#my otaku powers are increasing

[qiutls]

TNGDH 003

God, please do something about this damn hamster otaku, please!

“Right now, why is one side of your fur flat?”

Is this your first time seeing a human, no, a hamster who slept on his side all day?

“You look shockingly adorable.”

H-hey, move your mouth away! A muzzle, someone get him a muzzle! Please put this bastard in a muzzle!

The level headed and strict leader of the North, the strongest of the Minehardt empire, the Grand Duke of blood... Bullshit! People sang silly praises as if one look from his eyes is enough to kill thousands.

You can only kiss ten times; ten times is enough! After that, please move your face, okay?!

“Cashew nut, I thought you were sick, you slept for a really long time.”

Unfortunately, I’m perfectly fine. I seem to have heard that hamsters usually sleep long. I didn’t know I would sleep this much as well. Knowing Kyle’s obsession, I should prevent myself from getting sick in the future. It seems like if I cough just one time, he would order to close all of Blake estate’s windows and burn fire in the fireplace until the air is boiling warm.

Kyle, who confirmed that I woke up, took me in his hand again and began to kiss me like crazy. Thanks to you it seems like I’ll die an easy death.

― Squeak [ Let go! ]

Let me go! Are you not going to? I’ll bite you and you’ll see how scary a hamster can be!

[ Quest! Quest! (⊙﹏⊙) ]

The system appeared in a hurry to prevent me from biting Kyle. I was already holding his index finger with both of my hands, ready to sink my teeth into his skin, then I paused and stared still.

Right... I forgot I was supposed to act as a friendly hamster.

He was annoying me so bad that I almost forgot my duty to be a companion hamster and almost bit his finger off. Anyway, at least I didn’t bite him yet.

That’s right, I’m an intellectual, I’m just in a hamster’s body right now, but actually I’m a 27-year-old human who graduated higher education. If I really bit Kyle because I was annoyed, what would be the difference between me and a real hamster!

I’m an intelligent being. That’s right.

“Just now...”

Kyle looked at me with a slightly shocked look. By any chance, did he know I was about to bite him? I felt a little embarrassed and turned my head away.

What about it? Why?

I didn’t bite you. I just put my mouth close to your finger. Anyways, how did you even realize what my intentions were? Do you have such a powerful sixth-sense? As expected of the Northern Grand Duke, at this rate...  

“Cashew nut, did you just try to kiss me just now? That’s so cute.”

Come on! You’re more tactless than a bear... You’re not the Great Northern Duke, you’re just a Great Northern Bear! Anyway, it’s good that I was able to endure the frustration, it seems like the quest was completed safely.

[ Miracle value 1.3% ]

What’s with this number...

When the rewards said a small increase in miracle value, they really meant small... At this rate, how long would it take to be able to come back to life? I’d rather die than suffer this much.

[ (งωง́°) A chance to retain human characteristics! ]

At one ear, I listened to Kyle’s silly praises and on the other I listened to the system’s rewards.

[ You’ll be able to be a hamster that resembles a human. No, you might even be able to turn into a human! ]

That’s great! Good job system! By any chance will I really be able to transform into a human? If you had that power, you should’ve made me human from the start. Transmigrating into a hamster really is bit... Anyways, I’m not giving up on saving Kyle even if I turned human, so please do something about this hamster body!

[ First, run on the hamster wheel for a thousand times! ]

What?

[ Quest: Run on the hamster wheel x1000 ]

[ Reward: “Summon” ]

A thousand times?! Are you kidding me? What the hell does ‘Summon’ mean? Summon a falcon? Are you hearing yourself right now?

I clenched my fist and looked up. You bastard, let me hit you one time before I start the quest, okay? Put your chin close and I’ll punch you just one time!

[ (˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅);;; ]

Don’t cry, tears have no effect on me. Besides not knowing what ‘Summon’ is, are you even in your right mind to make me do one thousand laps on the hamster wheel? It’s not as if the reward is to change into a human immediately.

All right, if you let me know what the reward is, I’ll do the quest. If it’s not good just give me a different quest.

[ It’s a good reward! ]

I raised my clenched fist again. Don’t try to get away with it. I always check a website’s terms and conditions when signing up. I’m not gonna be tricked by a measly system!

[ (́ඉ⌓ඉ);;; ]

While I was struggling with the system, Kyle kept rubbing my forehead, my back and behind my ears. That’s fine, as long as you’re happy. It’s way better than kissing, and it also won’t damage my fur.

[ At best, I can only give you a hint. ]

The system blinked a few times, as if to say sorry.

[ If the quest is more detailed, the conditions for receiving the reward will be tricky. ]

It didn’t seem like a lie, and there’s really no need to lie to me in the first place. Although it’s a bit suspicious, it is helping to save me. It’s even using strange emoticons to look friendly. Anyways, there’s no other way out, I might as well trust this system.

By the way, why do I have to suffer like this for miracle value. If I split the sea like Moses, would that count as a miracle?

[ I'll give you 10%! (✧•⌄•) ]

I’ve split the sea, it’s salty...   He’s lamenting at the fact that splitting the sea is only 10% miracle value.

I looked up at Kyle who was kneading my front paws. Whatever let’s just save this guy. Even though I dropped this novel at the middle, when Kyle was alive, I read this book diligently. Kyle Jane Minehardt was at odds with Belial, the main lead and the second prince of the Minehardt empire. Both of them loved the same woman, and Belial who he was at odds against, often insulted him. After confirming that Kyle is in love with Serena, he began to completely antagonize him.

Come to think of it, did Kyle really love Serena, who said he was a bloodthirsty and tearless duke? It’s hard to imagine why he was so obsessed with the heroine.

“You have pink toes and nose, how fascinating.”

On second thought, I think I can imagine it. Your highness, please don’t do this anywhere else. Men and women of all ages might flee to the southern end of the country if they see you like this. Also, does Your highness know that you look a bit scarier when you smile?

Anyways, it would be really nice if this hamster otaku releases me soon. Right, now I just need to run around for a thousand laps, no more no less. God, why are you punishing such a kind hamster like me.

“Your Highness, are you inside?”

A knock on the door sounded across the room. Hearing the faint sound of footsteps, it must be a servant of the Blake estate. Kyle carefully put me back into the house and straightened his clothes. His face slowly hardened and he looked really cold, like a sharp blade made of only the coldest wind in the north.

“Come in.”

“Your Highness, I think you should take a look around the estate before you go on a mission tomorrow. It just so happens that it’s time for the merchants to arrive.”

"All right.”

His deep and grave voice rang. He looked really serious and did not use any useless words. Kyle talked to this man and handed over the documents that was originally on his desk. Their conversations passed so fast that if I relaxed a little, I would’ve missed three topics.

Although a hamster has no need to know the work of the Grand Duke, just in case...

That’s right, he originally is this type of person.

Somehow, I felt strange the whole time. Seeing his unfamiliar appearance, his tightly closed lips, his calm eyes, his relaxed yet heavy hand gestures, made Kyle look like a completely different person.

This is how he normally is, what he’s like to me is... also another side of his personality.

“I’ll be back.”

There was a shadow over my head, and I saw Kyle looking at me affectionately.

“It must be boring being alone, but just wait a little bit. I’ll be back soon.”

No, this is the estate’s business, you shouldn’t do it half-heartedly! Please check thoroughly before you come back.

Kyle looked at me, his eyes laced with regret, but he left the study without hesitating for long. Indeed, it was the middle of the busy period. It was time for the Blake estate to be noisy, inside and out.

The northern land is barren and half of the year, it is winter. It is often flooded with horses and the imperial family is always looking for the opportunity to remove Kyle, who has become a great duke. So there's a lot of people who will try to kill him, not only through secret assassination attempts, but also openly attacking him. Even then, ten people are not enough to take him down.

It says that the north is flooded with horses, I think its because they export and import a lot because they can’t grow everything they need in the north’s condition. And because there’s a lot of people going in and out of the territory, it’s easy for the imperial family & other nobles who want to take him down to send assassins.

I can help you fight Belial, but there’s no way to stop you from overworking.

Well, it’s a bit funny to worry about a lively spirited man like this. My nose is currently 1/3 the size of my body, I should be worried about me instead. I looked at the wheel and groaned.  

Why is it so big?

Is this still a hamster wheel? It’s more like a Ferris wheel. Running around this, let alone a small hamster, anyone’s joints would fall out. Wait a minute, looking at the gold plating of this wheel’s frame.... Does the Duke of Blake shit money? In fact, people of the north put gold powder instead of cheese on their pasta, right?

Even if I had to run on a small wheel, it’s hard to do it for a thousand rounds, I can already feel my knees hurting thinking of running on this big wheel.

[ Fighting! ]

As a human, I didn’t even work out because I hated running on treadmills. But it’s fine even if I didn’t work out because, I also didn’t eat snacks even if I wanted to. I’m not making an excuse, but all developers are like that anyways. Playing the game I made is also exercise, not to mention, I’m so busy that there’s really no time to work out. I can’t even remember my family’s faces because I was so busy. I never thought I would voluntarily run in this lifetime.

God. I’m dying.

Sure enough, I was already out of breath before being able to run on it properly. I knew I had poor stamina, but combined with a hamster’s endurance, I felt like the weakest person in the whole world. I ran exactly three rounds, and even slipped and fell flat on my face and went around half a turn like that. I really can’t do this.

But listen developers are inherently worse at exercising than others. If I had broad shoulders and good stamina, I wouldn’t be a developer! I would’ve been a health trainer, drinking protein shake in the morning. In our profession, we would succeed even if we didn’t have a healthy body.

Ah, I don’t know. I won’t do it. No, I can’t do it. Just catch and kill me.

[☞☜☞Summon☜☜☜]

The system even made a typo, because of how urgent it wanted to send. The typo is the hand arrows, if you look at it closely.

Whatever. I don’t care whether you’re in a hurry or not, Kyle is far away anyways, so let’s take a nap. There’s only one good thing after transmigrating, taking a nap without having to worry about work is really... It’s the best!

It will look funny if only one side of my fur is flat, let’s sleep on the other side to make it even. I used the sawdust as cushion and curled up to my side. After the interrupter left the room, it was now silent.

It’s been a long time since I felt so relaxed.

Even as a human, this kind of peace was something I never experienced. novel ⠀✿⠀ next

[mageknight14]

Something I always find funny when it comes to TWEWY discussion is how people tend to take Hanekoma’s words at face-value when it comes to the TWEWY mythos and his opinions on the Shinjuku games’ structure and take everything he says as fact when the games show, subtly or not, that he’s a heavily biased source who will outright LIE in the Secret Reports and that he’s not always the right moral viewpoint.

And that’s what I honestly love about his character because like any well-written character, he is often fraught with his own subjectivity.

I think an important thing to note is that in the Secret Reports, there is a small mistranslation that shapes a lot of what Hanekoma has to say regarding the events that takes place within the story; namely, Rindo DOESN’T have a high Imagination. It’s actually rather low or mediocre and his Replay power mainly comes from his pin, with Nagi and Fret being the real powerhouses.

(Shout-outs to my friend ζ for this great document!)

In the original ENG translation, the report went "For better or for worse, he is able to maintain abnormally high levels of Imagination, thereby increasing the accuracy of each Replay."

When in actuality, it’s "The higher [the] levels of Imagination he is able to maintain, [the] increas[ed] accuracy of each Replay." Which basically means that Replay relies on him maintaining the focus of his Imagination, rather than how much Imagination he has in general. It also fits in well what we know about Rindo and how he contrasts his team. Nagi is a huge otaku with a passion for her favorite gacha game, Fret is a fashionista that’s caught up on the latest trends, Shoka has her entire thing with Gatto Nero and Neku and Beat are winners of the last Reaper’s Game, with the former already having high amounts of Imagination even before he got sucked into the game due to a combination of his love for urban culture and the arts and Hanekoma’s graffiti subconsciously raising his Imagination levels even higher. Meanwhile, all Rindo has is the words of a social media guru that he mindlessly parrots and a mobile game that he casually plays. Not exactly grounds for cultivating a high level of Imagination, no? That said, Rindo is still able to function as a potent user of Replay due to his ability to hold a LOT of information in his head at one time, giving him a holistic view of the situation that makes him be able to piece together character relationships and bits of information in a way that he can use to his advantage to turn a bad situation around to his favor. W1D5, W2D2, W3D3, and the final day are especially great examples of this.

This is an important distinction to make because Hanekoma actually dismisses Rindo multiple times due to his low Imagination, in contrast to how supportive he was of Neku in the first game. Hanekoma's prioritization of Imagination is him believing that it is a necessary foundation for people to have in order to face adversity; to interpret their world; to grow, self-analyze, and to properly contribute to society. With that in mind, Rindo not having a good level of Imagination to him is indicative of a kid whose potential to do all these things is not as impressive and therefore would probably fail the Shinjuku Reaper’s Game. And to some extent, he’s right since Rindo does fuck up at times and stagnate when people he believes to be more capable show up to potentially solve his problems for him; taking away his responsibilities from him.

However, Rindo does grow from his mistakes, which ultimately culminates into him rejecting the offer for Haz to solve everything for him in favor of striving for a better future for both him and the people he cares about and the Shinjuku Game’s ruleset does make him come out of his shell as a leader, which was what ultimately saved all of them in the end, not his Imagination levels. It’s important to note that unlike the others, Rindo doesn’t actively participate in Operation Awakening: he’s the guy who gets the pieces to go where they need to go in order to have the operation go by smoothly and navigates them to do their job correctly. Operation Awakening ultimately succeeds due to Rindo’s skill as a leader, which Hanekoma did not view as something to make ado about. Hanekoma's vibe was that imagination, and by proxy, the things it provides a person to do, is something that is predisposed..but Rindo proved that you don't have to be predisposed to imagination to do really amazing things or affect change on a grand scale; you can learn how to do it through your experiences. There’s a reason why World is Yours, which is basically Rindo’s theme, has the phrase "Making mistakes is proof that you’re challenged. The World is Yours."

This is also a pretty big contrast when you consider how the Shibuya Game operated, which was heavily biased towards high Imagination people to excel further while pushing low Imagination people out of the running. I mean think about it: out of a normal week in the original game (Week 1), only Neku and Shiki survived legitimately (Beat only got by due to Hanekoma’s intervention in order to make him a wild card later on). But because they have high Imagination, Hanekoma is fine with such a low survival rate for the others. If someone only cares about supporting the already "gifted", then it makes sense that Hanekoma would only focus on a model that promotes Imagination gain and self-reflection for those he deems worthy, i.e. already have good Imagination.

That’s not even getting into how the nature of psychs and pins already predisposes low Imagination people to be weeded out in the original game. And of course, there’s also this Report from the original to consider.

"So, what happens to those who survive the week? Those whose Imagination is less than outstanding are broken down into Soul, while those with excellent Imagination become Reapers. The most talented of these may travel to the next plane, inhabited by Us Angels."

Remember Sota and Nao? By Hanekoma’s and the Shibuya Game’s logic, those two deserved to be absorbed into Soul by account of them not being able to survive but it’s because how the Game operates, that’s just how it has to be, even though the circumstances were out of their control and they are shown to be genuinely good people. From Hanekoma's view, he sees the act of facilitating Imagination as the means to progress evolution; a way to improve the health of world's laws. And why wouldn't he, right? By focusing on Imagination, you are promoting people to think better, to build self-awareness, to grow and change into better people; to reflect. Hanekoma finds this to be ideal, but maybe doesn't consider the vast ways with which people could achieve high Imagination. Hanekoma essentially viewed the lack of focus on Imagination specifically in the Shinjuku Games as precluding the capacity to grow and change, but failed to account for ways in which the team system could allow for growth and self-reflection in other ways even without an entry fee, and arguably more so because of it. The great thing about Hanekoma as a character is that while he has good intentions, he still falls under the Higher Plane mentality of "the ends justify the means" and this leads to a heavily biased perspective from his end. Just take a look these excerpts from the original game’s secret reports:

"My art is widely accepted in Shibuya."

"This proves that those with Imaginations sufficient to create the future are gathering in the area. Shibuya's future is looking very bright."

"I imbue my art with two command codes. The first is "Enjoy the moment more". This strengthens the Imagination. The proxy received this signal loud and clear, though past trauma precluded him from responding accordingly."

"The second code, "Gather", calls to those with strong Imaginations. Hence the inevitability: why wouldn't the Composer find his worthy proxy standing in front of my graffiti?"

When you break it down, he’s essentially saying "My art is so good that it is propelling Shibuya into a better future. Just ignore how I implant my own codes within it to specifically cultivate Imagination." Sounds just a bit egotistical, doesn’t it?

Shibuya is a hub of youth culture and is where new trends are born. Of course the UG of it would value individuality and creativity -> influencing others through art and passion. Shinjuku is both a business district but also has a very expansive night culture. It’s considered "adult" in comparison so of course the UG would value having to work with many, many different kinds of people -> being able to navigate and work with people to your advantage. This also helps to explain why the concept of entry fees aren’t a thing because the team set-up is the challenge in and of itself. Obviously Shiba’s version of the game is an anomaly so huge teams like that probably wouldn’t exist in a "normal" version of the game.

But being a leader in and of itself puts that individual in the best position to ascend and gain power within the UG, but then the leader is burdened with being in charge of the individuals under them. Meaning they have to learn to balance the two and work with their team. Likewise, just joining a team means you end up at the mercy of just following along with what your leader says, meaning without the ability to actually challenge or discuss things openly, you will also fail as an individual within that team.

Let’s compare Fuya and Kanon’s teams for this example: Fuya is explicitly noted to have a high Imagination but that didn’t stop him or his team from repeatedly coming into second-to-last place and the mental breakdown he’s currently having while Kanon doesn’t have a whole lot yet she has her head on her shoulders and the social skills needed to be an effective leader, hence why she and her team are able to survive relatively comfortably in the middle. Just having high Imagination or high qualities won’t be enough on its own if you’re unable to work together and balance out your respective strengths The Wicked Twisters end up being the best example of this ideal since they’re able to work together and clash thoughtfully as a team and support one another in times of needs, with the final day in particular running entirely on this concept. If just a single piece was out of place, the entire thing would’ve fallen apart.

Ultimately, Rindo’s growth is a response to OG TWEWY in that you don’t need high Imagination or some other equivalent to be able to enact change and that there are other methods to do so, especially if you use your own unique strengths for them.

Then we must compare how the respective Games are operated. The Shibuya Reaper missions (other than the one assigned by Kitaniji) tended to be pretty simple: go here, defeat Noise, etc. The other stuff such as the need to fix 777’s lighting seemed less about intentionally giving a mission and more incidental. They additionally have harrier Reapers, who more or less fit as the game’s RNG element with their job being to actively hunt down Players like animals. With this and giving the Players simple missions with little structure to go on but letting them have to figure out any resultant complications, the Shibuya Game is a lot more chaotic. By contrast, the Shinjuku Reapers are a lot more involved and administrative, which is fitting considering their business aesthetic. You have them being around to answer questions (unless you’re Shoka but she’s had to do this repeating structure for ages without a shake-up of things so it makes sense that she would be sick of it), preventing unfair interference, providing help, and generally ‘administering’ the missions. You have ordered events like the Scramble Slams, with the commentator actively, well, commentating, more involved missions like decals being set up ahead of time, spot-the-difference missions, a pig treasure hunt, etc…

Of course, there are certainly chaotic elements as well (bribing Reapers for more points, having to act on the whims of the Game Masters, teams forming alliances with one another, etc) but for the most part, it’s a much more controlled structure and it really fits in well when you consider the individuality vs sociality mindset of Shibuya and Shinjuku respectively and shows why Hanekoma, an Angel infatuated with Shibuya, would look down on the Shinjuku games in comparison. In his mind, Shibuya’s more emergent mechanics and interactions allow for more Imagination to be cultivated and to him, Imagination is the sole important thing to focus on. But Rindo’s growth disproves that mentality quite a bit and shows that, like many things, there’s room for compromise between both sides. It may also reflect the devs' changing opinions as culture has changed. In 2007 Nomura and company may have focused more on individual talent under the idea of the spirited sole artist, but by 2018, they realized that leadership and followership, and the ability to work in teams, also really fucking matters. Individuality is still important at the end of the day, hence why Rindo needed to get his shit together and not just become a follower like he was before in order to achieve better things for himself and others, but accepting and learning to balance different viewpoints in order to achieve a desired solution is also extremely important.

At the end of the day, Rindo’s growth is a response to OG TWEWY in that you don’t need high Imagination or some other equivalent to be able to enact change and that there are other methods to do so, especially if you use your own unique strengths for them and even Hanekoma himself seems to realize this when he praises Rindo’s ultimate decision and the courage he had to have to make that choice and sincerely hopes to meet him someday.

Ultimately, Rindo’s growth is a response to OG TWEWY in that you don’t need high Imagination or some other equivalent to be able to enact change and that there are other methods to do so, especially if you use your own unique strengths for them. And even Hanekoma himself seems to realize this when he praises Rindo for this courage he had to make his final decision and that he sincerely hopes to meet him someday.

[himemiya-kun]

Blue Sea＊The Shining, Truthful Atlantis (Chapter 3)

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Chapter 3: Under the Surface

Winter

Characters:

• Eichi Tenshouin

• Tori Himemiya

• Yuzuru Fushimi

Eichi: It would have been nice if you had consulted me. As the student council president two generations ago, I can at least give my support to Tori.

Tori: I was thinking of talking to you about it.

Yuzuru: Fufu. The election is not going so well. Therefore, Young Master must’ve been ashamed to let Eichi-sama know about such a pathetic situation.

Eichi: If that’s the case, why didn't you consult me? But, surprisingly, Tori doesn't always rely on me.

Yuzuru: Even though you don’t like to borrow the power of a tiger. However, I think the smell of water is similar between Eichi-sama and Young Master.

Tori: Shut up! Yumenosaki isn’t important right now!

It’s okay. I'll take care of that properly. What's more important right now is the atlantis?

Eichi: Project-ATLANTIS.

Tori: That's right! You were talking about that, weren't you?

Yuzuru: It seems that the main topic tends to get sidetracked.

Eichi: Reality isn't as linear as a story. I have no choice but to extend my hand here and there, even if it's in a roundabout way, and use deductive methods instead of inductive methods to bring them to the surface.

The real image.

Anyway. There’s that. Project-ATLANTIS is—

Yuzuru: This is the third time today Eichi-sama has said, “anyway”.

Eichi: Don’t do a strange count.

Project-ATLANTIS is a plan that came about as part of the “big trend” to create ES branch offices nationwide.

Although it is expressed as a branch office, it serves a similar purpose as a front-line base to suppress anti-ES organisations that have arisen all over the country.

Yuzuru: It is necessary for us to have something like that.

In the case of a centralised organisation like ES, the more you go to the countryside, the less authority you will have.

We need a terminal, so to speak, to control every corner of the country.

But why ATLANTIS? It’s not a very auspicious name.

Tori: Really? What is atlantis? I remember seeing it occasionally in manga—

Yuzuru: I'm worried because Young Master is quoting a lot of manga these days.

Eichi: If you like manga, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Even a nerd can become a true human being, which is proven by Keito.

Reading manga makes you stupid. Playing games makes you stupid. Such a thing is nothing more than assumptions that have emerged from discriminatory feelings towards otaku, a race different from one’s own.

There is no scientific basis for it. Anyway—

Yuzuru: The fourth time.

Eichi: How much is the salary for that job? …The number of ES branches and related companies are expected to increase like bamboo shoots after the rain.

Project-ATLANTIS is treated as a trunk for the branches and leaves of ES that will spread all over the country.

Plant five large trees all over the country, including ES. By focusing on those five trees, ES will grow branches and leaves around the nation.

At the same time, exterminating the pests that undermine it, which is the anti-ES organisation.

Yuzuru: It's just a front-line base… And it's just like the colonisation plan Eichi-sama had mentioned.

Eichi: Yes. In the future, the next generation of idols will be born from the colony.

From now on, idols will be harvested from the fields. There are five huge plantations in Japan, including ES.

But. At one of these five central places, there are a few things.

For several reasons, there are some areas where the construction of the branch offices is slow.

That land has long been an untouchable area for people in our idol industry.

In that land, a big figure who once founded the idol industry and ruled over it for many years, known as the “Godfather”, had his eyes on it.

It seems that this man, who was called God, was trying to build the prototype of ES on that land.

The name of that phantom, primitive ES is ATLANTIS.

You said it was an unfavourable name, Yuzuru. I admit, it’s quite strange.

For a “planned site of utopia” that God was keeping an eye on, a great disaster happened with terrible wolves remaining.

The land, along with the dreams and ideals of the gods, was swept away by the great waves and submerged.

Just like the mythical Atlantis, a super-civilisation destroyed by a calamity.

The disaster happened more than 20 years ago, and we weren't even born yet, so we can only understand it through knowledge.

Right now, I’m reaching out to a land that can only be thought of as being cursed. No, I will establish a utopia that even God couldn’t realise.

Make ATLANTIS, which ended in a dream, a reality.

Hence, the plan is called Project-ATLANTIS.

Tori: …

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[wildnya]

i’ve come up with a glorious idea please take the time to read this

if i get $75 worth of commissions before next Friday, March 31, i will write a crackfic of Idia in a relationship with the Nintendo eShop. the shop will be dying and idia will be mourning his beloved. the fic is not to be taken seriously and because it will be so dumb and weird it won’t be labeled as angst.

if i get $100 or more before friday i will write a silly ‘smut’ fic to go with it. even though i say smut it’s still safe for those under 18. i will post a few sentences of what to expect from this fic under the cut.

if you want this to happen reblog and/or tag your friends in case they want to see it become reality too.

also all the money will be going towards helping me pay back the money i owe for rent. depending how well this goes i might do another.

here’s the link to my original post on this topic, make sure to read ALL of it before requesting!

alrighty here’s a sample of what the ‘smut’ fic would be like

the otaku with no muscles stroked his limited edition galaxy purple nintendo 3ds xl screen gently. biting his lip like a fuck boy he growled like an alpha male, “you like that don’t you?”

limited edition galaxy purple nintendo 3ds xl-chan felt herself warm up, her 3d features turning up from lust. her sound system produced a lopunny cry. she was ready for him.

“ur such a dirty girl,” idia used his snivy touch pad pen (yes they exist i used to have 1) to go to her settings.

limited edition galaxy purple nintendo 3ds xl-chan let out a loud “wrrrrrrrrrr” as he took her off low power mode. her screen light increased slightly only to be turned down to setting 1.

“now onto the main event.” limited edition galaxy purple nintendo 3ds xl-chan used the gasp sound effect from the hit game franchise Fire Emblem from every female character who made a gasp at the same time.

idia held up the charger cord ready to plug it into her when suddenly

…

that’s all you get for now better go commission me at my kofi if you want to see the end~

[connorssuperniftyblog]

"Pardon Me While I Convention," a Convention Reflection

Let me just start off by clarifying that I have never been to any sort of conventions, anime or otherwise. I mean, I’ve gone to as many anime conventions as I have dry bean conventions (that’s a real thing, look it up), which is to say zero. Ok, now that I read that back it sounds like I’m saying that out of principle or rule. It’s not, I just haven’t had any sort of interest in going to one. Granted, I would not say that I am exactly opposed to the idea, but I just haven’t really put much of a conscious effort or thought into the idea. Essentially, all this is to say that my experience and knowledge on the topic is very limited, being relegated to a few YouTube videos, and of course, the documentary True Otaku.

I suppose it is worth mentioning, however, that I have technically done cosplay before. You see, two years ago for Halloween, I dressed up as Narancia Ghirga from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind, as he was my favorite character at the time. Funnily enough, one of my friends ended up dressing up Yoshikage Kira from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable. Honestly, the experience was very enjoyable. It was the first time I’d ever had to “make” a costume instead of just buying a pre-made one. Granted, there were pre-made Narncia costumes available, but they all were either too expensive, or looked very cheap. In my opinion, some were, paradoxically, a mix of both. Now to be fair, all this really amounted to was buying a black tank top, orange armbands, some orange bandanas, and a wig, as I had already owned suitable pants, and for the shoes I just gave up and wore hi-tops. Oh, and I had to buy a women’s tennis skirt that I had to cut up, as Narancia wears one over his pants (don’t ask). What was honestly probably the most interesting part was getting the wig cut and styled in order to match his messy ragged hairstyle. Thankfully, one of my mom’s friends is a hair stylist, so I didn’t have to get a complete stranger to do it. All in all, the whole ordeal was very interesting, and I ended up doing a similar process last year, albeit just not with an anime character, and I also didn’t buy a wig this time (I was a chevalier if you must know. Too bad nobody knows what a chevalier is. It’s kind of like Zorro. And no, I did not misspell Zoro from One Piece. Separate character).

Anyways, as somebody not well-versed in the mystical world of conventions, it was very interesting to get such an extended insider look. The thing I found most interesting was the mention of just how much soft power Japan has accumulated through the circulation of anime, and other popular media. Especially how they mentioned that it actually manages to stabilize and increase diplomacy between nations.  I mean, as a recent example, take the passing of the late and great Akira Toriyama, legendary artist and mangaka most widely known for the small indie series Dragon Ball. I remember the Chinese government literally gave a speech and memorial to honor this man’s passing. His notoriety was recognized at a national political level. In fact, I remember there literally being a temporary ceasefire within the Mexican Cartel to honor him. If that doesn’t speak to the sheer power of fandom, especially as it pertains to anime, then I don’t know what does.

Overall, while I haven’t really had any interest in conventions, this documentary did kind of change my mind a little, as it examined the topic in some very interesting ways.

[reidwagner6]

Wandering Son: A Tender Exploration of Gender Identity

Wandering Son (Hourou Musuko), an animation based on Takako Shimura's manga, expertly explores themes of gender identity and growing up. The show follows transgender boys Yoshino Takatsuki and female Shuichi Nitori as they navigate adolescence, self-discovery, and social expectations. The sensitive manner in which these themes are presented in the show has a considerable impact on attitudes regarding gender diversity in general, and Japanese society in particular.

Addressing Issues in Japan and Globally

Conversations in Japan about LGBTQ+ issues and gender identity are frequently characterized by a blend of modernizing influences and traditional norms. By depicting the inner realities of transgender youth with empathy and reality, Wandering Son elevates these discussions. The show emphasizes the difficulties people encounter, including bullying, miscommunication from family and friends, and the internal conflict over acceptance and self-love.

Wandering Son resonates with audiences all over the world who are dealing with similar issues with gender identity and acceptance. Many viewers who struggle with their own identities in a culture that does not fully understand or accept them may find comfort in the show's complex portrayal of its characters' lives. Wandering Son adds to the greater conversation on tolerance and acceptance by humanizing these experiences and fostering empathy and understanding.

Personal Relevance

I was really touched by Wandering Son's thoughtful and open examination of gender identity. The universal themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and the yearning for belonging resonated with me despite the fact that my experiences are not the same as those of the characters. Observing Shuichi and Yoshino as they traveled through life made me realize how important empathy is and how important it is to provide safe spaces where people can be themselves without worrying about being judged.

The series also made me think about my own concept of gender and how societal conventions shape our thoughts and behavior of others. It inspired me to think more critically about how I might help create inclusive places in my own life, whether through personal interactions or larger advocacy.

Connections to Assigned Readings

One of the assigned readings, Saito’s “The Psychopathology of Otaku,” discusses the role of media in reflecting and shaping societal attitudes. Wandering Son fits within this framework as it challenges traditional narratives about gender and offers a more inclusive perspective. The series exemplifies how media can be a powerful tool for social change, providing visibility and validation for marginalized communities.

Wandering Son also corresponds to discussions of postmodern identity in media studies, where identities are viewed as fluid and multidimensional. The protagonists' experiences highlight the complexities of gender identification and how it interacts with other areas of their lives, challenging binary and inflexible categorizations.

In conclusion, Wandering Son is a moving and significant anime that explores essential problems of gender identity and acceptance. Its relevance extends beyond Japan, as it addresses global themes that appeal to audiences all across the world. The series not only broadens our understanding of these concerns, but it also promotes empathy and action to create more inclusive societies. Reflecting on Wandering Son has increased my understanding for the media's role in promoting societal awareness and change.

[bbnha-manga-scripts]

CHAPTER ONE

People…

(4 yo)Izuku: Enough Kacchan! Y’already made him cry… stop it! I won’t let you. 

(4yo)Katsuki: So Deku, the quirkless wonder, thinks he can play hero, huh?

Are not born equal. That’s the hard truth I learned at age four.

But that…

(14yo)Izuku: Wow. A giant villain!

[out in the distance Izuku watches from the side lines along other civilians at a unseen gigantic villain fighting against heroes]

…was my first and last set back.

-ten years later-

Izuku narrates to us readers: It all began in the town of qing qing, china; with the news of the birth of a mysterious luminescent baby!

Izuku narrates to us readers: Shortly there-after, similar phenomena popped up all over the world.

Izuku narrates to us readers: The trigger for these new found powers was never determined, but as time progressed what was once extraordinary became ordinary.

Izuku narrates to us readers: And “dreams”, became reality!

Izuku narrates to us readers: Of the world's population, 80% have developed these unique abilities, or

“individualities”-- called “quirks”! We have entered a new age– a society of superhumans!

Izuku narrates to us readers: And in this world whirling in chaos– a certain profession that people used to aspire to only in daydreams– has stepped into the light of day!

[Kamui Woods fighting a large villain over a city like area(with other unnamed heroes surrounding him]

Currently at Train Station

Extra person 1: Wooo! Get him Kamui!

Extra person 2: I’m sorry sir, a villain appeared out of nowhere and smashed the train. I don’t know when I can get to work…

Extra person 3: They drove him into a wall so he won’t go berserk! So cool!

Extra person 4: Whoa, a “monster form” what a “quirk”!

Extra person 5 to 4: What's going on?

Midoriya Izuku: -Gasps- What a huge villain! Who’s fighting him!?

Kamui Woods: You’re charged with the unlawful use of a quirk during commuting hours, as well as battery and robbery. Stand down, you big lump of evil!

Izuku: It’s Kamui of the woods! 

Extra: So this is that kid whose star is rising

Star-Head Man: Whoa, you sure love providing expositions, you a hero-otaku, kid!?

Izuku: Oh, hehe, I, uhu.

Kamui Woods: Here’s your punishment…

Star-Head Man: Show us your best move, tree guy!

Izuku: Ah here it comes! His ultimate preemptive strike…

Izuku and Kamui Woods: Lacquer Prison!

[Mount lady flies from the sky]

Mount Lady: Canyon Cannon!

Extras: ?!(meant to be taken by surprise, I think)

Mount Lady: This villain really suits my formal debut! My name is “mount lady”, pleasure to meet you, and leave the rest to me.

Narrator[Izuku](the chapter shows mount lady waving to the public as she walks by the villain she had just kicked, police offers staring at her in disinterest and annoyance): The great phenomenon was attended by an accompanying increase in crime levels, and while nations dawdled in making any sort of radical change to the law men and women of charge took inspiration from comics and donned the mantle of heroism! They began policing this brave new world, and defending innocents from evil. Suddenly, through the swell of public opinion, heroism gained rights as an official occupation! And due to their various acts of service, they obtained…

Narrator[Izuku](close up of mount lady’s greedy smile lol): Income from the state and renown from the people!

Izuku(mumbling): Gigantification, huh as a quirk it’s fairly likely to attract attention and popularity, but since it isn’t also somewhat limiting since it’d be easier to inadvertently damage the city while on the job? Of course that’d be the moot if one could control one’s size.

Star-Head Man: You taking notes!? Aiming to be a hero, huh Nice! Good luck kid!

Izuku: ……! Yes! I’ll do my best!

[Izuku in class]

Teacher: C’mon, class! You’re middle school seniors. It's time you started thinking seriously about your futures. I’ll be handing out printouts on your desired life-course!

Teacher(gets up and throws papers in the air): You all want to be heroes, don’t you?

Teacher: Yes yes, your quirks are all wonderful, but it’s against the rules to use them during school!

Katsuki: Sensei, don’t lump me in with everybody else! You can’t compare me to these losers’ weak-ass quirks! Mine’s a whole other ball game!

Classmates: You’ve got a big mouth, Katsuki!

Bakugou Katsuki: Shut up! Extra’s should act like extra’s!

Classmates: Oh yeah, I’d forgotten… Bakugou’s shooting for UA high, isn’t he?

Classmates(Izuku is shown to be hiding in himself): You mean that national-level academy!? Isn’t the entrance exam's difficulty rating as high as 79!?

Classmates: Yeah, and it’s hyper-competitive to get into, right!?

Classmates: I hear they barely accept anyone!

Katsuki: Ah, the stupid chattering of extras! I aced the mock exam! I’m the only one here with the stuff for UA! 

[Katsuki, now on top of the desk, with hands in the typical cartoon villain style who’s on a monologue rant]

Katsuki: I’ll even surpass All Might and become the best hero out there! Not to mention, I’ll be one of the richest people in the world!

Teacher: Oh. You’re also going for UA aren’t you, Midoriya?

[Classmates all turn to Izuku slowly as they burst into a mocking laughter]

CLassmates: Huh? Midoriya!? No way!

Classmates: Good grades alone can’t get you into the hero program!

Izuku: Th-that’s not necessarily true! Sure, there’s no precedent, but…

Katsuki: Come on, Deku!

[Katsuki uses his quirk on Izuku’s desk]

Izuku: Whoa!

Katsuki: Forget the crappy quirks. You’re totally quirkless! And you think you can rub shoulders with me!?

Izuku: Wa… Wait, No, Kacchan! I wasn’t saying I could compete with you! Not at all! I mean it.

Izuku: It’s just… been my dream. Since I was little and well… there’s no harm in trying…

Katsuki: Try!? Try what!? The entrance exam!? You’re taking the exam just to “try”!?

[Katsuki stands over Izuku as the rest of his classmates peer over Bakugou’s shoulders]

Katsuki: What can you even do!?

12:02PM DOWNTOWN

Extra: Thief! Someone stop him!

Villain[thief]: Catch me… if you can!

Extra: Someone’s bound to show up.

Extra: This guy must’ve been inspired by the chaos this morning. Lots of people out there just can’t control their quirks, I guess.

Extra: There’s no end to them

All Might: Yes, there is. Why, you ask? Cuz…

[Villain looks in fear as All Might smiles]

All Might: I am here!

Back to Izuku’s classroom

Classmate: Let’s go to karaoke

Classmate: I can’t today!

Izuku(Thinking): The incident this morning is all over the net! I’d better get home and get my notes in order.

Katsuki: We ain’t done here, Deku.

Izuku: Ah…

[Katsuki holds Izuku’s notebook over his head as he sat]

Extra(that follows Katsuki): What’s that, Katsuki?

Extra(that follows Katsuki): “For My Future”? Seriously!? This guy, Midoriya…

Izuku: C-come on, give it back!

[Katsuki explodes the notebook with a angry look on his face]

Izuku: HUHHH!? Why?

Katsuki: The best heroes out there, well… they showed signs of greatness, even as students. I’ll be the first and only hero from this crappy public middle school! The first to in the honor of becoming a student at UA High. Guess I’m just a perfectionist.

Extra(that follows Katsuki): So vein… 

Katsuki: In other words… don’t you dare get into UA, nerd!

Extra(that follows Katsuki): Jeez… typical. C’mon, say something…

Katsuki: He can’t say anything. He’s so lame. Even as a third year he can’t face reality. 

Katsuki(turns to Izuku): You wanna be a hero so bad? I’ve got a time-saving idea for you. If you think you’ll have a quirk in your next life… go take a swan dive off the roof!

[Izuku turns to Katsuki with anger in his eyes as Katsuki lets off an explosion in his hand]

Katsuki: Yeah? What?

Izuku(Thinking): Idiot! If I really jumped, you’d be charged with bullying me into suicide! Think before you speak!

[Izuku at the koi pond in his school as he goes to get his burnt notebook back]

Izuku: That’s not food, stupid. It’s my notebook… idiot.

Izuku: Idiot.

-Flashback to when Izuku was a little boy-

Child Izuku: Mom! Computer!

Inko: Again? Izuku, I think you’re responsible for tens of thousands of this video’s views! It’s a little too scary for mommy to watch.

Izuku(narrating): It was an old clip… there was this big disaster a while back. But in the aftermath, a certain hero made his debut!

Newscaster who was videotaping All Might’s Debut: Are you seeing this!/ He’s already saved a hundred people! Wow! And it’s only been ten minutes so far! Wow! And he’s smiling!

All Might(in the video): Fear not! Why, you ask? Cus, I AM HERE!

Child Izuku: He’s so cool! When I get my quirk… I wanna be just like him!

[In the background Inko shuts Izuku’s door with a worried look on her face]

[Time skip to later in Izuku’s life as he sits in a doctors office]

Doctor: I’m afraid there’s no hope for him.

[Izuku looks shocked as he hears this]

Inko: No! There must be some mistake? The other kindergartners have all started showing signs… but

Doctor: Pardon my asking, ma’am, but you’re fourth generation, yes? As far as quirks, I mean…

Inko: Yes, of course… I can pull small objects towards me and my husband can breathe fire.

Doctor, pointing to an x-ray of Izuku’s foot: By the age of four, a child should manifest either one of his parents’ quirks or a composite of the two. However, early quirk research discovered one important finding. It has to do with the presence or absence of the extra pinky toe. Humans have no need for parts they don’t use, you see. And those without the joint represent the next stage of evolution. 

Doctor: Izuku here has two joints. It’s becoming quite rare nowadays, but he possesses no quirk at all!

[Izuku at the computer as he watches a old rerun of all might saving people]

Izuku: Mom… no matter what kind of trouble you’re in… he’ll save you with a smile.

Izuku, pointing to the computer screen: A super-cool hero like that. That’s what I wanna be.

[Inko cries and lands on her knees as she holds Izuku in her arms]

Inko: I’m sorry, Izuku. I’m sorry!

Izuku(narrating): No… No mom… back then, what I wanted you to say was…

[flashback ends and Izuku is walking under a underpass on his way home]

Izuku(thinking): that was when I decided. I decided not to care what anyone says! To keep my chin up and keep moving forward!

[A villain appears behind Izuku with a sinister look]

Villain: A medium-sized body… to hide in…

Izuku(thinking): a villain!?

Villain: Don’t worry. I’m just hijacking your body. Calm down. It’ll only hurt for 45 seconds… then it’ll all be over.

Villain: I’m saved. You’re a real hero. I never thought he’d show up in this town.

Izuku: MMF!!

Villain: No point in trying that! I’m fluid, ou see!

Izuku(thinking): I can’t breathe! My body… getting weak… I’m dying! I’m going to die! Someone, help! I’m dying! No…

All Might: Fear not, kid! I am here! Texas…

[All Might gears up for a punch]

All Might: Shock… wave!

Izuku: Oh… huh!? All… M…ight…

All Might, trying to wake up a passed out Izuku: Hey, hey! Hey, uh, thank goodness!

Izuku: Whaaa!!!

All Might: You’re okay! Excellent! Apologies for getting you caught up in my villain hunt. Mistakes like that aren’t my style, but… this is a strange land to me, and besides I’m off camera!

All Might: But my success here is all thanks to you! I’ve contained the villain!

Izuku(thinking): All Might! He’s here… He’s really here! Up close, I can really see… He’s drawn in a totally different style!

Izuku, looking around his body: Oh! A-an autograph! Where’s… Ah. My notebook… He already did it!?

Izuku, bowing at a fast rate: Wow! Thank you so much! What a treasure! It’ll be my family heirloom!

All Might: Now I must bring this fellow to the authorities!You can catch me again on the TV!

Izuku: Um! Wait… is that it? I…

All Might: A pro battles not only enemies, but also time.

Izuku(thinking): Hold on! I still… I need to ask you…

All Might: Until next time!

[All Might blasts off into the sky]

All Might: Thanks for your support!

[All Might looks down to find Izuku holding onto his leg]

All Might: Hey, now! Release me! Such enthusiasm is a bit much!

Izuku: If I… let go now… I’ll… I’ll die!

All Might: True enough!

Izuku: I… Need to ask you… So many things… Gah! You…

All Might: Okay, okay. Just do me a favor and close your eyes and mouth!

[All Might coughs into his hand mid air as blood trickles from his mouth.]

All Might: Damn.

[The scene changes to the villains POV from the bottle]

Villain(thinking): damn, that bastard. If not for him, I could’ve…

[Bakugou kicks a can as his “extras” follow behind him]

Extra one: Haven’t you know him sine you were kids.

Extra Two: Yeah, you went too far today.

Katuski: It’s his fault for messing with me. Seeing him so full of stupid dreams like when we were kids…

[Katsuki explodes the bottle the villain was in]

Katsuki: Just pisses me off.

[Katsuki turns to his “extras”]

Katsuki: Thought I told you to stop smoking! Get caught, and it’ll go on my record too!

Extra One: H-Hey

[Villain behind Bakugou appears to swallow him whole]

Villain: A body… with a good quirk.

[Back to the rooftop with All Might and Midoriya Izuku]

Izuku: Scary.

All Might: Of all the…!!

All Might: Hopefully the people downstairs will help us get down. I’ve no time though! Truly!

Izuku: Wait! Um…

All Might: No! I will not wait.

Izuku: Even without a quirk… can I still be a hero!?

[Izuku’s eyes are shut as he asks this question]

Izuku: Can someone without a quirk… become a hero like you?

All Might: Quirks are…

[All Might begins to smoke as he speaks and starts to panic]

All Might(thinking): Oh no… damn it all.

Izuku: Because I don’t have a quirk, I… well, maybe that’s not the only reason. But I’ve always been picked on… That’s why… maybe that’s why… I think that saving people is just about the coolest thing someone can do.

Izuku: The way you save people with that fearless smile! I want to be the strongest hero, just like y-Whaaat!?

[Where a buff All Might once stood is replaced with a skinny man, Small Might]

Small Might: …

Izuku: You’re all shriveled up! Huh!? Were you… huh!? A fake!? An impostor!? So thin!!

Small Might: I am All Might!

[Blood pours from his mouth as he speaks]

Izuku: Whoa! No way!

Small Might: You know how people hold in their gut at the pool? It’s like that.

Izuku: no way!

Small Might: A fearless smile, huh?

[Small Might sits down]

Small Might: You’ve seen the real me, kid. But don’t write about it on the internet, okay?

[Small Might pulls up his shirt to show off a gnarly wound]

Small Might: Five years ago… an enemy did this to me. My respiratory system was nearly destroyed, and my stomach was removed. I’ve wasted away because of the after-effects of those surgeries. I can only do my hero work for about three hours a day now.

Izuku: Five years ago…? Was that when you fought Toxic Chainsaw?

Small Might: That lowlife? He could never do this to me!

Small Might: This was never made public. That is, I asked that it not be made public.

Small Might: A symbol of peace who saves people with a smile must never be daunted by evil.  The reason I smile is to stave off the overwhelming pressure and fear I feel. A pro should always be ready to risk his life. Without power, can one become a hero? No, I should think not. 

Izuku: Ah.

[Small Might now rises from his dramatic sitting act] 

Small Might: If you desire to help people, becoming a police officer is always an option. Those villain custody officers are often mocked but… that too is admirable work! 

[Small Might now leaving through the door]

Small Might: It’s not wrong to dream. However, you need to be realistic, kid.

[Small might going down the stairs alone as he checks his pockets]

Small might(thinking): have to get this guy to…

[Small Might looks out the window to see an explosion]

Small Might: Oh no.

At the center of the town

[Katsuki, engulfed by the villain as civilians and heroes surround the area.]

Katsuki & villain: Aaargh!

Mount Lady: A single-lane street? I can’t get there!

Kamui Woods: Explosive fires are my weakness! Someone else has to take this one!

Backdrift: Thanks, but I’ve got my hands full too! Where are the fire-fighters? Hows it looking over there!?

Death Arms: He’s too slippery to get hold of. But his hostage with the explosive quirk is resisting. It’s like a minefield out here, but we can’t do anything against him!

Civilian: Wow! Some sort of hardcore villain!?

Civilian: Go get him, heroes!

[Katsuki & villain getting attacked by unnamed hero]

Katsuki & villain: Argh!

Death Arms: No good! There’s no one here who can stop him!

Unnamed hero: Just gotta wait for someone with the right quirk to show up!

Backdrift: Until then, keep the damage to a minimum. Someone’ll come!

Unnamed Hero: We need that kid to hold on just a bit longer!

Death arms(thinking): shoot! If only I had the power to blow him away!

[civillins all look concerned as small Might runs into the crowd huffing]

[Small Might thinks back to Izuku holding his leg as he stares at the scene]

Small Might(thinking): That’s when it happened! I lost track of time dealing with that fan led to this! Pathetic.

[Small Might holds his wounded side as he looks at the scene with helplessness]

Small Might: Pathetic. 

[Izuku is walking down the street as he sighs at his burnt notebook]

Izuku(thinking on All Might's words): You need to be realistic.

Izuku(thinking on Bakugou Katsuki's words): Even as a third-year, he still can’t face reality.

Izuku(thinking on his teacher's words): It’s time to start thinking seriously about your futures!

Izuku(thinking): Even… the best of the best said it. Don’t cry! You knew already, right!? This is reality… it’s because I knew… that I tried so damned hard… So hard not to see. To ignore reality. Yeah.

[Izuku looks at the scene where a “villain fight” is going on.]

Izuku(thinking): hey, that explosion…?

Izuku(narrating): I’m so used to gawking. Just stop it. I’ll only make myself feel like a loser.

[Izuku looks at the scene and see’s the villain that attacked him.]

Izuku(thinking): Is that him!? How!? All Might let him go!? Did he drop him!? That means.

Izuku: This is my fault!

Civilian: Why’re the heroes just standing there?

Civilian: Seems the villain’s grabbed a middle schooler.

Civilian: Hey, that villain… isn’t it the one All Might was chasing?

Civilian: All Might!? No way! He’s really here?

Izuku(thinking): It’s my fault All Might can’t do anything. This guy can’t be caught. We have to wait for someone with the right quirk to show up!

Izuku(thinking): hang in there… I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Someone will come to save you soon… A hero’s bound to come..

[Izuku see’s Katsuki trapped in the villain’s slime as he runs into the battle to help him]

[All heroes on the scene look shocked to see him do so]

Death Arms: Get back here, you fool! Stop!

Villain(thinking): it's that kid.

Bakugou Katsuki: Deku?

Izuku(thinking): Why am I running? What am I doing? Why?

Villain: You’re dead.

Izuku(thinking): What do I do? What do I do? At a time like this?

[Panel shows page 25 of izuku’s note book it reads as followed: “Kamui Woods” - Preemptive Binding Lacuered Chain Cell… When comforted by an enemy. His ams(vines) stretch out and bind the enemy like chains. Pros -> damage is… Cons -> Weak against multiple enemies or when surrounded. Circled in the corner it reads “Always best to keep damage to a minimum!”]

[Izuku throws his backpack at the villain where it hits the villain in the eyes]

Villain: Grr.

Izuku: Kacchan!

Katsuki: You! Why!?

Izuku: My legs just started moving! Why? I dunno!

Izuku(Narrating): There were any number of reasons. But at that moment…

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): There’s no hope. 

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): Thanks! I’ll try!

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): It’s my fault.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): You think you can rub shoulders with me!?

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): Kacchan

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): No harm in trying.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): My dream.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): A super cool hero.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): You need to be realistic.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): saving people with a smile.

Izuku as he smiles at Katsuki: You… You looked like you needed saving.

[Izuku tarts to claw at the slime with a smile on his face]

Katsuki, as he’s suffocating: Stop… it!

All Might(thinking): Pathetic… Pathetic!

Villain: Just a bit longer. So stop getting in my way!

Death Arms: Does he have a death wish!? He’ll die for nothing!

[All Might rushes in the battle as he puts his hand on izuku’s arm]

All Might: The lesson I left you with… I should practice what I preach! A pro should always be ready to risk his life!

[All Might coughs up blood as he yells]

All Might: Detroit Smash!

[The punch echoes across the city as it starts to rain.]

Civillains: Rain?

Civillains: No way. The air pressure… that rising air current…

All Might: Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey.

Civillains: He changed the weather with a single punch!

Civillains: Amazing. That’s All Might!

Izuku(Narrating): Afterwards, the heroes collected the villain’s scattered body. Seems like the police managed to get him into custody. The heroes were really mad at me.

Death arms: There was absolutely no need for you to put yourself in danger!

Izuku(Narrating): Kacchan, on the other hand, got all the praise.

Unnamed hero: You were real tough out there! And that quirk! Consider becoming my sidekick once you go pro!

[Izuku starts to walk home as he laments on his day.]

Izuku(thinking): I wanted to apologize to All Might, but… I guess I’ll just leave a message n his website when I get home.

Katsuki: Hey, Deku!

Katsuki, looking down as he shakes: I… 

Katsuki, glaring at Izuku: I never asked you to save me! S if you could! Well?! I could’ve beaten him myself. How dare a quirkless failure like you pity me Trying to win me over!? Don’t you dare mock me! 

Katsuki, turning around and walking away: Stupid nerd!

Izuku(thinking): What a tough guy!

Izuku(Narrating): He’s right though. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t change anything. But still… I’m glad. Now I can finally focus on a more realistic future…

All Might, running from a corner: I am here!

Izuku: Huh!?

Izuku: All Might!? Why are you here? You were surrounded by reporters!

All Might: Shaking them off is nothing to me! Afterall, I’m All Mi-

[Smoke appears as All Might turns into his small form]

Small Might: Koff!

Small Might: Kid. I’ve come to thank you and revisit what I said earlier… I also have a proposal.

Izuku: Huh?

Small Might: Without you… If I hadn’t heard your story… I’d been nothing but fake muscles and insincerity! So thank you!

Izuku: Fake muscles?

Izuku: That… No. I mean, it was all my fault from the start! I got in your way… even though I’m quirkless, I dared to ask if…

Small Might: Exactly!

Small Might: Of all the people at the scene… it was only you, timid and quirkless, who acted! You surprised me to action!

Small Might: Most of the top heroes show signs of greatness even as children… Many of them claim that their bodies simply moved before they could ever think!

[Izuku starts to shake and sob as he holds his chest]

Izuku(Thinking): For some reason… I remember what my mom said. “I’m sorry, Izuku. I’m sorry!”

Small Might: That’s what happened to you back there, yes!?

Izuku: Yes!

Izuku(thinking): No, mom… back then, what I wanted you to say was…

Small Might: You can be a hero!

[Izuku breaks down onto his knees as he sobs before Small Might]Izuku(Narrating): Fantasy… became reality. I forgot to mention this, but… this is the story of how I became a great hero.

[bnha-manga-scripts]

BNHA chapter One

People…

(4 yo)Izuku: Enough Kacchan! Y’already made him cry… stop it! I won’t let you. 

(4yo)Katsuki: So Deku, the quirkless wonder, thinks he can play hero, huh?

Are not born equal. That’s the hard truth I learned at age four.

But that…

(14yo)Izuku: Wow. A giant villain!

[out in the distance Izuku watches from the side lines along other civilians at a unseen gigantic villain fighting against heroes]

…was my first and last set back.

-ten years later-

Izuku(Narrator): It all began in the town of qing qing, china; with the news of the birth of a mysterious luminescent baby!

Izuku(Narrator): Shortly there-after, similar phenomena popped up all over the world.

Izuku(Narrator): The trigger for these new found powers was never determined, but as time progressed what was once extraordinary became ordinary.

Izuku(Narrator): And “dreams”, became reality!

Izuku(Narrator): Of the world's population, 80% have developed these unique abilities, or “individualities”-- called “quirks”! We have entered a new age– a society of super-humans!

Izuku(Narrator): And in this world whirling in chaos– a certain profession that people used to aspire to only in daydreams– has stepped into the light of day!

[Kamui Woods fighting a large villain over a city like area(with other unnamed heroes surrounding him]

Currently at the Train Station

Extra person 1: Wooo! Get him Kamui!

Extra person 2: I’m sorry sir, a villain appeared out of nowhere and smashed the train. I don’t know when I can get to work…

Extra person 3: They drove him into a wall so he won’t go berserk! So cool!

Extra person 4: Whoa, a “monster form” what a “quirk”!

Extra person 5 to 4: What's going on?

Izuku: -Gasps- What a huge villain! Who’s fighting him!?

Kamui Woods: You’re charged with the unlawful use of a quirk during commuting hours, as well as battery and robbery. Stand down, you big lump of evil!

Izuku: It’s Kamui of the woods! 

Extra: So this is that kid whose star is rising

Star-Head Man: Whoa, you sure love providing expositions, you a hero-otaku, kid!?

Izuku: Oh, hehe, I, uhu.

Kamui Woods: Here’s your punishment…

Star-Head Man: Show us your best move, tree guy!

Izuku: Ah here it comes! His ultimate preemptive strike…

Izuku and Kamui Woods: Lacquer Prison!

[Mount lady flies from the sky]

Mount Lady: Canyon Cannon!

Extras: ?!(meant to be taken by surprise, I think)

Mount Lady: This villain really suits my formal debut! My name is “mount lady”, pleasure to meet you, and leave the rest to me.

Izuku(Narrator)(the chapter shows mount lady waving to the public as she walks by the villain she had just kicked, police offers staring at her in disinterest and annoyance): The great phenomenon was attended by an accompanying increase in crime levels, and while nations dawdled in making any sort of radical change to the law men and women of charge took inspiration from comics and donned the mantle of heroism! They began policing this brave new world, and defending innocents from evil. Suddenly, through the swell of public opinion, heroism gained rights as an official occupation! And due to their various acts of service, they obtained…

Izuku(Narrator)(close up of mount lady’s greedy smile lol): Income from the state and renown from the people!

Izuku(mumbling): Gigantification, huh as a quirk it’s fairly likely to attract attention and popularity, but since it isn’t also somewhat limiting since it’d be easier to inadvertently damage the city while on the job? Of course that’d be the moot if one could control one’s size.

Star-Head Man: You taking notes!? Aiming to be a hero, huh Nice! Good luck kid!

Izuku: ……! Yes! I’ll do my best!

[Izuku in class]

Teacher: C’mon, class! You’re middle school seniors. It's time you started thinking seriously about your futures. I’ll be handing out printouts on your desired life-course!

Teacher(gets up and throws papers in the air): You all want to be heroes, don’t you?

Teacher: Yes yes, your quirks are all wonderful, but it’s against the rules to use them during school!

Katsuki: Sensei, don’t lump me in with everybody else! You can’t compare me to these losers’ weak-ass quirks! Mine’s a whole other ball game!

Classmates: You’ve got a big mouth, Katsuki!

Katsuki: Shut up! Extra’s should act like extra’s!

Classmates: Oh yeah, I’d forgotten… Bakugou’s shooting for UA high, isn’t he?

Classmates(Izuku is shown to be hiding in himself): You mean that national-level academy!? Isn’t the entrance exam's difficulty rating as high as 79!?

Classmates: Yeah, and it’s hyper-competitive to get into, right!?

Classmates: I hear they barely accept anyone!

Katsuki: Ah, the stupid chattering of extras! I aced the mock exam! I’m the only one here with the stuff for UA! 

[Katsuki, now on top of the desk, with hands in the typical cartoon villain style who’s on a monologue rant]

Katsuki: I’ll even surpass All Might and become the best hero out there! Not to mention, I’ll be one of the richest people in the world!

Teacher: Oh. You’re also going for UA aren’t you, Midoriya?

[Classmates all turn to Izuku slowly as they burst into a mocking laughter]

Classmates: Huh? Midoriya!? No way!

Classmates: Good grades alone can’t get you into the hero program!

Izuku: Th-that’s not necessarily true! Sure, there’s no precedent, but…

Katsuki: Come on, Deku!

[Katsuki uses his quirk on Izuku’s desk]

Izuku: Whoa!

Katsuki: Forget the crappy quirks. You’re totally quirkless! And you think you can rub shoulders with me!?

Izuku: Wa… Wait, No, Kacchan! I wasn’t saying I could compete with you! Not at all! I mean it.

Izuku: It’s just… been my dream. Since I was little and well… there’s no harm in trying…

Katsuki: Try!? Try what!? The entrance exam!? You’re taking the exam just to “try”!?

[Katsuki stands over Izuku as the rest of his classmates peer over Bakugou’s shoulders]

Katsuki: What can you even do!?

12:02PM DOWNTOWN

Extra: Thief! Someone stop him!

Villain[thief]: Catch me… if you can!

Extra: Someone’s bound to show up.

Extra: This guy must’ve been inspired by the chaos this morning. Lots of people out there just can’t control their quirks, I guess.

Extra: There’s no end to them

All Might: Yes, there is. Why, you ask? Cuz…

[Villain looks in fear as All Might smiles]

All Might: I am here!

Back to Izuku’s classroom

Classmate: Let’s go to karaoke

Classmate: I can’t today!

Izuku(Thinking): The incident this morning is all over the net! I’d better get home and get my notes in order.

Katsuki: We ain’t done here, Deku.

Izuku: Ah…

[Katsuki holds Izuku’s notebook over his head as he sat]

Extra(that follows Katsuki): What’s that, Katsuki?

Extra(that follows Katsuki): “For My Future”? Seriously!? This guy, Midoriya…

Izuku: C-come on, give it back!

[Katsuki explodes the notebook with a angry look on his face]

Izuku: HUHHH!? Why?

Katsuki: The best heroes out there, well… they showed signs of greatness, even as students. I’ll be the first and only hero from this crappy public middle school! The first to in the honor of becoming a student at UA High. Guess I’m just a perfectionist.

Extra(that follows Katsuki): So vein… 

Katsuki: In other words… don’t you dare get into UA, nerd!

Extra(that follows Katsuki): Jeez… typical. C’mon, say something…

Katsuki: He can’t say anything. He’s so lame. Even as a third year he can’t face reality. 

Katsuki(turns to Izuku): You wanna be a hero so bad? I’ve got a time-saving idea for you. If you think you’ll have a quirk in your next life… go take a swan dive off the roof!

[Izuku turns to Katsuki with anger in his eyes as Katsuki lets off an explosion in his hand]

Katsuki: Yeah? What?

Izuku(Thinking): Idiot! If I really jumped, you’d be charged with bullying me into suicide! Think before you speak!

[Izuku at the koi pond in his school as he goes to get his burnt notebook back]

Izuku: That’s not food, stupid. It’s my notebook… idiot.

Izuku: Idiot.

-Flashback to when Izuku was a little boy-

Child Izuku: Mom! Computer!

Inko: Again? Izuku, I think you’re responsible for tens of thousands of this video’s views! It’s a little too scary for mommy to watch.

Izuku(narrating): It was an old clip… there was this big disaster a while back. But in the aftermath, a certain hero made his debut!

Newscaster who was videotaping All Might’s Debut: Are you seeing this!/ He’s already saved a hundred people! Wow! And it’s only been ten minutes so far! Wow! And he’s smiling!

All Might(in the video): Fear not! Why, you ask? Cus, I AM HERE!

Child Izuku: He’s so cool! When I get my quirk… I wanna be just like him!

[In the background Inko shuts Izuku’s door with a worried look on her face]

[Time skip to later in Izuku’s life as he sits in a doctors office]

Doctor: I’m afraid there’s no hope for him.

[Izuku looks shocked as he hears this]

Inko: No! There must be some mistake? The other kindergartners have all started showing signs… but

Doctor: Pardon my asking, ma’am, but you’re fourth generation, yes? As far as quirks, I mean…

Inko: Yes, of course… I can pull small objects towards me and my husband can breathe fire.

Doctor, pointing to an x-ray of Izuku’s foot: By the age of four, a child should manifest either one of his parents’ quirks or a composite of the two. However, early quirk research discovered one important finding. It has to do with the presence or absence of the extra pinky toe. Humans have no need for parts they don’t use, you see. And those without the joint represent the next stage of evolution. 

Doctor: Izuku here has two joints. It’s becoming quite rare nowadays, but he possesses no quirk at all!

[Izuku at the computer as he watches a old rerun of all might saving people]

Child Izuku: Mom… no matter what kind of trouble you’re in… he’ll save you with a smile.

Child Izuku, pointing to the computer screen: A super-cool hero like that. That’s what I wanna be.

[Inko cries and lands on her knees as she holds Izuku in her arms]

Inko: I’m sorry, Izuku. I’m sorry!

Izuku(narrating): No… No mom… back then, what I wanted you to say was…

flashback ends 

[Izuku is walking under a underpass on his way home]

Izuku(thinking): that was when I decided. I decided not to care what anyone says! To keep my chin up and keep moving forward!

[A villain appears behind Izuku with a sinister look]

Villain: A medium-sized body… to hide in…

Izuku(thinking): a villain!?

Villain: Don’t worry. I’m just hijacking your body. Calm down. It’ll only hurt for 45 seconds… then it’ll all be over.

Villain: I’m saved. You’re a real hero. I never thought he’d show up in this town.

Izuku: MMF!!

Villain: No point in trying that! I’m fluid, ou see!

Izuku(thinking): I can’t breathe! My body… getting weak… I’m dying! I’m going to die! Someone, help! I’m dying! No…

All Might: Fear not, kid! I am here! Texas…

[All Might gears up for a punch]

All Might: Shock… wave!

Izuku: Oh… huh!? All… M…ight…

All Might, trying to wake up a passed out Izuku: Hey, hey! Hey, uh, thank goodness!

Izuku: Whaaa!!!

All Might: You’re okay! Excellent! Apologies for getting you caught up in my villain hunt. Mistakes like that aren’t my style, but… this is a strange land to me, and besides I’m off camera!

All Might: But my success here is all thanks to you! I’ve contained the villain!

Izuku(thinking): All Might! He’s here… He’s really here! Up close, I can really see… He’s drawn in a totally different style!

Izuku, looking around his body: Oh! A-an autograph! Where’s… Ah. My notebook… He already did it!?

Izuku, bowing at a fast rate: Wow! Thank you so much! What a treasure! It’ll be my family heirloom!

All Might: Now I must bring this fellow to the authorities!You can catch me again on the TV!

Izuku: Um! Wait… is that it? I…

All Might: A pro battles not only enemies, but also time.

Izuku(thinking): Hold on! I still… I need to ask you…

All Might: Until next time!

[All Might blasts off into the sky]

All Might: Thanks for your support!

[All Might looks down to find Izuku holding onto his leg]

All Might: Hey, now! Release me! Such enthusiasm is a bit much!

Izuku: If I… let go now… I’ll… I’ll die!

All Might: True enough!

Izuku: I… Need to ask you… So many things… Gah! You…

All Might: Okay, okay. Just do me a favor and close your eyes and mouth!

[All Might coughs into his hand mid air as blood trickles from his mouth.]

All Might: Damn.

[The scene changes to the villains POV from the bottle]

Villain(thinking): damn, that bastard. If not for him, I could’ve…

[Bakugou kicks a can as his “extras” follow behind him]

Extra one: Haven’t you know him sine you were kids.

Extra Two: Yeah, you went too far today.

Katsuki: It’s his fault for messing with me. Seeing him so full of stupid dreams like when we were kids…

[Katsuki explodes the bottle the villain was in]

Katsuki: Just pisses me off.

[Katsuki turns to his “extras”]

Katsuki: Thought I told you to stop smoking! Get caught, and it’ll go on my record too!

Extra One: H-Hey

[Villain behind Bakugou appears to swallow him whole]

Villain: A body… with a good quirk.

[Back to the rooftop with All Might and Midoriya Izuku]

Izuku: Scary.

All Might: Of all the…!!

All Might: Hopefully the people downstairs will help us get down. I’ve no time though! Truly!

Izuku: Wait! Um…

All Might: No! I will not wait.

Izuku: Even without a quirk… can I still be a hero!?

[Izuku’s eyes are shut as he asks this question]

Izuku: Can someone without a quirk… become a hero like you?

All Might: Quirks are…

[All Might begins to smoke as he speaks and starts to panic]

All Might(thinking): Oh no… damn it all.

Izuku: Because I don’t have a quirk, I… well, maybe that’s not the only reason. But I’ve always been picked on… That’s why… maybe that’s why… I think that saving people is just about the coolest thing someone can do.

Izuku: The way you save people with that fearless smile! I want to be the strongest hero, just like y-Whaaat!?

[Where a buff All Might once stood is replaced with a skinny man, Small Might]

Small Might: …

Izuku: You’re all shriveled up! Huh!? Were you… huh!? A fake!? An impostor!? So thin!!

Small Might: I am All Might!

[Blood pours from his mouth as he speaks]

Izuku: Whoa! No way!

Small Might: You know how people hold in their gut at the pool? It’s like that.

Izuku: no way!

Small Might: A fearless smile, huh?

[Small Might sits down]

Small Might: You’ve seen the real me, kid. But don’t write about it on the internet, okay?

[Small Might pulls up his shirt to show off a gnarly wound]

Small Might: Five years ago… an enemy did this to me. My respiratory system was nearly destroyed, and my stomach was removed. I’ve wasted away because of the after-effects of those surgeries. I can only do my hero work for about three hours a day now.

Izuku: Five years ago…? Was that when you fought Toxic Chainsaw?

Small Might: That lowlife? He could never do this to me!

Small Might: This was never made public. That is, I asked that it not be made public.

Small Might: A symbol of peace who saves people with a smile must never be daunted by evil.  The reason I smile is to stave off the overwhelming pressure and fear I feel. A pro should always be ready to risk his life. Without power, can one become a hero? No, I should think not. 

Izuku: Ah.

[Small Might now rises from his dramatic sitting act] 

Small Might: If you desire to help people, becoming a police officer is always an option. Those villain custody officers are often mocked but… that too is admirable work! 

[Small Might now leaving through the door]

Small Might: It’s not wrong to dream. However, you need to be realistic, kid.

[Small might going down the stairs alone as he checks his pockets]

Small Might(thinking): have to get this guy to…

[Small Might looks out the window to see an explosion]

Small Might: Oh no.

At the center of the town

[Katsuki, engulfed by the villain as civilians and heroes surround the area.]

Katsuki & villain: Aaargh!

Mount Lady: A single-lane street? I can’t get there!

Kamui Woods: Explosive fires are my weakness! Someone else has to take this one!

Backdrift: Thanks, but I’ve got my hands full too! Where are the fire-fighters? Hows it looking over there!?

Death Arms: He’s too slippery to get hold of. But his hostage with the explosive quirk is resisting. It’s like a minefield out here, but we can’t do anything against him!

Civilian: Wow! Some sort of hardcore villain!?

Civilian: Go get him, heroes!

[Katsuki & villain getting attacked by unnamed hero]

Katsuki & villain: Argh!

Death Arms: No good! There’s no one here who can stop him!

Unnamed hero: Just gotta wait for someone with the right quirk to show up!

Backdrift: Until then, keep the damage to a minimum. Someone’ll come!

Unnamed Hero: We need that kid to hold on just a bit longer!

Death arms(thinking): shoot! If only I had the power to blow him away!

[civillins all look concerned as small Might runs into the crowd huffing]

[Small Might thinks back to Izuku holding his leg as he stares at the scene]

Small Might(thinking): That’s when it happened! I lost track of time dealing with that fan led to this! Pathetic.

[Small Might holds his wounded side as he looks at the scene with helplessness]

Small Might: Pathetic. 

[Izuku is walking down the street as he sighs at his burnt notebook]

Izuku(thinking on All Might's words): You need to be realistic.

Izuku(thinking on Katsuki's words): Even as a third-year, he still can’t face reality.

Izuku(thinking on his teacher's words): It’s time to start thinking seriously about your futures!

Izuku(thinking): Even… the best of the best said it. Don’t cry! You knew already, right!? This is reality… it’s because I knew… that I tried so damned hard… So hard not to see. To ignore reality. Yeah.

[Izuku looks at the scene where a “villain fight” is going on.]

Izuku(thinking): hey, that explosion…?

Izuku(thinking): I’m so used to gawking. Just stop it. I’ll only make myself feel like a loser.

[Izuku looks at the scene and see’s the villain that attacked him.]

Izuku(thinking): Is that him!? How!? All Might let him go!? Did he drop him!? That means.

Izuku: This is my fault!

Civilian: Why’re the heroes just standing there?

Civilian: Seems the villain’s grabbed a middle schooler.

Civilian: Hey, that villain… isn’t it the one All Might was chasing?

Civilian: All Might!? No way! He’s really here?

Izuku(thinking): It’s my fault All Might can’t do anything. This guy can’t be caught. We have to wait for someone with the right quirk to show up!

Izuku(thinking): hang in there… I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Someone will come to save you soon… A hero’s bound to come..

[Izuku see’s Katsuki trapped in the villain’s slime as he runs into the battle to help him]

[All heroes on the scene look shocked to see him do so]

Death Arms: Get back here, you fool! Stop!

Villain(thinking): it's that kid.

Katsuki: Deku?

Izuku(thinking): Why am I running? What am I doing? Why?

Villain: You’re dead.

Izuku(thinking): What do I do? What do I do? At a time like this?

[Panel shows page 25 of izuku’s note book it reads as followed: “Kamui Woods” - Preemptive Binding Lacuered Chain Cell… When comforted by an enemy. His ams(vines) stretch out and bind the enemy like chains. Pros -> damage is… Cons -> Weak against multiple enemies or when surrounded. Circled in the corner it reads “Always best to keep damage to a minimum!”]

[Izuku throws his backpack at the villain where it hits the villain in the eyes]

Villain: Grr.

Izuku: Kacchan!

Katsuki: You! Why!?

Izuku: My legs just started moving! Why? I dunno!

Izuku(Narrating): There were any number of reasons. But at that moment…

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): There’s no hope. 

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): Thanks! I’ll try!

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): It’s my fault.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): You think you can rub shoulders with me!?

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): Kacchan

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): No harm in trying.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): My dream.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): A super cool hero.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): You need to be realistic.

Izuku(thinking on everything people have said to him and he himself has said): saving people with a smile.

Izuku as he smiles at Katsuki: You… You looked like you needed saving.

[Izuku tarts to claw at the slime with a smile on his face]

Katsuki, as he’s suffocating: Stop… it!

All Might(thinking): Pathetic… Pathetic!

Villain: Just a bit longer. So stop getting in my way!

Death Arms: Does he have a death wish!? He’ll die for nothing!

[All Might rushes in the battle as he puts his hand on izuku’s arm]

All Might: The lesson I left you with… I should practice what I preach! A pro should always be ready to risk his life!

[All Might coughs up blood as he yells]

All Might: Detroit Smash!

[The punch echoes across the city as it starts to rain.]

Civilians: Rain?

Civilians: No way. The air pressure… that rising air current…

All Might: Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey.

Civilians: He changed the weather with a single punch!

Civilians: Amazing. That’s All Might!

Izuku(Narrating): Afterwards, the heroes collected the villain’s scattered body. Seems like the police managed to get him into custody. The heroes were really mad at me.

Death arms: There was absolutely no need for you to put yourself in danger!

Izuku(Narrating): Kacchan, on the other hand, got all the praise.

Unnamed hero: You were real tough out there! And that quirk! Consider becoming my sidekick once you go pro!

[Izuku starts to walk home as he laments on his day.]

Izuku(thinking): I wanted to apologize to All Might, but… I guess I’ll just leave a message n his website when I get home.

Katsuki: Hey, Deku!

Katsuki, looking down as he shakes: I… 

Katsuki, glaring at Izuku: I never asked you to save me! S if you could! Well?! I could’ve beaten him myself. How dare a quirkless failure like you pity me Trying to win me over!? Don’t you dare mock me! 

Katsuki, turning around and walking away: Stupid nerd!

Izuku(thinking): What a tough guy!

Izuku(Narrating): He’s right though. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t change anything. But still… I’m glad. Now I can finally focus on a more realistic future…

All Might, running from a corner: I am here!

Izuku: Huh!?

Izuku: All Might!? Why are you here? You were surrounded by reporters!

All Might: Shaking them off is nothing to me! After all, I’m All Mi-

[Smoke appears as All Might turns into his small form]

Small Might: Koff!

Small Might: Kid. I’ve come to thank you and revisit what I said earlier… I also have a proposal.

Izuku: Huh?

Small Might: Without you… If I hadn’t heard your story… I’d been nothing but fake muscles and insincerity! So thank you!

Izuku: Fake muscles?

Izuku: That… No. I mean, it was all my fault from the start! I got in your way… even though I’m quirkless, I dared to ask if…

Small Might: Exactly!

Small Might: Of all the people at the scene… it was only you, timid and quirkless, who acted! You surprised me to action!

Small Might: Most of the top heroes show signs of greatness even as children… Many of them claim that their bodies simply moved before they could ever think!

[Izuku starts to shake and sob as he holds his chest]

Izuku(Thinking): For some reason… I remember what my mom said. “I’m sorry, Izuku. I’m sorry!”

Small Might: That’s what happened to you back there, yes!?

Izuku: Yes!

Izuku(thinking): No, mom… back then, what I wanted you to say was…

Small Might: You can be a hero!

[Izuku breaks down onto his knees as he sobs before Small Might]

Izuku(Narrating): Fantasy… became reality. I forgot to mention this, but… this is the story of how I became a great hero.

[lyssahlyssah]

Obey Me! Game Over, Levi

a/n: Not suitable for work.

Hey everybody. Now while I'm just getting started, there may be a few days or a week between stories, as it takes me a while to get them the way I want them (correct my bad grammar).

Hopefully, as I do this more regularly, I'll get into a flow! Please enjoy my first stab at not suitable for work, and let me know if you want more. I had honestly not intended to write for Levi, but somehow he and this idea just went together! Thank you for all the love for my first posting, it gave me a lot of confidence to do more. <3

warnings: teasing, modified cockwarming, happy ending. :)

pairing: f!MC x Levi

category: not suitable for work

description: Some good old-fashioned teasing while gaming. Levi gives you want you want.

It was Saturday night and Saturday night meant game night with your favorite otaku.

Some nights you lay in his bathtub with him sprawled in his gaming chair; some nights you were on the bean bag, he on the floor. Other nights you first ate snacks he bought for you while he gushed about your upcoming adventure. But one thing never changed, once the power light flicked on and the game was queued up, Levi was all business. Tonight, you had decided that was going to change.

You and Levi had played around before now, nothing serious, but enough to where you felt comfortable being naughty with him and he felt comfortable coming apart in front of you. With both of you being shy, these were big steps in your relationship. Tonight you wanted to make things interesting so instead of taking your normal place on the bean bag chair, you had plopped down on his lap. You knew well every excited shake or vibration of your controller would cause you to wiggle against him and you couldn't wait for his reaction. You loved every blush, shudder, and stutter from your reclusive non-normie. And you'd learned, just as much as he loved your heart and the way you made him feel, he also loved every curve on your body.

Having you on his lap alone had been enough to put a permanent blush on Levi's face, and it helped your winning percentage as well, as he frequently got distracted. You estimated he had been hard for at least an hour, judging from the increasing stiffness of the rod poking the inside of your thigh and sadistically you were content to let it go on just a little longer.

You hadn't worn a bra tonight, opting instead for a slinky tank top and skirt. It was a good idea, but you'd forgotten how Levi keeps his room temperature low for all his electronics. Mid-game, partway through exploring a large zombie dungeon, your character is suddenly alone. Confused, you set your controller on your lap and look down at him to ask if there's a problem. And there is. His amber eyes are locked onto your right nipple, proudly standing erect in the cold air under your tank top, deliciously backlit for him against the TV. Apparently more than he could take, he had forgotten about exploring the dungeon and now seemed more interested in exploring you.

Even though riling him up was what you intended all along, you still blush a rosy pink in response. Grabbing his hand, you place it over your breast and squeeze it for him. His blush deepens and he chokes a little, starting to pull his hand back, but your offer is too tempting to completely refuse. You squeeze his hand against your breast again, and a whimper escapes his throat. "Do you like this?", you murmur. He nods quickly, jerkily. You removed your hand and he tentatively keeps his there, squeezing, although a lot more lightly than you had been.

Seeing the intense, almost painful want on his face, you shift your hips over his hard cock. He moans loudly, unable to stop himself, and his face now flushes fire engine red. You adore his responsiveness and respond in kind, fluttering your eyes closed and letting your lips part with pleasure. Encouraged, the hand on your breast squeezes harder, starts to knead. You feel the familiar kick of desire to your abdomen and you can tell you're starting to get hotter and wetter down there too.

Looking into his eyes, you take a hand and pull up your tank top on one side to just below the nipple, baring the bottom of your breast to him, taunting. His eyes start to burn as he watches and unconsciously bites his lip. "Do you want a taste?", you tease. He slowly and intently shakes his head yes. You inch your shirt up bit by bit until the entire nipple is bared. He doesn't wait for encouragement this time. Sitting up from the back of the chair, one arm encircles your back, he takes your nipple into his mouth and sucks. "..mmm.." Not long after, he pulls away, panting from excitement. You're panting now, too. He moves back in and starts sucking with earnest. "...mmmmMMMM..." Shivers of pleasure bordering on pain travel up and down your entire being. Your nipples ache with pleasure at his insistent attention. Wetness soaks your panties and gushes down onto his jeans. Your cheeks are flushed as your body moves left and right with the force of his movements.

Your nipple pops out of his mouth, and he roughly pulls up the other side of your shirt, rubbing his face over and between your breasts, groaning slightly. Taking your other nipple into his mouth, he sucks, rubbing his tongue over and around the areola. Feeling almost delirious, you squirm on his lap, then palm him through his jeans. You can tell he is already close from so much work-up and excitement, but you have other plans for him and stop for a minute.

Pulling open his pants button, you free his length and the sight of it gives you another kick of desire to your stomach. It's long, proud, and leaking at the tip with excitement. Levi continues to suckle and pull at your breasts. He's going all at it and driving you crazy. As you're still sitting sideways on his lap, you move so his cock is now between your legs. Careful to not disturb him from his ministrations, you wet your hands from between your legs and start to move your slick palms up and down on his throbbing member. He jerks and low growls rumble from his throat but doesn't stop, if anything, his sucking picks up pace. Your nipples are now bruised and oh so sensitive. He pauses sucking once to thrust his tongue into your mouth in a heated kiss, using the arm around your back to pull your head down, then releases it and tongues and licks back down to your breasts. He's growling continuously now, and without realizing it, you mirror him, making low rumbles in your throat. Your hands continue moving up and down and you feel his length grow harder, hotter. You both know it won't be long now.

While you fully expect him to explode all over your hands, and yourself to melt in his lap, that isn't what happens at all. As you feel him start to shake, he jumps to bend you over the side of the bathtub and takes you all the way to the hilt in one gigantic thrust. With no time to stretch, the sudden fullness against your inner walls scrapes every sensuous nerve, and you both cry out in climax.

As the pleasure ebbs away, tired, surprised, and satisfied, you pull him into the bathtub with you, where you spend the rest of the night spooning, Levi whispering love into your hair.

[alleycat-arcade]

Game Start! The Seven Lords: A Warm Touch

@mushr00m00 asked: Hi!! So I was wondering if you could maybe do leviathan comforting an gn!mc who just got really jealous over their friend having more friends than them for no reason? I'm going through that right now and it sucks :( Remember to take breaks and drink water!! <33

Alrighty... just one more crank and... done! Here we are, all fixed up and ready! This old cabinet here is one of my favorites, one could say it's a comfort game of mine. I'm surprised I didn't fix it up sooner, haha. Anyway, if you need anything else just call my name. I'll be brewing some coffee and hot chocolate over at the Ticket Exchange, so feel free to come grab a cup.

(When writing comfort hc's or fics, I always try to make it invite the sort of warm mushy feeling in one's soul that I always feel when drinking homemade hot chocolate. Similar to a nice cup of hot cocoa, I do hope this brightens your day!)

Avatar of Envy, or Avatar of Empathy? (Leviathan x Gn! Reader)

Content Warnings: A nice little Hurt/Comfort fic, with extra focus on the comfort aspect! More like a sort of minor Hurt, major Comfort.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

Jealousy was something Leviathan was incredibly familiar with. Ever since the Fall and his later crowning as the Avatar of Envy, jealousy had practically been engrained into both his veins and his very being. As such, he could easy recognize the minor and major signs of someone feeling particularly envious. Especially so with those who shared a Pact Bond with him.

The Pact Bond that you and Leviathan shared had been the first he'd formed in quite a long while. If he had to guess, based on how faded the past markings from other pacts had grown, it was fairly likely that all who had previously shared a pact with him had likely passed on by now. Years of hermitage will do that to a demon, but that aspect is beside the point. Seeing as he had not shared such a bond with anyone in such a close proximately in a good while, when a foreign feeling of envy flooded his being in the middle of the day, he did not recognize it as immediately as he was used to.

Leviathan had at first assumed the sudden spurs of envy to be his own, as they often happened at times he'd likely feel envious in if he were paying more attention. But as the surges grew infrequent and more sporadic, Levi finally drew the correct conclusions. The shimmering orange glow that lit up his pact mark with each surge also helped push him closer to that thought. With you being the only person to currently share a pact with him, it could only be you that he was sensing an increased build up of envy from.

It was often common practice amongst many demons bearing pact bonds that they allow or even encourage these specific sinful feelings in their masters, as a way of feeding off of their energy. Yet, although his body was somewhat invigorated by the powerful rush of envy, Leviathan could feel nothing but guilt and unease at each surge. Unease at the fact that you were somewhere struggling, and guilt at the fact he hadn't noticed and helped sooner. While he may not be the best of his brothers with words of wisdom or comforting, Leviathan decided to steel his will and seek you out after a particularly strong surge. Shut-in otaku or not, he'd be maledicted before he didn't do his best to help his Henry.

His brothers had told him that you'd retired for the night a bit early today. Thus here he was now, stood rigid in front of your bedroom door. Although Levi had grown accustomed to simply barging through the door every time he had wanted to see you, he now struggled to even raise his hand to simply knock. Thoughts of a negative nature slowly began to swirl throughout his brain, only to be interrupted by you suddenly opening the door yourself. Your eyes widened in surprise when you suddenly found him just standing in front of your door, and before you could ask him what he was doing his hand suddenly shot forward. It had looked as if he was grasping for your wrist, but faltered a tad short, leaving the edge of your sleeve pinched between his fingertips. His name fell from your lips in a sputtered manner at his sudden boldness, but the demon in front of you refused to meet your eyes and instead ushered you back inside your bedroom. Following his lead, you allowed him to pull you gently by the sleeve to your bed, where he promptly sat down and pat the space beside him.

"What's on your mind, Levi? Did something happen?" You asked inquisitively, sitting down beside him. Once again he remained silent, until he suddenly sucked in a breath and met your eyes finally. His expression looked like a mix of determination and worry despite the gentle crimson that dusted his cheeks. "Mc... Y-you've been having a rough time lately? With e-envy?" In surprise you recoil a bit, before a somber look crosses your face. "No, I'm alright Levi. What's got you thinking that now?" His eyebrows furrow at your response, and he hesitates for a moment before beginning to tug at his clothes. You jolted in shock at his sudden boldness, only to be wound down by the appearance of his pact mark. It was a reflection of your own, only reversed and placed on Leviathan's body. "Mc, don't lie to me. If you weren't having some issues with envy, this wouldn't be glowing when you're not trying to summon me." In a bold act of comfort, you feel Leviathan's fingertips graze the back of your palm. The look of determination in his eyes told you that he had no plans of backing off without an explanation, so with a deep sigh you gave in.

"It's nothing Levi, really. It's just-" "It's not nothing if it's bothering you this deeply, Mc. I promise, you can tell me anything. You're my Player Two, remember?" A chill raises up your spine as his thumb gently rubs up and down across your knuckles, casing you to realize that he was now holding your hand. You almost wanted to chuckle at this, how much Levi was going out of his comfort zone to comfort you, but you decided it'd be best not to ruin the mood. Slowly, you confided in him the situation that had spurred your sudden string of jealous. He listened attentively, giving the occasional affirmative hum to assure you that he was still pay attention to you. Only once you had finished did he speak again, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze before he began.

"Mc, though I can't exactly say what's making you feel this way, I can tell you it's still something that makes you feel hurt emotionally. S-so! I just wanna say a few things... if that's okay at least." You usher for him to continue, and he takes another deep breath. "I get being jealous about your friend having more friends then you, since y'know, I always get a bit jealous seeing you being all buddy buddy with everyone in the Devildom. So, I'm familiar with the feeling. But! Even if you do feel like these emotions are irrational, I want you to know that they aren't. And I just wanna say that even if you don't have the most friends out of anyone, those around you still deeply care about you. If your friend is a good and close friend, then they'll still care deeply about you no matter how many other people there are in their life. And if they don't, well, then they didn't deserve you anyway! Plus, you'll always still be my Henry, and I wouldn't trade you for all the friends in the... in the w-world." Still holding your hand, he brings his other arm to his head in order to hide the growing blush on his face.

"So let's go out and have fun tomorrow, all on our own. We can go wherever you like, as long as it's somewhere you enjoy. Even if it's totally crowded with normies, I'll follow you to the ends of the Three Realms, alright? What kind of Lord of Shadows would I be if I didn't do that for my best friend?"

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

(Here you are! I hope I did decent with the words of comfort, and at least made your day a little better. :) I'm not usually the best at comforting people with my words, as I'm a much more physical person, but I hope this was alright!)

[absolutepokemontrash]

MC is Half Demon and They Look Awfully Familiar

(Lessons 1-5!)

Part 1 Part 2 Lessons 5-6 Group Retreat Lessons 10-12 Lessons 13-15 Part 3 Part 4

So we obviously know that things would run a little differently with L!MC instead of a normal human MC, but just how differently do things go?

No Mammon, you are not allowed to babysit!

Unlike in canon, Mammon needs to be kept away from MC at the start. Why? He’s known this kid for less than a day, he’s gonna try and use them for scams.

Everyone else in the house? Well, they’re of... observing MC. This is a first, a half human kid just wandering around the house...

MC and Lucifer, despite their amicable meeting, were in this really awkward beginning stage where they didn’t really know what to do with each other.

“So...” MC resisted the urge to twiddle their thumbs as they followed their father through the halls of the House of Lamentation. This was their home for the next year. It was very grand... and also very creepy in some places. “Where’s my room?”

“Right here.” Lucifer stopped suddenly in front of a door in the hallway, nearly causing MC to crash into him. He opened up the door, the room was very very pink. “Asmodeus decorated, you can redecorate as you see fit.”

MC popped their head in and looked around, there were approximately a thousand pillows scattered around the bed. It was the perfect amount! The very pink colour scheme was... okay. Maybe they’d be able to switch some of it out for a nice blue.

“It’s nice! Thank you,” MC was about to say Lucifer, then father, then just shut their mouth. What were they supposed to call him? They had known each other for like... an hour. He seemed like the type to want to be called father, he was too posh to be ‘dad’ or ‘pops’, and calling their father by his first name seemed way too casual as well... Parental Figure..? Guardian? Sir..? Should they call him sir???

The fact that MC ended their sentence like they were going to continue it left the two in a very awkward silence. A+ job at conversation.

“Anyway,” Lucifer finally broke the silence. “If you need time to settle in, we can pick up the tour later.”

“N-no, it’s okay! I didn’t really bring anything so...” MC was in the middle of mentally cursing themselves out, they thought they had successfully avoided falling into the awkward middle schooler stereotype! “We can keep the tour going.”

“Alright then.” Lucifer turned and motioned for MC to follow. Wow... he was very... curt? Was that the right word to use? MC hoped this was as awkward for him as it was for them.

The next stop was the portrait staircase, Lucifer explained each one down to each minute detail, MC listened in rapt attention.

“We received that one from a painter from the sixth layer of the Devildom, it was quite a rare find.”

“How many layers are there?”

“Nine, we’re in the centre most layer. This is the most highly defended part of the Devildom.” Lucifer explained.

“Oh,” MC smiled. “Cool, so it’s like how Dante described it in the Divine Comedy?”

“Mostly, some changes have been made since that time.”

“Ah, okay.” MC nodded, a thought came to them which made them clear their throat to suppress a giggle. “May I ask a question that might bother you?”

Lucifer turned and raised an eyebrow at them. “You may ask one such question.”

“Why did Dante say you were frozen in an ice lake?”

Lucifer looked around, once he was sure that no one was listening, he turned back to MC, his voice was slightly lower when he answered. “I was ice skating with Lord Diavolo, I fell through the ice and into the lake right as Virgil and Dante arrived. Of course, Dante had to embellish or I’d smite him, if only he left out the ice part.”

To MC’s credit, they didn’t laugh, but they weren’t doing a very good job of hiding how hard it was to not burst into laughter. “Oh my... how upsetting...”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “I’d tell you not to tell anyone but,” his lips quirked up into a smile. “No one would believe you if you said anything anyway.”

MC gasped, but the gasp ended up releasing the laugh they were holding in.

The half demon noticed some of the other portraits on the wall, each of the brothers had a portrait, there were two demons that MC didn’t recognize. So that was their family... they wondered if their picture might be on that wall one day...

“Who’s he?” MC pointed at the portrait between Mammon’s and Satan’s.

“That’s Leviathan, the third eldest, the Avatar of Envy, and the Grand Admiral of Hell’s Navy.”

‘Oooo, so he’s a military guy!’ MC thought to themselves. ‘And the third most powerful brother? Wow... he must be crazy scary...’

“What about him?” MC pointed at the seventh and final portrait.

It may have just been MC’s imagination, but they swore they saw Lucifer’s expression sour slightly.

“That’s Belphegor, the youngest and the Avatar of Sloth.” Lucifer explained. “He is currently in the human world as an exchange student.”

“Oh,” MC studied the portraits a bit more. “Cool! I hope he’s having a good time up there.”

“As do I.” Lucifer replied. “Now we should move on to the Underground-”

“LUCIFER!” Asmodeus cried. “MAMMON’S BEING STUPID AGAIN!”

Lucifer sighed and dragged a gloved hand down his face. “We’ll continue this tour later, MC. Feel free to explore some more, try not to break anything.”

“Because the things might be cursed?”

“That and the things are old and expensive.”

MC spends the rest of the day chilling in the house with Asmo, who peppers MC with ALL the questions.

They does their best to answer... but it’s clear Asmo was hoping for something a little more interesting.

“So, do you run the human world?”

“No. No I do not.”

Finally, Mammon escapes whatever punishment Lucifer’s got him caught up in and tried to get MC involved in something that’ll probably make them lose their money.

Mini HC! A demon’s wings, tail, or horns might pop out randomly if they aren’t paying attention! The demon doesn’t even need to be in their true demonic form for this to happen. It happens more often with younger demons like MC!

Mammon stops his little scheme when he notices that MC’s wings have popped out and left a few stray feathers lying about... he can hear the CHA CHING sound already.

Our favourite dummy tried to Mission Impossible his way into MC’s room but MC caught him trying to make off with some loose feathers after they came back with a dustpan to clean them up.

Eventually, it was dinner time, and Levi was still camped out in his room. Mammon got sent to get him out, and he decided to drag MC along with him.

“I don’t think we should bother him-”

“Sh! We gotta get him out of his stupid room or he’s gonna stay in there until the exchange year’s over.” Mammon snapped, stopping in front of Leviathan’s door.

“I still don’t think we should-”

Mammon rudely interrupted poor, aghast MC by slamming his fists against the door. “LEVI! GET UP! DINNER’S READY!”

The only response was someone increasing the volume on whatever show was playing behind the door. Wow, petty. MC suppressed a snort until they realized exactly what they were hearing.

Was that...

“Is that the Sailor Moon theme?” MC turned to Mammon and asked. The moment the question left their lips the pair heard someone practically bolt to the door. It swung open and hit Mammon right in the face.

“MOTHER FUCKER-”

“You!”

Ah, so this was the Grand Admiral of Hell’s Navy. MC didn’t know that track pants and headphones were a part of the uniform.

“You like anime?!” Levi asked, MC slowly nodded.

“Y-yeah..?”

Quick as lightning, MC was pulled into the room, and Levi slammed the door shut, tragically, the door hit Mammon again.

“LEVI YOU ASS-”

Leviathan didn’t seem too interested in Mammon’s chorus of curse words and angry knocks, he was grabbing some figurines off shelves and showing some to MC.

“Do you know who this is?!”

“That’s White Blood Cell from Cells at Work. What about Mamm-”

“How about this!”

“Violet Evergarden from the show of the same name, now Levia-”

“Whose this?!”

“LEVIATHAN!” MC stomped their foot and pointed at the door. “Mammon said we need to go eat dinner.”

“Don’t interrupt me, human!” Levi hissed, MC rolled their eyes and snorted.

“Nice to meet you, by the way.” MC crossed their arms and let their wings appear and puff up behind them.

“...w-whu-WHAT?!”

“We have to go to-” MC was cut off yet again by Levi passing out. Wow... what a day...

Mammon was still pounding on the door, MC rolled their eyes and opened it.

“He passed out, can you carry him?”

Mammon was decidedly not careful with his dear little brother when he dragged him out of his room and into the dining room. When Levi finally woke up, he got an earful from Lucifer, and tried to kill Mammon.

Apparently money was owed that Mammon wasn’t about to pay.

So yeah, MC and Levi’s alliance did not stem from desperation, it stems from otaku-camaraderie.

MC and Levi planned their credit-card hostage situation over a fun evening of watching anime.

Mammon never knew what hit him...

“Okay Mammon, pay up or your credit card gets cut up.” MC playfully opened and closed the scissors before poising them to cut up the helpless credit card. Mammon let out a shriek and shook his head.

“NONONONONO- don’t do that!” Mammon put his hands up and let out a nervous laugh. “MC... wh-what’s with all the animosity..? We’re buddies, right?”

MC snorted and rolled their eyes. “Buddies don’t try and make money off each other’s feathers.”

“You heard them, Mammon.” Levi snickered. “Pay me back the money you owe me!”

“I don’t have the money right now!”

MC shook their head. “Pity... oh well, bye bye Goldie-”

“The money’s in my sock drawer- just please put the scissors down!”

They slowly lowered the scissors. “What do you think, Levi?”

“Hmmm... you have two minutes.” Levi said, Mammon took off in a sprint out of the kitchen.

“Nice job Agent L!” MC chirped, holding their hand out for a high five, Levi looked positively elated and gleefully hit his hand against MC’s.

“We did it! I’m finally going to have enough money to go to the live show! Couldn’t have done it without your help, Agent Near.”

“Wait- why am I Near?” MC asked. “You get to be L and I have to be Near?”

Levi crossed his arms and huffed. “Would you rather be Mellow?”

“No! I want to be Light! We agreed that I’d be Light!” MC hissed. Levi, literally hissed back.

Rude.

Anyway, Levi got paid, and everyone had a very entertaining breakfast. Well, Mammon didn’t have a very good time, but boo hoo he should have paid Levi back sooner.

I think MC felt legitimately bad for Mammon, all the insults and jabs being aimed at him made MC feel a little guilty...

MC took care to be extra sweet that day, and it made Mammon feel a bit better. You know what made both of them feel amazing?

Screwing with the dipshits that were talking crap about the two of them.

MC didn’t need super-hearing to notice that some of the demons at RAD found it to be peak comedy that Mammon got slapped with babysitting duty.

“...do you want to mess with them?”

“What?”

“Too late, I’m doing it with or without you.”

Mammon was totally in, obviously. A little magic to move some of the lesser demons’ things around and voila! They were all at each other’s throats and Mammon and MC got to enjoy a fun lunchtime show!

The Purgatory Hall crew got to meet MC too, of course!

“And this,” Lucifer gestured to MC. “Is the other human exchange student.”

MC popped up from behind one of the rows of desks and gave the three newcomers a toothy grin. “Nice to meet you!”

Simeon’s calm and serene expression dropped almost immediately as he quickly looked from Lucifer to MC. The latter just gave him an innocent smile and tilted their head.

“Is something the matter?” MC asked, through the corner of their eye they saw Lucifer smirk slightly.

“N...” Simeon snapped back to reality. “No, nothing’s the matter, it’s nice to meet you, MC.”

“You awful demons!” A much younger voice yapped. “You brought a human child down here?! Shame on you!”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “I’m overwhelmed with guilt, put me out of my misery.”

“Oh!” MC gasped. “You’re the chihuahua!”

“Wh-what?!”

“What?” MC shook their head and shrugged. “What’s the matter with me being a kid? You look like you’re ten.”

“I’ll have you know that I’m well over-”

“Am I just going to go ignored?” The third and final stranger asked, a cheeky/very suspicious looking grin on his face.

“Right, you.” Lucifer sighed. “This is Solomon, another human exchange student.”

“It’s nice to finally meet the other... human exchange student.” Solomon offered a nod.

“Likewise.” MC pretended not to notice the pause before he said human.

The first bell that meant “haul your ass to next period because if the cleaning staff finds you skipping class you will be maimed” sounded. MC slung their bag over their shoulder and brushed past their fellow students.

“Have a nice rest of your day, everyone!” MC chirped as they and Lucifer headed off to their next class.

“What do you stand to gain by pretending you aren’t my child?” Lucifer asked.

MC snickered. “It’s funny! Didn’t you see their faces?”

Lucifer half smiled and shook his head. “Perhaps.”

—————

“That kid is Lucifer’s.” Solomon said the moment Lucifer and MC were out of earshot.

“Oh thank heavens someone else saw too... I thought I was going crazy...” Simeon sighed in relief.

“Hey! We’ll be late to class if you guys don’t hurry!” Luke called from down the hall.

Solomon chuckled under his breath. “This whole year just got way more interesting...”

A lot of MC’s time got devoted to getting to know their newly found family.

Satan was proving to be very... polite? Almost weirdly so? He’d address MC like he would address a formal acquaintance, not like one would address a family member... or even a roommate.

MC tried the delicate dance of trying to respect his boundaries and trying to get him to like them...

Once the glasses incident happened everything kinda caved. MC had been quite rudely shunned by Satan and they were quite done trying to be his friend! Hmph!

...hmph :(

At least Beel was nice... despite MC being a little intimidated by his size and resting bitch face, MC soon found out that Beel was a massive cinnamon roll.

In return for all the snacks Beel shared with MC, they introduced him to at least five human world cooking shows.

“MC, why is the music so dramatic? They’re just revealing the cooking supplies.”

“It’s a reality TV thing... everything is 10 times more dramatic than it needs to be. The music’s doing its job though, I’m very impressed by that pie dish.”

Overall, MC’s first week at RAD was pretty decent! Until... well... until Friday.

MC could only hide their demonic side for so long...

“That’s them?”

MC slowed their steps and turned to look for the source of the voice.

“Yep.” A second voice confirmed. “Human kid, like I said.”

Ugh... of all the times to have needed to stay late after school... the hallway MC was in was completely empty and they had no clue where anyone they actually knew was-

“Boo.”

MC whirled around to see the two gossiping demons standing right behind them. They instinctively took a few steps back before the taller of the two demons grabbed them by the wrist and yanked them forward.

“Geez, are all humans this tiny?” The taller one asked as he slowly lifted MC off the ground. MC fixed him with the nastiest glare possible, he tried to scowl back, but ended up looking away and laughing to the shorter demon. “Look at them, barely enough for a snack, no wonder Beel hasn’t eaten them yet.”

Turning to the shorter demon, MC gave them a similar glare. “Put me down.”

“Tsk, quiet.” The taller demon snapped, he turned back to the shorter demon. “So if we just nab them now, how much do you think someone’ll take for their soul?”

“I-uh...” the shorter demon couldn’t pry their gaze away from MC’s as they tried to sputter a response. “I don’t think we should...”

“Why not? The exchange program’s still in its trial phase anyway, we kill this human and they’ll just bring in another one.”

The way he was speaking about them made MC’s skin crawl. How dare he? How dare he talk about them like they were just common trash? Who did this... person think he was?

An old familiar feeling bubbled beneath the surface. It had always been there, the intense, sometimes overwhelming desire to let the whole world know that they were better. The feeling coiled its way up MC’s spine and wormed its way into their head where it settled.

“You can’t be spoken to like that.”

Every single time this feeling had flared up, MC had done their best to suppress it. They didn’t know what would happen if they gave in, and frankly, they didn’t want to know.

“Let them know you’re not to be trifled with.”

The burning desire to crush the two demons like ants was almost impossible to ignore. MC felt their hands twitch and sparks snap between their fingertips.

“I’m not going to tell you again,” MC growled. “Put. Me. Down.”

“Human,” the taller demon turned back and cooed, his mocking tone made MC want to rip his throat out. “I said be quiet.”

His grip on MC’s wrist tightened until a sickening crack echoed through the empty hallway.

Bile immediately rose in MC’s throat as they let out an earsplitting scream. Their wrist seared in pain and their heart began to race hammer against their ribcage.

The desire to give in only grew and became harder to control, MC could feel themselves slipping. The feeling only had one simple question to ask, one that MC knew the answer to.

“Are you going to let them get away with that?”

Their face morphed into a cheek splitting grin despite the pain, their head tilted to the left as they stared down the two demons.

“No.”

Horns twisted and burst out of their skull as they dug their rapidly sharpening nails into the demon’s arm. Their teeth grew and sharpened while formerly hidden fangs burst through their upper gums. The agonizing pain of their bones growing, snapping, and shifting in and out of place as their demonic form took hold for the first time numbed as MC revelled in their new power.

Through the reflection in the taller demon’s horrified stare, MC could see their pupils stretch into almost catlike slits. He dropped them onto the floor while he and the shorter demon backed up. MC’s impossibly wide smile only grew as they watched the realization dawn upon the lesser demon as he stitched together what he had just done. The human he had decided to bother wasn’t quite so human after all.

“Oh?” MC cooed as their wings split through their back and unfurled behind them. “Where do you think you two are going? We haven’t even gotten started yet.”

—————

Lucifer was jolted from his conversation by a sharp blast of blue light and the sound of screams from a nearby hallway. He instinctively rolled his eyes.

“Lord Diavolo, pardon me but I need to go deal with a disturbance in the halls.” Lucifer said, Diavolo sighed mournfully on the other end of the call.

“Alright, if you must, but make sure to come over later! There are events that need to be scheduled.”

Lucifer knew full well that Diavolo was making half of the school events up as an excuse for basic social interaction. Oh well, it wasn’t the time to think on his prince’s social woes, he had a problem to solve.

How many times did he have to tell some of those idiotic students to take their petty squabbles outside?

Lucifer made his way over to where the fight was happening, he wasn’t walking with particular urgency, a fight on school property wasn’t too unusual, until a massive shockwave spilled through the hallways and slammed into him.

The Avatar of Pride felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up, that was his magical signature... wasn’t it? No, it was just different enough...

“Dammit.” Lucifer doubled his pace, when he reached the end of the hallway, the sight was just what he feared.

MC stood straight in the middle of the hallway with their back to him, two other demons were lying in crumpled heaps on the ground, one was next to an incredibly dented row of lockers while the other was lying next to an almost completely broken drinking fountain.

Lucifer’s own true form was out in a flash as MC turned to look at him. their eyes glowing a shining blue. Their lips curled into a snarl as they let out an otherworldly growl.

“Go away.”

“MC, calm yourself down.” Lucifer said slowly as he approached them. “Return to your normal form.”

The half demon bowed their head slightly and took a few steps back as he stepped closer. Lucifer almost patted himself on the back for such a show of authority, until MC paused and looked up defiantly. The glow in their eyes doubled as any sense of fear left them completely.

“I said, GO AWAY!”

They lunged at him, which he easily sidestepped, only for MC to quickly turn and latch their claws into his arm.

The child packed a surprising amount of force into their strikes, but he was able to block and redirect almost every single one. If this were any normal fight, Lucifer would have just swatted them away and have been done with it, but this wasn’t any ordinary opponent.

MC was his child, the exchange student, and going through their first transformation. They weren’t exactly rational or directly responsible for any of their actions at that moment.

During a first transformation the demon is almost completely relying on base instincts to function, they’ll go completely ballistic for a while, trying to tear through anything in their way until they run out of energy and pass out. Which is why during a demon’s first transformation usually happened much earlier in their lives under the watchful eyes of parents or guardians.

It was clear to anyone with even casual knowledge of demons that MC had fully given themselves over to their pride and wouldn’t stop trying to prove their superiority until they passed out.

Even though Lucifer was blocking and avoiding most of the blows, MC had managed to get in a few good scratches.

They snapped at Lucifer’s right hand, narrowly missing it and aimed their elbow at his jaw. Almost casually batting the hit away, he hissed in frustration.

“Damn it... MC, control yourself!”

MC snarled and sloppily lunged forward, only for Lucifer to use his wings to bat them to the side. They slid across the floor, their glasses falling off and skidding away from them. MC lay still for a few moments, their chest rising and falling rapidly.

Lucifer stood in place, waiting for any sudden movement. For a few moments, the hallway was quiet, save for the massive gulps of air MC was taking and the occasional groan of pain from one of the demons on the floor. MC slowly sat up and blinked a few times, then looked from side to side.

Something important dawned on Lucifer, he didn’t know just how blind MC was without their glasses.

MC’s rapid breathing began to slow as they continued to squint and search the area around them for their glasses. Lucifer almost audibly sighed in relief as the blue glow in his child’s eyes began to dull.

“MC.” Lucifer allowed his demon form to disappear as he slowly moved towards them, making sure MC could hear him approaching.

The half demon stopped scanning the area for their glasses and looked up at him, they awkwardly covered a yawn with their hand as their wings sleepily fluttered behind them. It would have been much cuter if MC wasn’t spattered with blood.

Lucifer slowly offered his hand, which MC eyed suspiciously. “Come on, let’s go.”

MC blinked a few times, then yawned again and awkwardly accepted his hand. “Mmph... m’tired...”

“That’s good,” Lucifer said quietly. “Everything’s okay.”

MC half nodded and awkwardly stumbled as they tried to find their footing. Lucifer tried to help steady them, but it proved ineffective as MC collapsed into his arms. Sighing, he picked them up and began to walk back to the House of Lamentation.

Just before leaving the school, Lucifer passed by Simeon and Solomon, who looked from MC, who had curled their wings around themselves and was sleeping soundly, to Lucifer, who had a few scratch marks on his face and whose hair was a complete mess.

“Ah, you two, one of you do me a favour.” Lucifer said as he brushed past them. “One of you go to the biology hallway and pick up MC’s glasses.”

Simeon and Solomon nodded and mumbled out an affirmation as Lucifer left the school with MC. Hmph, it seemed MC was right, their confused/shocked faces were quite funny.

MC woke up the next morning with the worst muscle pain they had ever and hopefully would ever feel. On the bright side, their wrist wasn’t broken anymore :D

They had literally built their true form. Their skeleton just stretched and rearranged itself, horns grew out from their cranium, their wings broke through their back and a new set of fangs decided to break through their gums... and then all of that new stuff was gone as MC lay in bed in their normal form like a deflated beach ball.

Not wanting to seem like a wimp, MC dragged themselves to breakfast, and everyone was all: “MC, go back to bed, you can’t do anything when you’re like this.”

“Quiet, I’m fine.”

“MC, if you’re fine, then give Beel a high five, make sure it makes the slap sound.”

“Alright then, Beel, come here.”

Beel didn’t exactly think to take MC’s shorter stature into account when holding up his hand for a high five. He’s tall, okay?

MC then proceeded to grit their teeth and try not to scream as they lifted their arm to weakly hit their hand against Beel’s.

“It made the noise..!”

“No it didn’t, I didn’t hear it.”

“Fatherrrr!”

“Couldn’t hear it, go back upstairs.”

When MC trudged upstairs, Asmo practically squealed and pointed out that MC had called Lucifer father for the first time. It’s a shame no one took a picture of happy/surprised Lucifer.

Side note: after the whole event calmed down, Lucifer was crazy proud that his kid kicked the asses of two grown demons.

Funnily enough, this incident is what kickstarted MC and Luke’s friendship! Luke heard MC got into a fight and brought over get-well cookies! Sure... Beel, Mammon and Levi stole most of the cookies but they were still good!

At school on Monday... hooooooo boy... the two demons that tried to kill MC had lived to tell the tale thanks to MC getting distracted by Lucifer, and now the entire student body knew NOT to fuck with MC.

A few weeks into the exchange year, things had settled into a somewhat normal routine... until one really shitty night in particular.

MC was curled up in bed, their new comforter and sheets were a pain to put in, but they suited MC’s taste much better than the pink that had been there previously. Sighing in contentment, MC felt themselves drifting off to sleep-

Mother fucker who was texting at the ungodly hour of 10:30 pm on a Sunday? ‘Twas the lord’s day and the lord of the house stated that everyone needed to get their asses to bed at a reasonable hour.

MC picked up their phone and put on their glasses. After being blinded by the light of the phone for a brief moment, MC read the text.

Not-Rich Uncle Pennybags 💰🕶: Oi! MC! U want a snack?

Not-Rich Uncle Pennybags💰🕶: I’m in the kitchen! Get down here!

After debating whether or not to throw Mammon to the wolves and rat him out, MC decided that they did in fact want a snack and hopped out of bed to go to the kitchen.

“Hey kiddo!” Mammon said through a mouthful of something in a container, a loose note hung limply from a piece of tape that was stuck on the Tupperware. “Next time, hurry it up, got it? Ya can’t keep me waitin’ like this!”

“Mm...” MC grumbled, rubbing their eyes and looking around the kitchen. “What are you eating?”

“Custard!” Mammon smiled brightly. “Ya gotta try this!”

Oooo, custard! MC grabbed a spoon and practically skipped over to try some. Right before they were about to try a bit of the heavenly deliciousness, MC paused and finally caught a glimpse of what the note said.

‘Property of Beelzebub, you eat it, you die.’

Uh oh-

———————

Okay, the next few bits of this WILL come out in order, I promise! Kinda... not really... eh... but it matters not! I hope you all enjoyed this! I didn’t leave you with a cliffhanger this time considering Lessons 5-6 are already out ^_^

So uh- wanna fight the demons that tried to hurt MC? I’m bringing the pitchforks, who’s driving?

[remnantoforario]

Remnant’s Top Ten Anime of 2020

2020 Was certainly a ride wasn’t it? To those that managed to make to make it through in one piece, or any piece, good job. Hopefully 2021 is better to us all. 

Despite the world mostly being on fire, I’d hazard to say that a lot of good shows came out in 2020 (despite a number of them being delayed to either later in the year or this year altogether). I meant to release this list much earlier, but I kept changing it around. 

Anyway, here are the ones I thought were the best. 

Honorable Mentions:

Dorohedoro

Synopsis: The plot centers on a man named Caiman and his search for his real identity after a transformation by a sorcerer left him with a reptile's head and no memory of his former life. 

Along with his friend Nikaido, he violently assaults sorcerers in the Hole, with the aim of taking their heads into his mouth, where a strange face will appear and confirm whether the sorcerer he has bitten onto was the one responsible for his transformation or not.

As the residents of the Hole, the En family and the Cross-Eyes gang, along with many others, collide with one another, the mystery of Caiman's identity begins to unravel, reigniting ancient grudges and threatening to forever change both the Hole and the sorcerers' world.

Thoughts: This is the only Netflix anime I watched this year (I missed out on Great Pretender before the year ended), and I can honestly say I had fun with this one. It’s animation was good, the story was engaging enough, and the characters were all unique (Noi best girl). The one problem I would say with the show is that it can come off as unfocused at times, meandering from one plaot point to another with no real connective tissue. 

Still a fun series though. 

ID: Invaded

Synopsis: The anime follows the investigations of Narihisago, a renowned detective now in prison, who is tasked with diving into the id wells of various serial killers. 

Two years prior to the current events, Narihisago's daughter Muku was brutally murdered by a serial killer, leading Narihisago's wife to commit suicide. These deaths prompted him to hunt down and murder the killer, earning him his prison sentence. He is still depressed and haunted by his wife and daughter's deaths, but also uses this as motivation to take his work seriously and help stop serial killers. 

Thoughts: One of a handful of original series that came out this year. This show gave me heavy Inception/Minority Report vibes from both its premise and presentation. It wobbles under the weight of its own concepts towards the end, but it still a fun ride nonetheless. 

Gleipnir 

Synopsis: The story centers on Shuichi Kagaya, a high school student with an unusual secret. He has the ability to transform into a monster resembling a giant dog mascot costume with a zipper down his back and a large cartoonish smile. After rescuing a strange girl, Claire Aoki, from a warehouse fire, they join each other to search for Claire's older sister, who is assumed to be responsible for the death of their parents.

Thoughts: When the initial rollout for this show began I admit I wasn’t really a fan. I thought it was just going to be a hyper violent, fanservice show. Now in some ways it is that, but if you really look Gleipnir tells a very interesting tale of identity and what it truly means to have a wish granted. The music was pretty good as well, and that’s really something from me as a person who doesn’t pay attention to soundtracks. 

Hope this show gets a season 2, but if not I’ll more than likely start the manga. 

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina

Synopsis:  Fascinated by the stories of Niké, a witch who traveled around the world, Elaina aspires to take the same course. Her determination of studying books and magic leads to her becoming the youngest apprentice witch to pass the sorcery exam. 

However, when Elaina attempts to receive training in order to become a full-fledged witch, she is rejected due to her extraordinary talents until she finds Fran, the "Stardust Witch," whom accepts her. After earning her title, the "Ashen Witch," Elaina begins her exploration around the world, visiting and facing all kinds of people and places.

Thoughts: As a fan of the Light Novels, I was pretty excited when it was announced it was getting an anime. For the most part it didn’t disappoint. Though it skipped most of the stories in the novels, the show still told a few good stories that made for some amazingly animated tv. 

Talentless Nana

Synposis: In the near future, mysterious monsters known as the "Enemies of Humanity" begin to appear, and with it so do children with supernatural powers called the "Talented". To prepare them for the upcoming battle against these Enemies, all the Talented are sent to a school located on a deserted island, where they have all their daily needs provided for until they graduate and communication with the outside world is forbidden. 

One day, a new student named Nana Hiiragi arrives at the school. Her friendly and cheerful personality lets her quickly make friends with the class. However, with Nana comes a whole litany of mysterious occurrences on the island. 

Thoughts: I can’t say too much about Nana without spoiling it’s first episode twist, but I will say that its a pretty interesting show with a fairly compelling game of cat and mouse being played. 

Now on the the actual list:

10. The Misfit of Demon King Academy 

Synopsis: After 2,000 years of countless wars and strife, the demon king Anos Voldigoad made a deal with the human hero, Kanon, to sacrifice his own life to ensure peace could flourish. Reincarnating 2,000 years later, Anos finds that royal demons now harshly rule over lower class hybrid demons in a society that values Anos's pureblood descendants over the demons who interbred with other species, such as humans and spirits. 

Finding that magic as a whole has begun to decline and his descendants weaker as a result of the peace he created, Anos, now technically a hybrid himself, decides to reclaim his former title of Demon King, but first, he must graduate from the Demon King Academy where he is labeled a total misfit.

Thoughts: Originally I was going to put Nana in this spot, but its lack of a real ending pushed it out of the list. If only slightly. Misft at Demon Academy is just a fun ride from start to finish. There’s always something about shows with ridiculous OP protagonists (Overlord, One Punch Man, etc.) that gets the blood pumping. 

It’s like junk food. Great for the right moment, but not needed all the time. 

9. Ikebukuro West Gate Park

Synopsis:  A charismatic troubleshooter tries to keep the peace between warring factions while protecting his loved ones in Ikebukuro West Gate Park.

Thoughts: I honestly had no idea what to make of this show when I first saw the synopsis, but I gave it a try on a whim. I’m glad I did because this was easily the dark horse of the Fall season. I really liked the mostly self contained story format the series had, and there were a few very good episodes here. Check it out. 

8.  My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

Synopsis: Catarina Claes, the young daughter of a noble family, one day bumps her head and regains memories of her past life as an otaku. It is then that she realizes she has been reborn into the world of the otome game Fortune Lover, reincarnated as the game's villainess who, regardless of what route the player took in the original game, is doomed to be either killed or exiled. 

In order to avoid these routes that lead to doom, Catarina begins taking countermeasures to try and avoid things going the same way as the game. This, however, ends up having unexpected consequences on her relations with the other characters of the game's world.

Thoughts: Normally I’m not a fan of Reverse/Otome harem series, but somehow Bakarina managed to pull me in, to a good result. This show was easily one of the best comedies I watched this year with a good cast and a likable protagonist. 

7.  Deca-Dence 

Synopsis: In the fortress city of Deca-dence, the lowly Tanker girl, Natsume, dreams of becoming a Gear warrior following her father's death during a Gadoll attack. She is assigned to a maintenance team led by Kaburagi whom she discovers is more than he appears. Kaburagi has a secret role in eliminating "bugs", humans who threaten Solid Quake's operations. 

When Kaburagi discovers that Natsume is listed as dead in the company database, he decides to keep her under observation and offers to train her to fight.

Thoughts: Giant monsters and giant robots. What more do you need? Watch it. 

6. A Certain Scientific Railgun T

Synposis: The Daihasei Festival has begun, and that of course means that Tokiwadai Middle School—a prestigious all-girls' middle school—is competing too. Despite the participation of the "Ace of Tokiwadai," Mikoto Misaka, the other students who are participating are still putting their utmost effort into winning, no matter how impossible the feat may seem against her might. However, not all is fun and games. Due to the the festival, Academy City opens to the outside world, and various factions have begun plotting ways to infiltrate the city. Misaka appears to be on their radar, and as the festival proceeds, people lurking from the shadows begin to emerge...

Thoughts: Not really much to say here. It’s the third season of Railgun, but good thing here is that each season of Railgun is better than the last. Truly the best of the To Aru universe. 

5. BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.

Synposis: Urged on by her friend, Kaede Honjō begins playing the VRMMORPG NewWorld Online under the name Maple. Not wanting to get hurt, Maple opts to be a shield user with maxed out defense stats, and continues putting every status point she earns in the game into increasing only her defense level. 

As a result, she is left with slow foot speed and no magic, but her high defense allows her to endure most hits without taking any damage. This, along with her basic-level creative thinking, allows for her to make unexpected accomplishments in the game, its quests and events. By doing this, she ends up earning all kinds of equally unexpected skills and becomes one of the strongest players in the game. Thoughts: Bofuri is another OP power fantasy like Demon King Academy, but with the twist of being fused with CGDCT. The cast is extremely likable (especially Maple) and when Silver Link wants to they can make the battles REALLY dynamic. A nice comfortable watch, which was sorely needed in 2020. 

4. Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle

Synposis: The story follows Princess Syalis, a young princess who was kidnapped by the demon king, and her quest to sleep well while imprisoned.

Thoughts: A simple premise for a not so simple story. Sleepy Princess for me was easily the best comedy of the year, with plenty of heart and action thrown in as well. I was wary of the series at first, thinking that the premise wouldnt be entertaining for more than a few episodes, but boy was I wrong. Each episode was funnier than the last and Doga Kobo pulled out all the stops to make it look as gorgeous as possible.  

3. Jujutsu Kaisen

Synopsis: Idly indulging in baseless paranormal activities with the Occult Club, high schooler Yuuji Itadori spends his days at either the clubroom or the hospital, where he visits his bedridden grandfather. However, this leisurely lifestyle soon takes a turn for the strange when he unknowingly encounters a cursed item. Triggering a chain of supernatural occurrences, Yuuji finds himself suddenly thrust into the world of Curses—dreadful beings formed from human malice and negativity—after swallowing the said item, revealed to be a finger belonging to the demon Sukuna Ryoumen, the "King of Curses." Yuuji experiences first-hand the threat these Curses pose to society as he discovers his own newfound powers. Introduced to the Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School, he begins to walk down a path from which he cannot return—the path of a Jujutsu sorcerer.

Thoughts: Originally I wasn’t going to put this on the list, because the season doesnt conclude this year, but I decided to make an exception since the show started so strong. Many people were hyping this up as the next big shonen, and they were right. Mappa really went balls to the wall with this show and I’m pretty hype for what happens this cour. 

2. Akudama Drive

Synopsis: The bustling metropolis of Kansai, where cybernetic screens litter the neon landscape, may seem like a technological utopia at first glance. But in the dark alleys around the brightly-lit buildings, an unforgiving criminal underbelly still exists in the form of fugitives known as "Akudama." No stranger to these individuals, Kansai police begin the countdown to the public execution of an infamous Akudama "Cutthroat," guilty of killing 999 people. However, a mysterious message is sent to several elite Akudama, enlisting them to free Cutthroat for a substantial amount of money. An invisible hand seeks to gather these dangerous personas in one place, ensuring that the execution is well underway to becoming a full-blown bloodbath.  

Thoughts: Want to know what it would be like if Quentin Tarantino made an anime? Well here you go. An adrenaline filled rollercoaster ride from start to finish with a crazy cast of characters and even crazier visuals. There’s even a bit of social commentary in there if you squint. 

1. Oregairu Climax

Synopsis: Resolved to become a more independent person, Yukino Yukinoshita decides to smoothen things out with her parents, and the first step toward achieving that goal is to prove herself. As graduation draws closer for the third-year students, Iroha Isshiki—the president of the student council—requests a graduation prom in collaboration with the Volunteer Service Club. Yukino accepts this request of her own volition, hoping to use it as a chance to demonstrate her self-reliance, but what lies ahead of her may prove to be a hard hurdle to cross.

At the same time, a chance for the Volunteer Service Club members to better understand each other presents itself. And thus, Hachiman Hikigaya's hectic and bittersweet high school life begins to draw to a close.

Thoughts: The gif says it all really. I could just leave that there and end this list on a somewhat high note, but I’ll explain it. 

Now objectively, there were better shows than this one (off the top of my head JJK comes to mind) but when you combine all three seasons there is no contest in my mind that Oregairu had one of the most perfect endings to a series I have ever seen. 

It was an ending 7 years in the making. The first season in 2013 was good, the second season two years later was even better, but Climax was Oregairu at is absolute best and that goes beyond the story and characters. A lot of praise also has to go to Studio feel., who took over animation duties from Brain’s Base in season 2. While BB’s animation was much more accurate to the LN, feel’s more realistic designs fit the more mature direction the story was starting to go, giving the anime some of its best moments. 

Watching Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui grow and change from naive teenagers to somewhat understood young adults was amazing and sometimes heartbreaking to watch. Hachiman’s search to find something “genuine”, Yukino’s desire to be independent, and Yui struggling with her feelings of love and friendship all clash and compliment in very interesting ways that makes these three characters even more relatable than they were before. 

Lots of long running series don’t stick to landing, but in my eyes Oregairu stuck it perfectly. That’s why its my favorite anime of 2020.

Here’s to 2021. 

[kiryuun-blog]

Attack on School Caste ep 4 english translation (Attack on titan drama CD)

Here’s the english translation of the 4th and last episode of the drama CD “Attack on School Caste”. Kind of sad it’s over but it was fun to translate ! Also, I’ve uploaded on my Youtube channel all of the episodes subbed, so check it out: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQXkQAha6FpPBkUTg1qB9rA/featured

Translation below:

After spending some time together, and confronting each other several times, they ended up exposing little by little their real personalities. And after they divulgated the reasons why they were in detention, they opened up about their worries and dreams.

A: The reason why I ended up in detention is only known to some of the teachers, and I haven't talked to anyone about it. If it was known, it would be a big problem. J: What the hell did you do ? A: To tell you the truth...with this laptop, World-kun, I created a pirate anime site. R: What ?! A pirate anime site ? I can't believe that. Well, I heard that around Somalia there were pirates, but to think that there was one in our school...and that you tainted your hands with that kind of business, using anime... H: Reiner, it's fine if you don't know about it but there's no need to be that surprised. R: Sorry... H: A pirate site is one that illegally uploads anime, and that is a crime. J: So that's the kind of site where you can watch anime without spending a penny, huh. R: I see. That's definitely not forgivable. M: A complete evil which no one can prevent. A: Yeah...you're right. Not only it's an infringement to copyrights, but it also infringes the rights of all the staff that worked hard to produce these animes. It's the worst, it also tramples on the audience that loves these animes. J: And why did you do that kind of thing ? A: Because I'm someone like that ! I'm made fun of at school for being a geek, I'm not good at sports and I'm not even good at studying, and I don't have a lot of friends. I'm a grandpa's kid and weak, and I can't even tell others what I want. I'm just a pathetic and worthless geek. And that's because I'm this kind of guy that I wanted to, at least, shine on the net ! At the beginning, it was just a site where I recommended my favorite animes, but then, the views increased and I was thanked in the comments, so I wanted even more popularity and started to upload illegally episodes. And one day I realized that it ended up being a complete illegal site. I couldn't bring myself to stop... R: When did you realize it was bad ? A: My friend, Marco, warned me, saying that this was a complete crime. And, in order to stop me, he talked about it with the teachers. J: Huh, so he snitched. That sounds like what a serious ass like him would do. A: But thanks to Marco, I finally realized what I was doing. So that's why I immediately closed the site and it didn't become a serious problem. Well, I ended up in detention though. J: To think that you were a potential criminal. H: That's not a potential criminal, but a criminal indeed. M: One's outward appearance and one's real identity is completely different. Once the mask is removed, the truth shows its face. R: And I thought that you were just an otaku... A: Even someone like me has things I want to do and dreams...One day, I want to go to Akihabara, the sanctuary of anime ! Neons illuminating the high buildings, and posters of my favorite anime characters plastered everywhere...the sanctuary I'm yearning for ! A market so wide and deep that even if the geeks from all over the world were to assemblate, they wouldn't be able to buy everything ! When I was administrating that site, I felt that I was able to touch a little that world... But in truth, I was just drowning in the deep sea of the net... R: Dreams, huh. Up till now, I never even thought about that. H: Are you serious ?! Didn't you want to become a football player ? M: What about those titanic muscles...and that robust body...? R: Those were obtained after training regularly. But that was not because I wanted to become a football player. H: Then, why ? R: It's because I wanted to be acclaimed as an excellent sportsman and obtain a scholarship. J: Ha, what's with that. Such a petty reason ! R: Well, I was brought up by my mother only. It's already tough to let me go to school. I was born in a country beyond the sea. When I was young, my mother and father separated, and me and my mother moved here. After that, there were only hardships. It was tough to only feed ourselves in a foreign land. I want to provide for my mother and let her rest, that's what I always thought. J: H-huh ! After calling me a mother complex, you're not one to say ! R: Yeah, you're right. If I did my best in the football team, it was to make my mother happy. I trained myself everyday, in order to obtain this armor-like body, and even became the captain. And even for my caste, I became the president of the clubs, and volunteered for cleaning garbage, I gained popularity with the students and took special attention of the teacher's moods. I did all I could. And I finally became the jock. A: So you suffered a lot too... H: And why someone like you ended up in detention ? R: On the last physics exams, I had some difficulties... H: So you didn't pass ? R: Y-yeah...that's right. But, no, what I want to say is that...I scored 0 points. J: 0 points ?! For real ?! You must be lying, even I scored 17 points ! R: To tell you the truth...I'm really hopeless with studying. No matter how much I try, I never do well, and up until now, I've managed to barely pass. And physics is my worst enemy. I don't understand a single thing. Like you all said, maybe even my brain has become only muscles. A: But even so, 0 points...? R: That day, during the exam...I lost sight of myself. Until that moment, I always thought that I wanted to let my mother rest, and she has big expectations. In order to meet those expectations, I became the jock, the captain of the football team, the president of all the clubs, and I had to always be strong and right. And when I thought "do I have any dreams of my own ?" "do I have something I really want to do ?", my mind went completely blank, and without realizing, the exam was already over. I couldn't write anything other than my name. J: Well...that explains the score. R: But, even without that happening, it would still have been hard to score more than 10. Armin, before, I said that you were miserable, but, like Jean said, it was me, who has no dreams of his own, that was miserable. A: N-no...that's not true, you're doing your best aren't you ? H: After all, you were just a king in name. That's so stupid. J: Hey ! You don't have to say it like that ! H: It's already great that his mother has expectations of him. Unlike him, no one cares about me, and that includes my own parents. Laughable, isn't it ? R: Hey, Historia, you're a rich lady, there's no way what you say is true ! H: Here's the problem. Just because I’m crazy rich and the cutest, not only in this school but in the entire state, everyone's spoiling me. But no one cares about the real me. J: Huh, that's some luxury ! H: And what do you think you know, Jean ? What do you know, you, who has a mother kind and loving enough to bring your lunch to school just because you forgot it ? I only picked up some fruits that were left on the table. My parents never cared about my lunch. And we never eat together, the last time we ate dinner together was when I was five. They leave my care to the butler, and only see me as a tool for the succession of the family. R: But they're your parents...there's no way they think like that ! H: No, I'm only a tool, and a doll. I've been raised as a rich lady, with disinterested parents, and then I'll marry with a dull man who only has reputation, then give birth to a child and success this house. My parents, teachers and the people surrounding me at school, they're all stupid ! I'm fed up ! School caste ? Queen bee ?! What does that even mean ! A: I understand the situation...but you must have things you want to do, right ? If so- H: Are you really in a position to say that, Armin ? A: Huh ? What do you mean ? H: I also like japanese anime ! I can't help it ! Shugo Chara and Sugar Sugar Rune, they're all the best ! And I'm so envious of your bento box of Maji Moji Rurumo ! I want to go to Akihabara and Ikebukuro and buy all the goods I want ! Armin, you said it, right ? That even if geeks from all over the world couldn't buy everything. But that's not true ! If it's me, I can do it ! With the assets of the Reiss family, I can buy it all ! But I can't ! That's all because I have to be the queen everywhere I go ! I can't like anime ! A: Historia... H: I ended up in detention because I tried to steal an anime magazine, and I got caught. Of course, I had the money. I could have even bought 100 copies of it. But I couldn't let anyone see me buying it. So, I had no other choice but to steal it. J: Being the queen is quite burdening, huh... H: One day, I want my parents to look at the real me. I just want to have fun with real friends and talk about anime. Maybe it's a small thing, but I think that's my dream. I doubt that you all would understand me though. M: That's right, there's no way I would understand. J: Hey, you don't have to say it like that ! M: But, I am aware of the fact that I cannot understand you. You and I are completely different, and we don't live with the same worries. However, it doesn't change the fact that we are together in this darkness. H: Mikasa...how did you end up in detention ? M: After school in an empty classroom, I tried to perform a ritual to summon the goat-faced devil, Baphomet, who has the power to destroy this world and engulf it in flames. And I got caught by the History teacher. J: Ha ! Are you serious ? You should know when to stop with that persona of yours. M: I don't want to hear that from you. J: Well, my apologies ! But that's the truth, isn't it ? It's just a persona. H: Why are you a goth, Mikasa ? Do you really like gothic things ? Or is there another reason that you ended up in this caste ? M: It is...to have perfect control of myself. J: Huh ? What do you mean ? M: Before, I was a normal student. I didn't belong neither to light, neither to darkness, just a normal person. I had a friend, and lived nonchalantly. I had no complaints towards that kind of life. But one day, my friend went up a caste higher. And after that, that friend began to avoid me. R: They didn't want to mingle with a lower caste, huh... H: Well, that does happen often. M: Yes, it's a common story. But to me, that was an unbearable shock. That's when I realized, that this world is cruel. So, I have to have perfect control over myself in order to keep on fighting... J: And that's how you became a goth ? That escalated quickly ! That's crazy ! M: No, occult and curses are helpful to strengthen one's soul. Thanks to that, I managed to remain myself. Also, since I'm asian and my hair is black, it goes well with black clothes. H: It's true that it suits you. M: Also, goth is a caste that isn't bothered by others as much as other castes. If I keep on being immersed in my own world, no one talks to me. It's not that I'm avoided by others, but I do things so that they avoid me. I can think of it that way. R: So, you chose solitude ? M: I want to become stonger. I have to be strong. And one day, I'll become a strong woman like a fearless dark knight. J: Well...you don't have to be that stubborn, don't you think ? And right now, you're talking with everyone just fine. Who knows, you might make another friend ? M: I don't need that. J: Don't say that ! The six of us, who didn't have anything to do with each other, opened up and all ! R: Hey, wait a minute, Jean. J: What ? You want to be in charge again, is that it ? R: No, did you say the six of us ? A: Eren hasn't said a thing yet... E: Huh, me ? J: Don't "huh, me ?" me ! Take part to the conversation ! E: I did listen to you all. I went to the toilet twice though. J: Always about the toilet...what are you, an old man ?! E: I know right, to say the truth, I'm a little concerned about that... My organs may have some problems. Everyone, how frequently do you go to the toilet ? How about you, Historia ? H: Me ?? J: What's with you, Eren ?! No one wants to talk about that ! A: H-hey, Eren...why did you end up in detention ? E: I'm not sure, but I think it's because I skipped the History exam. R: So you skipped, huh. Are you bad with History ? Or, do you have any worries that you can't say to people ? E: Not really, I just forgot about it. When Mr. Smith talked to me about it, that's when I remembered. H: So, is that not because of worries, but because you couldn't think of anything else other than your dreams ? E: Not at all. I really just forgot about it. I don't have any dreams. M: It's complete nought, and thoroughly normal. E: Is that bad to be normal ? I don't really love or hate this world, and I don't have particular worries or dreams. I really don't care about school castes either. Even so, I'm living normally everyday. R: Well, that's true. H: Everyone's worries are different after all... M: Everything comes in all colors. So many men, so many minds. A: Why is it that even though everyone carries its own worries, we all become the same adults...? M: That's because everyone loses to something, and ends up giving up. H: We become arrogant and showy adults, full of deception, huh... A: Hey, in truth, there was something I was thinking about. I know it's weird to ask that, but, when we meet again in school on Monday, what should we do ? J: Huh ? R: What do you mean ? A: We are...friends, right ? H: Do you mean to ask if we should keep up our relationship, where we can talk freely to each other just like now ? A: Yeah. H: Do you really want me to answer ? A: I want to hear it. H: I'll ignore you. A: Is that so... M: Do you mean only Armin, or everyone here ? H: Everyone. I'll pretend that I never met you all. Well, I don't mind Reiner though. R: That's some attitude here. But you like anime, right ? You could talk about it all you want with Armin ! H: Ha, there's no way I could. And that's the same for you, Reiner. When you're with people from the football club, what would you do if Armin, wearing an anime t-shirt and carrying a bento box of Maji Moji Rurumo, went to you and spoke to you ? R: Well, that's... H: Even though you could exchange a few words with him, you would go back to saying bad things about him when he's gone, right ? "What's with that otaku, even though he's a geek, he has the gall to talk to me !" for example. R: I'll never do that, and I don't even sound like that ! H: Then what about that, "Hey, Armin. Everyone, let me introduce my new friend.", would you introduce him to your friends like that ?! They'll just end up mocking you. And without a fault, you'll lose your position as a jock ! Are you fine with that ? Even though you did so much to gain that title- R: Stop that, Historia ! J: Cut that crap... H: You two are liars and hypocrites ! Jean, could you introduce Armin to your delinquent friends ? Could you cosplay as a character from Twilight with Mikasa and go to a party ? J: Shut up ! H: You can't, right ?! There's no way you could ! I'm just being honest. I can't be on good terms with you all ! And why ? Because our castes are different ! A: Then...it's better to be a geek like me. Even if people call me weird, I don't have to care about my surroundings and avoid my friends... M: Armin's right. A: And you, Mikasa ? Would you avoid me if I were to talk to you ? M: No. A: Even if you're with other friends ? M: I don't have any other friends. Even if I had, they wouldn't hate you. J: Mikasa... A: Let me say that, I won't ever avoid anyone here ! That would be too mean. H: Say what you want. I'm different than you, because I'm the queen...the most popular girl in school ! I can't walk alongside with you ! J: I'm astonished...how conceited can you be ? H: I'm not conceited ! It's the truth ! It's because it's the truth that it hurts ! Do you know anything about my pressure ?! The pressure of having to be a good girl at home and at school ! I have to smile all the time to be loved by everyone ! I have to make fun of the anime that I like the most ! I'm fed up with all that ! R: Historia, that's enough ! H: No, it's not ! Nothing's fine ! There's no way it is... E: Hey, sorry to interrupt, but... H: What ? J: What, Eren ? A: Does something bother you ? Feel free to say it. M: You can open up about everything. E: Can I go to the toilet ? J: You...cut it out ! H: How about you try read the room ?? Why do you even ask us permission ! E: If I go on my own, Jean's gonna complaint about it...that's really bothersome. M: Even though he's normal, he's the weirdest... E: Really ? I think it's pretty normal. I just go to the toilet more often that everyone. H: Hah...that's so stupid. J: We were the ones at fault for believing you would say something serious. A: How about you just write your essay in the toilet ? E: Huh ? I don't want to. R: Come to think of it, I completely forgot about the essay. H: We should finish it first. M: Once again, we are back to the cruel reality. J: Let's just do it. A: Yeah. R: Okay everyone, let's finish it quickly and go home. J: Don't you try to be in charge of everything again ! E: Then, I'm going to the toilet. *bell ringing* E: It's finally over. J: I'm so tired. R: We finished just in time. M: We are finally freed from that cage. H: After all it was not impossible huh. Well, as expected of us. A: You all made me write in your place though... L: What, so you're finally going home ? J: Yeah ! R: Mr Levi, thanks for your work. L: Well, that is my work after all. Leaving that aside, what happened ? Your expressions changed since I last saw you. H: Is that so ? I was just having detention, with those five weirdos. M: That's what I want to say. A: Historia was the most surprising, right ? H: Huh ? Did you say something ? A: No, nothing ! L: Whatever. But if you've finished, then hurry and go home. You're going to dirty the floor. R: Mr Levi's right. Let's go home quickly, drink proteins and do some training. A: My World-kun's battery is running low. J: What about you, Mikasa ? Do you have someone to pick you up ? If not, then I don't mind walking you home... M: Huh ? H: Oh my, a bad boy being kind to a goth, what a sight ! J: Shut up ! That doesn't matter ! Right, Eren ? E: What ? J: The castes ! E: That kind of thing doesn't matter. J: Haha ! See ! *everyone laughing*

That is how the six who belonged to different castes, while carrying their own worries and dreams, went home, with the same bright mood. Meanwhile, the History teacher Erwin was in the library, checking their essays.

Er: Hm. "Mr. Smith, thinking about what we all did, it was a given that we ended up in detention. However, the theme "Who I am" was so stupid that it made us want to throw up. This school fixed upon us statuses like the "bad boy", "queen bee", "jock", "geek", "goth" and...the "normal person". Nevertheless, we will keep on moving forward. Without caring about other's expectations, we will do as our hearts please, and this world, this school caste...You will probably say that it isn't the right path, but still, it will surely connect to a future. To a future decided by none other than us."...they're really idiots to the end.

Erwin left with a mysterious laugh. The evening sun illuminated the empty library through the window, and their essay was left there, dyed in gold, like the sun was shining upon their hopes.

[astaroth1357]

(Yes, I still have more requests but I need a creativity break. This has been in my drafts for a while so I share it with you now)

How to Comfort Your Demon Boyfriend

Have Some Sympathy for the Devil...

Demons are amoral beings by nature. This lack of natural empathy and ethical restraint can make them appear to be heartless, but nothing is farther from the truth. In fact, your beloved hellspawn can feel happiness and love just as well as you can but that also means they can experience sadness too... When this happens it’s only natural to want to cajole your lover back to high spirits, but this task can be easier said than done. For cases when your demon has taken up sorrow, our guide How to Comfort Your Demon Boyfriend is here to help! This volume will offer you some of the best advice on the market for how to bring your demon back to happiness as any lover would want to do. With our help, you should see that frown lift right off your partner’s face just like when they torment the beings left for eternal damnation, guaranteed!

Lucifer

Lucifer will not want to make his sorrow known to you at first. He prefers to present an image of power and composure which in his mind goes against the vulnerability sadness can bring. You will have to be mindful and watch out for changes in his behavior.

If he is: avoiding your presence, working even more than usual, being stricter on others, emotionally distant, isolating himself, or listening to an inordinate amount of classical music it may be time to intervene.

Engage Lucifer on this only when he is alone. This won’t be too difficult as he will likely be avoiding people anyway.

Approaching Lucifer on a matter this sensitive should be done with caution and great care. You have very little room for error. If you make a gaff or try to speak to him in a way he deems belittling, then he may shut you out further and then you’re back at square one.

Do you best to convey concern, compassion, and sincerity. In your mind you should not be speaking to the Avatar of Pride right now. You should be approaching someone very dear to you whom you can tell is hurting.

If Lucifer is not ready to speak, he will try to console you but give you no concrete answers for his behavior. This is normal, and a tad frustrating, but not a complete shutdown. You can wait for a time (at least overnight) and then try again.

Do not interrogate him. He may not feel comfortable divulging why he's upset just yet. Simply tell him what you’ve noticed about his behavior and express concern.

When Lucifer is finally ready to tell you what has him so gloomy, take care to listen intently. He may only admit this once. 

Once the information is out in the open, assess what can be done and what advice you can offer. Lucifer isn’t one to speak idly about his problems, he will likely be seeking some kind of actionable guidance more than a willing ear. Offer all suggestions empathetically, with the understanding that he values your opinion even if he doesn't take your advise.

A new plan of action will likely soothe him the most, but if he still appears to be troubled after your discussion you can offer him further relaxation options: tea, a hot bath, more classical music, pleasant conversation, etc. 

Now that he’s let you in, he shouldn’t begrudge your presence anymore so remain with him for as long as you feel is necessary. To some extent, Lucifer needs solitude to sort out his thoughts but he’s not the best at doing the same for his emotions. Remind him, gently, that some battles take two to win.

Mammon

If Mammon is upset, you’re probably going to know about it. Where Lucifer is reserved and secretive, Mammon is overt and transparent. He may not mean to be but it is what it is. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

Signs that Mammon may be in distress include: avoidance to particular topics, unconvincing denial, crying, clinginess, impulsivity, and, in extremes, desperation.

If Mammon is upset he will naturally gravitate to you for comfort. This certainly makes your task easier so long as you pick up on the signs quickly.

Physical closeness will do wonders for easing his mood. If you’re alone, I’d suggest holding him in some way but doing so in public may make him too embarrassed to actually enjoy your comfort. If you’re with others, allow him to hold you.

Get him talking. It won’t be very difficult, so just let him air out what the problem is. He may just need to complain about a bad day or some unfair treatment and that’s totally fine. Offer him a sympathetic ear.

After he’s done speaking, assess where his mood is now. If he still seems particularly gloomy, it may be the time to deploy other measures to bring him back to happiness.

Affection and humor are the best methods to use when dealing with a sad Mammon. Make a joke at the expense of whoever/whatever is troubling him then take the time to remind him of something positive about himself or your bond. He won’t accept these compliments verbally (but he won’t want you to stop them either).

If even this is not enough (and you’re feeling generous), you can offer to take him shopping or out to eat on your expense. Be warned that he will NEVER refuse this offer and you best have the funds to cover his (immense) expenses. Grimm can’t buy you happiness, but if you’re Mammon it comes very, very close.

Leviathan

Chances are if Levi is sad it’s due to an insecurity of some kind nagging at him. Like Mammon, he generally won’t be very subtle about it.

Look for these signs: melancholy, self-deprecation, envious statements, the phrase “It’s not fair!,” increased anime/game usage, crying, loss of appetite, lack of sleep, increased possessiveness.

Leviathan will periodically go through moods of self-doubt that will cause him to deflate and draw inward. He will not be able of pull himself out of these recurring regressions so it will be up to you to take notice of when he’s struggling.

If you see signs that he is falling victim to his thoughts, it's best to comfort him some before getting to the bottom of what’s wrong.

Find a way to hold him, if he’s currently playing a game then either wait for him to reach a stopping point or ask politely if he will pause so you can give him some affection. He will likely cling onto you in some way once he’s ready to speak. This is normal behavior, allow him to be as close as he needs and pat his head. He will find this soothing. 

Now gently ask him what has him so upset and assess the situation. Levi may have several insecurities but always remember that he also has many strengths. Downplay his weaknesses and bolster those strengths when necessary.

He may not appear to believe your compliments at first, but this initial denial is normal. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. Your words mean more to him than anyone else’s, even his own. There will be a point where he stops attempting to refute your claims, that is a sign that they have reached him.

With his self-esteem bolstered, seal the deal with more affection. Kisses, hugs, and other forms of intimacy are all acceptable as he is in sore need of all options. Monitoring Levi’s emotional wellbeing is not a task for the faint of heart, yet it can still be a rewarding experience to those who wish to love this awkward otaku.

Satan

Satan takes a little after Lucifer in that he won’t be very obvious when he’s upset, but even more so because he’s already very used to acting against what he may be feeling.

Signs that Satan is in need of comfort will be subtle, but not impossible to spot. Look for if: he’s reading at nearly all times or gravitating especially toward one particular topic (this will be in response to a problem he may be facing), irritability, impatience, melancholy, or he’s more quiet/withdrawn than usual.

It is best to approach Satan about this in solitude but you need not be in private.

There is little need to walk on eggshells when asking him about his mood. Simply present your concerns in an honest and compassionate manner. Chances are, he was only hiding his problems so not to trouble you. Being direct in telling him that he doesn’t burden you will likely get him to open up just fine.

Again, like Lucifer, he will probably be seeking a solution to what’s bothering him more than he will need to vent. It’s alright if you don’t have an answer for him right away, if he’s looking for one himself it may not be a very simple problem.

Offer your support and maybe help him brainstorm what sort of steps he can take. Knowing that you’ve noticed his emotional state and are behind him fully will reassure him greatly.

If this problem has him particularly downtrodden, offer him a good book or some sort of cat-related activity/item. This should perk him up considerably because the thing he loves second to only you, is cats.

Asmodeus

If Asmodeus is upset, you WILL know.

He is not subtle in the slightest so finding signs won’t be much of a challenge. If he is: crying, moping, acting uncharacteristically withdrawn, shying away from partying, buying excessive amounts of makeup/clothing/jewelry, etc. then he is likely in need of comfort.

Approach Asmo anywhere that you can find him and ask him why he what's wrong. There isn’t any need to hide his feelings from others, he’s very open about his emotions.

He will probably tell you immediately and may need to vent in the process. Listen patiently to what he has to say with a sympathetic ear. This is a therapeutic release for him and a very important step towards making him feel better.

Once he’s done, offer him physical comfort. A hug or kisses should suffice, but it can be taken farther to whatever level you are most comfortable with. He will appreciate any contact that’s offered regardless.

If time passes and he still seems unusually somber, offer to take him shopping or to go to a spa of some kind. This may not completely rid him of his sadness, but it will help bring him back to higher spirits. 

Asmodeus’ emotions run deep and can be very intense, both in highs and lows. Do not feel inadequate if it takes a few days to fully rid him of a bad mood. Just be there for him as best you can and he will love and be grateful to you for every minute of it, regardless.

Beelzebub

Beelzebub is not likely to voice his sadness, but it can still be picked up on pretty quickly if you know what to look for.

Look for these signs: he’s eating less/smaller portions than usual, unfinished plates, general looks of sorrow or unhappiness, exercising more/in excess of what's healthy, and gravitation towards comfort foods.

The first thing to note is there’s a chance that his sadness isn’t his own, but Belphegor’s just carrying over to him due their twin connection. It may be advantageous to check on Belphie before approaching Beel just in case. (For more on cheering up Belphegor, consult the next section).

If Belphie is fine, then go to Beel and gently ask him what’s wrong. Again, there is little need to beat around the bush here. Like Satan, he probably just didn’t want to trouble you.

The chances are that he’s upset about a family matter or he’s having nightmares again. If it’s a problem within the family, first ascertain if there’s an upset between him and Belphie. If the twins are having a spat, the best way to cheer him up would be to help resolve it.

For other family related issues, please seek out our supplementary material: On Demonic Family Relations & How to Resolve Demonic Family Squabbles

If he’s having nightmares, then you should consider monitoring what food he eats before bed and stay with him while he sleeps if you are not already. It will comfort him to have you close. The nightmares should pass eventually, but be there to give him love and support until they do. 

Beel may look big and intimidating, but he has the most heart of any demon out there. If he has gifted it to you, it’s only natural for you to feel distressed if he’s not acting like his usual self. Just remember that a downcast Beel is not the end of the world, nor something that can’t be righted with a bit of love and effort to reach out.

Belphegor

In truth, Belphegor is more prone than the rest to suffer from bouts of sadness regularly. There may not be an obvious cause for these dips in mood, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to help.

Belphie is very hard to read at times so physical indicators of sadness won’t be easy to catch. It may take some added familiarity with him to know when he’s acting differently than usual. Stay patient, vigilant, and empathetic. You will pick up on it eventually.

Look for these signs: increased apathy, melancholy, excessive sleepiness (yes, even more sleepy somehow), irritability, lack of appetite, and general withdrawal from the world around him.

It may be best just to ask Belphie how he’s feeling on a somewhat regular basis, but be careful not to frame your questions as if they’re coming from a place of excessive worry. He won’t want to feel as if you pity him or find him to be overly fragile, this is just a part of his daily life after all.

Beel can also be used as an indicator of Belphie’s emotional state. If Beel is looking particularly sad, it might be good to check on his twin just in case.

If it’s not a good day for him, he may not tell you outright. You will need to read between the lines. Watch where his eyes go as he answers and how long it takes him to respond. If he refuses to look at you or takes a little longer than he should to say he's alright, he may be struggling even if he claims to be fine.

Thankfully, there are very easy ways to bring Belphie a bit of comfort. Offering to nap together or cuddle is by far the easiest method and he will rarely refuse the opportunity. You can also make plans to go some place with him and Beel. Spending time with his twin will significantly improve his mood, at least under most circumstances.

If he and Beel are not currently on speaking terms, this could be another reason he's upset. Helping to resolve the issue should bring him back to good spirits, so do so post-haste.

Belphegor is a melancholic individual on principle. Though you may want to see him be cheerful more often, to some extent that’s just not a part of his nature. Don’t blame yourself if you can’t seem to get him to appear happy most days, the chances are that just having you there is doing more for him than you could ever know. Just remember that when he says he loves you he does, in fact, mean it.

[old-hyper-super-clover]

I am thou, thou art I - Levi pact story

A oneshot about how making a pact with Levi could look like with a little more emotion, drama and depth than in the game.

With gender neutral MC!

Enjoy :>

Envy. It's ugly, painful, disgusting. The cause of many conflicts, with others, and within oneself. And there's one, the avatar of Envy, who knows every little shred of feeling behind this emotion. Leviathan, thrid-born demon of the rulers of the underworld. A shut-in, an otaku, barely interested in the real world but rather indulged in fictional ones. Why, you might ask? Well, when the human exchange student came to the Devildom, Levi was about to experience once again as to why he fled into his fictional worlds. The first weeks after the human's arrival, he did not notice the change they would bring to all of them. He didn't notice much about the exchange student at all, to be frank. MC seemed like a boring human being, no sorcerer, nothing special about them. A Normie. So Leviathan never bothered to interact with them more than necessary. He had way more important things to do in his room, gaming or binging his shows. However, as they lived in the same house, they were bound to interact sooner or later. Thus, over time, Levi found out that MC knew a thing or two about his interests. Their knowledge was miserable in comparison to his, of course, but a few times, it actually seemed like they were listening when Levi was talking. They replied to his texts in the group chats when his brothers kept ignoring him. They thanked him for making dinner when it was his turn to cook. They seemed to not mind... him. Of course, that was probably nothing more than human courtesy. There was no way they were liking him. HIM, out of all. And Leviathan didn't care. He had no interest in real life friends. He didn't need them. So he let MC be, let them hang out with his brothers. He watched as MC grew closer and closer to the second-born, Mammon, until one day, they had formed a pact with him. So MC really had to be a dumb Normie, Levi thought, as no one would be stupid enough to make a pact with that money-grubbing scumbag. Levi could only give a huff when Mammon kept bragging about it, over and over. He could only huff when, a few weeks later, he heard that Beel made a pact with them, too. "Because I want to protect MC" Beel had said. "They feel important to me." How stupid. They were stupid. All of them. What were they making pacts for? MC was a weak human, a Normie with no special talents that could impress powerful demons like the brothers. Certainly, Levi wasn't interested in any of this. What a pain it must be, he laughed, to forge a bond with someone. Because that meant duties, like you have in friendships. You have to hang out, care for the other, waste your precious time for a being other than yourself. Stupid, Levi huffed. And watched as MC kept living through adventures with Mammon, how they laughed and kept going out with Beel. And somehow, he couldn't take his eyes off their stupidity.

---------

More time passed, and MC had grown accustomed to the Devildom. They have made friends in school, also with Asmo, Belphie and even Satan now, too. Lucifer seemed happy with their achievements. Levi's brothers kept being around MC all the time. Mammon kept dragging them into his bullshit, Beel got them to do workouts with him, Satan lend them his favourite books, and one night, Levi had heard MC and Asmo coming home from a party, all tipsy and giggly. Levi's stomach had turned hearing them. How much fun they were having. With a stupid Normie, a human. He imagined their happy faces, their joy, And his own face curled in a disgusted frown. Friends, huh? No, he didn't need anything like that. He had his games, his anime, after all... ... Right?

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Over the weeks, his contact with MC would naturally increase. Mammon forced Levi to play games all together, Lucifer assigned them to do kitchen duty together. Levi disliked being outside his room or with other people, but MC was good at asking just the right questions, at talking about topics that Leviathan would give an answer too. One time, Levi made them laugh. He dropped a comment that wasn't supposed to be that funny, but it resulted in MC chuckling for quite a while. And Levi was in shock. They had such a pretty smile. For a moment, the two of them had locked eyes, and theirs were filled with sparkly joy, as they looked at him. His lips couldn't do anything but curl upwards. He wouldn't get this sight out of his head for a long time.

Events like this kept repeating themselves. Even though he wanted to be alone, the human kept being in his life, a little here, a little there... ... And kept making him smile. So, dizzy on this weird, fuzzy feeling, Leviathan started being funny on purpose. To see more of their smiling face. It worked, and he felt like watching his favourite anime show over and over again. He felt happy.

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But as mentioned before, envy is a disgusting emotion. It's a sly, dirty feeling, that can creep up inside you without yourself noticing it. An emotion that would keep haunting the third-born forever. At first, Levi wouldn't understand what was causing him to be in distress. He kept noticing MC's smile, but it was directed towards his brothers. They were having fun, but while going out with his brothers. They lived, but without him. And he should have been fine with that. He was a busy demon, had his duties within his games and blogs. A mere Normie shouldn't ever change anything in the lifestyle he was perfectly fine with. But it just wouldn't leave his consciousness. How Mammon was so obviously falling in love with MC, how Asmo made a pact with them, too. How everyone seemed to experience changes, to the better, with MC around. They were all so happy, such good friends... While Levi was sat in his room, alone. I am a shut-in, he thought. I want to be that way. I'm too good of an otaku to waste my time with a human, he told himself. Then, an ache pierced through his chest. "... And they wouldn't like someone like me, anyways..."

From that point on, Leviathan wouldn't return their smile anymore. Whenever he saw MC smiling because of him, he would ensure himself that, in fact, they weren't smiling because of him at all. They were probably amused by something his brothers had done. There was no way someone like him could make another person happy like this. It wasn't that special to see them smile anyway. Because they did that around his brothers, too. A lot, even. Probably more than around Levi. Who would laugh about a disgusting shut-in's joke in the first place? No-one, not if they had six other brothers to choose from. They are probably laughing ABOUT you, a thought once crossed his mind. And so, he distanced himself more and more.

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At some point, Levi had stopped coming out of his room almost completely. He enjoyed his games and manga, was so productive in his hobbies! But he didn't quite feel the same joy as a few months ago... ... Before MC had come to the Devildom. Sitting at his desk, re-playing one of his favourite games, Levi gave a bothered huff. Stupid MC, he thought. It's all because of them. Because they came here, invaded his perfect life like this. Because their joy was so captivating. Because they liked his brothers more. Because they kept changing them, kept making them happy, but Levi was all on his own. It was so unfair. But then again, it really was his fault, wasn't it? Because he was miserable trash. Levi's lip began to shake. Yeah, he was miserable, the thought. In comparison to his brothers, he was nothing. Just a creepy shut-in, nothing more. He wasn't as funny as Mammon, as smart as Satan, as handsome as Asmo, as strong as Beel, as laid-back as Belphie, not even a shred as perfect as Lucifer. They were all so likeable, but him...? He had nothing to offer. "It's... It's fine...", Levi mumbled to himself. "Who needs friends either way? I don't... I have Henry... And my games... That is all... I need..." He pressed a button to continue his game. He had stopped in the middle of a conversation between the protagonist, Joker, and his best friend, Ryuji. So Ryuji spoke:

"Hey, this ain't like me, but... I managed to change 'cause you were here, helpin' me."

Levi's eyes widened. Change...? Help...?

"I got you all wrapped up in this shit, but you stayed with me 'till the bitter end."

Here... Here, as well? Two people, not even real, but still they get to share such a bond together?

“... You didn't abandon me."

Levi felt his eyes watering up. Their friendship... It...

"So... Thanks man."

It was so unfair. Levi's face frowned and wrinkled in burning frustration. A growl escaping his lips, he smashed his controller on his desk, pushing himself away from it to stand up. However once on his feet, he was tumbling, holding his head while his body was shaking. It hurt. It burned. He hated all those happy faces. Hated how good everyone else had it, with their bonds, their affection... And he was all alone. Gasping in-between his pained sobs, Leviathan couldn't stop himself from what he called an "envy-attack", so he had to endure how his own brain flooded him with all the times he had been envious of MC being with his brothers, every single moment where he had felt left out, or not good enough. And in addition, his toxic mind kept making him at fault. Near to hyperventilation, Levi sunk down on his knees, desperately trying to get a hold of himself again. But it hurt too much. He was so jealous, so lonely, so miserable. "It's not fair..." He mumbled, embracing his legs with his shaking arms. "Not fair, not fair, not fair..." His sobs slowly changing from pained to sad, his head sunk to rest on his knees. "I don't need friends... I don't... Need them... I..."

Envy is an ugly, painful, disgusting feeling. It devours you from inside, and once you are too focused on what others have, you lose sight of what you have yourself. ... But that's what friends are for. And it was about time that someone showed Leviathan what he could be proud of. The demon didn't register the knock on his door, being to immersed in his feelings. "... Levi?" Only MC's voice was able to make him raise his head. However they flinched slightly, seeing the state that Leviathan was in. "Are you okay?" MC asked. Multiple thoughts rushed through Levi's head, all at once. Could this be his salvation? MC! He was so glad to see their face! But they must be grossed out by him... Maybe they came to laugh at him. He shouldn't be happy. He shouldn't get close to them. They would hurt him anyway. "... What do you want?" Levi asked. MC gestured at the full plate in their hand. "You missed dinner today again, so I thought I'd bring it to you." Levi's expression flinched in confusion. "... Why are you being nice to me?" He asked instead of reaching for the plate. "Should I not be?" The demon bit his lip. "... There is no point in being friendly to me. So go be with my brothers or something..." Irritated, MC tilted their head before crouching down in front of Levi. Putting down the food next to him, they kept mustering the demon. "Well..." MC mumbled. "We were going to watch some movies now, would you like to join u-" "Why would I want to watch you have fun with my brothers!?" Levi interrupted them. "Also, it's not like anyone would want me to be there anyway, so you don't need to ask me to hang out out of pity..." "L... Levi, that is not true-" "OF COURSE IT IS TRUE!" Levi cried out. "Who would wand a gross, lousy failure like me around them?! I'm just a worthless otaku with no friends that isn't good at ANYTHING, so quit trying to cheer me up, I know you're only saying this because you feel sorry for my miserable self..." But MC wouldn't leave his side. "Levi, I'm not lying. We're all worried about you." For a second, Levi met their gaze, however he would only shake his head. "No... So I am THAT pathetic, huh? All of you are talking behind my back, about what a hopeless piece of trash I am..." "No, Levi, it's-" "STOP TRYING TO TELL ME I'M NOT WORTHLESS" Levi shouted, his eyes bearing so much pain. "I'm not good enough for anything, not compared to all you others... So leave me alone, and go have fun, go smile your pretty smile to all those other people, I don't care!! I'm used to being alone, I don't need my brothers, or you, or friends or anything pathetic as that...!!" His eyes filled with tears again. "I-I've seen you have fun with them, so don't waste your time with me... You are a nice person, so I'm glad to see you... Get along... With... Everyone..." His face wrinkled as if biting into something bitter, pressing out those words. "So just ignore me... I don't need you... I... I don't need anyone. Don't need to laugh with others and go outside and live through adventures or talk to people or anything... pathetic as that... I don't need... A friend..." "But I want to be with you." Levi stopped his miserable ramble. He looked up, into their eyes. "I would like to be friends with you, Levi" MC said, looking back in determination. Levi seemed dazzled. "N... No..." He mumbled. "You're lying. You must be... There's no way that-" "I am not lying." Levi flinched. "B-but... I told you, I'm pathetic, gross, a LOSER! You'd be better off avoiding me, hating me! There's nothing likeable about me..." He would stop ranting, spitting out insults and words dripping with self-loathing. MC took a look around his room, thinking about a way to stop him... Their gaze stopped at his monitors. "Hey, this is Persona 5, right? I know that game" They said. And then, they gave a contemplative nod. "And I think this game is the best example of what you need right now." "... Huh?" MC turned to lock eyes with the demon. "A confidant." Levi seemed troubled. "... A confidant is nothing other than a friend, and I told you, I don't need th-" "The confidants in the game used to have a deal, right?" MC gave a smile. "They give each other something in return. And I think what you need is someone to show you positive sides of friendship... And of yourself." Levi's eyes widened. "I'm... I'm not great in any way-" "I personally don't know you enough to say, yet" MC continued. "But I'd like to know you better. So, if you let me be closer to you, without trying to push me away... I will try and give you self-confidence in return." A blush painted Levi's cheeks, but he remained unsure. "... That is a stupid deal. You're not gaining anything out of being closer to me." MC gave a contemplative sigh. "Then, how about you lend me your powers?" "... You want to form a pact with me?" They gave a nod. "Would that make you feel less... Left out?" The demon averted his eyes, but slowly gave a nod. "Maybe... B-but what if you'll regret it? I'm really not worthy of your time..." "Levi" MC called out. "Let me be the judge of that. We won't be immediate best friends... But we'll start at confidant rank one, and work our way towards becoming friends... Okay?" Standing up, they reached out a hand. And with glistening eyes, Levi took hold of them. "... I will probably be a nuisance, but if that's what you want, then... Yes. We have a deal." Hesitating, Levi had yet to speak the words to seal the pact, but, gathering all the courage MC had given him now, his lips curled in his excited little smile. "Let's... Let's do the pact the Persona way... To really be confidants." Clearing his throat, he began channeling the magic to form a pact with the human. And he spoke:

"I am thou, thou art I.

Though hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

That breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Envy Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to freedom and new power."

While Leviathan cited the game's words, MC felt an incredible power rushing through them. For a moment, their heart was filled with endless passion and creativity, flooding her soul in strong waves. But they could also feel a deep hole of fear and self-loathing piercing through their heart. When Levi had finished, they stared into each other's eyes. To MC's surprise, Levi's were filled with tears. And he smiled. "... Thank you, MC... For giving me a chance."

[reidwagner6]

Sailor Moon: A Timeless Exploration of Empowerment and Identity

Naoko Takeuchi produced the popular anime series Salor Moon. It has captivated fans all over the world with its own blend of magical girl elements, engaging storytelling, and complex character development. Beyond its entertainment value, the series delves into a range of topics that are significant both in Japan and around the world, making it a timeless piece of culture that appeals to people of all ages. 

Addressing Issues in Japan and Globally

Sailor Moon explores a number of societal issues that are prevalent in Japan, such as the pressures placed on young women to conform to social expectations. The main character, Usagi Tsukino, begins the story as an awkward and unremarkable schoolgirl who grows into the powerful Sailor Moon. This metamorphosis defies the traditional roles assigned to women in Japanese society and depicts the possibilities of empowerment and self-actualization that all people possess.

Sailor Moon addresses universally relevant topics such as justice, friendship, and love on a worldwide scale. The anime highlights the importance of cooperation and the strength that comes from unity because Usagi and the other Sailor Scouts come from diverse backgrounds yet work together to battle evil. These ideas resonate with viewers  globally, emphasizing the need of diversity, inclusivity, and cooperation in overcoming problems.

Personal Relevance

Sailor Moon is one of the first anime series I saw when I was younger, therefore it has a particular place in my heart. The show's emphasis on friendship and resilience has always encouraged me. Usagi's transformation from a reluctant hero to a confident leader reflects many of the difficulties I've encountered in my own life. Her tale reminds me that embracing our vulnerabilities and confronting our fears can lead to personal growth.

The series also spoke to me on a deeper level through its representation of powerful female characters. Each Sailor Scout has distinct skills and weaknesses, and their originality is embraced rather than suppressed. This representation has inspired my perspective on empowerment and the significance of accepting one's genuine self.

Connections to Assigned Readings

One of the recommended books, Saito's "The Psychopathology of Otaku," examines how media shapes personal and collective identities. Sailor Moon fits under this framework since it has heavily influenced the identity formation of many fans, particularly young women. The series tells a story that encourages viewers to explore their own and others' identities in an uplifting and supportive manner.

Furthermore, the ideas of transformation and empowerment in Sailor Moon are relevant to concerns of postmodern identity in media studies. The series disrupts traditional storylines by featuring characters who transcend standard roles and expectations, exemplifying the fluidity and diversity of postmodern identities.

To summarize, Sailor Moon is more than simply a magical girl anime; it is a cultural phenomenon that confronts serious societal concerns while conveying a compelling message of empowerment and solidarity. Its topics are globally important, and its influence on personal identity and societal debate is significant. Reflecting on this series has increased my appreciation for its ability to shape the viewpoints and aspirations of its audience.