throat so badly and he did this thing, this thing where he would tilt his head to the side and then run his hand through his hair before talking to me. Obnoxious. “You know, you could do to be a little nicer.”

“I hate the town, I hate the people.”

“The people that you hate so much are long gone. Don’t you think maybe you should go, straighten out things show the people you aren't’ so bad.”

“No. I hate everyone there. I hate everything about the town. My old friends there. They let me think it was safe to be me around them and I showed it and they labeled me a freak...crazy....they mocked me and others did. They’d introduce me as the crazy friend, a psychopath. That shit fucking hurt. Now everyone thinks that bullshit is true. It’s not worth defending me to those people.”

“Dreama...”

“I don’t want to talk about this. I’m going to bed.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“No...you can sleep out here or I don’t know...leave my fucking manor.”

“Oh, I’d never leave your manor.” He moved forward in his chair. “Then I’d have to leave you. I don’t think I’d ever want to do that.”

“I’d like it if you did that.”

“Well then you’d be lonely.”

“Good.”

“You are so difficult.”

“And you are annoying but you are still here. All the time in my fucking way when I didn’t ask for you to be here. You just are here  with your fucking fruits and shit. I can't stand you. I was fine alone. I was fine before you. I’ll be fine after you. I’ll be fine without you! I don’t need you. I don’t want you! I never did. I never fucking will. So just fuck off!:

“......................That is the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.” He said before getting up from the chair. “The worse thing....is I think you meant it.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Adam...please...”

“No.”

“Adam.”

“No.” He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. “You made it perfectly clear. You detest me. You hate me. You don’t want me here. Then I’ll go. Where? Who knows. Maybe I’ll go to town. I mean it seems they weren’t wrong about you. You are a horrible fucking being.”

“Take that back”

“Why? You proved what they said about you. You are a terrible being. You are crazy, a psychopath. Why would I waste my time with you?”

“Stop it, Adam.”

“No. You....you hurt me. I trusted you.”

“No one told you to fucking do that.” I was angry at him now and I knew... I knew full ahead that everything I was going to say to him was fueled by my pure rage at him for making me mad. For hurting my feelings. For echoing the town's sentiments towards me. Those friends' words to me. “You came to the house of a stranger and made yourself at home. Trusting someone who never fucking liked you.”

“You never liked me?” He crossed his arms. “Yeah? Do you kiss people you don’t fucking like then? Even fuss over them when they get sick.”

“I used you. For comfort. Now I know why I don’t like others. I don’t need comfort or friends or....whatever the fuck you thought you were to me.”

“I thought you ... I...”

“If you say you thought I loved you, you’d be delusional.” 

“I....”

“I never cared about you. I never have. I never will.” 

“You are a terrible liar but...I’m not going to stay here and let you hurt me. Not like this.”

“Then why are you talking...just go.”

“Because I’m giving you a chance to apologize.”

“I won’t apologize and I won’t beg for you to not leave.”

“Of course you won’t.” He shook his head. “For what it’s worse. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I at least didn’t mean what I said to you. Not remotely. I got heated. I’m sorry for saying it in the first place. That was fucked up of me.” I was stunned. No one...ever apologized for saying horrible things to me....they just sprouted it out more and him saying sorry...it made me feel awful for saying what I said to him. 

“Adam...I....I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have said what I said to you at all. You know that I don’t think that about you. I didn’t mean it. I feel bad you think I meant what I said. I just...I got upset...”

“But that was VERY cruel what you said.”

“I know and you didn’t deserve it. At all. I don’t want you to leave. In truth, you are the one thing that’s never left despite how dismissive I am of you.”

“Oh, you aren’t dismissive of me.” He wrapped his arms around me. “You let me sleep in your bed though I don’t need sleep. More like you let me hold you while you sleep.”

“Shut up, Adam Cole.”

“I find it cute when you call me by my whole name. It’s precious.”

“Shut up.” I shook my head and he kissed my forehead. “Does this mean you won’t leave me?”

“No but don’t say what you said to me earlier, not ever again. That....really really hurt me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know you hate most things...I do but...would it be crazy to think that there are more beings like me that aren’t so bad and see the good things in you. I don’t think you are crazy or psychotic. You are mean sure but even then it’s not all the time. It’s just this wall you keep up.”

“You are an exception.”

“Well tell you what, I do promise no one will ever bother you so long as I’m here. I’ll protect you.”

“You let that man go.”

“He wasn’t a threat. He pissed on your floor did you not notice in fear. He wasn’t a threat to you. A real threat. I’ll keep you safe by any means necessary.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course. After all, you allow me to live here with you. I suppose it would be my honored duty to protect you and the manor.”

[mell-bell]

Listen here Ben Gross is precious and I would DIE FOR HIM

-That boy basically raised himself (did you see him help his father stretch what is he a personal trainer for him?! And how his parents abandoned him on his birthday?! HE’S A CHILD)

-He broke down crying in front of his nemesis’ mom because he hasn’t had dinner with his parents in YEARS and all he wants is a family

-Thinks that having a popular girlfriend will make him happier and probably in a way is trying to live up to his dad and his job with celebrities

-He put all his focus on doing well in school and clubs and definitely loved the rivalry with Devi

-Is a fucking random trivia nerd and loves to share random facts

-His relationship with Patty is precious I mean he gave her and her sons tickets to a sport game when his dad cancelled on him

-Even when he and Devi weren’t friends he could tell when something was off with her

-I believe all he ever wanted was to be friends with Devi as seen during the Model UN episode when they were actually buddy buddy

-He let Devi move in with him when she left her mother

-He went to her friends to get their help when he was worried about Devi because he knew he couldn’t help her

-He ILLEGALLY DROVE DEVI TO MALIBU SO THAT SHE WOULDNT MISS SCATTERING HER DADS ASHES

-He looked so happy when Devi kissed him I almost died on the spot

[innovativestruggles]

SouGou theories, thoughts and speculations based on canonical evidence

Alright, I know I am so epically late to the party just like I was with Haikyuu and TsukiYachi but I am here now and I am so sad that a lot of the SouGou shippers have...disappeared...

Regardless, I still want to put forward my own thoughts and speculations on these two because they have given me brainrot over the past few weeks. 

So much like the earlier post I did with TsukiYachi, this one will be similar, except I am basing everything on the anime as I have not read the light novel (tbh light novels aren’t really my thing so...). Just to reiterate, when I make any speculations and theories, they are always based on canonical evidence, and of course my own interpretation. I put forward solid evidence so people can see where I am coming from and what I am yapping on about. People are free to draw their own conclusions of what they see in canon, so just because I have a theory with evidence, it does not invalidate another person’s theory of the same evidence...if that makes sense?

Every time I watch a new anime, I always come in with a very neutral mindset. I have a fascination with relationships (hence my ship heavy blog) so I ship characters based on their level of chemistry and compatibility.

Because I am so fashionably late to the party, a lot of the speculations below have been discussed by other SouGou fans. Essentially when I read some of their posts, they pretty much validated what I saw. So I want to credit all those SouGou stans who did the hard yard first on their speculations of these two. This post may already have what was speculated, but it’s nice to have it all in one big post. I will of course add my own thoughts and interpretations as well. So, happy reading!

WARNING: THIS IS A VERY LONG POST

Gou’s Relationship with Other Characters

Sousuke did not make his debut until Season 2, so for all of Season 1, the focus was on Gou and the other characters. To be honest, nothing stood out to me in terms of shipping potential with Gou in Season 1. I do not go into watching anime with the intention of shipping characters - the shipping just automatically occurs when two characters have good chemistry. So with Gou in Season 1, all I saw was a manager being incredibly supportive, friendly, strong willed and determined to see her friends through the swimming club. You may have read my other post on Free! and toxic masculinity, but I did mention in there that what I loved most about Free! was the friendship and the emotional vulnerability. Because Gou is a side character, we never get to see too much of her and how she would develop as a character outside her obsession with muscles. But as viewers, we get the gist of her sweet personality.

Kyoto Animation

Before I dive into the speculations, I want to point out something with KyoAni. For starters, this studio is known for its amazing adaptational works of manga and light novels. When it comes to anime that does not purely focus on romance, they are so so so good with romantic undertones. As much as I do enjoy romance anime, I enjoy ones with subtle undertones of romance even more. I have watched a large portion of anime from KyoAni and I can definitely come to the above conclusion. Although Free! is not a romance genre, there is very subtle light teasing of potential developments between certain characters. Like I mentioned in my Free! post on toxic masculinity, I will disregard that just because the male characters are hugging, crying and showing vulnerable emotions to each other, it does not necessarily mean that there is a romantic development. The very subtle undertones of romance I could see is mostly between Gou, Sousuke and Momo (I will explain more later). So what I am trying to point out in this paragraph is that Free! does have minute traces of romance, because based on what other anime KyoAni produced, there are similarities in how they portray romantic undertones.

SouGou Initial Meeting

The initial meeting did not particularly stand out to me until I watched more scenes and interactions between SouGou later on in the series. What I noticed was the level of admiration Gou has for Sousuke. Again, this was not apparent when I watched the initial meeting scene on its own. I had to see a culmination of scenes between them to realise.

Oh gosh just look at how happy she is seeing Sousuke. If you go back and watch this scene again, she legit just shoved Momo out the way and ran to Sousuke. Lmao poor Momo!

Also....

Momo still staring at SouGou the whole time...

Momo getting pissy lololol (and super jelly)

Gou just looking so happy staring after Sousuke...ughh my heart....

Middle School

Just something I picked up. When Rin transferred to Iwatobi during middle school, it sounded like Gou did not go with him. So she stayed behind in the same middle school together with Sousuke after Rin left. See below.

Because Gou is one year younger than Sousuke, the scene above just sounded like he stopped talking to her when he left for Tokyo when he was a first year high school student and she a third year middle school student...and then the below scene confirmed when and the reason...

In the above scene, Sousuke explained that he hurt his shoulder in the summer of his first year of high school, and then he heard from Gou that Rin was visiting Japan at the time, so I am guessing SouGou must have stopped talking to each other around that time when Sousuke injured his shoulder. The injury was most likely why he stopped talking to her because he knew the consequences...that if Rin found out through Gou... then yeah... so to him it was better to cut off contact with both siblings...omg my heart...my poor baby Sousuke...

Anyways, point is they were definitely still talking when Rin went to Iwatobi and then later Australia. So I wonder how close they were to each other...? They do sound very close...wonder if they walked to and from school together...omfg my heart hurts again...aaaahhhhhhh

Childhood Friends

This trope is so cute and I really like the whole ‘he is my brother’s best friend’ kind of thing. Because we all know how overprotective Rin is of Gou and if there is anyone who is good enough for her, Rin would definitely think it be Sousuke.

LOOK AT HOW PRECIOUS THEY ARE OMG. Love this official artwork of all three of them. And Sousuke has such a sweet gentle expression when he is looking at Gou...

Best part also is that subtle teasing of these two. Anime is always about camera work and specific panels as well, so it just looked like to me that they really wanted to emphasise this scene between SouGou. The snow, the Christmas tree, the childhood friends - all in one frame.

Indirect Moments

These are the moments that started me on the SouGou ship! 

Gou sees Sousuke at the train station right after he has been brooding about his shoulder injury

Gou sees Sousuke at the hospital

What I really really liked about these scenes is that every single time Sousuke was having a down moment, or a vulnerable moment in relation to his shoulder injury, Gou happened to be there and witness it. It may be coincidental that she always happen to be in a place and time when Sousuke wasn’t feeling great. I was initially wondering why she never approached him in the moment and then you look at Sousuke’s pissy face and that’s probably why lmao. Regardless, Gou probably knew his state of mind, and hence decided to leave him to it. The look she gave him was more out of curiosity rather than concern but because the anime never went into detail about what she was thinking at the time, it’s hard to tell. Most important thing is that Gou was there during his vulnerable moments, before anyone knew of his shoulder injury...

Jelly Momo

Ngl, I absolutely love Momo, not only because he’s a hilarious character but because Sousuke always unintentionally cockblocks him when it comes to Gou. I just find it so funny. The poor thing. And Gou just has absolutely zero interest in him....

The thing is, Momo knows that Sousuke constantly gets in the way...it has happened several times already and I think he is also beginning to realise that Gou is probably quite fond of Sousuke, hence his very vocal comment about paying attention to him. i just love it how the anime framed it like this because you know it’s a running gag going on between all three.

Also, the look on Sousuke’s face in that above scene...you can’t see it but if you go back and watch it, and it’s only a split second when Momo moves his head, it’s absolutely hilarious. He legit has a “wtf” look on his face 😂

Just going to put this above scene here where Momo gets dragged away. Poor thing. I think at this point, Gou is catching on to something with Sousuke...

After Momo bombarded Gou with his hilarious hobbies, these two just ended up alone together ❤️

Season 3′s ending credits depict a lot of parallels between characters as well as some level of competitiveness between them. So maybe it is just a coincidence here but Sousuke and Momo together probably continues to depict the hilarious running gag between them and Gou. LOL!

Gou’s Concern

No really, when Sousuke walked out and decided to swim with his shoulder injury, the concerned look on Gou’s face. This was the first time in the whole entire series (season 3 included) where Gou showed this much concern...my heart. 

When there are problems in the Iwatobi swim club related to a character, a lot of the issues and concerns revolved around the other characters helping each other (Gou would be excluded). She is just a supporting character that does not get a lot screen time. Aside from her managerial duties, we don’t see too much of her during important/significant moments for a main character - unless she is interacting with Rin in some way. So her very minimal “interactions” with Sousuke during his vulnerable moments are considered somewhat significant (even if she just saw him walking by) because they are more symbolic than anything.

Off Screen Interactions

Okay, the amount of times Sousuke talked about Gou...they clearly talk a lot off screen and whether that be through text messages, phone calls or meeting up, I believe they are a combo of all three. I have several reasons to believe that they do hang out together quite a bit. 

1. The amount of times Gou keeps bumping into Sousuke randomly (ngl the times the audience sees is probably only a fraction to what actually goes on behind the scenes) 

2. In the later episodes, they have been seen walking home together. 

3. Some of the things Sousuke said to Rin about Gou would warrant more of a face to face conversation rather than something through text message. I mean unless they talk on the phone (that would be so fucking adorable aaaaahhhhhh) 

4. In the CD drama, they have been shown to hang out just the two of them over mediocre stuff so I am sure that would have met up and talked more about other more deeper things with each other

Gou obviously confided in Sousuke how lonely she felt because her older bro was neglecting her

LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF TIMES HE TALKED ABOUT HER! That obviously indicated they do interact quite some bit off screen. Judging from the things they talked about, it sounded like she was filling him in with what’s going on in her life..and you know just every day stuff... I love it! They are so casual and so comfy with each other <33333333

Platinum Abs

Not counting the fact that I almost choked on my drink when I saw this for the first time, but I was curious to see what Gou thought of them. So I waited....and waited...and waited...and it never came, despite the fact that she was in his presence multiple times when he was looking like this....

And I came across several older posts that pointed this out and it totally validated what I felt as well. Gou, the muscle obsessive freak has not spoken a word about Sousuke’s nationally ranked swimmer’s perfect body. WILL YOU JUST LOOK AT THEM? HE’S FUCKING MASSIVE!! Like..all over....holy shit just look at those guns...like damn fine man.... anyways... so Gou, why have we not heard a single word from you about them? To her, they are probably the best of all the characters in the series ...

And my guess is... Sousuke is most likely special to her. She does not see him as merely an object of muscles (much like she does with the other characters including her own bro) but something more. And whether that is consciously or unconsciously, the outcome is still the same. Because when someone means a lot to you and if you like someone in that way, you are less likely to see them as an object of some fantasy...

The OVA

Yo not gonna leave this one out and if there is anything that really pushed this ship further, it was definitely the OVA.

Sousuke is so pedantic about what people call him (unless you are Nagisa...which he has almost no words for ...). So the only one who can add “kun” to his name is Gou <333333

I’m not going to delve too deeply into this as

1. It is self explanatory

2. A lot of people have already discussed this topic

But, overprotective Sousuke being a sweet guy and lending Gou his jacket is something out of a shojo manga. Even more shojo is that he;

1. Did it himself and not just giving the jacket to her

2. Got overly pissed off at Ai for drenching Gou

3. COULDN’T LOOK AT GOU WHEN HE GAVE HER THE JACKET....like the whole time....ksfklafkhgdshgjdsh

Sousuke isn’t very good with expressing himself, so this scene, out of his own sheer awkwardness, really played into the intimate nature of this potential ship. I’ll explain more later...

P. S. LOOK AT HOW ENORMOUS THE JACKET LOOKS ON GOU...she so schmol (and Sousuke is just massive...). Legit they look like a couple on a date...

Sunset Meeting

Ngl when I first started watching Season 3, this scene came out so unexpectedly I had to replay it just so it would process in my mind that it happened. But aside from the fact that it was framed in a shojo manga kinda way i.e. Gou running towards Sousuke, then walking together in the sunset and then talking about deep and meaningful stuff...you get the drift...I absolutely loved it how Gou was the very first person Sousuke told about his surgery’s success. Omg..swimming and the success of the surgery just meant so much to him and he was already telling Gou about it...

Everything about the particular scene was so so intimate. The scenery, the conversation, the tone of voice, the colours used......everything! Just look at how happy Gou is....

And damn they walked home together ... my heart cannot take it anymore aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh

Running Gag

I did notice this trend going on but it didn’t cross my mind until I read a post that it was like a thing between SouGou. Honestly it is so so cute! Gou has this excited pitched, giggle-ish, admiration-like tone every single time she calls out and runs to him. It’s so sweet. You actually never hear it ever when she talks or calls out to any other characters in the series, so Sousuke is indeed very special to her <3

Also...something about Sousuke walking alone and Gou either noticing him or running to him...

Gou and Momo’s Mistaken Date vs. Gou and Sousuke’s Mistaken Date

In Part 4 of the Free Take Your Marks movie, Rin walks by a burger shop and noticed Momo and Gou sitting together and having lunch. He mistakenly thought they were going out on a date, and before the rest of the Iwatobi team could come to the table after order their food, Rin gets a call from Sousuke telling him that he cannot find his way. So Rin dashes off to save Sousuke still with the misunderstanding. The episode is absolutely hilarious on Rin’s part.

Then in the CD drama, there is a story titled “Sousuke and Gou’s secret date.” Of course it is a case of ‘mistaken identity’ but as I stated earlier, these two would hang out with each other to discuss superficial things, so I am certain that they do hang out with each other on occasions to talk about other more deep and meaningful things as well. Considering the things Sousuke has been telling Rin about Gou, you can make an educated guess that SouGou do have their alone times quite a bit off screen.

Anyways, so this is the part where I believe Free has its subtle romantic undertones. I mentioned in my toxic masculinity post that when the male characters were being vulnerable, hugged or cried, that it does not necessarily mean they are gay, or that there would be any romantic development between the characters. You could say the same with SouGou as well, however, the difference lies in how the anime framed it, and the biggest tip that pushed from just a friendship kind of thing to a teasing of a potential romantic thing is the “secret date” part and the running gag between Gou, Sousuke and Momo. We know Momo clearly has romantic interest in Gou, and the interesting thing is...Sousuke being placed in between Gou and Momo numerous times throughout the anime to signify that there is a potential triangle going on. Does this make sense? It is the nuances as a viewer that you can pick up, and it is even more so if you can understand Japanese. I sometimes switch the subtitles off and really just watch what they say and it’s a completely different view. Hard to explain...but that is the vibe I get.

Extras

I just had to put this scene in. JUST LOOK AT GOU LOOKING AT SOUSUKE OMG. She totally loves him <3 YOU CAN’T TELL ME OTHERWISE!!!

I always love me some official artwork of these two, and disregarding the fact that there are four other guys around and Nagisa just being the little helper he is, SouGou wrestling is something I just need to have in my life <3 I just love the light subtle tease between these two. Thank you KyoAni! And them holding hands... I’m ded...

Sousuke’s Feelings

This is purely interpretation based on what I have seen so far and of course when I am writing a full post like this about SouGou, it does help piece the puzzle together a little more. Tbvh, I strongly believe that Sousuke has repressed feelings for Gou. My reasoning is quite complex. Sousuke is a bit of a difficult character. He is aloof, serious and can be standoffish. He is not good with expressing his emotions and feelings, yet he does questionable things if he thinks it is for the best for those he cares about. Obviously noticeable when he lied to Rin about his shoulder injury, and of course completely stopped talking to Rin and Gou after being injured. But he deeply cares for those around him, and will go out of his way to help, even if it is to the detriment of his own welfare. 

Sosuke hanging out with Gou and talking to her and being around her is already an aspect of his kindness, that he would do this to anyone he cares about. But what I meant about repressed feelings for Gou was more evident in the OVA, and I think that is where the slight nuances come into play. Sousuke is overprotective of Gou and he most likely sees her as a little sister, considering he grew up with her alongside his best friend. But I think when it comes down to more intimate moments i.e. giving Gou his jacket and just not being able to look at her, I think that small nuance does give a small insight into Sousuke’s feelings for Gou. It may be minute but it’s there, and the way the anime framed that scene, it evoked a host of response from the viewers. That in itself is enough for viewers to make a determination as to what Sousuke might be feeling towards Gou at the time ... and it was probably more than a platonic kind of way...

Just to let you know that Sousuke most likely would not act on these feelings because of who he is as a person. And if there is any possibility that things could go awry between him and Rin that concerns Gou, Sousuke would not put their friendship in jeopardy. So if there was ever a way that Sousuke’s repressed feelings for Gou could surface, it would be if Gou initiates.

Gou’s Feelings

If you read through this entire damn thesis so far I think you could see that Gou’s feelings for Sousuke is a lot more overt. She is so incredibly fond of Sousuke and it is just the way she behaves around him, speaks to him and looks at him. It sends a different vibe comparatively to when she interacts with any of the other male characters. Because Gou is a side character, as viewers we don’t get to see much of her, her development or her thoughts and feelings, especially in relation to Sousuke. 

Concluding Thoughts

What an incredibly long post. I didn’t realise how long it was until I scrolled back up. But really, this was so fun to write. I enjoy writing about side characters and the little hints that anime and manga give us as viewers. This is the best thing about storytelling, that is so much more than what you see before you.

The great thing about SouGou is the incredibly compatibility they have with each other. They have a lot of the common tropes found in anime that sets them up for a future pairing. I mean,, Free is not a romance genre so there wouldn’t be any emphasis placed on how one character feels about another in a romantic sense. So the anime has placed some gentle teasing in the background with its frame (usually what you see in shojo manga for example), official artworks, and CD dramas. It’s a very subtle undertone that the viewers would have to dig through and pick up out of the mass of fanservice and the storylines of the main characters. Yet this is the reason why I love KyoAni because of its numerous layers of stories and undertone!

In my opinion, if there was ever any pairing that comes out of Free, it would definitely be SouGou - it’s because the way the anime (and probably the light novel as well) set them up and emphasised on important aspects of their relationship without going into detail about it.

I gotta say, the reason why I love these two so much is because they remind me so much of TsukiYachi pairing from Haikyuu. There are parallels between the characters and I think I just enjoy shipping ones with that level of complexity and compatibility - the whole opposites attract kinda thing (and the height difference).

So what do you think? Are there any SouGou stans out there left? I’m keen to see what the 2021 Free movie will entail for these two and the potential release of Season 4 (most likely in 2022).

Fingers crossed for some excitement!

Also...I had to crop this <3