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shiroganeryo · 3 years

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Komui's Discussion Room content (DGM 27)

Volume 27 has been released recently here in Brazil and I realized the remaining of Komui’s Discussion Room were nowhere to be found in English, but after reading all of it, I thought there are very interesting things hence why I wanted to share!

Please bear in mind this is not a direct translation, but a summary.

I have a lot of criticism when it comes to Viz Media’s release (official English), but I’m quite content with the work Panini, the distributor of D.Gray-Man in Brazil, has done so far with the official Portuguese release. If there are any mistakes, please bear in mind I translated the information directly from their version.

There are 11 questions covered in this summary. For the others, please check Jeidafei’s translations on them (totally recommend it!): Part 1 | Part 2 | Author's note & Thanks Corner | Extra

Without further ado, let’s get into it! This got very long.

≫ Kanda hasn’t reached the “critical point” in synchronization yet (+ why Allen isn’t a General)

In the question “How did Kanda hide having gone past the critical point”, Tiedoll answers that he actually has the potential it takes to do it but hasn’t done it yet. Still on the same question, they answer a related question about Allen’s critical point: “If Allen has reached the critical point, why wasn’t he appointed to become a general during the Order’s reconstruction?”

Allen replies that it was impossible at that time since Central was keeping watch over him. Tiedoll adds that he’s also too young and the only one able to operate the Ark, the latter making Central even more suspicious of him. General Cross’s reputation also seems to have played a part in this, having the higher-ups deem Allen as someone they couldn’t trust enough.

Ryo’s note: Allen thanks Tiedoll for putting his thoughts about Cross into words and Cross simply laughs it off. XD

≫ Sleeping positions

They get asked about their sleeping positions. Tiedoll describes how Kanda sleeps with detail (when younger, in fetal position; nowadays, he sleeps lying on his side, preferentially the right side).

Allen comments that Johnny sleeps sprawled on the floor or the desk and that everyone in the Science Division sleeps like this; when he first saw it, he got concerned thinking something tragic had happened. Johnny says it’s comfortable to sleep like this, but Allen isn’t so sure.

Cross comments on how Allen sleeps; he mentions he likes to sleep hugging something and when he can’t do it, he complains until falling asleep. Allen gets flustered and claims that he got used to sleeping with Tim because he used to be big, but is over it nowadays. Johnny remembers Link used to tell him not to sleep with the piggy-bank, to which Allen replies that it was “not a sleeping position, but survival instincts”.

Kanda comments on how he brought a ton of food to the infirmary one time and says it was annoying to listen to him eating nonstop. Allen replies with sarcasm (“sorry for needing to eat to recover my energies”).

Cross sleeps naked, with his arms open (according to Allen).

Tiedoll sleeps on his stomach, blanket over his face.

Ryo’s note: The time Kanda is referring to is in Chapter 135 (135th Night: Repose, Partly Cloudly).

≫ The symbol on the CROWs' foreheads

Cross replies that it’s probably the compulsory mark of the procedure that transforms regular people in CROWs. Tiedoll says that Cross knows a lot, as expected of someone who’s able to use magic –he shrugs off the compliment – and Kanda asks when and how exactly someone like him learned it. He angrily says he didn’t learn it anywhere and ends the question at Allen’s remark that he always gets angry when people ask.

Ryo’s note: This is interesting. Could imply he was the one to teach magic to Nea (and the Earl himself?), and not the other way around. But, it’s also possible he just didn’t want to answer.

≫ “What is something you find impressive on the other, but have never admitted?”

Johnny decides to start with Kanda and Allen, and the two exchange insults for several lines.

Johnny then passes the baton to the Generals, who do the exact same as their apprentices.

Johnny ends the question with a thank you and sweating nervously.

Ryo’s note: By “insults”, I mean things like Kanda calling Allen a crybaby, and Allen saying Kanda’s dumb. Tiedoll calls Cross a delinquent; Cross calls him “doting dad”. The list goes on…

≫ The time Kanda spent with General Tiedoll right after becoming his apprentice (+ Allen’s time with Cross)

They are asked what was the most outstanding episode from such a time, and Kanda absentmindedly says he forgot. Tiedoll seems disappointed, stating they had made so many marvelous memories together, to which Kanda replies “please stop talking in this weird way”.

Allen asks how the travels were, and Tiedoll says the most important at that time was to take care of mending Kanda’s heart. They spent much time talking about amenities, having contact with plants and animals and admiring beautiful landscapes. Tiedoll believes that getting in touch with beautiful things can help to connect with the world, despite carrying the burden of being a Second; he wanted Kanda to feel like regular people feel about the world.

Johnny and Allen are touched, and the latter comments how jealous he is. Cross then reminds Allen of how many bedsheets he had to wash because of him, making him flustered. He then goes on to remind how not only he did that but also had to feed him – Tiedoll comments on how it seems impossible to imagine Cross doing all that – and even help him change many times.

Allen’s embarrassment reaches the maximum and he threatens to beat Cross if he keeps talking about that.

≫ Stories of when Kanda and Lenalee were little

Kanda tries to shrug the question off, but Johnny insists they answer. Tiedoll says that the two of them were really cute, just like two lilies that bloomed inside the gray scenery of the Order; Kanda tells him to stop.

Allen is uninterested in Kanda, but wants to hear about Lenalee. Cross asks him if he likes her, and says he thought he had a girlfriend in the Asian Branch already. Allen denies it and says both LouFa and Lenalee are his friends; Cross laughs, saying he doesn’t judge, and Allen nearly snaps in irritation (again).

Johnny moves on to answer the question; Kanda is against it, but Tiedoll holds him in place. Johnny tells that Jiji told him that at first, Kanda would be asked if Lenalee could train with him, but he would shrug her off saying he didn’t want to train with a girl, which would make her cry.

Every time Kanda made Lenalee cry, she would run off to Reever. In reality, Johnny thinks she wanted to talk to Komui instead, but she thought he was busy and didn’t want to bother him, resulting in her crying at Reever’s desk. Tiedoll and Allen are weeping at it (they thought it’s cute).

While Reever comforted Lenalee, Marie would appear bringing Kanda along, who had no idea how to apologize, while Lenalee would bashfully hide inside Reever’s lab coat. This kept happening until he eventually accepted to train with her.

Johnny starts telling another story involving Kanda’s meditation and Lenalee coming back tired from a mission, but Kanda interrupts him. Allen says it’s being fun and tells him not to bother.

Kanda tells him to shut up, calling him a bedwetter. Allen snaps (again).

Ryo’s note: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

≫ “Who amongst the Noah would Allen best go along with? Hypothetically speaking.”

Allen and Kanda are worn out from fighting (see the previous question); Johnny is giving them calming tea. Tiedoll says that it seems Allen and Tyki Mikk looked friendly when talking to each other, and Allen interjects saying they’re not friends and that Tyki doesn’t respect the notion of personal space.

He then goes on to say he doesn’t imagine himself being friends with any Noah because they lack common sense. Cross mentions Road and how she’s always being flirty with him, which makes Allen tell him to stop implying things, while sounding unsure about being friends with her or not.

Johnny asks if Allen is embarrassed and reminds Road kissed him. He denies being embarrassed and says that kissing is just a form of greeting for her (he’s sweating nervously while saying so). He adds that, on top of that, he feels like Road sees someone else when she looks at him.

Cross seems amused.

Ryo’s note: This answer is very interesting. It seems to confirm the theory that Road had some kind of connection with past!Allen. We won’t know for sure until it’s revealed, but it does seem to imply such a thing.

≫ The taste of Innocence + the Crystal Type Innocence + Exorcist supplies + Cross suspiciously knowing about the Bookman clan

A reader asks how did Innocence taste like when liquefied; Kanda says it tastes like nothing, similar to water.

Johnny points out the wounds that formed after their Innocence became Crystal types and if they don’t hurt. Kanda says that at the time they don’t, but such wounds won’t heal even with his healing ability – which he concludes makes sense since it’s from where the blood comes out to form the weapons.

Johnny mentions that the Science Division (Komui, more specifically) made Lenalee pills that will prevent anemia. Still on that subject, Allen remembers people had asked what goes inside the bags the Exorcists carry on their uniforms. Johnny says they carry first-aid kits, disinfectants, anti-hemorrhagic meds, and things of the sort. Miranda and Timothy carry sweets with a high intake of calories, Krory carries Akuma blood sweets and Lavi and Bookman asked for migraine meds.

Tiedoll says they are nothing without the support of the Science Division and thanks them. Allen asks about Lavi and Bookman getting migraines. Cross mentions it’s probably from an occupational disease because storing that much information and memories can wreck your head over time.

Allen comments again that he seems to know a lot about the Bookman Clan, and that it’s very suspicious. Cross magnificently shrugs off the question.

≫ Allen’s cheating

Allen gets asked if he becomes bad at luck games (i.e gambling) in case he doesn’t cheat. He says that a bet on luck always rewards something even if gains are small, but Johnny says he’s really bad at things like rock-paper-scissors. Kanda thinks he was just in denial about admitting he’s unlucky.

When scolded by Kanda, Allen says it was a matter of survival and that he never cheated good people on; just bad people.

Johnny says living like this is dangerous and that he should stop; Allen apologizes and says he needs money, and if anything, he can use his Innocence.

Cross is amused and sounds proud. Tiedoll regrets Cross’s influence on Allen.

≫ About Link

Allen gets asked if he has ever seen Link smile, to which he responds he has tried making him laugh/smile, but never could do it. Johnny says that everyone from Central is very serious, especially Link. Tiedoll thinks that it might be forbidden to smile when their superior is Director Lvellie.

Allen goes on to ramble about how Link complained about everything: when he had food on his face after or during eating, asking him to redo reports because they were illegible despite Reever being able to read, scolding him for not drying his hair after going out of the bath because he could get a cold, and how he was a shame for not folding his uniform properly before putting it away.

Cross asks him, “what was he? Your mother?” and Allen says he didn’t get annoyed at him. He wonders if all moms are like this.

Johnny says people were worried when he was assigned to watch Allen, but in the end, Link went along well with everyone and confirms that Allen liked him as well. He also states that Allen’s reports became a lot easier to read thanks to him.

Ryo’s note: Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary folks: it’s Link appreciation time! *tips hat* Also Allen wondering about how mothers treat their children was just precious, even if it’s a throwaway comment.

≫ The vibe at the Black Order

In the question “Who runs faster, Komui or Reever?”, Johnny says that he thinks Reever is faster; Allen adds that Komui cheats by using Komurin, though. Kanda gets annoyed and tells them they (at the Science Division) should make Komui behave accordingly to his role. Johnny sniffs and says that they try.

Tiedoll says that it’s actually good that Komui is cheerful because the Order used to be a very different place until he took over the post, and that he (Tiedoll) disliked the gloomy aura it used to have. Allen remembers Lenalee commented about it once and asks if the Order was really this different back then. Tiedoll says that even if it’s been built with a noble purpose, human beings aren’t perfect and a lot of things get distorted over a hundred years. He recommends Allen to ask For about it, as she has existed ever since the Order was founded and protects it to this day.

Allen is sad and comments he wants to visit the Asian Branch again someday. Johnny says he’ll go with Allen, but the latter says he would want to eat Jeryy’s food again before that. Cross sneers and wishes good luck.

They wrap it up at this, and both Kanda and Allen look very happy about being done with the Discussion Corner (as noted by Johnny). Tiedoll bids Cross adieu, and says “rest in peace, Marian” – to which he replies “don’t treat me like a ghost”.

Allen says he knows Cross is an illusion created by his weakness, but that he was happy to see him (in reference to the 222nd Night: Searching for A.W - Hypokrisis). Cross tells him not to exaggerate.

Johnny is content that they could finally keep it to the ideal number of pages – something the Discussion Corner is known to usually have trouble with. Tiedoll says that if they had gone overboard, the next issue’s Discussion Corner would be canceled, and wraps up thanking everyone who has cared about Yu so far and asks that people keep cheering for him.

Johnny thanks the readers for sending their questions. Allen and Kanda are relieved it’s over.

Ryo’s note: And that’s it! Man, this got LONG. Thank you very much for reading until the end. Can’t wait for the next Discussion Room, the way Tiedoll worded it makes it seem like it’ll be on the next volume, 28. I’m excited!

If you're interested in seeing more DGM content from me, feel free to check my masterlist here.

#d.gray-man #d.gray man #komui's discussion corner #komui's lounge #Allen Walker #Johnny Gill #Kanda Yuu #Cross Marian #Froi Tiedoll #DGM #I sure hope I didn't count wrong the number of questions #math isn't my forte at all #as for the palette requests: I'm currently working on them!

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fuckingfinwions · 3 years

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#3 russingon au? 👀👀👀

(from this)

Prince Fingon is about to come of age.

Feanor is a blacksmith (not anyone related to the king) in the small town of Formenos.

A royal messenger comes to the town to look over all the unmarried boys of appropriate age range as a potential private companion for the prince.

Maedhros, Maglor, and Celegorm are all about the right age, though Celegorm is on the young end and deliberately sabotages his chances because a palace sounds stuffy.

The messenger looks everyone over and asks some questions. Maedhros and a couple of the others also get asked if they have all their teeth, if they ever had the pox and if it scarred. Then the messenger rides away and that’s it for a while.

They don’t forget about it, because Feanor rants at dinner about how the royals do nothing and steal the work of honest men in taxes and now want to steal their children, but it’s not on the top of anyone’s mind.

There’s a lot of boys in the village, and though Maedhros is aware that he’s the handsomest of them, there’s a lot of villages in the kingdom.

It’s a month later when the messenger comes back, this time knocking on Feanor’s front door.

Maedhros is to go to the capital city and meet Crown Prince Fingolfin. If Fingolfin approves of him when they meet in person, Maedhros will become Prince Fingon’s private companion. If Fingolfin doesn’t approve, Maedhros will be sent back.

Maedhros kind of wishes he didn’t have to go be a glorified personal prostitute, but it’s a great opportunity. He’ll be in the capital with it’s libraries and art and people from all over. He probably won’t be allowed to talk to anyone important, but still it’s amazing.

And there’s not a whole lot keeping hm back at home. He’s competent in the forge and can make horseshoes and such, but not especially talented, and Caranthir is old enough to be a proper apprentice. He’s not dating anyone, and though he’ll miss his family he doesn’t have any very close friends

Sidenote: In the upper class, there is a very strong emphasis on heterosexual-virginity before marriage, and monogamy during marriage until you have at least three undisputed children, to ensure inheritance. In the lower class and outside the capital, it’s more common for teenagers to have bit of fun, and if you need to marry in a hurry because someone got pregnant so it goes. (This is apparently a not-elves au).

The messenger says that he’ll bring by the carriage for the journey to the capital in the morning, Maedhros can have a day to pack and say his goodbyes.

Feanor is not happy with this, even though it’s “temporary” and Maedhros will go back home once the prince marries in 5-10 years.

Maedhros knows that pointing out that Feanor legally has to let him go will not make things better. There’s a lot of arguing, and Maedhros is able to mostly focus on what his free time might be like rather than what his new job will be.

(And Maedhros knows that if he admits he doesn’t want to go in Feanor’s hearing, Feanor will do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn’t have to. It’s nice to know his father cares, but it means he doesn’t say any of his doubts or even fully articulate them to himself.)

So in the morning Maedhros has a couple of apple crates full of his things and gets in the carriage.

He has a lot of time to think about what this will be like. Maedhros has heard that King Finwe is tall with dark hair, maybe Prince Fingon will look like that? (And should Maedhros call Prince Fingon by his title or just his name? Would it be seen as unbearably rude to forgo the title, or horrendously stilted to use it during sex?)

Maedhros has wondered what sex with another man would be like, but a reputation for it in his town would mean he might never marry and be alone forever.

Other things Maedhros knows about the royal family: all of Feanor’s anti-government rants. Fingon is the oldest prince. The cobbler two villages over traveled to the capital to visit her aunt, and said the princes were tall and had clothes woven out of silver instead of cotton.

Maedhros knows that the prince will of course be ugly and lazy, never having to work a day in his life, but someone nearly as tall as him would be nice.

“How old is Prince Fingon?”

The messenger looks at Maedhros like he’s an idiot.

“It’s two months until his seventeenth birthday. That’s why you’re here, to be his companion and be a good place for him to direct his adult urges as he comes of age.”

“I knew that, I just wasn’t sure when exactly he was considered of age.”

“The royal family doesn’t live their years any faster or slower than you do, kid.”

“I’m just not used to it being sudden. In Formenos, you don’t marry until you can support a house together, unless she gets pregnant in which case you build a cabin in one of your fathers’ yards and live off them until you’re ready.”

“The Prince is too young to marry, hence finding him someone to have fun with.”

“Of course.” Maedhros keeps quiet for the rest of the carriage ride so he doesn’t look like a complete fool. (Whether or not he wants to do this, he’s too proud to not try his best.)

They reach the capital, and there’s enough notice for Maedhros to change into his best clothes. He wore them to the festival this spring, the bright red tunic has flowers embroidered along not just the neckline most of the chest and stars on the sleeves.

Maedhros is expecting to be outclassed by Crown Prince Fingolfin, of course, but he might as well but on his best clothes.

Fingolfin is wearing a simple chain necklace made of more gold than Maedhros has ever seen in one place, even as a smith’s son. The shirt behind it isn’t embroidered, someone actually wove the cloth out of different colors of thread so it fades from an indigo near Fingolfin’s face through to a blue and then near turquoise at the hem.

Fingolfin calls Maedhros’s attire ‘rustic’ and asks him a few questions, though most of them have already been covered by the messengers.

Fingolfin then says he’ll make his decision in the next few days, there’s a temporary room for Maedhros in the servants quarters. He’ll be brought his meals, and shouldn’t go wandering (Fingon isn’t supposed to see his private companion until his birthday, it would spoil the surprise of his present.) And does Maedhros have any requests of Prince Fingolfin?

Maedhros asks if there’s a book of court etiquette he could study, either in his rooms or escorted to the library? “I know that of course I won’t take part, but as a private companion I’m supposed to be whatever Prince Fingon wants. If he wants to talk about his day sometimes, I'm sure he’d rather do so without spending hours explaining the context.”

Fingolfin asks, “So you’re not trying to learn the rules so that Fingon doesn’t punish you for misbehavior?”

“If Prince Fingon wishes to punish me for any reason, I of course will obey. But I have no desire to behave in ways he would find unpleasant.”

Fingolfin nods and waves a hand for Maedhros to leave. Maedhros does, and a few hours later one of the servants brings by a book of etiquette. It’s aged with a cracked spine, as new books are even more valuable, but it was obviously replaced in the royal library for datedness or cosmetic reasons, not readability. This copy is one the palace steward uses for reference.

There’s nothing else for Maedhros to do, so he reads it cover to cover. (He can do arithmetic too, they’re useful skills in the forge.)

Fingolfin decides on Maedhros. He’s pretty and polite and articulate, and not one of the sons of a half-dozen merchant families that are trying to get an avenue to the royal palace. Friends with the future king is nothing to sneeze at, even if it’s a degrading sort of friendship.

So the night of Prince Fingon’s seventeenth birthday, Maedhros is waiting for him. He’s dressed in a dark brown tunic that Fingolfin selected to make Maedhros’s fair skin not look washed out, and red leggings to match his hair. His hair is in one long braid, so it can just as easily be out of the way or used as a leash. He’s not wearing any underclothes, and he opened up and oiled his asshole so that Fingon can take him immediately if Fingon wants. He’s nervous, and kneels by the door to wait.

He waits rather a long time actually, and eventually concludes that it won’t be too presumptuous to sit on a stool, as long as he gets up immediately when Prince Fingon enters.

In the mean time, Maedhros thinks. They say everything in the capital city is politics. Maedhros himself would never leave a new.., acquaintance to wait by accident, especially not as a first impression. Prince Fingon is obviously setting the tone for the next several years with Maedhros. Maedhros has to be where he's told and do what he’s told, and Fingon will acknowledge him only when the prince feels like it.

Maedhros figures he’ll know more when the prince show up, if he bothers to thank Maedhros for waiting or if he’ll go straight to removing clothes.

Fingon is not actually thinking about any of this. It’s his coming of age! There’s a feast and dancing and drinking and all his friends and the whole focus of the night is on him. He knows he’s getting a private companion, but Fingolfin hasn’t given any hints about what exactly they’ll look like and Fingon has a lot of other presents right in front of him.

Fingon doesn’t worry about the hypothetical private companion’s comfort, because this is the palace, it’s got to be better than wherever the guy came from. Whoever it is can relax on a feather bed for possibly the first time ever and eat fancy food rather than plain bread, Fingon arriving a few hours earlier or later will make no difference.

Fingon is Nice, and is used to people knowing that. If everyone knows you’re a nice person, they give you the benefit of the doubt that thoughtlessness was not malice, and inattentiveness was not disrespect.

People have been telling Maedhros that Fingon is nice, but he expects they’d tell him that anyway. Everyone wants Maedhros to please Fingon after all, so they’ll frame everything the best way possible. They also say Fingon is determined, which Maedhros interprets as “never listened to the word no in his life”.

It doesn’t matter, Maedhros reminds himself, because saying no would be illegal anyway. If Fingon is the type to just push past that if Maedhros is not in the mood, it’s better than being thrown in the dungeons.

Eventually Fingon comes back to his bedroom.

#mayan sons #the only reason Feanor isn't anti-government in canon is because he is the government #clearing out my drafts #not archived yet #yes I wrote all the world building and set up and none of the two actually interacting

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dragoneyes618 · 3 years

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So there's this rogue kit. Officially, she has black fur with brown flecks and yellow eyes (I'll explain why later)but unofficially, I keep imagining her as gray.

She was born without a front right paw. Her mother, who is rather callous, to put it mildly (again, I'll explain later) had three other kits and decided not to bother to waste milk on a three-pawed one. She didn't even name her. However, she couldn't quite bring herself to abandon her kit so young. So she waited until the kit had opened her eyes and started walking, and then she picked her up and carried her as far away as she could walk and still be back at her den at nightfall and then left her there.

Technically, she could still survive. Never mind the fact that she's between 1/2-1 moon old and is not anywhere near weaned. Anyway, so she would have died, except that a young tom named Strike (black fur, white stripe in the middle of his forehead) found her. If he was a Clan cat, he would be the age of a young apprentice. He brought her back to the group of rogues where he lived.

This group of rogues basically had a mentality that if you live with them, you contribute. If you don't, get out. They weren't going to let a kit die, though. So they gave her to a she-cat named Prickle whose personality matched her name and told her to nurse her.

Prickle basically treated the kit like Lizardstripe treated Brokenstar. She didn't name her either. She actively encouraged her three kits (they all have names like Thistle and Thorn) to bully the kit. She didn't give her enough milk, and weaned her very early. After all, she was missing a paw! What was the point?

The rogues decided that the kit should help Fox. Fox was the closest thing they had to a medicine cat. He was pretty good with herbs. So the leader decided that he should be the healer. But Fox was like, "I don't want to be your healer! I want to go hunting!" But the leader was like, no, this is what you know, this is what you do for us, take it or leave it. So Fox resents being stuck gathering herbs all day and treating injured cats and occasionally ridiculed by them (until they need healing, of course).

Guess who he takes it out on. Yup.

Think of Fox as a genuinely mean-spirited Jayfeather. Jayfeather grumbles and grumps at people, but he's nice inside. Fox isn't.

The kit doesn't really get enough to eat either, because she's a kit and has no one to bring her food and even when she does manage to get prey, someone always says something like how it's being wasted because they don't think she's going to last long, what with having only three paws.

She has her own nest (nest: a piece of moss that happened to be growing there, although to be fair, that's what the nests of at least half the rogues look like) between the roots of a thin tree. After her "foster littermates" jump on her there one two many times she, at the age of less than three moons and with only three paws, learns how to scramble ungainly up the tree. Desperate times, desperate measures.

Pretty much the only cat who actually pays attention to her and is nice to her is Strike, the cat who found her. He feels somewhat responsible for her, since he found her in the first place. He finally gave her a name: Echo, after his mother.

Strike tries to do things like saving her a mouse and teaching her to hunt (while trying to ignore Fox's comments and grumbles) but he's like eight moons old, and he has to take care of himself, too, since the rule is basically "if you don't hunt then you don't eat." It works out pretty well for the able-bodied cats who are actually able to stick up for themselves instead of, you know, helpless kits.

Echo dreads helping Fox, but she has to. He'll give her quick instructions that he never mentioned before, won't repeat them, and then get mad that she mixed up the herbs or something. He'll cuff her hard with unsheathed claws, and also she's a kit, not even an apprentice, so it'll actually knock her off her paws. Sometimes he'll pick her up and throw her into the wall. He's cruel, even.

He's basically angry at the world and taking it out on Echo.

I feel really mean now. Don't worry, her life gets better! Not right away, though.

Echo's experiences "helping" Fox in the "medicine den" left such an impression on her that, even seasons and seasons later, the smell of herbs makes her feel anxious and sick.

At some point Fox knocks Echo into a river. She was never sure if it was accidentally or on purpose. Did I mention it's leaf-bare?

She can't swim, but she survives by clinging to a branch, and eventually washes up in the shallows of the river, where she stumbles out and walks until she collapses under a bush just inside ThunderClan territory. So one fine morning a patrol is patrolling and somebody smells something odd and finds a half-dead, half-frozen kit under a bush.

They bring her back to camp. She wakes up in the medicine den, which is not very good for her, and neither is the presence of Jayfeather or Alderheart, since they smell of herbs.

Daisy is there, though. Daisy basically ends up adopting her. This is good for Daisy, too, as she's recently lost two of her own kits, Rosepetal and Berrynose. Anyway, so once Daisy convinces her to tell them a little bit about herself, they realize that a. call back the patrols, we're not finding a mother anywhere near here, and b. we are not sending her back to those rogues.

One of the first advocates for taking Echo into the Clan is Twigbranch, because she knows what it's like to be a kit alone with no family. Another one is Jayfeather, because he's like "When I was a kit you didn't know what I would be able to do and yet here I am," although he probably says it much more rudely.

For the first week Echo sleeps by herself underneath and behind one of the big rocks in the hollow. For the second week, she sleeps in the nursery but by herself. For the third week, she starts sleeping in Daisy's nest.

On Echo's first day out of the medicine den, she steps out, glad to be out, realizes everyone is looking at her, freezes in panic, and then runs to the nearest den and hides there until Daisy finds her, and that's how she ended up becoming friends with the elders and hearing all the Clan stories.

The apprentices basically adopt her as their mascot.

At the age of six moons, Echo is given the name Echopaw and apprenticed to Twigbranch.

It turns out (Echopaw likes to imagine telling the rogues this) that just because she has only three paws doesn't mean she can't hunt! It's hard, yes, but she can do it! She caught a mouse all by herself! So there!

Finleap and Brightheart give her tips on how to compensate for a missing limb.

At her first Gathering the other apprentices are like "You have no paws! Don't be silly, of course she has paws! But she's missing one! What happened? Does it hurt? How do you walk?" and she's like, "Like this," and walks a few steps to show them, and they're like, "Oh, cool," and then go on to the next interesting thing to talk about.

At some point, she meets Strike again. He decided to leave the rogues and go out by himself. What made him do this was the fact that a kit-Echopaw-disappeared and nobody bothered to look for her. They barely even noticed she was missing. He decided that he didn't want to be part of cats like these, and if it meant being on his own in an uncertain future, than so be it.

(No, Strike and Echopaw do not end up being mates when they grow up. He's like a big brother to her.)

The first time Violetshine sees Echopaw she stares at her in horror, then says, in answer to Twigbranch wondering what's wrong, "Nothing. Nothing." and then quickly changes the subject.

Because she recognized Echopaw.

Echopaw is the near-double of her mother, Raven.

Yes, that Raven.

Hence the black fur and yellow eyes. The brown flecks are from Echopaw's father, Roach.

The only cat who knows this for sure is Violetshine. She may or may not tell Twigbranch. The ShadowClan-former Kin cats may or may not have recognized her, as well as the ThunderClan cats who went to the gorge in The Apprentice's Quest.

Violetshine doesn't tell Echopaw, because she doesn't want her to carry this burden.

Echopaw is nothing like her mother. Bramblestar and Tawnypelt can sympathize.

Oh, And at some point she might meet Crow, one of her brothers, who it turns out is actually decent!

I don't actually have a warrior name or anything.

#warrior cats #daisy #daisy warriors #twigbranch #alderheart #jayfeather #violetshine #thunderclan #brightheart #finleap #child abuse #raven #raven warriors #raven warrior cats #roach warrior cats

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elizahgodswood · 4 years

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NaNoWriMo Update: Day 27

So far, keeping up with my projected goal of finishing NaNo on the 30th! Here’s a little excerpt tht I’m especially proud of and the song I listened to that really encapsulated the scene, if you wanna listen while you read!

https://open.spotify.com/track/7sXYoFoFoJ28bnjsnoBfvY?si=Jyd2GEsWQXmoy5aZtATodA

Wordcount: 2719

Dusk brought a sense of disquiet to the temple. The council had been in session for hours after Seida left, apparently. She’d only found out after they’d finished up their training in the courtyard and come back inside to clean up and have supper as they’d passed by a group of sisters chatting a little too loudly. This definitely meant that the temple would still be under lockdown and that escape would prove to be incredibly difficult. Both Gregorim and Tauren seemed assured that she would figure out a way.

As they sat down at the table to await their meal to be brought to them, there was a surprise knock at the door. The three of them exchanged puzzled looks before Seida stood to check who it was. The servants had a specific knock--this one was a little too frantic, made by a shaking hand. Surely the council wasn’t going to need her again in the morning after the Grand Master dismissed her. If they did, that put their escape plan back potentially days. There would be an immediate manhunt for them if she didn’t show up to the meeting. Slowly, she opened the door a crack to peek out into the corridor. Sadra stood with her hands clasped before her, giving Seida a strained smile. Behind her were three of her handmaidens, carrying a few covered silver platters.

“May I come in? I realize you must be in the middle of your meal, but I thought it would be nice to dine together tonight. We haven’t had as much time to catch up as I would like, and I have a few more questions for you and your apprentices,” Sadra said. Something in the way she looked briefly from side to side at her handmaidens told her Seida that there was something amiss. Why did she look so uncomfortable?

Seida opened the door fully, stepping aside to allow the four of them to enter. “Of course. It would be an honor to have you dine with us, Most Holy.”

Sadra entered the room and took the fourth and final seat at the table. The handmaidens set the platters on the table and bowed before making a hasty exit out of the chamber. Even they seemed nervous, fearful even. Seida closed the door behind them. “What’s going on, Sadra? Why do you all seem so scared?”

“Let’s just say that the meeting took a sharp downward spiral after you were dismissed. The Mothers split into two sides: those that agreed with me breaking the silence, and those that attempted to paint me as a fraud and insisted that I was the reason Kirada was not answering. It has become very clear to me that my life is in far more danger than I had first thought. Which is why we are not to eat a single thing on these plates. I fear they have been poisoned.” Sadra looked sternly at the two boys, who had lifted the platter lids and were eying the spread with delight until they heard the word poison. They quickly slammed the lids back down and pushed them away, content to listen to her instead. “My handmaidens became very insistent that I dine alone and tried to convince me otherwise the whole way here. You saw how nervous they were.”

“You think they would attempt to assassin you?” Seida sat beside her sister, now greatly concerned. Perhaps tonight really wasn’t time to flee just yet. Not if Sadra was in danger.

“I would not put it past my opposers. I believe that it was they that snuck the assassin into the city. Apparently no one outside the city knew of the attempt on my life in the marketplace, either. The Grand Master took that very seriously, and demanded a full on investigation into the whole temple’s upper echelon. Even I’ve been questioned thoroughly for half the day. I believe that would give them plenty of motive to get rid of me sooner rather than later. If I die, then the meetings would be called off until Kirada chooses a new oracle, which could take weeks and give them enough time to cover their tracks.”

“What are you going to do?” Seida asked. “I know you can’t just keep skipping meals or having someone taste them beforehand and looking over your shoulder forever. Is the Grand Master helping to protect you?”

“Roahrk is doing his best, hence why the temple has been locked down. No one can enter, and no one can leave until the investigation is complete. There’s guards patrolling the walls at every visible point and there are no waypoints in the city to use--Roahrk’s personal soldiers, too, not temple guards. Unless the guards are somehow paid off, there is no getting in or out of this prison.” Sadra hung her head. “I feel like a bird in a cage with a snake--trapped and waiting for my demise.”

“What about making your own waypoint?” Seida asked. The boys looked up in surprise. Sadra’s disappearance would definitely draw attention to them, but she wasn’t about to leave her sister behind when her life was at risk. “I know there are wards preventing people from trying to travel in through waypoints, but are their wards preventing us from leaving through one?”

“Are you suggesting I flee Khasta?” Sadra looked up at her in shock. Seida bit the inside of her cheek. Maybe trying to hint at her was a bad idea. What if Sadra wouldn’t leave with her? Would she report them? “Where would I go?”

“I’m suggesting you flee Ist’Heom, Sadra. If Kirada has abandoned the Order as you fear she has, then what is keeping you here?”

“And where would I go? Back home to the Fae and put our mother in danger? Somewhere in the mortal world where they’ll eventually find me and hang me for abandoning my position?”

“You can come with us,” Gregorim said, seeming to catch on to what Seida was suggesting. What he hadn’t picked up on yet was Sadra’s obvious hesitations. There was no going back now. “We were already planning on leaving anyway.”

Sadra’s eyes widened. “Seida, are you serious? You--a scouter of the Order sworn to hunt down deserters--are planning on deserting?”

“Former scouter,” Seida corrected. Fifty years she’d tried to rationalize her retirement as something that was inevitable, something she’d brought upon herself. But now, she’d come to realize that it was unjust, a hasty way for the corrupt Order to buy her silence and her loyalty. If the council gave a damn about actually protecting the world, they wouldn’t have hesitated to act without Kirada, especially not if She’d been purposefully shutting them out as she’d been doing. “The world we are sworn to protect hangs on our willingness to take a stand and fight. Surely four stomcallers united against Mons is better than none?”

Sadra looked down at her hands, silent for a long time as she mulled over Seida’s words. The three of them waited on baited breath. The aid she could provide would be invaluable to them, and Seida couldn’t bear to leave her behind. Not under these circumstances. If it took time to convince her sister to prioritize her own life over serving the Order, then she’d gladly put off their escape to a better time.

“I suppose you are right. If Kirada truly has abandoned us, then there is no point in me sticking around waiting to be assassinated. The world needs us; let’s not keep it waiting.” She pushed herself up from her seat. “Grab your things and follow me to my chambers. We can attempt to create a waypoint there.”

Relief washed over them. Seida hugged her sister tightly, glad to have her on board. The boys ran to her room to grab their belongings. Gregorim handed Seida her pack when they returned. Seida stepped out first, ensuring that there were no guards or handmaidens lingering around before signaling that the coast was clear. Sadra led the way, constantly looking back over her shoulder as they made their way towards the stairs. The guards standing at the base of the stairs parted for them without question, but gave Seida and the boys questioning looks. At this point, they were a minor inconvenience. Sadra being Oracle meant the guards could not openly question her authority or why her guests had their packs.

There were a few more guards patrolling the short hallway between the stairs and Sadra’s chambers. They bid her good evening, not seeming to think anything was out of the ordinary. Sadra smiled and bid them the same, doing her best not to seem harried or anxious. They followed her into her chambers. Sadra locked the door behind them and quickly ran to the dressing room off of the main room. She came back with her chair, which she propped up under the door handle.

“My handmaidens have keys. They will eventually come to realize that I am no longer in your chambers and will come looking for me here. There is ink on my desk in the study which we can use to make the waypoint. I’m going to change and throw some things together while you get it ready.”

Sadra ran back into her dressing room and shut the door. Seida ran to the study and grabbed the inkwell while the boys began to roll up the rug on the stone floor. Seida began to paint the symbols on the floor with her hands. At this point, there was no time for them to swing by her house first. They would have to find weapons and supplies elsewhere. They’d be going through to Sericuze first, and could jump to somewhere more remote from there--maybe Tunsa or the Katatrangi desert, or somewhere in eastern Tigran where the Order didn’t have strong ties and they could hide unnoticed for a while. The boys stood back, fetching her another inkwell from the study when she ran out of ink. Just as Seida finished the waypoint, Sadra emerged from her dressing room, wearing a black tunic and leggings and rugged black army boots with her bag slung over one shoulder. She had a knife in her free hand. She quickly knelt in the circle and nicked her thumb. The blood drops hissed when they hit the floor.

She stood beside Seida, squeezing her hand tightly as they waited to see what would happen. For a moment, there was nothing but silence and the blood sizzling on the floor. That was not something Seida had ever seen when making a waypoint before. When the hissing stopped, her shoulders drooped. Perhaps the wards were preventing the connection between the waypoints. Just before she could say anything, the waypoint suddenly opened, flickering slightly. It was clear that the connection was unstable and wouldn’t stay open long.

“We’ve got to move quickly. Let’s go.” Seida held onto Gregorim’s hand while Tauren took Sadra’s free hand, and together they stepped through the waypoint. Once they passed through the other side, a sense of relief washed over her. They were out, but couldn’t relax yet. They’d need to get as far from the waypoint as possible before resting for the night. If anyone discovered it within the next few hours, the connection between the two waypoints would still be traceable if they could get it back open. Once the boys had gotten their bearings, they started at a jog for the forest in the distance. They’d be able to find cover there.

“Where are we going next? We just came through the waypoint outside of Ghirda that you talked about earlier, right?” Gregorim asked.

“That was. We are going to take shelter in the woods for the night. In the morning, we will go over the map together and plan our next move. It wouldn’t be wise to supply ourselves there: Bato and his agents would recognize us immediately.”

“There’s always Agmedus. The Order has only a few bases left on the eastern coastline. We could make our way north into the Azons, where we’d go completely unnoticed. There are fairy colonies out there that would gladly hide us. They had strong ties to the Gilded Knights and drove the Order out when the knights fell.” Sadra suggested.

“We would have to try and cross through the Vuundreth Mountains to get there. The mountain passes will still be locked in over twenty feet of ice and snow until mid summer.” Seida shook her head. Perhaps later that would be a good place to base themselves, but for the moment it was out of the question. They were almost to the trees now. They didn’t have to decide tonight. Right now, getting away from the waypoint and covering their tracks was their highest priority.

Seida turned around when she heard Sadra suddenly cry out in pain. Gregorim managed to catch her as she collapsed. He slowly lowered her to the ground, a concerned frown on his face. She had gone completely limp, like she did whenever she had a vision. Tauren kneeled beside her, giving her shoulder a shake before looking up at Seida with wide eyes.

“Sadra?” Seida patted her cheek, giving her shoulders a slight shake. All she got in response was another gasp and cry of agony. Sadra began to thrash, tears streaming down her face.

“Gods, what’s wrong with her?” Gregorim asked as he desperately tried to hold her still and keep her quiet. Taren had to help him restrain her as she tried to fight them off.

“It’s Kirada….” Seida shivered. Though Sadra’s confirmation ceremony hadn’t caused her this much pain, the connection to Kirada had been very similar to what was happening now. As if on cue, Sadra sat bolt upright, taking in a raspy, shallow breath. Her eyes glowed white as she spoke in a voice not her own. “Arrogant child! Blasphemer! How dare you abandon your station---abandon me! If you so readily spurn my gifts, then let me take them back!”

“What is happening?” Tauren scooted away, his eyes wide with fear. Sadra fell limp again, whimpering softly as Gregorim patted her shoulder comfortingly, looking up at Seida with concern.

“Kirada has spoken.” Seida brushed some of Sadra’s hair from her face as she looked her over for any serious signs of injury. Her palm where her seers mark was felt very hot to the touch. She had her other hand pressed to her left eye, continuing to whimper in pain. “And I don’t like what she had to say.”

“Was that a warning to us?” Gregorim said.

“By the sound of it, that was more a warning to Sadra herself than to all of us here. Or perhaps it was meant for me. We will have to find out. I just hope that she’s okay. The connection with Kirada tends to drain the host, sometimes for days.” Seida looked around them. There was no safe place for them to camp without drawing attention to themselves. She paced back and forth for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. Sadra would need a safe place to rest and recover. But where could they go? They were miles away from any village, with no mounts and limited supplies.

“What do we do now?” Tauren asked as he tentatively leaned forward again to examine Sadra for himself. “She looks like she’s in pain.”

“There’s only one place I can take us,” Seida said. Undoubtedly it would be trouble, but at least her sister would be safe for now, as would the boys. “Can you hold her, Gregorim?”

“Aye, I can manage.” Gregorim grunted as he adjusted his hold on Sadra to lift her up. She let out another whimper, pressing her palm against her eye again. “Where are we off to, then?”

“Paix; we can take refuge with my mother for the night. There, we can at least be sure Sadra is safe while we find a place for us to stay.” Seida motioned for Tauren to take her hand. He took her hand and squeezed his eyes shut. She wrapped her other arm around Gregorim’s shoulder. No waypoint was required for her to enter the Fae, thankfully. The sooner she got Sadra help, the better.

Taglist (ask to be added or removed): @gloriafrimpong @eternalwritingstudent @happyorogeny @wildswrites @starrywriting @cookiecutterwrites @zwritesiguess @idriltelcontar

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bloodytimelady · 4 years

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Whumptober 2020 Day 1 - Let’s hang out

Darren came to slowly, like waking up from a night of binge drinking with the guys from the Conclave. He shook his head, trying to free it from the daze and the weird pressure he felt. His ears were ringing, and his every muscle burning and tingling with millions of needles. His staff was out of his hands, even though the blindfold still seemed to be on his eyes. Not that it changed anything.

It was only when he tried to move that he found out he was unable to, and from the acute pain to his wrists and ankles, he drew the most logical conclusion: he was restrained.

Before he had the time to process what that implied, a new worry washed over him. “Aster?” He called out, anxiety rising in his heart.

“Good gods, it sure took you time to wake up, Master” answered a familiar voice to his right. The man relaxed, but only for a moment.

“I was starting to think that the gravity must have fried your brain”.

“Gravity?”.

He heard the girl sigh dramatically before replying:” Some thugs ambushed us on Cloverfield Road, a few hours ago. You were out as a light before you could even hear what was happening, and I couldn’t leave you there. Hence why we’re both hanging like Smart Sue’s underwear on Reaping’s afternoon”.

The man took some time to process the words. He couldn’t recall a single detail of what his apprentice had just told him, but the hanging part was consistent with the tingling and pressure he felt throughout his entire body.

“What did they want?” he said, and his voice was suddenly as cold as ice. If they’d done anything to her…

“I’m fine” her voice suddenly lost all traces of humour “I don’t know what they wanted. They were ranting about some kind of necklace, but I told them I didn’t know anything. They threatened to kill us, but one of them -the boss, I suspect- kept them at bay”.

Darren licked his lips, taking it all in and trying to think of a plan:” Where’s my staff?”. “A few feet to your left. They joked about it, but they didn’t suspect anything about it or yourself”.

“That’s good. Can you swing? I need a push”.

“What? Your hands are all tied up like-” Aster’s objection faltered when Darren raised his freed wrists above (below?) his head with a victorious smile.

“You need to teach me that some time” scoffed the girl, and a few seconds later the creaking of the rope announced the slight pressure of the girl’s head on his back. A few pushes later, and the tips of his fingers brushed against the grass. Almost when he was beginning to think he couldn’t stretch any further, he touched something hard and smooth.

He quickly seized it, and Aster let out a whoop of victory.

“Now what?” asked the girl eagerly.

“Now, my girl, be patient and quiet”.

Darren held the staff to his chest and tried to relax as much as possible. What he wanted to try was well over his usual practice, but their situation was a tricky one: from the chilly breeze, he could feel that the afternoon was about to end.

Neither of them was in the position to defend themselves against wolves, or any of the other creatures that came out by night. And there was the possibility that their assaulters had a change of mind about leaving them alive.

He clenched his jaw, trying to focus. The staff started getting warmer in his hands. He could feel the rustling of branches above his feet, the creaking of the rope, the faraway call of a mockingbird.

Suddenly, the world around him exploded in a fountain of light and sound. While the staff began burning, he became one with every living being around him, from the birds in the sky to the worms in the ground, to all the trees and plants and mushrooms and lichens in the forest. As always, the feeling almost swept him away. He clenched his teeth so much that his gums started bleeding, and fought for a direction, an opening.

“Darren? Is that you?”.

Aiden. Dear gods, thank you.

“Where are you? You should’ve been back hours ago. Is everything alright? Did something happen?”.

The old man sounded worried in his head. Darren explained quickly, as he felt his energy beginning to dwindle. He held on with a growl, but he didn’t have much time.

Aiden pushed gently against his mind. He gladly let his walls down.

“I know where you are, Darren. Otto and the boys are coming to get you. Hold on”.

Darren’s head was suddenly empty. The staff fell from his weak grip and clattered to the ground, but he made no move to catch it.

He let his arms dangle over his head, as exhaustion washed over him. The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Aster’s worried voice call his name.

“He’s coming to, stay back. Give him space”.

Darren winced, a soft groan escaping his lips.

He felt horrible. His entire body was stiff and aching, and his hands were probably scorched, at least judging from the acute pain he felt. “A-Aster?” he whispered, trying to make out the girl’s voice among the chaos. He was lying on a hard, wobbling surface that he guessed was a cart, and all around them, the air was full of men yelling and horses neighing.

“I’m here” a reassuring hand closed around his shoulder. He sighed, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his chest.

Aster’s arms slid gently over his shoulders, lifting his upper body off the cart.

“Drink” she ordered, and he obediently took a sip of water.

“Otto and the others arrived a few hours after you lost consciousness. Don’t ever pull something like that on me again, Master. I was terrified. Master Aidan would surely disapprove of this use of the staff, and I’m sure we’d have managed without it just fine. The next time…”.

The girl’s voice got confused with the rest as Darren relaxed against her with a weary sigh. His head was pounding, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

Something cold and wet was draped over his forehead, relieving ever so slightly the uncomfortable pressure that had built up there.

“It’s okay. Sleep. I’ll wake you up when we arrive” Aster said, and her tone shifted from lecturing to surprisingly soft.

The man didn’t bother to reply.

#whumptober #whump #no.1 #waking up restrained #oc #original content #original work

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kawaiikatanabushi · 5 years

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Hey Shari! I was wondering if you could give us some headcanons for Souji as a kid? What his childhood was like, things he enjoyed when he was little, how he changed as he grew up--really anything about that you feel like writing. Just interested in your thoughts 😊

Hey Rebecca! Get ready for a lengthy post, because I am going to answer for an Edo period, but follow up with a Modern Day AU version as well. Let's focus on Edo first, ne?

Just to note, trials and struggles are a part of Souji's upbringing, but I will factor in some happiness as much as I can.

Thanks for asking and let's get this ball rolling!

Edo Period Upbringing:

-We know that Souji lost his parents at an early age and Mitsu became his caretaker. His father died in 1845, but his mother's death is left to conjecture, given the lack of historical findings as well as the lack of game specifics. I imagine his father died in an unexpected, samurai related tragedy when Souji was about three years of age. From the loss and financial burden, his mother died shortly thereafter from stress and health complications. This left his adoptive brother Rintaro the head of the family at nineteen. Mitsu assumed the role of mother at the tender age of twelve and married Rintaro the next year. Childhood was out of the question for them, survival becoming the prime directive.

-Souji, though born to a domain's mansion, became well-acquianted with poverty and struggle. Rintaro, Mitsu, Ken and Souji would sleep in a huddled pile upon the floor, hoping to eat off what little Rintaro made.

-Still, he was brought along to Mitsu's odd jobs, splashing along in the river and giggling as she washed clothes for a few coins. He would give her an assortment of shiny rocks and had to be fished out and dried several times. He had his siblings and couldn't truly comprehend his loss as the others did.

-As he grew, he loved to catch things ranging from frogs to fireflies. Ken, who was six years older, showed him how to climb a tree or play games. He was a giggler and it kept their little family happy at first. The girls taught him to weave baskets and it allowed them to seek fish for extra money. The only problem was, much of their meals consisted of rice and a garnish of green onions.

-Due to their meager food supply, he became sick often and they worried for his health. The girls would share extra portions of their food or drinks to try and keep him stronger. He was used to being handed someone else's cup. A habit he carried into adulthood, sneaking a drink from friends as both a joke and a sign of affection.

-Festivals were a well-appreciated form of entertainment. He didn't care for being dressed up, but if it meant he could eat sweets and catch goldfish, he would put up with Mitsu combing his fluffy locks and dressing him the part of a samurai family. Though poor, they had their reputation to uphold. He and Ken would flit from stall to stall, wanting anything and everything. Mitsu clearly had her hands full. Souji's favorite summer festival treat was watermelon. Kid could eat through four slices at a young age!

-Rintaro slowly fell into drinking, bottling up his stress and the grief over the loss of his mentor and father figure. The longer he did so, the more slovenly and aggressive he became. Souji grew a firm resentment towards him, trying to defend his sisters from drunken fury. He learned his fiery tenacity at this point, the man being the first person to call him "weak" and "pathetic" when he was unable to overcome him. Souji was six at his first defense attempt to stop the man. He became conditioned to taking someone else's strikes. Hence, why he never asked the Shiei hall students to stop, instead choosing to fight back. This began to teach Souji how to hate.

-It was also due to this fact that Souji began changing from the giggly little boy, to an abused and wounded child. He began to resist instructions, choosing to be disobedient and hostile. He would run off when things became hard to bear, scaling up a tree or skipping rocks into the river. He was standoffish with other kids, burdened by a family name he didn't care for, an abusive father figure and never having a satisfied stomach. When completely alone, he would cry out his frustration and pain. Usually, one of his sisters found him and would scoop him into their embrace. Ken vowed to always love her brother, crying along with him. Mitsu, being older and bearing a great deal, would console him and promise to protect him in a motherly way. He believed she would always be there to do so.

-There were better moments, making origami with his sisters or playing at samurai with Ken. He didn't really care about the actions, so long as it was a game. He found great pleasure in placing a beetle into Rintaro's futon or a frog in his kimono. He and Ken would conspire the plots and though get scolded, did them all the same.

-But then, the worst struck. Mitsu became pregnant at eighteen and had arranged for Ken to be married at fifteen. Souji begged her to stop it, because he loved Ken and couldn't protect her from far away. Mitsu sadly refused, and as they couldn't afford to feed Souji any longer, told Souji he would apprentice as a samurai. No matter how she tried to paint it, he argued with her. He could be the man Rintaro wasn't! He would protect the baby and keep Mitsu safe! He wouldn't leave her with that monster. He begged and pleaded, but to no avail. He was forced to bow at the entrance to Shiei hall, resentful and resistant as he bowed before instructors he didn't know.

-Being the live in apprentice was difficult. He had to learn survival on his own at nine. He was not equipped and mistrusted everyone. He cried for his sisters in the night, when he was alone. He waited for Mistu to return every evening. His little hands maintained the lawn blade by blade, swept the halls and scrubbed the floors. He resented housework, resented his sensei, resented his sister, but mostly, resented how useless he was. If he had been born first, he could have taken care of his sisters. This is where his inadequacy began to form.

-Having no allies around, he was very quiet as a child and brooding most of the day. In all honesty, he both wanted to fight someone, anyone, and he also longed for a friend. Wandering cats became his companions and he hated watching them leave. The older boys thought he was a freak for talking to animals, thinking he was an idiot because he was usually so sullen. They called him names, throwing out slander and accusing him of being spoiled or thinking himself grander than he was. They accused him of being arrogant, though a slave. They called him the sensei pet and unfortunately, Kondou-san and his kindness didn't aid the situation. He kept trying to find ways to make sure Souji was taken care of and comfortable. If he had time, he would sit and talk with him as he pulled weeds or would visit in the kitchen. Souji didn't understand why this man kept following him around and was irritated he liked him. He referred to him as a guest, but Souji felt like a prisoner. The unwanted attention made the boys all the more resentful to this poor, dirty outsider. It was on a whim they took bokken off the wall and started beating him. When he tried to fight back, it gave them a further rise. It was ten to one, the odds were against him.

-Inoue Genzaborou was appreciated comfort to the little boy. He had a gentle, but calm manner. He didn't fuss too much at Souji, but also didn't try to make friends. He thanked Souji for doing odd jobs, but didn't yell or correct him when he spilled curry or the yard was uneven. He preferred his company over the headmaster. The headmaster was hard on Souji, demanding he do a job over if it was unacceptable (by his own declaration) and refused to train him until he showed forth "resolve."

-Souji had always had to overhear the opinions of others as to his orphan status or poorly appearance as a samurai born son. Everywhere he went, people pitied him. He was the source of gossip for many people in the village. "Poor pathetic orphan." "What a pathetic child." "Such a scrawny, pathetic thing." This did not aid his anger or feeling small. All of the negative opinions of others took root and he unleashed it on his accusers. He tried to fight the bullies, reading their moves. He was discovered with his welts and bruises, as we know. Being given the chance to fight and forming a "resolve" gave him the will to kill. The sword was a tool to make his sorrows end. It was a dangerous path he was on.

-Then, Kondou-san showed him the first ounce of compassion by allowing him to continue his sparring match, but, moreover showing that he cared more for Souji than his uniform. Secretly, Souji could be a very considerate child and respected Kondou-san. He cared for Kondou all the more after their hug. It wouldn't be the last one. Souji had one friend and the students saw him in a different light. The boys would tell new students he was crazy and to keep away from him. He didn't care. He had a friend in Kondou-san and he wasn't so alone. He had meaning. He set to chores with a different light. He did them for Kondou-san. When Gen-San praised Souji, he was inducted in, too. He didn't relate well to the other kids, but it gave him time to devote to swordplay, an area where he flourished. All his rage and hurt was poured into his lessons. He was taught how to maintain a polite air and be respectful, but wanted to be respected.

-If Kondou-san had sweets, Souji knew it. His sharp nose could sniff them out and Kondou was always willing to share. He spent many evenings in Kondou-san's lap, listening to stories he had to tell, things of great men and generals. Souji didn't really know what he was talking off, but he loved being held. It reminded him of the stories Mitsu told. It was wonderful to be spoiled.

-Then, he came. The broody, purple eyed teen who took Kondou-san away. Not only did he feel replaced and felt jealous at the closeness in age Hijikata-san and Kondou-san shared, but all the worse, he kind of liked the guy. He wasn't an idiot, like many of the other kids and also gave him the time of day. He was blunt, and Souji greatly appreciated that. He knew what to expect from this Toshi fellow. In my mind's eye, if Kondou-san was away or busy, he would seek out Hijikata-san and tell him directly to his face, "you'll do" sitting on his lap or beside him. He found an older brother in him as well, and the right amount of antagonizing flared up a temper. He hoped Kondou-san would see the flaw and love him devotedly again. It did not work, but Hijikata-san had a way of making the argument feel like family. Souji loved the guy, and completely hated him for it.

-Sometimes, the two older boys took Souji to the market or to fish in the river. Hijikata-san gave him a few gifts of books and colored paper to create origami, though he wasn't sure as to why when the "little brat didn't thank him." He would sometimes find a paper tiger or crane resting on the medicine box he toted around. He'd smirk, placing them in a safe place as Souji sneakily peered around a corner. They fought viciously, but there was no denying this unspoken brotherly bond. He didn't hate Souji, no matter how much of a pest he tried to be to make him look the villain. And, it made the brotherly bond set in stone.

-When alone, Souji stared up at the moon at night, trying to find the bunny in it and ask her to say hello to his sisters.

-If he had a nightmare, to which he was prone, he would drag his futon into Kondou-san's room.

-Kondou-san was the one who dressed Souji as he grew, asking family if they had any clothes he could use for a growing boy.

-If Souji fell ill, he would dote on him, getting him whatever he asked. Hijikata-san would accuse him of spoiling often and Souji loved the concept. Spoiling meant Kondou-san still loved him and he was loyal to him above all.

-When his sword skills truly began to show themselves, the youngest kids exclaimed he was "cool" and that they wanted to be "just like him." Being eleven at this first incident, it went right to his head. It became the reason he loved the kids and during breaks, they begged him to play. The older he became, the more it was the only way to remember his sister Ken and the happy memories he once had. He discovered that most little children hold no malice, they laugh freely and are an easy audience. Kids simply flicked to him and he lapped up all the attention, loving them genuinely and wholeheartedly. The place where children play is innocent and tranquil, something that life lacked for him. It was a boost to have so many little eyes shimmering up at him, trusting him implicitly. They maintained the goodness he forgot he had. And, every so often, he could play like he was never allowed.

I could probably go on, but I think that should explain where my headspace is for Souji. He's a rough and tumble boy, but he has his soft moments, too. I'll see what comes about for an AU. Hope you enjoyed!

#hakuouki #hakuoki #okita souji #hakuouki headcanon #souji headcanon #Souji's childhood #I'm sorry it's sad #not everyone has it easy #everyone has their struggles #his were just obvious #i love this one #I would have adopted him myself #souji is cutest baby #Souji's upbringing #headcanon

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alls-fair-in-pride-and-prejudice · 5 years

Text

Hanged-Man’s Chest

Julian and MC are en route to Nevivon from Vesuvia when they’re attacked by pirates. In the heat of battle, Julian realizes he has something to say.

Just finished Julian’s route with the upright ending and I have a lot of feelings, and finding out that they were sailing off together gave me so many ideas. This is inspired by the scene in Dead Man’s Chest (hence the wordplay in the title) where Will and Elizabeth get married. It’s in first person and no name or gender for the apprentice is mentioned, Julian just calls them Darling.

Warnings: this is a fight scene involving swords and the like, but no descriptions of blood and gore. There’s implied sexual stuff toward the end, but nothing explicit. This takes place after the events of Julian’s upright ending, so spoilers!

@bazzpop here’s hoping you actually get the notification this time, since you didn’t get notified for the last one.

Our journey to Nevivon was not off to a great start. I suppose only one of two things can happen when you’re sailing off from Vesuvia on an errand for the Countess: either no one dares mess with you, or some poor fool thinks that you’re bound to have precious riches to steal.

So that’s why, currently, our ship is under attack from pirates, just a mere three days after leaving Vesuvia, yet I’ve never felt more confident in such a hostile situation before. It’s probably because Julian is here. Portia and Mazelinka are here too, of course but… I’m most comforted by Julian’s presence.

If we can defeat the devil together, fighting a few pirates is child’s play.

Still, it’s a rough battle. These pirates don’t mess around. They boarded our ship in the middle of a storm, too, which was either very clever, or very stupid. For the moment, it makes the fight more chaotic, as the waves make the deck sway wildly under our feet.

Waves. They’re the perfect source of inspiration for my magic. I can feel the heavy raindrops pelting my head and bring them together to collect in one swirling, flying wave. I use it to wash a few unwelcome guests off the ship. For a moment, I’m so focused on the spell that I don’t notice a man coming at me with a sword just out of my peripheral vision. I turn to raise my hands and defend myself, and it would have been too late if It hadn’t been for the responding rapier that bats my attacker away.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt a magician in the middle of a spell?” Julian adds a touch of that classic theatre drama to his tone, and he tosses a look back at me. “Are you alright, darling?”

I grin at my lover. “Never better Jules!” I shout above the thunder and return to focusing on my magic. I later see the man who attacked me running back to his ship, unarmed. I know Julian, he never hurts anyone if he can disarm them or make them run instead. The other Devorak sibling, however? I catch a glimpse of Portia decking an unfortunate sailor so hard he falls into the water.

I can feel Julian at my back, protecting me as I work on pushing the pirates back with magic. I suppose some of them think that I’m the biggest threat, so I probably would have been overwhelmed had it not been for Julian. They’ve definitely underestimated Mazelinka, though, and if she didn’t have one hand occupied with steering the ship through the storm, they’d all be in trouble.

“Darling!” Julian calls to me over his shoulder, “I have something I need to ask you!”

“Is now really the time Jules?” I scoff as I push back a particularly stubborn attacker wielding a harpoon.

“Well I’ve really only just realized this! And I’m not sure I can contain it a moment longer!”

I roll my eyes and shift my attention to make a magic shield around us. It won’t last too long, but long enough to address whatever is going on with this disaster doctor now. I turn to face him.

He grabs my shoulders like I’m his lifeline. “Darling, my stars and sunlight, I love you!”

“Is that it, Julian? I know! I love you too!”

“No, no, no. I mean I love you and I never want to be without you! I want to spend every moment in your company, even if that means battling danger every other week! I’d face death every day if it meant having you by my side!”

My eyes get wide as I start to realize where this is going, “Jules… are you…?”

“My love, will you marry me?”

My excitement and love and joy fuel my magic so much I thought the sun was coming out. Then, I realized it was just the shield glowing brighter, and it gains enough strength to push everyone back. I grab him by the collar and pull him to me in a kiss. “Yes! Julian, yes!”

Then, I give him a playful swat on the arm. “What is it with you and having these revelations in dire situations, though? I swear you get off on the danger!”

He gives me one of his classic, suave smiles. “Why darling, you wound me! Besides, we both know I’m not the only one who likes a little danger.” He winks. “And I’m very fortunate in that.”

I give him another peck on the cheek before shouting out to the captain. “Mazelinka! Will you marry us?”

Mazelinka swats away another pirate with a metal ladle with her free hand. I shudder to think how terrifying she would be with an actual weapon. “I’m busy!” she shouts, “Quit lagging about and get to work!”

“I call best man!” Portia shouts, “or, woman that is!”

I bring the shield down so Julian can fence with one of the few that still tried to come after us. He laughs heartily. “Portia you know I’d never want anyone else!”

I laugh along with him, the wind blowing more rain into my face. I’ve never felt so alive and happy as I have this moment. “I suppose I can ask Asra to be my maid of honor. Er- man of honor?” I search for a moment for the proper word until I just settle on “Magician of honor!”

“Darling, what flowers do you prefer?” Julian calls over to me, sending another assailant overboard. “I’ve always been a fan of sunflowers at celebrations.”

“Doesn’t that mess with your dark and brooding aesthetic?” I tease, sliding down the rail of some steps so I’m in the perfect position to kick a crewmate’s attacker in the face.

We continue this back and forth of wedding planning as we fight, and before we know it, we’ve sent the pirates running, and they’re completely empty handed.

Later that night, Julian and I are snuggled up in our shared quarters below deck. He’s gently running his fingers through my hair when he asks, “Did you really mean it, my love? That you’ll marry me? It wasn’t heat of the battle or thinking we’d die?”

A slight breath of a laugh escapes my lips, “I didn’t believe for a second we’d die, Ilya, we both know we’ve faced far worse than a few pirates.”

He hums a bit in contentment, “yes, yes, I know darling I just want to make sure – oh!”

In a moment I’ve shifted us so I’m on top of him, pinning him down by his wrists. A bright blush creeps up from his cheeks to his ears, and I know I’ve succeeded at shutting him up for a moment. “I want to marry you Julian, really,” I promise. I lean forward so that I can feel the heat of his breath on my lips and press my body flush against his. “Now, how about we celebrate our engagement?”

His gaze wanders a bit, clearly flustered, before his expression breaks into that of a devilish grin. “Aye, aye, captain.”

#julian devorak #portia devorak #mazelinka #the arcana game #julian the arcana #julian x apprentice #dead man's chest #julian fanfiction #original fanfiction #arcana fanfiction #asra alzanar #julian proposal #alls fair creations

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bl-danmei-yaoi · 5 years

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AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20050420

If Meng Shi gained powers from the worship she received in the Guanyin temple and used it to help Meng Yao reincarnate.

As Jin Guangyao is dragged into the coffin by Nie Mingjue’s corpse, he thinks, that’s it. Everything ends here. His ambitions, his desires, his foolishness, his ruthlessness, his pain, his sufferings. Everything ends here. Jin Guangyao feels mostly relief. Because he’s grown tired of the life he’s made for himself. But at the same time, he felt regretful. Because he can never make up to the people he’d let down. The only people in his life who ever truly loved and cared for him, he had let them down.

Darkness embraces Jin Guangyao. He does not know for how long. But then, he suddenly hears a familiar voice that would bring tears to his eyes if he was still alive.

“A-Yao”, the voice calls, gently, sweetly.

“Mother…” Jin Guangyao, no, Meng Yao, replies. “Mother… I’m sorry… I’ve let you down.”

“No, A-Yao, it was Mother who was wrong. Mother was foolish. I thought that by following your father, you will be happier. With Mother, you have always been looked down own. It hurt my heart but there was little I could do to protect you. I thought that your father would have treated you even a little bit well, considering blood relations, but I was wrong. Instead of helping you gain happiness, I was the one who pushed you into hell.” Meng Shi’s voice echoes solemnly.

“No, Mother. It is all my fault.”

“A-Yao… You are a good boy. This temple you have built for me is the very evidence. Because of that, the worship I have gotten has given me some powers. I could not help you before, but now, Mother can repent for her mistakes.” With that, Meng Yao feels his soul being pulled by an invisible force.

“A-Yao, Mother has given you life again. Mother wants to tell you to live happily and carefree. But this time, all I want is for you to follow your heart. Don’t force yourself to be someone you are not. Mother gives you all her blessings…”

Then, Meng Yao takes the first breath he has taken since Jin Guangyao died.

“Wahhhhhh!” The sound of a baby cries out.

“He’s born! He’s born! Quick! Give the child to me!” A man happily asks the midwife for the child. Then, gently carrying the child, he walks over to show his wife. “Look! Our little son! He looks just like you!”

The wife looks helplessly at her husband. The newborn baby is all red and wrinkled. How can he possibly tell who the child looks like?

“What shall we name our son?” The husband asks his wife excitedly.

Without a thought, the wife suddenly says, “Yao. His name is Meng Yao. Our precious jade.”

The husband smiles, nodding happily. “Welcome to the family, A-Yao.”

Hearing this, the baby cries even harder, heart-wrenchingly so.

“Aiyah! What’s wrong, darling? Don’t cry!” The husband panics, looking at the midwife for help.

Just then, the door opens, and in comes a little boy, of about nine. “Is that my little brother? Why is he crying so badly?”

“Don’t worry. It’s normal for newborn babies to cry. He seems to have a healthy set of lungs.” The midwife laughs.

“Let me hold my baby brother!” The young boy says, stretching out his hands.

“Be careful,” The husband reminds his elder son. Carefully, he passes his youngest son to the boy. “Your hands must be like this. Remember to support his head. Here.”

“Hello, baby brother. Big brother will protect you, so don’t cry.”

That night, Meng Yao is reborn. To a normal but loving family. His new father, Meng Guo, is Meng Shi’s distant cousin’s son. Hence, Meng Yao’s new body has much resemblance to his old one. His new mother is called Mei Yu, while his new older brother is called Meng Hu. And although they are just normal people who cannot cultivate, Meng Yao is happy.

In the next sixteen years that passed, Meng Yao grew to accept his past. At first, he wanted to avoid it altogether. His new family is so warm, everything he has ever wanted in a family. But Meng Yao could not be so heartless as to forget his mother, Meng Shi, who helped to give him this. Meng Yao knows that Meng Shi must have suffered severe consequences for helping him to reincarnate without going through the proper channels. Meng Yao had felt guilty at first, hence encouraging him to forget his past and to just drown in the happiness of his new life. Slowly, as his new family healed the wounds in his soul, Meng Yao is able to look back on his past calmly. And then, more often than not, Meng Yao is often reminded of Lan Xichen.

Meng Yao had resented Lan Xichen for stabbing him. But Meng Yao also understands that he could not blame Lan Xichen for that. Although he claimed to never have intended to hurt Lan Xichen, Meng Yao knows that he has. He’d broken Lan Xichen’s trust and did terrible things. And so, he learns to forgive Lan Xichen for stabbing him. After all, there is nothing to forgive.

Meng Yao knows that Meng Shi wanted him to forget his past, so that he could live happy and carefree in this new life. But how can Meng Yao forget? Meng Shi and Lan Xichen are both very important people in his past life, and he had learned many lessons as well. Hence, Meng Yao does not forget, but he does not let them become his demons either. Instead, he used them as a reminder to better appreciate what he has now.

It is just an ordinary day, when Meng Yao hears his brother, Meng Hu, shouting frantically. “A-Yao! Help get a doctor! Quick!”

The words scare Meng Yao into action, running quickly outside the house to see Meng Hu supporting a man with blood-soaked white robes. Meng Yao sees the familiar embroidery on the white robes. They belonged to the Lan Sect. Upon hearing Meng Hu call out “A-Yao”, the injured man had looked up, eyes meeting Meng Yao’s.

“Er-Ge,” Meng Yao whispers under his breath, rooted to the spot when he recognises the injured man.

“A-Yao? Why are you just standing there? Quickly get a doctor!” Meng Hu calls out, breaking Meng Yao out from his trance.

Worry quickly engulfs Meng Yao’s heart as he ran off to find a doctor. Why is Er-Ge here? Why is Er-Ge injured? Is he okay? Will he be okay? When Meng Yao finds the doctor, he takes the tools from the doctor’s hands, running back off himself.

“Hey! Wait for me!” The doctor calls out.

“I will go back first to do first aid!” Meng Yao shouts back, not pausing in his steps.

When Meng Yao returns, Lan Xichen is lying on the floor, unconscious. Without a word, Meng Yao tries to carry Lan Xichen to his bed.

“Aiyah! A-Yao! Don’t move him anymore.” Meng Hu says.

“I’ll bring him to my bed. I can’t just let him lie on the floor!” Meng Yao says, struggling but failing to move Lan Xichen.

“It will be difficult to wash the blood out,” Meng Hu says.

“I know how to, so it's not a problem. Brother. Help me move him.” Meng Yao replies. Seeing Meng Hu’s hesitance, Meng Yao runs over to softly tug at his brother’s sleeves. He knew that his brother was weak to that. “Please, Brother?”

Sighing, Meng Hu pats the top of Meng Yao’s head. As he goes over to carry Lan Xichen again, he does not forget to say, “Then A-Yao must do something for me.”

“What does Brother want?” Meng Yao asks, bringing the doctor’s tools with him to his room.

“Hmm… A-Yao must make me dessert every day until Mother and Father return from their trip.” Meng Hu says. In their family, Meng Yao had the best cooking, and everyone loved Meng Yao’s desserts. However, their mother, Mei Yu, did not let Meng Yao make desserts often because she believed it was unhealthy. Hence, Meng Yao’s desserts were reserved only for special occasions.

“Okay,” Meng Yao replies easily. “But you must make sure Mother does not find out.”

When the doctor arrives, Meng Yao has already stopped the blood.

“Not bad,” The doctor praises Meng Yao’s first aid. “Interested to be my apprentice?”

Meng Yao smiles. He had a lot of experience wrapping up his own wounds in his past life. Meng Yao had not found what he wanted to do in this life yet, thinking that maybe he could open up a dessert shop or something. But hearing the doctor’s words, Meng Yao thinks that maybe he should be a doctor. In his past life, he had taken many lives. To make up for that, he could help save lives instead. “I will be honoured.”

The next few days, as Lan Xichen remains unconscious, Meng Yao begins learning from the doctor. Meng Yao is wiping down Lan Xichen with a wet towel when he hears a familiar voice.

“A-Yao…”

Looking up, Meng Yao sees that Lan Xichen is awake. Meng Yao greets Lan Xichen calmly, as if they are strangers.

“A-Yao… It’s you, right? You’re my A-Yao…” Lan Xichen says, voice deep with sorrow. “I’m sorry, A-Yao. Please forgive your Er-Ge.”

Meng Yao feels tears prick at the back of his eyes but he resists the urge to cry into Lan Xichen’s chest. Looking back down, Meng Yao says. “There is nothing to be sorry for.”

“There is. It’s my fault for not noticing. For not being there and helping you when you needed help.”

“It’s not Er-Ge’s responsibility.”

“It is. Not only am I your Er-Ge, but as someone who loves you, I should not have been so blind to your needs. Wangji could tell when Wei gongzi needed help. Yet, I could not.”

The words cause Meng Yao’s heart to skip a beat. Calming himself down, Meng Yao says, “How can our relationship be compared to theirs?”

“Because I also love you, A-Yao. I realised I loved you when it was already too late.”

Meng Yao looks up again, eyes wide in surprise. “You love me? Like Wangji loves Wei Wuxian?”

“Yes… A-Yao… Can you give me a chance? Please? All these years, I’ve missed you.” Lan Xichen says. Then, without giving Meng Yao a chance to reply, he embraces the other.

“Er-Ge…”

“Call me by my name… Please…”

“A-Huan… I… But I… I’m just a normal person. I cannot cultivate. And I have a new family now. I must be filial to my new parents. They treat me so well… And my brother. I don’t want to leave this place.”

“It’s okay. I will stay here with you.” Lan Xichen promises.

“But what about the Lan Sect? And you’re not even going to ask how I’m alive when my soul is supposed to be trapped in the coffin?”

“A-Yao… How you’re still alive is not important to me. The fact that you’re alive is more than enough for me. As for the Lan Sect… I am no longer the sect leader. The Sect Elders have decided that I’m too unstable. After you died, I stayed in seclusion for the first ten years. Then, I tried to return to my duties as Sect Leader, but I didn’t think I was suitable. I’m too naïve and foolish. And I couldn’t find any meaning in cultivating… I started going on Night Hunts alone, going for all sorts of dangerous creatures. If I could eliminate them, great. But if I couldn’t and they killed me instead, that’s fine too.”

“Er-Ge! How could you…”

“My name,” Lan Xichen reminds Meng Yao.

“A-Huan… You…”

“Every day, I thought of you. I thought of all the things I’ve done wrong. I couldn’t even protect the person I loved. How can I lead and protect a whole sect? A-Yao… I only have you left. Maybe I’m being shameless and selfish, trying to use this to guilt you into accepting me. But A-Yao… All my life, I’ve lived doing what is expected of me. Doing what’s considered right. But never have I been selfish and did what I wanted. After you died, I questioned the skies, why did I lose the person I love even though I’ve only done what is right? Where is the justice in that? And then, I realised that being selfless and benevolent will not give me you. So let me be selfish, and have you instead… Please… A-Yao.”

Hearing Lan Xichen’s words, Meng Yao feels his heart clenching painfully. If Lan Xichen loves him and wants to be with him, and Meng Yao returns the feelings, then why should he reject? Follow your heart, Meng Shi had said. And so, Meng Yao does.

Meng Hu realises that there is something strange with the way his little brother treats their guest. Meng Hu had been walking through the forest that day when he had found the injured man. Having been taught to be a good Samaritan by his parents, Meng Hu had brought the injured man home. Although he has never brought an injured stranger home before, Meng Hu is sure that the way Meng Yao reacts is strange. Who would let an injured stranger, still dripping blood, onto their beds? And every day, Meng Yao would religiously clean the stranger’s body with a wet cloth. When Meng Hu had asked, Meng Yao had replied that the stranger would not like to be dirty. Meng Hu had been confused. The stranger was unconscious, so how could he be upset at being unclean?

It got even worse when the stranger woke up. His cute little brother began spending even more time with the stranger. Meng Hu learns that the stranger is called Lan Huan. And instead of calling the man “Lan Huan”, his little brother called the man “A-Huan”, as if they were very close. Before the man woke, Meng Yao had slept on his bed while Meng Hu himself slept on the floor. But after the man awoke, Meng Yao began sleeping back in his bed with the man. And then, whenever Meng Yao makes the dessert he owed Meng Hu, Meng Yao had also made the man a share. In fact, Meng Yao often made the man all sorts of food and desserts, and Meng Hu himself only got a small portion if he was lucky.

Meng Hu crosses his arms as he stares across at the table. Meng Yao and that strange man were helping each other add food into each other’s bowls. Meng Hu only got this treatment rarely. Narrowing his eyes, a thought suddenly comes to Meng Hu’s head. That strange man was trying to steal his brother! Immediately, Meng Hu slams his chopsticks onto the table, startling the other two people who look at him questioningly.

“Brother? What’s wrong?” Meng Yao asks.

“A-Yao. Can you wait outside for a moment? I have something I want to say to Lan gongzi.” Meng Hu says. Although confused, Meng Yao listens. There was no way Meng Hu could hurt Lan Xichen and vice versa anyway.

When Meng Yao leaves, Meng Hu immediately says, “Stay away from my little brother.”

For a moment, Lan Xichen thinks that Meng Hu knows about their relationship.

But then, Meng Hu continues, “A-Yao is my brother. Not yours. Don’t even think about stealing him. You want a little brother? Go somewhere else to steal one.”

Lan Xichen smiles, trying not to laugh. “Don’t worry. I don’t see A-Yao as a little brother.”

Of course not, Lan Xichen thinks. Meng Yao is his love.

“Good,” Meng Hu sighs in relief. Then, voice deepening, he adds, “You better not be lying.”

Unlike Meng Hu who saw Lan Xichen as a rival for his little brother’s affection, Meng Guo and Mei Yu happily accept Lan Xichen into the family. When the two finally returned from their little “honeymoon” trip, Lan Xichen was already mostly healed. Meng Yao never really had any friends, so the two were very happy to see the way Meng Yao interacted with Lan Xichen, thinking that their son has finally found a friend. And when they find out that Lan Xichen had nowhere else to go, they easily welcomed him to stay.

A year after Lan Xichen and Meng Yao’s reunion, they finally come out to the Meng parents, thinking that enough time has passed for them to not feel that their relationship is too sudden. Furthermore, over the year, they never really hid their relationship.

Meng Guo and Mei Yu had been surprised initially, but they saw the way the two interacted and believed that Lan Xichen will treat their son well. On the other hand, Meng Hu hates himself for having brought the injured Lan Xichen back in the first place. He had unknowingly brought a wolf into his home, and now the wolf has stolen is precious little brother. However, Meng Hu also acknowledges that Lan Xichen and Meng Yao are a perfect match. And so, threatening Lan Xichen to treat Meng Yao well or else, he begrudgingly gives them his blessings as well.

And so, there came the stories of a travelling doctor and his knight. The doctor would help anybody, and for free, and his knight would stay beside him to protect him. When the two had died of old age, the villagers who had received their help wanted to do their funeral. However, another legendary couple had appeared and taken the dead bodies away.

Burying the two together, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian had told the departed souls, “Farewell, brother, brother-in-law.”

#xiyao #fanfic #XiYaoWeek2019

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queenofeden · 5 years

Text

IT’S OT3 DAY BABEY

Day 6: Chastity

Pairing: Nadia Satrinava/Julian Devorak/Female Apprentice

Word Count: 1843

Summary:

“Look at you, my two obedient pets. Tell me.” She reaches for both of them at once, hands sliding into the hair at the napes of their necks, holding them firmly but gently. “Did you ache for me while I was away?”

✨ My Ko-Fi // Read on AO3 ✨

The lock sets with a decisive click. Nadia's nails scratch gently through his hair, and Julian feels his breath hitch in his throat.

“Don’t look so put out,” she chides. “I won’t be gone that long.”

“Any amount of time without you is too long,” Laurel says glumly.

She is already outfitted in the belt-like contraption Nadia had chosen for her, a golden lock to match the one entrapping Julian glinting at her waist. Her pale breasts hang heavy on her chest, rosy and bite-swollen from her wife’s, his lover’s, earlier ministrations. Although spent, he feels his cock try to swell in response, only to press against the firm hold of metal surrounding it, holding him flaccid.

“You flatter me, sweet Laurel, but I believe you’ll both be fine. Besides which, you have each other to keep company.” Nadia reaches out a hand, beckoning Laurel closer. She lays her cheek against Nadia’s outstretched palm, and reaches for his hand all at once. Nadia smiles. “You both remember your instructions?” she asks.

They both nod in tandem. “Yes, Nadia.”

From around her own neck, she takes two keys on long golden chains. One she places around Laurel’s neck, and the other around his own. It sits hot against his bare chest, gifting him the warmth from her body.

“Julian, you have her key. And Laurel, you have Julian’s. Assist each other throughout the day as you need, but do not touch. I shall know if you do.”

Julian very much doubts that, but that mark on her forehead still perplexes him. Perhaps she would know. Laurel had managed to teach him some amount of basic spellwork, but that level of magic is well above his pay grade. Not that he would dare, anyway, though a great part of their fun hinged on the potential. Hence their matching chastity belts, meant to heighten their awareness of her absence, of what they were missing without her there. As if either of them could forget.

“I’ll miss you,” Laurel sighs.

“You’ll hardly notice that I’m gone,” Nadia says. Then, with a glitter in her eye, she strokes a hand across the leather and metal between Laurel’s legs, fingers slipping between the shallow slit in the plate, only a vague promise of touch. Laurel’s eyes widen, lips falling open on a gasp. Nadia chuckles, pulling her fingers back to see the wetness at their tips.

A week.

Not a particularly long amount of time by any stretch of the imagination. Julian has spent longer than that locked in the brig of a ship on more than one occasion, and surely that was a worse fate than this.

This is what he tells himself at least, after days of watching Laurel swan about the palace. Her hips sway gently under her skirts as she walks, her chest heaves in her low-cut gowns when she crests the top of a particularly tall flight of stairs, and all the while he knows just how trapped she is, the key to her lock burning a hole against his chest.

Inside his pants, his cock aches within its steel prison. Nothing quite distracts him from the discomfort, from the weight, but after a week of adjusting those aren’t really the things he minds so much.

At half past two in the afternoon, he pulls Laurel aside into a small antechamber. Her too-blue eyes flicker from his face, down to his crotch, and back again.

“I don’t know what time she’ll be back, only that she said before dark,” she says before he has a chance to ask. He blinks, surprised, and she responds only with a grin. Julian sighs.

“How are you faring?”

Her body sags heavy against him. “Fine. Would be better, I think, had we not decided helping one another dress this morning was a good idea.” Her hand snakes under his coat, over his shirt, to the small of his back. “ Why did we think that was a good idea?”

“Desperation?” he says with a chuckle, and kisses the top of her head.

“How terrible on her part to leave me like this and expect me to do my job and hers. She knows I can’t think straight when I’m like this.” Laurel sighs. “I keep half expecting someone to stop me and ask why I’ve decided on handing the entire city over to Drakr, or, gods forbid, something even worse.”

He tilts her chin up and kisses the frown from her lips. She melts into his touch, the hand at his waist gripping his shirt tight, nails dragging through the fabric against his sensitive sides. Her hands settle at his hips, thumbs toying beneath the waistband of his trousers.

Julian breaks the kiss with a ragged gasp. Inside its cage, his cock twitches. The bars press harsh against his attempted erection, though the cruel, pinching pain only seems to add more fuel to his fire. His hips rut forward, pressing into Laurel’s belly.

"What was it we were just saying about ill-thought out ideas?" he grunts.

She laughs, strained and reedy.

Nadia's retinue arrives back at a quarter to four and thirty eight seconds. Not that Julian is keeping count. He and Laurel stand outside to receive her, along with the bulk of the palace staff. Even though the hubbub, he can still hear Laurel's soft gasp when Nadia steps out of her carriage. She makes her way to them, walking a quick, measured pace directly into Laurel's arms. They kiss to a small smattering of polite applause, Laurel's cheeks flushing from embarrassment even as Nadia lays a not-so-innocent hand on her hip and squeezes.

She turns then to Julian, and wraps her arms around his shoulders, an embrace almost too tight, but one he returns enthusiastically. For propriety's sake, Nadia does not kiss him, not here in front of the whole of god and everyone. Instead, she only lays a light brush of lips across each cheek, friendly, demure.

"Welcome home, Countess,” Julian says. “The city will certainly shine all the brighter tonight for having you safely back."

She smiles, bridge of her nose pinking ever so slightly. "You flatter me, Doctor."

"It is hardly flattery if it's the truth," he says, offering her his right arm and Laurel his left. They three walk as such, through the wide double doors, and back into the palace. The servants scatter, too busy with unloading the convoy and preparing for the inevitable feast. It has the benefit of leaving the three of them blessedly alone inside the foyer. Nadia pulls away.

"I have some brief business to attend to, but then I think I should like to wash the day's travel from my skin before supper."

He wonders briefly if she means to leave them like this till after dinner, to sit and watch them suffer a while, but there is a familiar fire burning behind her eyes when she turns to Laurel.

"Draw a bath for us, my love? I shall join you shortly."

When she says us, her gaze lingers on Julian. He feels the back of his neck flush with heat.

He and Laurel linger in the hall, listening to the fading click of Nadia’s heels, before Laurel takes his hand in her own and tugs.

The humidity of Nadia’s private bath does nothing for his feverish skin, even when Laurel helps him out of his coat, his gloves and boots, until he is stark naked amidst the swirls of steam. His cock is an angry, flushed red, swollen in spite of itself, pressing desperately against the bars of its confinement. Laurel winces.

“You poor thing,” she breathes, fiddling with the key about her neck -- his key -- no doubt to keep herself from reaching for him.

He takes her hand in his own and brings it to his lips. “Don’t you worry about me,” he says. His eyes linger on her skin, flushed and dewy, the dark leather straps marring his view of her below the waist. She certainly looks much more comfortable than he, but he knows it’s only an illusion. Laurel burns just as much as he does, moreso, perhaps. He had seen the way she twisted and turned, muttering in her sleep, her hands drifting dreamily between her legs only to find cool steel there in place of hot flesh. He had held her, kissed her, not knowing if his touch soothed her or fueled her.

The door opens, and Nadia steps inside, closing and latching it behind her before turning. Minute points of tension around her eyes and in her jaw fade away as she breathes in the scented air, as her gaze rakes hungrily over the two of them, waiting at the water’s edge for her.

“Oh, how I missed you both,” she sighs, dropping her shawl to the ground as she strides across the room to meet them. This time she reaches for Julian first, pulling him by the neck into a hungry kiss, her tongue tasting the backs of his teeth. Laurel works the laces of Nadia’s gown as they kiss, dropping kisses of her own across Nadia’s back and shoulders, slipping the gauzy fabric off her body until she is just as bare as they are, skin sticking together, tacky from the damp heat.

Nadia leaves him panting, a whimper caught in his throat when she pulls away, teeth tugging his lower lip.

“It was agony,” Laurel whispers.

Nadia grins, eyes bright with desire. With her knee she nudges Julian’s cock, making it bob heavily. His stomach lurches, and he bites back a curse. “Was it agony for you as well, Julian?”

“Y-yes, Nadia.”

“Good.”

He shudders as she lets them go, nails dragging down, leaving trails of gooseflesh and pink lines in their wake. Her long fingers tangle in the chain around his neck, twisting it until it bites into his skin. He swallows, feeling the pressure of her knuckles against the apple of his throat.

“What do you say we play a little game, hm?” Nadia catches Laurel’s eye, pulling her close by sheer magnetism alone. Her hand releases the grip on Julian’s chain, only to reach down and take him roughly in hand. She does nearly the same to Laurel, hand gripping the waistband and pulling the contraption tight against Laurel’s sex. Their twin whimpers echo up towards the ceiling. “The first of you to satisfy me will get to come beforedinner.”

In the wake of their stunned silence, Nadia steps past them and down into the pool with a satisfied groan. When the water reaches her waist, she turns and gives them both an impatient look over her shoulder.

“What are you waiting for?”

With a quick, near panicked glance at each other, both Julian and Laurel scrabble for each other’s keys.

#the arcana #the arcana game #nadia satrinava #julian devorak #the ot3 is here it's real #arcanagame #my fic #kinktober2019 #nadia x julian x apprentice #nadia

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irregularincidents · 6 years

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In November of 1803, the London borough of Hammersmith was gripped with a case of mass panic. Reports had come about of a ghost supposedly scaring a number of people to death in the local graveyards, although just how true that is is hard to say.

There was someone seen fleeing the scene of one of the supposed ghost appearances in an elaborate costume (seen below), but just how much was mass hysteria and/or some jerks playing a prank on people is uncertain... to an extent.

What is known, however is that in January of 1804, when an excise officer by the name of Francis Smith bumped into Thomas Millwood, a bricklayer who was wearing the normal white clothing of his trade: "linen trowsers [sic] entirely white, washed very clean, a waistcoat of flannel, apparently new, very white, and an apron, which he wore round him".

Naturally bumping into a man dressed in white in the middle of the night, Smith decided upon what he felt was the most sensible course of action. This being shooting the poor Mr Millwood in the face with his shotgun, killing him.

Smith was promptly arrested for willfully murdering someone, and it when it went to trial Smith spoke of the fear he felt from hearing the stories of people dying of fright, and how he honestly believed Millwood was a ghost, hence why he shot him with any warning.

Initially the jury came up with a verdict of manslaughter, only for the judge, Sir Archibald Macdonald, to send them back to either come up with a murder verdict or to acquit Smith of the crime. The Lord Chief Baron observed that Smith had neither acted in self-defence nor had shot Millwood by accident; he had not been provoked by the supposed apparition or had attempted to apprehend it.

Millwood had not committed any offence to justify being shot, and even if the supposed ghost had been shot, it would not have been acceptable, as frightening people while pretending to be a ghost was not a serious felony, but a far less serious misdemeanour, only meriting a small fine.

The jury came back a second time with a verdict of murder, and Smith was sentenced to be hanged and then dissected, although MacDonald said he would report the case to the King to get the sentence commuted. which it was, to one year’s hard labour.

Eventually the publicity of the case revealed that there was in-deed at least one guy in a ghost costume running around the district, an elderly shoemaker called John Graham. He had apparently decided to dress as a ghost to scare his apprentice, who had been telling children ghost stories, only for things to kind of... snowball. The parallels to the later Spring-Heeled Jack case are also interesting.

The issue of whether a defendant’s belief that they or someone else was in danger justified a self-defence plea was debated back and forth for the next century or so, with a decision only finally being made in the mid-1980s in the R v Williams case. There it was decided that if someone genuinely believed that they were acting in self-defence, it still counts as a self-defence plea even if they had read the situation incorrectly.

#british history #crime #ghosts #mass hysteria

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upontheshelfreviews · 6 years

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As a lifelong Disney fan I can’t understate how much of an impact Mickey Mouse has had on me. In childhood, he was an icon and friend – instantly recognizable, a source of joy and entertainment, a hero and a role model. I know this is making me sound like one of those cheesy sponsors reading off a cue card, but when you’re talking about a mouse, expect plenty of cheese to be involved.

In the spirit of Mickey celebrating his 90th birthday, I’d like to share with you my 20 favorite shorts he starred in. Why 20? Because I couldn’t narrow it down to ten and I like to go nine steps beyond as opposed to one.

There were only two rules I set while making this list:

Mickey is the main focus, or at the very least he must be given as much to do as the other characters he shares the cartoon with. There’s a lot of great shorts out there that has Mickey’s name in the title – Mickey’s Parrot, Mickey’s Circus, Mickey’s Birthday, Mickey and the Seal, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, etc. – or has his face in the intro that advertises it as his adventure, but upon watching you find they’re really about Donald, Goofy or Pluto or literally anyone else but him.

Shorts only, no segments from full-length films or direct-to-video works. This means no Mickey and the Beanstalk from Fun and Fancy Free or various bits from Mickey’s Once/Twice Upon A Christmas, but sadly no Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia. I thought of excluding any short that ran over the usual length of five to seven minutes to about twenty, but that made my job even harder.

Now before we get to the countdown, here are a few Honorable Mentions:

Mickey, Donald and Goofy in The Three Musketeers – If I were including full-length films on the list, this would be in the top five, bar none.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia – It would easily take the number one spot if it didn’t overlap with the #2 rule.

Plane Crazy – The mouse’s first appearance on the silver screen, though he wouldn’t make as quite a splash until his sound debut in Steamboat Willie a few years later

Orphan’s Benefit – One of my favorites as a kid. It made me laugh something fierce and still does, though a large part of it has to do with Donald and Goofy’s segments, hence why it’s only an honorable mention. Also, did you know that the color one we’re mostly familiar with is actually a remake of an earlier black and white version?

Mickey’s Delayed Date – Pluto and Mickey tussle for attention in this outing.

Haunted House – Spooky and atmospheric. Classic Disney nightmare fuel.

The Gorilla Mystery – Mickey plays Minnie’s white knight yet again as he goes to-to-toe with a dangerous gorilla.

Two-Gun Mickey – An American Tail: Mickey Goes West.

Mickey’s Surprise Party – After Minnie’s dog spoils the cookies she was making for Mickey, he saves the day with some shockingly transparent corporate sponsorship. At least I take comfort in the fact that Mickey’s favorite cookies are the same as mine.

Hansel and Gretel – Mickey and Minnie stumble upon a treacherous witch to the ominous strains of Danse Macabre.

Mickey’s Cabin – Mickey outwits Pete and his dimwitted cousin with a little reverse psychology when they hold him hostage in his winter cabin. Hilarity ensues.

Croissant – Mickey’s first short in the modern style proved you can’t keep a mouse on a mission down.

Yodelberg – Continuing with the previous short, it’s modern Mickey at its most fast-paced and stylish fun.

Shanghaied – It’s up to Mickey to save the day and Minnie again, this time from Pete and his dastardly crew of pirates.

Mickey’s Christmas Carol – Mickey’s first cartoon in 30 years has him slightly out of the spotlight, but still got him back in the public eye for good.

20. Mickey’s Trailer

This gets the lowest spot because the first half mainly focuses on jokes surrounding Donald and Goofy in their cool little mechanical trailer. But when it reaches the second half? That’s when things really kick into high gear. Goofy obliviously unhitches the trailer as they’re traveling through a perilous mountain pass and it’s up to Mickey to keep his vacation from reaching an untimely end. It’s amazingly suspenseful, with plenty of close calls from oncoming vehicles, trains and cliff sides. They still manage to sneak in a few decent moments of slapstick, but not at the cost of any of the tension. My only wish is that we could have seen Mickey and Donald’s response to Goofy’s cheerful “Well, I brought ya down safe and sound, a-hyuck!” at the very end. No doubt it would have been hilariously karmic.

19. Mickey’s Mechanical House

Coming from the Mickey’s Mouse Works/House of Mouse era of cartoons, we get a whimsical story in Seuss-esque rhyme, narrated by John Cleese no less. Sick of the inconveniences of his old abode, Mickey moves into a sleek totally automated house. He quickly learns, however, that easy modern conveniences aren’t what make a good home. Unlike the other cartoons made in this time, the art style goes for a 50’s retro look that pays homage to the likes of UPA. I especially appreciate the cameo from the iconic Mars robot from the famous Disneyland episode Mars and Beyond. That’s how you know this short was made by real old-school Disney fans. The story is charming, the gags are clever, and it earns this spot on the countdown.

18. Giantland/Gulliver Mickey

Yes, I know I’m cheating here due to this being a tie, but I found these two shorts to be similar enough that I felt they were both worthy of the same place on the list. Each one begins with Mickey telling a story to his…younger counterparts? Nieces and nephews? Godchildren? They all refer to him as “Uncle Mickey” and they all look like him so maybe they’re really…no, best not to think of the implications.

Anyway, Mickey makes himself the hero of each tale, firstly in the role of Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk (no doubt somewhat inspiring his future gigantic adventures in The Brave Little Tailor and Fun and Fancy Free), then of him being the giant washed up on the shores of Lilliput. There’s some good action all around, and plenty of creativity in showing the giant’s world, Mickey’s storytelling and how the Lilliputians attempt to subdue their captive.

17. Magician Mickey

Mickey’s putting on a magic show, but he’s constantly heckled by a disbelieving Donald. Little does the duck realize he’s messing with the Sorcerer’s Apprentice himself, and Mickey uses all his mystic powers to troll back at him. Even though it’s arguably Donald’s short as much as it is Mickey’s, he does provide the main source of the conflict, and Mickey does not hold back when providing some good old magical vengeance. He remains the perfect showman throughout, and the tricks he plays to get back at Donald are inventive and hilarious. I admit, I still crack up at the running gag where Donald attempts to go in one of his unintelligible tirades and spits out an entire deck of cards. Just goes to show you don’t mess with the mouse, especially when he’s in magician mode.

16. Steamboat Willie

Ah, the one that started it all. Well, technically it was Plane Crazy and The Galloping Gaucho, but Steamboat Willie was what really thrust Mickey into the limelight. It may be simplistic by today’s standards, but this short is nothing…short of iconic. It establishes everything you need to know about the character of Mickey Mouse – inventive, friendly, helpful, but not without a strong mischievous streak. Being one of the first cartoons to have fully synchronized sound certainly helps. It not only pushed the popularity of “talkies” but introduced the world to what would become one of the most recognizable characters of all time. How could I not include it on the list? I already wrote an entire article on its significance, so if you want to know more, feel free to go read it.

15. The Mad Doctor

When people talk about the darkest moments in Disney animation, there’s a reason why this short is often brought up. The Mad Doctor goes for straight-up horror, and pulls no punches. Mickey must work his way through a creepy castle to save his beloved dog Pluto before he becomes the next victim of the titular doctor’s dangerous experiments. There’s lots of shadows, spooky living skeletons, and booby traps galore that threaten Mickey along the way. It’s perfect fare for Halloween.

Without giving away the ending, it’s the kind I’d normally call a bit of a cop out, but I don’t see how they could have worked their way around it. This short was deemed so scary upon release that it was banned not only in the UK, but in Nazi Germany, which really says something. It didn’t frighten me that much when I was a kid, but there’s a pervading sense of dread that makes it unlike any other Mickey Mouse cartoon ever made. Its impact on the canon was strong enough that the Mad Doctor was made one of the main antagonists of the Epic Mickey video game. And getting to take him out after all these years is one of the most satisfying game moments you’ll ever experience.

14. Around the World in 80 Days

Now for something a bit lighter. Some of the best shorts made for Mickey’s Mouse Works and House of Mouse were the “Mouse Tales”, two-part adaptations of classic novels with Mickey and the gang filling in the roles. This is a simplified but still fun take on Jules Verne’s famous globetrotting adventure. Instead of a wager between high society gentlemen and a robbery caper mixup however, Mickey must circumnavigate the globe in order to claim an inheritance and save his orphanage. Goofy and a rescued native princess-turned-love interest Minnie (there’s no way around some of the more dated aspects of this story, is there?) help him along the way, but they also have to deal with a meddling Scrooge McDuck, who’d do anything to get his feathers on the fortune. They manage to squeeze in some great jokes, usually involving Mickey’s deadpan reactions to Goofy’s cluelessness. It’s a decent retelling that hits all the beats and will probably get kids interested in checking out the original story.

13. Ye Olden Days

Nothing like a good old-fashioned medieval romance to warm your heart. Humble minstrel Mickey attempts to rescue fair damsel Minnie when she refuses to marry foppish Prince Dippy Dawg – that’s Goofy’s early moniker to those not fluent in early Disney – and winds up engaging in a joust for her hand. Mickey and Minnie may not be the most fascinating couple in film history, but their earnest devotion to each other shows why their relationship has stood the test of time.

When I was rewatching this to see if it deserved a spot on this list, I was particularly impressed by how spirited Minnie was – she does not take her arranged marriage lying down, slapping the self-absorbed prince in the face while declaring “Never!” and fighting her captors every step of the way as she’s dragged to the tower as punishment. Plus, it’s her intervening on Mickey’s behalf that saves him from the guillotine and allows him to engage in trial by combat. Mickey, ever the underdog, uses his size and cleverness to his advantage, outdoing the prince in all his regalia with nothing but a spear, a suit of armor fashioned from a potbelly stove, and an intrepid donkey. I really don’t have anything to say other than this short’s simplicity and sweetness never fails to win me over.

12. The Pointer

An expertly animated adventure for Mickey and his loyal canine, even if the idea of the Mouse going hunting wouldn’t fly today. I just love Mickey and Pluto’s interactions; they remind me so much of me and my dog and the time we spent together (though let it go on record that I never have or most likely will engage in hunting for sport). This isn’t a case of the pet being smarter than the master like in future shorts, either. Those always aggravated me because of how they really dumbed down Mickey. Both are on equal footing here, and both get into equal amounts of trouble.

The moment where Mickey tries to talk his way out of an encounter with an angry bear is equal parts tense and humorous. It’s also one of the rare times I can recall Mickey attempting to use his own popularity to escape from a jam (“Well I’m, uh, Mickey Mouse! You know, Mickey Mouse? I hope you’ve heard of me…I hope.”) According to Andreas Deja, animator Frank Thomas incorporated a bit of Walt’s own actions while recording the lines for this scene, giving it a superb bit of what Thomas would call “the illusion of life”.

11. Lonesome Ghosts

Here we have another Mickey-Donald-Goofy venture with shenanigans surrounding the last two, but there’s enough of Mickey in there to make it count. Now tell me if this sounds familiar: a trio of oddballs, one smart if in way over his head, one irascible and sarcastic, and one delightfully naive, go into business capturing ghosts. And yes, at one point one of them says “I ain’t afraid of no ghosts”. It’s a shame Disney wasn’t able to capitalize on this fifty years later apart from syncing this short to the Ghostbusters theme in the DTV Halloween special. Lonesome Ghosts is a spooky jaunt where half the fun comes from the various ways the titular quartet of specters tease our hapless heroes. How the protagonists manage to send them packing kind of confuses me, but it still makes for a good chuckle. Steeped in atmosphere and loaded with laughs, Lonesome Ghosts is a ghoulish good time.

10. Mickey’s Good Deed

It’s Christmas Eve, and Mickey and Pluto are out in the cold with nothing but a bass fiddle that earns them barely enough to eat. A bratty rich half-pint sets his sights on Pluto and goes Veruca Salt on his father, leading to him offering Mickey a fair bit of dough in exchange for the dog. Mickey refuses, until he spies a poor widow and her many children even worse off than he is. This leads to him making a heartwrenching sacrifice to ensure they have a merry Christmas. It’s a short that runs the gamut of emotions. You feel for Mickey every second as he either loses everything he owns or willingly gives it up for a greater good, and there’s plenty of joy to be had when he gets his reward in the end (as well as when that terrible child is given his due punishment). I love watching this every Christmastime, and it exemplifies the giving spirit of the season.

9. Runaway Brain

You wanna know where that infamous image of a demonic Mickey came from? Well here ya go. Fast-paced, frightening and hilarious, Runaway Brain is a wild ride from start to finish. In some ways it feels more akin to a Looney Tunes short than a Disney one. The comic and story beats come right after another, yet leave room for sight gags and references a plenty. There’s even a brief shot that visibly homages The Exorcist. IN A DISNEY SHORT.

Borrowing from The Mad Doctor’s playbook, this time it’s Mickey who’s in a mad scientist’s sights after taking an offer for “a mindless day’s work” at face value, just so he could earn some vacation cash for Minnie. Said mad scientist, Dr. Frankenollie (love the nod there), voiced by Sideshow Bob himself Kelsey Grammar, switches Mickey’s brain with that of his King Kong/Frankenstein-esque creation Julius, who bears more than a passing resemblance to Pete. When the doctor is zapped into ashes by his own experiment – onscreen, mind you – Mickey, now trapped in Julius’ body, must find a way to get back to normal and stop Julius, stuck in Mickey’s form but no less monstrous, from pursuing Minnie. As I said before, the jokes come at you fast and hard. The climax in particular is especially rollicking, with some amazing lighting and coloring choices that pump up the action. As always, Mickey saves the day in the most entertaining – and in this case, bizarre – way possible.

8. The Band Concert

Mickey makes his technicolor debut in one of the first shorts that pits him against a troublesome Donald. All our stalwart conductor wants to do is perform a bit of William Tell for some music lovers in the park, but he’s consistently interrupted by Donald wanting to get in on the action with Turkey In The Straw and an improbable supply of easily breakable flutes. Still, you’ve got to admire both of them for their determination. I’d say nothing short of a cyclone could stop them, but that’s exactly what happens; the climax has them playing through the gale even as they’re hurled through the air! Considering the music they’re performing is appropriately stormy sounding, one has to wonder if they picked up their instruments from Hyrule. The Band Concert is a testament to Mickey’s unflappable perseverance and affinity for music.

7. The Little Whirlwind

Lured to Minnie’s by the promise of cake, Mickey agrees to give her yard a good cleanup in exchange for some dessert. Unfortunately, a playful sentient cyclone has other plans. I’ve never been bothered by Mickey’s voice, but this short shows how he works just as well silently. Much of the action is largely in mime with no dialogue. The slapstick is fun all around. I always did feel a bit bad that Mickey got the short end of the stick in this cartoon; after being tormented by the hellion hurricane, he’s pursued by a giant momma tornado who assumes her offspring was bullied for no reason, and when Minnie checks on his progress he’s blamed for the disaster area that was formerly her garden. I don’t know what the hell she was doing in the kitchen to not hear the two cyclones roaring through her yard but I hope it was worth it. At least Mickey ends up getting the cake – though not in a way he was certainly expecting.

6. Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip

Once more we witness Mickey’s loyalty to his equally devoted canine companion. A simple train trip to Pomona goes off the rails when Mickey must shield Pluto from dog-hating conductor Pete and both find themselves on the run from him. There’s disguises and mishaps galore, and it’s a constant back and forth to see who’s one step ahead of the other. Interesting fact: this short is also the source of the only known footage of Walt Disney recording his lines as Mickey.

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5. Symphony Hour

A spiritual sequel to The Band Concert, Mickey once again plays conductor for a classical orchestra made up of his friends. Unfortunately someone thought it was a good idea to leave all the instruments in Goofy’s hands before their big debut, and they’re quickly destroyed. Now poor Mickey has to keep everything together as the concert falls to pieces and their sponsor Pete fumes from his viewing box.

This short… it’s hysterical. There’s no other word for it. Everything from the animation to the music – which sounds like a precursor to Spike Jones – cracks me up. Mickey is pushed to the limits of his endurance as his show crumbles around him. Not helping matters is the attitude of the performers. Sure, Goofy, Horace Horsecollar and the like soldier on admirably, but Donald threatens to up and leave several times. Yet Mickey isn’t afraid to stoop to any level to ensure the show, no matter how terrible, will indeed go on. And the worse it gets for them, the better it gets for us.

4. Thru the Mirror

After falling asleep while reading Alice Through the Looking Glass, Mickey dreams of entering his bedroom mirror and exploring the bizzarro version of his world on the other side. Living furniture, card battles and jazzy dance sequences ensue. Out of all the Mickey shorts on this list, this is probably the best animated. The scenes stick out in your mind long after the cartoon has ended. The size-changing walnuts, the catchy tap dance starting with a game of jump rope with a telephone cord that evolves into a Busby Berkeley homage with playing cards, and the escape from said cards while traversing the dangers of a literal living room? It’s golden age Disney at its finest. There’s not much in the way of story, but that’s not the point of this short. It’s just great animation fueled by years of practice and boundless imagination.

3. Get a Horse!

I remember hearing way back when this short was announced that it was supposedly one from Walt’s heyday which was lost to the ages and recently unearthed. Little could we have realized that it was merely a smokescreen – instead of an old cartoon, we were getting the first new theatrical Mickey Mouse short since Runaway Brain, one that paid tribute to the classic Mickey cartoons of old.

Since I watched Frozen more than once during its theatrical run, I had the privilege of experiencing Get A Horse as it should be: in a big dark movie theater with eye-popping 3D. It gives the perfect illusion that this crazy cartoon with characters jumping in and out and running around the theater really is happening right in front of you. Mickey and friends play around with the screen and the dimensions contained within and with-out in a way not seen since Chuck Jones’ masterpiece Duck Amuck. And having seen many, MANY classic Disney shorts before (if this list hadn’t already indicated), I could even tell where many of the sound bites used for the characters’ dialogue were lifted from. I simply don’t get it when people dismiss this short for “mocking” old school Disney when in reality it does anything but. I think this short is the epitome of what Disney is doing now with their animation, blending the best of the old with the technology and promise of the new. Also, Oswald cameo for the win!

2. The Prince and the Pauper

Talk about nostalgia. I watched this short with the same frequency as my favorite Disney movies on VHS. In fact, due to having no sense of time when I was younger, I thought this twenty minute short was about the same length as those films; it certainly flies by at the same speed. Mark Twain’s tale of royal identity switching has seen its fair share of adaptations, but this one will always be my favorite. We’ve got riveting action and phenomenal voice acting (Wayne Allwine, you were the best Mickey outside of Walt and Brett Iwan can’t hold a candle to you).

It’s also one of the most dramatic shorts in the Disney canon. Pete is at his most menacing outside of Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Scenes like where Mickey attends to the king in his final moments and the prince learns of his father’s passing carry so much weight to them. They’re framed cinematically and let you take in the gravitas. Still, that’s not to say there isn’t any comedy to be found. The Prince and the Pauper has plenty of moments that still make me laugh twenty-eight years later. It’s a short that has everything. Easily one of Mickey’s finest moments.

1. The Brave Little Tailor

If I were to point to one short that summed up everything I love about Mickey Mouse, all you need to know about him, and why he’s so great, The Brave Little Tailor would be it.

Due to a simple misunderstanding, Mickey is thrust into the role of reluctant hero, one who must face down a killer giant no less. But if most of what the previously mentioned shorts have shown, Mickey’s nothing more or less than the perfect underdog. And when he gets into action, he’s like a cartoon blend of Chaplin, Keaton and Fairbanks – not a coincidence as the former two were big influences on early Mickey. Scared though he is, he rarely panics. Instead he relies on his greatest strengths to save the day – his quick thinking, nimbleness from his diminutive stature, and his loyal, caring heart. There’s a reason why I chose this particular thumbnail for this entry. No matter how many times I see this enamored incarnation of Minnie shower her champion with kisses, making him stumble around dizzily and cheerfully cry “Whoopee! I’ll cut ‘im down to my size!” I always, always go “aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwww”. It’s just too adorable for words. When you’ve got someone who loves you like Minnie does, you feel like you can take on the world.

I could go on about how the scene where he’s telling the story of how he killed seven with one blow (that’s flies, by the way, not giants) has been studied by animation students and enthusiasts to the point where Junction Point Studios aspired to recreate that level of expression and fluidity when creating Epic Mickey, or how Mickey defeats the giant has been homaged in other shorts as well as the airport fight from Captain America:Civil War, or just that wonderful storybook golden age Disney feel it has from start to finish, but I won’t. By all means, seek out the short and see it all for yourself.

No matter how many times the corporate side of Disney has airbrushed Mickey’s foibles to present him as the bland, perfect company mascot, Mickey’s bravery, kindness, and penchant for attracting trouble has never been fully scrubbed away. Different voice actors, animators, story writers and financial visionaries have come and gone throughout the years, and each has presented their own unique take on the character, but there’s no mistaking the world’s most famous mouse, the one who started it all.

Happy Birthday, Mickey. Here’s to 90 more.

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Thanks for reading! What are your favorite Mickey Mouse shorts? Share them in the comments and be sure to follow and check out my Patreon if you want to read more!

My Top 20 Favorite Mickey Mouse Shorts As a lifelong Disney fan I can't understate how much of an impact Mickey Mouse has had on me.

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bellamygenes · 5 years

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Grandpa Bellamy’s Childhood in England

Grandpa's parents were both born in the original Boston, a town south-eastern Lincolnshire, England. Boston, Massachusetts in the United States was named after this small town.

His father, John Henry “Harry” Bellamy was the son of a mariner and was raised by his mother and grandmother, who were both laundresses.

His mother, Elizabeth Rason, was also the daughter of a mariner, but her father moved from the sea to the land and was listed as a fruiterer or green grocer when Harry and Elizabeth married in the town of Great Grimsby in 1880.

John Samuel Bellamy was born in Kirton, Lincolnshire, England on September 6, 1884. His parents, John Henry Bellamy and Elizabeth Rason, were both school teachers at the Elementary Board School, where they resided.

In an email from Elizabeth Atherton in 1998, she explained that a Board School is not the same as a Boarding School.

“The 1870 Education Act set up School Boards across England and Wales to administer non-denominational elementary schools. (Hence Board Schools). Before that schools were either private, charitable foundations or run by the church. The aim of the 1870 Act was to provide elementary education for all children, by qualified teachers. The 1870 Act made schooling compulsory for the first time, in the next year's census, the enumerators in London made names and addresses of school-age children available to the School Boards.

An elementary teacher would be trained, either by attending a teacher training college full-time, or as a pupil-teacher – a kind of apprentice system, where the student would work aprt-time in the school, and attend evening classes at the training college.

Many small schools in rural areas did provide a school house for the teacher.

I think your ancestors would be proud to be listed as Elementary “Gov't Certified” teachers. The equivalent of a decent degree these days. The boarder would have been a pupil teacher being trained by them.”

Kirton was a village of just over two thousand residents when John S Bellamy was born. It is located just over four miles south of Boston. John S Bellamy was baptized in the parish of Holbeach, which is nine miles south of Kirton. His siblings were all baptized in Kirton. Holbeach was the home of Elizabeth Rason's aunt Eliza Smith Triffitt, perhaps she was the godmother.

John was born left handed, which was unacceptable to his father, the schoolmaster. He was forced to use his right hand and every time he picked up his pen with his left hand, he was struck with either a stick or a ruler. With the memory of sore knuckles and humiliation, he succeeded in switching from being left handed, but this was probably one of the seeds that was sown in his alienation to his parents in the future.

By the time the census was taken on March 31, 1891, the Bellamy family were living at the Board School on Wash Road in Kirton. The occupants were listed as follows:

John H Bellamy, Head, age 34, Elementary Gov't Certified Schoolmaster, born Boston, Lincolnshire

Elizabeth Bellamy, Wife, age 35, Elementary Gov't Certified Schoolmistress, born “ “

George H Bellamy, Son, age 9, Scholar, born Kirton, Lincolnshire

Edith M Bellamy, Daur, age 8, Scholar, born “ “

John S Bellamy, Son, age 6, Scholar, born “ “

Annie E Augell, Boarder, age 30, Elementary Asst. Schoolmistress, born Malmsbury, Wilts

Emma J Triffitt, Serv. Age 20, Domestic, born Wisbeach, Norfolk

The servant, Emma Triffitt, was a niece of Josiah Triffitt from Holbeach. Josiah was the husband of Eliza Smith, Eliza Rason’s aunt.

John's younger sister, Elizabeth Gladys Bellamy, was born 2 June 1892 in Kirton, and it appears the family of six continued to reside at the school until late in the year 1897. The following newspaper article appeared in The Lincoln, Rutland, and Stamford Mercury newspaper dated Friday, January 7, 1898 under the heading BOSTON:

“A good deal of excitement has been created in this district by the sudden disappearance of Mr. John Henry Bellamy, headmater of the Kirton Board school. Mr. Bellamy, it seems left his home on Christmas-eve, taking his two sons with him, and stated that we was going to spend Christmas with some friends at Bedford. On the following Tuesday Mrs. Bellamy found two letters in her husband's desk—one addressed to herself and the other addressed to Mr. J. Aspland, the chairman of the Kirton School Board. In both these letters Mr. Bellamy stated that he did not intend to return. Mrs. Bellamy and her two daughter left Kirton last week, and are with friends at Holbeach. Mr. Bellamy besides being the headmather of the Board school, held several public appointments, and wqas one of the best known men in the district. He was assistant overseer, clerk to the Charity Trustees, clerk to the Parish Council, secretary to the local lodge of Oddfellows, and secretary to the local Conservative Association.”

The following is from an image of the ship list of the Paris, which left Southampton on January 29, 1898 with the destination of New York. I wondered why Elizabeth and her daughters were listed under Elizabeth's maiden name, perhaps the newspaper article above answers some questions, but it also leads to more questions. Did John Henry Bellamy and the boys leave home because of a scandal or a domestic dispute?

I have not found the date or location of the arrival of the Paris in North America and I have not located a ship which would have carried John Henry Bellamy to this side of the Atlantic.

So ends the story so far, of my grandfather's life in England.

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lyralumina · 7 years

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~ ✨ YGO Dance/Ballet Headcanons ✨ ~

These Headcanons are based off of @sergle and @ochidump ‘s YGO Dance AU and is inspired by this: http://sergle.tumblr.com/post/162623521861/yugioh-dance-au-its-ochidump-s-fault

Principals: Anzu (Tea) Mazaki and Atem

Soloists: Seto Kaiba, Yugi Muto, and Mai Kujaku

Apprentices: Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, Marik Ishtar, and Ryou Bakura

Corps de Ballet: Mokuba Kaiba, Weevil Underwood, Rex Raptor, and Serenity Wheeler

Yugi, Joey, and Tristan are ballet dancers within Juilliard. Seto and Anzu are ballet dancers within The New York City Ballet. Marik and Ryou are ballet dancers within the Miami City Ballet. Mokuba and Serenity are ballet dancers within the American Ballet Theatre. Mai is currently abroad in the Paris Opera Ballet School. Weevil and Rex are in japan still, trying to get into a ballet school.

Seto and Anzu are dancers within the New York City Ballet, they have been dancing since a very young age. Seto actually started dancing a year after Anzu. Since both Seto and Anzu are both within the school, They actually share a studio apartment together and why yes, they own a dog together. Well it is more of Anzu’s dog. She pitched the idea and Seto let it slide. They have a tiny York Terrier named Lily. She is often brought to the school since many of the other dancers do bring dogs to the studio, even the ballet masters. Their dog is very chill but once they get home, Lily gets very restless. It’s really bizarre but they put up with it. She’s a real sweetheart. Lily is their comforter when a day gets bad. She brings them something a normal person would have since they did not have normal lives as ballet dancers. Did you know that the New York City Royal Ballet lets their dancers bring their dogs to the school and lets them stay in the dance rooms? They do actually.

Seto is one of the few men that have gone on pointe. Men do not go on pointe though, Seto found that to be a bit saddening so he tried it. Yes, Seto has faced scrutiny of it. He faced the gender oppositions of wearing pointe shoes but he did not falter. He kept practicing it. He eventually got better and now he is really good with pointe. He stands on the same ground as any other female who does pointe. Seto and Anzu do have what we call “Dancer Feet”. Where their feet is blistered and when a bone seems out of place. That does not stop Seto from dancing at his best. His feet might show the pain and the “ugly” side of ballet but from all that hard work he has put in for so many years, he shows the true beauty of ballet. With that being said though, Seto’s feet often bleed a lot so he makes sure to bandage up his feet and ice them. He takes several pain killers throughout the day to ease the pain. Ballet is beautiful but the true beauty of it hurts. Seto and Anzu and the rest of the dancers know that well.

Anzu is a Principal ballet dancer while Seto is just in his second year as Soloist. The two often get paired up for pas de duex and you best believe that they have such a wonderful chemistry together. No, they are just friends who love to dance, actually, many of the other dancers think they are going to start dating but nope. They just laugh and continue to dance. Never had they had feelings for one another like that. Yugi and Anzu though, that is another story. It would be a long time till she even sees Yugi though. She does keep in great contact with Yugi and the others though, even Mai who is off in Paris. Seto only keeps tabs open with of course Anzu, Yugi since he is a little brat and could never dance as good as him, Atem since the same applies with him just like Yugi, and Mokuba.

Anzu, Seto, Joey, Yugi, and Ryou have gotten injuries within the ballet schools. Anzu had a sprained ankle which made her sit out for a week to heal and she felt really bad for that. Seto during a partner lift, he had to gently arch his back during a lift but due to so much strain, his back gave out and he spent a month healing his back. He lost his role and someone gained his role. He did not cry but Anzu could feel his pain. Joey during a leap combination, he stumbled over himself and twisted his foot. He spent two weeks and yes he lost his role, he sat in his dorm for the week healing his foot. Ryou broke his hand during a show stopping lift. They all got better and continued to dance. They all know that one injury can send them home, that one injury can ruin their career forever. They try not to think about it but it always does creep into their minds.

Anzu’s favorite role that she has danced for is Odette from Swan Lake. She has a big dream to dance as Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, or the Rose Adagio is her ultimate dream. She has loved that adagio her whole life. She wants to be the one on center stage, in a pink tutu fit for a princess, to get those roses. She is so close. She is very close. Seto’s favorite role he has danced for is The Nutcracker, or better known as The Prince. Anzu was actually Clara or better known as The Sugar Plum Princess at that time so they got the job done perfectly. Yugi’s favorite role he has danced for is Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. Atem’s favorite role he has danced for is Warrior Solor from La Bayadere. Mai’s favorite role she has danced for is Giselle from Giselle. She did such an amazing job. Joey’s favorite role he played was Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast. When he got the role he cried. He was just so happy and he played the role to perfection. Mokuba’s favorite role he has danced for is one of the flowers from Alice in Wonderland. This boy piroquette his way into people’s hearts.

All of them take pain killers and supplements. Painkillers are a dancer’s best friend. Yugi needs a little bit more of that extra pick me up since being so small and frail and light so protein is his best friend. Seto takes a ton of pain killers but not to the point where it would send him to the hospital. He is fine. He just feels a lot of pain. All of the them take band-aids, and painkillers in case they need it. Atem, Yugi, Anzu, Seto, Tristan, Mokuba, and Ryou stock up on cold compresses and just go to town with them.

Anzu does own three practice tutu’s. One in white, one in black, and finally one in performance pink. The white one is more of a ankle skirt while the black one is more of a tutu. The black one was a gift from Mai all the way from Paris on her birthday, she sent her photos of her dancing in it. She loves that black tutu.The pink tutu is also like the black one but that one she bought with her own money. Pointe shoes are a no biggie for them, Their school supplies them for them. Seto though, he has to buy his own. This all goes back to him being a male and that males do not wear pointe shoes, they wear a different kind of shoe. Both Seto and Anzu do own demi pointe shoes. Seto owns a pair of bedazzled pointe shoes since it was a gift that he received from Anzu on his birthday. He loves them so much, he just rarely openly shows it. Anzu is that type of dancer who will wear long leg warmers when she dances. Black and Maroon are her personal favorite colors. She also owns a lot of hair scrunchies to tie her hair, ranging from neon colors, to ones with patterns, to ones that are plain black. Bobby pins are her best friend for when it comes to her ballet buns, “ Would you like me to help you Anzu? You seem to be having a hard time putting the bobby pin in. “ Seto asks as he watches her struggle. Seto does help her with that ballet bun but she is a capable young lady, she can do it herself.

Leotard and makeup shopping sprees are a frequent thing. Serenity loves a good pink leotard that makes her chest not hurt and one that makes her not wear a bra. Mai needs some support for her breasts so her leotards are either custom made for her or just very pricey. Mai has a problem with dancing and getting into costume due to her large chest. Yugi spends a ton of time looking for some great quality makeup at Sephora with Atem and Joey. “ Joey relax, I am sure they have your blue eyeshadow somewhere, just keep looking. ATEM NO! Your role does not even need that silver eyeliner! “ -Yugi Muto

Anzu, Joey, Atem, and Mai are Fuoette masters, Anzu is better though, she has amazing balance. They all have their aerial cartwheels down, except for Rex, Weevil, and Marik is almost there.

Anzu internally screams when rosin gets on her black leotards. Seto just tells her to wash it off but she just wants to cry. “ Anzu, it’s no big deal. Please, don’t cry. “ “ You don’t understand! “

“ Seto do you need help sewing your pointe shoes? “ “ I can do it Anzu, Im fine. “ “ Really? You have been stuck on putting the string through the sewing needle for the past five minutes. “ “ Leave me alone Anzu! “ Seto may wear pointe shoes but he takes forever to get the ribbons sewed on. With that being said, Yes they do carry a small sewing case around in case anything goes wrong.

So at the New York City Ballet, the dancers do not use the term “Break a leg!“ for good luck. They use the term “Merde!”. Why? “ According to my French teacher (who was a ballet dancer), in days gone by, when members of high society went to see an event in their horse drawn carriages, the horse crap would pile up in front of the theater. The more successful the show, the bigger the pile -- hence the expression ‘merde’ as an expression of ‘good luck’” Robert L. Friedman So this happens a lot and well, “ Merde! “ Anzu says, as she gives Seto a thumbs up as well, stretching her body on one of the ballet bars off stage. Seto half smiles and goes off telling her thank you as he has to wait in the stage wings to run on for his cue to start the leap combination.

Joey has amazing leaps, he has incredible height. Anzu has amazing flexibility. Tristan and Mokuba are turning kings. Yugi has amazing technique along with Atem. Atem has stellar endurance. Mai and Seto are extension royalty. They can kick really high. Seto can only do that since being really tall.

Seto needs some work on dancing with emotion but he is a capable dancer. He is often picked on for that but he is working on it. He can smile. He is not poker-faced on stage at all unless needed to.

Yugi and Atem are often placed in the very front since they are very tiny men. Yugi hates that but he has to live with it. Some of the other dancers have a joke where they use Yugi as an arm rest for when the ballet instructor is telling them what to do and what to work on. Yugi used to hate it so much but now he is used to it, he doesn’t bat an eye. Even Joey and Tristan do it for fun.

Serenity has a slight technique problem, she tends to sickle her feet a lot. Its an old habit but she is working on it. She gets nitpicked on for that. It could lead her to injury if she does not stop. Rex has the same problem as Serenity.

Atem, Ryou, Marik, and Ishizu are very keen on La Bayadere. All of the people who are associated with ancient Egypt love La Bayadere. Atem loves that Ballet so much since it reminds him of home for its scenery. Atem has a little secret that only Yugi knows of. Atem loves the role of Nikiya. He has a dream of playing her role but alas, he is a man. Nikya is to be played by a woman.

Pegasus is a world famous ballet instructor. Ishizu and Odion are ballet instructors and are teaching Weevil and Rex. They love their jobs so much. They wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Pegasus is really famous in the ballet world, he is a coveted icon, he has danced since he was a very young boy, he has directed, he has just done so many things that his name is very big. Seto aspires to be the next Pegasus in the ballet world, he is close. Very close.

Ryou is a master at strong theatrical emotion when he is dancing. In fact, Ryou got his apprentice acceptance one week before Marik got his. They both were so emotional that they spent their time crying. Marik called his older siblings the great news and he would not stop crying. Ishizu was so happy for him, especially Odion. Odion teared up just hearing the great news. They both celebrated together with a good ole day at the beach to soak in the sun and later that night, Ryou treated Marik to some steak at a steakhouse within the city. It was fun.

Anzu spent a lot of time as a soloist actually. She spent three years as a soloist. Seto witnessed her get very moody when she was at that time where she didn’t know if what she had done was enough to get her rank up. Seto and Anzu both entered together at the same time actually. I stated up at the top that Seto is a soloist. He is not a principal but he is almost there. He is very close. Yugi is also very close to getting his rank up to Principal as well. He wants to stand by Atems side. He wants to break the gender rule of females being lifted and for females to be paired with a partner. He wants Atem to lift him up over his head. He wants to feel Atem’s strong hands on his hips. As I stated before up at the top, Yugi is a soloist and Atem is a principal. Joey and Tristan are apprentices and envy Yugi and Atem just a tad but they are great friends who will support each other through thick and thin.

Mokuba is trying his absolute hardest to get into the New York Royal City Ballet to be with his older brother.

Here is the more refined HC Post Sergle, I am so sorry, I just wanted it to look really neat for you~

#LindsayThings #ballet #yu-gi-oh!#YGO DANCE AU #I have been playing Rhapsody in Blue for a good two hours typing this up #I just really love this AU #It made me so happy

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