#her face came out more jojo looking than I intended it to be

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Fight Night

ALRIGHT! Life is wilder and crazier than normal and I have finally had a singular moment to breathe so it is time to do my first scene breakdown of Only Friends. Jojo and co have been feeding me so well, a literal feast of good sex choreo, hand placements, and puppy dog eyes that it has been impossible for me to figure out where I want to start.  But the end of episode five was just so expertly executed I couldn’t not talk about it, the build up, the explosion, the cool down?! Zero people in this production came to play, they showed up on set day one, gave some of their best performances, and just went about their goddamn day. [insert thirty more minutes of showered praise here]. 

So let’s get in to it: 

The Calm Before the Storm

We’re going to start with Sand and Ray before shit goes downhill, at a moment of genuine connection. This is not the first time we have seen them connect. The first of their peaceful, friendlier interactions are paid for by Ray but Sand quickly moves towards free hang outs with Ray after he gets to know Ray a bit better. I think we can all agree that 95% of the time that Sand and Ray are spending with each other, Ray is asking to be serviced (either seeking out sex, or being fed, clothed, or protected by Sand) [and I do think it is pretty telling that Ray’s idea of friendship is being taken care of in every way, and that Sand fully calls that out as being the role of a father]. But the 5% they do have of these moments of getting to know each other, primarily center around their own family dynamics, but in Episode 5, Ray does start dipping his toes in to getting to know more about Sand’s own hopes and dreams.

Where before Ray wasn’t really interested in Sand’s backstory as much as Sand was interested in Ray’s, now on the balcony of Sand’s dingy apartment, Ray finally starts to ask Sand about himself. And Ray is locked in, just absolutely attentive to Sand as he is talking, rarely looking away, asking follow up questions, and making statements based off of what Sand is saying. Things seem to be flowing smoothly, Ray seems slightly sad that Sand doesn’t know his father, he has an actual smile on his face with he tells Sand that he thinks his mother is really cool, and that he respects her. And of course he would respect the relationship that Sand and his mother have, the obvious love they have for one another, because he never got that from his own family. 

Sand has asked about Ray’s family before now (they talked about Ray’s mother in Ep. 2) but when they were first starting to get to know eachother, Ray brushed off any further conversation around his mother’s death. But that willingness to be honest with Sand is beginning to shift. Ray sits there listening to a birth story that runs parallel to his own, a mother with an unexpected pregnancy after a hookup, a father that wasn’t really intending on having a child, and Ray is faced with what his life could have possibly looked like if his mother was a different person. 

And they’ve been hanging out all day, Ray has seen much more of Sand’s personal life, his family life, it’s Sand’s birthday, they are cross faded, and Sand asks Ray once again what happened to his mother, and Ray takes the opportunity to be honest. He watches Sand refill his glass, and he says “she drank herself to death”. 

Now, personally, this is a very important moment to me in terms of both understanding Ray better as a character, and getting Sand and Ray to connect to each other more. A really important thing to remember about substance use disorders is that they are aware of the health consequences of long term substance use. Ray knows his mother drank herself to death, Ray knows that alcohol in the quantities that he is consuming are dangerous, and he cannot stop drinking. Ray does not have any good coping mechanisms for when his life gets hard, (and we will see a much stronger example of that near the end of this scene), but in the build up to the blow out, we are taking some time to re-establish that Ray has a drinking problem. And we are gaining a bit of further insight in to the genetic history of Ray’s own mental health problems. 

I’d have to go back and rewatch all the episodes to be completely certain, but I think so far the only person we haven’t see call Ray a burden is Mew, Mew who knows that Ray tried to kill himself two years ago, Mew who remembers that Ray said if he was gone he wouldn’t be a burden anymore on his goodbye phone call. I mention his mostly because, if that is true, then that is an indication to me that Ray’s other friends don’t really know that much about him. They don’t know how deeply the idea that he is a burden to everyone around him is rooted in to his psyche. They probably don’t know anything about Ray’s relationship to his mother, after all, she died when he was still in high school. 

We know from the end of Episode 4, that Ray has shifted his interests from Mew to Sand. That is not to say that he is not still in love with Mew, or that he wouldn’t drop Sand as soon as possible if presented the opportunity to date Mew, at least from my perception. But what it does indicate to me, is that Ray is beginning to at least consider Sand someone that care about him, that will listen to him, that will be an emergency contact, and as such Ray is more willing to be upfront and honest about who he is as a person. How his mind works, what his place in his own family is, what his own connection to family is. 

Ray senses he is bringing the mood down, and makes a comment to change the subject, shutting down any potential deeper conversation or exposure to pity that he could have with Sand. We know Sand has been down bad for Ray since like…Dick Down 1, but he is really just embarrassingly obvious with his interest in Ray. The way his face goes slack jawed when he looks at Ray’s face for a second too long? Your cool guy persona is in the fucking gutter. ANYWAY, the point of this is that Sand and Ray are vibing, having a good time, connecting, Ray is opening up more, and Sand is falling deeper in to this infatuation at the first sign of Sad Boi Hours when we cut to Nick and Boston. 

Boston, who has had a genuinely peaceful day thus far. He got some work done for school, he and Nick clarified their relationship to one another, he made out in the pool, and he’s looking to reward Nick for changing by asking if he can stay over. We know that Boston has been blackmailed by someone, we know that as a result of that Boston has decided to “settle down” a bit as it were, spend more time with people who he can talk with afterwards. (If you ask me, this isn’t really what Boston wants, it’s just how he is trying to justify laying low with Nick, someone he thinks he has control over and someone I don’t think Boston suspects is capable of blackmail). 

It is Boston who suggests staying over (I am not going to dig too much further in to his choice to ask Nick, but I will just look respectfully towards the thought that he doesn’t want to be found). 

Anyway, Boston asks if he can stay over, and Nick smiles like he’s won something, and leads Boston inside, where they both promptly interrupt Sand and Ray. Boston’s face lights up when he sees Ray there, but not in any way that indicates that Boston is actually excited to see his friend. More so, that he has gotten +1 Information in his notes on Ray’s comings and goings. 

Boston sees Sand and Ray, and he is scheming already. The very first fact we learn about Boston in Only Friends is that he is The Hunter, and while we have primarily seen this in the way that he hunts-for-that-d, Boston is a hunter through and through, he doesn’t just aim and fire, he plays with his prey. He toys with Top and Nick’s emotions to try to manipulate them in to what he wants, and he sees Ray and Sand together here, and the douchebag gears begin to turn. 

But, Boston needs to know what these two are to each other first, so he can figure out his best approach to fucking with the two of them, so he asks:

“What’s with you and Sand?” 

“What? We’re just friends,” Ray says with a smile and a small laugh, like he is trying to brush off any attempt for Boston to think of Sand and him as anything more. Sand is of course, devastated (and it is at this point I would like to make a tangential remark about the brilliance of the cinematography in this entire scene because it frequently moves between blurry and clear, like the camera is having as difficult of a time focusing on any of the characters as the characters themselves are, since they are under the influence). 

Nick, having already interrupted the SandRay foreplay once today, tries to pull Boston along quickly, to give everyone in the apartment some motherfucking privacy, but no no, when it comes to every other person in the world besides himself, Boston does not do privacy. So he cockblocks himself and SandRay and suggests they all party instead. 

The Build Up

There is this moment of awkward tension, that Nick tries to break by saying that Boston is bothering Sand and Ray, but Sand, having just been reminded that Ray does not think of him as anything more than friends, agrees to all hang out together, thus shifting the mood between himself and Ray from sexual to casual. 

And Boston? 

Oh Boston has already won. 

Now, before I get further in to breaking down this episode, I just need to take a minute and just give a huge MASSIVE shout out to Neo motherfucking Trai. He has absolutely been destroying this role, he is clearly having such a good fucking time. But I don’t care about that part (I do but it’s not the relevant aspect here), I care about how much of Boston’s character, Boston’s internal monologue Neo reveals through Boston’s eyes. 

Boston has been watching how Ray and Sand interact with one another, he saw them make out, he saw Ray grab a cookie from Sand’s mouth with his own, and now, he is sitting here, with Nick pressed up against his chest watching Ray flirt with and cling to Sand. That boy has mischief in his eyes, that boy is a hunter and he smells fresh meat. Boston is The Drama, and while he’s in the middle of his own blackmail saga, he’s found new toys to pass the time until the dust settles. 

This is the face of a man who will cause problems on purpose. This is the face of a man who does not give two shits about upsetting the people in front of him. Boston is a miserable, manipulative piece of shit, and he will drag everyone down to his level. 

I am showering praise in Neo’s general direction, anyway, Boston is studying Ray and Sand’s interactions, the way they talk with one another, all the little things that point towards there being some genuine feelings. 

“The cookie’s getting to me”

“I told you to hold back”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not driving” 

“Can I stay over?”

“More often than this I’m going to start making you pay rent”

“Go ahead”

They aren’t talking like this is a one time thing, they aren’t talking like they are just fuck buddies. The way that Ray and Sand are slightly bickering/scolding each other, the way that Ray just so absentmindedly reaches to put his arm around Sand, it reads a very particular way. Especially when you add on the fact that Nick interrupted them in the kitchen that morning. 

Now, something happens here that could have been good. If Boston was a good person, if Boston actually cared about his friends, if Boston wasn’t such a fucking Masshole. Because Sand has been very obviously dopey and doe eyed for Ray for ages and the lines between lust and love have been blurring heavily for him. But when they started fucking, Ray and Sand both discussed and established the nature of their relationship. Only friends. No love, only sex. Friendship can come from sex. Sand wouldn’t take someone like Ray as his boyfriend (liar). But things have changed since their first hook up, at least for Sand. Sand is catching feelings and Sand has not talked with Ray about how his feelings are shifting. 

And Nick actually opens up the potential for Sand and Ray to have that conversation when he asks “Are you and Ray going out?” 

See, Nick is definitely nasty4nasty when it comes to his desire to be with Boston, and Nick is by no means whatsoever a pure person, the man bugged Boston’s car and kept the recording for fuck’s sake, but he is also not an asshole the way that Boston is an asshole. Nick isn’t asking Sand if he and Ray are going out because he wants to fuck with them, he’s asking because he is genuinely curious, because this ain’t the first time that he’s walked in on them.

But don’t pay attention to Mark Pakin’s body language here, because Nick is obviously drunk, relaxed, content, and curious. Look at Neo. Look at Boston. Look at the way Boston is looking at Nick when Nick asks if they are going out:

And look at the way Boston turns his gaze upon Sand and Ray the second Nick finishes asking the question. Boston is picking apart every action, every expression, every movement between Sand and Ray. Boston is calculating. This is not a dude that is just turning to look at the next speaker in a conversation. He’s staring deep into their souls to figure out how they actually feel about each other so he can decide if one or both of them cares enough about each other to be hurt by him.

So naturally, the next shot we get is Ray drunkenly cozying up to Sand, resting his head on Sand’s shoulder, in a way that feels very couple-y, in a way that feels different to the casual arm Boston throws over Nick like he’s got his prize on a leash. 

“You two talk all lovey-dovey like you are a thing, you know?”

Consider the fact that the second that Nick starts saying “you two talk all lovey-dovey, you know?” Ray peels himself off Sand’s shoulder and stares at Nick. And he’s smiling casually, like he finds the question funny, though he doesn’t fully break physical contact with Sand, still resting his arm across Sand’s shoulders. 

Sand is taken aback for a second, like he’s been caught, but he knows that he is not supposed to be falling for Ray. He knows he isn’t supposed to be wanting a relationship with Ray. He knows that this is not the time or space for a “what are we?” conversation, so he puts on a smile and squeezes Ray’s cheeks and says: 

“Look at his face. Look how squishy he looks. He looks just like a dog my mother has.” (Which we can interpret as Sand saying look at him, we cuddle cause he’s cute, I think of him like a pet). Associating Ray with his mother’s dog for me, feels like a way for Sand to try to get Boston off his back, to put his feelings in alignment with how Boston typically views his hook ups, as pets, as toys, as prey. But Sand’s face betrays him more than Boston’s ever could the very second that Ray says “I’m not a dog and I’m not his boyfriend” 

Sand has a moment of quiet devastation hearing that, even though he SHOULD KNOW BETTER. He should not be so upset about an objectively true statement. Sand may think of Ray as special, and may want to date Ray, and may want Ray to be his boyfriend, but they have never revisited their initial conversation about the nature of their relationship. As far as Ray knows, Sand would never take someone like him to be his boyfriend. Sand is just getting caught up in his feelings and this brief reprieve from the hard and labrous and exhausting life he leads is clouding his judgment.   

And Boston goes in for the kill 

“Ray, I bet Sand likes you. I can tell.”

And here is the question of the hour, a question I personally do not believe we have the full answer to, why the fuck is Boston targeting Sand? (beyond the fact he finds it fun). Boston and Sand clearly know each other, Boston knows Sand well enough to know that the weed he is smoking is not his typical supply. Boston came in to Sand’s home, smoked Sand’s weed, and then went straight for Sand’s throat. 

And Sand is a little mad and more than a little anxious. The way First plays the emotions in this moment is brilliant, you can see all these little moments of Sand feeling put on the spot, the way his mouth moves like he is trying (and failing) to maintain his composure. Like he is looking for an escape route, but can’t find one. Especially because Boston will not let him escape, explicitly calling Sand in to the conversation:

The Blow Up

“So what is it, Sand? Do you like him? My buddy here has both the looks and the dough. His type is hard to come by, you know?”

Sand tries to dodge, by putting on his logical person hat for the first time in what is most likely weeks. “Now that you said that” he starts with Ray literally moving his hand to brush it gently against Sand’s shoulders. “My answer has to be yes now, doesn’t it? But if you really want to know the answer, ask me again when I am sober” 

Sand is willing to let Boston win this, to concede here, to admit to liking Ray as if forced to agree expressly because Boston is poking at him about it. But he will not engage in an important conversation like the one Boston is setting up for him and Ray about what they are to each other when they are under the influence and when they are in public. 

Nick is like “alright”, but that is not enough for Boston. (SERIOUSLY LOOK AT NEO, LOOK AT HOW MUCH FUCKING DISATISFACTION IS BEHIND THOSE GODDAMN EYES! Jojo and Ninew fucking thank you for giving me Neo in this role, he’s been craving complex roles since his time on The Eclipse and I’m glad he’s getting to have some). 

Boston is watching, waiting, wanting to see how Ray reacts to Boston speaking for Sand. Unfortunately for everyone, but Boston especially, Ray does not have the reaction I think Boston is expecting. Instead of Ray getting uncomfortable, instead of Ray pushing himself away from Sand, instead of Ray doubling down on him and Sand not being boyfriends, instead of Ray reacting negatively to the idea that this “not his type” poor boy might actually like him he leans in close, he smiles wide, he teases Sand a little in a way that does not feel cruel. 

So Boston has to escalate. Boston has been stalking his prey in the grass for as long as he has been in this apartment, and now it is time to strike. 

“Even if you really do like Ray, I doubt it will work out between the two of you. Ray’s whole ass is owned by Mew” 

BOOM. Instant kill. Boston just made this entire encounter go from 0 to 100. Especially because (as far as we know), he has no goddamn idea about the dent in Ray’s relationship to Mew, and his realization about how Ray and Mew’s feelings are never going to align. 

Ray did not spend all that time sitting in the bathtub staring at a keychain and a Poor Boy shirt for nothing. Personally, I am uncertain where Ray stands with Sand, I think Ray is probably chasing the endorphins of a good and easy lay. I think he is drawn to Sand’s inherent need to act as a caretaker. But as I’ve said before, Ray uses Sand far more as a service provider than he does a person he wants to make genuine connections with, only recently has he started to open up more and seem more interested in Sand as a person.

But Boston is poking at an extremely sore spot. A spot I don’t think Boston considers as a nuclear option, because I don’t know that Boston is aware that Ray tried to kill himself. I don’t think Boston knows that Mew came and saved his life. I don’t think Boston is truly aware of just how deeply important to Ray Mew is because he seems to be one of the first people to make Ray feel less alone. 

Immediate anger. Boston has struck a nerve, gotten a bullseye. If he actually cared at all for his “friends” and their feelings he could have stopped there. Boston is a voyeur, a photographer, all he does all the time is watch, record, manipulate bodies. He can read people well, but he is cocky and overconfident about his own understanding of the situations that have occurred between people in his social circle. If Boston cared, he would see that Ray just turned on a dime, that the loose, casual, fuzzy, flirty person that was just wrapped around Sand has turned in to a tense, focused ball of rage. ““What the hell are you saying, Ton?” 

“What? Sand doesn’t know you’ve been in love with your best friend for years? But Mew is with Top now. Someone beat you to it, man.” 

So…my Dad has this habit of saying shitty things, and over the years we have made safewords with him to tell him when he is approaching saying something out of pocket and he should change the subject (“pothole”), and for when he has said something out of pocket and should probably stop talking immediately (“sinkhole”). My father consistently blows right through “sinkhole” and continues to dig his hole deeper. Boston reminds me of my father. 

Pothole: “Ray’s whole ass is owned by Mew” 

Pothole: “Mew is with Top now. Someone beat you to it, man”  

I honestly don’t feel like I need to use too much space here on Sand’s reaction, because I read a really good post by @bird-inacage about how this revelation hits Sand hard because he may feel stripped of his dignity and see himself as a fool. 

“What a shame for my pal” 

Shout out to Jojo and co for this shot of Nick. Nick who looks horrified. Nick, who I don’t think has seen this behavior of Boston’s up close. I mean, he knows that Boston has something on Ray and Mew, he didn’t really seem to care at that point. But Nick doesn’t really know Mew, Nick only cares about Top insofar as he is competition for Boston’s attention, he’s not really friends with Ray. But he is friends with Sand. And the implications from the beginning of the episode that Ray has stayed over and hung out with Sand all day multiple times, feels like Nick is at least starting to develop some modicum of care/friendship with Ray. And Nick is sitting there, watching Boston be cruel. Cruel to people that Nick actually cares about. Cruel to people that Nick doesn’t think deserve it, and the wheels are turning, so there isn’t much more he can do about it. 

“Oh wait. My bad. I remember you and Mew making out. Did you take his virginity?” (Sinkhole. Boston should probably shut his goddamn little whore mouth at this point)

“Ton, what the shit are you going on about?” Ray asks, shooting up from the ground and in to a standing position [and lord almighty is Khaotung just a powerhouse actor between the way he is able to physically embody Ray’s anger, and just look and act drunk all the time). This has turned in to a fight, Boston has riled Ray up, Boston has already punished both Ray and Sand at this point. But he has to make everyone around him as miserable as humanly possible in as little time as he can, so: 

“Oh? I saw everything. I took some photos, actually.” (SINKHOLE. No seriously dude you need to shut the fuck up right now). 

“What the hell did you do that for, bastard?” Ray is shifting his weight, Khaotung’s breathing has changed. You can fucking tell Ray’s heart is racing, that a blind rage is seeping in to his bones. Ray is livid.

“What? I just want to keep track of my best friends’ romantic moments. Was I wrong?”

 

(Spoiler alert to those reading this post for the body language breakdown: Boston does not actually give a single flying fuck if he is wrong)

“Keep track?” 

And finally someone punches Boston straight in the mouth! And even still! EVEN STILL Boston cannot shut the fuck up. Boston is righteous in the worst possible way. Boston is hurting everyone around him for the sake of “honesty”, “clarity”, “visibility” in a way that Boston himself in his own life actively avoids. With Nick he keeps their relationship status unclear, with Nick he refuses to get photographed, with Nick he hides the fact that he hooked up with Top. But Boston will air everyone else’s dirty laundry, Boston will record and photograph everyone else’s private moments, Boston will give facts as best as he knows them when literally anyone else is involved:

“Sand has every right to know. Ray is in love with Mew. They even screwed! But good thing you came along, Sand. He needs to get over Mew”  

“What does it have to do with you?” Ray is still fucking pissed, and this is a really important and relevant question to ask. Boston has no place in Ray and Mew’s private business. Boston has no right to record them without their permission. Boston has no right to have this conversation about Ray’s feelings with Sand. And Boston does not answer this question. He will not answer this question, because for Boston everyone else’s business is his, and his business is no one’s. 

Now, do I think Boston is lying about Ray and Mew having sex? No. I think there are actually a number of layers to that statement. I think we are either a) setting up to have a killer conversation about people’s perceptions of sex/people’s perceptions of what counts as sex or b) that Boston fully thinks he saw Ray and Mew do something sexual when they actually didn’t [think Ray throwing up while doubling over Mew so it looks like he’s giving head]. And it is worth noting that Ray doesn’t deny the statement, although this doesn’t necessarily mean anything because there are lots of words and fists and vitriol being thrown around at this point, confirming or denying any sexual relationship with Mew is not really going to do anything to calm this situation. 

“If you’re not in love with him anymore, then why did you get so mad?” Boston asks, and I love that this is phrased as a gotcha! moment. Boston thinks asking why someone got mad enough to punch him in the face after he said he was keeping track of his friends' romantic lives by holding on to pictures he had taken of them in secret is definitive proof that he is correct. Ray got real mad about Boston’s doucheness, and that must mean that Ray is love with Mew. 

And he isn’t totally wrong. We know that Ray is in love with Mew, we know part of why Ray is in love with Mew. We know that Sand is now filling a similar role in Ray’s life as the only person who is willing to take care of him. But this question for me highlights a huge aspect of Boston’s character that I do not think we appreciate enough. 

Boston does not know everything, and he acts like he does. 

Ray is getting so mad at Boston because what Boston is saying is true AND Ray is getting so mad at Boston because Ray almost compromised his relationship with Mew by kissing him when he was sleeping. Ray is in a weird place right now in relation to how he sees Mew and how Mew sees him. At the moment, Mew is patient, kind, and forgiving, and willing to maintain their friendship and accept Ray’s apology as long as Ray can get it through his head that Mew is never going to see him as a potential romantic partner. If Ray cannot do that, Ray loses a very important person in his life. (And we see Mew punch Ray in the promo for next week, my hunch is that Nick tells Ray about Boston and Top and Ray tries to warn Mew about Top and Mew takes that as Ray lying to break them up, but that’s beside the point). 

Boston may be correct that Ray is in love with Mew, but Boston has no idea what the fuck he is talking about when it comes to Ray’s current relationship to Mew. Boston does not know that Mew and Ray are in a rocky relationship right now because of Ray’s feelings. Boston thinks that he is right that Ray is in love with Mew because Ray gets so mad so quick, because he does not understand that a huge part of what is riling Ray up is that Boston is poking at a deep injury he thinks is just a flesh wound. 

And still after Boston has gotten a fist to his face, and swung back; even after he has shoved Nick out of the way so hard Nick fell on to the couch; even after they had blown off some steam and were de-escalating to the point of screaming at each other rather than beating eachother up. Boston 

Still 

Can 

NOT 

Quit

“Oh, are you going to be two-timing?”

Boston is literally just…going in to a house that is not his and lobbing grenades all over the place cause he’s fucking bored. Cause he sets Ray off again, leaving Sand, screaming at Boston and Ray to stop fighting (IN HIS OWN FUCKING HOUSE, AFTER SHARING HIS OWN FUCKING WEED). 

Boston listens to Sand, Boston walks away, Boston goes to Nick’s room. But the look in his eye? 

He is not done with this. Boston is not surprised that Ray got mad, Boston was reveling in Ray’s reaction, but I think Ray’s rage went beyond what Boston had anticipated, and this feels to me like an act of war. 

The Cool Down

Boston and Nick remove themselves from the scene and Ray and all his infinitely perfected coping skills rushes to chug as much alcohol as he can. 

Again, thank you to Jojo and co for spending this amount of time highlighting Ray’s addiction, reminding us that Ray is not just a party boy, but is an alcoholic. Ray’s using alcohol to calm his nerves, possibly to forget what happened, and definitely because he has no idea what else to do but run to the most comforting item he can. 

We cut to the silence of Sand’s bedroom. Sand and Ray laying awkwardly side by side. Ray, to his credit, does try to comfort Sand 

“Hey, don’t listen to what Boston said. If there’s something you want to know, ask me” 

The problem is, while Boston does not have the full context for the depth at which he has just hurt Ray, he is still right. Ray loves Mew, and if Ray didn’t, he would not have gotten mad the way he did. Ray can say whatever he wants here, Ray can ask to be trusted by Sand to tell him what he wants to know. But Sand has seen enough of Ray’s behavior, been jerked around enough by Boston, heard too many times in too short a period that Ray does not consider them anything more than friends, and so Sand is back to boundaries and barriers. 

Sand lost sight of himself, and he fell too quickly for a deeply broken boy that he cannot fix, and who is not emotionally available enough to be a good fit for him right now. 

And God, for as much as Sand exists to be jerked around by the narrative and shit on and used by the wealthier characters, I see why First was picked to play this role (besides the fact that there is no one else but Khao that I think could have done Ray, and it’s hard to kick the GMMTV pair-ups.) We have not even gotten to the height of First Crying Over Problems That Are Partially His Character’s Fault in this show yet, but First is a master at microexpressions, and despite the fact that his face is pretty neutral, that Sand has put on this mask, there is just such a palpable disappointment radiating off of Sand. The shine in his eyes is dulled, I saw someone on tumblr say this really looks like the first time that Sand has seen Ray, looked at him without the rose-colored glasses. 

Sand’s mother loves him, I think he is special to her, but it is hard to feel special to someone you have to take care of. In the montage at the beginning of the episode, Sand is shown working, working, working, working and we don’t really see him interacting with other people who he isn’t providing a service to. He sings at the bar, he seems to enjoy that, he seems to have a good time with Yo and Atom, but he is only that close to them because they pay him to play there. He is providing them a service. The only classmates he is shown interacting with are clients he is selling plum wine to. It’s really possible that Sand’s only friend is Nick, and we don’t see them hanging out that much. 

And, I know there is always some contention about how any and all of these characters feel, how much or how little they are telling the truth, etc. But for me personally, I think about when Ray said that he does care about Sand’s feelings, and I at the time he said it, I don’t think he did, but I think by Episode 5 he is starting to genuinely care. 

Ray is getting better at reading Sand, Ray is trying to have a serious conversation, or at least to open the floor to one, and Sand is sad and so he isn’t saying anything, and Ray is able to tell that something is wrong. Ray wants Sand to talk to him, Ray says Sand’s name multiple times, trying to get him to answer verbally. 

And Sand can’t do it, not if he is looking at Ray, not if he has to actually face the reality of how much of a fool he has been, to fall this deep, to fall this fast, to get it in his head that he and Ray were becoming something more than friends. To actually believe for even a second that someone could think he was special. 

So he closes his eyes, and he takes a deep breath, and he says: 

“Forget it. I’m tired. One more thing…This has nothing to do with me.” 

Who is he talking to here, Ray or himself? 

Sand’s inhale in this moment is deep, it’s weary, unsteady, and sad. Sand is gathering the strength to let go of what he thought he had. He is rebuilding his walls, and placing Ray on the other side of them. He cuts Ray out completely the second he turns his back. And you can just see the guilt all over Ray’s face, you can see all these little bursts of realization moment after moment where Ray realizes that he’s losing Sand now too. Even though Sand is likely more of a consolation prize to him, an easy victim of his puppy dog eyes. 

Alone o’clock is not just for Sand, it’s for Ray too. Boston has won yet again because Boston is a miserable sack of shit lashing out because Mew and Top finally fucked and he has to make it everyone’s problem

Tagging the ephemerality squad: @lurkingshan, @waitmyturtles, @chickenstrangers, @ranchthoughts, @twig-tea, @clara-maybe-ontheroad, @distant-screaming

and my blessed mess crew: @so-much-yet-to-learn, @ginnymoonbeam, @bengiyo, @shortpplfedup, @neuroticbookworm, @emotionallychargedtowel because I want attention :)

[pixeldistractions]

Only bring what you can carry, he said. So Maria packed as little as she could imagine and she still couldn’t carry all of that. Never mind that Johanna was too small to pull her own suitcase.

They’d be back in December to decide what to do with the rest of the house. They had until the end of her lease in February to decide. That was for the best maybe. Maria was under no illusions about Jordan’s track record of indecisiveness, and if she intended to bind herself to that runaway train, she would do it mindfully. It was wild and unhinged and completely instinctual, but also, Maria had never felt so adult, making this decision for herself and her little girl. They all might have their opinions, but nobody could tell her what to do. And she didn’t feel wrong for it, no matter what a runaway train he might be. For a man who had so little in the way of monetary possessions, she never felt more protected than in his arms. If he said they would be okay, then she would believe him.

Knock, knock. Lou was at the door.

Lou made a face at the disarray of semi-packed suitcases on the floor. “So you’re really doing it?”

Maria didn’t answer that question.

“How am I gonna stop by to see you after work?”

“Guess you’ll have to get on a train,” Maria said with as snotty a tone as she could muster.

She went back to the floor to continue her packing, but she didn’t end up moving a single thing.

“I know how you feel,” Maria said. “I really do. A lot has happened since, but when he first told me, I was heartbroken. It’s like, this whole person is part of your life for so long, and then they decide to just go? I guess that’s what I’m doing too, isn’t it? It’s pretty shitty, I know it is. But people can’t stand still around you forever. People change and grow and move, and you can move with them or let them go. But we’ll be back. And you’re single and child-free and not broke. You can visit us, too. You should travel more, there’s a whole world to see. And you’re welcome with us any time. We’re still family.”

“God, you’re so sappy,” Lou said, wiping her eyes. “Why is my face leaking?”

“Aw, I love you too.”

Lou came to sit on the floor next to piles of folded laundry and unmarked boxes. Her nose tickled with dust.

“Please don’t tell Mom and Dad yet,” Maria begged. “Give me a week or two?”

“Don’t you think they’ll notice when you don’t need them to watch JoJo while you work?”

“I was going to bring JoJo out to see Jordan next month,” Maria said. “I’ll just say we went early.” 

“They’re going to miss her. They’ll be sad.”

“I don’t know about sad,” Maria said. “Mom thinks I’m a burden.”

“She never said that.”

“She doesn’t have to say it. She would never. Joseph died a war hero, so she so can’t say it because she doesn’t want to look bad. But I know she wished I never got married and knocked up and widowed at twenty-one in the first place, then she wouldn’t be honor bound to help me. She thinks I’m a wreck. She already raised her children, and she never wanted to help raise a grandchild, too. Well, now she doesn’t have to worry about us anymore.”

“Well, damn, sis. I don’t know about all that, but she’s still gonna worry, for sure! Just like, don’t get knocked up again.” 

“Ha ha,” Maria snarked.

“I’m serious,” Lou said. “There was a birth control recall! You need to refill it.”

“Oh.” 

“Okay.” Lou took a breath and sat up tall. Lawyer mode activated. “So you need to bring JoJo’s birth certificate, and Joseph’s death certificate, too. Did you put a hold on your mail? Do you want to give me a key to check up on things? Put travel alerts on your credit cards. Auto pay your rent while your gone. Pay your own way, and keep your money separate from his. Holy shit, you crazy fool. What the fuck are you gonna do in Nevada?”

Maria grinned. “I don’t know yet. I have no idea!”

“Thank you,” Maria said, ambushing her with a hug. Having her sister’s blessing meant the world to her, even if she never listened to a damn thing her sister ever said.

— from “boxes and squares #4.5: home is wherever you are, part 3” (9/11)

story notes: I always felt Maria had a little tension with her parents. She’s not as close to them as Lou is, or as close as she is to Lou. So now we know why?

Next ->

[vandergloom]

Whoops, accidentally made a Rusty Lake OC. Her name is Claudia, she's the dairy queen of Rusty Lake around 1890. She's probably evil, I mean look at her. She's not an animal person, she's just a regular harbinger of the growing maw of capitalism

[abyranss]

I was watching Rebellion clips and noticed that Nagisa was posing very dramatically while she talked about being "The once bringers of hope, who despaired and spread curses."

So now I've got Nagisa doing a Jojo pose with her alternate self. There's some dramatic lighting that came out looking more menacing than intended but I kind of just leaned into it.

Every time I draw Nagisa I am reminded that her Soul Gem is an upside-down smiley face emoji and I find that delightful.

[helpimhyperfixating]

A Writer’s Trouble - Jotaro x Reader

Word Count: 3353

You were a writer. Quietly in class just writing whatever scenes came to your head when the material being taught was too complicated for you to understand or too boring. And at home, you busied yourself with fanfiction every now and then. When you enjoy shows, why not write some fan content for them right?

"Miss Y/N!"

The sound of your name being called made you shoot up in your seat, eyes wide.

All eyes of the class were on you, the teacher holding a stern expression. "That better be notes that you are taking." She crossed her arms and your cheeks started to burn slightly while you frantically nodded, not finding your voice to verbally answer. Clearly the teacher was not convinced by the look she gave you, but she just let it slide and continued on with the lesson.

After what felt like forever, the bell rung for lunch and as you were starting to pack up, suddenly two people surrounded your little table. Looking up, you saw two girls who were notoriously popular standing next to you. One sat down in the seat next to you while the other dragged a chair in front of your table and sat down right in front of you, a sweet smile on her face.

"Hi!" The one in front started and you leaned back a little.

"H-Hi?"

"We noticed you were writing something in class and we were just curious what."

This made you blink a few times in surprise. Why would they be interested in what a random girl is writing? "Why?"

This time, the one sitting next to you spoke up. "Well you see, I've been having trouble finding books I like recently. The ones in the school library are not really what I want but I snuck a peek of what you were doing in class just now and your writing seemed really good!" This caused a small blush to erupt on your cheeks. Not only because of the random compliment that came out of nowhere, but more so because of the fact she read what you had been writing. During class you were bored and your mind had drifted so you had written a random romantic scenario, and now she had read that?

"O-Oh?" You squeaked. She gave you a grin and you swallowed. "Uhm, thanks I guess."

"Could I read more?"

The question caught you off guard and to be honest, you just wanted to have lunch. But it seemed like you were going to have to eat it here with these two cause they didn't seem to have any intent to go away.

"Sure..." You weren't too comfortable with sharing most of your writing but there were a few random scenes and scenarios you thought these two would enjoy that you didn't mind sharing. You saw them every morning in the gaggle hanging around Kujo so you figured they'd like some cheesy romantic stuff. Bending down to sift through your bag, you got out your map/folder filled with pages that held the scenes and sifted through them, pulling out a few. "Here but do-" they were snatched from your hands before you could finish your sentence. "...be careful with them."

"Of course, of course." They both just dismissively waved and started reading them. At least they didn't run off with them, that was a plus.

You still had no idea what they were up to and you figured it wasn't to suddenly make friends with you. But you always had a hard time turning people down and they were acting nice to you, so why shouldn't you act nice back?

While they read you just got your lunch out of your bag and started eating it. You had nothing better to do anyways.

Lunch was slowly coming to a close and both girls finished reading.

"Ohhh, that was so romantic~" The one in front of you wistfully mused out, holding her chin in her hand as she dreamily stared at the ceiling.

"Yes, it was so good!" The one next to you said. Maybe you should learn their names instead of referring to them as 'girl' and 'girl but sitting next to you'. "It almost makes me wish for more."

Raising a sceptical eyebrow, you looked at her, urging her to continue because you figured this was the whole reason they were here. "Well, since you write this I was wondering, do you take requests?~"

You hummed a bit, looking between the two. They shared a look and there was a glint in their eye that you recognised but couldn't recall where you had seen them look like that before. "I've never done so before but maybe. What would you want?"

"Could you write me in such a scene with Jojo!?" The one next to you blurted out all of a sudden, making you visibly flinch back from the sudden burst of noise.

"No no! Please write it with me! My personality fits perfectly with the one in this story already!"

You were now being barraged with requests of romantic scenarios and begging to write them, all the while you just sat, blinking.

Of course. Of course. They were Kujo fan girls #1 and #2 so of course they would want this. You never understood why they kept trying to win his affection when he oh so clearly showed he was not interested.

I mean, you could see the appeal. He was tall dark and handsome, and the thought of a stoic man who loves no one making an exception for you was prime romantic material. But even you - who was as dense as an oakwood plank - even you knew when something was hopeless. You had never pursued the man. You respected his privacy and wishes. To you, he was just another classmate who just so happened to be hounded by half the female population.

"Ehh..." You started, trying to stop the girls from losing their mind and drooling over the delinquent - who wasn't even present - right then and there.

It took a second but both girls stopped and expectantly turned to you. The pure stars in their eyes made it very hard for you to say what you were about to say but you had to.

"I don't mind writing something for you. But I can't write something with Kujo in it. It just makes me very uncomfortable to write real people into a romantic scenario without them knowing of it. It just feels wrong." You put your hand up in a surrendering and calming gesture, hoping that would help defuse the bomb that was surely being built judging from their expressions. "If you had his permission and you both wanted it then it is a different story, but-"

"I have his permission! Jojo loves me, so of course he would want this!" The girl in front burst out, only for her 'friend' to turn to her.

"That's not true, he loves me!"

"No, me!"

"Me!"

"Me!"

This continued on and you slowly slunk back in your seat. You would have sunken under the table and made your escape that way, but one of the girls was sitting right in your path of exit. You were literally caged in between two fighting tigers, getting more and more ready to bite each other's heads off.

Just then, the door slammed open and both girls instantly shut up. In stepped the precise person of discussion and you only sunk further down into your seat, just wanting to disappear and be left alone.

"Oh! Jojo!~"

"Jojo! Why don't you come sit with us! I missed you!"

Jotaro viewed the class, seeing just you three in it, only for him to stride over to his desk, grab something he had left behind, and walk back out. He only spared you all a single glance and dread settled in your stomach. You were sitting with the two girls he probably hated most since they pestered him day in day out. What if he thought you were part of them now as well? What if he started to hate you too? Would he beat you up if you happened to run into each other outside of school?

Just then, the bell rung and to your surprise, both girls just sighed and stood up, starting to walk back to their own spots and leaving you without any further begging or questions. It left you a bit confused and wary of why they so suddenly seemed to forget you turned down writing about their dreamboat but just shrugged it off, hoping that was that.

- - - -

Three weeks had passed just like that. The girls had left you alone after that weird lunch and thankfully enough, Kujo seemed no more aware of your existence than before. Life continued on as normal and you just stayed your happy, quiet self.

"Hey, Y/N!"

You smiled at your best friend who was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, obnoxiously waving at you.

Quickly hurrying over, you grabbed her hand and yanked it down, sending apologetic glances to the people who had turned their heads to see the commotion. "Do you have to be so loud every time, B/F?"

"Of course." She grinned before pulling you down to sit with her. The unexpected action caused you to yelp and lose your balance. Instead of sitting down as intended, you were now splayed over B/F's lap who was cackling loudly at you.

"Oi, this is your fault! Shut it!" You laughed back and playfully hit her shoulder, making her let out an obnoxious 'oww' and rub it as you sat up.

"Y/N, you're always so mean to me." She pouted and you rolled your eyes. If there is one thing you certainly weren't it was mean.

"Well how can I make it up to you then, my dearest?" You played along, clasping your hands in front of you in a begging manner.

"Let me read your latest brain creations." She grinned and you drew your lips into a thin line. She knew you preferred to keep most writing to yourself because by god, sometimes you would create some abominations you wouldn't want anyone in the world to see. These of course, were the ones B/F loved most, cause she could make fun of you for them. You didn't seem to have another choice for now though, since B/F would most likely do something way worse if you didn't comply.

"Alright, alright." You sighed and hoisted your bag up, pulling your map with writings out and starting to thumb through them. "Huh." You remarked, a bit surprised.

"What?"

"It's not there. I could have sworn I put it in here." You hummed, grabbing your history notebook. You had written this piece in history class and thus it should be in there. But when you reached the most recent page, it was torn out, an indication that you should have already put it in your folder. "Oh god. I must have dropped it somewhere..." You went absolutely pale and B/F burst out laughing.

"Sucks to be you I guess!"

You only groaned and let your head fall to the table. Now there was a cheesy romance scene lost in the school! You just hoped someone would pick up the random page and throw it in the trash.

- - - -

~One week later~

You were the first one sitting in the cafeteria for once. Just patiently waiting for B/F, you twiddled your thumbs as you were mindlessly tracing the grooves in the table in front of you.

A hand suddenly slammed down right in your vision and you jumped in your seat. Quickly tracing the arm up to be met with an angrily glaring pair of aqua blue eyes.

"Get up." Jotaro said in a deep and demanding tone but you were frozen in your seat, just staring at him in slight fear.

"Do I have to repeat myself, bitch?" He harshly stated and you quickly stood up, going to grab your bag so you could let him have this table and find a new one for you and your friend, but instead, his hand clamped down on your shoulder, bunching the fabric there and dragging you off with him, leaving your bag behind.

By now, all the people in the cafeteria were staring and you were just scared shitless. What the hell did you do for him to want to beat you up?! He dragged you with him out of the cafeteria, through the halls and out the doors, moving to the back of the school before throwing you in front of him.

You stumbled a bit but luckily stayed on your feet, quickly turning back to look at him, taking a few steps back until your back hit the wall behind you.

"What-"

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" His voice cut you off and you shut your mouth. He seemed absolutely seething, towering over your tiny form as he glared from beneath his hat. It was quiet for a second, you just staring at him with wide eyes. "Well? Do I have to beat the shit out of you to get you to stop?" He threateningly raised his fist and you finally snapped out of your scared state, going defensive.

"No wait! I have no idea what you're talking about!" You frantically blurted out, waving your hands in front of yourself.

Jotaro, no less annoyed than before pulled something out of his jacket before slamming it right next to your head, holding it there. You squeaked at the action, now fully trapped with no escape.

"This is what I'm talking about." He was leaning down to be eye to eye with you now, caging you in with his arm right next to your head. His free hand was pointing to where he held his other hand and you turned your head to see what he meant.

Beneath his fingers lay a piece of paper, clearly crumpled up and unrolled several times. Unsure of what it was, you lifted your hand and took hold of the corner, making sure not to touch Jotaro's hand in fear that that would make him deck you.

Thankfully, he removed his hand from the wall and took a step back, giving you some personal space again and allowing you to grab the paper and read it.

Smoothening it out, you started reading.

Jotaro kept a close eye on your reactions, a little wary of how clueless you were appearing to be. As you started skimming the page, your eyes widened, almost immediately followed by a furrowing of your brows. You looked confused, but as your eyes got further and further down the page, it turned to angry.

Jotaro squinted his eyes at you, only to be surprised when you suddenly crumpled up the paper, pure hate radiating off of you. "Those goddamn bitches..." Of course, he never showed any surprise, keeping his stoic facade but to say Jotaro was intrigued was an understatement.

Turning to look at him, all fear you previously had was gone, replaced by anger. "This wasn't me." You held up the paper. Hitting it once, you ground your teeth. "Those girls stole my work and put your name in it."

Sceptical, Jotaro raised an eyebrow, still glaring down at you. But his stance was now more aloof than it was threatening and you took it as a sign to explain what you were talking about.

"Your fangirl number 1 and 2 asked me a while ago to write about you, I refused and it seems they took matters into their own hands." You turned around as you said that, looking at the school and glaring at it, as if that would do any good.

"So you didn't write it?" Crossing his arms, Jotaro was still looking down on you and you turned back to face him.

"Oh no, I did." You said and un-crumpled the paper, holding it up for him and pointing to a very specific point. "That's supposed to say 'B' though, not 'Jotaro'. I never write character names, just A and B cause honestly? fuck coming up with names."

Jotaro scoffed a little in amusement and then let out a heavy sigh. "It seemed too competent to come from them indeed."

You couldn't help but laugh loudly at his statement, accidentally causing you to drop the paper. "Woops." You said through laughs and picked it up, calming down as you stood up straight again. "Sorry this happened by the way." You then said and Jotaro sent you a questioning look. "I don't write about real people for a reason and this is exactly why. It's just wrong to do without permission."

Jotaro hummed and you suddenly realised who exactly you were talking to.

Awkwardly clearing your throat, you just put the paper in your pocket. "I'll make sure they won't be able to steal any more of my writing so if it works, you won't have to worry about seeing terribly written cheesy romantic scenes anymore. Apart from maybe their own attempts at it." You chuckled at that last bit and looked up to cross eyes with Jotaro.

There seemed to be a somewhat amused glint in them, putting you at ease.

Just then, you remembered a thing and you opened your mouth before abruptly closing it. Following it up with a deep breath. "Okay maybe you will still see some come by for the next few days. I left my bag in the cafeteria, unmanned and unsupervised. Prime chance for some grubby hands to go through it."

"Let's go make sure they fuck off before they plunder the entire thing then."

Jotaro simply turned around while you blinked, pleasantly surprised before you sprinted to catch up with him.

You both walked around the school in quiet, moving to the front doors so you could re-enter again and make your way to the cafeteria.

"I don't mean to pry," You started after a little bit and saw Jotaro glance at you from the corner of his eye, a somewhat wary look in his eye but you just continued. "But how do you keep yourself from punching that entire gaggle of screeching sheep? Honestly I already feel like punching them when I hear them next to me for more than two minutes. And you have to deal with it every day for way longer."

Jotaro visibly relaxed and you heard him let out an amused exhale. "Wouldn't have guessed I have better patience than you." He said back.

You let out an offended gasp at that. "Excuse me my patience is amazing. And let's be fair, I can hear you across the school every day when you yell at them."

He sent you a small side glare, quickly returning to stoically looking forward. "Yes but I haven't ever punched them."

"Neither have I." You smirked. "See? Good patience."

"How about you practice some of that good patience and shut up." His tone of voice was harsh but you could tell there was no anger behind it, so you just let a small smile of victory take over your features as you both walked into the cafeteria.

To say heads turned in surprise when you walked in side by side with Jotaro, unharmed, would be an understatement.

Walking up to the table you had been sitting at, you were relieved to see your friend sitting there, looking at you in disbelief with your bag next to her.

Waving, you walked up and turned to the tall delinquent next to you. "Thanks for not beating me up. I'll see you around." You gave him a weird mock solute before giggling slightly at your stupidity.

Jotaro just hummed and gave you a nod, stuffing his hands in his pocket and turning around, walking out of the cafeteria without a word.

That went way better than you ever could have thought.

[cryptidmads]

good evening nsr community, i went through the ama from today and came back with an armful or two of lore. there’s a bunch more than last time, and i included bbj as well as the npcs. cozy up, check under the cut, and prepare for a long read. enjoy!

today's ama featured wan hazmer and daim dziauddin again, as well as concept artist ellie and animator ben fong.

BUNK BED JUNCTION (FT. DK WEST)

- mayday and zuke live in the sewers because they're an underground band. it's a pun - there were originally two variations of bbj leaving the sewers - one with mayday hi-fiving gigi (which had a 95% chance of happening), and one with zuke awkwardly fumbling and attempting to hi-five gigi (which had a 5% chance) - one of the inspirations for mayday and zuke were the two main characters of samurai champloo (zuke was jin, mayday was mugen) - someone asked about if the rest of the cast had their own shadow puppets. ben suggested a lemur for mayday, while ellie suggested a zucchini for zuke. she may have been joking. - mayday's guitar solos were done by different people, but zuke's drum solos were all done by bruno valverde. - zuke was the one who implemented the canister thing into mayday's guitar. - someone asked who of the cast are the introverts and who are the extroverts. mayday is an extrovert, zuke is an introvert. - the team does have a bit of lore for mayday and zuke and how they met, but they want to save it in case of a future project. - mayday was inspired by both genevieve from company of thieves and the unbreakable kimmy schmidt. - ben did the animation for mayday swinging the hammer in the workshop. - haz recalls seeing some fanart of mayday being brought up as a rich girl. he doesn't remember the artist, but he does like the idea. - the japanese version has zuke say he has a phd rather than a master's degree. this is apparently a mistake. - the pattern on zuke's pants was inspired by jolyne cujoh and prosciutto from jojo's bizarre adventure. - zuke's toilet seat collection came partially from a story from one of the environmental artists where one of their high school friends pranked another friend with a toilet seat. - zuke does a lot of reading and is naturally inquisitive about things like tech and mechanics. - dk west's shadow puppet abilities might run in the family, and zuke may have it as well. - both zuke and dk west are connected by percussion (zuke with the drums, west with the hand claps) - zuke and west weren't always designed to be related -- west was originally designed as "some guy who comes and goes," but was made into zuke's brother later on in production - dk west is an extrovert.

DJ SUBATOMIC SUPERNOVA

- djss' dj name is obviously a stage name, but the team didn't have a real name for him in the script or anything. - haz joked that his name is bob salad. that's not canon but from what i seen the chat loved it lol - haz brings up the symbolism of djss spinning the planets around himself and how it represents that he thinks of himself as the center of the universe. - ellie helped design the districts, and something she noted about dj's is that it's supposed to look the "slummiest" because he cares more about himself and less about things like blackouts. - dj had some lines cut from his boss fight. those lines? mini lectures towards bbj during every phase. they were cut because the team felt like they were too much for the game, but they want to share them one day. - daim says that dj could be either introverted or extroverted becuase of how much time he spends alone looking at the stars. - dj was never planned to have an approach segment, but funk fiction wasn't told that, so he made him an approach theme anyway. - dodo ice pops are traffic light flavoured, which is a popular ice cream in malaysia. it's strawberry, pineapple, and lime flavored.

SAYU AND THE NERD SQUAD

- three of sayu's creators were based on staff members at metronomik. remi (voiced by ben) was based on one of the programmers and one of the environmental artists (ellie calls him "the lovechild of two dudes"), tila was based on (and voiced by) ellie herself, and dodo was based on danish mak (another environmental artist who also voices him). - sofa wasn't based on anyone in particular, he was more of a "general otaku guy" according to ellie (though haz joked that ellie could just say he was based on him). - dodo is daim's favorite npc -- he also designed him! - sayu was ellie's favorite character to design. she loves drawing mermaids. - the progression in sayu's fight where you go deeper into the "ocean" is supposed to be a metaphor for going deeper into the internet/the deep web. - ellie suggested that if sayu were to have a shadow puppet, it would be a cat. - as for the introvert/extrovert debate, daim says sayu is technically comprised of 4 introverts. sayu herself is the extrovert mask they wear. - sayu's ahoge is a submarine periscope. remi looks through it in one of the cutscenes. - sayu's not a mech. she's remotely controlled by her creators from their computer room. - the backstory between remi and tila is meant to show that artists can come from all sorts of backgrounds.

YINU AND MAMA

- yinu's promotional video was one of the first ones done before they brought in lzbros, so it originally looked different from how it looks in the game now. - yinu's mother's eyes are yellow because she spends most of the fight focusing on yinu (who is mainly yellow). when her eyes go blank white, it represents that she's momentarily forgotten what she loves the most. when her eyes become yellow again after the fight, it means she's remembered yinu and her piano playing. - the way ellie describes natura is that yinu is a plant and her mother is very protective of her, and one of the distinctive features is that there are a lot of domes with plants inside, particularly on the roofs of the houses. - yinu's commercial was not intended to reference little miss fortune. the commercial was shown in 2018, while LMF came out a year later. - yinu's mom turning into a giant tree monster isn't exclusive to her just being angry at bbj. apparently the whole plant thing runs in the yinu family.

1010

- 1010's concept as a boy band had been around since before the team started production, but they were the last to be fully designed -- their designs weren't finalized until way later on. - 1010 were ellie’s least favorite characters to design. she doesn't like drawing guys OR robots. - 1010's early designs had them wearing tuxedos. - 1010 do have memories. - the inspiration for the butt plates came from one of ben's gundam figures from his collection in the metronomik office. thanks ben. - ellie's favorite member of 1010 is purl-hew/blue. - eloni/green is apparently the rapper of the group. - the jingle you hear from the carousel in metro division is a carnival remix of 1010's boss theme. - the numbers underneath 1010's names on the autographs are completely random.

NEON J

- neon j is a dancer. daim explains that in addition to being in the navy, dance has always been his true passion. - in the final phase of 1010's fight, he was originally supposed to control the dance moves of the factory as he was fighting you, but it was cut due to limited resources. - daim designed neon j based on ellie's designs for 1010. - neon j's factory's dance moves were all animated by ben -- no mocap needed. the factory was also his favorite thing to animate. - daim says that "neon j is to tatiana as soundwave is to megatron." basically he is extremely loyal to tatiana. - neon j was one of earliest members of nsr. - neon j seeing 1010 as his sons wasn't planned, but daim loves the concept so much that he could see it being canon. - daim says neon j's brain is "probably" still inside the monitor head. somehow. - neon j is an extrovert. - haz likes the idea of neon j being blind and using his sonar to "see" things. ben joked that the screen worked like giant glasses. - neon j originally had red dots that would pop up on his face when the sonar moved by that were meant to represent acne, and that would've been the reason why he's mostly behind the scenes.

EVE

- in mayday's side of the room when eve splits up bbj, the hands all over the walls are meant to be there to show how eve is angrier at mayday than she is at zuke. - the time signature for the music in mayday's room during the fight is 6/8, whereas in zuke's room it's 4/4. - ellie suggested a platypus shadow puppet for eve. the rest of the team seems to be on board. - eve was ben's least favorite character to animate. he said he struggled with animating her dance moves because it was something he'd never done before, and he still doesn't think he did a good enough job. - eve was born with her split skin tone. - apparently eve's near scrapping had something to do with costs. haz was the one who stopped it from happening. - eve's outfit was partly inspired by beyonce, while her jacket was partly inspired by ariana grande. the team took some inspiration from bjork, as well. - the sleeves on eve's jacket were apparently limbs at one point. - eve is an introvert.

NPCS/OTHER CHARACTERS

- part of tatiana's symbolism is how she used to be a rock star, but her flame/passion slowly burned away, and now she's just a rock, referencing how she was literally on fire as the rock star kul fyra, but now looks burnt out. - daim thinks kliff is older than tatiana, probably over 50. - in addition to the neon j dance lore mentioned above, kayane rambling about neon j after the 1010 fight was supposed to be connected to her watching neon j dance. - ben and haz's favorite npc is mia, and ellie's is dj zam. - dj zam was inspired by one of ellie's college friends, who she says "makes you feel comfortable to be around". - ellie thinks dj zam's neck tattoo says "i love mom". - amal the unicorn was inspired by lady amalthea from the 80's animated film "the last unicorn". he was originally written to be a real talking unicorn, but it was changed partially because his horn wasn't in the right spot on his head. - zed was based on game designer dzaid and has hyperacusis, a hearing disorder that makes it difficult to deal with everyday sounds. - yiruk's name is an anagram of kiryu, the protagonist of the yakuza games. - chef sunshine's design is a homage to julia child. she originally had a bigger physique, but was changed to match lylia's bubbly performance.

[interstellarre]

Delve In The Depths. Chapter I

Word Count. 1.1k

a/n. Author's note at the end!

Trigger Warning(s). none

Series Masterlist 

Chapter I.

The lively chatter of the Liyue Harbor never seemed to anything less but music to your ears. You listen Shitou yelling into the crowd about “trying your luck at the Jade Mystery.” You’d suppose Yanfei would have something to say about that, smiling at the thought, already being able to hear her passionate long drawn out lecture. 

Arriving at your intended destination, you sit down, crossing your feet at the ankles, tilting your legs and straightening your back. 

"Zhongli, it is always a delight to see you around," you offer him a smile, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" You were undoubtedly curious after his letter inquiring you for a cup of tea delivered to you by a rather nervous funeral worker. 

Zhongli, the Liyuean funeral consultant settled down, crossing his legs, and reaching for the teapot. 

"We’ll discuss that matter later, do you have a preference?" he asks, eyeing the bamboo containers which undoubtedly hold several varieties of tea leaves.

"Do you have a recommendation?"

"Well," he raises his hand to hold his chin, thinking, "Red tea, perhaps you know it as black tea, seems to be the more popular choice these days, it originated in Liyue three thousand years ago..."

You can't resist the urge to lightly chuckle at his habit of long rants of Liyuean history.

"Were you always as willing to share your knowledge as now Mr. Zhongli?"

"Hmm?" he seems to falter in his answer for a few moments before gaining his composed self again, old memories, you suspect. He adds the contents of the third container to the right to the pot and sets the boiling water inside. You’re surprised he didn’t pour them all in. 

"I suppose the knowledge others have given to me, I have still remembered.” his eyes seemed to hold melancholy, but it disappeared as soon as it came.

"How is your mother? I trust she had a comfortable trip home?" Zhongli changes the subject, to which you note, but decide not to bring up.

"Yes, she returned home shortly after her successful endeavor with you." Speaking of which, you lips form a slight uncharacteristic frown while a merchant passes by your table, "What was your business with her? She never seems to tell me anything about her work these days."

"That is a matter solely between her, her work and I."

You purse your lips, but let out a sigh.

"I suppose I have no rights to meddle with her dealings. I should have never questioned you. Forgive me." You send an apologetic smile in his direction.

The tea comes to a boil and he motions for you to move your teacup towards him so that he might fill your teacup.

"It is no matter."

He tilts the teapot again to fill his own teacup.

"But since we're on the topic of your mother."

Your mother always gave you the impression of gold.

Bright, refined, elegant. 

She sits on the white armchair behind the vanity touching up her makeup, not that you see anything wrong with it, but what do you know? After all, mother always knows best. Her hair was loosely pulled into her normal bun with her loose platinum blond strands cascading down her back. 

You sit right next to her on the plush light lily sofa. As the fire crackles and burns in front of you, you look around to notice her usual attire draped on the arm on the piece of furniture. 

You take it off of its current stand and drape it over your shoulders. You slip off of the sofa and stand up. 

The silk fabric falls far beneath your body and pools onto the floor while covering the whole of your body. You giggle at the sheer size. 

Your mother turns at the sudden sound 

“Gosh, your clothes are so tall” How do you fit in these? 

She chuckles, ignoring your question to talk about a more sensible topic. 

She leans her elbow on the arm of her chair and holds the side of her face in her hand. She raises her brow at you. 

“It fits you.”

You scrunch your brows at the compliment 

She tilts her head and lets out her musical laugh, it sounds like birdsong at the break of dawn. 

“Not quite like that, poison,” she responds to your quizzical expression using your childhood nickname. 

She stands up and pats her exquisite dress down, eyeing the fine details sewn into the sides. She turns towards you and smiles. 

“Well? How do I look?” 

“Horrible, absolutely hideous.” 

Her lovely expression drops and her eyes narrow. 

“Joking Joking,” you put up your hands in defeat the second she raises her eyebrows. 

“You look winsome.” you say while taking your mother’s cape like clothing off of your person. 

“As always you mean?” 

“Always the apple of my eye.”

“I should always hope so,” she mentions in a huffy voice, your face returns to a look of confusion again, but she changes the subject before you can bring it up. 

“Well,” she leans down to pull her heels off of their platform, slipping them on. “We should get going, 7PM sharp I believe the invitation said.” 

“That’s a shame, it seems such a ditsy to leave such a comfortable environment now,” you jokingly pull up your arms and fake a yawn. 

You plan to stand up a moment later, but that plan is interrupted as you trip on what you believe is thin air at first. 

You land on your bottom and your eyes are planted directed in the view of your own tied shoelaces. 

“Hey!” 

“Well if that's your view on things, I suppose I’ll just head off myself,” your mother turns her back to you and her shoes click on the marble flooring while she heads out the door. 

“Wait for me!” You can see her smile despite her back being turned to you. 

“Mama!” 

You stumble on your shoelaces while hopping on one foot and trying to undo the knot. 

As soon as you finish tying your shoelaces again and have both feet plotted to the ground, a man dressed in elegant robes walks in. 

A work colleague of your mother’s you’d expect 

“Lad-” 

He stops mid-word as he notices your presence 

“Ah-ah-,” he stumbles, no better than yourself a couple of moments ago. 

Your mother’s lips were as thin as you have ever seen them 

“Out.” 

“Of course!” the stranger replies, seeming all too relieved 

You turn your head towards your darling mother

“Sooo, what was that about?” 

Towards the end of your conversation, Zhongli slides a corked glass bottle towards you. You infer this was the reason behind why he invited you, well besides the free meal of course. 

“Your painkillers, if you will.”

a/n. I watched JoJo Rabbit while writing the shoelace scene so the reader and Signora’s relationship is extremely inspired by Jojo and his own mother’s relationship. Ahhh my heart goes wild everytime they interact on screen. 🥺 

[zoocross0vers]

ZOOTOPIAN SONIC THE HEDGEHOG BRAINSTORM TIME DAY 5 THE FINAL DAY

CHARACTERS AND CHARACTER ROLES

The side characters and (of course!) Villains

Considering this is a final touch, let's focus for rest a.k.a the others.

Here is my recap:

"As you can see there are some characters I included in in certain scene (aside from Yoshi), I present to you Judy’s niece named Cotton and one of Judy’s (many) sisters Violet Hopps. No, those are not an OC from any fandom, those are official characters from Zootopia universe. You already actually know Cotton but for those who don’t know who is Violet, she was introduced in Zootopia Graphic Novel in comic named “Brothers & Sisters” and considering how she is very overprotective of Judy (like any other Hopps) I thought she would fit perfectly for Rachel role (I don’t think she’s Cotton’s mother so don’t ask), and also she’s the only official Hopps sibling with name we know. I wanted also include another characters into this doodles but I like I said before I didn’t have enough space on one paper. So here are my character ideas: Clawhauser as Wade, Bogo as Major Bennington, Mayor Lionheart as Commander Walters (no surprise). For others like Crazy Carl and Agent Stone I had some problems.

For Crazy Carl I first thought about who would fit perfectly and I came up with a lot of ideas: first I thought about Duke Weaselton, since he has face for that crazyness but then I declined since he doesn’t fit on the character, then I thought about Pop-Pop Hopps but that was questionable considering in movie he had a huge aversion of foxes (red as devil) and comic he’s not biased but then I thought who could describe Crazy Carl better than well-known concept crazy theorist Honey Badger am I right?"

So let's it summarize:

Clawhauser as Wade (obviously)

Chief Bogo as Major Bennington (still can't get over the fact that Idris Elba is voicing Knuckles in Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and this happened after I made those fanarts. This kind of feels foreshadowing now, don't you think?)

Mayor Lionheart as Commander Walters (I might foreshadowed this well, no pun intended, after what we saw in sequel)

Honey Badger as Crazy Carl (it makes sense)

Violet Hopps as Rachel, Maddie's sister

Cotton Hopps as Jojo, Rachel's daughter

And now the Villains

Recap

"As for agent Stone I had no idea what to do with him. I could let him stay as but that would make questions of humans and I didn’t want to put Bellwether into this position. If she was unhappy of been unappreciated and humiliated by predators then I don’t think she would really want to work with someone who is full of himself more than her and only see humanity as an excuse of stupidity and “herd of useless sheep (get it?)” and only relay on machines. And characters from Zootopia Crimes was not an option and Jack Savage was out of question no in my point. Not saying that Jack Savage could be a great option but I don’t think fans would appreciate another bad guy role for Jack and I already have something different for him in my mind. Then it came another that would fit for Stone and that is a certain platypus Dr. Starline from Sonic The Hedgehog IDW comics. He admires Eggman and his evil genius (questionable) and in comics he’s working as partner/assistant for him. But since he is mobian as Sonic we could use idea that government knows about it (partially) but does not tell and he thinks that he is an unusual zootopian platypus (after all he does wear clothes and looks “more” normal unlike Sonic) and we could do the same with Robotnik considering his past about grand-father and project Shadow if Jeff Fowler would follow some headcanons (I wouldn’t surprised if some government keeping some secrets even from employers). But then again we could use also Tony, a bunny from Zootopia Crime Files since he is shady and bland at once and already wear a suit, like agent Stone (great, now I don’t know which one to choose again).:

You know what, I’ll give you an option who would fit for role of Agent Stone:

1. Dr. Starline, a platypus from Sonic The Hedgehog IDW comics✅

2. Tony, a bunny from Zootopia Crime Files❌

3. Jack Savage, a jackrabbit from Zootopia concept art/Savage Seas (you don’t have to take that third one too seriously, but just in case)❌"

Update: After watching second movie I think Dr. Starline fits the role of Agent Stone perfectly.

And we already established that Jack Savage would have his own role along with Agent Skye.

Such as:

Jack Savage and Skye as Agents of G.U.N. under leadership of Commander Theodore Lionheart.

And there is Dr. Robotnik a.k.a. Eggman

Recap:

"And finally with Robotnik, we use that orphan idea and certain headcanon from Sonic X about planets that once were one until they divided and made their own time and space alterations, prof. Gerald Robotnik (Eggman’s grand-father) could study Mobius for finding cure for Maria, creating Shadow, G.U.N. etc. It could be three worlds (Sonic’s world/Mobius, Robotnik’s world/our world, and Zootopian’s world) or just two (Mobius and Zootopia), what works better."

I don't think I need to say more.

Let's recap our story plotline:

Guest/Disneyfriend: But I guess, that I made it hard for you with those moments so how about this we use the final moments like in your fanfic Carcass Bride: FINAL BOSS BATTLE SONIC VS. ROBOTNIK because honestly this moment is epic (wish I could make it bigger), it would start Sonic running from Robotnik, like we’ve seen in beginning of the movie, get shot retelling in short whole story, like in movie only less detailed and faster the confrontation between Nick and Robotnik (Sonic would unconscious but still hear them and had a self-doubt like Naruto in first chapter/episode if you what mean until he hear the important words that’ll give him boost), the final battle and then epilogue (Sonic with his new family) with open ending (you know the Eggman in Mushroom planet and then Tails’s introuction).

3. Night Howler case happened but was solved instead of Judy and Nick by Jack and Skye who later became agents and don’t like Robotnik for his ego:

a) Nick come from Green Hills (Wachowskis live as police in GH for 50 years), but suffered from Ranger Scouts move to Zootopia became “shifty fox” until he’s saved by childhood friend Judy from Bunnyburrow (from wrong decision and targeting to become savage) and the return to Green Hills become sheriff along with his new wife.

b) Both Nick and Judy just heard about it in Green Hills.

I guess the first and third are more interesting.

Zoocross0vers: I actually really like this idea! I think the ending would be the best moment to do :) 

I kind of like the third idea, maybe Nick in this case is a little more ambitious and read about the other fox and bunny couple that solved a case in the big city and he wants to do something just as exciting, but Judy’s the more practical one in this case. So he wants to jump at the chance to become a big city cop in Zootopia.

Guest/Disneyfriend: But after days later waiting for response I have been thinking about it and realized that the final battle with happy ending and small cliffhanger is indeed best choice since there is that teaser for the second movie already and I thought we could use that. Imagine like this: the chase (like in beginning the movie), quick recap, then final battle, then happy ending on the table (with some small nostalgic flashbacks and conversations) and the cliffhanger and at the end of cliffhanger you will put something like “SEE YOU SOON IN….” with picture of logo of the second movie SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 (or gif. if that is possible in AO3 because I don’t know, in fanfiction.net just big thick words). Pretty creative and cool don’t you think? ;-)

Zoocross0vers: The other ideas sound good, but I think you’re right. The ending sequence does sound like the best and it would be a nice set up for a possible sequel one-shot :)

Guest/Disneyfriend: Sonic as Sonic - since he’s the main character of the story there’s no need to change his character role since those are key-important for the plot like in movie

The only in his case would be the change of place and  comunity: he’s in world of anthromophic mammals with no powers and certain prejudices and stereotypes, and sometimes certain paranoias, which that makes his anxietes harder since he is also a mammal/hedgehog but still different: blue, prefers shoes, glowes instead of clothes and has powers. And it could be possibility that when he arrived on Zootopia (not sure how if their planet is called Earth or not) the missing mammal case was happening and distrust towards mammals was growing, give him reason to not show up after what happened last time. There could be also small possibility he helped stopped the Bellwether takeover although unknowingly (or maybe not? who knows) and some two pair of eyes probably might noticed him even briefly though if you know what I mean. But for the record he decided to hide in Green Hills where he meet Nick and Judy and you know the rest.

Nick was actually born in Green Hills and was friend with Judy Hopps in childhood after incident with Gideon, but after incident with Ranger Scouts where she was present in this case ashamed for certain actions he decided to move (or run away) to Zootopia to live as shifty fox, unaware of him been targeted by Bellwether. But Judy whose also decided to study in Zootopia find and trying to make up to him and bring him back to Green Hills. After studying, while dating, they return to Green Hills get married and Nick follows footstep to became sheriff be a better person (unaware of him also been followed by small certain blue guardian: take a hint of what I mean by it). After hearing of Bellwether case he wants to try be a cop in Zootopia to find a purpose (instead just leave Green Hills out of boredoom he wants to prove himself be better). He sympatize with Sonic more since he knows what is like to feared of what you are and been haunted by a past.

Judy cares for her husband since childhood despite of what happened, she even go after him to make up to him, save him from wrong path and ask for forgiveness, since she feels responsible for it, even though none of both was fault. She was born in Bunnyburrow but always visited her relatives from mothers side in Green Hills where she also first met Nick (inspired by my life, I really love to visit my relatives) She wanted to be cop but could not, but also found a passion in medicine and that is why she became vet after she moved in Green Hills with Nick (those two make a really great team, also it is nice callback from concept of Zistopia where Nick pretented to be vet). She also shows connection with Sonic and in this case has less problems with his “nudity” considering she always has to check her patients without clothes. (trust me I know what I talking about)

Zoocross0vers: I picture Nick would be something like this where he and Judy weren’t the ones who solved the Bellwether and Nighthowlers case, but Jack and Skye. And he wants to have an exciting adventure like that and be a hero, do something important, but nothing ever happens in Green Hills. 

I could still see Judy being his partner on the force, but unlike him, she’s actually pretty content being a cop in a small town. Though, if you like the idea of her being a vet better for this then I could work with that ^^

I’m not sure about the US, but in the UK, there’s a medical/officer position called Force Medical Examiner (FME). They’re basically doctors that respond specifically to police incidents. I guess Judy could be that?

I think I like the idea of this Nick having been born in Green Hills rather than Zootopia, because that makes his desire for a new and bigger setting more important. If he grew up in Zootopia, left it, then wants to go back to it, then it kind of takes away that feeling of wanting more.

Not sure yet, if Sonic should’ve had an active role in the nighthowler incident, but maybe he did manage to see the fear and chaos it caused in animals via Nick and Judy’s TV and by observing animals from afar. If he did decide to help solve it though, maybe he probably just helped Jack and Skye grab the concentrated pellet and handed it to them like a blue blurr and then with that evidence in their grasp, it proved enough to arrest Bellwether and they got the credit since nobody saw him.

Guest/Disneyfriend: Green Hills and Bunnyburrow are two separate towns because I wanted Judy and Nick live on their own together while Judy’s family living in Bunnyburrow supporting them (well most of them like Violet). I am pretty sure that I even said that Judy have some relatives of mother’s side Green Hills.

And yes I want Judy and Nick be like Sonic’s parents. But first it must start as friend and then it become as family.

As for our already established character let's recap again

Nick was born in Green Hills, working as local sherrif

Judy was born in BunnyBurrow, but married Nick and moved to Green Hills, working as vet and sometimes as Nick's cop partner/Medical Examiner.

Dr. Eggman's backround is unknown and he is the only human in anthro-animal world.

Sonic travel as well to Green Hills and got adopted by Nick and Judy (see I knew Tom and Maddie became parents👩🏾‍❤️‍👨🏻, once Sonic moved with them and the second movie just confirmed. *Squee* I'm so happy😁)

Now that we have everything we need along with your re-upload. Are you ready for finally making Zootopian Sonic one-shot after 2 years?😃

[ymiwritesstuff]

hello, may I please request a scenario (or headcannons, you can pick) where y/n is a servant of Dio and one day she comes back injured bc of the crusaders and bc stands are manifestations of one's spirit as Dio is trying to "berate" y/n the world is there and is just like gently holding her and he looks all worried and stuff? or really anything fluffy where the world just proves to y/n that Dio loves her and Dio is like "no. Bad stand. Stop it."

This was very adorable, thanks so much for requesting and sorry for the wait. Please enjoy! Also it’s a bit different from what you requested, hope that’s fine. I just thought it would be more fitting this way.

A Caring Soul

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders

Dio Brando x Fem!Reader

Summary: Returning to Dio’s mansion with the bitter essence of defeat sitting on your tongue was one of the most terrifying things a servant of his could experience.

Notes: Fluff

Another failure. Another fruitless attempt to stop the enemy. Those Joestars and their troublesome allies had proven to be quite problematic. Having battled them first hand you finally understand why so many of the stand users your Lord had sent out had been unsuccessful. That Jotaro was the biggest problem and now you were limping, injured by his surprisingly powerful stand as you made your way back to your Lord’s mansion.

A cold breeze of anxiety hit you like a truck as soon as you stepped in. You were supposed to defeat the enemy, and you had promised to be successful, but the sight of you, covered in bruises and cuts would be a clear sign to anyone that you had been utterly defeated. Dio was getting impatient, understandably so, and you had been yet another failure. Your Lord’s anger and disappointment scared you. In a way, you had betrayed his trust by failing to eliminate the Crusaders, and you dreaded the thought of seeing those amber orbs piercingly staring into your soul, flames of fury burning within them.

Though you were among his most loyal followers, the last thing you wanted was to face him and his anger. Perhaps you could sneak into your quarters without him noticing and-

“Back already, (Name)?” Your blood runs cold when you hear his low voice cut through the air behind you. The previous careful steps you took came to a complete halt and every hair on your body stands up as he continues talking in that sinister voice:

“I do hope you bring some good news with you for a change. Did you manage to defeat the troublesome pests?” His voice is like cold ice that uncomfortably pierces your body. The question he asks is a simple one, but the tone of his voice is frowning, as if he already knows of your failure. You quickly turn around, only to see him standing there, bathing in the moonlight while looking at you with those sharp eyes. You do not dare to look back at him and instead bow before your Lord, despite your injuries demanding otherwise.

“Lord Dio, I...” You almost can’t bring yourself to say it as Dio’s mere presence is alone to paralyze you, completely bending you to his will. “I... I was unsuccessful...” As soon as the words leave your mouth you could practically feel the disappointment radiating from him. “How unfortunate...” You hear him sigh in frustration and before he has time to scold or even punish you, you quickly lift up your gaze and look at him, determined to fix your deficiency. 

“Lord Dio, please! Allow me to attempt to eliminate them again once my wounds have healed!” Your voice is louder than intended, but instead of silencing or stopping you, Dio looks at you, his eyes still shining threateningly. “My failure is inexcusable and I should be punished for my inability to defeat the enemy, but I swear to you, my Lord, if you provide me with a second chance, I will be successful.” The determination present in your expression catches Dio’s attention and makes your words sound truly genuine. You were always loyal, but the fact that you were looking him dead in the eye, injured but persistent to fix your mistake, was quite admirable.

With a single hum, he turns his back to you and looks at your still bowing form over his shoulder. “I expect you to be successful, (Name).” Your (E/C) eyes widen in surprise and fill with hope you thought was long lost as he turns fully away from you, his resplendent body sparkling under the moon. “For your own sake.” His words are meant to be a threat, warning you about the consequences should you fail again, but the only thing you can do is express your eternal gratitude for your Lord.

“I will not fail, Lord Dio! I shall eliminate them!”

~

It had been some time since your confrontation with the Lord, and during that time your wounds only seemed to worsen. The bandages and other medical equipment you had treated yourself with only seemed to partially relieve the discomfort you were in. With a sigh, you lean back on your modest bed and think of possible strategies for the second battle with the crusaders that was yet to come. If you were completely honest with yourself, you weren’t certain if you would be able to truly defeat them. However, you had made a promise and you intended to keep that promise and face the consequences if you did fail again.

Suddenly, instead of the pain, you felt a presence next to you. And that presence soon made itself clear when you felt something wrapping around your seated form. It caught you off guard, but it didn’t take long before you realized what was behind the admittedly comforting embrace. Beside you was the manifestation of your Lord’s spirit. He had his strong arms around you, carefully holding you while rubbing comforting circles on your back.

You blinked a couple of times, confusion twisting your features. You had seen The World before, but he was always partially summoned, menacingly standing beside his master. Your eyes look up at the stand, the expression on his face, unlike anything you had seen before. It was almost... Sad. His eyes were softly looking at you, no signs of their usual malice but were instead filled with worry. And the way the spirit held you, it was comforting.

Still confused but too exhausted to wonder, you wrapped your arms around the muscular figure, feeling as if you were hugging Dio himself. It was strange but strangely delightful. He was always so cold, so evil, so threatening, but the feeling of his very soul gently holding your injured form somehow felt right. You didn’t quite understand the situation, but now you at least knew that behind that intimidating and frightening gaze that came out of the piercing amber eyes, resided a gentle soul whose manifestation now softly and securely held you, showing the vampire’s true feelings he hid so well.

[daisys-gard3n]

I have been trying for the better part of an hour to send you something thirst related, but it’s a No Thoughts Just Confused Koala Mista time for me.

So have Mista being carried off by a tiny stronk shapeshifter/genetic experiment named Lithium.

Why is she carrying him off? I’ll let you decide, but whatever it is, she bought him dinner first.

Very cute art, your blog has quality art

As for why stronk waifu is carrying Mista? At first, she was just intending to have a peaceful night with Mista over dinner. She managed to argue her way into buy dinner for the night while Mista grumbled in defeat, still managing to enjoy his favorite foods and a plate for Sex Pistols to fight over themselves.

After dinner, just like any other day in Jojo, the two were attacked by a group of very competent stand users. They were sent presumably someone who had it out for Bruno, wanting to get revenge by attacking his men to provoke him. However Mista and Lithium came together with their stand abilities to beat each person one by one with pure brute force.

Like in good ol Mista fashion, he shoots himself probably twice or three times throughout the battle by accident + the other damage inflicted by the enemy stand users really did a number on him. Lilith managed to come to the rescue the moment the enemy stand users were defeat to heal Mista as much as she could. It was a tough procedure and Mista felt the pain of his injuries reverse as a side effect from one of the enemy stands. His pain tolerence had been lowered signifigantly to the point where a small poke could make him groan in pain. Lilith can only do so much, the rest of his injuries needed to be tended by Giorno back at base. So Lilith gently picked him up, making sure to support his back and have him wrap his legs around her waist so she could carry him back.

"God...This is embarrassing."

"You weren't embarassed about scarfing down three plates of rotini earlier, what's so wrong about this?" Lilith huffed, Mista's cheeks were red as he avoided looking into her scowling gaze as he mumbled. "Aren't...Y'know, I supposed to carry you back to base like this...Protecting you and making sure you don't get hurt?"

"Who gave you an idea like that?" Lilith laughed, Mista's dark eyes slowing turning towards her as the grin on her face grew wider. "I can protect myself just fine...It's you I'm more concerned about. You get injured almost every week."

"I don't do it on purpose!"

"I know, I know...That's why I'll be the one to carry you like this. I'll be the one protecting you. Now shut your mouth, we have a long walk back!"

Mista couldn't help but notice the red tint forming on her white skin, the happiness in her eyes as she held onto him securely without trying to hurt him. For some odd reason, it made his chest flutter as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

If Narancia ever saw him like this, he wouldn't hear the end of it...So he'll enjoy this moment for while, being protected rathed than giving it his all protecting.

[randowolfwriter]

Been working on this forever, but here’s my take on the Older Warners au, mostly with Wakko and his family. Basically, this relates back to the rockstar!au I thought up for Wakko a while back where he joins a band a few years after the original Animaniacs ended, only now he also starts a family along the way. Currently, Wakko is a single dad raising fraternal twins named Jojo and Smakko and teaches them both how to be zany toons like him. Eventually, he moves his family back to the Warner Bros lot during the production of the Animaniacs reboot, where Yakko and Dot also help out with raising the twins. 

More details about the story and the twins for anyone’s that curious, because I’ve been thinking about this au for a pretty long time. 

Given that they’re toons, the Warners shouldn’t be able to age, and yet if they did then it would be completely unexplained. One day they woke up and realized that they were aging just like humans. Of course this haunts each of them, including Yakko, who does all that he can to reassure his siblings that eventually this will pass and they’ll go back to being kids again. However, that wasn’t the case, and the three learn to accept that growing up was just a part of life. Even so, age wasn’t going to stop the Warners from serving justice to the unjust and wrecking havoc on adults with massive egos, which would go on until their late teens. 

During these years Wakko’s love for music also grows, and eventually he ends up forming a band with a few other toons around the studio. At first, their performances consisted of causing chaos around the lot and crashing production shoots-- infuriating Plotz to no end as the current CEO at the time-- yet when they noticed they were receiving positive attention from curious onlookers and angsty teens that liked their approach in fighting against the system, the band decided to become official. With this, Wakko is the first to leave the Warner Bros. lot and pursue his dreams of becoming a rockstar just like his idols. At first, he played as the band’s chaotic drummer, but as the years went on and he grew more confident, he also had the chance to man the front and sing a few solos for their band that would be named Toonz. 

A few years later, Dot is the next to leave as she goes on to become a successful business woman and leave her child actor days behind. Yakko is the only one who ends up staying on the lot and continues to call the water tower home. At first, he started out as a comedian who did shows regularly, but as time went on and he became a little tone deaf with his audience, he started doing small acting bits around the studio. Yakko’s biggest achievement yet was creating a small web series where he posted educational songs to teach children certain topics, including a video that was an updated version of his iconic “countries of the world” song. 

Meanwhile, Toonz takes the nation by storm. The attention they get is astounding, so much so, that they’re nearly invited everywhere in Hollywood, or if not then they’d crash it anyway. One party they crash in particular is where Wakko ends up meeting the twin’s mother. The party was held by a popular British singer named Jojo who was living in the states at the time and the twin’s mother so happened to be one of her stage managers. Jojo is unamused by the party crashers antics, yet tries to make the most of her night by introducing the twin’s mother to Wakko. One thing led to another and strangely the two began hitting it off, that is, until Wakko drunkenly sings “Wakko’s America” and crashes through a glass table. 

Thank to Jojo and Toonz doing tons of collabs between each other, Wakko and the twins’ mother saw each other constantly. Eventually their random encounters turned into dating, and already two years had gone by. She was different than the other women he dated, and by that, really one of the only people who could put up with his cartoony antics. Not to mention, she also had a long-time hobby in drawing and sketching, which Wakko always loved posing as her muse. Eventually, Wakko decided to take their relationship to the next step and the two got married in Vegas. 

One night, after Wakko and his wife returned from a long night of drinking and partying, the twins’ mother found herself drawing two twins that looked like Wakko from the original Animaniacs series. She didn’t now what possessed her to come up with them, but for some reason, she really felt like drawing them. As usual, Wakko being made of ink provided color for the sketch and gave them their black fur and red noses. All was going well until the twin’s mother accidentally got a paper cut and bled onto the page. After this, the two decided to call it a night and went to bed, unaware of what was happening to the page as they were sleeping. 

Later that night, the two heard a loud crash coming from the kitchen. Afraid that it was a couple of robbers, Wakko goes to investigate, claiming that he wanted to greet his new “special” friends. What Wakko ends up finding instead are two little toon babies with puppy dog ears, cat-like tails, black furred with white faces, and tiny little pink noses that looked exactly like him. Upon further investigation, they soon discovered that the page they drew the twins on earlier was blank, which meant that for some reason, the twins came to life exactly the same way Wakko did (except they came out as babies.) Thus, Jojo and Smakko Warner were brought into the world and Wakko and his wife were now parents.  

For the next decade, Wakko continued playing in the band while his wife stayed home to take care of the kids. Whether it’d be at practice or having yearly tours, Wakko unfortunately couldn’t be with his kids as much as he wanted to, yet, when he was able to spend some quality time with them, he gave it his all. He got to see what an adorable and excitable girl Jojo was, what a mischievous nature she held in courtesy of the Warner name, and what a big heart she had for those around her. As for Smakko, though he was timid and shy he was also very inquisitive, and with inheriting his Daddoo’s toon abilities the boy was practically the spitting image of him. 

For years, it seemed as if nothing could tear the family apart. Sure, the twins had their moments, as well as most kids did; if anything they were more well behaved than the father they came from. Not only that, but barely were there any arguments or secrets kept between parents and children. Yet, nothing could have prepared Wakko for the day his wife died in a tragic accident, leaving him alone as a single father. Knowing that the twins had no one else to care for them, Wakko retired from the band to commit himself full-time in raising Jojo and Smakko. 

A year later, Wakko buys an RV and decides to take his kids on the road. He wanted to teach them everything he knew when they were his age, get the chance to see the world, and help them get in touch with their toon heritage. Though Jojo was more than excited to spend time with her Daddoo as much as possible, Smakko on the other other hand was less than thrilled. All the boy wanted was for things to return back to normal; when their mother was always around and their Daddoo seemed more concerned with his band. 

Months into this family entourage, and Wakko gets a call from Yakko:  Animaniacs was returning, and they wanted all three of the Warner siblings to come back. With this, Wakko moves the twins to the Warner Bros. lot and gives them the chance to see where he grew up. They move into the water tower with Yakko, who is more than happy as he’s been rather lonesome for the last two decades. Dot however is a little less than compliant to return to her roots, but eventually she warms up to the idea that the reboot would be willing to work with a more mature version of herself. Now that the three Warner siblings were reunited plus two, the family works together to bring back the joy and laughter that the original series gave to many. Though they’re a lot older, the three siblings are convinced they still have it in them. Eventually once the reboot runs its course, Wakko intends to get him and the kids back on the road, but for now, they’re content where they’re at. 

Now, about the twins!

Jojo Warner:

Birthday: June 8th, 2009 (11 years old) 

Fraternal twin sister to Smakko. 

Since the parents were brought together by the singer, Jojo, she had the honor of being the girl’s godparent. With this, she named the baby after herself in defense of saying that “Jojo” wasn’t her real name, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be their daughter’s.  

Her ears are bigger than any of the other Warners, which is why they usually need to be tied back. Not like they cover her eyes or anything, but when she was little she used to chew on them constantly, causing concern for the new parents.

The heart hair tie she wears is from her mother and she treasures it dearly.

Out of both her parents, she has a stronger relationship with her Daddoo due to their mischievous and childlike personalities. 

Just like Wakko, she has a ravenous appetite that only got bigger with age. As a toddler, if she didn’t get to eat right away, she would run around the house and throw a giant tantrum until she got her way. Sometimes, she still has a tendency to do this if her heart is set on something. 

The only Disney movie she’s ever seen is Frozen, which proved her Daddoo’s point about them being mindless garbage when she wouldn’t stop singing Let It Go for months. Because of this, the kids were banned from seeing anymore Disney films.

When she was five, she ripped off Wakko’s tail while rough housing with it. Though it wasn’t that big of a deal thanks to Wakko being part salamander, that didn’t stop him from tricking Jojo into thinking she tore it off for good. Of course, the prank went too far when Jojo broke down in tears and begged over and over about how sorry she was, so Wakko finally decided to show his kids their amazing regenerating abilities and grew his tail back. Smakko immediately threw up after this. (I swear, that tail scene in the reboot was hella nasty) 

One of her favorite hobbies is collecting weird things she finds on her adventures, whether it be a strangely shaped rock, a piece of trash, and yes, she even still has her Daddoo’s tail. 

Another one of her favorite hobbies is playing with the small guitar her Daddoo gave her. On warm summer nights, Wakko and Jojo will sit on the roof of the RV or the water tower and sing into the night. Some of their favorites include songs by the Beatles, or songs by various rock groups. While her Daddoo strums on an electric guitar, she comes in with her acoustic to create a beautiful yet strange harmony. She hopes to be the lead singer of her own band one day. 

Despite living up to the Warner name, Jojo didn’t inherit any of their cartoon abilities, which bugs her to this day. The only way she can keep up with her family’s antics is by engaging in witty banter and annoying the heck out of her victims. Sort of a mixture of Yakko and Dot’s form of humor.

She gets along well with her Uncle Yakko since both of them can’t keep their mouths shut. During the Warners’ escapades, she looks to Yakko on how to strengthen her form of humor.

As for her Aunt Dot, the two are slowly forming a relationship. Due to Jojo’s tomboyish nature, Dot has a harder time getting on her level of understanding-- though that doesn’t mean the two don’t confide in each other if they ever need to rant about the boys of the family.

She’s considered the leader of the twins due to being more confident and does most of the talking during their escapades. 

She’s also very social, which leads her wanting to engage in more activities with kids her age such as going to school or trying to find her own niche of friends. Luckily, she ends up finding her own group when she befriends some of the child stars at the Warner Bros. studio.

Since her mother’s death, she believes that her mother looks down on them from the brightest star in the sky and grants them wishes. Every night, Jojo makes the same exact wish, not for herself but for her family:  She wishes for Wakko to have all the happiness in the world while she wishes for Smakko to be more confident in himself. 

Smakko Warner:

Birthday: June 8th, 2009 (11 years old) 

Basically my take on the forgotten character, Smakky from the original drafts of the Warners but like, less angry and more anxious. 

He was a fussy baby. Most nights, he refused to be left alone in his crib and cried for hours into the night until his parents surrendered and consoled him. Usually this was an inconvenience for both Wakko and his wife, as well as the neighbors when they used to live in an apartment. One night, Wakko nearly got in a fight with a neighbor after they complained about the child’s insistent crying.

Out of both parents, he favors his mother the most. Her soft voice and reassuring words were always his form of comfort throughout his childhood. Due to Wakko always practicing with the band or going on tours, Smakko didn’t gain that much of a connection with him. Most of the time, Smakko found his Daddoo to be a little scary due to his brash cartoon nature. 

Out of both twins he’s the shyest and will usually cling onto his family members whenever he meets someone new. He also has a tendency to get nervous real easily. Opponents are to be wary when they back him into a corner, lest they want to face his fearful wrath.

Unlike his sister, his toon abilities appeared the minute he was born. Upon naming him, he summoned a baby rattle and smacked his uncle on the head with it until he was given back to his mother. Hence, the boy was given the name “Smakko.” 

Nowadays, the boy is able to summon mallets to his whim, cream pies to his choosing, and is able to teleport from place to place— however, this only happens whenever he’s frightened or really stressed. If anyone gets him extremely anxious, they either get pounded with a mallet or blown up with dynamite. In a way, his cartoon abilities act as a defensive reflex. 

Another conundrum the parents faced during Smakko’s first years was being able to keep track of him. Most of the time, the boy would hide constantly either because he felt uncomfortable or something scared him. Sometimes, he’d end up in the most bizarre places such as in the freezer, in a load of laundry, or even in the ceiling. The only reason his parents knew where to find him was if they heard crying. 

While his sister’s form of comedy is vocal, his is more physical like his Daddoo’s. 

He also has a really small appetite compared to his Daddoo and sister. Most days, he can last with just a bowl of cereal up until dinner. He’s just not as passionate about eating like the rest of his family. Adding onto that, he’s a vegetarian. He gets sick at the thought of eating meat or harming animals to get his meal.

He’s very fond of animals, mostly smaller animals that he can pick up. He’s considered many times getting a pet, but due to the Warners active lifestyle, it’s something that’ll have to wait. As for now, he’ll help move bugs from getting crushed or summon food for hungry strays. (Rita and Runt go to him constantly for free food.)

He likes his Aunt Dot more than his Uncle Yakko. His uncle talks too much which overwhelms him. Meanwhile, Dot has that toned down personality that sort of resembles his mother’s, that is, until her brothers get her riled up.

Though Smakko loves his family, sometimes their crazy antics can get a little much. He misses his mother dearly considering that she was the only form of normalcy in his life. Now that she’s gone, he feels rather lost and doesn’t know how to open up to his Daddoo. Wakko on the other hand tries all that he can to calm himself around Smakko and assures him that his Dadoo will always be there for him. However, the boy’s anxiety is one that Wakko will have to learn to work with. 

[soriseerakyra]

Flight of Fancy -4- (Black!Batmom)

‘Where are you?’  

It’s a calm question that flashes over the screen of your phone. The lack of rhetorical flourishes lets you know who was asking before you even looked at the name of the messenger. Jojo. 

“Do you need to answer that?”  

Your eyes flicker up to meet the curious blue ones sitting across the table from you.  

“It’s just my friend checking on me,” you explain typing in a quick ‘I’m fine’ in reply to Jojo. She wouldn’t ask too many questions when she saw how short you were being. “I didn’t tell them I was going out.” 

A pleasant smile quirks at his lips and you’re forced to avert your gaze from his eyes. A part of your wishes he was being as unpleasant as he had been the last time you met. It was easier not to think he was attractive when he was being mean, even though that was still monumentally hard. 

You clear your throat as you look down at the plate in front of you. There were a few fries left and only a few pieces of wilted lettuce hinted at the burger that had previously occupied your plate.  It surprised you when you had sat down at a restaurant that could only be described as a five-star greasy spoon.  While this isn’t exactly what you would have described as a complete relaxed atmosphere, it surprised you that Bruce would know anything about a place like this. There was the very possibility that he didn’t and had just googled “non-shitty burger joint” and this was the first one that popped up. You chose to think he did come here when he wasn’t eating Foie gras.  

“Sorry if I ate too fast,” You say when you looked back up at him, a slight grimace on your face. Thinking about it now, you’d been rude since he picked you up. You had cried all the way over to the restaurant, while he had tried to console you. When you sat down and ate your food, you’d angrily shoved fries and your burger in your mouth, while you told him about all the wrongs that Kenya had done to you. And now you couldn’t even take the time not to answer your phone during dinner. Your mother would give you the eyebrow of doom if she could see you know. 

“It’s not a big deal,” he said, understanding. “It seems like you had a hard day.” 

“It just sucks to be blindsided like that you know,” You sigh as your lips naturally pull down into a pout. This time, before you go on another rant, you catch yourself and are able to change topics. “Why did you want to bring me here?” 

A slight look of surprise comes across Bruce’s face at your rapid change in topic, but it’s quickly followed by an amused smile, “I wanted to apologize for the way I behaved when we met.” 

“Really?” You ask with a raised eyebrow. 

“Really,” he says looking down remorsefully and stirring the bowl of chili that is placed in front of him. “When dealing with people in the corporate world, you think of things as all or nothing. Sometimes you forget that there are actual people’s livelihoods at stake.” 

It wasn’t what you were expecting, and you didn’t know how to respond. You supposed you could understand his somewhat heartless manner when he was dealing with you. Now that you had been working with Kenya, you’d seen her almost take the souls out of people’s bodies, and everyone just treated it like it was normal. Perhaps you should have been prepared for how he had treated you, you had gone there intending to negotiate with him. It just so happened what was being negotiated about had changed. 

“And threatening you, that was horrible of me,” he continues as he meets your gaze seriously. “It shouldn’t have happened.” 

 “It’s all right,” you sigh quietly, “To be honest you’ve kind of done more than my friend has to make me feel better about the situation.” 

 “The woman I met at our first meeting, right? Kenya?” 

 “Oh, you remembered.” 

 “It’d be hard not too, she was quite adamant about me getting to that meeting.” 

 “Yeah, me too,” You say with a slightly irritated sigh. While you had told him how negative she had been regarding your feelings and experiences. Telling him she wanted you to shake your titties at him to get him to buy your work seemed like an insult that he was better off not knowing about.

 ‘Oh, God! am I friends with a bad person?’

 “If there’s anything that I can do to make it up to you, please let me know.” 

 From how she sounded at the bowling alley, it didn’t sound like she was above trying to put you in that position again.  

 “Anything?” You question 

 “Anything,” He says with a warm smile and a nod of his head  

 ‘Maybe I should take him up on his job offer’ 

 It’s a thought that runs through your mind quickly and makes you feel guilty almost immediately as it comes. Partly because you know that, you’d never would have thought about it if Kenya hadn’t been a complete and utter dick to you today. Another part was because if you had asked about it, wouldn’t he just think you were giving him the runaround? 

 You were sure that he already thought of you as some little girl that could barely keep her life together, judging by the number of amused smiles he’d flash you and the way he’d just let you ramble on about nothing.  

 Still though, as it was when he first offered it, even with all the threats, it was a good offer. Having unlimited resources backed by a billionaire who thinks you’re a genius, what could be better?  

 God, you wished Kenya hadn’t been such an asshole today. The need for revenge is rising in your throat. 

 “I,” you have to bite at your tongue to keep from asking if the offer was on the table. “I’ll have to think about it, no one’s really offered me anything before.” 

 “Don’t worry, I’m patient.” 

 “At least someone is.” 

 That wasn’t supposed to slip out. He lets out a polite laugh, and you wonder if he knows that you’re making a dig at one of your oldest friends. If he does, he doesn’t comment on it. For that, you're grateful.  

 “If I asked you for a ride home would that count as my anything?” You question. And although you were genuinely curious, it came across as much more flirtatious than intended. In fact, when the question had left your lips, you felt your cheeks warm in embarrassment. If you looked away, would he know that there was something wrong? 

 It is so subtle you almost miss it, the slight turn up at one corner of his mouth. A smirk that is quickly hidden by a laugh, “Of course not, I’m not a jerk.” 

 Shit, was Kenya, right? Did he really think you were attractive? Or was it that maybe he was used to girls getting flirty with him? Did that smirk mean he knew you were like all the others; you couldn’t help but think he was amazing? How embarrassing. 

 “Shall we?” He asks moving to stand up. 

 “Oh,” you respond somewhat startled out of your thoughts. “Don’t we have to pay?” 

 “Don’t worry,” He says casually slipping his hands into the pockets of his pants. “I’ll make sure they get their money.” 

 “Really?” 

 “Of course” He says, placing a hand on the small of your back, “I own the place, so it shouldn’t be too hard.” 

 “Oh, so you didn’t have to google this place,” you say slightly amazed. You bite your tongue in irritation; another thing that wasn’t supposed to slip out. 

 “What was that?” He asks with a chuckle. 

 “Nothing, never mind.” 

 The ride to your apartment was quiet, and you were grateful for it. If he had tried too hard to make a polite conversation, you probably would have asked him about the job. A part of you was still feeling more than a bit spiteful and you didn’t trust yourself not to act on those impulses. Not only that, you had embarrassingly touched his hand when he rested his arm on the rest between the seats. What if he got the idea that you were trying to flirt with him?  You’d never live it down. 

 Because you totally didn’t want to flirt with him, right? No matter how nice he looked in the moonlight. 

 It’s not long until you're in front of your building.  As you pull down the block, you see the form of the building security guard take shape, and even from a good distance away you can see that he’s already eyeing Bruce’s car skeptically. In Gotham, just because someone had a nice car didn’t mean that they wouldn’t bring trouble. 

 He parks and immediately gets out of the car to open your door for you. 

 “You don’t have to do all this,” you say as you step out, lifting up to the curb with the help of his hand.  “I already said that I forgave you.” 

 “You think I’m opening the door for you because I want you to accept my apology?” He asks with a raised eyebrow. 

 It seemed kind of silly, when it was probably just a habit he learned from whoever raised him. 

 You don’t respond immediately and instead turn to throw a familiar wave at the security guard who is still watching the pair of you intently. At your gesture, he aims a flashlight at you and quickly relaxes and turns it off when he recognizes your form. 

 “Actually,” you start when you turn to give Bruce your attention again, “there is something that I wanted to ask you.” 

 “Really? What a coincidence, there is something that I wanted to ask you.” 

 “You go first,” You interject quickly. 

 “I know that when we talked at my company, that I didn’t seem like the nicest person in the world, but I was wondering if-,” 

 “Yes!” You interject excitedly. “I was hoping you'd ask, so I wouldn’t feel like a total ass.” 

 “An ass for going on a date with me?” 

 “A date? What?” You question confusedly. “I thought you were asking if I had changed my mind and wanted to come work with you.” 

 “Well, that too, I suppose.” 

 “Wait, you want to date me?” You ask incredulously. 

 “Is that bad?” 

 “No, I mean. I guess I just didn’t expect it,” you mumble.  

 “Why not?” He questions with a smooth smile on his face. “You're beautiful and talented, what’s not to like.” 

 ‘The fact that Kenya set this up from the beginning,’ you groan mentally. The idea of falling directly in her trap did not make you feel great. And a part of you wondered if he was only asking because of superficial reasons, like Kenya had suggested he would. Then again, it wouldn’t matter what Kenya had set up if you didn’t work for her, would it? 

 “So is the job offer on the table?” You ask skeptically. 

 “If you want it.” 

 “And if I took it, would I have to work for you directly or am I independent?” 

 “Just for the prototype you already have in development. After that you’re free to develop whatever you want. Occasionally, Lucius may pass you some assignments, but you’d be pretty much free.” 

 You’d liked Mr. Fox, until he led you into the room where you got the shit scared out of you. Maybe working for him wouldn’t be too bad. 

 “All right,” You say with a nod of your head. 

 “All right?” He questions silently asking you what you were agreeing too. 

 “To both,” you say somewhat confidently. “All right to both.” 

 “Good.” 

 *** 

“What the hell is this?” 

 The brown-haired beauty stared at you in slight disbelief, when she finished reading the letter you had placed on her desk. 

 “I’m resigning,” you say wringing your hands around the looped handle of your purse.  

 It’s a tense moment of silence that passes between the two of you and you find yourself constantly shifting your gaze between her angry brown eyes and the statue sitting on a shelf just right over her head.  

 “No, you’re not,” she says with a chuckle, her brow relaxing. “What are you going to do, wait tables? You need this job.” 

 “I already have one lined up,” you interject quickly. “And it just so happens that that it involves me making more than minimum wage.” 

 She looks at you skeptically for a moment, most likely surprised by the snark of your comment. In truth, you were as well. As confident as you felt when strutted into her office, the ever-critical look that she gave you had you feeling more like that freshman she picked up on the first day of college.  

 You didn’t think everything would end up this way. You had relied on her for so many things, the fact that you were here just throwing it in her face, felt strange. However, as strange as it felt, you didn’t want to be used anymore. And as silly as it sounded, the thought had crept into your mind that it may be possible that she would have been playing how to use you since the first day she met you? Why else would she have picked you of all people to be friends with?

 “He got to you, didn’t he,” She blurts, an ominous look, clouding her eyes. 

 “Who?” You question dumbly. 

 “What’d he offer you? A corner office? A company car? A huge bonus?” 

 “Mr. Wayne?” You question realizing who the implication had been. “I am taking the job he offered, but it was my decision. He didn’t trick me into doing anything.” 

 “Oh, right because you’re too pure for that,” She says with a roll of her eyes. “I seem to remember you doing some questionable work to pay that college tuition.” 

 “I’m not ashamed of what I had to do to get by,” You state tersely feeling your nostrils flaring anger. “And that is the reason I’m taking the job. I will not let you control my life, Kenya.”

“Control your life?” She questions with a chuckle. “Without me think about where you would be.” 

Sensing that she was about to dive into a rant, you stop her, “Actual friends don’t hold the supposed help that they offer over someone's head.”

“Actual friends,” Kenya asks, arms crossing over her chest. “So I’m not your friend now?”

“Not when you try to sell me to get ahead,” You spit feeling your anger swell in your chest. “I went along with it, Kenya, but you had to know that was the last thing that I wanted to do.”

“You didn’t complain then,” she points out. “And now you claim you’re leaving me to go fuck the man I chose for you. So it doesn’t seem like it bothered you that much.”

“You know what,” you say, pushing yourself up from your chair. “I’m done. I’ve just decided that I don’t want to have this conversation with you anymore. In fact, I don’t want to have anything to do with you anymore. We’re done Kenya. Don’t call me, don’t ask about me, don’t text me.”

You turn to storm out of her office and only stop when she roars back at you.

“Glad to see that not much has changed, you’re running from your problems just like you’ve always done. So I know I won’t have much to worry about you working for Wayne. Because just as soon as something gets hard for you, you’ll just run to whatever other handout you can find.”

“At least it will be my choice whom I get to run too.”

And with that, you walk out of her door. Fully intent not to see her again.

[daily-dose-of-imagines]

ʙɪɢ ʙᴀᴅ ᴡᴏʟꜰ  2 / 2 | 𝕁𝕁𝔹𝔸 𝟛 [Drabble]

ᴡᴏʟꜰ ʜʏʙʀɪᴅ!ᴊᴏᴛᴀʀᴏ x ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

[Part 1]

Here’s part 2 of this sort of fantasy AU~! Definitely going to do more one-shots with the other jojo’s later so I hope y’all stick around for that~!

» » Admin Ko

»»————-　★　————-««

The story of Little Red was one that was passed throughout the centuries. Though in actuality, how accurate was the story? Did anyone know of the challenges the cloaked individual went through? The creatures they had met? It’s all a mystery. After all, there can only be so much truth from a story passed along through words...

ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ

Fighting. That’s what you found yourself waking up to as you blearily pried your weary eyes open to the site before you. The snarls and sharp barks had you alert the moment they registered in your head. Immediately, you went to find a place to hide from the violence, but the pain you felt throughout your immensely sore body told you otherwise as you let out a painful groan. 

Though you felt your blood run cold as the snarling suddenly stopped and two pairs of green blue eyes settled on your form. The uneasy tension you felt coursing through the air as you slowly gulped down your scream. This was it. You shouldn’t have followed Jotaro to his pack. This was all a mistake, and now you were going to be a snack for these two wolves.

Yet, instead of the lunge and snarls of the wolves you bore witness to something else that made the whole experience a lot more...bizarre. The man who had previously found you, Jotaro, had waltzed up to the two wolves before you. He kicked them both to the side as the pair made a whine and aggravated bark of anger.

“Shut the fuck up. You both scared her.” 

Was the simple retort as you could only stupidly look up at the man before you. If anything, your confused and blank gaze had him even more peeved as he closed his sea-green eyes briefly. A chance to calm down the anger that quelled within him before he opened his eyes to meet your gaze again.

“That was Jolyne and Giorno. They were to watch you. But clearly they couldn’t even do that without some sort of spat.”

The two wolves in turn let out haughty barks before suddenly fleeing the area. The whole situation leaving you bewildered and confused before you finally opened your mouth to speak. 

“What...happened?” 

Jotaro took a brief moment to assess the situation before him. His gaze skimming you over once before he let out another sigh and turned to face the entryway of the cave you were in.

“To put things curtly. You ate. Jolyne treated your wounds, and you spent the night here. You just woke up.”

You felt your eye twitch at the obvious answer given before rubbing the sides of your head to keep the oncoming headache at bay.

“Look, I can make that basic assumption hardass. What I meant was what happened while I was asleep.”

It was silent for a moment. Nothing but the sound of the wind outside of the cave. It was honestly somewhat suffocating as the large man before you seemed to refuse to tell you exactly what happened. Fine. If that was the case then you’ll just ask Johnathon. He seemed like a gentlemen, surely he’d give you a proper explanation of everything. 

Though before you could really get up to find the large burly man, Jotaro walked towards you. The action catching you by surprise as you seemed to freeze at his motion. It unnerved you that you kept freezing up at him, but there was something in the way he moved that just set alarms off in your head. 

Seeing your reaction, he couldn’t help but give an annoyed sigh as he pulled his hands out his pockets. Showing that he wasn’t armed or was intending to hurt you; and seeing the action before you had a flush crawl onto your cheeks. He noticed. Fuck. 

“If you’re wondering, you’re most likely reacting that way because you feel like prey.”

The simple statement had you stare at him in a dumbfounded manner before you felt yourself relax. Or rather, forced yourself to as the truth came into light. Perhaps that’s what your head was telling you, or hell the fact that your past memories of the horror stories beyond the forest were being brought back to light at full force.

The thought didn’t bod well for you as you shoved the memories into the back of your mind; and thankfully a distraction came to you as two people walked into the cave. Both bickering-- really one haughtily talking while the other calmly replied with practiced finesse-- with each other before bringing themselves to you. 

“...hi?” 

You offered, a startled and confused look on your features as Jotaro seemed even more annoyed at the sudden appearance. The pair seemed to ignore him as they kept their focus solely on you.

“We apologize for frightening you earlier, Signorina. We just had a...disagreement you could say.”

The shorter, golden blonde hair with three donut shaped accents spoke. He seemed to be the calm type. The one who would analyze a situation and tell you the honest truth. Though, like Jotaro a pair of wolf like ears sat at the top of his head as a golden tail swung slowly behind him.

“Cut the suave talk Giorno. Look, we argued if it was smart for fish boy here to bring you, a human, into the area. We don’t mind you being here, but the surrounding population? Not so much.”

Now that didn’t sit well with you, and Jotaro seemed to take note of that as he gave a sharp glare to the girl who you later found out was Jolyne. Her appearance was much more rough. Green and black hair were weaved intricately in a signature style that could honestly be spotted a mile away, though like her siblings; she too had a set of extra ears seated at the top of her head and a matching tail. 

“Tell them to fuck off. She won’t be in the area much longer anyway.” 

The sharp retort and words that fell from Jotaro’s lips had you flinch slightly as he gave the two a quick glare before picking you up with surprising gentleness. Of course you felt somewhat conflicted. Your body screaming fight or flight (more so flight) and your mind reminding you that he wouldn’t hurt you. 

Luckily, you managed to keep a tight hold on your instincts as Jotaro carried you out of the cave and back into the bright world. In all honesty, the forest during the day calmed you down much more  than the forest you faced yesterday evening. 

“Oh! I see you’re awake~! Good morning miss!” 

The familiar cheery voice caught your immediate attention as your gaze quickly fell towards the brightly smiling man. You gave a small nod and a soft ‘good morning’ yourself before Jotaro continue to walk towards the woods. Your mind suddenly reeling in confusion as you looked up at the wolf carrying you.

“Uh...what?”

He merely grunted as you peered over his shoulder to see Johnathon waving at you two. Not at all concerned or questioning where the hell Jotaro was taking you. There definitely was something going on here.

“I’m taking you home.”

His response had honestly caught you off guard. Home? So suddenly? Well...it made sense with your injuries, but your questions had yet to be answered. 

“I appreciate that and all, but I would much prefer a response than being brought to your pack, and then suddenly being taken home. Something happened while I was asleep and for whatever reason, you’re refusing to tell me.”

The moment he avoided your gaze though told you exactly what you dreaded to think. There was something more to this whole situation that made everything all the more...unsettling. 

“Look. If you tell me the truth I’ll lay off questioning--”

“I’ll tell you, but you have to promise to never step foot into the forest ever again.”

Well shit. That caught you off guard. Though you couldn’t lie to yourself, never having to deal with the forest was already something you had planned to do-- despite your occupation requiring you to be in the forest. Yet if a resident of the forest was telling you this...there had to be something more to it.

It was a gamble, and you knew that but you needed to know. This whole mess had started with the damned map from your town’s chief and you weren’t going to leave without a proper answer at least! With that, you decided to take the risk, it was better knowing than not if you were going to figure out a loophole in this deal.

“...Deal. Now explain.”

ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ

Seated back at home at your quaint desk, you couldn’t help but feel another wave of nausea hit you. It had been quite some time since you’ve been dropped off at your home, but the words that Jotaro spoke kept playing over and over in your head as you felt absolutely sick to your stomach. 

Whatever this was. Whoever’s sick game this was, was definitely someone you wanted gone. Forgotten about. Hell, you wanted them to forget about you! 

Letting out a painful sigh, you pushed yourself away from your desk as you flopped into your bed. Those damned words replaying in your head like a record as you clutched at the sheets beneath you.

“...You’ve been dragged into a fucked up game with an old family enemy. I don’t know the exact reasons why or why you in particular have been dragged into this feud, but what I do know is that our enemy has their eyes on you and they purposefully got that map into your town’s hands.”

It was wrong. It was fucked up, what sort of history did you even have anyway? You didn’t know anyone from the pack, nor do you know anyone who had ill will towards you or your family. So why?

With an exasperated groan, you let your mind drift as the sweet lull of sleep brought you into a world of darkness.

ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ

“Jotaro, I understand that you wanted to get her home as quickly as possible...but is that really any way to treat your soulmate? You could’ve at least told her the complete truth.”

“Look, I appreciate your sentiment and shit Johnathon, but I’m not risking this shit. Not again. I’ll tell her the full truth when Dio is taken care of.”

ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ

The lore of fairy tale’s differs from time to time. The perception and understanding between characters constantly butchered, re-structured, or even removed to better suit the listener’s ears.

Though, what if in the story of Little Red and The Big Bad Wolf....the wolf wasn’t all that bad? 

[alison-anonymous]

flawsome bandits pt. 5 ♡ sonic

Flawsome Wanted Posters

I know, I know, two updates in one day but the encouragement I’ve been receiving has given me WRITER SUPERPOWERS so I decided that if I finished another chapter today that I’d upload it for you darlings! I’m also uploading this on Wattpad too if any of you are interested! Love you all and please enjoy!

Warnings - lack of gifs, I couldn’t find any for this part I’M SO SAWRY :’(

♡♡♡ 

Tom’s eyes watered from the smoke as he slowly forced himself up into a sitting position. His lungs screamed from the new chemicals being introduced to them, causing him to cough like a smoker. Once the clouds of smoke finally cleared and his vision finally returned to him, he looked to see if the two kids were okay. 

...it was the exact opposite.

Amidst the burning dried grass, Y/n and Sonic lay facing each other, unconscious. They had some soot and chemicals from the explosion still on their skin and Y/n had dirt in her hair, their mouths slightly open and limbs strewn about in unnatural angles. Tom’s heart stopped beating as he ran over to his daughter, pulling her head into his lip.

“Y/n,” he shook her body, checking her pulse. It was weak, but it was there. He checked Sonic’s next. It was the same. Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes as he brushed the hair out of his daughter’s face. Sure, they had had some rough times… but she was his kid. “Come on, you guys are alright… get up.” For once in his life, his voice sounded weak and desperate. He didn’t want these kids to die! Who would? He quickly scooped up Y/n into his arms, hating the way that her body hung limply to the sides. 

“...you’re going to be okay.”

♡♡♡

It had taken quite a lot of convincing for Tom to be able to make it past the foyer of his sister-in-law’s house, even with Maddie trying to convince her. Once the poor unconscious Sonic was revealed from underneath the sheet Tom had been hiding him under, Maddie’s skepticism only grew. The two watched as her sister fell onto the floor, unconscious. 

“Where’s Y/n?” She asked in concern.

“In the car…” Tom’s expression fell to rock bottom. “She’s in no better condition.” 

His words kicked Maddie into gear as she burst out the door in search for her daughter, leaving Tom standing there with Sonic. She ran out to the truck as fast as she could, having to hold back a scream once she realized that the top was missing. There Y/n was, just as Tom had said, lying down in the backseat with her hair in a mess and her clothes covered in dirt. Her hands had cuts and bruises on them and while she could still see the rise and fall of her stomach, they came in very short, very rapid breaths. Maddie quickly picked her daughter up and hugged her to her chest, begging herself not to cry. 

“Hey there, sweetie,” she whispered to the body as she picked her up bridal style and began to carry her back into the house. “You’re going to be just fine… I promise.”

About a half hour later, Maddie finally returned from upstairs where she had tended to Y/n’s wounds and set her up in her bed to rest. Ozzy was in there keeping watch over her while her sister remained tied to a chair in the living room. Tom and Jojo stood over Sonic’s unconscious body as he lay as stiff as a board on the kitchen island. As Maddie came over carrying her vet kit, she gently pushed her husband aside and did her best not to let her inner emotions of disgust show. 

“Is he going to be okay? Can you help him?” Tom asked worriedly, trying to do his best to keep his cool in front of his niece. Maddie shot him an annoyed side glance and sighed.

“Tom, I don’t even know what I’m looking at right now-”

“He’s a hedgehog,” Tom frets. “Or at least that’s what he says.”

“He talks?” Maddie’s eyebrows raised as she began to get ready to test his pulse. Tom nodded. 

“He never seems to shut up. He’s grown really fond of Y/n.” The last part came out a little more bitter than he had intended, but it was just his good father nature to be snippy about boys. Maddie slowly processed the information as she pressed her fingers against Sonic’s wrist, glancing at her watch. As soon as she felt the blood pumping through his veins, her eyes widened.

“H-his pulse is insanely fast,” she muttered.

“Maybe that’s normal for him, he is sort of a speed demon,” Tom tried to reason. She nodded slightly and then proceeded to feel about his body for any broken limbs or torn ligaments. Once she was decently satisfied with that, she began to take off his tattered shoes, revealing socks with holes in them that were doing their best to protect his adorable hedgehog feet. Jojo grabbed a hold of one of the shoes and disappeared into another room while Maddie turned back to her husband.

“I don’t feel any broken bones. I think he’ll be fine, he’s just a little beat up. Poor little guy has some pretty rough feet,” she sighed. Tom finally exhaled for the second time that day, the first being after he found out Y/n was going to be okay. He took the nail he had been chewing on out of his mouth and sighed.

“Wait, don’t you have any of those smelling salts for pets?” He asked hopefully, eyes wide. Maddie furrowed her brows and did her best to accept her husband’s slight stupidity.

“I have HUMAN smelling salts,” she chuckled. He nodded rapidly, a sign that she should grab them. The second that she snapped the smelling salt and held it up to the blue hedgehog’s nose, his dreamy green eyes popped open. 

“Gotta go fast!” Sonic yelled, leaping off of the counter and zipping around the room so fast that you could barely even see him. Maddie’s eyes widened in horror as Tom stared in awe, amazed at how the little guy could come out of this with barely a scratch. Sonic finally came to a stop to stand on the counter and smiled at the two.

“Oh, hey Pretzel Lady!” Maddie gave him a small wave, the horror beginning to show in her eyes as she stared at him. Sonic opened his mouth to continue when he suddenly froze, counting the heads in the room. There was a Donut Lord… but someone was missing. The gears quickly clicked in his head as he remembered the explosion.

“Where’s Y/n?” He asked, panic beginning to rise as his green eyes looked around frantically for the girl he was growing very attracted to. Tom quickly held up his hands to help calm him down.

“Don’t worry, she’s safe. Maddie took care of her, she’s just resting upstairs.”

“She’s okay? Thank God,” Sonic breathed a sigh of relief. Maddie couldn’t help but smile at how concerned this creature was for her daughter. It was heartwarming to see someone else hold such a deep regard for her than she and Tom did. But the smile soon faded as she grabbed onto Tom’s sleeve and tugged on it forcefully.

“Uh, Tom, sweetie, can I talk to you for a moment? Without the, um, alien hedgehog?” Tom nodded slowly, following her out of the room. She closed the white sliding doors behind her, leaving Sonic alone in the kitchen. He let out a soft groan as the pain in his head slowly came back, still throbbing with every pulse. He hoped that Y/n was doing okay. 

Sonic’s eyes slowly made their way towards the stairwell. 

Upstairs, she said?

♡♡♡

Buried underneath a sea of covers lay a very beat up teenage girl. She had bandages wrapped around her arms and her hair had been brushed out of her face in order for her mother to clean the dirt off of her skin. Her eyes remained closed as her mouth was parted slightly, the steady rise and fall of her chest barely seen from the comforter she was under. The metal box that had been resting beside her in the truck was resting on the nightstand next to her, practically staring at her while she slept.

Y/n was having the strangest dream. 

She was much shorter than she remembered being, and she seemed a lot more hairy than usual. She’d have to buy a new razor. And she was with someone, but it was so blurry that all she could see was the color blue. Green was all that she could see for miles, filled with amazingly exotic waters and plantations and-

Wait. What was that noise? Y/n strained her ears as she heard that eerily familiar tune once again. It was the singing she had heard in the car. It was back.

Ah~, ah~. High and low, then high and low again.

She twirled around, e/c eyes searching for the source, but everything was so blurry that she couldn’t see. Like a camera that simply refused to focus. She stumbled around, listening to the song. It was beautifully mysterious, and she felt like… like it was meant for her to hear. Like it was trying to tell her something. It contained that same feeling she felt whenever she looked at Sonic - like she had heard it, seen it all before. 

But where?

Y/n woke up with a start, gasping for air as she sat up in bed. A thin layer of sweat coated her forehead as she moved the loose strands of hair out of her eyes. Her pulse began to rise as she looked around the room, recognizing it as her mother’s room from her aunt’s house. Her e/c eyes closed as she tried to steady her breathing. What was that all about? 

Ah~, ah~.

She gulped. There it was again. The music that only she could hear, it seemed. But even though she wanted to be afraid or worried about it, the idea only seemed to draw her in with curiosity. Even though she tried to tell herself not to, her gaze slowly drifted from the sheets over to the box sitting on the nightstand. The song sang softly to her, a little quieter now that it had gotten her attention, like a shy child. But still it called. 

Y/n slowly moved the blankets aside and swung her legs off the side of the bed. Her socked feet gently tapped the floor, creaking in uneasiness as they hadn’t been used in a couple hours. Her curious e/c orbs watched the little box closely, head tilting slightly to the side as she listened to it sing. Did she dare? She never did promise not to touch the vials or inspect them closer, so it wouldn’t do any harm to take one more peek without Sonic or Tom… right? 

Y/n very cautiously reached her hand out to the box, gently wrapping her bandaged hand around its cold surface and lifting it over to her lap. The singing quieted down even more as she flipped open the lid. Interesting, she thought. How hadn’t she noticed that the vials glowed in the dark before? Maybe because it had been in the day when they found them, she figured. And it was dark in the room because of the blackout curtains on the window. 

She lifted out Sonic’s vial, the bright yellow one and held it up to her eyes. It really did look like nothing but pee, so what was it? Her eyes scanned over the label once more, searching for anything that didn’t feel out of place. There had to be something here she was mis-

Oh. Oh, wait. 

Sonic’s vial wasn’t singing. Her brows furrowed in confusion. But… both of them had been singing, right? At least, something in the box had been singing. She held it to her ear and waited for what seemed like forever for the mystical tune to come floating out of it like magic.

Silence.

Huh. That was weird. She carefully set Sonic’s vial back into its rightful spot next to hers, watching as the liquid sloshed around in the tiny glass. Well, there was only one other thing left in the box. Her vial. Y/n bit her lip as she raised her own vial out of the box, eyes wide open as she watched the icy blue liquid glitter in the darkness. She twirled the vial around in her hands for a moment, inspecting every inch of it as she grew accustomed to holding it. But what was it for? 

She flipped the vial back over to the label on the back. Emergency reversal… emergency reversal. Why would there be something needed to be reversed? Was it for her? Y/n spent what felt like hours just sitting there, wracking her brain for an answer to the seemingly impossible question as to why these vials were here. And then it finally clicked into place.

Had someone… done something to her? To Sonic? Something that they didn’t know about? 

I mean, it would explain a couple of things. Maybe that was the reason why she and Sonic felt such a strong connection to one another and they only met a couple days ago. Maybe that was why Y/n had amnesia, a case that no one could solve. The dream that she just had… maybe it meant something. But who would have done this? Did she and Sonic know each other before? But how could that have been possible? She was a human and he was… Sonic! He was a hedgehog, for crying out loud! Unless…

She wasn’t always a human.

Dear lord, even the idea sounded insane. What else would she have been? A slug? A cat? But why else would they have their names on these vials? How could Dr. Robotnik had known about them beforehand when he didn’t even know their names? Was that why Robotnik had gotten all weird once she had told him her name?

But then again… why would Dr. Robotnik, of all people, have this? It made no sense. But if the label was telling the truth, then maybe whatever the contents of this vial were… perhaps it held the answers she had been looking for.

Ah~, ah~. The singing… was coming from her vial.

Well… only one way to find out if she was right.

Her fingers slowly found their way to the cork, removing it with a satisfying little pop. It didn’t smell like anything, didn’t look like it would taste like anything. It just stared at her from its home, waiting for her. Y/n’s heart pounded against her chest as she lifted the vial closer to her face. She needed answers. She needed to know.

The vial met her lips, and she drank. 

♡ a.a.

[fauzhee10069]

JoJolion: What actually happened in Mamezuku Rai's past? (with some villains’ theory & motivation)

The X-Files theme is playing... (& TL;DR at the bottom post)

Back in chapter 75 during Ozon Baby arc, we got a glimpse of of how Mamezuku Rai's past happened.

JJL chapter 75: Ozone’s Baby Pressure – part 3

When he was a child, his parents grew prized high-class pears which would sell for millions of yens. However, because their techniques were leaked, a competitor tied to money-lenders ravaged Rai's parents' orchard, ruining their crop and forcing them to sell the land. Unable to forgive his parents' incompetence, Rai secluded himself on a mountain slope and managed to cultivate fruits in spite of the harsher climate. He was found by Norisuke IV and then he was appointed in secret as his personal fruit grower and appraiser.

However, in recent chapter (99) of JoJolion, we’ve been told that Rai’s father just passed away.

In the flashback, Rai told that he found his parent's orchard infested with insects. After informing them, his father rushed out of the house to deal with it, but was killed by a landslide caused by a typhoon. He then attended his father's funeral. However, there was also Akefu as one of the guests in the funeral, though it seemed that no one know him (including Rai).

Back to the present time, Head Doctor Akefu as Tooru’s Stand revealed his name as “Wonder of U”. He also revealed that he was the real cause of the death of Rai's father.

JJL chapter 99: Endless Calamity – part 5

He told Rai that his father had accidentally triggered the pursuing when he rushed out to deal with the insects, causing him caught in the flow of calamity.

Therefore, in these two chapters (75 & 99), it seems that Araki retcons Rai’s backstory. In the Ozon Baby’s arc, it was told that what damaged Rai’s pear orchard was the act of sabotage by the usurpers who were connected with local money lenders to cut the pear branches. The chapter also said that it was because Mamezuku’s cultivation techniques had leaked to other people in the industry. However in this chapter 99, we’ve been told that it was the work of rock insects and “Wonder of U”.

It is as if the story has changed, but the JoJo fandom page (wiki) actually considers it as if the two events took place at different times in a row. But does this mean that Rai's pear orchard had been destroyed twice?

Rai and The Rock-Humans

Wise Anon in 4chan also suggested that the usurpers who destroyed Rai’s pear orchard could be the rock-humans as well.

Then what was the motivation of those rock-humans to destroy Rai's pear orchard, twice?

JJL chapter 99: Endless Calamity – part 5

I think it's still quite difficult to be able to really tell the motivation of Akefu/”Wonder of U”/Tooru as major antagonist lately. But what Akefu said here sounds like a declaration of war between silicon-based & carbon-based humans.

We have just been shown that Tooru is indeed a rock-human. Urban Guerrilla had also implied that the goal of the rock-humans is to be superior being and reach the peak of society (compared to those ordinary carbon-based humans).

Then in this chapter 99, we’ve been told about the reason the rock-humans are created, it is as the backup for those carbon-based being in case their existence fails. But if so, why were they created together and living together at the same period?

There is also an interesting idea by u/Mamezuku from reddit:

What if rock-women no longer exist anymore? We have never seen any rock-woman (besides the flashback), only groups of men so far. What if the Doctors are trying to use the Locacaca in order to create a legacy, a rock-baby? That's why the perfect New Locacaca is very important to the Head Doctor’s gang. Notice how the narrator specified in this very chapter how normal men can make babies with rock-women, but not vice versa. The growth process that a rock-human has to go through is extremely harsh and difficult, hence why there's not many rock-human alive. What if no rock-women survive in this generation and only rock-men are left now? This would be an awesome motive for the rock-humans (Tooru) and so far it looks like it's heading this way.

Rai and Higashikata

Another interesting thing that I saw in Rai's flashback was the Higashikata family as funeral guests.

We see that Norisuke IV along with Jobin and Hato came to the funeral, we did not see Joshu and Daiya, probably because they were too small at the time. But clearly we don't see Caato here, even in panels when Norisuke IV and Rai were having conversation. I mean, she did not appear in this flashback at all.

This implied that Caato might have been in prison by then, which means that the equivalent exchange in her infamous flashback with Jobin already happened. Jobin and Hato also seemed not much different compared to them in the moment just before Caato got arrested.

Then according to Rai’s old backstory in Ozon Baby arc, he got hired by Norisuke IV as his plant appraiser when he was around 17 years old. Let’s do a little math, JoJolion took place in 2011, Mamezuku Rai is 31 (as his name & age were written in the chapter of his first debut). 31-17 = 14 years ago, 2011-14 = 1997, it was the year Norisuke IV have recruited Rai.

Then the time when Caato got arrested, in present time, she just finished her prison term and was released from prison. She was sentenced for 15 years of incarceration. 2011-15 = 1996, it was the year Caato was caught by the police.

Therefore, the time of Rai's father's death and the destruction of his pear orchard occurred around a year after Caato was jailed. At the funeral, Norisuke IV consoled and gave him his support, he also expressed his concern regarding Rai's pear orchard and the fate of his family. It seemed that Mamezuku family was in a real trouble at that time.

Norisuke IV is the man who is able to see someone's talents precisely. Seeing Rai's talent and the trouble faced by his family at that time, he also helped Rai by inviting him to work together as a plant appraiser in his family business.

The relationship between them turns into mutualism, Norisuke IV saved Rai from poverty due to his family's bankruptcy, while Rai helps Norisuke IV advancing his business further until Higashikata family becomes more successful and prosperous.

So what did Caato have to do with all this? This brought me back to her confusing and mysterious statement during her family reunion:

JJL chapter 58: Dawn at The Higashikata House

This out-of-nowhere claim have been causing those Caatofags to speculate and support the theory regarding her involvement with the cooperation between Higashikata and Damokan Group to the extent that they set aside Jobin’s role as an active player in this shady business. Of course, I believe that Jobin was the only one who initiated the cooperation with Damokan Group secretly (outside his mommy’s influence).

But what if instead of working with Damokan Group, Caato has actually cooperated with Head Doctor’s gang? I think HD gang might have made contact with Caato. It is possible that a contact was made when Caato was in prison (given the interval from her arrest to the destruction of the Rai’s pear orchard) or maybe even prior to that.

What motivated Caato?

Perhaps to prosper Higashikata family business and get rid of their potential business rivals, including Mamezuku family. With Rai's expertise, it is very likely that one day his family will be able to rival or even surpass the success of the Higashikata family. However, by (indirectly) bringing Rai to work for Higashikata family, their business will increasingly prosper. Basically, two birds in one stone.

I always love to see Caato as a foil for Holy: if Holy is a woman who is into scientific matters, Caato could be a woman who is more into business matters. Even her design gives a little hint about that:

Caato is already considered an outsider for Higashikata family, but it is quite interesting to see her wearing one of the attributes of the family on her clothes. However she prefers to use the fruit seller mark rather than the family crest symbol, kinda implying that she no longer cared about the family but still cares about their business.

What motivated The Head Doctor’s gang?

Answering this one is quiet trickier, maybe because it’s still hard to really read their motives. I want to return to the theory of procreation above, but what is already clear is that “the rock-humans really need New Locacaca” and we already knew that the formula of New Locacaca is to plant regular Locacaca on Higashikata’s land that has the property of “equivalent exchange”. However, this formula has just discovered after the birth of Josuke as a fusion-human.

Even so, according to Makorin, the issue regarding the ability of Higashikata’s land to do equivalent exchange has long been known by the citizen and most likely the rock-humans also already knew about it. Besides, by blending with society, it is highly likely that rock-humans (particularly the HD gang) have found out about Rai's talent in horticulture. Perhaps those HD gang (Tooru) have intended to direct Rai to the Higashikata’s land and make him cultivate a whole new type of Locacaca there.

Just like Holy, the HD gang is into scientific matters too. So HD gang has devised a plan to bring Rai to the Higashikata family, namely by eliminating Rai's family’s business and making him work under the Higashikata. HD gang may have used Caato to make this happen.

How did Caato (Higashikata) and Head Doctor’s gang work together?

Seeing the contrast of their motives and the relationship between those Higashikata and the rock-humans all this time, I can’t see their relationship as in a boss/the head and subordinates. They might have worked mutually just as how we have seen Jobin and Damokan Group working together. On the rock-humans’ side, both HD gang and Damokan Group already have their respective bosses (Tooru/HD & Damo), whereas I think Caato had worked independently like Jobin.

You are right, I cannot accept the concept that is often believed by other readers, that there is a single top leader among them (especially the Caatofags). What is most appealing in JoJolion is that each individual has their own situations, motives, and needs, they also have different characters and backgrounds that shape them. However, all of that leads them to one objective: the Locacaca fruit, leading to the race of the New Locacacaca that involving various factions.

How did they meet and who initiated it first?

Because this is still purely a theory, I cannot really answer who started this cooperation. So I will answer how this could be most likely played:

Caato

If Caato was really the one who initiated it, assuming that she made contact with HD gang before she went to prison. She could simply make a call or go to wherever the HD gang was at the time.

But what if it started after she was already in prison? At this point, this will be mere speculation and hype (as a result of the limited information we have about her). The big question is how can she interact with the outside world? Caatofags often hold the idea of how OP her Stand is, mostly by comparing her Stand to D4C. The assumption that she was able to make contact with the outside world happened at the moment when Caato was able to take out her newly released cellphone despite her 15 year-long incarceration.

But since when did she have that phone? Has it been several years before (time travel)? Or did Caato always hide her cellphones in prison and replace them with the latest model every year? Assuming that in the first year of her incarceration, she was able to smuggle her phone. Of course the possibility that he could communicate with HD gang was simply by calling them.

Another bigger question is how Caato knew about Head Doctor’s gang? Could it be just a flashback that hasn't been told to us? Another speculation and hype by Caatofags is that Caato herself is a rock-human, particularly a rock-woman. This theory is also being widely discussed again after the most recent chapter 99 gives brief information about the rock-women. For me, this theory is too far-fetched (and almost bullshit).

Moreover, while this theory is still unconfirmed, those Caatofags have already made up a further theory that Caato is the top leader above all existing rock-humans (including Tooru/HD). I really wonder why Caatofags are so delusional… (and this one really sounds bullshit).

Head Doctor/Tooru

I also don't really know how Tooru got to know Caato or the other Higashikatas (or even Rai), we also need to look further into his background and backstory about it. However, being a rock-human he is, this is more possible for him. We all know that rock-humans (which are silicon-based) generally have longer lifespan than carbon-based humans. Rock-humans can live for up to 240 years. Rock-humans also grows by transformation, which causes them to be much older than what they look (example is Wu Tomoki who looks 33 despite his actual age being 70).

Therefore, Tooru himself might be much older than we think. We have seen the birth of Tooru in chapter 99, but we don't know exactly when he was born. But judging from the flow of panels, during the explanation of how a rock-woman gave birth to her baby until the baby grew up as Tooru. We can say that Tooru was born around Meiji era (1868-1912) or even 1901, the year in which Johnny died. The same year Rina was stricken with the rock-disease.

Whatever it is, this makes it even more likely that Tooru knows the history of the Higashikata family, especially if he knows the ability of equivalent exchange on their land. As a long-lived rock-human, he has many opportunities to learn many things and get as much information as possible. Also keep in mind that Tooru knows about “the saint”.

Then how did he make contact with Caato? With his Stand 「Wonder of U」, I am sure that he is able to do it, even if Caato was already in prison at the time. WOU can move through reflective surfaces while manipulating objects around it, it can also move in 2D and 3D alternately. In chapter 96, we’ve also seen that WOU is indeed capable to enter a prison as it was shown when Rai was in jail. 

With the possibility of Caato's ability to hide a phone with her Stand and WOU which is capable to move through cellphone, of course it's very possible they can communicate. Caato didn't even need to have a phone at the time, because WOU is able to move through any reflective objects not limited to cellphones. And as we have seen in the latest chapters (98 & 99) that WOU/Akefu is able to converse with Josuke and Rai.

Though I'm more convinced that Tooru is more likely the initiator, I don't really see him as the boss who's ordering Caato... or vice versa.

This is the difference that I felt when talking about Caato and Tooru (the two main villain candidates): talking about Caato is like composing a fiction where we only get a couple of sentences to develop into a few paragraphs, or even a story. Whereas talking about Tooru really feels like I'm doing an actual analysis based on some factual data, using the pictures, dialogues and information, comparing and linking several related events.

Then, what had HD gang/Tooru and Caato done to Rai and his family?

The key players who had ruined Rai's family (according to both chapters: 75 & 99) were the money lenders, the unknown usurpers/competitors, the insects (which is likely rock-animals) and The HD/WOU itself.

The insects and WOU were nothing but the work of HD/Tooru, therefore the money lenders & competitors could be the work of Caato.

However, the problem is...

It still feels strange if Rai's pear orchard have to be destroyed twice. Also, according to the chronology on his wiki page, the sabotage by money lenders happened first (because in that chapter 75, Rai's parents were mentioned as "father and mother"). After that, Rai's father died by calamity when he went to deal with the pest insects.

This chronology does not support the idea that Caato and HD gang had worked together, as if they had worked independently in ruining Rai's life.

If so, is that really what actually happened?

There is still hope, considering that Caato was in prison, which means that she had limited mobility. Therefore, the first incident of the damage to the Rai's pear orchard could have been done by Caato with the help of HD gang.

Then seeing that Rai's family was able to recover again, HD/Tooru took second action which eventually caused the death of Rai's father.

But the other last problem is why did Caato still care about helping her family business when she had been jailed (and abandoned by them)? As I said before, there are two possibilities: the cooperation happened either “before” or “after” she was jailed. Perhaps Caato already planned it before she was jailed. Whatever it is, it means that Caato had committed two sins and hid them from Norisuke IV: “murder & sabotage”, all for the sake of her family.

Perhaps the first event with money lenders happened before she went to prison whereas the second event with insects & WOU happened after that. Surely, they ruined Rai’s life twice because their main objective was "to get Rai into the Higashikata family."

Another interesting trivia is that Rai's age had actually been retconed from UJ release to the tankobon release. Originally, he was meant to be 32 years old, but Araki changed it into 31. If he was initially to be 32 years old, then he would be 17 around 15 years ago! The same year as Caato's prison sentence and what she claimed that she has role in the 15 years success of Higashikata business. No wonder she thinks that she deserve her compensation.

Also, take a note that the Caato said her controversial claim in chapter 58 whereas Rai was first mentioned in chapter 59 and debuted in chapter 64. Perhaps Araki had originally intended to involve Caato in Rai's past (although I wonder why he changed it for some reason).

I dislike the hype Caato as the main villain, therefore I often try to debunk any far-fetched theory from her supporters. But that does not mean that I shall disregard Caato’s potential role as long as the theory that support it makes sense.

TL;DR Caato might have been involved in Rai's past, she could have worked with Akefu or did it personally. This could be the answer for the "15 years" claim she said about helping Higashikata business back during the family reunion in chapter 58.

That's all I can think about Rai's past and Caato's claim, which are both confusing af.  Though it's also quite odd, if Caato is the person behind the goal of making Rai work under Norisuke IV, why didn't Jobin know Rai's identity as their family plant appraiser? Why didn't Caato tell him?

Read further:

Mamezuku Rai's past and Caato’s missing potential (invalid)

Caato’s potential role in Rai’s past

[sohin-ace]

Jonathan - Sick

This is cross-posted from Wattpad and available on AO3.

Enjoy~

F/N means father's name awright.

It's been quite some days since you have seen your friend Jonathan. You two would usually hang out after school and during the week ends to talk about your day, joke and play around, or even share some snacks together sometimes, as friends do.

But these past days, you've been waiting for him at your usual spot, but he hasn't been showing up. This worried you a lot since he never ever dumped you or made you wait as he was really serious about acting like a real gentleman and treating a lady properly.

You knew he also had some problems with his adoptive brother Dio and you got scared that maybe they got into a fight again, or something bad happened to him. You decided to go visit the Joestar Mansion and see for yourself what was happening.

You came to the huge wooden doors of your best friend's home and knocked. You dusted off your dress a little bit and made yourself presentable, waiting for an answer. A moment later, the locks clanked and the door opened. You were then greeted by a nice-looking maid who smiled politely at you.

"Hello, my name is Y/N L/N, daughter of F/N L/N. I came to visit Jonathan, is he here?" The maid's face brightened visibly.

"Aah! You are milady Y/N that young master always talks about! Please be welcomed!" She stepped aside, gesturing you to come in and you complied, thanking her.

The maid then closed the door behind you and, as she asked you to follow her, a tall blonde figure came elegantly descending from the stairs.

"Don't fret, Sakuya. I will take our guest to Jojo's room." He said in his deep, smooth voice while looking down at you. You stared back, unfazed.

"Ah! How considerate of you, young master Dio, thank you very much!" the maid bowed to him and walked away, getting back to her own business and leaving you both alone.

You stared at him as he approached you. You didn't know much about Dio, you only met him a couple times, but you already knew from what Jonathan told you, and from your small encounters with him, that Dio was not the person to be trusted. You were very wary of him.

Although charming and handsome, the guy radiated an eery aura and had this intimidating scarlet gaze that always put you on edge.

You understood how girls would fawn over him and how guys would want to be his friend, but you personally, would rather keep your distance. Everything about him screamed 'danger'. Overall you always kept your guards up around him.

"Oh please Y/N dear, don't show me that face, I don't bite." The blonde smirked as he got closer and closer.

Your eyes darted away from him and you tensed up, not saying anything. You had nothing to tell him, you weren't here to deal with his shenanigans anyway.

He stood next to you and kindly offered his arm out. "Now, shall we go?"

You reluctantly slid your hand around his arm and walked with him to Jonathan's room, never making eye contact.

"You're awfully silent Y/N, I'm hurt." Dio feigned. "Don't you want to know why Jojo has been absent as of late?"

"Don't bother. I'm here to figure it out." you huffed and he chuckled at your defiance.

You detached yourself from him as soon as you reached the front of Jonathan's bedroom. You knocked gently on the door when Dio continued.

"You being stone cold won't stop me, Y/N you know it." You paused, glaring at the door until you heard the faint sound of Jonathan's voice.

"...Have a nice day, Dio." You then entered the bedroom and you swore you could feel the blonde smirk behind you.

You closed the door a bit harder than you intended and sighed. Upon entering, you immediately noticed your friend laying in his bed, a wet cloth resting over his forehead. His face was flushed and he breathed in slight pants. He tiredly looked over at you and smiled weakly.

"Ah, Y/N it's you!" He tried to sit up but you rushed towards him and pushed him back down.

"No no no, Jojo don't get up. Are you okay? What happened to you?" His eyes softened at your worried self.

"It's nothing really, I'm just a little sick. I think I must have eaten something I shouldn't have, but I'm fine." He chuckled sheepishly and you sighed in relief, sitting down at the edge of his bed.

You always imagined the worst case scenarios, especially with Dio around the corner ready to trouble him and make his life a mess.

"Anyway, what a surprise!" he started, his voice hoarse, "It's so good to see you!" He smiled weakly which melted your heart.

"Of course, Jojo. I missed you." you softly spoke and and he couldn't help but stare at you, taking in your beautiful form. He missed you too.

You took a moment to observe his features as well. This boy scared you so much sometimes with his foolishness. You brought your hand to the side of his face and caressed his warm cheek gently and he let you do as you pleased.

"What will I do if you don't even take care of yourself." you laughed then paused. "I was worried you know, when you stopped showing up..."

Jonathan felt a pang in his heart. He felt bad. First of all, his pride as a gentleman was hurt for abandonning and letting down a lady, but most importantly, he felt horrible as a friend, for making you worry about him and leaving you alone.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N. I wanted to tell you, but I knew that if I sent Dio to let you know, he probably wouldn't have done it..." He looked away, as disappointed as you were.

'Of course.' you thought to yourself, annoyed but not surprised.

As a comfortable and relaxing silence fell upon the room, you let your hand glide from his cheek to his neck in a feathery light touch. He blushed an even darker shade of red than he already was and his mouth was agape as a silent gasp escaped from it.

Your hand was so soft and gentle on him, like the touch of a caring mother. Something that he never experienced.

His skin almost burned you with his fever. "Jojo, you're very hot. You should rest for a bit."

He then grabbed your wrist and widened his eyes. "You're leaving already? I'm not sleepy, you can stay!"

You chuckled at the boy. For a strong, big guy, he sure acted cute and childish sometimes. You pulled the blanket higher over his body and patted him, effectively soothing him. His heart was beating hard in his chest, but he was relaxed. Being with you was the only medecine he needed.

"Okay then, I'll stay. If you need anything, tell me and I'll go bring it to you, okay?" he nodded.

There was another moment of silence where only his breathing and you patting his covered chest could be heard. You looked around a bit and noticed small rags, medecine and a water bowl on his bedside table with a little bit of unfinished bread. You would make sure he ate that bread later.

You took the wet cloth on his forehead and dipped it in the water to cool it down. You squeezed the exceeding water out, and gently laid it back on his forehead.

You then pressed your now cold and wet hands over his burning cheeks and the dark haired male smiled in delight.

"Aah it feels good Y/N~ Thank you! When I get better I'll make it up to you."

"There's nothing to make up for, Jojo. It's only natural." You reassured him.

"Still... You always take care of me, without asking anything in return... " He took one of your hands in both his and turned his head slightly to kiss the palm of it. His soft lips tickled you and your heart beat hastened.

Still kissing you, his eyes fluttered open and he glanced at you through hooded lids and you blushed madly at his enticing expression. Even sick, he was still handsome as ever, and his actions never failed to make your heart skip a beat.

You could never get enough of the Joestar heir and it drove you crazy sometimes. Your train of thoughts was interrupted by his voice.

"This is why I fell in love with you..." He breathed, nuzzling your soft hand like it was a treasure and your own breath hitched at his confession.

"J-jojo...! You are sick right now, you're not thinking straight. Please, go to sleep." you reasoned, utterly flustered.

You didn't know how to react yet. You knew you loved him to death too, but you wanted to make sure he was in good condition to talk about feelings. Also, you wouldn't take advantage of a sick man like this for your own interest, so you decided to wait before answering any kind of confession.

"But I'm sincere, Y/N." He gazed at you intensely with blue glossy eyes. "You are so beautiful..."

Your eyes widened and you gasped, fighting back a squeal. This was too much for you, you had to stop his madness, now.

You released your hand from his grasp and tucked his own under the blanket. You caressed his hair gently to try and lull him to sleep.

"The fever is making you talk nonsense, Jojo. Please now, rest. I'm here so you can close your eyes."

"Aah... Maybe you're right... I'm a little bit... tired... I... slee...p..." he slurred his words more and more until he finally let out soft snores, signaling he fell into dreamland.

You sighed heavily. Your heart was still pounding hard and fast inside your ribcage and you buried your face in his chest, embarrassed and shaken by his earlier words. This boy will kill you one day.

"Please, please God, let his words be his actual feelings, don't make me hope and hurt me like this..."

You couldn't see it, but Jonathan's lips broke into a secret smile.

Did you see that Touhou reference I made there? Except it totally doesn't match Sakuya's character lol she would stab Dio in the face with no warning.