#or that everyone knows monster souls give you incredible power and there are definitely monsters in that mountain

[blackjackkent]

OK, I've been putting this off because I was saving it for last, but Withers has been trying to get my attention, with a surprising amount of vehemence, the whole time while I've been wandering around talking to everyone else.

Okay, okay, fine, Bone Man, what do you want that's so all-fired important?

"A curse lifted. The Dead Three, allied once more. The balance shifts. There are depths to this alliance yet unplumbed. Consider, mortal: Do illithids possess souls?"

Hector blinks rapidly at him for several moments. This is a question so out of left field that he isn't even sure how to respond to it - which he should to be used to from Withers but nonetheless never fails to take him by surprise.

"I... admit I haven't thought about it," he says cautiously.

"Thou shalt think about it now, and I shall give the answer. Mind flayers are soulless." Withers seems not to notice Hector's puzzlement, but goes on in his monotone drone without hesitation. "Yet the Three amass an illithid army, void of apostolic souls that could imbue them with power."

He waits a moment - and understanding flashes on to Hector's face. In the moment before the skeleton continues, he sees exactly what he means, and exactly why it is so perplexing.

"A flock without souls - yet to what end, mortal? This is the question thou must come to answer. Until such time, be availed of my services."

"Speak plainly," Hector demands, without much hope of getting an actual answer. "Isn't there more you can tell me?"

"No."

I love Withers. XD

This is actually pretty interesting, because this is more forthcoming than he has ever been before, and the point he makes is significant, and not one Hector or I had thought about - why are the gods of the dead forming an army of soulless monsters that provide them no energy? What role do the mind flayers serve in this plot at all?

"You seem to know a lot about the Dead Three," Hector comments idly.

"Yes. Bane, Lord of Darkness. Bhaal, Lord of Murder. Myrkul, Lord of Bones. Once judged, ascended, then vanquished, as one and as three. The alliance is reforged, mortal. The planes thus quake, and the gods shudder."

Great. (LOL, poor Hector kept making this incredibly sad-puppy face the whole time Withers was talking. Let him rest.)

Very interesting, though. This game has definitely not run out of its store of secrets yet.

[stainedglassthreads]

Not much evidence for this, but I think monsters age weird in Undertale, but like humans in Deltarune. 

In Undertale, the timeline is kinda all over the place. We know that swords and magic were used by humans in the war against monsters, we know that Chara fell in the year 201x, and we know that Frisk fell an indefinite period of time later, but we don’t know how long-- in fanworks, I’ve seen the time range wildly from ‘six souls were collected in the space of about ten years’ to ‘six souls were collected in the space of a few hundred years’. The amalgamates and Mettaton probably happened somewhat recently, but a lot of monsters, especially younger ones like Monster Kid, imply they’ve never met a human before in their lifetimes. 

But we do have three certain examples of really ancient monsters. We have Gerson. Gerson is an elderly turtle who states he’s ‘been around a long time’, and that ‘studying history is easy when you’ve lived through a lot of it yourself.’ He’s also quite knowledgeable about the Delta Rune, prophecy, and how boss monsters age, being the only one to explain these things in depth, though even he knows little about the Delta Rune in the end. It’s popular fanon that he earned his moniker, ‘Hammer of Justice’, in the War. It’s also known that in real life, turtles and tortoises are extremely long-lived animals. 

It’s also popular fanon that Toriel and Asgore were alive during the war, due to how the King of Monsters in the cutscene heavily resembles Asgore. We know from Gerson that Boss Monsters only age when their parents or child are still alive. Without parents, and with Asriel dead, both have been stuck in a sort of stasis for an indefinite period of time. 

But in Deltarune, Asriel never died. So it could simply be the case that boss monsters still age Weird. If not for two minor things-- 

One, Gerson is dead. Two, the Light World, despite being populated by monsters, is painted as extremely mundane to contrast with the fantastical nature of the Dark World. Lightners seem to lack magic, as Noelle mentions one of the positives of the Dark World being magic that easily heals injuries-- the implication probably being, there is no such simple cure that can easily save Rudy. Other smaller examples include how Toriel seems to use a stove to bake, while Undertale specifically noted she used fire magic and her stove was clean, as well as the debates over whether or not monster Lightners dust upon death, and whether or not they have blood. 

Since Asriel never died, and since no one’s specifically explained how all monsters age in Undertale AND Deltarune, only boss monsters, this is gonna be kinda hard to prove, like proving a negative. Maybe Gerson’s a boss monster who never had a kid in Undertale, but did have on in Deltarune. maybe there was a tragic accident in Deltarune that led to Gerson’s death, rather than it being of old age. Maybe he never really died, and instead disappeared into some Dark World. Some of these questions may be answered in later chapters, but there’s a good chance that monster ages will be left really ambiguous, I feel like. 

Edit: I forgot that Undyne claims UT Gerson actually did fight in the war. So if this is true, Gerson lived from when humans commonly used swords and magic, to an indefinite number of years after 201x. Not actually fanon. Whoops. 

[thesoulspulse]

Danny Phantom Randomness (Overshadowed Vs Possessed)

You know, even though the rest of us know Danny Phantom is about ghosts regardless of what Butch said about them being “monsters” from another dimension, I still think its funny how the phrases that were changed to sound less paranormal really get you thinking. Now, we all know what overshadowing someone means in the context of the show but when you go by the actual definition in the dictionary it doesn’t quite add up...

Or does it?

Well to find out let’s start with the basics!

Overshadow can mean either:

tower above and cast a shadow over.

appear much more prominent or important than.

Meanwhile, Possession means:

the state of having, owning, or controlling something. 

an item of property; something belonging to one.

the state of being controlled by a demon or spirit.

Ok, going back to the show for a second it looks like the terms are more or less used interchangeably.

“Overshadowing, also called possession, is the power to possess a human, animal, or object and control its actions. It is a sub-power of intangibility.” ~ https://dannyphantom.fandom.com/wiki/Overshadowing

Personally this is how I like to think of it. When a ghost or half-ghost overshadows someone their will supersedes that of the host, with a few exceptions of course. For example, if they’re even slightly aware of the foreign entity inside of them they can be forced out through sheer force of will like Jack tried to when Vlad briefly took control of him during the reunion.

We’ve even seen MULTIPLE ghosts take control of the same person like when Tucker temporarily had ghost powers too and was arguing with Danny while they were both overshadowing Paulina’s body.

During this time, the victim’s consciousness is pushed back and enters a dream-like state which would explain that once its over, echoes of their time possessed remains along with a really confused and dizzy feeling like they’re just waking up from a dream. That’s what lets ghosts give people nudges in the direction they want to. Especially if it’s too much work trying to pretend to BE that person.

It’s even possible to actually enter someone’s dreams directly which could probably be used to communicate with someone as a ghost or plant an idea in their subconscious. Some ghosts can even keep their hosts ‘awake’ during possession and talk to them telepathically so they actually can remember what happened. Danny does this with Tucker a few times during training and things like that since it might be a little unsettling to have a gap in memory even though he knows Danny would never hurt him.

Experienced ghosts can change their voices to match the person they’re controlling and at least from what I’ve seen...only we as the audience can see the change in eye color that sometimes goes along with it. That’s mostly just to show us something’s off, but otherwise to everyone else the possessed person looks and sounds completely normal. It’s only in more extreme cases that the possession is more obvious like when someone suddenly has red glowing eyes  or a visible ghostly aura.

Sidney Poindexter actually took this a step further by literally switching bodies with Danny and I’m honestly surprised no one talks about what a big deal that is. I mean think about it, this random nerdy ghost kid from the 50′s YEETED DANNY OUT OF HIS BODY AND TRAPPED HIS SOUL IN THE GHOST ZONE!

Not even Vlad ever dared to overshadow Danny personally throughout the entire series since he had no idea what that could do to their ghost halves. Well, he might not, but WE know it could have created another Dan.

At one point, Danny managed to overshadow one of Vlad’s duplicates too since it wasn’t the real thing. Not really sure why tbh.

Oh, and you gotta admit that Vlad creating an army of shades to overshadow the voters in Amity Park was pretty OP even for him...

I almost forgot Wulf harmlessly exorcised Walker out of the Mayor’s body with his claws which is incredible too! Now that could be another interesting aspect to explore later on.

The point is, here’s what we know:

Most people can’t remember what they were doing while possessed unless they have a strong will or the ghost in question didn’t completely take over, meaning they’re awake during this time.

It’s possible for ghosts to overshadow dreams, animals, inanimate objects, and the virtual world such as videogames, television and the radio.

More than one ghost CAN possess a body at the same time as another which if you ask me could elude to “demonic” possession with multiple spirits in a single host. I think there’s a lot of untapped potential in this idea!

Overshadowing is an offshoot/sub-power of intangibility since they have to change into an incorporeal state to take over a person or object.

In some cases, the act of possession can temporarily change the host’s physical appearance and from what I can tell already protects them with superhuman strength and endurance as seen when a bunch of Danny’s classmates and teachers were taken over by Walker and his goons. It mostly depends on the type and intelligence of the ghost doing it.

So yeah, sorry that was kinda all over the place but for a “basic” ghost power I noticed a lot of cool ideas we don’t see explored very much and wanted to share my thoughts. I hope this helps some of you! There’s probably a few things I missed like when a sort of ghostly persona is created like the one Sam had when she turned into a dragon and when Tucker had ghost powers and Danny separated the ghostly version of Tucker Desiree created for him, but I think overall you get the idea.

[needcake]

Can I trouble you for some Fruk (I suppose we should be calling that Freng now) recommendations, or any Ned ship which takes your fancy~?

Anything for you darling! I couldn't decide so you get two for both:

1) Fruk

All Tied Up, by @rainbowfruitpastilles

France accidentally becomes a bit too acquainted with a pair of handcuffs. England may or may not be at fault.

This one is pure fun and bickering with a pinch of sweet comfort and deep love. It's an absolute comfort fic for me and it has everything I like about them, two old men being gentle and silly around each other <3

-

Paris and London, by @shachaai

Paris by night and London by day, and Francis and Arthur vexingly side by side in both of them.

This one, along with Character Study by Rainbow, are fics that really explore the quieter moments, the unspoken understandings, the duality of them. It's so rich in soul, in ambience, in mood, it has all these little details, the placement of the hands, where their eyes go.

This is fruk (freng XD) to me, this centuries old relationship beautifully encapsulated in these little moments that speak volumes of how much they actually care <3

-

NOW

You have to know that most of my fic recs for Ned are your fics, so I had to dig a little deeper for this one:

2) Ned + ?

Fire and Ice, by Ludwiggle73

In the land of ice, an abandoned baby is found and adopted. He isn’t like his family and friends: his appearance is strange, his thoughts are even stranger, and his powers are enough to alienate him from everyone he loves.

In the land of fire, a bounty is put on a monster believed to be the cause of their drought and famine. Two brothers set sail: one yearning to avenge their parents, the other hoping to prevent another needless death.

In the end, they will find out once and for all if opposites really do attract, or if fire and ice are doomed to clash until they are both destroyed.

This one is a bit of cheat because it's more of an ensemble cast fic (with engport as the main ship I'm sorry I'm such a one note kind of girl XD), BUT this fic is amazing and definitely worth the read! It's a fantasy AU and a soft omegaverse where Arthur was cast to the sea as a baby because of a prophecy that foresaw that he would be the one to destroy their land. Su and Fin find him and raise him as their own, but he's always seen as a pariah in their vaguely Scandinavian island. Cue Port shipwrecking on their beach with the grace of an elephant in a china shop and turning his world upside down.

Ned shows up as the captain of their escape ship and Port's friend. Things progress and he sorta has a thing going with Iceland, but more interesting than the ship itself is how his character is explored throughout the story. He is very much one of the main characters and it's so cool to see him as the responsible adult for this bunch!

-

And this one, which I'm 100% sure you have already read but I can't miss the opportunity to sing praises for:

Killer's Ridge, by @helian-skies

Arthur's plan for date night gets off to a good start, but when he takes Antonio up to an infamous lookout point, the night starts to veer entirely off-course.

I've said it before but it bears repeating, Helia is a Queen of Horror and her fics are so incredible, so amazingly detailed, SO SCARY!! She builds this amazing tension all around and gives so much background to each character, everything is so beautifully crafted and so vivid!!! Her writing is truly brilliant!! And the smut is glorious XD

[smells-like-mettaton]

Tali’s Alphys-Centric Fic Rec List

I’ve been meaning to make this for a while!! All fics are oneshots unless marked as a series or with a chapter count.  Thanks to everyone who recced several of these to me on my 12am begging-for-alphys-fics post dfdksdl. These aren’t in any particular order. The “notes” section is my commentary about each fic. No fics are based on full AUs (ex. underswap, horrortale, etc). The only endgame Alphys ship included is Alphyne, though most of the fics listed are gen. Hope you can find something you enjoy here!

Extra Credit by FriedCatfish

Rating: G // Word count: 1,206 Summary: Undyne loses track of time watching anime. Set before the events of the game. Notes: Cute Alphyne oneshot! Short and sweet, very nice characterization

world comes pouring through by feralpheonix

Rating: G // Word count: 1,655 Summary: Alphys reunites with some old friends on the way home from taking care of business. Notes: 2nd person Alphys pov but it surprisingly works? A small moment with Alphys, Bratty, and Catty, which I literally NEVER see content for so it was really refreshing!! Takes place at/near the end of the pacifist route.

white lies to the dead by MiniNephthys

Rating: T // Word Count: 580 Summary: Alphys walks through Waterfall, talking to someone who's not there. Notes: Queen Alphys ending; Alphys “talks” to Undyne after she’s been killed. Hits me right in all the emotions ;;

Found Soul by LibraLibrary

Rating: T // Word Count: 1,331 Summary: Self-worth is a slippery, fleeting little devil, and the bastard flower that killed you isn't helping. Takes place during the final fight of the True Pacifist run, following Alphys from one purgatory to the next. Notes: Very angsty, definitely make sure you’re ready to handle Alphys’s suicidal thoughts, but a very good read! I love seeing the Lost Soul battle from her POV.

And I Feel Fine by Masu_Trout

Rating: T // Word Count: 1,685 Summary: The fallen human is human is fast approaching The Core, and Mettaton is ready to finally take the stage. Now, if only Alphys would stop worrying so much. Notes: Alphys & Mettaton friendship in the no mercy route, but manages to be surprisingly not depressing. Mettaton POV but definitely still deserves to be here. This fic does a great job of characterizing them both and it’s always great to see Alphys working in her element.

Experimentation by pickledragon

Rating: G // Word Count: 1,531 Summary: Alphys is, above all, a scientist. She may watch anime with religious fervor and make horrible Undernet shitposts in her free time, but she is good at her job. She knows what they say about her, behind her back. But when she stands there, time open before her, she resolves to collect data. Each experiment, intentional or not, brings new opportunities to change certain variables and observe others. Alphys is a scientist, after all. Notes: THIS FIC. it’s technically part of a series but it stands on its own (it’s the only one i’ve read by this author). EXCELLENT alphys characterization and writing style. Some Sans & Alphys friendship too which is always stellar. If you didn’t gather from the summary, it’s an alphys starts to remember resets fic.

Memory by Ash_yeet

Rating: T // Word Count: 19,962 // Chapters: 5/20 Summary: It's been two years since monsterkind have joined the humans on the surface, and Alphys is happier than she's ever been. But things can't stay great forever. She starts having nightmares, lapses in memory, flashbacks to things that have never happened. She hopes it will pass... sans is doing his best to adjust to life. When Alphys reaches out to him about her nightmares, he doesn't expect much. He quickly changes his tune. Someone is trying to come back. And they aren't what they used to be.sans and Alphys are trying to move on. But there's one thing they forgot: No matter how hard you try, you can't run from your past. Notes: I’ve only read chapter one so far, but it’s been really good! Looks like it’s going to involve Gaster in some way. Says it’s on short hiatus but was updated in April so doesn’t look abandoned.

Hot and Cold Blooded (Alphyne series) by perniciousLizard

Rating: varies by fic, usually G but a few T and one E // Word count: 36,516 // Works: 18/18 Summary: This series is a place to put all my Alphys/Undyne stories that aren't part of another series. Notes: this series has something for everyone; you can pick and choose which works to read. Most are feel-good fluff and humor, some hurt/comfort too. Some connect to the author’s Sansby series (which i also can’t recommend enough)

When Life Hands You Enantiomers by Kaesa

Rating: T // Word Count: 2,739 Summary: Alphys has a half-finished tile maze puzzle, reams of useless data, and a bunch of piranhas that can't tell the difference between lemon and orange scent. Sans has donuts. Notes: ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITES. Fun puns, science, alphys & sans friendship, piranhas, the opportunity to actually understand organic chemistry references,, it’s so good and fun

Friendshipping by AyuOhseki

Rating: G // Word Count: 4,564 Summary: Sans finds Alphys's secret Sans/Grillby RPF. This won't get weird or awkward or anything, we're sure. Notes: Hilarious Alphys narration, great characterization, it’s just so silly and warms my heart. I love terrible fanfic writer Alphys

social links by simplycarryon

Rating: G // Word Count: 2,525 Summary: Friendship's pretty neat, or so your video games and anime dictate. But you are not an anime protagonist, and you're not sure you know what friendship is any more. Notes: more solid sans & alphys friendship :D

See You Another Time by decamarks

Rating: T // Word Count: 18,500 // Chapters: 1/14 Summary: “Have you ever thought of a world where everything is exactly the same... Except you don’t exist? Everything functions perfectly without you.” Alphys spent a lot of time thinking about what it’d be like to start over. It wasn’t fair for someone like her to escape consequences. She knew that, yet the thought never left her mind—the thought that maybe, just maybe, she could get another chance; that she could abandon her life, her failures—everything—and start anew. But that would never happen. Sometimes, Alphys wondered. Would the world be better off without her? When unexplainable anomalies appear and begin to warp the world around her, Alphys discovers something she was never meant to know: the identity of the former Royal Scientist, and how he met his demise. Doctor W.D. Gaster vanished without a trace; he was erased from reality after an experiment ended in disgrace. Forgotten by the world, shattered across time and space—it’s like he never existed in the first place.And Alphys can’t imagine a better fate. Notes: This is a monster of a first chapter but definitely worth the read!! So much good stuff happening already. I’m a total wuss but I still love the cosmic/existential horror bits going on so far. Great Sans & alphys friendship and Undyne & alphys friendship so far.  All the amalgamates also feel incredibly well written. Can’t wait to see more of this one

(And here are a few of my own Alphys-centric fics as well)

Seventh Time’s the Charm by Taliax

Rating: G // Word Count: 1,519 // Chapters: 1/7 Summary: Six bad "dates" Alphys has been on, plus one that is actually pretty good. Notes: Alphys is my favorite and I love giving her a bad time. First chapter is a “date” she has with Sans. Next chapter which I have in progress is going to be Papyrus. (Alphyne is still endgame of course.) Set mostly before the events tof the game. Get ready for lots of second-hand embarrassment sdlfkjds

Support Character by Taliax

Rating: T // Word Count: 1,814 Summary: If Sans is determined to fight the human, Alphys is going to make sure he's prepared. Notes: Sans & Alphys no mercy route friendship, based on the headcanon that Alphys was the one to give Sans the powers/magic he uses to fight the human.

it's your best life (if it's the life that you're living right now) by Taliax

Rating: T // Word Count: 4,046 Summary: Through messages saved to Sans's phone, Queen Alphys gets a glimpse at lives that might have been.  With so many possibilities... how did this timeline go so wrong? Notes: Sans & Alphys friendship, Queen Alphys ending, mostly angst/hurt/comfort. I’m really proud of this one and it uses my main headcanon for how Sans knows about resets.

The Trans-Underground Alphys-Carrying, Match-Making Road Trip by Taliax

Rating: G // Word Count: 5,713 Summary: From her secret security camera, Alphys gets too invested in Sans's relationship with the voice behind the door.  This wouldn't be a problem if Mettaton didn't decide to take her ship into his own hands. Trying to catch up with a battery-powered robot is hard work, but telling the truth is even harder. Notes: This is a really silly fic with some hurt/comfort sprinkled in. Has some Soriel and Papyton in the background. Has some Alphys & Papyrus friendship as well which is always underrated in my opinion.

[ladyartemesia]

Fic recs for taehyung? I love your stuff btw I’ve read them all uwu

As a beacon of extra-ness in an already extra world, I am entirely incapable of just recommending fics like a normal blog. No. I’ve got to wax on like a bloomin connoisseur. I have compiled some (but not all) of my favorite works in several different categories and sorted them accordingly. This crazy list is so long I had to add a “keep reading”... but I simply couldn’t bear to leave any of these off the list. They are all so good!

Fics have been divided into 8 categories. Some are under the cut. 

 ▨ FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS and FRIENDS TO LOVERS ▨  ▨ ARRANGED MARRIAGE ▨ ▨ FANTASY ▨ ▨ ANGST WITH A HAPPY ENDING ▨ ▨ HYBRID and ABO (alpha/omega) ▨ ▨ MULTIPLE PARTNERS ▨ ▨ NEIGHBORS AND ROOMMATES ▨ ▨ TABOO THEMES and DARK FIC (Sex Work/Power Imbalance/Very Unsafe Sex) ▨ ▨

▨ FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS and FRIENDS TO LOVERS ▨

Insomnia by @hobiwonder

This is one of those fics I read and literally could not stop thinking about. It is wildly hot and honestly hilarious. Poor reader cannot sleep and the beautiful bro she’s tutoring offers a rather unconventional solution.

(Ego) Hoe Chronicles: KTH by @suga-kookiemonster

Listen. If you find a niche fan blog devoted entirely to Ego Tae... I’m not gonna say it’s mine. But it’s probably mine. I once told suga-kookiemonster that I would literally read a story about Ego Tae going grocery shopping on a Wednesday night and I stand by that. In this lurid romp, the reader falls into the clutches of everyone’s favorite bohemian sex lord and he rails her into another dimension.

Falling, Falling, Gone by @johobi

Pining (mutual or otherwise) is not really my thing, but I would straight up read Jo’s laundry list if she posted it. As usual I was blown away by how everything she does seems somehow better than any other version of it. This reader is really unique as well, and her relationship with the wildly popular soccer star Tae comes to a sexy and hilarious head at a sort of bachelor auction. With sharp dialogue, delightful subtext, and fantastic side characters, you really shouldn’t miss it. It’s pretty much perfect.

A Friendly Favor by @baeseoul

This is the classic “teach me some sex for another woman” trope and it is done so well. Sweet best friend Tae is looking to benefit from your experience, but his is not the only world about to be thouroughly rocked.

Officer Kim and the Criminal Crush by @ddaengyoonmin

This is one of the best twists on childhood friends to lovers I have ever seen. Tae grows up to become a cop and reader grows up to be a societal menace. I won’t spoil it, but it’s the perfect blend of nostalgia, tenderness, and smut. This fic technically doesn’t have a name so I had to give it one to link it. It’s part of an AMAZING series Zoe did that I also highly recommend.

Out of the Blue by @jimlingss

This is one of those stories that blooms throughout the narrative until you are left with this gorgeous flower at the end. I loved the journey of these two characters. It was real and it perfectly captures the experience of finding your soulmate in the person you least expect.

Sin Pijama by @brilliantlybasicb

This fic is a switch culture fic. It is wild wicked hot and this Tae is unreal. I love the way he lets the reader think she is in control just long enough. It is a wild romp with an adorable sequel and honestly you should read it.

Girls Like You by @jjiminah

I was in jjiminah’s asks IMMEDIATELY about this fic because I had FEELINGS. The reader begins wordlessly teasing and tempting Tae on their morning bus ride every day until he is literally losing his mind. Everything that follows is fire. Jjiminah has hinted she will wrote more for these two and I NEED IT.

Sighs and Sonnets by @btsaudge

This fic is beautiful. Like it’s basically art. This is a bad boy who is bad for you. But he has the soul of a poet and the stroke game of a renaissance master. Bittersweet and seductive, this fic is a full experience.

The Text by @taetaesbaebaepsae

Tae is your friend with benefits but it looks like feeling may have been caught by one or more parties. When you attempt to soothe your aching heart with another pretty boy, Tae decides to stake his claim. This was very sexy. The whole fic was sexy.

▨ ARRANGED MARRIAGE ▨

Monster by @neonlights92

Monster and all of its companion series about each of the boys is one of those fics that I reread constantly and also just think about constantly. This is one of the best mafia AUs out there and it’s characters are vivid and unforgettable. Tae’s stubborn resistance to his lovely new wife in contrast with her quiet, clever strength really brings this story to life. A word of warning. The masterlist links are a bit messed up. To read part two you must click on part three. And to read part three must click on part four. The link to part four is at the bottom of part three (or you can just search it on her site. It is definitely all there though).

Dichotomy by @kpopfanfictrash

There is a reason the incomparable Shanna is on this list three times. She is truly incomparable. This is childhood friends-to enemies-to spouses and it is wonderful. I adore this Tae. He is sharp and vulnerable and occasionally heavy handed, but truly a gem. This fic also features one of the best angry sex scenes I’ve ever run my eyeballs across.

▨ FANTASY ▨

Chism by @kpopfanfictrash

The world-building in this story is genuinely awe inspiring. You could write series upon series within this vivid universe. The god of Winter is missing and Summer’s heat burns unchecked for many years. The reader is a warrior with a unique ability tasked with guarding a very interesting prisoner. This story is so good. I mean it is really bloomin incredible. It’s hard to say what I liked best about it, because it was stellar across the board.

Obsidian by @kpopfanfictrash

In the pantheon of delicious Tae incarnations, Obsidian Taehyung is essentially unrivaled as a grey witch who moonlights as a sexy rock star. His extremely erotic clash with a white witch detective plays out as the two of them track down a sinister killer (with the help of some truly memorable side characters).

Out of this World by @ddaengyoonmin

This one is really unique. Tae is a merman scientist on the water planet of Neptune and when the reader and her misguided crew crash into his sea, he takes it upon himself to improve inter-species relations. This fic features excellent world building alongside several twists and surprises. Clever scientist Tae is downright irresistible.

▨ ANGST WITH A HAPPY ENDING ▨

Picking Flowers by @jamaisjoons

So this story is a journey - truly a beautiful one and it’s a gorgeous addition to the hanahaki genre. There is real pain and I cried real tears, but gosh it was so sexy and so worth it. I was surprised by how truly immersed I ended up in this piece. I lost track of everything else. The end is insanely satisfying, but the journey is really what makes this fic unmissable.

Until Yesterday by @jimlingss

This fic destroyed me slowly then slowly put me together again piece by piece. When I say I went through it - I WENT THROUGH IT. The story is loosely based on the movie “The Vow” and it is just fantastic. Beautiful and tender till the last word.

The Foolish Muse by @bibbykins

This is the story of someone who is deeply in love, but knows they deserve better. It is a sexy and evocative work with allusions to mythology that fit seamlessly into the narrative. I think my favorite part is Tae discovering how much the reader meant to him and what choices ultimately lead them to a really delicious conclusion.

Back to You by @ladyartemesia

The last time I did a fic rec list, it got like 700 notes. Ya girl is not makin the same mistake again. I spent hours on this list. My work is comin along for the ride. Kim Taehyung is the love of your life, until one day he disappears without a trace.

Vacancy by @ppersonna

This one is the only idol AU on the list and I normally don’t read those, but Lindy’s work is too good to miss in any setting. I am thrilled I took a look because what I found was a glimpse into a beautiful relationship that weathers and eventually overcomes the challenges of loving in the limelight. There is a LOT of emotional depth and symbolism which really elevates everything about this lovely story. The reader’s internal struggles in the face of her lover’s fame are extremely well done.

▨ HYBRID and ABO ▨ (alpha/omega)

Eye of the Tiger by @opaljm

I am beyond hype about this story which is (very) loosely inspired by Zootopia and features a cocky tiger Taehyung and a fiesty prey hybrid he needs to fake date in order to keep panther Jimin from murdering him. (Tiger Tae got a tad too frisky around Jimin’s mate and now things are dangerously awkward.) This story is already so freakin good. I cannot wait for the rest.

Silver and Blue by @taetaewonderland

What happens when you get on the wrong side of the right werewolf? Very sexy - very crazy times. Chronologically this is the first of the Silver and Blue series which follows barely civilized were-Tae through his courtship and eventually his relationship with the spunky reader. Holla to all my impreg kink homies. This is the fic for you.

Heat Run by @ladyartemesia

As I said before, the last time I did a fic rec list, it got like 700 notes. Ya girl is not makin the same mistake twice. I spent hours on this list. My work is comin along for the ride. Alpha lawyer V is a man of many secrets, but his well ordered reality spirals wildly out of control when he crosses paths with a fiery omega set on saving the world from his wicked ways.

Beautiful Stranger by @interludemoonchild

This was a wild ride from start to finish. Taehyung is a tiger hybrid shifter who escapes from the circus to be close to a veterinary student he bonded with. There is a lot of interesting twists and surprises in this one. I was definitely screaming at the end.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell by @jingabitch

A very young wolf hybrid Taehyung adopts you as his pet human when you are just a kid. After Tae leaves to serve in the military he returns to an adult version of his sweet little princess and chaos ensues. Mind the tags for this one folks. It’s excellent, but there are very triggering themes throughout.

▨ MULTIPLE PARTNERS ▨

Level of Restraint by @lemonjoonah

This is not strictly a Tae fic in that he is only one of three major players in this twisted masterpiece. Lemon is the undisputed queen of the surprise twist and this one is truly brilliant. People dropped this fic in the discord calling it the best fan fiction they had ever read and I am not here to argue with them at all. Fair warning, every word - every inch of this fic is sexy and it’s delicious brand of titillation is wrapped around your psyche good and tight by the end.

Four by @luxekook

The quadruplets next door are fueling your very lurid fantasies. It turns out they have some fantasies of their own... You will need water if you read this fic. This is the original patented Kim Taehyung Horny Hive Mind 4D Experience™

▨ NEIGHBORS AND ROOMMATES ▨

The Heat Wave Series by @curly-bangtan

The original story (chapter 1) in this series is definitely famous, but I don’t know how many people have read all 9 chapters and if you haven’t, you are really missing the incredible journey of two very horny idiots stumbling recklessly towards real and amazing love. Everything is set off when the air conditioner breaks and a pair of wild roommates shed their inhibitions along with their clothes.

Flicker by @chimoona

So this fic started out with adorable neighbor dynamics and ended with erotic rope tying. Baby I was ABOUT IT. This was so bloomin hot and also like sweet and tender. Really a sexy and sentimental treasure.

Not Your Typical Flower Shop Story by @jungtaeyoongles

This story goes from “aww” to “WHAT THE-” real quick. Fast paced plot and twist after twist turn the whole flower shop au upside down and then inside out. I can’t say more because spoilers but like - WOW.

▨ TABOO THEMES and DARK FIC ▨ (Sex Work/Power Imbalance/Very Unsafe Sex)

Extracurricular by @ppersonna

One of my favorite professor-student AUs. The reader writes her gorgeous professor a borderline erotic analysis of several major works of art and he feels compelled to discuss it with her privately. Lindy really outdid herself on this one. It is scorchin. Professor Tae is actually really sweet and somehow that just makes the whole thing hotter.

Akrasia by @nitaescence

This is insanely hot. Emphasis on the insane because it’s basically a super erotic romp where you have sex with a man you don’t know (Taehyung) on a crowded public bus. I literally felt my blood pressure going up the longer I read. Whew.

The Client by @jungkookiebus

This one hit me right in the feels. Taehyung is a sweet and lonely man who has a standing Wednesday appointment with an upscale sex worker. As the story progresses, feelings become involved on both sides. When I say I am checking her page thrice daily for part three... This is so engrossing. And this Tae. I just want to hold him.

Daffodil Dreams by @sombreboy

Tread carefully ladies and gents. This story is excellent, but it is easily the darkest fic on the list and, if you choose to read it, please read the trigger warnings carefully. The reader is a psychologist called in to analyze a very dangerous criminal. As their sessions progress, however, several boundaries are crossed.

Obey by @jjkfire

Taehyung is the most feared and ruthless member of the local mafia and you are the world’s most inept escort. You needed a job, but had no real interest in sex work and you’ve managed to fly under the radar as a glorified waitress until Kim Taehyung himself walks into your agency and decides that you’re the only girl he wants. Oh my gosh I loved this story so much. It was downright amazing and there is a surprise at the end that makes everything even sweeter.

[lokust]

Lore Olympus Tickle Headcanons!

I’m going to start with some side characters and then go into Hades and Persephone so enjoy this.

Eros

May come as a shock but I think Eros would be a true switch.

Loves being the lee or the ler in really any situation.

Absolutely loves to get Psyche all giggly, but he will not try to run away from retribution in the slightest.

As far as teasing when he’s in a ler mood, prefers the casual teases.

“Oh is this a bad spot? I didn’t notice?”

“No? What do you mean, no? You’re having a blast! You’re laughing like a maniac, you must be having a great time!”

Shockingly enough, casual teases don’t work on him.

But any like… baby talk teases?

Already on the floor, rolling around in a giggly puddle before he’s even touched.

Never been a fan of the tickle monster, as a lee or a ler.

Tickle monster teases just don’t get to him, and he doesn’t like to take on the “monster” role anyway.

Prefers to get straight to the point on either end of the tickling.

Anticipation does nothing but get him all frustrated and huffy.

Completely unashamed about his enjoyment of tickling.

He can be made to blush a bit if you talk about his little squeaks he tends to let out.

Or the faces he makes when he’s tickled.

His worst spot is on his right side, just above his hip.

With the right method, that spot will make him literally scream before he just breaks down into a pile of unhinged cackles and squeaks.

His favorite spot to have tickled is his shoulder blades. It gets him all giggly and squirmy but it makes him so happy.

His favorite spot to tickle is ribs. He absolutely loves ticklish ribs because he likes how many different tickly methods he can use on someone’s ribs.

50% lee/50% ler.

He’s the definition of a switch.

When he’s in a ler mood, he’s anything but subtle about it.

The first lee he can find is immediately turned into his victim (so long as they are okay with it of course).

His fingers literally start twitching, he gets absolutely restless.

His lee moods are almost identical.

He goes out searching for someone, and he isn’t above taking on a ler role for a moment to get someone to take revenge and satiate his mood.

Usually that’s not necessary as everyone can usually tell when he’s in a lee mood.

Gets all fidgety and excited.

No problem saying the t-word.

He doesn’t particularly like straight up asking for tickles, but he will if it’s absolutely necessary.

Loves gentle or rough tickles, it sometimes depends on his mood as to which one he wants but it usually doesn’t make a damn as long as someone is tickling him.

In that same sense, he always asks whether his lee prefers to be absolutely wrecked or if they want him to be gentle before he starts tickling them.

Hermes

Oh my God, can you say lee?

He literally will try to be a ler, but he just ends up flustering himself and curling up in a ball.

Secret little crush on Artemis.

While he usually ends up having to go to Eros or Persephone for his lee moods, the few times that Artemis has truly wrecked him gives her the spot as his favorite ler.

His laugh is loud and boyish and full of squeals. Literally cannot contain his laughter in the slightest.

His worst spot is his ribs, lucky for Eros.

His favorite spot is his sides, simply because they’re not as bad as his ribs, but they are almost as bad.

Any kind of teasing will literally kill him.

Sue me for this one but I think he’s a sucker for gentle tickles.

They get him all giggly and fidgety and he just curls up in a ball.

Though, he does love to be absolutely wrecked sometimes.

Absolutely loves raspberries, especially around his neck and ears.

Gentle kisses or nuzzles on any of his tickle spots make him absolutely forget how to function.

Give him nice raspberries on his tummy and sides and he will love you for the rest of eternity.

Be warned, he does kick. Completely unintentionally, but he can’t control it in the slightest.

Would rather choke on a lemon than say the t-word.

Asking for tickles? Sorry, he’s just going to bother everyone and their mothers until someone finally wrecks him.

And if that doesn’t work, he’s going to sulk under a pile of blankets until someone notices something is wrong, and he’ll do that for days if necessary.

Another quick warning, he is a cuddler. He’s going to want tons of cuddles afterwards and maybe even during if the tickles are gentle enough.

The worst best way to tease him is to talk about how much he loves it.

The tickle monster is his worst nightmare and he loves it.

Artemis

Not really much of a lee, but she doesn’t mind it from time to time.

Very brutal ler.

She’s not super ticklish, but she’s got a bad spot right under her kneecaps.

Remember how I said Hermes has a little crush?

Artemis is anything but dumb and she definitely knows.

Secretly has a soft spot for Hermes because he’s incredibly respectful, and he’s a very gentle soul.

Her teases are always absolutely evil.

Will chase her lee down.

Is absolutely not above cheap shots, she’ll go for a death spot immediately.

Like I said, she doesn’t much care to be a lee, but if she is feeling tickly, she’s going to want relaxing tickles, preferably on her back.

I don’t have much to say about Artemis.

One of the few times she tickled Hermes was when he fell asleep on her couch and he absolutely refused to get up.

She told him he had five seconds to get up and run because the tickle monster was coming after him.

When she caught him, she pinned one of his arms up and immediately started scratching and clawing at his ribs.

Loves to hear her lee laugh all helplessly.

Also gets a big head about making her lee all flustered so Hermes is a good match for her ego.

Her laugh is rich, it’s not too high pitched, or too low. It’s really consistent.

Her favorite spot to tickle is her lee’s hips.

Likes doing the thing where she digs her thumbs into their hipbones and wiggles the rest of her fingers on the back of their hips.

Can be gentle if her lee wants that.

Hecate

A ler. 100%

Never really tickled anyone until she and Hades got close, and then she turned into the ultimate tickle monster.

She literally is not ticklish. Any attempt at tickling her would be both useless and fatal.

Can recognize lee moods in an instant.

When she met Hermes, she was literally taken aback because she could just tell.

Her ler moods are not constant but they are consistent.

Would absolutely be Artemis’s partner in crime.

But Hecate is much more versatile when it comes to the type of ler she tends to be.

She’s either a seemingly merciless monster of a ler, or she’s a very nurturing, motherly ler.

It depends not only on her lee’s mood, but her own mood as well.

If her lee is having a bad day? Go get a hug from Hecate and let her give you the nicest tickles and teases you’ll ever get in your life.

Her lee is feeling playful and restless? Better watch out, she’s gonna have a blast destroying you.

Her favorite spot to tickle is her lee’s neck and ears, because they’re usually either just sensitive enough to get some giggles, or they’re an absolute death spot.

Her teasing is based on anticipation; Wiggling fingers and whispered teases about how bad it’s gonna tickle.

Loves to see her lee blush, but also loves to hear her lee scream when she gets to a particular ticklish spot.

Will start on a bad spot and pretend to move on from it before going right back to it.

Her favorite method is claws and spiders.

Like Artemis, she will absolutely chase her lee down, yelling out teases until she catches them.

And if you do run from her? It’s gonna be 100 times worse.

Running from Hecate is like poking a bear. It makes things worse for you, and much more fun for her.

Um aftercare? Yes. She’s gonna give you a blanket and some juice and she’s gonna make sure you’re all happy and tickled out before she gives you the biggest hug and tells you she’ll get you absolutely anything you need.

10/10. The best. Would absolutely poke this particular bear.

Persephone

Okay, Persephone is a very affectionate character.

So this is going to be a controversial take.

I feel like tickling happened so often when she was being raised in the mortal realm, that she got a little tired of being on the receiving end.

That’s not to say she absolutely hates tickles, but I do think she likes being a ler.

She does get occasional lee moods, but she doesn’t really like to be fully wrecked.

She wants cuddles and relaxing tickles while snuggled up under a blanket.

She’ll only tickle people if she knows for a fact that they’re absolutely, entirely comfortable with it.

If she does find out someone likes it, she will make sure they’re always receiving tickles when they want them.

Absolutely uses her magical flower goddess powers to tickle her lee, why would you even need to ask?

Teasing doesn’t really work on her because it’s just a part of the process in her mind.

Again, I feel like she went through a lot of tickles and teasing when she was growing up, so it was normal to her and none of it really affects her.

Her thighs and knees are her worst spot and I will die on that hill.

Doesn’t particularly care for her worst spots being tickled.

She likes her back being tickled because it’s relaxing.

Come on now, y’all know who her favorite lee is. Poor Hades.

Loves giving tummy tickles. It just makes her heart happy.

She is a master at teasing because she went through so much of it. She just knows what to say and do.

Her teasing is similar to Hecate’s. It’s all about anticipation.

She’ll claw her hands and wiggle her fingers above a bad spot and slowly get closer and closer to it until she finally starts tickling.

And the whole time she’s gonna be whispering teases.

“Uh oh… here it comes. Are you ready? I’m gonna tickle you!”

It literally doesn’t matter how badly she’s wrecking her lee, she always seems so sweet about it.

Could literally be killing them with tickles and she’d still be cooing about how sweet they are and how wonderful they’re doing.

Raspberries and tickly kisses are her specialty.

Definitely the type to laugh with her lee.

Literally can’t control it, she loves to see people happy and smiling.

No trouble saying the t-word or talking about tickle related things.

It’s a normal thing to her. It makes her happy and she knows it makes other people happy so she sees no reason to be ashamed of it.

Her laugh is light and bubbly.

If you do manage to wreck her, it turns shrill and high pitched, but that’s not really her cup of tea.

Hades

A bigger lee than Hermes.

The t-word makes him literally flinch in any context or situation.

So ashamed of it.

Would rather forget tickling even exists, but Hecate would never allow that and OH BOY PERSEPHONE WON’T EITHER.

Lee mood is his state of being.

Gets all huffy and embarrassed and mopes around hoping nobody notices and they all forget he exists.

Will not ask for it, will not provoke it, won’t even hint at it.

He literally always talks about wanting to feel safe and loved with someone, and wanting to be cared for.

Lee energy.

Cannot even begin to try to tickle someone because tickling in itself makes him want to hide under a rock.

Severely ticklish. Like, horrendously. He is a walking tickle spot, but his worst spot is his stomach.

Oh my God, he absolutely loves being tickled, it’s ridiculous.

Unlike the rest of them, his worst spot is his favorite spot.

His favorite ler will always be Persephone.

Likes to think nobody knows he’s a lee, but literally everyone knows.

Persephone tried to convince him that he doesn’t have to be so ashamed of it, but that just embarrassed him and he hid in his room for the rest of the day.

He warms up to it eventually but only a bit.

Will lay across Persephone’s lap like fuckin Cerberus and do his best to let her tickle him.

His favorite tease is definitely the tickle monster.

“Claws” wiggling towards his tickle spots and coming to attack while his ler (Persephone) coos those stupid little “I’m gonna get you~” teases.

Hades was deprived of all things affectionate and loving for the majority of his childhood, I can’t help but think he’d have a soft spot for the more childish side of tickling.

His laugh is full of snorts and hiccups, and any sort of tickling around his belly will make him lose his mind.

He is rather feather ticklish, which Persephone loves.

Is not opposed to Persephone using vines as… *cough cough* restraints.

Would rather choke than admit it but he usually does need to be pinned down or restrained in some way because it sends him into fight or flight and he cannot control anything he does.

He’s also enormously fuckin tall so it’s safer for Persephone if he’s held down properly.

Tried to gain more control over his reactions and squirming because he elbowed Persephone in the face once. (He begged for her forgiveness and apologized profusely. She laughed and assured him he was fine, but he was literally about to cry he was so upset with himself).

Lighter touches work way better on him.

Likes raspberries and kisses on his belly so much.

Only problem is that he is so wildly ticklish that any tickling will immediately tire him out.

He’s going to wrap himself around Persephone and fall asleep instantly, and she won’t be able to go anywhere until he either wakes up or, by some miracle, moves.

Not tickle related but he’s a clingy sleeper and I live by that.

Mushroom and Big John used to sleep in his bed but he would snuggle them in his sleep and he wouldn’t let them go for hours, so they started sleeping on the floor to escape their father’s cuddly habits.

I think when he starts accepting his lee moods and stops being so ashamed of it, he gets a little whiteboard and an expo marker and draws sad faces on the whiteboard for Persephone to see when he’s a lee mood.

Sometimes he forgets about it and goes about his day, and then when Persephone brings it up, it’s already too late for him.

[ga-yuu]

~Yoshitsune~Main Story Chapter 1~

If you haven’t read the prologue, I suggest you do that first and then start reading this. Also WARNING!!! The following story has violence and attempted murder.

*

*

*

-------Part 1-------

(I’m going to collect the mystical powers that are required to cancel my pact with Tamamo....and I will definitely open my own pharmacy!)

While thinking about my ordinary lovely life, I looked straight with all the courage I could muster.

Yoshino: “Please take care of me, everyone!”

Yoritomo: "If you can answer straightforwardly, that means you're doing well. ----Well, at least for now."

Shigehira: "Are you sure you should be lukewarm with her? The enemy is that Yoshitsune-san."

There is a hint of tension in his eyes as he says this.

(Yoshitsune-sama is....)

-----FLASHBACK----

Yoshitsune: "In order to defeat Yoritomo, I came from the brink of death....by surrendering my soul to an inhuman being."

-----FLASHBACK ENDS----

(Yoritomo-sama's younger brother, right?)

(But he is trying to defeat Yoritomo-sama...... even if it means that he should make a pact with the Karasu Tengu, Kurama.)

Yoshino: "Um, what kind of person is Yoshitsune-sama?"

Tamamo: "I'm curious, too. Even if Yoshitsune has Kurama's powers, he is a force that was destroyed once, and now when he's back, you guys are relying on Yoshino. Are not confident enough to take him down the second time?"

Yoshino: "Wait, Tamamo!!?"

(If you say something like that....)

The rims of Kagetoki-san's glasses gleamed and a sharp look shot through us.

Kagetoki: "It's not surprising that some pea-brain country girl and a jackass fox demon who slept inside a stone for hundreds of years, to not know."

Yoshino: "I'm not some 'pea-brain country girl'... you know what, let's just leave it like that for now."

(His words are so sharp!)

Morinaga: "Kagetoki, don't speak like that to them. They are on our side."

Tamamo: "Yes, yes. Show some respect."

Kagetoki: "I beg your pardon, did my ‘honestly’ let you down."

Morinaga: "Ka-ge-to-ki??"

Kagetoki: "......."

Kagetoki-san took a quick step away from Morinaga-san and closed his mouth grimly.

(He's smiling, but maybe Morinaga-san is actually indicating something else....?)

Shigehira: "You've gone way off-topic."

Yoritomo: "Don't get hung up on it, Shigehira. The one who knows the threat of Yoshitsune best is you. A Heike(Taira clan) who fought him directly."

Yoshino: "Heike...."

(If I remember it correctly, Shigehira-san called himself 'Taira no Shigehira'...)

Even if I'm a so-called 'pea-brain country girl', I do know well that 'Heike' and 'Genji' have been sworn enemies.

Yoshino: "Why did 'Taira no Shigehira' joined Yoritomo-sama, then....?"

Shigehira: "I would've normally brushed off that question saying that ‘it's none of your business', but I'll tell you this much. I fought Yoshitsune-san in the Genpai war and was defeated."

(eh?)

I felt a flicker of blue flame in Shigehira-san's lightly pigmented eyes.

Yoritomo: "Despite his appearance, Shigehira was considered a great general of the Heike clan. The Heiki was already on the decline at that time. It can't be said that it was simply a lack of power on the part of Shigehira that caused them to lose the war, but....It is certain that Yoshitsune kicked the Heiki to the curb and led them off with a flourish."

Shigehira: "I was supposed to be executed there, but for some unknown reason, Yoritomo-sama let me live. So, after all that, we've formed an alliance and I'm here in Shogunate. ...... Do you understand?"

Yoshino: "For now, yes."

(It sounds like a sensitive topic, but I'm not in the mood to ask.)

Shigehira: "The Yoshitsune-san, you're about to face with that confidence of yours is a heedless monster."

(If what you just said is about the time when the Genji clan defeated the Heike...)

Yoshino: "Does that mean, he's incredibly strong..........even before he attained Kurama's powers?"

Tamamo: "Are you meaning to say, that he's a 'one-man army'?"

Shigehira: "That's what I mean. He's already nasty, and now he attained inhuman powers."

Shigehira-san's frowning face had no fear, but only a determination to fight.

(All the others........have the face of a samurai.)

Kagetoki: "....At the same time, I accompanied the sovereign to battle as his valet, under the orders of Yoritomo-sama."

Yoshino: "Did you see Yoshitsune-sama in battle close up?"

Tamamo: "How was it, after seeing with your own eyes?"

Kagetoki: "As he already said, he's insanely good."

(Eh.......)

Kagetoki-san continued his words.

Kagetoki: "He is a general, but he leads the way, wielding his sword fiercely, ready to give up his life. Sometimes he pulls off what seems like a daredevil move. When the men below saw him, they ran after him as if possessed by something."

Morinaga: "There was a rumor at the time that no grass would grow after Yoshitsune-sama had stepped on it. When I saw him for the first time, I was astonished because he had such a graceful appearance and his skill with a sword in battle was superb."

(I can't believe the people who support the Shogunate are saying this much.....)

Yoshino: ".....Such an inspiring person."

Overwhelmed, I murmur, and Yoritomo-sama sarcastically lifts one end of his lips.

Yoritomo: "No matter what the crisis, Yoshitsune is a man who has the potential to turn the tide of war on his own. The fact is that without him we would have lost some battles."

(It's hard to believe that there really is such a person when you only hear about them.)

(But......)

(Yoshitsune-sama clearly had a different atmosphere to normal people.)

-------Part 2 -------

(Yoshitsune-sama clearly had a different atmosphere to normal people.)

Just the thought of those cold eyes on me is enough to make me squirm with fear.

Tamamo: "The soul of Yoshitsune is not that of an ordinary human being, as Kurama said. People like that have no ordinary life."

Yoshino: "And I have to fight such a person...."

Yoritomo: "Are you scared?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm scared.... (+4/+4)

I'm not scared.... (+4/+4)

I don't know....(+4/+4)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoshino: ".....To be honest, I'm scared."

(No matter how much power Tamamo has, Yoshitsune-sama seems to be more terrifying than I imagined....)

Yoritomo: "You're stupidly honest. But it's better than being lying. Well, for today rest well."

Yoshino: "Is there something you want me to do tomorrow?"

Yoritomo: "Don't worry about it, you can spend your time as you like. I'll give you a room."

Yoshino: "I'm not sure if I'd like that."

Yoritomo: "If you have any inconvenience, tell the maid. If you're bored, I'll arrange a suitable entertainment for you, whether it's music or dance."

(Ehhh)

Yoshino: "That's not what I meant!"

Yoritomo: "Then what did you meant?"

Yoshino: "I just wondered if it was all right for me to wait and fight Yoshitsune-sama. And Yoritomo-sama said that “I'll hire you”, didn’t he? . I can't just sit around doing nothing if I'm hired."

Yoritomo: "......!"

(What? No, wait. I'm having a bad feeling about this....)

Yoritomo-sama stared at me for some reason, and then immediately puts on a happy expression.

Yoritomo: "Heh? If you're that serious, I'll give you a job."

Yoshino: "Really....?"

Yoritomo: "Yes. Kagetoki, if I recall, last night you received a letter from another country requesting reinforcements for the war, right?"

Kagetoki: "Yes, but it is only a skirmish between two small nations. I don't think the Shogunate will have to act."

Yoritomo: "I was tempted to leave it behind, but it's not a bad idea to ingratiate myself with the war effort. Morinaga!"

Morinaga: "Whoa, are we on?"

Yoritomo: "Yes. Take Yoshino with you and check on the situation."

-------Part 3-------

Morinaga: "Whoa, are we on?"

Yoritomo: "Yes. Take Yoshino with you and check on the situation."

(Me!?)

Yoshino: "Wait a minute! Why are you sending me to the war all of a sudden?"

Yoritomo-sama smiles at me when I raised my voice in question.

Yoritomo: "You said you wanted a job right? You know what they say---- "It's better to get used to something than to learn it."

(That's right, but----)

...........................................

Yoshino: "Isn't it a bit harsh to just throw me here, without any experience?"

I was dumbfounded by the stuffy atmosphere of the battlefield.

Morinaga: "Sorry you have to do this, Yoshino."

Yoshino: "Please don't apologize Morinaga-san."

We are in the main camp where the battle has just begun.

Morinaga-san listened to the reports from the soldiers who came incessantly and gave instructions to the troops.

(I heard that he has told the soldiers around me that I'm accompanying him as a  pharmacist...)

(I feel like I'm being stared at from a while ago. It's not the right place for me to be after all...?)

I wondered if Tamamo being in the same position would be ordered to accompany me as I did.

But he was to stay at the palace because he was to teach Yoritomo-sama the details of Kurama's unusual ability.

Yoshino: "Everything happened so suddenly. ....... Is Yoritomo-sama always such a forceful person?"

Morinaga: "Except when he's wearing a catsuit."

Morinaga-san smiles with a freshness that would not be out of place on a battlefield.

Morinaga: "Hmmmm, but I don't think Yoritomo-sama sent you into the battlefield out of spite."

Yoshino: "....Then why?"

Morinaga: "The first time you fight, even the bravest warrior cowers in fear. And you're an untrained town girl. It's best to be familiar with the battlefield if you want to be able to survive if the unexpected happened."

Yoshino: "Ah....."

The memory of the night when we all first met, played in my mind.

-----FLASHBACK-----

Yoritomo: "Are you okay, Morinaga?"

Morinaga: "Yeah...the wounds are not deep...but, just be careful with that wind. They are like blades..."

Yoshitsune: "Adachi Morinaga, the fierce warrior. ....I'm impressed at how well you avoided them. It's a bit of a shame to kill you. If it hadn't been for the circumstances, I might have enjoyed playing with you more."

------FLASHBACK ENDS-----

(At that time, Yoritomo-sama and Morinaga-san were calm, even though it was the first time for them to see, Yoshitsune-sama's different ability.)

(Maybe that's because they've both been on the battlefield many times and been in danger.)

Yoshino: "It's true that on the battlefield you don't always have someone with you. So I'd better get used to it soon..."

Morinaga: "This is a small war, and as long as we are in the main camp we are not likely to be overrun. I'm sure you're was aware of that, right?"

Yoshino: "If only Yoritomo-sama had said that from the beginning, it would have made things a little easier for me...."

Morinaga: "That's who he is."

When Morinaga-san saw the next messenger rushing in, he stood up and replied as a matter-of-factly.

(Of course, I don't know anything about samurai or the people of the Shogunate yet.)

And a few minutes later....

(At first, I wondered what was going to happen, but then I realized the sun was setting...)

Morinaga: "Yoshino, Thank you for looking after the injured ones."

Yoshino: "No, please. It's the least I can do."

In the middle of the day, I took care of the wounded and moved around, and the time passed very quickly.

Morinaga: "Thanks to you, I think we're about to win."

Yoshino: "Really!"

(Good, that means we can go home safely...!)

But the joy was only short-lived-----

Soon there was a sense of unease in the main camp.

Morinaga: ".....Strange how noisy the front line is."

As if to affirm Morinaga-san's words, the number of injured people had increased than earlier.

(I'm managing to hold on to it for now, but if it increases any further I'll run out of medication.)

(What the hell happened.....?)

Scouts: "Morinaga-sama! It seems that the enemy has received reinforcements. The number is about a hundred!"

Morinaga: "Hundred? That's too much of a response for me. It’s almost the same as receiving a thousand reinforcement."

(A thousand.... that's how strong the enemy is?)

Morinaga: “.....Yoshino.”

-------Part 4-------

Morinaga: “.....Yoshino.”

Morinaga-san turns to me after I take a breath.

Morinaga: “Will you leave the battlefield for the time being with your escort?”

Yoshino: “What about Morinaga-san....?”

Morinaga: “I’m going to help my allies on the front line.”

(Mm.....)

Morinaga-san’s words are filled with a strong will.

(I’m anxious to leave Morinaga-san, but in this situation, I have no choice.)

(Even at this moment, there are people waiting for help.)

(Let’s at least try not to slow them down!)

I clench my trembling hands tightly.

Yoshino: “....I understand. But please be careful.”

Morinaga: “Yes. Same to you.”

.........................

I leave Morinaga-san and head for the rear with the escorts that were appointed for me.

It’s been a while since I’ve had to hold on to an unaccustomed horse and make it run...

(Huh? I think they’ve got a message.)

As soon as one of the soldiers came riding up and said something, the others began to murmur.....

Yoshino: “Um, what’s going on?”

I asked the soldiers who were nearby.

Soldier 1: “Actually..... We’ve been informed that the rear supply convoy may have been targeted.”

Yoshino: “Eh.”

Soldier 1: “If the rearguard, which keeps track of the battle and supplies the troops, is compromised, it will be a great blow to men who are fighting now....!”

(That’s....)

I think of Morinaga-san and the other soldiers I left earlier.

Soldier 2: “We can’t leave them behind. We must protect our allies. Let’s go!”

Soldier 3: “Our first priority is to protect Yoshino-san. And the quickest way is the beastly road, but it is too dangerous for those who are not used to riding horses!”

(I’m slowing them down....)

I opened my mouth out of frustration.

Yoshino: “...Um, if you can find someplace where I can hide, please leave me there!”

Soldier 3: “But....”

(My voice is trembling...but...)

(But the other soldiers are fighting for their lives. I can’t stand in their way.”

Yoshino: “If there’s a fight, it’s just as dangerous with you all, and I don’t want to inconvenience you by my presence. I’d rather have you come and get me after the fighting has died down....”

The soldiers looked at each other and kept their mouths shut.

After a short silence, one of them spoke up.

Soldier 3: “....What Yoshino-san said is true. Soon it will be night and the war will be over. Rather than keeping her with us, it would be better to hide her in a safe place. I’ll show you the way, just follow me!”

Yoshino: “Yes!”

A short walk into the forest and I was guided to...

Soldier 3: “There’s a hut over there used by the local hunters, so take cover. In case of emergency, send up a smoke signal....Please bear with us, we will come for you after everything is over.”

Yoshino: “....Thank you, please be safe!”

As the soldiers disappear, I realized that I was completely on my own from hereon.

(I’m worried....)

------FLASHBACK-----

Morinaga: “It's best to be familiar with the battlefield if you want to be able to survive if the unexpected happens."

------FLASHBACK ENDS------

(For the time being, all I can do is stay here and wait for the soldiers to return.)

(If anything goes wrong, I’ll create a smoke signal. ....So I should be fine.)

I told myself so and headed for the hut through the undergrowth.

When I opened the door----

???: “Who are you.....”

(Eh!?)

In a dimly lit corner of the room, a soldier lay in agony.

(His injuries are severe!)

Yoshino: “Are you okay....?”

As I ran up to the soldier, I noticed a flagstaff that had fallen beside him.

(This is....)

(...No doubt, this is the sign held by the enemy!)

Soldier: “Little girl...? ...What are you...doing..here...?”

Yoshino: “Me...”

(In case if he finds out I’m an enemy he’ll surely kill me.)

When I involuntarily step back, and my back hits the door.

Soldier: “Wait. .... I don’t know what town you’re from,.... but.. you can’t leave until the war is over. ....”

Yoshino: “Eh.....?”

The soldier remains limp, as if he has no energy to move, and throws out words of advice.

(This person is....)

(Even if he doesn’t know that I'm the enemy, he’s still worried about me when he’s the one who’s wounded.)

(I could save him with some medical attention.)

(But that’s not an act you can show to Morinaga-san and his friends who are risking their lives fighting the enemy.)

(What should I do....)

Soldier: “Nghh......”

Yoshino: “........”

Even as I hesitated, the blood from the soldier’s side pooled on the floor.

(I.....)

I took out a piece of cloth I had prepared in case of emergency and applied first aid.

Soldier: “Wh...What are...you...doing...?”

Yoshino: “Please stay still. I’m a pharmacist.”

(I don’t know the correct choice right now. But I’d rather be wrong than regret it....)

....................

After a while....

(I’ve stopped the bleeding for now... but there are a lot of scratches. I have to wash and dress the wound so it doesn’t get infected.)

(I’m sure there’s a river nearby, isn’t there? I have to go out for a bit....)

Yoshino: “Can you wait here for a moment? I need to get some water.”

Soldier: “Ye...Yeah...”

I left the injured soldier inside the hut and quickly headed for the river.

..................

(This is....)

The empty plains were a haunting sight.

A number of broken arrows pierced the ground, the remains of dead soldiers being burned by the fire, testifying to the fierce battle that took place.

(I’ve finished fetching water, I must get back to the hut as soon as possible...)

I pursed my lips and was about to hurry when---

???: “What are you doing here, fox princess?”

(This voice...)

From behind, a bone-chilling voice comes with a mysterious aura. I have felt this same feeling before, and I’ll never forget it.

(No way....Is ‘he’ is here...?)

It was as if the temperature had suddenly dropped and I was sweating so hard I couldn’t even look back.

Only the sound of footsteps approaching on the grass is very clear.

(....I have to run away!)

I force my stiff legs to move, and I start to run as if I were rolling---

Yoshitsune: “Stop.”

Yoshino: “Ah....”

He pulled my arms tightly, turning me around and the impact made me fell to my knees on the spot.

Yoshitsune: “It’s a much quicker reunion than I thought.”

Yoshino: “Yoshitsune...sama....”

Eyes like purple crystals looked down at me.

(...Such cold eyes...)

I tried to turn my head away in horror, but a hand on my chin prevented me from doing so.

Yoshitsune: “I joined the war on a whim, but I didn’t realise there was a hidden enemy lurking in the background.”

Yoshino: “So...the ‘enemy reinforcements’...are actually the rebels?”

Yoshitsune: “We didn’t bring enough men to be an army.”

(Speaking of which, Yoritomo-sama said....)

(.....He said Yoshitsune-sama could turn the tide of war to his favor by putting himself in any critical situation.)

(That’s why the war situation went downhill so fast!)

Yoshitsune: “Does you presence mean that the Shogunate has come to this battlefield?”

Yoshino: “That’s...”

Yoshitsune: “Is he here?”

A chill runs down my spine at the sheer intimidation.

Yoshino: “....Yoritomo-sama is not here.”

Yoshitsune: “----Really. Then it was the fault of Yoritomo-sama that he let his precious trump card slip from his hand.”

Yoshino: ‘Ahh....”

The tip of his sword was kept right on my throat and I stopped breathing.

My skin crawls with fear and my body trembles.

Yoshitsune: “.....You can resent me, Yoshino.”

Chapter 2

[magicboytrash]

MHA: Save Rock and Roll

So I had this MAGNIFICENT realization today. Save Rock and Roll (Fall Out Boy’s arguable best album) lines up with some of my favorite characters. So I’m going to break it down. More below page break!

The album starts off strong, with The Phoenix. 

This song deals with an absolute shit ton of fire imagery, which initially drew me to the Todoroki boys. However, the motif of changing, and rising up from the ashes reminded me of a certain... dusty man. The Phoenix in my opinion symbolizes Tomura Shigaraki. Shigaraki is incredibly impatient, always pushing forward to reach his goal, and feeling like things are stacked against him. This song perfectly encompasses this

Symbolic Lyrics:  One maniac at a time we will take it back You know time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start

The next song is a more mellow tone, Young Volcanoes

I was super torn between two very drastically different characters for this one, but finally settled on Tamaki Amajiki. This song feels like a dying summer, almost melancholically happy. It’s a song thats not full of words, but more-so feeling. Tamaki is quiet, with a shy happiness, much like this song.

Symbolic Lyrics: C'mon, make it easy, say I never mattered Run it up the flag pole

Next in line is Alone Together

When I first heard alone together, I knew it would be for someone with a troubled past. I settled on someone who I feel genuinely seeks companionship while overcoming their past. Shoto Todoroki is exemplified in this song 110%. He trauma dumps to anyone who listens, and is overcoming his past with friend/companionship. 

Symbolic Lyrics:  But do you got room for one more troubled soul I don't know where I'm going, But I don't think I'm coming home

Fourth on the album is Light ‘Em Up

This song could very obviously be about Dabi, but it felt more like a character who is fundamentally flawed, but hides behind a facade. Dabi owns his flaws, where as Keigo Takami. The hero commission is fundamentally flawed, of which Keigo is aware. Yet he still shows loyalty to a fundamentally broken system. 

Symbolic Lyrics:  My childhood spat back the monster that you see

Next up is The Mighty Fall

I immediately knew this character would be one to view falling in love as showing vulnerability. Vulnerability for them would be very rare to be shown, and it would be someone whose bonds are near unbreakable. Obviously for this, I felt Katsuki Bakugou was perfect. He is a character who would absolutely view it as “the mighty falling” when he falls in love. 

Symbolic Lyrics:  They say I got screws missing, well hell, only when I'm missing you And, hell yeah, I'm addict, girl, addicted to you

My favorite song on the album, Just One Yesterday

This song immediately read to me as someone who wants what other people have, and views themselves in both a self-hatred and self-deity kind of way. Essentially, they’re at the corner of God Complex and I Hate Myself Avenue. I felt this song reflected Hitoshi Shinso. This song deals with both a feeling of yearning and a sense of determination.

Symbolic Lyrics:  I don't have the right name O-o-o-or the right looks But I have twice the heart Anything you say can and will be held against you So only say my name

The coolest music video on the album, Where Did the Party Go?

This song has dance party, and vibes written all over it. Therefore it goes to resident party animal, Denki Kaminari. Denki has very relaxed energy when it comes to relationships with people, and this song definitely embodies that, set to a dance-type beat.

Symbolic Lyrics:  My old aches become new again My old friends become ex's again, yeah Oh where did the party go?

Next up is Death Valley

This song feels like someone holding on regardless of the circumstances, no matter how stacked against them they are. Eijiro Kirishima refuses to give up, regardless of how badly he is hurt. Death Valley deals with the feeling of giving it your all, even if it won’t be enough. 

Symbolic Lyrics: I'm either gone in an instant Or here 'til the bitter end I, I never know

One of the most complex songs on the album, Rat-a-Tat

This song is a call to arms. It urges the rejects of society to get on their feet and respond. It’s also an anthem to people wishing for a world they belong in. For me, that is Touya Todoroki/Dabi. Touya longs to have been accepted by his father, yet he never was. There are so SO so many lyrics that make sense for this song to be Touya. 

Symbolic Lyrics:

1.  To get on St. Peter's list But you need to lower your standards 'Cause it's never Getting any better than this

2.  Remember me as I was not as I am

3.  I'm the lonelier version of you I just don't know where I went wrong

Getting closer to the end, we have Miss Missing You.

This song (especially with recent episodes/manga) is heartbreaking when applied to a very specific person. Shota Aizawa has so many people he will carry with him, in his heart and memories. This song feels like Aizawa sitting down with Class 1-A and being honest with them about the hero lifestyle, and that the heroes do not always win. Its heartbreaking when you look at it through this lense.

Symbolic Lyrics:  Sometimes before it gets better The darkness gets bigger The person that you'd take a bullet for, is behind the trigger Oh, we're fading fast

The titular and final song on the album is Save Rock and Roll

One listen to this song and it becomes apparent that it is a hero who will defend his beliefs to the hilt. For us, that is Izuku Midoriya. Izuku understands the flaws of both sides of the coin, and has chosen to become a symbol of peace that truly everyone can unite behind. Save Rock and Roll deals with the resentment heroes feel towards those who helped put them in their positions of power, and their resentment of society for needing to be saved. Yet Izuku (and the protagonist of the song) still answer the call to heroism. They follow what is truly right.

Symbolic Lyrics:  Well, how'd it get to be only me (me, me, me, me)? Like I'm the last damn kid still kicking that still believes I will defend the faith

[dodo-begone]

Loyal here, and back from the dead! Had some health issues and family drama, but I should be completely back now! I hope this all makes sense, I had to take Benadryl so I’m kinda out of it at the moment.

——

For those who have been interested in the idea of a reader from Undertale, I’m so happy! Anon who went into detail with how y/n might be forced into bringing out their soul? *chefs kiss* I love it. And with Ranboo or Techno doing it on accident because of the voice(s)? Then, when they snap out of it and see y/n begging this ‘Frisk’ person for mercy? AAAAAAA YES P L E A S E. I live for the angst and that concept quenched my thirst for it. When it comes to the resets, I think that most of what happened during them felt like dejavú to y/n when going through the Underground, making them give reactions similar to the monsters who seem to recall certain things when you play the game again. However, when it comes to the genocide route, I feel like they don’t remember anything. At least...not until they’re put under extreme stress, panic, trauma, etc., or if they’re in an intense life or death situation. Only then would they remember. But it’s messy when they do. They get thrown into a memory and basically have a mental breakdown. Whether they remember it once they calm down or not...? Up to you. Anyway, here’s some of my own ideas based off all this!

- In Ranboo’s case, I feel like he’d know who Frisk is and quite a bit about y/n’s world. He just seems like the type of person you could tell anything to and he’d listen. Because of this factor, I can see y/n having either already shown him their SOUL, or having planned to in the near future. He’d recognize the situation—a panic attack—and do everything in his power to calm y/n down. He isn’t the type to pry, so he wouldn’t mention the reader’s SOUL unless it seemed to be in really bad condition. He’d rather y/n come to him and open up on their own.

- It’s a cry fest. They’re both tearing up and telling the other not to cry. Y/n knows it wasn’t Ranboo’s fault and doesn’t want him hurting himself over it, especially because his tears hurt him. They forgive him, it’s okay. Ranboo feels incredibly guilty for what he’s done. And seeing them crying over what he did and the trauma he accidentally brought onto them? He’s crushed. You know those sappy movies where the main characters are comforting each other, crying but letting out choked/hiccuping laughter? Not because they find the situation funny, but because they both react the same way and just want what’s best for each other and it’s all around adorable? That’s them.

- But, if it’s yandere Ranboo? He’d probably see this as proof that y/n is far too fragile for this world. Clearly, they need someone to protect them. He’d most certainly feel guilty about what he’d done, but he may play it up a bit to get as much attention/sympathy/whatever from them.

- For Techno, unless he was there when y/n initially woke up in the SMP, I don’t think he’d believe them. So he probably doesn’t know shit (or, he at least knows the basics), unless he found out from someone else. That’s just my opinion tho. Either way, I believe he’d think it’s all bullshit. However, he wouldn’t force an encounter to prove his point. He has at least some decency. No he doesn’t. I feel like he’d remind y/n of just how hostile monsters Underground were in the beginning, so they’d be weary around him. (I’m doing flat out yandere for him from now on bc that’s all I can think of rn)

- If he doesn’t know who Frisk is, I see him being slightly insulted that they think of some random stranger—as far as he’s aware—who clearly hurt them. He’d never do that! He—oh shit, he kinda sorta did do that...

- If he does know who Frisk is and is romantically interested in y/n, he’d probably be peeved that they’re basically referring to him as their sibling. He gets that they’re going through a traumatic episode but c’mon! He’d end up pushing the thought aside to help them. However, he may be slightly petty for the next few days.

- Keeping on the romantic yandere side, I see him possibly making the situation worse even if it isn’t his intention to. Whether he’s told by y/n or someone else, he at least knows what their SOUL is and what it stands for (even if he didn’t believe it till now). So here’s his little darling, all curled up and clutching their SOUL to their chest like it’s their lifeline. Oh, wait, it is. Sure, he’s surprised that it’s real, but any shock he would’ve felt is replaced by awe and he can’t help but notice how mesmerizing it is. So, he forcefully gently pulls their arms away from their chest, cooing at them and saying that everything’s fine, and removes their hands from the entity so he can get a better look at it. He watches as the (color) heart bobs slightly up and down, and can’t help but be surprised by how warm it feels against the palms of his calloused hands when he cups it. Any whimpers and pleas from y/n begging for their soul to be returned are blocked out. All he can focus on is the SOUL in front of him, the very culmination of their being, and how small it is. This little thing, that takes damage whenever their body does, that physically appears whenever they are in a fight, is what keeps them alive? That won’t do. Not at all. This land is far too dangerous for them! They better get used to his cabin, for as far as Techno’s concerned, it’s their new world home.

——

And Tommy forcing them into an encounter because he thinks it’s all bullshit? That would definitely happen. He’d feel so guilty once he sees the look of betrayal in y/n’s eyes and the disappointment that shows on the faces of anyone who had seen the forced encounter. As if they too weren’t curious. He noticed that no one stopped him. Let’s be honest. Most would be too curious to interfere.

- Y/n probably falls to their knees, cupping their SOUL in the palms of their hands. They know that Tommy wouldn’t actually hurt them, but they can’t help but feel as though their boundaries have been pushed aside, as though one of their only requests meant nothing to everyone. Tears slip and it takes watching the glowing heart, being lost in their own world as they mentally count every rhythmic bob to ground them. Once their breathing calms and their sobs turn into hushed whimpers, they push their SOUL back into their chest and stare at the ground, unsure of what to do next.

- Tommy definitely acts a hundred times more mature in the following moments. Depending on when in the DSMP timeline this occurs, he’d either be confident—and rightfully so—in his ability to help someone during a panic attack, or be hesitant, unsure of what to do, fumbling with his words and motions, but trying his damn hardest to help nonetheless. Either way, I see y/n appreciating it. Y/n literally come from a world where they would befriend creatures ten seconds after they genuinely tried to kill them and their sibling. I don’t see them holding a grudge. They’d most likely be slightly weary in the following twenty to thirty minutes, but get over it. After all, they’ve always chosen MERCY. Can’t say the same for their sibling, though. Tommy’s extra cautious about what he says or does around them after that.

- I feel like after a few weeks or months, y/n may bond enough with Tommy to want to show how much they trust him by bringing out their SOUL. Especially if they’re there through all the hell that Tommy goes through story-wise. To them, it’d probably be their way of telling him that they trust him with their life, and that they’ll always be on his side.

- Yandere or not, he does everything in his power to protect y/n if they remain weary of encounters. He’ll either find a way to avoid a fight, not wanting to hurt y/n by doing anything that would make him gain this supposed LOVE that comes from their world, or he’d do enough damage to allow them to escape without anyone or anything dying.

- If y/n discovers that they’re able to befriend the monsters of this world like they could their own, regular Tommy would respect that. He may be a bit antsy if the encounter drags on or if y/n sustains some damage, but he knows that they know what they’re doing. As previously mentioned, he’ll get involved if things go south, but he won’t kill anything. At least, not in front of them. Gotta get bones, blaze powder, and spider eyes somehow. But even then, he does it sparingly out of respect for y/n’s wishes. That, or he’ll have someone else get materials for him.

- Yandere Tommy wouldn’t risk shit. You can’t just talk to mobs, you idiot! You’ll die if you do that! And you’ve only got one life! He’d threaten to kill mobs right in front of y/n if it’d get them to stop trying to play house with disgusting monsters. That, or he may force y/n into killing. Their HP, AT, and DF increase when their LOVE increases, right? So they have to if they want to survive!

——

I agree with the anon that Dream and Vilbur would definitely force y/n into an encounter. Yandere or not. If yandere, they’d probably become obsessed with the concept of SOULS and constantly pressure them into bringing it out. They use it as a nightlight JKJKJK.

- Ya know how in Deltarune, Kris yeets their SOUL into a cage? Well, imagine that, but it’s forcefully taken by Dream. He’d put it in a glass container and show it off like some damn trophy. That, or he hides it away where no one can find it. Vilbur would do the same but keep the SOUL on his person at all times. That way no one forgets who y/n belongs to. To him, it’d show power and ownership. Much to his pleasure and mostly everyone else’s disgust.

- I’d also add Schlatt to the list of people that force an encounter, as well as yandere Sam. Schlatt would pull it out in front of everyone to show how much power he can hold ever someone, or, to use as a shield when he thinks Pogtopia will attack. They wouldn’t want to hurt an innocent person who’s got a little sibling waiting for them at home, would they? With Sam, he’d do it to make sure that y/n is in perfect health. Can’t risk there being any cracks or the SOUL being dim! Following Tommy’s death and revival, he’d probably do the same as Vilbur, keeping their SOUL with him and never letting it out of his sight. However, instead of doing it out of a show of power like Vilbur, it’s out of paranoia. He can’t lose you too. He has to know that you’re okay!

——

For some fluff, here’s who I think y/n would eventually trust enough to show their SOUL:

- Tommy (as mentioned earlier)

- Ranboo (also mentioned earlier)

- Tubbo (he reminds them too much of Asriel to not trust him with their SOUL)

- Captain Puffy (same as Tubbo, but for Toriel)

- Ghostbur (he’s just so nice!! How could they not? Besides, he sometimes reminds them of Napstablook! They probably call Ghostbur Blooky a lot on accident and the ghost just learns to roll with it LOL)

- Karl! (After hearing about this person who comes from a world with timelines and basically time travel, he can’t help but be interested. He’s losing so much, he needs someone who might possibly understand. They both share a similar hatred towards the concept of time travel/resets and the amount of pressure it puts on a person’s shoulders. That, and the lack of memories, even if they‘be both been effected by this in different ways)

- Bad (before he’s corrupted by the egg, of course. He’s so sweet omg. Besides, his personality gives me Toriel vibes)

I personally don’t see them trusting Philza enough, no matter how much he reminds them of Asgore. Then again, the King of Monsters is the one who basically put a bounty on their SOUL. He also refused their MERCY and forced them to FIGHT. Besides, when they hear from others—or see it for themself—that Philza kills his own son? I don’t think they’d ever forgive that. No matter what happens. You should refuse death, because there’s always another option. They’d know first hand, after all. With having their SOUL broken in half and pieced back together thanks to their own sheer will to live. To protect their sibling and save their friends. The battle against Asriel taught them so much, and they’d never take life for granted again thanks to it. “Asgore, though I may not stand by his methods of taking the SOULS of innocents—children, no less—I understand why he did it. He lost both of his children, his pride and joy, at the hands of humans. The real monsters of this w—of my world. He would have given anything to get them back. And you, you just throw your son’s life away? How could you?! Do you know how many beings, Monsters and humans alike, would sacrifice everything just to see their loved ones one more time? To take their place? To save them from a brutal death by the hands of those who want your SOULS? To see their small body covered in blood and burns or spears. Only for their death to have been meaningless, for their SOUL had shattered before it could be collected and used? When it should have been you, their big sibling, to take their place?” Yeah... they’ve definitely got some issues they need to deal with LOL. I personally headcanon that even if Frisk wasn’t able to reset, their soul would have been useless when it came to breaking the barrier because that thing shattered into PIECES. What would the monsters do? Use gorilla glue and hope the damn thing stays together?

——

Imagine how different characters, Yandere or not, would react to y/n’s soul shattering. Especially if it’s because y/n took a hit for them.

ALRIGHT THATS IT AND IM GOING TO SLEEP LOL

Omg that’s so much. It’s all so fucking good but I am just overwhelmed by how much is here because I want to answer it all but,,,

IT’S SO GOOF NIGHTLIGHT SOUL JANSJS PLEASE HAHA that’s just hilarious.

Also putting the soul in cages? YES THAT’S SUCH A GOOD CONCEPT TO BRING UP!!! Vilbur wanting to own while Sam wants to protect. Both lead to a similar end. An emotionless reader with no care for themselves or others. Just a rogue being. A zombie, I’d you will. But not dumb. Oh not dumb at all.

Also putting the soul in a jar??? I ca see DreamXD doing the same, if not similar. Ooo maybe he wears their souls on him? Trapping it in a piece of jewelry to display your “loyalty” and “love” to him.

I’m sorry I’m just not feelin too good.

[kizzys]

Starkid Rewatch: Black Friday 🎁

Let me just preface by saying the intro is absolutely chilling

curt's sniggle is so fucking adorable

They all are actually look at them

I don't know how to feel about the fact that I know the fucking wiggly jingle by heart

There they are - my emotional support paulkins

You're cutting into a heat of lettuce and oH shit a baby

I wanted a salad, but now I have a child

He will never invite "us" over again no labels my ass paul is her family

Can we talk about the way she looks at him here though, it's so fucking soft 🥰

The crowd goes wild as a wild dylan saunders appears

BuT wE aRe InTiMaTe

Thank you for your service. I didn't do it for you.

Okay

Okay

Okay

OKAY

Soulmate behavior

I still can't get over the fact that we got the softest version of paulkins in black friday

dylan's microexpressions in 'what tim wants' i'm going to cry

Also can we talk about how pretty the set looks

dylan just radiates dad energy

You can try telling me tom didn't adopt lex and hannah after all this i just won't believe you

HE HAS ARRIVED

Lexthan has my heart

They could have made ethan one of those cliche assholes whose only using lex and putting up with hannah but instead they made him soft and caring and the closest thing hannah has to an older brother/father figure to the point where he was ready to give his life to save them

So if ethan got the greyskull hat from a "powerful warrior" this technically means ethan has met or knows miss holloway

lex blowing kisses when ethan sings his part and ethan just bopping along/pretending to be paparazzi when lex does hers

We love a supportive couple

You're either in the smoke club or you're OUT

That better be fucking floss

linda monroe is a complete bitch BUT she can step on me please and thank you

That's called a bribe sir, and it's illegal...or it should be

I hope you don't get a wiggly, I hope you fucking die

'What do you say' is basically just a summary of shipping

curt is me watching my ship interact

sherman and gary are just holding hands and skipping in the background

corey you dropped this king 👑

'Our doors are open' is honestly the best song in black friday

It is to black friday what show stopping number is to tgwdlm

The grandeur, the drama, THE HIPS

So gary and linda have definitely fucked right

Get ready for audits! Audits up your ears! Audits in your yinyang! Audits in your wazoo!

Higarygoldsteinattorneyatlaw

RIGHT IN THE SUBPEONA

Feast or famine is a fucking masterpiece

The chorus part is visually stunning

The music to show me your hands playing when james' cop enters

The first thing ethan asks curt's shopper is if he's okay, pure soul

They kicked his head

His last act was to protect hannah and his last thought was of lex im crying

GIVE ME THAT FUCKING DOLL I'M IN A HURRY

I don't know if you wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna fuck with me miss monroe

The lighting here is incredible

And they both look very hot

Do you see him? Do you see him? Do you see him? Do you see him? Do you see him?

YES I FUCKING SEE HIM!

jaime in a suit is making me gayer

morris rocking the wiggly like a baby

They all went completely fucking feral in this scene its incredible

curt REALLY went for it

Hope you don't mind that I let myself in. Into the oval office?

The audience clapping after everything mcnamara says is honestly a mood

The positioning of the people in the background in monsters and men is amazing. cross and linda - evil; frank, becky and roberts shopper - people who have both light and dark in them; and lex and hannah - good

jingle jangle jingle jangle jingle jangle jingle jangle jingle jangle jingle jangle RING A LING DING

Is it just me or does jon's character look like he's there to fucking murder a child

I mean jeff has a full on beard and even he looks more like a teenager than jon does here

Santa claus is going to highschool: a hallmark-esque Christmas movie starring a bunch of teenagers

Jon's "highschooler":

'Take me back' makes me cry every time its so beautiful

This is such a soft moment

a ReD tRiCyClE

So john and lee are definitely husbands im not taking no for an answer

I've met God, he had nothing nice to say about you

She likes to be tall

'Do you want to play' is honestly such a creepy song

It gives me chills every time

[casually eats an apple in the middle of an evil speech]

Actually its not even an evil speech, cross may be evil but every word of his speech is fucking true

I can't be evil, I'm a status quo democrat

No john don't leave your husband

I'm honestly loving starkid's trend of calling america out on its bullshit

The fact that only the female sniggles have worn the antennae till now and then robert's sniggle is wearing one in 'made in america'

I'm thinking

This was the most creative thing ever and I gasped when I saw it

owen and curt walked so cross and howie could run

lex singing "should I never have wanted" during black friday and paul saying "it doesn't matter what I want" in let it out

Two crucial songs that are character defining points

I don't want your half baked sympathy, when did it save those in need?

Angela's performance of black friday honestly makes me cry every time

[eagle screeching]

They're all into fortnight dude!

An update in songs that make me cry every time - if I fail you

Especially the part where the music switches to 'what tim wants' and he starts singing about jane

Is this some kind of a jOooke?

I've said it before and I'll say it again - he will wiggle has THE horniest choreography in the history of starkid, and that is including all of mamd

Specifically whatever gary and curt's shopper are doing

becky barnes is a fucking badass

I know gary leaves with linda because jon and lauren needed to be in the next scene as paul and emma, but this technically means that gary escaped

tom and becky immediately hugging the girls once they're out of danger i'm soft for them

Can we talk about how paul and emma were basically ready to adopt tim

Wear a watch

Everyone else is looking at their hands during what if tomorrow comes, but paulkins are looking at each other 🥺

Yes I am back on my paulkins bullshit

I never left

Also paul, despite his deep hate for musicals, sings in 'what if tomorrow comes'. Do with this information what you will

I know the most probable scenario is that they all died in the end but I refuse to believe it

[blackjackkent]

Continuing the hunt for sidequests to pick up in Rivington!

I think Hector is really enjoying being able to walk around in the sun and talk to people. They spent a long time in the shadow-cursed lands and, while they started to get used to it, it was always an oppressive feeling. Baldur's Gate clearly has a LOT of problems, and he is not pleased either to feel so crowded around with people or to see the casual cruelty with which many of them are being treated - but there's sun and cheerful voices too and that's a nice change.

Another quake as we start moving further north.

On a lighter note, there's a sign here for a circus!

a) This is an incredibly ominous name for a circus. b) The last time I saw a circus in these games was Baldur's Gate 2 where it had been taken over by a mad gnome that trapped everyone inside and turned them into monsters. (Although we also met Aerie there so it evens out.) c) The narrator sounded INCREDIBLY skeptical reading this out, lmao.

Not sure where the circus itself is but we will definitely check that out soon. Carrying on...

There's a very large windmill in the center of the area that seems significant. It's locked but no one is much looking at it, so not hard for Hector to pick the lock and take a look around. Inside is a hatch leading to the basement.

In the basement we find

??? UM?

Narrator: Before you lies the unconscious body of a mind flayer, glistening and raw.

"A newborn...?" whispers the Emperor in his head. "Unattended? How fortunate..."

Hector misses when the Emperor at least made an effort to sound like a soothing, friendly voice instead of the hollow growl that now rings through him every time their "guardian" has something to say.

"It doesn't *feel* very fortunate," he thinks back sardonically along the connection that binds them all.

"Oh, but it is," the Emperor purrs. "This one has only just transformed. It is weak, vulnerable - its potential ripe for harvesting. Go on. Kill it. Absorb its power. Just like you did before."

Hector shakes his head. All his trust for the Emperor disappeared when he realized the "guardian" wants him to become a mind flayer as well, just a free one. He has no interest in further developing his "potential".

The Emperor is right about one thing, though - this creature is currently vulnerable, and it certainly can't be allowed to walk loose in the refugee camp. Even one mind flayer is a deadly threat, and he's more than a little worried about how this one comes to be here in the first place.

Attack the creature before it wakes up.

The mind flayer stirs as Hector moves forward to strike it--

"What? NO! I've had so little time!"

Not a difficult fight; we got a surprise round and completely destroyed it before it could get a shot off.

"Interesting," the Emperor says as it dies. "The creature was born recently. Its mind is still fresh. You can absorb its potential if you consume it."

Hector, as mentioned, has no interest in doing that - but what he does want to know is who turned this mind flayer in the first place. It was clearly a civilian here, judging by its pants, and we heard them screaming from outside (though I didn't realize until coming down here that this was where the sound came from).

I had Shadowheart load up Speak With Dead and give it a try (the first time I have remembered to do this in the whole game :P ). But it did nothing. "The corpse does not respond."

Bummer.

However! There is still an available answer to our question - and it's one I should have put the pieces together on, honestly. Looting the dead flayer gets us not only the brain (which we could consume like a tadpole for Extra Illithid Powers) but also this note, titled "Absolute Orders: Newborn":

Well, that answers that question. There are True Souls within the city already - among the Fist. And this one received its order for ceremorphosis.

...Shit.

[sage-nebula]

Game Review — Blue Fire

One of my all-time favorite game series is The Legend of Zelda. My favorite game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And my second favorite game of all time is Hollow Knight. So it would make sense, then, to think that a combination of the two would be the most amazing thing the world had to offer me.

Overall Score: 7/10

Well . . . it could have been better. It also could have been worse, absolutely, but it also could have been better. For more detailed thoughts, jump below the cut (and view on blog due to formatting).

The Pros:

The graphics and animation are beautiful. The specific Zelda game the graphics brought to mine (despite the color palette, which was clearly more Hollow Knight inspired) was The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Whatever reason the developers had for going the cel shaded route (maybe they had an artistic vision in mind, or maybe it was easier somehow) it was a good one to make. In particular, all of the glowing and flame effects were lovely, the shadows all fell in the right places, the characters were charming to look at, et cetera. Everything worked well with the acrobatics as well. Visually, the game is beautiful.

For the most part, the platforming is fair and even platforming challenges are doable with enough practice. This is particularly true for the overworld / main dungeons, rather than the Voids, which are more extra dungeons that you don’t have to complete to beat the game (although doing so certainly makes the game easier given that each completed Void gives you another life heart). While there were some areas where the game lagged for whatever reason and threw off crucial timing, as well as some Voids that were definitely more Platform Hell than simply platforming, the platforming puzzles were very well put together for the most part and were enjoyable to play.

The fast travel system, when unlocked, is incredibly convenient and takes a lot of the headache out of traveling around the world, particularly given that you use the shrines for a number of things (fast travel, saving, char—spirit equips) and there aren’t any maps present in this game whatsoever. It does take some time to unlock fast travel and you’re not exactly pointed in the direction to get it (in fact I had to look up to figure out where I was supposed to go to get it), but once you have it it’s a well-developed system that took a lot of pain out of playing that would have otherwise been there.

A minor thing that I liked, but (just like in Hollow Knight) when you die, your spirit or soul is left behind. Also like in Hollow Knight, it keeps all of the money you had on you when you died. Essentially, it is the exact same thing as the Shade from Hollow Knight, but white instead of black. Anyway, the minor thing I liked about this is that if you die in a boss fight, your spirit waits for you directly outside the boss arena, meaning that you don’t have to try to reclaim it while the boss is trying to kill you. It was a nice bone the developers threw the player.

While no tracks in particular standout, and while the OST doesn’t live up to the OSTs of the inspirations behind this game, there were times when the music was very nice, which is always a plus.

While the main quest is very short, there are numerous sidequests you can do even apart from the Voids that give you things to do in each area, making them feel a little less small and giving you a bit more time with the game, as well as unlockables as rewards (mainly in the form of new costumes, but still). There are lots of little secrets hidden around in each area too, which is nice to discover if you’re someone like me who loves exploring in games. 

The Neutrals:

The story. The story is . . . how do I put this . . . okay. So, it’s clear the developers wanted to write a story with the aesthetic of Hollow Knight (ruined kingdom, lots of shadow / light dichotomy, fallen kingdom, et cetera), but with an overt storytelling style like The Legend of Zelda. So you get a lot of exposition about what happened in the past, and what you as the main character are supposed to do now . . . but the thing about the exposition is that not only is the same thing repeated about fifteen different times (such as the constant harping on about how the main character contains both light and shadow within them), but also there are huge chunks of seemingly important detail that are just left unexplained. Like for instance: we know that the Fire Guardians from the Fire Keep were one of the last strongholds against the Shadow (who was also the sixth god and has also corrupted the queen yadda yadda). And we can extrapolate that the Fire Guardians were specifically trying to create a warrior that was both light and shadow based on the fact that the game starts with the main character breaking out of a test tube with a bunch of corpses that look just like the player scattered around, seeming to be failed experiments (i.e. just like how the Pale King created the Hollow Knight in Hollow Knight). But the only Fire Guard that we see around is Von. I think he mentions briefly once that the Fire Guards were trying to make the warrior, or had made the warrior, or something like that, but we’re never told why, exactly. We don’t know what processes led to that. We don’t know who was in charge. We don’t know why this specific type of warrior was needed except “since you have both you may be the answer.” And the fact that there were apparently a bunch of failed experiments is never really touched upon either. Furthermore, we’re told that the five gods had lifted Penumbra (the world) into the sky to protect it from the Shadow (a la Hylia raising Skyloft to protect the people from Demise), but that it didn’t work and the Shadow ultimately got to them anyway. So allegedly this is a post-apocalyptic land. But the only thing to really be ravaged is the Temple of Gods, where apparently the corrupted queen sleeps. Everyone else seems mostly fine as long as they avoid the monsters? It’s like they were going for what Hollow Knight did, but didn’t quite want to go the full route of having corpses literally everywhere on-screen at all times. Although weirdly enough, there is also a distinct lack of NPCs which makes the world feel more empty than Hallownest despite the circumstances . . . What I’m getting at here is that there definitely is a story, but it was told in a way that was pretty sloppy. It’s not so sloppy that it detracts from the overall experience, but it’s like too much was piled on in some areas and not enough was explained in other areas. Or like they took some things they liked from other games (e.g. making the creation of the “warrior of light and shadow” reminiscent of the creation of the Hollow Knight) without following through on what made those things work. Like it wasn’t just that there were a lot of failed Knights and that their corpses were tossed into the abyss and that The Knight had to try to claw his way out (as did Broken Vessel and others) while the “successful” Hollow Knight was raised by the Pale King. It was also that we know that the entire reason why the Hollow Knight was created in the first place was to contain the Radiance / the Plague. It was also that these hundreds or thousands of corpses were the Pale King’s children. It was also that the Pale King has a monologue over that segment saying, “no mind to think, no will to break, no voice to cry suffering” as requirements for the Hollow Knight to be considered successful. The horror didn’t come just from the corpses being tossed down the pit around you as you had to climb up in an attempt to get out, but also at all of the surrounding context, which was left entirely out of Blue Fire’s version with the warrior of light and shadow. Not that they should have copied it (although if they had it really wouldn’t have been surprising), but it’s clear what they were trying to do and where they failed because they didn’t have the follow through to go with it. I feel like the above paragraph is so critical I should move it to The Cons, but I do want to say that I don’t think the story itself was terrible. It borrows so much from both Zelda and Hollow Knight that it really isn’t original and it doesn’t follow through on things that made those stories work, but overall it doesn’t ruin the experience, even if all of the repetition gets old pretty quickly. Although as a final note, I’ll also add another thing that bugged me, which is that we never learn what the people of Penumbra are. Like we know the Shadow is bad, but they all look like Shadow people. We know there are creatures called “onops” but we don’t know what they are, or if everyone is an onop. Whereas in Hollow Knight we know that all the characters are bugs. It’s just another little thing that wasn’t explained but probably should have been.

On a less long note, the combat is also pretty mediocre. Again, it’s not bad. There is a parry system that, if you learn to time it right to actually pull off the parry, is pretty cool. But although you are given magic, which is useful for killing long-distance enemies, the magic can’t do a single thing for you in boss battles no matter how many times you upgrade your mana. Additionally, it is very much a “mash Y to win” type of game, where Y is the button you use to attack and you just mash that while jumping around. There’s no complexity to the combat at all or any strategy that is really required. It’s not bad, per se, but it’s nothing to write home about either.

The charms in this game are called spirits, and while you can buy a majority of them from shopkeepers, you can also “capture” your own by coming across the spirit of a dead person and trapping it to use its power for yourself. This is made apparent when you go back to a young child who is dead the second time you go to see them, and capture their spirit for use. Also when you literally murder an NPC for a sidequest and then later capture their spirit to use for your own use. And aside from the sidequest giver being horrified you killed the NPC and telling you to keep it hush-hush (without even knowing that you can and will capture the spirit of that murder victim for your own use) this . . . is never really remarked upon. Ever. And the thing is, it creates a sort of dissonance, because your character is treated as a hero in this game. No one seems horrified by you, there’s never any question of whether your existence is moral or not, nor any reason to think that your character would be amoral. In Hollow Knight, the Knights were created to be soulless husks who were there to be vessels for the Radiance / infection. Hornet in particular calls out your cursed existence and how she does not like you because of it. But although you can learn “emotes” from statues (which is teaching your character either actions or emotions, it’s unclear), no such deal is made here. So this aspect of the game is strange, even if I can at least appreciate that they tried to make their spirits a tiny bit different from Hollow Knight’s charms. Though with that said . . .

The Cons:

It’s one thing to be inspired by other games, but the sheer amount that this game cops from The Legend of Zelda and Hollow Knight is, at least to me, incredibly distracting. Just a handful of examples off the top of my head: — In Hollow Knight, you have a Shade that lingers where you last died and keeps all of your money from when you died. In Blue Fire, you have a spirit / soul (again, it’s unnamed) that lingers where you died and keeps all of your money from when you died. You have to retrieve them before you die again to get your money back. — In Hollow Knight, you have different circular charms that each have a different design, name, and grant you different abilities. You can only have a certain amount equipped at a time (though you can increase how many you can equip at once) and you can only equip them at save points. In Blue Fire you have different spirits that are contained in circles that each have a different design, name, and grant you different abilities. You can only have a certain amount equipped at a time (though you can increase how many you can equip at once) and you can only equip them at save points. — Everything I explained above about how the main character breaking out of a test tube at the beginning, surrounded by corpses just like them, felt like an echo of the Knight’s creation in Hollow Knight (but again, not as effective for reasons outlined above).  — The default tunic has a hat that is exactly like Link’s from The Legend of Zelda. This is made even more obvious with the dyed green tunics. — The story segment detailing how the five gods created Penumbra was copped from how the golden goddesses created Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. To compare the dialogue: Ocarina of Time: “Din. With her flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth.” Blue Fire: “Dina, God of Land. With her mighty body of stone, Dina carved mountains, deserts, and landforms in the earth.” It’s in the exact same cadence, to the point where I half expected the artifact they created at the end of the story to be the Triforce (instead it was called the Oath of Sarana).  — In Hollow Knight, the titular Hollow Knight is housed inside the Temple of the Black Egg, and is in fact locked inside that Black Egg to seal the Radiance / infection. There are three locks on the egg, and each one will only be broken when one of the three Dreamers dies. You have to break all three locks to face him, a corrupted “final” boss. In Blue Fire, the corrupted queen is housed inside the Temple of the Gods. There are three locks on her door, and each one will only be broken when one of the three Shadow Lords dies. You have to break all three locks to face her, the corrupted final boss. — It’s implied that, especially in places like the Temple Gardens, that the humanoid enemies that attack you are not monsters, but are people who were once completely normal and even forces of good who were corrupted by the Shadow. This is exactly like how all of the enemies you face in Hollow Knight (with the exception of, say, Hornet) were also once normal bugs before they were turned into zombies by the infection. I could go on. The point is, it’s perfectly fine to be inspired by something. Hell, it would be hard to find an action/adventure game that wasn’t inspired by The Legend of Zelda at this point. But it’s one thing to be inspired by something, and another thing to completely rip-off your inspiration to the point where the similarities are distracting to your audience. And it’s not just me; when I was looking up the exact dialogue for the story of the gods from Blue Fire, I found others who were pointing out just how similar everything was to Hollow Knight in particular, including someone who, like me, realized that the Temple of the Gods was essentially the Temple of the Black Egg. When things are this blatant, it feels a whole lot less like inspiration and a whole lot more like plagiarism.

The Voids all have a star rating to indicate how difficult they are. These star ratings are completely meaningless. Granted, partly it’s because everyone is going to have different abilities and so it will be hard to create an overall difficulty scoring that will be accurate for every player, but it’s also telling when a four-star course is miles easier than a two-star course, which I found to be the case on more than one occasion due to level design that was, at times, kind of bullshit. 

Although there are NPCs, there are none who are memorable or standout, despite the fact that most of Penumbra’s populace is (maybe?) still alive. Unlike in Hollow Knight, where there were characters like Elderbug, the Last Stag, Hornet, Quirrel, and so forth that were memorable and lovable, all of the NPCs in Blue Fire feel rather the same and are pretty easily forgettable.

The world itself is incredibly small. While the fact there are no maps makes this kind of a good thing, on the other hand it’s a bit disappointing that there are a total of two towns and then a few small connecting areas. It doesn’t really make it feel like the kingdom that it’s supposed to be. 

On that note, why aren’t there maps? The fact that there is fast travel is really more of a necessity than mere convenience because there are no maps to help lead you around. If you put down the game for a while and then go back to it, you might not remember how to get to different areas in the game, and if you haven’t unlocked fast travel yet (since it is something you have to unlock) you’re going to be pretty much boned due to the lack of a feature that is in basically every other game. 

Overall, while this is not a game I think I would ever go back to, it also isn’t one that I regretted purchasing and playing. It could definitely have been better, but it also could have been worse. My only hope is that the next game this studio makes is more original, rather than copying so much from other, more successful titles. (Or at the very least, that they study why certain things worked in more successful titles, instead of just copying at the surface level and calling it a day.)

[worryinglyinnocent]

Fic: Leave a Piece of You Behind

Summary: Every time Hohenheim uses his alchemy he uses up the souls inside, leaving an emotional imprint on the world. 

He always swore he would never use it on Trisha, but one day, it’s unavoidable. As the souls make her whole again, it forges a strange bond between her and Hohenheim. It’s not quite telepathy, not quite empathy, not quite sympathy, but it’s something, and it will change the course of their lives forever and shape the future to come.

(Or: Trisha lives - twice over - and when Hohenheim returns after ten years on the road trying to defeat Homunculus, he returns to the family and home he was expecting to find.)

Rated: T

Content warnings: Childbirth complications and childbirth-associated gore. Very sick child. (He gets better!)

=

Leave a Piece of You Behind

1899

When Hohenheim first told Trisha his story, he made a promise to himself that he would never use his alchemy on her, and she laughed and told him not to make promises he can’t keep. For all he doesn’t want to taint her with what he is, for all his immeasurable raw power, he can’t possibly see the future and there might come a day when there’ll be an impossible choice, and alchemy is what he’ll choose.

Today is that day. Hohenheim knew it long before Pinako and Yuriy showed up and shooed him out of the room. Trisha’s water broke in the early hours, a good five weeks before she’s due, and there was bright red blood in the glossy fluid. She’s been crying with pain ever since, and he’s been pacing the corridor from the nursery to the bedroom door and back again, listening to Trisha’s voice get smaller and quieter, and Yuriy’s and Pinako’s get more and more concerned.

“It’s an abruption,” he hears Yuriy say. “We need to operate if we stand any chance of saving either of them.”

No. Not on Hohenheim’s watch. Not when he knows he can save both of them. Not when the midwives and doctors resident in his veins are already telling him what needs to be done, and the others are calculating how much will need to be expended to secure both Trisha and the baby’s lives.

He opens the bedroom door, and Pinako tries to shove him back out.

“Hohenheim, you really can’t be here.”

“She’s my wife and she’s having our baby and I know they’re both dying, Pinako, so let me in and let me do what I can do.”

Although Pinako trusts him as a person, she’s never quite trusted his strange and intensely powerful alchemy, but she steps aside and allows him in. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen so much blood; the bed is drenched in scarlet.

Trisha is pale and cold and clammy, her breathing coming in shallow pants.

“The placenta’s come away from the womb lining too early,” Yuriy explains. “Trisha’s bleeding and the baby’s not getting any oxygen.”

Hohenheim nods his understanding and goes over to Trisha, squeezing her hand.

“Trisha? Love, can you hear me?”

“Hey, Van.” Her voice is soft, slurring and mumbling over the words, but it’s still there. That’s all he needs.

“Trisha, this will hurt, but I’ll make it better. I promise.”

She nods weakly and Hohenheim gets to work, ignoring Yuriy’s strangled bark of shock as Trisha’s abdomen slices open under his touch and he reaches in with red sparks flying off his fingers, finding the baby’s head and pulling him out.

Immediately Pinako is there to take him, level-headed and unperturbed by the whole thing as always, and Hohenheim can stop the bleeding, knitting layers of ripped flesh back together again until the entry wound is closed and there’s not even the slightest scar to show for it. Yuriy has since regained his momentum and steps in to make sure Trisha’s all right.

Hohenheim turns his attention to Pinako and the blue, unmoving bundle in her arms that she’s trying to get to take his first breath.

“Come on, Edward.” They decided on Edward for a boy months ago. Trisha had been so convinced she was having a boy that they hadn’t even discussed girls’ names. He presses his palm over his son’s chest, so tiny in comparison. The alchemy sparks again, and there’s a chorus of voices almost singing through his veins, encouraging the baby to breathe. It’s so strong Hohenheim slips into Xerxian along with them. “Breathe, Edward. Breathe, my little golden one.”

Edward finally takes a massive gulp of air and starts screaming loud enough to wake the dead, and everyone in the room bursts out laughing with sheer relief.

Pinako hands Edward over to him and his tiny flailing fist catches Hohenheim’s finger in a surprisingly strong grip for someone so incredibly small.

“I’ll keep you safe,” he says softly, but, although it breaks his heart to do it, he stops short of saying I promise. After all, he’s immortal and Edward isn’t, and today has already taught him the futility of making promises he can’t keep.

X

1904

Ever since the day that Ed was born and Hohenheim plunged his hands into her to save them both, Trisha has been oddly… aware of him. Even when he’s not there with her, she can still just about feel him in the back of her mind.

It’s not telepathy, not really, just a feeling, an impression, all very nebulous and no-one would believe her if she told them. Well, no-one apart from the boys, and even then, Ed is a born cynic. Just a feeling, nothing concrete, but it’s always been a nice reassurance, knowing that he’s still around and still all right.

In these last few months since he’s been gone, it’s been even more so. She knows that wherever he is, he’s all right, and he misses them all, and that’s all she needs to know. He’s safe, and he’ll come back to the boys when he’s done doing whatever it is that he has to do. He promised, and she’s told him before about making promises he can’t keep.

It’s just such a shame she made one of her own. She coughs wetly, but it does nothing to clear her aching chest.

I’m sorry, darling. I made a promise I couldn’t keep. I have to leave you first. Just be sure you keep yours and come back to the boys, all right?

Time’s been standing still with day and night blending into one for a couple of weeks now, and Trisha has no idea how many hours have gone by when she hears the gentle whisper of a familiar voice in her ear.

“Trisha? Love, can you hear me?”

“Hey, Van.” She just hopes he can hear her in return. Her voice is so small these days. She wonders if he’s really here or if this is some kind of feverish hallucination her brain’s conjured up to comfort her in her final moments.

“Trisha, this will hurt, but I’ll make it better, I promise.”

“You said that when Ed was born.”

He laughs softly. “I kept my promise though, didn’t I?”

She nods. There’s a piercing pain in her chest and she feels the lightning shock of alchemy course through her veins. It leaves her exhausted, every muscle pounding like she’s just run across the great desert to Xing, but her chest is clear, and she can feel that the illness is gone.

“There. Now you can keep yours, too.”

He squeezes her hand, and Trisha finally opens her eyes to see if he’s real.

He’s dishevelled and worse for wear from the horrible weather outside – his hair’s dripping on the blankets – but he’s definitely there.

“You came back.”

“I could tell something wasn’t right.”

That odd awareness must go both ways. Just as she’s been reassured knowing he’s been all right, Hohenheim has known she’s not been all right and he has not been at all reassured.

“How long can you stay?”

He shakes his head. “I can’t. I have to go again. I won’t put the boys through watching me leave again. Best if they think I was never here, and you got better by providence.” His voice is cracking, and Trisha can tell how much it’s breaking his heart to go again. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

Trisha doesn’t chide him about promises he can’t keep this time.

He stays until she falls asleep, and when she wakes up, he’s vanished like a phantom. Outside the bedroom door, she can hear Ed and Al arguing, with Al swearing up and down that Dad was here last night and Ed countering that he couldn’t have been, because Dad left and Isn’t Coming Home.

“He is coming home,” Al says simply. “He promised.”

“Al, you dreamed it.”

“No, I didn’t! Dad was here, and I saw him, and he promised to come back! He even pinkie-promised!”

Trisha sighs. Best laid plans of mice and men and Hohenheims and all that. She sits up in bed and calls out to her sons.

“Ed? Al?”

They rush in, beaming to see her well again.

“I told you!” Al says. “Dad came back and made Mom better!”

Ed’s too relieved to argue the point.

X

1910

Al always remembers the night that Dad came back, even though Ed stubbornly maintains it was all a dream. Even now, six years later, he remembers those few minutes more clearly than anything.

He wakes up in the middle of the night to a shadow in the doorway, peering in to check on them. It doesn’t worry him. Since Mom’s been ill, the Rockbells often come over at all hours to give her medicine and they always look in on him and Ed too.

The shadow is too tall to be Granny Pinako, it has long hair tied back so it can’t be Uncle Yuriy, and the moonlight is reflecting off glasses, so it can’t be Aunt Sarah and it must be…

“Dad?”

The shadow retreats and the door closes.

“Dad?” Al looks over at Ed, but he’s still fast asleep, so it’s up to Al to be brave and investigate on his own. He climbs out of bed and goes over to the door. “Dad? Daddy?”

He reaches up to open the door and pokes his head out very carefully in case of monsters on the landing. There are no monsters, but Dad is sitting on the floor with his head in his hands.

“Dad?”

Dad makes a weird noise that’s half groan, half laugh, and half cry, and he rubs his eyes, putting his glasses back on and looking at Al.

“I have to go.”

“Will you come back?”

“Yes.”

“Soon.”

Dad shakes his head.

“But you will come back?”

“Yes.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Pinkie promise?”

“What?”

Al holds up his pinkie and takes Dad’s unresisting hand, unfolding his pinkie and hooking it together with his own. “Winry says a pinkie promise is magic. You can never break it.”

“I promise I’ll come back. Now, be good for Mom and go back to bed.”

Al knows it happened, and even though he’s now old enough to know that there’s nothing magic in pinkie promises, he still has faith that someday, Dad will come back. It’s the only thing that he and Ed argue about. Well, they argue about a lot of things, but this is the only argument that they can never resolve, and they can’t get Mom to resolve it for them, because Mom has never had any doubt that Dad is coming back too. She knows he’s all right; that he’s still out there and he hasn’t forgotten them. She doesn’t really know how she knows, but she does. It’s a feeling. Al’s content with that, but Ed’s the kind of person who needs hard proof, and he just doesn’t believe that Dad will ever come back.

Al’s faith is rewarded the year he turns ten. The year he gets sick. The year his body starts to waste away and vanish in front of him. The doctor says there’s some kind of poison in his blood, eating away at him from the inside out. He can see the outline of his bones through his skin in some places.

Mom can’t stop crying, and once, when she thinks he’s asleep, he hears her whispering from her chair.

“Van, please, you have to know that we’re not all right. It’s Alphonse. Please, wherever you are, we’re not all right. I need you. Please.”

Mom cries. Al sleeps. Ed gets angry because he can’t do anything, and this isn’t something he can fix with alchemy. He’s even more angry, because if he believes that Dad did come back that night to make Mom better, why hasn’t he come back now to make Al better?

“Alphonse? Can you hear me, little one?”

The voice is very soft but instantly recognisable.

“Dad?”

“Shh. The nurses can’t know I’m here.”

Al opens his eyes. Dad’s there in the early morning light, crouching beside the bed. Mom is asleep in her chair. Ed is curled up on the little cot in the corner of the room. He can hear the rest of the hospital waking up around them. Al smiles.

“You kept your promise.”

Dad gives a lacklustre smile. “I’ll need to make another. I don’t have much time and I have to go again soon. This might hurt. Be brave for me.”

He stands up, covering Al’s thin and bony hand with his much larger one.

“Close your eyes for me, Al.”

Al’s always known that Dad’s alchemy is different, because it sparks red instead of white or blue like his and Ed’s, and he does it with touch alone and no circle. It hurts like fire shooting through his entire body, something more powerful than he’s ever achieved, and although tears come to his eyes, he doesn’t cry out.

“There. That should do it.”

Al rubs away his tears and looks down at his arms. They’re still so thin they’re almost not there, but they feel stronger already. Dad’s making to move away, but Al grabs his hand tighter, and after an awkward moment, he gives in and sits on the bed.

“Is that what you did for Mom when she was sick?” he asks.

Dad nods.

“Can you teach me and Ed how to do it? You know. In case we need it.”

Dad shakes his head, and there’s something so incredibly sad in his expression. “No, this kind of alchemy can’t be taught. It’s something only I can do. It’s why I have to go away.”

“Are you saving other people?”

“Sort of. More making sure that they won’t need to be saved in the future. Now, you still need to sleep to get well.”

“You’ll be gone when I wake up.” He doesn’t mean it to sound like an accusation, just a reason why he doesn’t want to go to sleep.

“Yes.”

“You’ll come back though?”

“I promise.”

“Van?”

Mom’s voice is hoarse and croaky from so much crying. Dad gets up off the edge of the bed, giving Al’s hand a final squeeze, and he goes over to her. Mom just sobs against his chest, the silent, shaking sobs that are the worst of all for Al to see.

“I have to go,” Dad murmurs. “I’m sorry, it’s still not over yet. I have to go but I knew something wasn’t right.”

By the time Al wakes up again, Dad’s gone, Mom’s tears are happy tears, and Ed’s too happy that Al’s going to be ok to argue whether or not he slept through Dad’s whirlwind visit yet again.

X

1914

Ed has had to accept that since it has now happened twice, Dad has indeed come back.

He just wishes that he’d stick around long enough to say hi to Ed whenever he drops in.

It’s nice to know that he hasn’t forgotten them and that he still sort of cares, but if he has to be at death’s door in order to get a flying visit, then he’d rather not. Still, at least he has Mom and Al safe and well. He doesn’t know what he’d do if he’d lost either of them, or God forbid both of them.

He tries not to think about it, and instead he throws himself into his research. Mom’s always said she’s got a feeling that Dad’s ok, and since he healed Al, Al says he feels it too. It’s hard for either of them to describe the sensation, but Ed’s determined to get to the bottom of what it is. He’s never heard of a side-effect of alchemy like that, although that said, Mom’s always been able to feel it, not just since she got sick.

Maybe it’s a weird quirk that has nothing to do with alchemy and just got passed down Mom’s side, and Ed didn’t inherit it.

He’s fifteen when the truth finally comes to light. It’s a perfectly normal day and he and Al are tidying their room – Mom has said that it’s a death trap and considering the amount of paper and books strewn over the floor in the name of research, Ed can’t say that he completely disagrees.

Suddenly Al stops mid-sentence, brow furrowing.

“Al? Are you ok?”

“I think Dad’s back.”

Before Ed can reply, there’s the sound of crockery smashing on the kitchen floor, and they both rush downstairs. Considering Dad only comes back when someone’s ill, and the last time Mom was ill she ended up on the kitchen floor…

But Mom is fine. She’s racing out of the kitchen and out of the front door, jumping into Dad’s arms as he comes up the path. He staggers but catches her, and they stay like that for such a long time that Ed gets somewhat uncomfortable with the display of affection and goes back into the kitchen, drawing a transmutation circle on the table and beginning to fix the shattered plates.

He can hear Al’s excited chatter at the front door, and suddenly, Ed feels like an outsider. Unlike Al and Mom, he hasn’t seen Dad for ten years. His last memory of him is him leaving, with that incomprehensible cold look on his face making Ed wonder what he did wrong to make his father go away. Even though Mom has explained countless times over the years that Dad is away doing important work, and that he didn’t want to have to leave them, but it was inevitable, Ed still feels that resentment and abandonment.

He doesn’t share the same bond with Dad that Al and Mom do. He doesn’t begrudge them it, because he wouldn’t wish their horrific illnesses on his worst enemy, but there’s a part of him, deep inside, that still feels a little jealousy.

“Edward?”

He looks up to see Dad in the kitchen doorway.

“Hi.”

“I’m sorry it’s been so long.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m lucky I never got sick.”

“Edward…”

“It doesn’t matter. Welcome back, or whatever.”

He pushes past, leaving the house and ignoring Al yelling after him. He stomps around the neighbourhood trying to get his thoughts in order until it starts to get dark, whereupon he returns home and sits outside on the swing forlornly.

“Ed?”

Mom comes out of the house and sits down on the grass in front of him, taking his hands in hers. “Talk to me, honey.”

“I don’t know how to feel,” Ed admits. “I want to be angry at him for leaving, but I can’t because I know he came back when we really needed him, even if he didn’t stay. I want to think he didn’t care, but I know that he did. And I know that the only reason I’m feeling like this is because he never came back for me and I never saw him and I never experienced that care, but I can’t stop feeling it.”

He sighs, but Mom is as open and understanding as ever, and her soft smile prompts him to go on, knowing that there’s no judgement in her mind at all. “You three all have this weird bond that I don’t understand. I mean, even you don’t understand it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that he came back and made you better when you were sick. I know he saved your lives. I can’t say I’m jealous because I know what you went through, but…”

“You feel like the odd one out,” Trisha finishes for him. She squeezes his hands. “Even though you know it doesn’t make sense, you feel like he cares more about Al and me than he does about you.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s it.”

“It’s ok, I understand. So does Al. So does your father. And now that he’s back and doesn’t have to take off again in a couple of hours – a couple of days, maybe, but time enough – and now that you’re not five years old anymore, I’m going to make him tell you the full truth of what he’s been doing and why he’s been away so long. Maybe we should have talked about this more whilst you were growing up. I know that Al and I have always brushed this strange feeling that we have under the rug because we just can’t explain it, but I know how much it’s eaten away at you. I should have taken more of an interest in it. But the thing that always struck me is that you ought to be able to feel it too, you know.”

“I’ve never been sick.”

“Not that you remember, but your father did save you, like he did me and Al. Maybe you don’t feel it because you can’t remember. You were so, so little when it happened, you’d only just been born. You came early, you see, and there were complications. I was losing blood and you couldn’t breathe, and Dad had to break a promise he’d made to himself that he would never use his alchemy on us. He saved both of our lives that day.”

“Oh. I never knew.”

“I guess it never came up. But now you do know. Your father has always loved you, Edward, just as much as he loves me and your brother. Why don’t you come inside and let him tell you that for himself?”

When Dad next leaves, a couple of days later, off to put in place the final pieces of a puzzle ten years in the making to lead to a confrontation over four hundred years coming, he doesn’t vanish in silence whilst Ed’s asleep. There are hugs on the doorstep and pleas to be careful, and the three of them who remain behind watch him go long after he’s vanished out of sight down the hill.

Ed notes, somewhat ominously, that this time he didn’t promise that he would come back, not like he did to Al the previous two times.

X

1915

When the Promised Day comes, Ed and Al sit in the kitchen with Mom, watching the sky darken as the umbra begins to creep over.

“Is Dad ok?” Ed doesn’t know exactly how the connection works, none of them do, but right now he’ll take anything he can get in terms of reassurance.

“I think he’s all right for now.” Mom’s hands are shaking around her teacup as she speaks, and it’s that horrible for now that no-one wants to dwell on. Nothing more is said. What else is there to say?

Then everything goes dark, and everything becomes agony. Ed’s lost in a swirling vortex of pain, knowing Mom and Al are within touching distance, sitting at the table with him, but they’re so far away now, and some kind of instinct kicks in.

Dad! Dad! Help me!

Somewhere in the back of his mind, if he even has a mind anymore, Ed hears Dad’s voice speaking a language he’s never heard before but somehow still understands.

Breathe, Edward. Breathe, my little golden one.

He remembers Mom’s words from the day Dad came back to warn them about the Promised Day: You couldn’t breathe.

Breathe, Edward.

He can’t breathe. He can’t do anything. He feels like he’s living and dying at the same time.

“Hold on, Ed. Just a few more seconds. It’ll be all right. You’ll be all right. I promise.”

Dad’s voice is very faint and far away, but it’s clear as day in Ed’s ears and Dad’s never yet broken a promise he’s made to someone else. So Ed holds on, even as he feels like he’s being torn apart, because for all his tumultuous feelings towards his father, he trusts him to keep his promises.

It’s over.

For several minutes, Ed, Al and Mom just stay in the tightest hug there’s ever been, until finally, Ed speaks.

“Dad’s ok. I can feel it.”

Al and Mom smile, and he knows they both know the deeper meaning behind the words.

X

This time, when Hohenheim returns home to Resembool, it’s Ed and Al who drop everything and run out, taking an arm each before he collapses with sheer exhaustion. He sleeps almost solid for two days, only getting up to stumble to the bathroom or when Trisha forces a cup of tea into him.

She sits on the bed next to him, watching over him like he did when she was sick. He looks like he’s aged about ten years overnight, but she knows he’s all right. She can feel it. In the end, he kept that promise too – they’ll get to grow old together.

There’s a soft creak as the door opens and Ed pokes his head in. There’s a frown line furrowing his brows, and as Trisha beckons him in, there’s a hesitancy in his movements.

“Is everything ok, Ed?”

He nods, and for a long time he just looks at the lump of blankets currently masquerading as his father.

“Mom… When you said you could feel Dad in the back of your mind… Did you ever speak to him?”

“Just once. It was just before he came back to help Al. I was so desperate I was willing to try anything even though I knew that this odd connection wasn’t anything like telepathy. I mean, it must have worked in some respect because he knew that something was wrong enough to come back.”

“Oh.” Ed’s brow is still furrowed, and he comes and sits beside her, sinking onto the mattress slowly.

“What’s wrong?”

“So… he didn’t respond or anything? I mean, Al said he’s tried talking to him loads of times, but it never really worked, and we figured it must be because he’s only had that connection for five years.”

“No. It’s not telepathy, honey, we could never chat to each other. It’s just a feeling.”

“Oh.”

“Ed? What’s up?”

“I spoke to him. When everything went terrible on the Promised Day. I just yelled for Dad, and he replied. I heard him. And that’s never happened for you or Al?”

“No, never.” Trisha smiles. “It took a long time coming, but it looks like the bond you two share is stronger than we ever could have imagined.”

She knows it’s going to take Ed a while to get to grips with this. After years of what could be termed radio silence, suddenly the connection is not only there, it’s deeper than hers and Al’s. She wonders what Hohenheim makes of it, whether it’s just as unexpected for him as it is for Ed. She wonders if he’s always been able to feel that Ed’s all right in the same way he’s been able to feel when she’s not all right.

Trisha puts an arm around her eldest and kisses the top of his head.

“You’ll get there, I promise.”

“Yeah. I guess we probably ought to hope that we don’t need to rely on this weird whatever-it-is in the future.”

Trisha has to agree with that summation. Hopefully, it’s all over now, and they’ll finally be together again and can know in person that they’re all ok.

X

1920

Trisha worries when Ed and Al head out, leaving home in search of adventures and alchemy in the East.

“They promised they’d come home safe,” Hohenheim reminds her. “And this family always keeps its promises.”

“I know, I know. But I’m their mother, I can’t help it. I worried about you when you were gone, too.”

Hohenheim just smiles. They’ll be all right. He can feel it.

[jokerfan99]

My Top 10 Favorite Anime Heroines by DarkChild316

Being a hero isn’t easy, but someone’s gotta do it! And these ladies have shown to be just as capable as their male counterparts. Now I’ve already done a list showing everyone “My Top 10 Anime Villainesses”, but I figured: “Hey the good girls deserve some love too,” so I decided to give you guys my list of my Favorite Anime Heroines as well. So, with that in mind, here’s my list:

#10. Saeko Busujima (Highschool of the Dead): This is an anime that will give you plenty of two things in abundance…boobs and zombies! While it may seem like your run-of-the-mill apocalyptic fanservice anime, among the well-proportioned ladies is this kendo warrior who’s more than capable of holding her own against any foe and would fit right in with even the most old-school samurai-themed anime. When the dead start to walking most of the cast usually reach for a form of firearms, not this lady who prefers to slice apart the undead with the greatest of discipline and precision, whether it be with her signature bokken or her deadly Murata-tou sword. There’s no denying that Saeko’s the ideal companion we’d want on our side for a zombie apocalypse.

#9. Touka Kirishima (Tokyo Ghoul): Living as a ghoul isn’t easy, especially when you’re trying your damnest to retain what little remains of your humanity. Starting off as a cold, yet collected individual, Touka found shelter in both the horrors of her dark past and her constant hunger for flesh in her day job at a café as a waitress which serves other ghouls and as a hangout stop for ghouls. While she grew warmer as her relationship with one Ken Kaneki grew, she’s not without her bestial side, possessing an abject hatred for the CCG after they killed her parents. In a series where everyone seems to be on the edge of insanity and turning into a rampaging, bloodthirsty monster, Touka is one of the few characters genuinely fighting for a chance at a peaceful life.

#8. Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist): Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye is undoubtedly one of the best female anime characters of all time and for good reason, she is truly the perfect soldier. As both an Amestrian State Military’s officer as well as Colonel Roy Mustang’s bodyguard, Riza Hawkeye is a dangerous sharpshooter and firearms specialist. From the outside she can seem strict and even a little cold, but those close to her know that there’s much more to her than her strict no-nonsense attitude, including a courteous nature in the presence of her allies and a desire to protect those she holds dear. Beneath the strict persona is a kind soul who understands the difficulty of carrying a heavy burden and let’s not forget…she’s a true badass in every sense o the word!

#7. Erza Scarlett (Fairy Tail): She went from child slave to arguably one of the strongest mages in all of Fiore. All while battling against S-Class mages, terrifying demons, and even her own psychotic mother, now that’s dedication folks! Forced by her possessed childhood friend to build the Tower of Heaven, she manages to escape her captivity and make her way to Fairy Tail, where she would soon rise to become one of Fairy Tail’s youngest S-Class mages and one of the most truly badass fighters in Fairy Tail’s ranks. With her magical ability known as Re-Quip, she has an unlimited number of weapons and armors at her disposal, each possessing their own devastating abilities. She’s a stoic warrior with a soft heat and a dark past, and you can bet your ass that she’ll fight to defend her Nakama to the bitter end.

#6. Ryuko Matoi (Kill la Kill): Her choice of armor may be a bit on the revealing side but going against this rebel isn’t the smartest idea if you value your life. You’re not likely to find a more stubborn soul in this absolutely whacky series and trust me…NONE of these characters are on the subtle side of things. In search of her father’s killer, Ryuko takes up the sentient life-fiber uniform Senketsu, and openly battles the dictatorship that is the Student Council. Stubborn as hell, Ryuko will always stand up to anyone who gets in her way, no matter how badly the odds are stacked against her. How can you not love someone with that kind of drive!

#5. Saber (Fate/stay night): Before she became a hero in the endless Holy Grail Wars, Saber was actually Artoria Pendragon, known throughout history as King Arthur, the mythical King who united Britain. As the Saber-class servant, Artoria generally tries to hide her identity in battle by using an invisible sword. When pushed, she can brandish Excalibur instead though, a sword she wields with unmatched skill and can do long-range attacks as easily as close-range. With her holy sword, and her “Mana Burst” ability, she is one of the most powerful Servants. Saber is loved by fans worldwide for good reason: she is kind, valiant, and fierce, all traits that make for one divine heroine. None would mind putting the fate of the world in this blonde beauty's hands.

#4. Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan): Attack on Titan's Mikasa is one of those reserved, stoic characters who doesn't speak very often and seems to be stuck in her own head. After all the trauma she’s experienced living under the looming terror of Titans and the carnage she witnessed while part of the Survey Corps, not to mention the brutal murder of her biological parents by criminals, it would be difficult to come out unscathed. Perhaps it’s endurance that is one of Mikasa’s most relatable traits. Despite her often-cynical comments about the world around her, she manages to retain her humanity. Mikasa herself said, “This world is cruel. And yet... so beautiful.” The stereotypical boy-saves-girl gender roles that play out in media are also very much reversed when it comes to her relationship with Eren, which is a refreshing and welcome change of pace to see, though her protectiveness of him seems a little unhealthy at times. On top of everything mentioned, she’s also totally ripped.

#3. Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion): I just couldn’t leave out Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Asuka Langey Soryu from this list of awesome female protagonists. Asuka is a classic anime heroine and remains beloved by fans of the show to this day. Asuka is an American teenage girl who serves as an Eva pilot for the Evangelion Project and pilots the Evangelion Unit-02. Asuka was raised in Germany and often swears in German. She was a child prodigy with a college degree at only fourteen years old, but definitely has her human flaws. She has a temper and is obsessed with being the best at everything she does. Despite these flaws, Asuka is hilarious in her own way and has the kind of confidence and pride you rarely see in a young girl. She knows she can do her job well and isn't afraid to tell you about it. Asuka is relatable in that she is stubborn and often has a hard time properly expressing her feelings and vulnerability to others. Her eventual nervous breakdown shines a light on her humanity-- she is not a perfect person and she is still a child forced to do a job that no child should be forced to do.

#2. Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell): Major Motoko Kusanagi is one of the primary protagonists of the popular Ghost in the Shell franchise of manga, films, and animated series. Motoko is a cyborg who works as a field commander for Public Security Section 9 on the Japanese National Public Safety Commission. Motoko is a very physically strong and incredibly intellectual who that is quick-witted and an excellent hacker. But put a firearm in her hand, and she’s especially deadly. As a child, Motoko was comatose following an airplane accident. After her health began to steadily decline, her consciousness was put into a  "full-body prosthesis,” an augmented-cybernetic human body. Motoko causes us to question exactly what makes us human. She is an emotional, stoic, strong woman who fights for the citizens she protects, yet she lives inside an artificial body. But her greatest use is as a platform to speak on the nature of humanity in a technological age. She's a human mind that has been stuck in an artificial body since childhood, and her life and trials bring up the age-old question, "What does it mean to be human?"

#1. Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon): You really can’t have a list of awesome female protagonists without including everyone’s favorite schoolgirl superhero: Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon. Usagi is the embodiment of an empowering female in anime in her fearless display of conventional femininity without any implied weakness. Usagi is your typical teenage girl who is all about her friends, food, and cute things, while simultaneously being a badass heroine who cleanses the streets of evil. In the original manga and anime, Usagi was portrayed as reluctant to be a superhero and would often run away from fights and be a crybaby. However, through her careful character development, Usagi becomes a brave, reliable, and confident person who cares deeply for her friends. She becomes a better version of herself without stereotypically “shedding” her girliness. Instead, her femininity becomes a defining feature of hers, deconstructing the idea that being girly makes you weak. On the contrary, Usagi’s girliness makes her funny, relatable, and a good role model for young girls. Usagi set the template for a generation of female heroines for generations to come, and it’s for that reason why she’s well-deserving of my #1 ranking on my list.

So that's my updated list, what did you guys think about it? Love it, hated it? Go on and tell me what you think and let me know who your favorite anime heroines are. See you soon!

Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/darkchild316

[lollybliz]

bout to make a Monster of a fic rec post here we go

heyo @jinx108! We’ll start with the complete ones because sometimes you’re just not in the mood to wait for the last chapter, you know? I don't remember details of all of these so i’m just going to copy the author’s summary rather than write my own. I am literally just going through my bookmarks, I got 400 of these to sort through. if ive talked to or am familiar with the author im gonna mention them, but if I mention you and you don't want me to have Please tell me and i’ll remove it.

If you’re not into spoilers Please Tread Carefully, I don't watch out for that stuff so I wont know to label it

1>Crushing Truth by Bunzuku: Tododeku. “Romance is hard enough for a teenager to understand when they have a good relationship role model. For Shoto, it takes two excited meddlers for him to even realize what his feelings really are.“

2>Disowned by b00mgh: tododeku + others. Unrated, some traumatic elements. “Shouto freaks out under a bridge and I use the word "grass" a lot more than I really should. Izuku does his stupid martyr thing and everyone makes continuous references to his propensity to break his bones. Aizawa goes "oh FUCK my kids are dying again" and his students use him as emotional (and physical) support. A friend requests angst, I say what kind, she say idk make someone get disowned and i say oh this I can absolutely provide my good buddy.”

3>cotton candy hands by @chonideno: Kiribaku. I will take Any excuse to rec this fic, its the most fluffy pile of feels Good Lord. also the first fic I ever bound into a physical book. “Studying to become a hero requires knowing how to take care of yourself. Sometimes you might need help on the way so if your crush offers to do your hair for you or to give you a well-deserved back rub, it'd be stupid to say no. A series of soft vignettes in which a love-struck Kirishima and a touch-starved Bakugou care for each other and it's definitely not making their hearts jump through hoops, they’re never this close to kissing, no, they're totally best friends bro“

4>Catching Sight of the Storm by neo7v: Kiribaku, tododeku. A considerable amount of Whump and related angst, and kinda sad tbh. “Blind. Quirkless. Useless.The first two things were stated clearly by the doctor that sat about five feet in front of Izuku. The third was a word that Kacchan called him everytime he failed to make the jump on whatever forest excursion they were on or when he ran into a tree because he hadn’t seen it. “I’m so, so sorry, Izuku.” Was his mom giving up on him already? But he could still be a hero if he tried hard enough, right? Quirkless or not. Blind or not. Just because Izuku was useless now didn’t mean he would stay that way forever, right? *** A Blind!Izuku AU”

5>Yell Heah by fakecharliebrown: Chatfic. M a n y pairings. technically complete, but part of an ongoing series. “Iida creates a group-chat for Class 1-A. It doesn't go as planned.“

6>Sunshine by Rosey_Note: BIG SAD. tw- failed suicide attempt. KiriKamiBaku. “They didn't deserve to put up with his crappy mood. Because Denki Kaminari did not feel like Sunshine right now. And they deserved sunshine. In fact, Denki didn't feel much of anything right now.“

7>Electric Connection by  Onlymostydead: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk has always had... Weird side affects. Like his ADHD. And his constant energy. And his insomnia, which wouldn't leave him be right now, when he really needed to just get some sleep. But, thankfully, he has good friends.“

8>The Best (The Worst) by Onlymostydead: no romantic pairing. tw- rampant transphobia, both outside and internalized. “Bakugou Katsuki has known who he was since he was four years old. He was a boy, it was as simple as that. Around his friends, at school... But things couldn't just be that simple, could they?“

9>Lichtenberg Figures by Q_loves_you: no definite romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki has a very powerful force of nature running through his body. Kaminari Denki doesn't want to hurt anybody. He doesn't always get what he wants, and "anybody" does generally include himself.“

10>Eventuality by KikaTouka: ill be honest I don't remember this one at all, I maaaay not have read it yet :/. anyway. ShinKami. “Shinsou learns more than just hero lessons after being transferred to 1-A.“

11>Pickup Lines for the Soul by MustardSoup: ShinKami. “Denki is twelve when he is flicking through the TV channels and lands on an old RomCom movie about soulmate marks – specifically the same type that he has. “I can’t believe I’ve had to walk around with a cheap pickup line written on my ankle my entire life because of you!” The leading lady yells at the leading man as he stares at her in awe. Denki laughs. “Oh no.” His mother says, watching him. “Oh no, indeed.” His sister repeats quietly.“

12>caught in my own web by @anxioussailorsoldier: ShinKami. “Shinsou needs some help after getting caught up in his capture weapon. Kaminari enters from stage left.“

13>not so summer love by nataliya: ShinKami. “Class 2-B’s common room, although typically quiet, was currently filled with five students—three slowly giving up on homework, one bitching about noise and another that rushes through the front door. “We’ve been waiting for you—” Mina starts, but Kaminari’s vaulting over the back of the couch, eyes wide as he practically buzzes out of his skin, emitting light like crazy as currents dazzle across strands of hair. “I have a big ugly crush,” He steps off the couch and onto the coffee table, much to Bakugou’s chagrin, “On big ugly Shinsou.””

14>Blamed by coldandhotsoba: ShinKami. Tw- they fuckin kill a guy and its a lil nasty. “This was not how the day was supposed to end. They were supposed to end the day like they do most nights.  Kaminari clutching onto him like a koala as he slept, wrapped in the millions of tacky blankets Kaminari had bought. Warm and safe in their bed. It was not supposed to end with both of them tied up in some cold metal room.“

15>Lightning Scars by Present-Mics-Scream (write_your_way_out): Shinkami. “It's hard to be confident in your abilities when you're surrounded by people with incredible quirks. Shinsou Hitoshi would know better than anyone. Sure, he was admitted to the hero course in his second year, but being admitted to the hero course, and keeping up with the rest of the class are two different things. Lucky for him, Kaminari is there to prove that the flashiest quirks come with the largest drawbacks.“

16>See No Evil, Hear No Evil by randomfan188: no romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki is legally blind. When he forgets to wear his contacts and breaks down during math class, comfort appears in the strangest of ways.“

17>how not to enjoy the weather, an article by kaminari denki by dreamtowns: no defined romantic pairing. “If there was one thing Kaminari hated the most in a world wth villains, it would have to be thunderstorms.“

18>”Studying” by emmyrox22: ShinKami, EraserMic. “Shinsou and Kaminari have been “studying” together for a while (but not for school). Shinsou gets stopped by his dads on the way to another “study” session and mistakes are made“

19>Weaknesses by sunflowerstorm: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk and storms compliment each other in the worst way, but he's convinced he can deal with it on his own... until he really can't any longer. When Shinsou accidentally overhears Aizawa confronting Kaminari about recent changes in behaviour and hears about the hell his quirks been putting him through, he can't just pretend he never heard. He wants to help.“

20>it’s hurt denki hours by memeingfultrash: ShinKami + others. ““Certain members of our class are...under the impression that...you’re the traitor.” Denki’s body went cold and felt like he was going to short circuit. ~some of class 1a believes that denki is the traitor and avoid him”

21>Petition to replace Mineta with Shinsou- (signed by Kaminari Denki) by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami + others. This is one of my favorites, I go back to reread it from time to time. It SAYS 41/42, but that's just a glitch cus chapter 36 doesn't exist for some reason, I talked to the author about it and its fine. “Mineta brings shame to the color purple. You know who does not bring shame to the rich color, but pride and sexual tension to one infatuated Kaminari Denki instead? Shinsou Hitoshi, aka sexy zombie man, aka the most perfect hunk of a man to walk planet earth, aka future husband. Shinsou has finally gotten his chance to prove himself to the hero course, and he did more than prove himself. The only question left unanswered is whether he will start in A or B, and how Kaminari can manipulate the end result.“

22>How to Get a Boyfriend (in Four Easy Steps!) by e1ana: ShinKami, EraserMic, + others. “Step 1: Get kicked out of the house by your homophobic parents. Step 2: Run headfirst into your brooding, mysterious crush. Step 3: Sleep in his dad’s (see: your homeroom teacher) house Step 4: Watch everything you thought you knew go to shit. This isn’t exactly the sweet, romantic plan that Kaminari Denki longed for. Will everything be ok, or will step 5 be to crash and burn?“

23>Bakugou and Todoroki’s Foolproof 5-Step Plan to Fuck with Mineta Minoru by Anubis_2701: Kiribaku, TodoDeku, + others. This is another one of my favorites, and the one I am currently folding and sewing into a physical book. you learn how to do funny things when bored and quarantined ig. “It was a simple enough idea; screw around with the resident bastard of Class 1-A to let him know that his medieval ways and perverted behaviour weren't going to be tolerated by even the most career-focused of UA's students. To say that things had snowballed was an understatement. Todoroki had no idea how he had ended up sitting on Bakugou's floor at 1 am, holding a dossier of incriminating material that would make the FBI slobber, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The long and short of it was, fuck Mineta.”

24>Colour Theory by chancellorxofxtrash: TodoBakuDeku. this one’s a series. “Midoriya/Bakugo/Todoroki slow burn soulmate AU. All three of them are nerds with their own emotional issues, trying to navigate their way through becoming heroes, and their own relationship with each other.“

25>Summer Sunshine by Mara97: TodoDeku. Ever want a Barbie in a mermaid tale/Bnha crossover? No? well here you go anyway! “Instead of worrying about college, Izuku spends his summer vacation finding out his father is, supposedly, a dead merman king and going on a quest to dethrone the current king, Endeavor. Along the way, Izuku becomes close to the three journeying with him, makes friends with strangers, starts crushing on an unattainable prince, and, in the end, learns to love himself. Oh, and he saves a kingdom, too.“

26>The snowflakes on our skin and the flames in our soul are one (and the same), my love by missunderstuffyou: TodoDeku, Kiribaku. this is one of the ones I keep a running reread comment going on. its at,,, 6, atm.  “Before your quirk begins to present itself, the soulmate link comes through, and suddenly whatever you write upon your own skin appears on the body of your soulmate. As your soulmate writes to you, the emotions they feel follow through the ink.Izuku Midoriya is four years and a few months old when he first feels the slight ebbing in his arms. It doesn’t hurt… he can just feel something, and it’s enough to make him sprint into his mother’s arms screaming that his quirk is coming. She had been washing in the kitchen, and the sudden screech as her son rockets into her side is enough to make her jump with panic, immediately grabbing at him and looking for cuts and bumps before she understands his words and the stupidly bright, alight smile on his face with large, watery, hopeful eyes. Shoto Todoroki doesn’t feel his soulmate connection open up. It is drowned in the aches of a small body worked far too hard.“

27>It was dark inside the closet by Chad_Champion69420: Pre-ShinDeku? maybe? its tagged shindeku but like. it’ll make sense if you read it. “Midoriya is invited to a party. He and Shinsou decide to play a little trick on the rest of the party during Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

28>how to woo your local trash gremlin: a comprehensive guide by Todoroki shouto by wonhaebunny: TodoBaku. this is the fic that dragged me into todobaku, fun fact. “five times shouto tries to confess to bakugou, and one time he doesn't bother tryingaka: wikihow is a scam and bakugou is a terrible, terrible boy“

29>top ten photos taken right before disaster by Shookspeare: ShinDeku. “Izuku participates in a harmless prank, only to end up ruining it and running for dear life.“

30>Secrets to Share by pechebaie: no definite romantic pairing. “Kirishima comes out first, and nothing changes. Kirishima and Kaminari still hang out to complain about class and talk about boys - and sometimes girls, too, in Kaminari’s case; he still plans stupid pranks with Sero that get them sent to the principal’s or nurse’s office every time; Ashido still kicks his ass at Mario Kart without hesitation; and Bakugou doesn’t get angry at him any more than he usually does.“

31>What One Hides by Pinalinet: TodoDeku. “All Might gives class 1-A an unusual assignment that results in Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shouto attending a weekly acting class. But with a mysterious villain targeting individuals without Quirks, and a developing issue of Todoroki's own, an after-school assignment is the least of their worries.“

32>whether or not we’re fated, we’re meant to be by juurensha: KINDA SPOILERY. TodoDeku + others. “Todoroki didn’t have a soulmark for most of his life.His siblings all did, but up until the day of the U.A. entrance exam, he had shoved the idea aside. It’s not like they could help him anyway. And then a 9 appears on his chest, and a green-haired boy barrels into his life with a fire and ice soulmark on his arms, and suddenly Todoroki cares very much about all this could mean.”

33>The Midnight Shift by meiishu @meiishu @totallytodoroki (idk which you’d rather I attach so I went with both): ShinKami. ““Hey Toshi,” Denki says, and he laughs, clearly embarrassed. He’s got on a jean jacket that did him absolutely no help and a white tee shirt that is currently stuck to his torso. It’s got a pikachu design in the center. “By any chance, do you sell umbrellas?” “You really went out in this weather.” Hitoshi deadpans, instead of dignifying that with an answer. or hitoshi works the midnight shift at the gas station, which also doubles as a pokestop for pokemon go. of course, denki is a regular.”

34>Rock the House by AkabaneKayo: ShinKami. “It wasn’t just his bed. It was his entire fucking room shaking. Only one thought crossed his mind at that moment: “Holy shit. My room is haunted.”“

35>Technically, they’re morning kisses by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami. “Most nights, Shinsou cannot fall sleep. Neither can Kaminari. It seems counterproductive to have a sleepover then, but they try to make it work. And they fail, but that is okay.“

36>someone to call mine by nearly_theyre: ShinKami, EraserMic “From: Me wish you were here, denks From: kitten 💛💘💛 what if i was tho? OR Four times Denki snuck into Hitoshi's room and one time he walked through the front door.“

37>Pretty by Onlymostydead (noticing some repeat authors? me too): no definite romantic pairing. “(Or, Kaminari still can't figure out bra clasps.) Kaminari has never really felt good about himself. Herself? Whichever way, not knowing doesn't make anything easier. Especially when he (she?) and Mina have their bodies swapped during training, and everything seems too right.“

38>If I offer you my hand, will you take it? by bleukitsune: Kiribaku. SPOILERY. ““Why?” Kirishima leaned back on his hands, trying to create some space between them. Too close. The ash-blond looked really nervous, his usually arrogant and cunning demeanor gone. “What do you see when you look at me? Kirishima is worried. Bakugou is hurting. After his confrontation with Midoriya, he finally reaches out to him. “

Theres way more but I haven't tagged them properly yet so that m a y come later if I can ever finish going through and adding my sorting tags.

and then a last few that Are Not Complete but im really very fond of them. not as many as id like to add, but my hands are getting tired tbh.

39>State of Mind by GuardianOfTheLoaf: no relationship YET but its looking like it’ll be either tododeku or shindeku, probably the former. EraserMic. tw- childhood neglect and severe depression. Izuku’s not a happy kid. “Izuku was a late bloomer, his quirk lying dormant until his tenth birthday when in a fit of emotion he grabs his mother and she disappears. With All Might slowly restoring his confidence Izuku begins the difficult journey into becoming a hero.“ 18/? chapters.

40>Izuku Eats His Problems by CosmicAce: ShinDeku. Izuku’s a flerkin, what more could you want? “His whole life, Izuku Midoriya was taught to keep his powers, his Quirk, hidden from the world. His kind were feared, hunted to near extinction because of it. He just wants to show people he’s different. That he can be a HERO. And nothing is going to stop him. Even if his Quirk IS like an eldritch abomination.“ 43/? chapters

and then probably my current favorite bnha fic- although it fights with Apertum Mortem for that spot but that ones d a r k and not here-

41>family of the year by periiwren: EraserMic. “Hitoshi is done. Done with moving around every few months to a couple that will scrutinize him and eventually dump him right back where he started. Good thing he’s well past his strike limit now- at least he can stay in one place, be content to age out of the system and finish out his training with Aizawa. Maybe transfer into the hero course, maybe be a hero- but none of that was guaranteed. The only thing for sure was that he was going to stay in that center for the rest of his childhood. Or so he thought- because Aizawa Shouta and Yamada Hizashi have other plans.“ 24/? chapters. we’ve been informed that this one’s gonne be l o n g and im Very Grateful.

42>Here There Be Dragons by here_and_there: pre-ShinDeku. “Izuku looked at the small circle Aizawa had motioned to in front of them. "I won't fit," he whispered, thinking. He raised his hand, tentatively. Sighing, Aizawa grumbled, "What?" "I-I have a question. Actually, two." His teacher just stared at him, unimpressed. Izuku continued. "Can we activate our quirks before we step into the ring?" Aizawa looked up into the sky, muttering something Izuku didn't hear. "If you must." "O-Okay. Uh, second question. You said we have to stay inside the circle, right?" "Yes." The man looked disappointed, not only in Izuku but in himself for letting the kid speak. "Great. Uh... does that include tails?"“ 6/? chapters.

43>Another Option by sandersonsister: TodoBakuDeku, Touya/Hawks, Dabi/Hawks. Potentially Spoilery, depends on whether horikoshi has the guts to confirm Touya. this one is waiting around the corner with a baseball bat, its really cute, and then r e a l l y painful. it might be getting better though. maybe. it might be getting worse. “When Touya stops his mother from hurting Shouto, he decides enough is enough. He needs to get out of this house and he's taking his baby brother with him.“ 33/? chapters.

That's it i’m done for now, oof. maybe ill edit more onto this post later, maybe i’ll just make another one. hope some of these work!