#op you truly have such wonderful talent

[justthoughts1310]

Live Action Naruto: Does Sakura need to be re-written?

Spoiler Alert: The answer is Yes and No.

Now, if you follow me or look at my page, you will see that I wrote a post a few months ago about how Netflix's ATLA is misogynist, because of how they rewrote the female characters. So, you might be wondering if that went so poorly before, why would I advocate for it now? Well, because Dante DiMartino and Konietzko wrote a cultural and feminist master class on how to make compelling, strong female characters and I honestly do not know how they did it. I have No IDEA how these two men did this, because men have failed at this for centuries.

The creators of ATLA did not write one strong female character, they wrote an entire class of strong female characters who are diverse and strong in many different ways. Their show exemplifies the fact that there is no one right way to be strong or a woman. So... why? Why do I think Sakura Haruno needs to be re-written for the Naruto live action? Simply put, because Masashi Kishimoto did a bad job writing a strong female character, and as a reader of Boruto, I can tell you that he is still doing a very very bad job.

One could argue that he almost did a good job and then jumped off a cliff. I hope Himawari will be better, but I am not convinced, because he is failing Sarada (an Uchiha) miserably.

I digress.

Now some may argue, who cares if Kishimoto is doing a bad job? Naruto is a boys' show.

Maybe that was Kishimoto's intention, but it certainly isn't the reality anymore. Naruto is one of the most popular animes to ever exist, and A LOT of women watch it (including me), because it has a beautiful and compelling message about the power of hard work and human connection.

Now what would I rewrite about Sakura?

Her greatest character flaw of course, which is not hat she was mean to Naruto as a child. As NCHAMMER23 pointed out, she actually reflects the sentiments of the leaf village. She's also an irritating know it all to begin with, so her disliking Naruto because of his antics (and not understanding her own privilege) is very much in line with her personality and is a sign of her immaturity.

No. Her greatest character flaw is her simp behavior for Sasuke Uchiha and it gets her every single time. Her simp behavior makes her forever a damsel in distress to the most abusive and trash male character in the entire Hidden Leaf. It undermines everything about her, and makes her one of the most hated characters in the entire show. She is literally useless against Sasuke despite being the strongest Kunoichi in the entire Naruto Universe. The truth is that when Sakura falls short, all the kunoichi fall short. When Sakura has to be rescued by Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi because of the most minute and inconsequential thing, it is an immense disservice to all of the Kunoichi, even Kunoichi like Temari who seldom need to be saved. Not to mention that the whole thing is just cringe.

However, it's not just a disservice to the Kunoichi, it's a disservice to the entire show. Why? Because Sakura embodies the central message of Naruto 1000X better than Naruto Uzumaki does.

Naruto Uzumaki is a demi-God who was born with every advantage in the Universe born to the most famous ninja in the village, who doesn't yet know how to use his powers, because his powers are that OP. Sakura is a no name, no talent ninja, with very low chakra reserves, who truly makes the best of what she has. She becomes a phenomenal ninja through hard work, perseverance, and intelligence.

When Sakura gets tripped up by stupid stuff and is saved by these three male characters: Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke who were born with every talent and advantage in the world, it throws the entire point of Naruto into the freaking trash bin! Now I get it. We get it. Men on average are bigger, faster, and stronger, but as evidenced from Boruto that's not what Naruto is about. Combat amongst elite ninja is not a battle of strength, it is a battle of expertise and perseverance, it is a chess match, and if there's anyone who should be good at chess matches, it's Sakura Haruno. She is literally known for her brilliance and resourcefulness and perseverance.

So for this reason, the whole Sasuke fan girl thing and damsel in distress thing has got to go!

Now some of you might say, wait justthoughts1310, Sasuke was a large part of her driving motivation to get stronger. That's true. He was and so was Naruto, which is why Sakura should be modeled off of Attack on Titan's Mikasa Ackerman in this regard. Mikasa is a total simp for Eren Yeager, but she never lets him get too out of pocket. She'll punch him in the face if need be, and she is ultimately the one who kills him. Mikasa is indisputably stronger than Eren, and if not for Mikasa's love for Eren, Eren would stand no chance against Mikasa in a real fight. Eren knows this. That's why he never dared to challenge her.

Mikasa's immense love for both Eren and Armin is her driving motivation to become as strong as she is. Her desire is to protect them, because they wanted to join the Survey Corp and then the Scouts. Mikasa didn't want to do either of those things, and she even told Eren that he probably wasn't cut out to be a soldier.

However, because of her undying love and desire to protect Eren and Armin, Mikasa is the second strongest character in the entire show next to Levi. Titans don't stand a chance against Levi, and men and soldiers do not stand a chance against Mikasa.

Graphic Warning (In Italics): I mean Mikasa literally cut off a guy's head, impaled him into another guy, set off a thunder spear, and showered in their blood. When the other yeagerist saw this, they freaked out and RAN. As they should. Though, I still think Mikasa's unwavering love for Eren undermines her character, because it becomes her entire personality, I think that Sakura has a lot more to offer in that regard.

Sakura's personality could round out and complete these aspects of Mikasa's personality and make Sakura an all around more compelling character. Unlike Mikasa, Sakura has a whole personality outside of Sasuke. This is likely because Sasuke has been away from the village for so long. In reality, Sakura's love for Sasuke isn't her personality. It is one of her only (and most glaring), personality flaws.

So, in truth, I say that I would both rewrite Sakura and not rewrite her for the live action, because I wouldn't rewrite her. I would alter her personality flaw and make it the source of her strength. Her burning desire is to protect the two most important people to her: Sasuke and Naruto, and she holds both of them to equal account. No more of Sasuke's bullshit. He deserves to be punched in the face too. Of course sometimes Sakura will need a little help and a little bit of saving, but not more or less than any male character of comparable skill.

Sakura is the story of Naruto hidden in plain sight. Getting rid of her or rewriting her altogether would be an immense disservice. What the live action needs to do is work harder to highlight the characteristics that Sakura already has and bring them to the foreground.

Sakura is already the strongest Kunoichi in the Naruto universe by the time of Boruto, the movie needs to showcase how she became just that.

[yandere-sins]

Good Afternoon! If seen your spiels and tales for a while now and may I just say I adore it all, you’re quite talented in your work and you should be proud of yourself! I aspire to write as well and I’m wondering if you have some tips for the long run?

Hey!

Here are my latest posts with links to the ones where I actually went a bit more into details about what I recommend doing.

For the blog

For writing

Honestly, not much has changed, at least for me. It would be interesting to find out whether the tagging rules truly are still the same from the past but from recent experience I can tell you that posting regularly is the key to building a following. But at the same time I know now, more than ever, it's just not doable under normal life circumstances unless you find a rhythm to write and use the queue to schedule your posts.

If you want to write yandere stories specifically, personally, for me it's very important to be balanced. Like a super strong yandere is always cool, but it's cooler if they are so delusional that they will end up hurting their darling with their strength. Or a manipulative yandere is fun and tricky, but if it turns out they are deadly afraid of being left alone and are a bit pathetic about it, that's yummy! Also, depending on the darling, the yan's personality might change as well. I guess what I want to say, balance out the parts of the story to keep it more "realistic" and less Mary-Sue-Behavior. Not always possible or necessary because an OP yan has its benefits in certain situations, but it makes for a good story if there are some flaws in everything.

Also use the tropes. As harsh as it is, no idea of yours will ever be completely original. But I love retellings of ideas! And so do others! I don't care how many more times I read the same "chased by a monster only to be pinned down to the dirty ground" I will literally inhale these stories!!!! I love them!!! And you will put new words and new spins to it, so it will never feel dull!! So yeah, absolutely nothing wrong to lean into tropes and cliches. It might even be very beneficial for bringing your writing closer to people.

For warnings, I'd say, depending on if you do requests or your own work, always warn everything you find problematic in your own works before the story starts and add warnings if someone asks for them. For request, do the same if you derail from the original request too much to not warn (like, have sexual acts/gore/etc. suddenly even though it wasn't specifically requested). I'm not a fan of warning if the request is very clearly what the story will be, but do as you are comfortable. It's your blog. In the end, no one can tell you what to do, but of course don't be mean about it.

Doing requests is fine, but doing your own ideas is also fine. Of course, starting out with only your original ideas can be hard if you don't have a community built already, but you can always mix fanworks with OG writing. I know it's tempting to say "others do it too and they manage to just write their own things" or "I don't want to write for fandoms" but it will be very hard if you do. It's just the truth, tumblr isn't for original content in writing, it has always been for fandoms and blogging and art. It got better over the years but it still is.

Following up with this is: don't compare yourself to other writers/artists on here please, honestly, if you keep finding yourself discouraged by how much more likes and interactions they get, you should unfollow them. It's harsh. I love the stories and the writers of some blogs here, but I had to prioritize myself. Sometimes I sneak back to check out what I missed, but it will still get whiplash and compare myself.

In the same notion: If someone is mean or an idiot in your asks just block them and move on. Drama can entice people to interact with you, but it's not the kind of interactions you want constantly. And it honestly ruins you vibes if your blog becomes dramacentral. It's okay to speak out sometimes and make it clear that you don't want certain kinds of interactions, but feeding the trolls will only end in more and more and soon you feel bad and your followers feel bad, while the trolls are thriving. 9/10 cases it's just not worth it. Block and if it was a crossed boundary, let your people know afterwards unrelated to an ask.

And most importantly: pease just have fun. Put your ideas out there for the sole reason that no one will ever put them into your words the way you would. Of course it's impossible to ignore likes and interactions because it really does fuel the motivation. But I wish you two that you can create because it makes you happy. The rest will follow.

[onepiecepositivityproject]

@loopeyfluff / @fluffyartbl0g

MWAHAHAHA >:3c YOU!!!!!!!! YOU!!!!!! i dont think i can capture the depth of my affection for YOUUUUUU in this little message, but you are GENUINELY SUCH A BRILLIANT, WONDERFUL, SWEET, KIND, TALENTED, INCREDIBLE, HILARIOUS, CREATIVE, INTELLIGENT, INNOVATIVE, GENEROUS, AMAZING person and i am SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE MET YOU!!!! you are a gift to everyone around you, and you make the one piece community (and your friend groups!!) a brighter place just by being a part of them. you have an absolutely gorgeous eye for visual storytelling and artistic detail, and your comedic timing is GENUINELY SOME OF THE BEST OF ALL TIME!!!! your comics feel like theyve been pulled right from the heart of one piece, and its clear that you create from an endless well of love not only for the source material itself but for the craft of creating itself!!! your comics are truly some of my favorite op fanworks of all time (yes, i said it!!!), and every time i reread one i feel like im going to explode with delight... and thats just the beginning! you are endlessly, wonderfully giving back to the community as well, whether through your TRULY INSANE FIC COMMENTS (i have genuinely lost count of how many times ive cried reading and rereading your comments) or your INCREDIBLE GENEROSITY WITH ART (ouuughhhh) and, of course, THIS VERY BLOG!!!!! we as a community are so, so lucky to have you and i am personally so, so, SOOOOO grateful and lucky and OVERJOYED to call you a friend!!!! WAAAAA!!!!!!

[domjaehyun]

hello! this is rainonthebathroomfloor, and i wanted to share all of my notes with you!! many of them aren’t enlightened lol as i was just recording my reactions in the moment 🤍🤍

“i know what i want” this man would get me into trouble and ruin friendships holy shit i’m a weak bitch

the conversation about drugs is doing things to my heart. i love the soft vulnerability of it and the scene overall — walking outside, late at night, new to knowing one another

not him bringing up visiting his mom ohmygod i love this ahhhhh

oc asking the deli cooks if haechan is handsome. oh this shit is GOLEN i’m giggling and kicking my feet “how many of you are back there” lmao

“do that again” after oc stuck her tongue out… i want him so bad

“it’s about the reward” im too weak for this shit. wtf op your TALENT

He ignores you. “I think it’s that I want to know what it feels like to truly live.” he finishes, and you pause at that, genuinely taking in his words. “Life is too short to be scared to indulge, you know?” ~i want what he’s having lol

oh this boy is crazy. and a walking red flag that i want to lick… like a cherry lollipop

tickling oc’s hand is CRAZY

heaching SEEing oc took my breath away

He looks at you like he’s dangerously close to seeing you; you, past your barriers and caution tape; you, with all your intricacies and contradictions; and you, with all the hope and yearning and vulnerability you’ve had since your youth that you’ve been trying to convince everyone is no longer around. ~everything about these words

haechan talking about twin flames and mirror souls… and your inclusion of the lyrics. i haven’t listened to ariana’s new album that much, and i definitely missed these lyrics, but they gave me chills worked into this scene so perfectly. you created magic

i’m loving the layers to haechan. there’s all this confidence and charm and interactions that made me feel like ‘god he’s just another man being a flirt despite having a girlfriend’ but then there are moments when complete clarity is felt and their connection is just so obvious. his comfort with oc is so obvious along with the way she’s stimulating him mentally/emotionally/physically. like i get his actions with all that in mind (is that crazy to say?), and it all makes me want insight into his rs with winter. how it got started. what it gives him. what it’s missing. well, we get a picture painted of what’s missing. i’m writing this after reading part 2, and i can’t pretend i don’t want a man who’s this obsessed with me. i know that’s partially bc i do not doubt that i’ll be obsessed right back. i also have to take a moment to say how fine and sexy haechan is. i nearly collapsed beneath the weight of his energy in your fic 😩

also, i had such a fun time listening to the playlist while reading. i also ended up with justine skye’s collide playing on repeat and that made part 2 feel even more intense. music is such a source of inspiration for my own writing, and i love that it’s something you weave into your stories. it’s also a joyous and fascinating experience to see and read the art music inspires and creates. it’s like a constant pool of rebirth and i’m obsessed with that

i can’t wait for the next part!! thank you for being here and sharing incredible work with all of us 🤍 you’re a talented gem

HIIIII BELOVED I AM HERE TO ANSWER

first of all. im snorting this next. SECONDLY: here we go the rest is under a cut bc my reply got long

no your thoughts are wonderful please they mean so much to me!!!!!!! okay im gonna try and go in order so brace yourself

HE REALLY WOULD and he’d do it all in the name of love 🫶

i loooooooove getting to know you scenes but like . not conventional stuff yknow? like realistic, deeper conversations so im happy you liked that scene too!!!!!

YEAH I HAD TO HE’S A LIL MAMA’S BOY

I GIGGLED WHEN I WROTE THAT LINE i love like inserting little bits of comedy when i can :D it was also inspired by when i was at the deli and the guy at the counter told the deli cook my order then like one other guy came out and i walked by there to get a drink and . there were like 2 more guys back there and i was like this is a small ass space how many of u are there

HEHEHEHEHEHE ME TOO he’s a shameless little flirt and we love to see it

THANK YOOOOOOU i think this fic was a learning moment for me like . some risks are worth the reward and you can’t live your life scared of “what if” yknow?

I TOO WANT WHAT HE’S HAVING im microdosing on it rn but i want like. a fuckton of what he’s on

he /is/ crazy . i also want to lick him …..who said that

teehee i thought that was cute i like that you noticed :D and i’m glad it resonated with you

I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE THAT SCENE THE SCENE IN THE CAFE BC . okay tmi time but i like this guy at work. and he STARES at me sometimes like just gazes into my eyes and it’s terrifying and electrifying at the same time and i wanted to try and capture that feeling in words so your feedback makes me feel like i did a good job!!

THANK YOU HEHEHEHEHEHE i like that line too i think i want someone to look at me like that fr like . just See Me and be like . i wanna know more. (again my crush does this but there is room for doubt there. i want an unequivocally probing and fond gaze like they see me and they like what they see, no ifs ands or buts about it)

THANK YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU ugh i love the museum cafe scene it was very revealing to me abt like . their characters and stuff and that lyric quote just fit so perfectly????? i had to include it

i fully get you tbh like i started out writing the fic with no real idea of the relationship btwn him and winter and as i was writing i was like. okay but what does she fulfill for him that he’s not getting from winter like why did he switch lanes with such ease what did he SEE what did he FEEL which can be hard to capture from ….well, Not His Point Of View so i just . did my best bc MC def has the same questions so some of these get answered !!!!!!!! in some scenes it’s more in details than being said explicitly but tbh you’re such a close reader that i feel like you’ll get it when those scenes come up!!

additionally: i also want a man who’s this obsessed with me it is a dream of mine :’) i agree haechan is deeply fine and sexy i love writing him like this just like. a lovesick man

OOH i should listen to that song i def know it bc i can recall the melody and some lyrics but i really wanna . sit with the song if you think it was fitting bc i love having like a soundtrack to my fics!!!

UGH THANK YOU YOU GET IT I LOVE TO WRITE WITH MUSIC AS INSPO it just feels so right. art inspires more art!!!!!! it is most definitely a cycle of rebirth and it’s one that i personally can’t get enough of :D

THANK YOU SO MUCH GENUINELY i hope you enjoy the next part too :D this was like . actually so affirming to read it was like . i feel More Understood a bit after this message and that’s a wonderful feeling so thank you for giving that to me :’)

THANK YOU AGAIN SO SO SO MUCH i can’t put enough sos bc ………. i am truly that grateful :’) you are so welcome and people like you make it so incredibly worth it!!!!! thank you again and have a BEAUTIFUL day 💖

[belle--ofthebrawl]

Alright. Start to finish, Phantasm Masquerade writeup and photos. (Kind of. Tumblr only allows ten per post.) Extremely special shout out to @blacklight-ghoulette , who designed and painted my mask! As well as the earrings I wore. Asellas is a truly wonderful person to have taken my commission and dream to and so, so thoughtful. She explained and sent photos of every step of the process and went above and beyond in her work. She was willing to work with me on prices, figure out a payment plan and in this water devil's humble opinion, undersold her work and effort. This fandom has so many talented artists and she is my favorite. I received so many compliments it made me dizzy trying to remember them all! Rumor has it she's planning a sale, so if you have some extra dollars and an eye for shiny things, check out her shop!

To business.

As someone who is significantly more water than the rest, the heat and stuffiness of the Ministry did not bother me too much! Clergy staff thoughtfully laid out refreshments in a gorgeous chapel with fresh fruit as a tribute to our dear Aether. Justin Andrews as Young Nihil was just...hanging around. I turned around several times and BOOM jumpscare! Young Nihil. (Of course I wasn't really frightened but! It was so easy to get lost in the glamour of it all.)

The costumes. Oh, the costumes. Everyone brings their A game to Rituals and everyone brought their A game to the ball. I felt quite like the fish out of water but everyone was so kind and lovely to each other. My heart belongs to the Copia cosplayer who casually insulted the Green Bay Packers then knelt and begged for forgiveness when he realized he was insulting my crew. I don't even care about football, but, you know. Represent. He was gracious enough to allow me to dance with him for a photo op later, so either he wasn't truly bothered or I scared him good.

(Someone with entirely innocent intentions: Do you read/write fic? Look at this Papa edit I made!

Myself, entirely too aware of what the last fic I posted was about and running calculations on how fast I can throw myself out the nearest window:🧍)

The Ministry itself...what an incredible building. We toured, and found the hallway where the Ghoul jammed in Rats. The place where Nihil was rejected by Seestor after watching the Cardinal crash his trike. Copia's bedroom and so many more places...if Tumblr allowed more than 10 per post...

(We WERE, in fact, allowed to pose seductively on the couch, but they handed this soggy creature a towel first.) (Get your mind out of the gutter, I was sweaty.)

There was unholy communion, the wafer placed by young Nihil himself. I drank the apples blood of our enemies. I roamed and haunted and cried and wailed. What a night!

The real star of the show though....was the little bat that got stuck in the building. Poor thing. I hope it's safe.

And just like after the Ritual...my feet are sore. My head hurt like the devil. But my heart? Ah, my heart...if I hadn't given it to the ocean years ago, it would be very, very full. So much love for everyone who puts themselves wholeheartedly into this community. I have never seen anything like it.

[skypiea]

(I'm with you with regards to the "quite easily I like it" OP post btw! Just wanna make that clear ^^;;) I almost wonder if the gripes are like, in part people who see how the women are drawn and base All Their Opinions of the series on that. That or they got mad at the clown thing Tumblr did and just decided to hate the series for it. Or they're just a little hater, honestly anything can apply. I'm not a fan of OP, haven't seen a second of it to make a decision, but like. 5 or 6 (including you- im not just a random, im just really shy LOL) of my friends are, and the one thing keeping me off from watching it is the fact that it's one of the longest animes still going- And I almost wonder if that also has a part to play in the "lol how can u watch one piece" thing people have going on. Also, have you seen the bananawanis yet?? I don't go here but I love them.

Thanks for the message! I hope you don't mind a bit of rambling (all that I'm capable of, always).

The thing is, I think there are plenty of things to criticize about one piece. I’ve seen and had many thoughtful discussions about elements of the work that can easily be considered harmful stereotypes, as well as some well-intentioned ideas that I think were executed in a subpar and clumsy manner. Some of these are directly a result of the author being only 1 guy with 1 lived experience, some are the result of broader issues in the shonen genre.

And these discussions are great! Everyone is better off for having thought about these potentially damaging aspects deeper, and it’s incredibly important to be able to recognize that an author you respect and follow isn’t perfect and doesn’t need defending over every single thing. And at the same time, I fully respect anyone who has no interest in getting into the work because they don’t want to put up with any of the parts that are far from perfect.

Personally, what I can’t stand is the tone of condescension people are very quick to take… I do not fault anyone for not digging the show's visual style, it's not for everyone. But I don't really appreciate the implication that I'm like, stupid or misogynist or cumbrained just because I enjoy the work overall. Or even because I do enjoy Oda's art; I think he is a really talented artist, but elements of his stylization are not always my favorite, including both his general figures for both women and men. This is not even starting to mention the incredible talents of many of the individual animators who work on the one piece anime, who all put a lot of their own amazing flair into adapting the work.

On the topic of the latter thing, I've truly never understood the length being a barrier to the ability to enjoy the work. It's always really baffled me...? I don't know if it's like, people who are only interested in getting into OP specifically to interact with the fandom, but in my opinion there's no actual factor that makes you need to catch up to current as fast as possible. In my mind, having so much of a new thing is wonderful for me; I'll have a lot of great story to enjoy, I can take it at my own pace, enjoy watching a bit at a time for a long time. I guess everyone just wants to be done with something as fast as possible these days... Pretty sad... Make it last and enjoy it lots :-)

I've gone on for long enough, but basically, I couldn't care less if anyone doesn't enjoy the same thing that I enjoy a lot--that's life! I simply can't stand being treated like some sort of idiot for liking it, and I'm done basically agreeing with those kinds of people by giving them any ground. None of this is a super serious problem of course, just a pet peeve... but what is a blog for if not talking at length about my silly little pet peeves ;-)

Of course I adore the Bananawani, as well as all the other fun and silly animals of the one piece world. I hope we'll see them again one day, it's been so long... Here's one of my favorite one piece species for you, the Lapin. Love these guys.

To finish off, I'm just going to include one of my favorite recent pieces of one piece's animation. Hope everyone's havin a lovely day ^_^

[waywardstation]

Ok so this is a funny story, some time ago (around a week ago) i scrolled down real hard on your twitter and found a pic of a lil emmet handmade stamp

And i was

Very normal about it ( i was not)

So i decided i would have made stamps as well because you had me love the twins and the stamps idea was real hecking cool

So, i did not made the stamps yet because the rubber has not arrived yet, BUT

I MADE THE HANDLERS FOR THE STAMPS

HAVE THEM, I MADE THEM IN YOUR HONOR AND BECAUSE I REALLY LOVE YOUR ART

Hello OP!! Apologies, you might be mixing me up with someone else, because I don’t have a Twitter, and I can’t recall posting about a handmade Emmet stamp ^^; (but that sounds so familiar!! I think I may have seen that somewhere before?)

BUT!! THESE ARE SO CUTE!! You made these?? WOW they’re adorable!! The style you made them in is perfect; I love their little dot eyes and the blush!! And the coats!! It looks hard to pull those coats off with a wood carving, but you did it so well!!

BRAVO!! WONDERFUL JOB WITH THESE! And if you truly did mean to send this to me, thank you for the kind compliments! And thank you for showing me! You’re very talented, OP!! ^^

[theomnicode]

YEAH! That's what i've been trying to say for long time! (This is about that recent ask of Handsome Saitama)

His eyes are truly wonderful whenever he gets serious >< (or playful 👀)

That tiny dot of light holds so much power in his look, for me it transform his egg eyes into more "this person has a soul of gold" eyes. Truly gonna adore everytime they appear. You and OP manage to get the words out of my mouth xD, so talented you are! (Murata i'm also begging please more panels like that)

I do want me some handsome eggy, but he's being reserved for cover chapters only and later stage manga.

And funny how you'd mention soul of gold...haha...because divine power is depicted in yellow/gold colours.

And his soul truly glows with that power and it can be seen from his eyes.

He literally has heart of gold, because his emotions fuel his divine power. And divine power is a spiritual power stemming from the soul, that's why it's divine.

Not only the powers of a holy man as Black S called it on wc, but also the heart that makes him a true hero of the people. That he also recognices King could be, if he only became strong on the inside. You don't need special powers to have the heart of a hero.

But what truly pains me is that I'm not sure Saitama sees these values in himself, that being empathic, kind and compassionate are great virtues to have, because he seems to value himself entirely with the value he brings to society and as a hero and not as a person of value with his low self-worth and he tries hard to prove to himself and to others and the society that dismissed him that he is actually a person of value. Other people matter to him more than himself and he greatly encourages them to better themselves and he strives to improve himself constantly. This should be plenty for a hero, but I don't doubt for a second that Saitama is also highly self-critical in classic infj-fashion and self-improvement is the name of the game.

Especially after his self-confidence got his teeth kicked in, the same intuition he uses to navigate around in life that he uses in his hero work and not being able to trust his own judgement anymore, he'll need someone to believe in him more than ever.

[bewarethewolfarmy]

Comfort and Secrets

(What's that, I wrote another chapter? This time on Erik Is Getting A Better Life If I Have To Write It For Him Myself: Erik notices things, has noise overstimulation problems (which people with anxiety disorders like your dear OP has can have in spades) and goes to a store. Also cars weren't mass produced until 1908

Chapter Three: Necessary Truths, Kind Lies

Chapter Five: Ancient Conceit )

It took a few days before the situation felt close enough to acceptable for Erik to even think about talking about it. A week in which he woke, was fed, walked about the Library, read, and listened to Nel and Tsuki's conversations and stories. He learned that the Library was a special place, once abandoned by the city during one of the many upheavals of life and society that came with growth; it had been modified and taken over by Tsuki many years prior and became the place it was now though hard work and effort. He found out that the goddess had come across Tsuki around the same time though the exact details of their meeting and their relationship always came shrouded in shadow, followed by looks and cryptic dismissal. They told him that the gods were real but based on the way they spoke of it he had gotten the sense that things were not so simple as just that; Nel half dismissed their existence, waving her hand as she spoke of how “those old fogies don't care about anything but themselves, they can't even see the beauty that is here waiting to be experienced”.

On days when Tsuki was out, mysterious situations that left Erik with even more questions but a deep fear over asking any, he spent them reading, learning as much as he could from the countless books filling the shelves. Sometimes Nel would deign to tell him a story of the past, always of figures he never had heard of before but that in the gentleness of her eyes and fondness of her smile felt as if they were truly precious wondrous beings.

Ease and comfort found it's way into the heart of the Phantom but still it was not until the morning of the fifth day, eating one of the chocolate chip muffins that Tsuki had baked just that morning for them all with their breakfast, that he found himself speaking up, “I do not have a home to return to, do I?”

Tsuki froze mid bite and Nel frowned, setting down the spoon she was using to eat her cereal before turning to Tsuki with a raised eyebrow. Unspoken words passed between goddess and mortal woman, a not uncommon sight, and he simply stared at the muffin in his hand. The words weigh heavy in his heart, having been waiting there, festering for days, and feeling no less crushing to speak them aloud. In truth he felt it become a reality in that moment, as if to speak it was to allow it to truly be real. The Opera Populaire was gone, Christine was gone, the world he had built and known was gone. He did not know what to do in this moment, what could be done; he wondered if they did.

“Erik,” Tsuki said softly, in that sweet gentle way of hers.

“Paris still stands, France still stands, though it has likely changed in innumerable ways since the years you knew it,” Nel said frowning, “But you can always try to make a new home there if that's what you wish.”

Erik winced and tugged on the hood once more; without his mask, without his protection, he spent every day wearing the hood up at all times, developing a tic of tugging on it whenever he felt especially nervous or unsettled.

He knew she meant well, and that her words if delivered to someone else, anyone else, might ring true. Rebuild your life, make a new life, this was something a man might be able to do but he was no man. He was the Phantom, the Opera Ghost, a monster that had in many ways a man's form but that was not. He wanted to ask what life a monster such as he could build for himself when his last had been so restrictive and dark. Would he look for another place to haunt, a new operahouse, a new theater; would he go forth to try to use his talents again only to be reviled once more? She had said that he could if he wished but he did not believe wishes could ever give him what he truly wanted deep down, not when they had never come true for him before.

He frowned and shook his head, taking another bite of his muffin. “...No, I fear that that would be too painful for me. The home I know must have fallen to dust by now; I can only mourn it and remember it in fonder lights.”

“If you don't wish to return to France then you can always stay here with me and Nel.” Tsuki's offer gave him pause and he looked up to stare at her, eyes widening behind the brim of his hood as he saw the friendly smile on her face. It took him by surprise, as did many of the things she did or said; the fact that one being could be so kind to him, him of all people, never failed to leave him shaken and he was left speechless by it every time.

He took a moment to process, then another to calculate a proper response, clearing his throat as his pale face flushed slightly, “I could not possibly impose any further.”

“Impose how exactly?” She responded with genuine confusion in her tone, as if it was strange to think that, as if he hadn't just randomly appeared out of nowhere to begin with and just stayed there afterwards.

“You and Nel have been very kind to me, I wouldn't wish to overstay my welcome.”

“Nonsense,” the goddess said and resumed her breakfast, waving her spoon at Erik like a baton, “For one, you'd have to do and demand a lot more than you've been doing to possible impose; we can barely get you to tell us anything of your wants and needs. Two, Tsuki likes having you around so I doubt she wants you to go anywhere any time soon. And three, I like having you around so unless you got a wish to go elsewhere, there's no real point in you leaving the Library.”

Erik blinked a few times, then a few more times and another set for good measure. The flushing of his face increased as he took in her words. He certainly did not try to demand anything of his lovely hostesses, not seeing it as his right or the polite thing to do; though content would be the wrong word for what he felt, sitting around the Library, reading and talking and simply living, he was at least at ease and comfortable there and he knew there was a safety here. Even monster he may be he understood that to keep that would require him to act as a human, be polite and generous, ask only what was truly needed and not more. As he had said he did not wish to impose.

But more importantly perhaps than his manners or inability to voice needs, was the idea that these two liked having him there. Nel was a goddess of truth and thus he could not imagine her lying to him, and Tsuki upon those words being spoken smiled, nodding as she looked at him. The idea of such a thing felt surreal and part of him expected it to be some sort of joke despite knowing they all knew it would be one in bad taste and they would never be so cruel. He felt his heart thump a little in his chest and he looked down at the muffin in his hand, turning it over and over again as he found himself unwilling to look either in the eye out of embarrassment.

“Erik,” Tsuki started again and still he did not look up; she continued slowly, “If you do wish to go we won't stop you; you have the right to decide what you want in life and where you want to go and where you want to be. But if your concern about being here is based on some worry that you're a bother or something of the like, then you should banish that thought from your mind. You're welcome here and have been since the moment you arrived; you're a pleasant and lovely addition to the Library and I wouldn't mind if you decided to stay instead.”

“Would I truly be alright to stay here?” The words came out in barely a whisper and felt almost like a plea. After running from the disasters of his life, that he had made of his life, the darkness and the murder and the cruelty and the control, to find a safe haven where he might be welcomed seemed too good to be true. How could such kindness exist, especially for one such as him?

“Of course you are,” Tsuki assured him and he felt a hand touching the top of his head, making him jump but glancing up he only saw her, smiling down at him as she stroked his head through the hood; strange as it was there some comfort in that too, a gesture he surely was unused to but that made some part of him ache for more.

“We'll need to getting you more clothes though if you are staying,” Nel said and wrinkled her nose a little, “You've been here about a week and haven't changed; you need a bath and clean clothes, my friend.”

His face completely turned red and he shrunk away, causing Tsuki to blink then huff before turning to Nel with a displeased look. “Nelly.”

“What, it's true; I didn't say it to hurt his feelings,” Nel said to her friend then turned to Erik and her tone turned softer, “Really, it's no offense to you. I just figure you'll be more comfortable if you can get changed and cleaned up.”

She was not wrong and he understood that; it had partially slipped his mind in the rest of the emotions of his recent experiences, pushed to the corners of necessity as he adjusted to this new reality of time and space travel, of having ruined his chances with Christine, of everything. But returned to the forefront as it was now he could not deny a certain kind of discomfort in wearing the exact same clothes every day, of not feeling clean. At the same time the idea of removing the jacket at the very least, the thing that helped hide his face, caused his heart rate to pick up and he fiddled once more with the hood frowning slightly. “I would be more comfortable but...”

“We could get you something that fits you a bit better than my hoodie,” Tsuki said chuckling almost as if to read his mind.

The jacket was indeed made for someone smaller than him but he shook his head as if to protest then realized it was her hoodie and he had been monopolizing it which made the panic grow some. “I would be glad to return your garment to you, I apologize for holding onto it for so long.”

“It's fine, Erik, really, that's not why I'm worried,” she told him and they both heard Nel snickering where the goddess still sat with cereal to eat; Tsuki choose to ignore it, “I just meant that just like Nel wishes to have you be more comfortable, so do I.”

“If you say so,” he said softly, uncertain but wishing to trust her, “I do not mind continuing to use your...hoodie if possible; it is comfortable enough. But a change of clothes would certainly not be an unwelcome thing.”

“I guess then that means we will need to go out shopping,” Nel said tapping the spoon against her lips, “Question is where to go and what kind of clothes to have him wear?”

“I think that's up to him,” Tsuki said to which Nel, after a second or so of thought, nodded her agreement.

Indeed the subject of his clothing style should likely be up to him but the first question, of where, made his skin crawl and his tugging of the hood to intensify. His voice lowered once more. “Must we truly leave the Library for such a thing?”

It was a stupid question and while he knew it before even asking he could not help but ask it nevertheless. It was a matter of comfort you see; Erik did not like the idea of going outside, he barely tolerated it before when he could use the underground lake to go from his home to the operahouse proper. But to be above ground and potentially seen by others dredged up once more the darkest and most painful of memories and he was not interested in adding new ones of the same to his mind. Nor did he think it fair to make the girls, these two beautiful figures have to be seen with an abomination such as himself; Tsuki and Nel were better suited to each other or some handsome young lad, not a charmless fellow like the vicomte of course but someone who may appreciate their kindness and match their beauty. Erik appreciated them, he was happy for the gentle warmth of Tsuki, the playful but kind interactions with Nel, but he did not see himself as a good match to their beauty. Even strange as Tsuki's eyes were, those vibrant scarlet irises that seemed to glow, stare right through him and warm his heart, even in that oddity she was still something more beautiful than he.

Tsuki and Nel exchanged looks though of course his response was nowhere near surprising to the two who had now spent extended time with the man. Nel sighed, running a hand through her hair before turning to him. “To get good measurements on what will fit you? Yeah we will. Even if we were go for something simple and modern it still would be difficult to just eyeball what will fit you without taking you along with us.”

“We want to make sure you get to wear something that fits you both physically and aesthetically,” Tsuki added.

“We won't even go that far, promise,” Nel continued and Erik with some hesitation looked at her, “There's quite a few shops near here; if we put our heads together and figure out what we want to start with in terms of style, we can narrow down the list of places to go to and thus you won't need to go far or out for too long.”

“And then once we have a grasp on what suits you best and what you feel most comfortable wearing then I can just handle getting you more clothes as necessary.” Tsuki smiled at him in that sweet reassuring way and his heart thumped more, his face reddening again. It occurred to him they were very much trying to accommodate his anxiety and fears and that in that he was indeed being a bother to them perhaps. His discomfort was making them work harder to try to make him feel better and a frown started across his face as he started to mentally beat himself up over it.

Surely a little trip outside, for however it may take to get clothes, should be reasonable? Was he not Erik, Phantom of the Opera, genius composer, architect, inventor, capable of kidnapping sopranos and terrorizing the useless with ease? How silly was it indeed to be so scared by the idea of going out, being possibly seen, of letting the girls be seen with him? It was scary for him though, and while he knew it was silly, he could not help the terror in his heart, the unease. People feared him and not simply because of his abilities; he did not wish to be seen, he did not wish to mar Tsuki and/or Nel with his presence amongst others, he did not feel safe without some way to hide. And as it stood all he had was a hoodie that while large on her was not on him.

Yet this fear was at war with the sensibilities of a gentlemen, of the Opera Ghost, who did not wish to cause undue trouble for the woman who had given his shelter when he had been on the run, for the goddess who kept him company and treated him no less well despite the oddness of his being there in the first place. There was no easy way to resolve the contradictions within him on these two fronts and the only realistic avenue of attempt was to give in ultimately.

With some hesitation he nodded, biting his lip as he spoke, “You...are far too kind to me, Tsuki, Nel. I will go with you then though I do think your first suggestion of a bath would likely be the best first action.”

“Of course Erik,” Nel said nodding, “I figured as much.”

“If you leave your clothes in your room before going into the bathroom I can put them in the wash for you and see about getting them washed quickly for you,” Tsuki said and smiled at him, “You won't need to rush then through your own needs in terms of your bath.”

“Though having him wait around probably won't be very helpful either, and we don't want him pruning up being in the bath too long,” Nel said her own smile edged with something that made Erik feel the need to blush.

Tsuki seemed to pick up on it too and while her face did turn pink, she giggled and nodded. “True, true. I'll see if I can't dig something up for him to wear until they're clean, even if it's just a bathrobe.”

The mere thought of appearing before either or both of them in something so inappropriate made his heartrate accelerate and his eyes widen before vigorously shaking his head. “If you do so then I would strongly request you not enter my room again until I can be once more properly dressed; you may leave my clothes outside my room and knock to indicate that they are clean once more.”

It occurred to him that may sound rude, as if she was a servant or something, but he did not wish Tsuki to see him in a bathrobe, not for his face, not for his body, not for anything. She was after all a young lady and his benefactor in all this, respect and decorum demanded certain things and he could not bring himself to break that. The idea of letting her handle his clothes, as well as her own hoodie, was also of concern and nerve-wracking but he could not simply wash himself and then dress once more in dirty clothes, that would not do. It defeated the purpose of the former. No he would allow for the lesser concern but he would draw the line there.

Luckily the rudeness of his comment did not seem to disturb Tsuki or Nel who both simply took it in stride, Nel even chuckling some as she spoke once more, “Sounds like everything is settled then; after breakfast we'll get to work. I suppose I could do with some new clothes myself, you as well Tsuki.”

“Perhaps while we eat we can talk about what kind of clothes you're most comfortable in, Erik?” Tsuki smiled at him as she grabbed another muffin for herself and he realized he had just been playing with him.

Feeling awkward but glad he had no offended either of them he took a bite and they chatted for a while longer, discussing what would work for him. Of course Erik had some experience with fashions of his time and none of any that followed; he had come to be far more comfortable in the usual formal garb he wore when visiting the operahouse, finding it made him feel confident, in control, powerful and impressive, as if he was not the creature sold by the one who birthed him to a freakshow, a lowly thing that had found his way to Persia to work and kill for the Shah before returning to France, a monster in the darkness unworthy of the light. But part of him wondered if in those dark clothes and fineries he did not still hold some sort of cage to himself; he no longer was chained to the operahouse and what it required of him, he no longer need be the Opera Ghost nor the living corpse nor the assassin or the architect or the monster. Tsuki and Nel called him Erik, they smiled and gave him gentle suggestions of what might suit him visually but did not push. He did not feel he was ready to take any of them yet, not untied enough from those old memories and needs, but still a shard of something was planted within his mind and only time would tell what it would grow into.

As breakfast and conversation finished, he indeed retired up to his room and shed his clothes, folding them neatly upon the bed despite knowing they would destined to be gathered up and put to wash nevertheless. By some whim of fate he caught sight of himself in the floor length mirror that sat, usually unused, in the corner of the room and his mind shuddered at the creature he saw reflected back. But by this same chance he could see still see a slight rose to his face, dusting pale skin, and dare he say it, a small spark of happiness in his eyes? Still gruesome to behold though he quickly turned his gaze from it, wondering if he should ask Tsuki if it would be alright to remove it; he despised mirrors but could never bring himself to trouble her by bringing this up directly to her. He made his way to the bathroom, with it's own mirror above the sink, and quickly to the bathtub to start the water; he caught himself and made sure to lock the door as he remembered that she had promised to come by to grab his clothes. The idea of potentially being seen by her still disgusted him as a gentleman yet he could not help but note the way the red had grown on his face when his eye happened to catch the mirror in there as well. Hurriedly once the door was locked he got into the bathtub and immersed himself in the water. Clean, that was what he needed to focus on, getting clean and presentable and smelling nice. He could not change the unfortunateness of his face but he could at least do whatever was possible to be as inoffensive as possible.

About two hours later, after a long soothing bath and indeed a small amount of time wearing a rather soft but embarrassing baby blue bathrobe, Erik was once more dressed in clothes he felt far more comfortable in, his own and the hoodie which he swore was larger than he remembered, and found himself exiting the Library through the backdoor into a quiet alleyway. Tsuki locked the door, dressed in a similar clothes as he usually saw her in, Nel standing beside her in a t-shirt and jeans; the goddess stretched, yawning before turning to him with a smile.

“Ready for your first mini adventure in the Big Apple?” she asked and Erik blinked in confusion.

“We're only going about a block away to Henry's,” Tsuki said, her tone trying to be admonishing but she could not help but smile at her friend.

Nel waved it off. “I know that, I was just teasing him.”

“You're the one who brought up not going far.”

“You are far too protective of the man, dear Tsuki.”

“Pot, kettle.”

“Yes and it's making me jealous.” Nel was grinning and put an arm around Tsuki's shoulder's, an action that made Erik feel somewhat awkward and Tsuki's smile grow a little before gently pushing the goddess away as Nel continued, “But I suppose I'm rather protective of him myself.”

The way she looked at him made him fidget and Tsuki chuckled before reaching up to tug his hood down for him; this too made his heart flutter but he appreciated it, as he appreciated all the kind little things she seemed insistent upon doing for him.

“Would be too much to ask if you're ready Erik?” she asked and offered him her hand.

Nel did the same and he looked at them both before nodding. They were already outside, there was no real point in turning back now; he took their hands, one in each of his, and felt them both give him a gentle squeeze. Reassurance, insistence, they were there beside him and he need not feel so awkward about this. Fear still ran through his veins but he did his best to ignore it, to focus, and allow the better things to take hold. There was curiosity, of this place called New York City he had heard of in his time but never visited. There was a wish to have more than he had, to be able to have choice in his dress again, and perhaps a little bit of getting to spend more time with both women. Their smiles, warm and bright as the morning sun, he allowed to fill his heart and they tugged him along, out of the alleyways and out for his first view of the city called New York.

It was bright and busy and noisy; people walked along the sides of the road as strange metal contraptions moved along the street itself. They too were loud, almost more so than the cacophony of voices all around them, speaking all at once; he winced, finding it quite a bit and far too much.

A light tug of his hand from the side where Tsuki was brought his attention down to her who held up a strange string; it had three ends, two of which terminated in small round things with the third leading into her pocket. She smiled up at him. “I should have brought my proper headphones but they can be bulky. Here, put these in your ears and I'll play us some classical music.”

It occurred to him she had something similar in her ears, though hers were blue and the ones she offered to him were red. He was curious and was tempted to ask, to question what they were and how in the name of God, or at least in the name of Nel the one goddess he knew, she was supposed to use them to play music, but the noise around him felt like it was starting to crawl into his skin and twirl his minds and emotions around, making one end and the other start to meld. He let go of both of them temporarily so he could take them and popping one of the round things into one ear and then the other, careful not to disturb his hood. He then watched as she reached into her pocket to remove a small device; both his string and hers were linked to it and she pressed some buttons on it deftly. Soon enough, and sure enough, the soft sweet sounds of an orchestra started to play in his ears and he felt his heart rate slow, unaware before of it's incline since they had entered the cacophony. His mind settled, draw towards the music and he was convinced this too had to be magic for how else could he explain the fact he could hear the orchestra yet it not be there? His eyes widened with wonder and Nel and Tsuki both exchanged amused glances before taking hold of his hands once more and started to lead him through the crowd, all the while music continued to play in his ears, drowning out the noise, the voices, the majority of the sound from the strange mechanical beasts though here and there a loud roar was heard and he winced again. When he did the girls squeezed his hand again and he felt himself grounded and able to take in the visuals as he was locked away from the auditory.

The buildings were gray and tall, most seeming no different from one another save the signs that graced nearly them all. Words, some big, some small, all bright and eye catching, graced each and spoke of words he had never heard of before but that he had to guess were the names of the buildings or the companies that occupied them. The sky was bright and blue with plenty of clouds but the air felt crisp and comfortable enough. The people around them wore clothes like Tsuki and Nel, a far step down than even the most informal of clothes of Paris yet he did not feel offended by the laxness of it all; some did wear suits or dresses but they were not as decorated as he was used to, simple, clean, clear. Not his style of course, and he felt overdressed save for the hoodie which saved him from looking entirely out of place both in terms of style and his appearance. Plenty of people were about but it occurred to him while they might see him, avoiding walking into the trio, they didn't really seem to observe them; the three of them moved with ease and care but even besides the barrier of music keeping him from hearing any of their voices, and Tsuki too it seemed, he felt a disconnect with them in some other more profound way on their own end. They were few among the many, they were there but not a part of any of it; he was used to this sensation in some form but he found he did not feel unnerved by it now. Rather he felt comfortable and as Nel opened the door to a simple looking building off the beaten road, he was content in this knowledge that they were safe together.

Tsuki extracted the device again and pressed another button at which point the music stopped; without being told to he removed the string's ends from his ears and handed it to her, Tsuki taking it with a gentle smile.

“Thank you,” he said and she nodded.

“I'm not much for crowds myself so I try to be prepared,” she said and put it all away, her own ears clear again as well, “I'll give them back to you once we're ready to go.”

“Hey Henry, you here?” Nel called out and Erik took a moment to actually get a feel for where they were.

The interior was warm in a similar but fundamentally different way to the Library; the lighting was dim, making the brown wood that made up the walls, ceiling and floor look darker. Clothes were lined up on mannequins, some more formal like his, some more causal like Nel and Tsuki's; all had a element to it that caught his eye, subtle and unknowable. He got the sense of a master tailor in them all and moved to examine one piece in particular as Nel walked towards the counter that sat opposite the door and across the wide showroom. The piece in question reminded him somewhat of what he had seen some of the nobler visitors to the operahouse wear, the suit jacket embroidered delicately in thin thread just barely off color from the jacket itself; it gave the sensation of something simple at first glance but the designs from the thread were fascinating and artistic, making his fingers twitch to reach out and touch them. Yet he held himself back and admired the work visually alone, taking in all the pieces together to appreciate how they worked together.

“It's very nice,” Tsuki spoke softly beside him and though startled Erik managed not to jump before nodding; she smiled and continued, “Henry is a brilliant designer and tailor; not many of the mortals in the city give this place much more than a passing glance because of it's simple appearance but I know of many gods and others who adore this place, myself and Nel included.”

“Yes yes but Henry can be a bit tricky to pin down sometimes,” Nel said and put her hands on her hips before raising her voice, “Where are you Henry?!”

There was a noise like a crash and Erik only then realized there was a set of stairs off to one side, down which a rather disheveled and displeased looking man came. He looked a few years older than Tsuki, with chestnut hair that was gathered in a messy bun on his head and thin rimmed glasses; his eyes were a deep olive color and went from Nel, mildly amused by him, to Tsuki, smiling, and then to Erik, confused. The man wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, dress pants and an apron, straightening the latter as he stood up straight; based on Nel's height he was likely a five foot nine or so but he seemed to prefer a hunch which he partially returned to as he approached Erik specifically.

“That jacket is Tsuki's.” His voice was rich and warm but there was some sort of irritation there that confused Erik more and made him feel defensive.

He stood tall, making use of his inches on the man as he spoke, “Tsuki has been generous enough to lend it to me.”

The man Henry stared back at him and it was when it occurred to Erik that looking down at Henry would allow him to see his face that he drew back a little, tugging on the hood once more and Tsuki stepped forward. “Henry, we were hoping to get some new clothes for our friend here. Erik, meet Henry.”

“A pleasure,” Erik said carefully though still the urge to be on guard did not leave him; he did not feel this man a threat, simply the way he had spoken to him irked him.

Henry nodded and dusted his apron off. “I see. I apologize then; I can get carried away at times. Henry Augustus at your service.”

The man offered his hand. Erik looked at it for a moment before cautiously taking it; Henry had apologized and seemed sincere but Erik trusted him not if only because he trusted almost no one. His handshake was firm enough but not aggressive; Henry even smiled some and as they separated he placed both hands in his pockets before turning to Tsuki once more, “New clothes huh.”

“Yes and we were hoping to get them quickly?” Nel stated causing the man to turn to regard her.

“I already have an order in,” Henry said and there was something in the way he said it, the sound of the words, that made Erik's curiosity pique once more.

Nel frowned a little. “I'm certain you can find time for us.”

“We'd appreciate it, Henry, really,” Tsuki said, “Erik lost all his clothes on his way into town, there was an incident and all he has is what he's wearing.”

“An incident.” That too sounded strange to Erik's ears and he looked from Henry, whose expression seemed hesitant, to Tsuki, who had just lied for him. Of course how could he expect her to tell the truth, that he had appeared out of nowhere, that he had managed to walk through time and space into her cellar from the Opera Populaire in the late 1800's, but she lied so smoothly it felt odd to him. And something in the word incident seemed to draw Henry's attention further. What that meant Erik could not tell but after a few moments Henry sighed and turned once more to Nel.

“Odin and Zeus won't like me putting off their order for you, Nel,” he said and she smirked.

“Oh doing this will fuck them over? Even more reason to have you do it,” she said then patted him on the shoulder, “Not that you being one of the best around wasn't enough reason of course.”

“I am not interested in your godly games,” he said his tone a little colder then and he carefully removed her hand off him.

That seemed to annoy her and she frowned again. “I don't play godly games, Henry; unlike them I actually care about the people I spend my time most with.”

Henry put up his hands in defense. “I apologize, I know that. I was just annoyed that's all, a mistake on my part.”

Erik looked to Tsuki for some answers but she just shook her head. “Best you not worry about that for now, Erik; we don't want to get Nel started and be here for the next millennia or so.”

“Hey, that's hurtful!” Nel seemed to have heard her and Erik saw Tsuki's expression change back to a playful smile; Nel didn't sound very hurt either, just pouty and there was a small chuckle that came from Henry. Suddenly a tension Erik didn't realize had filled the air there lifted and once more the place felt comfortable in the same vein as the Library. Henry took out a measuring tape from his apron and got to work, getting the measurements off of Erik with a speed and efficiency that made him blink. It occurred to him that it may be more fruitful to do so without the outer jacket but Henry never asked him to remove it, never even came close to his head and face; Erik took that as a sign of fear of what lay under the hood, of the horrors of his face. So he had picked up on it but seemed able to handle it; that was good though Erik would prefer never to be seen. While the man did so, jotting the numbers down on a notepad he had on him, Tsuki and Nel said not a word, just waiting and watching, and once done Henry nodded. “I assume then you want something similar to what you're already wearing, sans Tsuki's jacket?”

“I was admiring the work you have here actually,” Erik said and turned once more to regard the suit he'd been looking at.

Henry did as well and nodded. “A good eye; the gods tend to like fancier things but I like work like that the best, things more subtle but nice.”

“Your clothes are always nice no matter what style they are,” Nel stated smiling, “Hence why we come to you.”

“I thought it was just because I'm so close by and don't care for baseless talk,” Henry retorted and Erik took note of Tsuki shifting, her smile slipping just a bit, her eyes turned away.

She seemed uncomfortable and his instinct was to wrap his arms around her, pull her close because she was always trying to or actually succeeding in comforting him and he wanted to do the same for her. He resisted though, remembering still his promise in not letting her know the truth, his feeling of folly in that kiss to the hand that first night, and knew he could not risk ruining things when it seemed he had barely escaped before. She was so good to him though, it dropped a rock in his stomach to let her be; instead he awkwardly tapped his hand against hers, an offer to her and felt her long thing yet still so small fingers wrap around his own. He smiled lightly and she did too.

“So how long for the designs and the clothes themselves to be ready?” Erik did not miss how Nel ignored his comment, moved the conversation along, but her eyes had flickered to Tsuki and she seemed concerned for a second before pushing it away.

“Give me at least a few days,” Henry said, “I can't very well leave your friend without but I also need to get back to work on the order I have. Give me a few days, I'll call Tsuki once they're done and she can come pick them up.”

Erik was half tempted to offer to help, it would be far from the first time he'd designed and sewed his own clothes, but Tsuki squeezed his hand and he was distracted by that. Looking at her once more she smiled and nodded at Henry. “Fair enough, thank you Henry. We'll be going now.”

“Before you go,” Henry said and approached her, Erik watching all the while very carefully.

He saw the man reach into his apron and remove something, a plain white envelope, unremarkable save for the red wax seal on the back of it. It caught his eye and though he only got a glance at it before Tsuki took it and tucked it away in her pocket, he felt curiosity bubble up again thinking on the design of it. It looked to be a crescent moon with wings, strange as it was.

“Thank you Henry,” she spoke softly and he gave her a small bow as Nel walked over, grabbing the strange strings from before to shove them into Erik's ears carefully, gently.

“See you later Henry,” she said but her attention was on Erik; she smiled at him before pulling away and grabbing hold of his hand, his heart starting to flutter again.

Henry regarded her with a look and a nod and after Tsuki once more made music play, her own string in, the trio left the store and headed back through crowds towards the Library again. Not much time had passed at all it appeared and nothing much changed but as they walked, as he took in the sight of the Library from the outside as they approached it, grand and as beautiful as the Opera Populaire had been to him, no perhaps in some ways grander still, his mind whirled with thoughts of all kinds and flavors. Of his new clothes, of the strange things in this future world, of the kindness of the girls, of the strange Henry, of the mysterious envelope. Of the way people walked all over the sidewalk yet seemed to give the Library a large berth as almost to walk openly in the street to avoid it. He felt Tsuki's hand in his still, Nel on the other end, and a soothing clear symphony ringing through his ears; there were mysteries abound, not simply of magic and his existence there, of Tsuki and the dream that hadn't really been a dream, of Nel and the gods that existed that surely could not. But of so much more; curiosity wished to know but his heart, his heart could not help but feel that some of it may be best left unknown.

Unbeknownst to him it was already far too late to turn back now.

[noonaishere]

Ateez - Newark, Nov 27

Part 2

[Part 1 here]

Guerrilla!

(Again, trying to crop someone’s arm out. He literally just had his arm up in the most awkward-looking position, I’m not sure how his shoulder didn’t give out halfway through. What exercises do you do sir? Stop it. Stop doing them.)

Everyone else: *looking up at the camera like normal* San: Normalcy? Aniyo.

Before they came back out - and probably because this costume change was a bit more complicated - we were all just hanging out waiting for them to come back, so whoever’s in charge of the board for the Lightinys was making the colors change as a wave across the stadium. First it was blue and then red and then green and then white, and every time the color came up everyone went “Woooo~” softly and raised their Lightiny, like a spoke in a turning wheel.

There was something really wholesome about a bunch of (mostly) adults just having fun playing as the lights changed; no one had to say “let’s do the wave as the lights change!” we all just started doing it because we all found it fun. Truly a pure experience to share with others.

Turbulence 😭😭😭 (Normally this song makes me cry, but I think I was just SO in awe of their collective singing ability that I couldn’t even process it)

Cake time!

The face you make when you’ve dug your own grave and you have to accept it (but don’t want to).

Mingi: “Do you want to do it or do you want us to do it?”

He tried and failed.

Brace thyself.

San: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRO!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRTMb1Ofogc&t=1s Someone’s video of the whole thing.

And here, KQ staff, I’ll help you out for next time (not that any of you are going to see this). The problem with the cake was that it was fondant (though, they were also saying it was “bread” “a rock” so I wonder if the cake itself was either too dense or maybe old or something), you’re not going to get good icing face coverage with fondant, it’s basically sugar clay. What you NEED to order is a “smash cake.” A smash cake is a cake that people with 1- or 2-year olds buy for their birthday, so the baby can smash their hands into it to their heart’s delight (and get a good photo op). That’s the kind of cake you need. Then these babies can smash each other’s faces into the cakes all they like (and get a good photo op).

You’re welcome, KQ staff. (I take Paypal.)

(I don’t know why I didn’t get a pic of Yeosang for Celebrate, so have an extra Yunho instead.)

Woosan moment feat. Lightiny. (This was the guy whose arm it was! I still don’t forgive him for ruining 90% of my pictures through. Get bent like I wish your elbow would have bent, thus removing your be-lightstick-ed hand from all my pictures.)

Afterwards, Jongho said that on another day he went back to find a flag and there weren’t any, but this time when he went back they had one ready for him.

Ending ments. No one got weepy like I’ve normally seen them do, but Yunho said he was our “friendly neighborhood [Yunho]” so that was cute.

The Real! (Instead of any of the Satoori lines, they all yelled “Happy Birthday Wooyoung!”)

Silly microphone hold

Playing the flute suddenly

Hugs for BBT (🖤 you BBT)

Truly the end :’)

So yeah. Standing out in the rain sucked, but being there was incredible. I definitely want to go next time they come around (and maybe try to get closer seats, or maybe buy a better camera and bring that lol). My sister also enjoyed herself and said she’d start listening to them (New World was her favorite). I hope you liked this trip down Memory Lane (memories of five days ago, so, so long ago).

One more San for the road, since he (and all of them, really) was so talented and funny and charming and cute and handsome the whole night. I adore him.

What a man 🖤

Tagging some peeps: @sayaramarz, @hecalledhimhyung​, @moonbinnie0983​, @ositoblancito​, @goldenchunkycat​, @leagreenly​

[sublimecatgalaxy]

✨Art Posts✨

Below you will find the updated Art posts that I will post every Wednesday. I will provide links of my weekly favorites and give the creator or the OP, along with a comment. This is the second out of two of them since I had to many in the original post.

●○●○●○●○●●○●○●○●○●●○●○●○●○●●○●○●○●○●●○●○●○●○●●○●○●

Wednesday, October 5th:

Halloween Kitty: I love this gif of this cat mostly because I love Halloween more than anything because it's my birthday! So I just wanted to share this kitty with every posted by @winslowat3am.

Companion: This is a really wholesome piece made by the lovely @mjulmjul who is so extremely talented. I just really like the Halloween vibes and the spooky vibes!

Creepy Yet Beautiful: This piece by @loish hit home since I actually live near a really big factory that sort of looks like this at night. Though it's terrible for the environment, it is really haunting and creepy looking.

Wednesday, October 19th:

Happy Meowlloween: I love that Halloween, aka my birthday, is coming up so I figured I'd throw this one in here since I also am obsessed with cats. This was created by the lovely and talented @zandramims!

Sanctuary: This piece by @8pxl offers me an unbelievable amount of comfort, like just looking out over the city- I'd love to live up on a hill where I can see this.

Frogs and Mushrooms: I love frogs and I'm obsessed with mushrooms so here's this piece by @lemon-illustrations. I love fall and everything to do with fall, except the mold on the leaves that I'm allergic to lol.

Wednesday, October 26th:

Cat Witch Party: You guys know the drill, Halloween is my birthday and I love cats so it would be silly of me to not post this digital art piece by @libbyframe.

Lantern Plants: This is just so cute. So wholesome. Nothing more to say. Created by the wholesome and wonderful @maruti-bitamin.

Wednesday, November 2nd:

In The Grass: There's something just so pretty and soothing about this piece of art created by @wormbus-art. It's just really pretty and I spent like an hour just going through their page.

Cozy Season: You guys know me cozy vibes, books and cats. This piece literally spoke to me lol. And the creator, @yuumei-art, is just so lovely and all of their work is so beautiful.

Wednesday, December 7th:

Waves: This is just so aesthetically pleasing and I just love the soft colors. This was posted by @thecollectibles, go check out their account, it's awesome!

Fairy Houses: This is just remarkable and looks like something straight out of a fantasy novel. I just love the choices in detail and I think it's just beautiful. Posted and created by the wonderful @gulistan-blog.

Wednesday, January 18th:

Cat Cow: I just think this is possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen. As you all know, I'm a big cat (and dog) person but I also adore cows with my whole heart. When I was a kid I used to scream 'friends!' out the window whenever I saw them in a field. Thank you for this post, @camilicy.

Extra Round: All I'm gonna say; look at how fat they are. Thank you @asmeesh for this post, it truly made my whole day so much better, it's so friggin cute.

Wednesday, January 25th:

Moo Moo: I love cows more than anything else in this whole world. If you go back through both of my art posts, you'll see how many art works with cows I have. I love it and I love @rosefinchie for creating this work of art!!

Ellie: So I've loved the Last of Us for years and now, in honor of the new amazing show, I thought I'd use my platform to show off some of @zoemar-son work! This is wonderful, I love Ellie with my whole heart.

Wednesday, February 8th:

Larkspur and Lilies: This beautiful piece was done by @libbyframe and I just think it's beautiful. They're an amazing artist, go give their stuff a look!

Pixie Cup Lichen: GUYS!!! You know me and my microbiological loving ass, I love mushrooms, I love fungi, I'm making a whole career out of loving microbiology so I had to share this with you guys, it was created by @fairydropart.

Wednesday, February 15th:

Froggie: I just thought this piece done by @titsay is so wholesome and cute and I LOVE frogs.

Hearts Day: This other piece done by the wonderful @titsay is so wholesome, especially because I have a kitty who looks just like this!

Wednesday, February 22nd:

On A Date: THIS IS SO CUTE NO WORDS I HAVE NO WORDS. This was created by the wholesome @spicymochi who's whole blog is just awesome.

Bouquet: This looks like the flowers that my love gave me for Valentines day so I thought it would be nice to add to this. This was made by the lovely @libbyframe, go give them a look!

[nayasaal2024]

Streamlining Home Relocation: Role of Indian Packers & Movers

We generally connected home moving or movement with mayhem and steady uneasiness which accompanies it. Be that as it may, we really want to assess this generalization, as problem free and straightforward home moving is conceivable now like never before. This is made conceivable with the assistance of Packers and Movers Ahmedabad administrations which have turned into an undeniable industry in India and is thriving step by step. Not at all like the bygone eras where migration required you moving your stuff by and by close by drawn trucks or your vehicle, these experts come completely outfitted to assist you with the movement interaction. Regardless of where you are moving in India, moving administrations makes home migration simpler than at any other time in various ways. These expert, genuine packers and movers in India are exclusively there to make your migration cycle more straightforward than any time in recent memory to guarantee you have a wonderful encounter.

Proficient packers and movers are the most ideal choices to guarantee that your migration goes flawlessly on account of their expertise and experience. With prepared experts that come profoundly talented to give moment answer for each conceivable family moving issue, they are awesome to look for help. Additionally, their experience and information is something you can count upon while hoping to move your stuff. The primary point behind the outstanding administrations is consumer loyalty and certified interest in the business, giving them influence against each and every other specialist co-op.

Additionally, proficient packers and movers have a talent for veritable administrations which is reasonable as they are truly put resources into the transportation business. Their validity is noticeable as they are completely dedicated to the gig and ,surprisingly, go above and beyond to ensure that their clients are fulfilled. Their dependability is their charming quality which is surely popular on the grounds that house moving is about trust and these solid and expert administrations embody it. Other than the authentic administrations of packers and movers in India, their abilities are first class and absolutely desirable over clumsy administrations that attempt to outperform with them.

[yatayaat]

Streamlining Home Relocation: Role of Indian Packers & Movers

We generally connected home moving or movement with mayhem and steady uneasiness which accompanies it. Be that as it may, we really want to assess this generalization, as problem free and straightforward home moving is conceivable now like never before. This is made conceivable with the assistance of Packers and Movers Ahmedabad administrations which have turned into an undeniable industry in India and is thriving step by step. Not at all like the bygone eras where migration required you moving your stuff by and by close by drawn trucks or your vehicle, these experts come completely outfitted to assist you with the movement interaction. Regardless of where you are moving in India, moving administrations makes home migration simpler than at any other time in various ways. These expert, genuine packers and movers in India are exclusively there to make your migration cycle more straightforward than any time in recent memory to guarantee you have a wonderful encounter.

Proficient packers and movers are the most ideal choices to guarantee that your migration goes flawlessly on account of their expertise and experience. With prepared experts that come profoundly talented to give moment answer for each conceivable family moving issue, they are awesome to look for help. Additionally, their experience and information is something you can count upon while hoping to move your stuff. The primary point behind the outstanding administrations is consumer loyalty and certified interest in the business, giving them influence against each and every other specialist co-op.

Additionally, proficient packers and movers have a talent for veritable administrations which is reasonable as they are truly put resources into the transportation business. Their validity is noticeable as they are completely dedicated to the gig and ,surprisingly, go above and beyond to ensure that their clients are fulfilled. Their dependability is their charming quality which is surely popular on the grounds that house moving is about trust and these solid and expert administrations embody it. Other than the authentic administrations of packers and movers in India, their abilities are first class and absolutely desirable over clumsy administrations that attempt to outperform with them.