#probably the last thing ill draw for a while...going on a training arc and also aps are gonna killme

[starknitsweater]

amfiduo...2023 @coffit0

aka i found an old wip in my unfinished folder and i finished it

here the wip: with my old sona from december 2021

also, unrendered art:

[azapofinspiration]

The Princess and Her Knight

Summary: It's been declared that Princess Ruby's hand will go to whoever wins the tournament, as the regent wishes for her to be at least engaged and comfortable with her partner before the time to take the crown comes.

Unfortunately, Ruby's heart is already set on the court minstrel, Weiss.

And yet, at the same time, a mysterious White Knight can't help but draw her attention as the tournament continues.

White Rose Week Day 7: The Princess and Her Knight

@white-rose-week

[AO3] [FF.Net]

“You know, most people would be flattered to have so many people fighting over her.” Yang bluntly said, ignoring Ruby’s pout.

“Easy for you to say,” Ruby grumbled. “You got to marry the love of your life.”

Ruby knew that Yang was in a different situation. After all, she and their father had married into the royal family so she wasn’t the heir despite their father having taken over as regent after the death of Ruby’s mother. She had a lot more flexibility when it came to her choices.

And if the love of her life was the daughter of Menagerie’s chief and their marriage helped secure an alliance between their kingdoms then that was merely a happy happenstance. If their dad had said no, Yang would’ve just run away with her probably.

But Ruby was the heir to the throne. Within a few years, she would have to step up and take the crown, and her dad wanted her to at least be engaged and familiar with her partner by that time. And according to the laws, which he had tried to change but was shot down by the council, she had to marry either another royal or a noble.

So now a tournament was being held, with nobility and royalty from their and the surrounding kingdoms. The winner would receive Ruby’s hand in marriage.

It didn’t matter that Ruby’s heart was set on another.

“They don’t want me. They’re all here for honor or glory or status or…other stuff.” Ruby gestured at the armored contestants milling about. “Even if they know me, none of them really know me.”

“What? Like Weiss?” Yang’s voice had softened with sympathy, even as Ruby’s heart gave a discordant twang.

Yes, Weiss actually knew her. She was Ruby’s best friend.

However, Weiss was just the court minstrel.

Weiss had arrived in their court right about the same time Ruby had begun her training to become queen. She could play pretty much any instrument presented to her and her voice was akin to that of angels. Ruby had been intrigued by her from the start. After all, it wasn’t everyday you encountered a girl with hair and skin as white as snow, much less a girl with a scar marring her face. Some would call it ugly, but if anything, Ruby had always thought it made her even more beautiful, showing her will to survive despite getting slashed open right over her left eye.

Yang suspected that Weiss was to some degree of noble birth, given how her manners rivalled those of the haughtiest lord or lady of the court, but Ruby found that to be unlikely. Though those manners and sense of propriety may have been why Weiss had tried to keep a certain distance between herself and Ruby at the beginning, despite Ruby trailing after her like a puppy in her free time.

Weiss could be sarcastic and distant, but as Ruby had watched, she noticed the kind and caring person underneath the chilly veneer. And before they knew it, they’d gotten closer and closer until Ruby could hug her and call her her best friend and only get a roll of the eyes instead of a gentle push away and a lecture on proper etiquette.

Then somehow, without even noticing it, Ruby had fallen in love.

Ruby desperately wished to tell Weiss her feelings, but she wasn’t about to risk her most precious friendship. Besides, even if her feelings were returned, they wouldn’t be able to marry due to Weiss’s commoner status.

It wasn’t fair.

And Weiss wasn’t even here at the moment!

“Yeah…” Ruby mumbled, slumping in her seat despite her mental Weiss lecturing her on her posture. “Why did she have to leave and attend family business now of all times?”

Shortly before this tournament’s announcement, Weiss had received a letter that apparently urged her home for some emergency. Ruby had been upset at the time, though understanding as she of all people knew the importance of family.

Now she was despondent as by the time Weiss got back she’d surely be engaged and unable to ever reveal her feelings.

“It sucks, but that’s how it is.” Yang shrugged but gave her an understanding smile. “I’m sure things will be fine when she gets back.”

“No they won’t. I’ll be engaged.”

Yang sighed. Ruby could understand that she was trying to cheer her up, but it just wasn’t happening. “Let’s at least check out the competition, shall we?”

“Fine.” Ruby sighed and she cast her gaze over at her potential suitors.

Jaune Arc was from a large noble family with a history of turning out fantastic knights. Jaune himself was fairly decent but Ruby would never be able to get over her first impression of him where he vomited right on her shoes as she trained with her family’s knights. Overall, he wasn’t the worst person she could get married to, but there were plenty of powerful contestants.

Pyrrha Nikos, for example, was a strong contender. She was considered to be one of the strongest fighters on the continent, the Gladiator from Argus. She could probably trounce every single person here, but Ruby already knew that she wouldn’t as she was just participating out of obligation and she was sweet on a certain knight who was prone to blowing chunks when nervous.

Penny Polendina was someone that Ruby was fairly familiar with. She was one of the best knights that served the Ironwoods, the royal family of Atlas. She and Ruby trained together during a diplomatic mission in Atlas several years ago and they had kept correspondence since. Ruby was sure that she could count her as a friend. Maybe not necessarily one of her closest ones, but a friend all the same.

Oscar Pine was currently being trained by one of the most powerful mages in the world, Ozpin, but he did some knight training as well. He always seemed nice enough, but Ruby really didn’t consider him to be romantic interest material.

Neptune Vasilias and Ilia Amitola were both knights from Menagerie and close friends of Blake’s. Ruby knew them more by reputation and Blake’s stories than personally interacting with them. Neptune was a bit of a flirt but usually pulled through when it counted while Ilia was more serious and quite stealthy in her work, able to slip in and out of situations easily. Ruby figured they’d be okay partners if it came down to it.

Mercury Black on the other hand was a hard no. He served Lady Cinder Fall, who was herself known for her devious and power-hungry tactics, having married into the nobility and her husband almost immediately dying under mysterious circumstances, and Ruby did not trust him a bit. She didn’t like the sly looks he kept throwing her way. He was only allowed because her father had made this an open invitation so they couldn’t technically turn him away.

And the eighth participant…

Ruby frowned as she took them in.

The eighth participant wore white armor and unlike everyone else who was getting in their last fresh breaths before the tournament started, they already had their helmet on. They stood next to their horse, feeding her a sugar cube as they inspected their lance. They weren’t that big, probably even shorter than Ruby, and had a slight figure. A rapier was at their hip, clearly their weapon of choice.

Ruby had no clue who they were.

She was familiar with most of the royalty and nobility, as one in her position as heir to the throne should be, but she didn’t know who the White Knight was.

She glanced at the knight’s standard and felt her eyebrows rise.

“Huh.” Yang said, clearly also noticing the symbol. “Well, what do you know.”

A white snowflake on a blue background.

The Schnee insignia.

Ruby narrowed her eyes.

The Schnees were one of the most powerful noble families in Atlas. However, ever since the Duchess, Willow, had taken ill years ago, her husband, Duke Jacques, a former commoner, had mostly taken over control of her duties. And there was not much good to be said about how he ran things while she continued to be indisposed. He was a merchant at heart and still conducted his business, tying it into the Schnee affairs, and he was as cutthroat as the worst of them. Ruby had frequently heard of him and King James butting heads before coming to begrudging agreements. The family never came to events, isolating themselves with usually only Jacques emerging to conduct business.

The Schnees had three children. Ruby had only heard talk of the eldest and heir Winter, mainly because she had chosen to take a knighthood from the Ironwoods. The Schnees were infamous for their skills in magic, making them highly desirable in courts, so everyone had been jealous of Ironwood snagging one of them despite the family’s isolation. Jacques had been insistent on the family relying on only their own power, so now they took on no knights and had no mages, members of the family undergoing rigorous training and tutoring within their castle walls. So Winter had caused quite the scandal with apprenticing herself out, though given that the Schnees served the crown just as much as anyone else, there had not been much that Jacques could do.

Ruby knew that the other children were a girl and a boy, but only rumors were whispered about them. They said that the middle child had been maimed by Jacques and shut up in a tower for daring to disobey him. Or that she’d been left in the woods to die after refusing to marry who her father had picked to secure more power. Or her father had tricked her with a rigged test of skills and she was long dead, though no one knew for sure. They said that he’d tried to make the boy the heir after Winter left and the other daughter was silenced, but the king’s council had stopped him. It was hard to tell what was true with how little the family was seen in public. It was all too easy to imagine horrors behind the doors of the coldest noble family in the world.

And yet, here was a member of that mysterious family, vying for her hand in marriage.

“D’you think it’s the girl or the boy?” Yang asked as she sat up and squinted at them. Her eyes flickered over to where King James and his entourage had set themselves up, Winter Schnee clearly by his side as she was rumored to always be. “Which would you prefer?”

Ruby scowled. “Neither.” She firmly said.

A Schnee was a fascinating prospect, but given the head of the family’s reputation, it did not bode well for one of them to be participating.

Yang hummed, tilting her head to the side. “Well, this should be interesting…”

“What should be interesting?”

Ruby glanced over as Blake took her seat at Yang’s other side. She too was glancing over the competition, and her gaze eventually settled on the Schnee. Though surprisingly, she didn’t look too shocked, which stuck out to Ruby. The Schnee business ventures had a lot of dealings with Menagerie, mostly to Menagerie and the Faunus’ detriment, and Blake was well known for her low opinion of Jacques.

“So you noticed the Schnee, too?” Yang pointed out the obvious. “We were just talking about them. What sort of scheme do you think Jacques is up to, trying to win Ruby’s hand?”

“Not much probably.” At Ruby and Yang’s surprised blink, Blake continued. “You haven’t heard? New evidence was brought forth of all of the Duke’s underhanded dealings and presented to the king. He’s been arrested and is still awaiting trial.” Blake took a sip from her goblet, ignoring Ruby and Yang’s slack-jawed expression.

“Holy cannoli…” Yang muttered. “So is this one of them trying to regain the family’s honor or something?”

“Considering it was the second daughter and the Duchess who provided the information, I think they’ve proved that some people in the family do have honor.” Blake dryly replied. “Apparently Jacques had been drugging the Duchess for years to take over her duties?”

“Whoa…” Ruby breathed out, impressed despite herself. The second daughter did sound pretty awesome, but then again, as she glanced back at the White Knight, there was no guarantee that this was her. It could just as easily be the son, and rumors said he took more after his father than either daughter. “Still, that doesn’t mean they’re not suspicious.” She crossed her arms and fixed her pout on her face. “They probably aren’t really interested in me, just like more than half of the others participating.”

“You’d be surprised.” Blake muttered, taking another sip and rolling her eyes at Yang’s attempt to steal her drink.

Before Ruby could ask what she meant by that, the trumpets sounded to signal the tournament’s start.

It proceeded much as Ruby thought it would once the bracket’s were announced.

Pyrrha wasn’t able to go all out on Jaune, clearly holding back, but she still easily won. Likewise, Penny won out over Neptune, and poor Oscar hadn’t stood a chance against Mercury.

Ruby kept a close eye on the bout between Ilia and the White Knight, but the Knight proved to be the superior of the two. Though Ruby was impressed by the Knight stopping to help Ilia up after it was over, showing a kindness she didn’t expect due to the Schnees’ reputation.

In the second round, Penny just barely won. She and Pyrrha had to resort to hand-to-hand combat to determine the winner, and in the end, Penny’s throwing knives allowed her to stay out of the range of Pyrrha’s spear.

On the other side, Ruby was sure that Mercury had tried some tricks, as she saw Mercury approaching the Knight before their bout and whispering in their ear with a sly smile all too similar to his mistress’s. Given the way they’d jerked back and she could practically feel them glowering at him through their helmet, it certainly sparked Ruby’s curiosity. However, Mercury ended up getting knocked out without too much trouble.

And that left for the final round…

“So who do you want to win? Penny or Mystery Schnee?” Yang asked as she snacked on some treats. Ruby had been so caught up in the fighting that she hadn’t even noticed her leaving to get food.

Ruby sunk back into her chair as she looked over at her final two choices.

Penny was her friend and Ruby cared for her dearly. But she was just a friend. Ruby had never thought of her in a romantic or partner-type way. Sure, Ruby could probably marry her for the good of the kingdom, but…

And the White Knight, the Schnee seemed to be pretty alright. As much as one could glean personality from someone who they’ve only seen fighting and is wearing a helmet besides. At the very least, it’d be fun to spar with them. Which gender they were wasn’t really a factor to Ruby, as usually actually knowing someone was what really made someone attractive to her, which is why…

This wasn’t what she wanted.

If she had a choice, she’d choose Weiss.

But Weiss wasn’t an option.

Yang sighed and ruffled her hair a bit. “Yeah, I know.”

“Hey!” Ruby smacked her hand away and scowled at her. She quickly fixed her hair but paused as she felt the prickle of someone’s eyes on her. She turned her head to see the White Knight facing her. She blinked a bit in surprise, but they quickly turned away.

Blake chuckled. “It might not be as bad as you think.”

Yang glanced at her, eyes narrowed. “Do you know something?”

“No.”

“I think you do.”

“Well, even if I did, I wouldn’t say anything.”

“Well - “

“Shush!” Ruby finally interrupted their flirting. “It’s starting.”

Penny and the White Knight were well matched. They kept on coming out even after each run until finally it came down to hand-to-hand. The White Knight drew their rapier and Ruby couldn’t help but be slightly impressed by their skill. They clearly were someone who relied on technique and skill and they still managed to do so even with the bulky weight of full armor.

But Ruby knew Penny was one of the strongest fighters she knew. This match was already decided before it began.

It was as much a surprise to her, as it was to the rest of the audience, when the White Knight managed to evade the last of Penny’s knives, knock off her helmet, and held the tip of their rapier to Penny’s throat.

A clear victory.

Applause thundered around her, but Ruby could only stare in shock.

All her preferences aside, she had thought that Penny would win. And she would’ve accepted it, despite her misgivings, but now…

Ruby didn’t know what to do with this.

Her dad, Taiyang, stood from where he’d been seated on the throne to watch the proceeding and ignore his daughters’ chatter about the events. He’d been surprisingly quiet, not even joking around with Uncle Qrow during the tournament like he usually would, and Ruby had forgotten that he was even sitting beside her this whole time.

“Congratulations, champion!” Her dad’s voice boomed over the waning applause as the White Knight collected their horse and came to stand before the royal box. “You have bested your peers and proven yourself a knight capable of protecting the royal family. As per the rules of the tournament, you have won the hand of our fair princess Ruby. Do you accept your prize?”

The White Knight was silent for a moment before reaching up to take off their helmet.

“I will gladly take her hand - “

Ruby’s breath caught in her throat as the White Knight spoke. That voice -

“But only if she gives it of her own free will.”

As the helmet came off, long white hair came tumbling down from the high ponytail on their head, blue eyes shone as they gazed up towards Ruby, and a slight smile tugged at the scar going through their left eye.

“So,” Weiss smiled up at Ruby, as smug as the cat who ate the canary, “what do you say, your highness?”

“Weiss?!” Ruby erupted in shock, just as her face exploded in red.

“Holy crow…” Yang muttered, just as surprised as she was.

Blake continued eating, completely indifferent. “Are you going to answer her or not?” She flatly asked.

“Oh, uh,” Ruby floundered a bit more as Weiss just chuckled a bit, “yes!” She shouted, before recovering her royal composure. “I mean, yes. Of course, I would love to give you my hand.”

She extended her hand to show her sincerity and Weiss took it. Weiss clasped her hand before bringing it before her face and giving it a light kiss.

“Gchk!” Ruby practically choked as she felt her face heat up even more if possible.

Weiss smirked, eyes dancing with mirth over her reaction. “Then I guess we’re engaged.”

“Yep.” Ruby’s father grinned as well, before projecting to the audience once more. “It is now official! Her highness, the Crown Princess Ruby Rose, is engaged to the White Knight, Lady Weiss Schnee of Atlas.”

The crowd roared around them but Ruby was feeling faint from the whiplash of everything that happened.

How were you supposed to feel when one minute you’re about to be locked in a marriage you don’t want and the next you’re getting everything you want with the person you want?

She felt a slight tug on her hand. Ruby looked down to see the teasing expression gone, replaced by the concerned look on Weiss’s face. “Are you alright?” She frowned a bit. “It’s fine if you don’t want to do this.”

Ruby’s heart skipped a beat. “I do. Trust me, I do.” She smiled at her and squeezed her hand back. “But an explanation would be nice.” She admitted.

Weiss nodded. “Of course.”

Somehow, Ruby knew this was going to be a doozy.

.

“Your dad tried to have you killed?!” Yang’s jaw dropped and Ruby felt hers dropping right with hers.

They’d gathered in the library as the feast celebrating the end of the tournament and Ruby’s engagement began to wind down. It was the place they had always hung out together, but for once their meeting was a bit more urgent than usual.

Weiss hummed, much too at ease with such a horrific fact. “I should’ve thought there was something suspicious when he said that if I managed to complete the quest I’d be allowed to leave the manor as I wished. As it was, I did complete it and I managed to have my sister secretly arrest my attacker, but I didn’t come away unscathed.” Like she didn’t realize she was doing it, her fingers lightly traced her scar.

“So it was better to have him think me dead. Part of the reason why I wanted to leave was to become a knight like my sister and to restore our family’s honor that my father had tarnished. The attack made me realize that simply doing good would not be enough, I had to take out my father as well.” Weiss continued. “So I fell back on my other talents. Music has always been a passion of mine, one that my father actually encouraged, so becoming a minstrel was an easy task. No one looked twice at me, allowing me to gather all the evidence I needed. Only King James, my sister, and my family’s loyal head butler knew of my task back in Atlas, and of course, I did inform Regent Taiyang when I ended up here.”

“And you knew this entire time?” Yang rounded on Blake.

She didn’t even blink. “The Faunus and Menagerie have been the victims of most of her father’s crimes. Well, most of the ones not done to his own family.” Blake glanced over at Weiss before returning to looking at Yang. “I was aware of all members of the Schnee family, so of course I recognized her right away.”

“Blake has been invaluable with my investigations.” Weiss shot her a smile before catching the disappointed frown on Ruby’s face.

“So the important family business?” Ruby prodded.

Her expression softened. “I’d finally gathered all that I needed, but I had originally intended to wait to confront him. I wanted to reveal the truth to you first, but I received news from Klein that my father had been acting more suspicious than usual so I had to go after him much sooner. He was making alliances with factions that sought to overthrow King James and later attack the other kingdoms. Unfortunately, even with my intervention, his conspirators escaped.” Weiss scowled. Ruby knew that she was always harder on her own flaws than anyone else, and this untidy wrap-up of the incident was most likely weighing on her.

Ruby took in her sister’s thoughtful expression as they both mulled over this new information. Truthfully, it was a lot to take in. Ruby was almost overwhelmed with how much she had learned about Weiss in such a short amount of time.

Weiss was a noble, of the infamous and powerful Schnee family.

Weiss was not only a musician and minstrel, but also a knight.

She could almost be considered a spy, given that she’d somehow been able to go undercover to investigate her own family, her own father.

Weiss was somehow even more talented than she had ever imagined.

Yang clapped her hands together. “Well, that’s good enough for me.” She smiled as she apparently recovered all the revelations. “Blake, how about we give the lovebirds some alone time?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Blake returned the smile as she took her arm and led the way out.

Weiss sputtered, her composure finally broken. “We’re not ‘lovebirds!’”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Yang waved at them as they left. “You guys just got engaged. The honeymoon period’s officially started.”

“Yang!” Weiss facepalmed once more before turning back to Ruby. “Ugh, Ruby, your sister - “

“Weiss.”

Weiss blinked at her. Her eyes searched hers for a moment, looking for something, though Ruby didn’t know what. “Yes?” She cautiously replied.

“I just - I just wanted to know if - “ Ruby paused, the words tripping from her mouth. “I know you said that you wanted to tell me, but was everything else just - just - “

“Oh.” Luckily, Weiss understood her better than she knew herself. “Ruby, I may not have told you about my family or about my personal mission, but it wasn’t a lie.” She hesitated before taking Ruby’s hand in her own. “I know why you may think that, but I never tried to hide who I was or tried to get close because I thought it would benefit me.”

“If anything, you tried to push me away.” Ruby chuckled and Weiss joined her.

“Yes.” She smiled. “Now that all of my family drama is over with, I can now focus on other things.”

“I know you asked me if I really wanted this, but do you?” Ruby couldn’t help but ask.

“Ruby, I only joined the tournament for your sake.”

Ruby looked away, feeling a blush rise once more in her cheeks.

“Your father even ensured that I was knighted before I joined. The moment I returned he told me what was going on. And I knew that I at least wanted to protect you from those who weren’t actually interested or those who were interested but for all the wrong reasons.” Weiss scooted a bit closer as she said that until their knees were touching. “And now that we know that this is what we both want…”

Weiss held both of Ruby’s hands and brought them up, squeezing them tight. “Ruby, I promise to protect you to the best of my ability. I will follow your lead wherever you go and my sword is yours to command. I want you and I love you. Will you have me?”

Ruby felt herself getting a bit teary-eyed. “Of course,” she replied, “but isn’t it a bit too soon for the wedding vows?”

Weiss huffed and looked away, her face a bit flushed, “I just want you to know how I feel and assure you that I’ll be here for you. Is that such a crime?”

“No,” Ruby laughed and then she leaned in and pressed her forehead to Weiss’s, making her freeze in place, “just as long as you know I’ll be here for you, too.”

Weiss was full out blushing now, and while red was usually Ruby’s favorite color, she found this to be her favorite shade yet.

“May I kiss you, my knight?” Ruby asked in a slightly teasing tone.

Weiss smiled. “You may, my princess.”

And as they finally came in for a kiss, Ruby couldn’t wait for the ballad that Weiss would surely write about them.

The Princess and Her Knight.

Ruby liked the sound of that.

.

AN: KNIGHT WEISS! KNIGHT WEISS! KNIGHT WEISS!

I know that Weiss is set-up (by both her circumstances and her fairy tale analog) as the princess-type, but as the series continues Knight Weiss has truly begun to rise. I just love Weiss in the role of the knight. It's great so that's what I did here.

When I originally thought up this fic, I had it ending after Weiss's reveal as the White Knight and her asking for Ruby's hand only if it's willingly and Ruby accepting. Typical fairy tale ending, right? But as I re-worked it and added in elements, like how the Schnees fitting into this AU, their role (like at one point they and the Ironwoods were the dual rulers of Atlas but I decided to just make the Schnees like top-tier nobility instead), and how Weiss fits into that (plus her supposedly still being on family business was a good excuse to not be by Ruby's side like she would've been otherwise), I realized that I probably should explain what was going on with that and I ended it on a note that was just as sweet.

Oh, and as mentioned, the Schnees, including Weiss, do have magic in the form of their Glyphes in this world. Ruby remembers this fact at like 3 AM the next morning and burst into Weiss's room to ask if she had magic as well and promptly gets magicked out, as Weiss can do that to the princess now that they're engaged and she hates being woken up.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! I know I didn't do as many fics this year, but I had fun with the ones I did do.

[neriad13]

Favorite Media of 2020!

There was a large swathe of this year during which I was unable to concentrate on reading (as there probably was for a lot of other typically-frequent readers), so, as a result, I ended up listening to way more podcasts and watching way more TV shows. Not a bad thing, but boy did I read way less books than usual. 

However, for the first time in a while, the amount of fiction I read was about equal with the amount of nonfiction I read. Last year’s reading resolution was to read more fiction, so...success??

I did read a lot of phenomenal fiction when I had the energy to do so this year.

Books - Fiction

The Martian - Andy Weir

This book is the hardest of the hard sci fi I think I’ve ever read. Every single aspect of it is minutely researched and calculated. The author literally wrote equations to write this book. The science is insanely impressive and yet...it never loses its sense of humor or humanity in the mix. In fact, they’re the thing that drives the entire story.

Warlock Holmes - G. S. Denning

Way early in the year I was strolling down the fantasy aisle at the library, when this cover caught my eye. I took one look at it, went “oh, this looks silly” and...proceeded to devour the entire series in a matter of weeks. 

It is very silly. Especially when it’s pointing out something that was silly in the original. There’s something so satisfying about Watson immediately answering Holmes with the correct number of steps in their flat when he’s trying to make his point about how most people don’t pay attention to things like that.

World War Z - Max Brooks

Every single scenario in here could easily support an entire book. A park ranger whose job it is to contain the yearly zombie spring thaw? HECK YES. I’d read tens of thousands of words about that. A Chinese admiral who defaults, steals the government’s premier submarine, loads it up with the families of his underlings and takes to the sea for years to live in the maritime economy that has sprung up in a world where everyone is trying to escape the shore? That could be an entire movie on its own. 

Every chapter was more creative than the last and as a huge worldbuilding fan, this book was so, so fun.

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

In which a queer, neurodivergent protagonist solves a mystery on a spaceship which is a microcosm of antebellum era politics! This had a beautiful, mysterious, wonder-inducing writing style and it was a joy to peer into the wildly differing minds of every single character.

Books - Nonfiction

Underland - Robert MacFarlane

In every chapter, the author visits a different hole. Basically.

It’s an exploration of caves, catacombs, mines, nuclear waste facilities and the hidden underbelly of every forest. It was fascinating. And fundamentally changed how I look at time.

Rejected Princesses - Jason Porath

After years of having enjoyed the web entries, I finally got my hands on the first book and was not disappointed. 

There are the more entertaining entries, of course and the art is as charming as always, but what struck me the most were the more difficult stories. The deeper you go into this book, the more horrific it gets. The author does not hold back on the indignities suffered by the historical figures he writes about. It’s terrible...but also very, very illuminating.

The Gift of Fear - Gavin De Becker

This book - while maintaining all the essential information in it - could be pared down to one sentence in a sea of blank pages and that sentence would be: trust your instincts. End of story.

But in a world where instincts are either customarily suppressed or going haywire, it’s not quite that easy, which is why I’m glad there is more to the book.

I picked it up thinking “ha ha, betcha can’t help a person with anxiety who fears all the time already” and...what it actually ended up doing was giving me the tools to differentiate between real fear and unfounded fear. And did help with the anxiety quite a bit.

Fanfiction

Watch Over Me - cakeisatruth

A Bioshock fic from the point of view of a little sister who is learning how to trust and be an ordinary child again. Dark and sweet. An excellent combo.

All That is Visible - Ultima_Thule

An exploration of a minor character in a well researched historical context? That’s my jam! How did they know?? A Tron fic about what it’s like to be a female programmer in the 70s.

Graphic Novels

The Adventure Zone - McElroys + Carey Pietsch

Yesssssssss! It was a running-to-the-library type event whenever my library got a new volume in. The jokes are so good, the art is so lively and the ways in which they added the details that the podcast couldn’t necessarily get across is *mwah*

Trail of Blood - Shuuzou Oshimi

Hoooooooly shit, the art style of this one!! It’s beautifully detailed and expressive, sure, but the real draw for me was how it changes with the emotional state of the main character. There’s this sequence in which he’s consumed with anxiety at school and all of his classmates become blurry and unfocused, until they can’t be recognized as humans at all, that particularly sticks with me.

It’s a horror story about a kid who witnesses his loving mother push his cousin off a cliff for seemingly no reason and is then obligated by her to keep the secret, which is eating him from the inside out. It’s so good, guys, please read it.

Level Up - Gene Lien Yang/Thien Pham

A story about a kid who is haunted by his late father’s desire for him to become a gastroenterologist. It’s funny and touching and the ending gave me what I can only describe as a feeling of exhilaration. Y’know that feeling when something unexpected but not out of left field, perfectly in tune with the narrative arc and gut bustingly funny happens, all in the same panel? That one.

Film

Searching

This is a fairly standard thriller about a dad trying to find out what happened to his missing daughter. It’s also found footage...but not in the usual way, which was what made it so compelling to me. It’s told through the dad’s phone calls, google searches, social media interactions, news footage, security cameras and webcams. It was such a cool way to tell a story.

Train to Busan

There’s a lot that’s already been said about this movie and I don’t think there’s much more I can meaningfully add to that. Suffice to say that ya gotta take care of each other if you’re going to survive a zombie apocalypse!!

TV Series

My Brother’s Husband

As close to a perfect adaptation as a person can get (barring the entire conversation in English which was...oof). I was so happy when they took it a step further and showed Kana and Yaichi actually getting to meet Mike’s family.

Zumbo’s Just Desserts

I watched a lot of baking shows this year. Like...a lot. They were my much-needed comfort viewing for the year and this one was my favorite, even over The Great British Baking Show (which I LOVE). Why? Because the pastry chef for whom it’s named makes such bizarre and wonderful desserts and fosters an environment in which the competitors do the same. I’ve never seen anything like a lot of the desserts that make an appearance on this show. Every single episode was an awesome surprise and so help me, this show had better get a third season.

She-ra and the Princesses of Power

There’s also a lot that’s been said about this one, so I won’t say much more. Suffice to say: DAMN. That’s how you do an 80s toy tie-in cartoon remake.

Infinity Train

This show’s premise is probably the most unique I’ve seen in recent years. Its balance of comedy, horror and existential dread is also *mwah* I also love how much it trusts the viewer to figure things out on their own.

Primal

A late entry sliding in before the year ends! I finally got to watch the second half of the first season last weekend and it was EXCELLENT. The pacing, the brutal fight scenes, the adorable dinosaur antics, the animation, the quiet moments - *mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah*

The most emotional moment for me was the part in which the protagonists watch, with sorrow, as the rabid dinosaur who’s been trying to kill them all night dies an excruciating death.

Also it sets up a fascinating new plotline right before ending in a cliffhanger!! Another one for the ‘had better get a next season’ list.

Games

Night in the Woods

This is one that’s been on my to play list for a few years and I was so glad I finally got my hands on it. It’s like...The Millennial Experience (TM), the game. I felt so seen, playing it. The character writing was fantastic.

Prey

I don’t know why I put off finishing this for so long. I guess I wasn’t in the right alien killing headspace for a while?? Anyway, the setting is gorgeous, the alien biology is weird and cool, the ethics are delightfully murky and the interconnectedness of the station was really cool, especially in the OH SHIT moments at the end. 

Podcasts

The Adventure Zone

I tried to narrow this down to one favorite arc, but found that I couldn’t do it. I love Balance for its comedy and creative energy. I love Amnesty for its drama and acting. I am loving Graduation for the depth of its world and the way in which the real story behind everything that’s happened is slowly unfurling. It’s a good podcast all around.  

The Magnus Archives

Who obsessively listened to every single season while playing Minecraft in about a month? Surely not me, nooooo. Of course not.

There’s also been a lot said on this one, so I’ll keep it brief. I’ve seen things in here that I haven’t really seen elsewhere in horror. My particular favorites were the creepy psychiatric hospital in which the horror comes not from the patients, but from the denial of the doctor to believe them about their mental illnesses and every single thing related to the Anthropocene. The one with the Amazonian village made out of trash - CHILLS.

[greycappedjester]

What is your take on Barbara in your Young Justice story? As in what comics or shows inspired you? Also, how is she handling(i don't know another word) her feeling for Dick? From what I can take is that she still loves him; she wants him to be happy and will do things for him to accomplish that. Idk i don't think she has time to really "move on" even if she tried because she will always be there for him... along with the other bat-family

Thank you so much! Hmmm, I love Babs a lot but I’m trying to think of where I primarily draw her character from--probably a mix of her Oracle days, Birds of Prey, some Batgirl Year One, with a bit of fandom in general, Young Justice (ofc), and the Batman animated show I watched when I was younger. Anything that shows Barbara as competent, efficient, a badass but also clearly cares about her family and the people she works with. She’s such a great example of a character that can both act marvelously and unhesitatingly in a support role without making supporting others seem lesser in any way--because really how would any of the Batfamily in the 90s-early 2000s get anything done without her--while also being a hero/ main character in her own right (with Oracle and Birds of Prey).

For how she’s dealing with her feelings--I think what you said is fair: she loves him, she wants him to be happy and is glad that he seems to be with Kory, she does have trouble moving on completely because they always work together. It’s essentially Barbara’s a wonderful person about prioritizing her goals--her top goal is to keep her loved ones (and Gotham) safe through anyway she can help them. As long as she has that, she can be happy...even if she sometimes is too selfless in that she removes herself from (or allows) situations where she thinks she’s too biased even if she thinks the situation is ill-considered.....that’ll make sense a lot more after the next year arc, promise.

Bonus very short story under break because I feel like it explains it better than my ramble.

Here is a piece of dialogue I wrote from a short story in Barbara’s POV. It’s not finished so I won’t post all of it; but, it’s called “Prom” and takes place between Year 2 and Year 3 (so post Batgirl, pre-Kory’s arrival on Earth).

-----

Barbara Gordon is in love with Dick Grayson.

She doesn’t let it affect her that much. 

There’s more important things to worry about.

Namely being Batgirl, Gotham’s newest vigilante of about a year and a really good one if she does say so herself. And with that comes other worries. Like containing Arkham breakouts. And patrolling Crime Alley. And tracking down leads on whatever new addition there is to Gotham’s ever expanding list of batshit insanity. And going through the next torture mislabled as a training exercise because “we can never be too prepared, right, Babs?”. Or, hey, speaking of which, trying to make sure neither she nor Dick die in this nightmare of a city that she adores so much.

And then, there’s the additional joy of keeping all of the above mentioned vigilante activities out of the attention of her father aka the Police Commissioner aka one of the most observant men in Gotham.

The point is Barbara doesn’t have time to be part of anyone’s unrequited teenage love story, even if it’s her own.

All of which normally works out pretty darn well except for one occasional fact.

Dick Grayson is an idiot.

Big blue eyes look up at her imploringly from across the lunch table and Babs momentarily contemplates stabbing him with her fork.

“I just thought it would be a good idea,” he explains before hurrying to add, “if you don’t already have someone you want to go with, I mean.”

“You’re asking me to prom,” she says incredulously. “Wait, you’re telling me you don’t have a date to prom?”

Dick hesitates. “Um, well, no, I don’t. Not exactly.”

Barbara blinks, narrows her eyes, and then mentally translates that through her built in Dick Grayson decodifier. The answer comes alarmingly quickly.

“In other words, people asked you and you turned them down. So now, you have to find a date if you want to go and not look like an asshole,” she concludes.

Dick blushes and she knows she’s right.

Not that there was ever really a question because, unlike her, Dick actually is popular. Insanely so considering, like her, he’s two years younger than most of their classmates and makes the absolute minimal effort to be part of any extracurricular activities besides sporadic decathlon appearances.

Then again, maybe it’s not that surprising when you factor back in the whole billionaire heir status plus the...well, okay, the unfair levels of attractiveness and grace Dick exudes as unconsciously as breathing.

Dick smiles sheepishly and Barbara swears she hears a girl two tables away actually sigh.

“I just thought it would be more fun to go with you,” Dick insists and Barbara’s traitorous little heart might have skipped if he didn’t immediately follow it with, “as friends, you know?”

Barbara continues to stare at him because dang it, she might have tripped into a bad teen movie but she still has her pride.

“If you’re just asking me because you think I don’t have a date--”

Dick’s eyes immediately widen. “No! Babs, that’s not it at all, I swear!” He sighs, checking the cafeteria before leaning in. “It’s just...you know how things can get kind of, ah, busy all of the sudden for us, right?”

Oh….

Barbara nods, feeling like an idiot. She should have known it would all come back to vigilante stuff.

Dick looks relieved. “I just don’t want to agree to go to prom with someone when I’ve got to ditch them last minute if something comes up.”

“Oh,” she says, mostly on autopilot. “And at least if we go together and something happens…”

“We won’t be letting anyone down.” Dick smiles before shrugging. “And, if nothing happens, then I still get to go to prom with one of my best friends. Win-win.”

Barbara forces herself to swallow. “Win-win.”

“So, what do you say?” Dick’s smile goes a little bit mischievous. “Barbara Gordon, will you go to prom with me?”

The sad thing is that when it comes down to it, she doesn’t have to think about it.

“Sure, Dick.”

Dick’s face lights up, endearing in all the ways it’s not infuriating. “Really?”

Barbara shrugs, pulling up a smile. “What can I say? You know I love dancing.”

-----

Since apparently this is her life now, Barbara gives in to overdramatic impulses and throws herself onto the couch before finding a thick enough pillow to scream into.

When she finally lets the pillow slide off her face, her dad’s staring at her from over a heavy stack of case files.

“Bad day at school?”

She smiles sardonically. “I got a date for prom.”

“....Oh.” He frowns and there’s something Babs always finds oddly touching about the utter panicked confusion the hardened police commissioner shows with anything approaching the emotions of teenage girls. He shoulders through. “I thought you weren’t going to prom.”

“I wasn’t,” she agrees. Frankly, she thinks she could go her entire life without seeing classmates she barely talks to swaying awkwardly in a cramped gymnasium.

Her dad’s frown deepens. “Who’s the guy?”

She sighs, closing her eyes, already knowing how this will go. “Dick Grayson.”

“Ah...well that’s--”

“He asked me as friends,” she finishes.

Silence greets her response and Barbara shuts her eyes a bit tighter.

If there’s one thing she absolutely hates about being in love with Dick Grayson, it’s the fact that everyone else in her life already knows. Everyone except Dick.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“It’s fine, Dad.”

“You want me to shoot him?”

She chokes on a laugh, finally opening her eyes. “You can’t. You’re a cop. The police frown on things like murder.”

He gives her a look, a smile creeping in under his moustache. “It’s Gotham, Barbara.”

She stands up, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

“Don’t.” She smiles. “Gotham still needs one honest cop left.”

“Drats.” He catches her hand, smile evening out as he meets her eyes. “If he doesn’t see what’s in front of him, honey, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

Barbara squeezes his hand in lieu of answering.

That’s the thing no one ever seems to get. 

It isn’t that Dick doesn’t see her. In fact, she’s pretty sure Dick sees her better than anyone.

He’s her partner, the best friend she’s ever had, the one thing she knows she can always count on.

But, he’s not in love with her.

-------

Thanks for the ask!

[profitinaecho]

Pre1900s

August, 1845

Elizabeth Ortecho drew her shoulders back, drawing herself into perfect posture while looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her new yellow dress was the color of jonquils and set off her tan skin and black hair perfectly. The cut did almost scandalous things to her figure. If she were an actual lady, she would regret that more than she did. Women are supposed to be chaste and submissive. Elizabeth naturally was none of those things but all of her training up until this point prepared her to fake it. She scowled at her reflection and pinched her cheeks for some color.

The carriage had arrived to take her to the house party at the Duchess Ann Evans’ home. Before her family had lost their fortune to her father’s illness, Elizabeth had been close with the Duchess’ children. But that was then and she needed to find a viable husband to save her family from ruin now. Her childhood friend, Maxwell Evans, would be there all grown up. It would be nice to see him but she couldn’t allow him to distract her from her mission. She remembered the reason she was dressed like this and it wasn’t to mingle with Maxwell. Her only goal was to seduce Doctor Valenti.

————————————-

Maxwell Evans took a last look in the mirror. He didn’t care much about his appearance normally but the type of people downstairs definitely cared. He wore a Savile Row evening suit, neatly combed hair, and a fresh shave. He would be sure to use the cultured accent that had been drummed into him at an early age. He would need it to impress future business contacts and hopefully find a viable candidate to marry. His parents had made him promise to cozy up to Maria, the daughter of an Earl, in hopes of combining their companies with marriage.

Coming down the stairs, Maxwell saw Lord DeLuca and his daughter waiting in the drawing room for dinner. Maria was in a powder blue dress made of the finest materials by her family’s tailor. A few other gentlemen were also loitering, waiting on the rest of the ladies to appear. Many of them were discussing business in the House of Lords and things that had happened at Oxford. It drove Maxwell nearly insane with boredom. Bowing slightly as he approached the Deluca’s, Maxwell put on his most charming grin. “Lord DeLuca, I trust the rum industry is treating you well? I have been following your growth for some time.”

“Oh? My uh, business agent sees to the company details.” Lord DeLuca shifted uncomfortably.

“I see.” It was exactly as Maxwell had feared. Lord DeLuca knew nothing about his own company. Maxwell had learned the alcohol industry from the ground up and built his company based on the findings. Any business interactions would not go forward, but Maria was beautiful and his key to combining their companies so he looked forward to getting to know her better. She was the key to this deal going forward. Maria smiled shyly at him through her lashes. He smiled back at her and felt relieved. This would be easier than he expected. Behind her, a lady in a yellow dress and black curls entered and he realized it was his childhood friend, Elizabeth. Bowing slightly to announce his departure, Max said “My old neighbor has entered and I must go say hello.”

“But I will have a chance to speak with you after dinner, won’t I?” Maria pouted.

“Of course.” Maxwell promised. This was going much better than he expected if she was already interested. Maxwell strode across the room to Elizabeth. “Look at you, all cleaned up. You look lovely.” He teased her.

Elizabeth forced herself not to stick her tongue out at him. “I could say the same about you.”

“I’m so glad you came. These people are a terrible bore.” He admitted quietly.

His mother announced that dinner was ready and the old friends parted- Maxwell to sit next to the Delucas and Elizabeth to sit next to Dr. Kyle Valenti.

————————————-

Elizabeth had zoned out by the soup course and was willing herself not to doze off when she heard the men talking about going on a shooting party after dinner. Before she could stop herself, she found herself asking “May I shoot too?”

Every head at the table pivoted towards her and she realized her mistake. Dr. Valenti’s eyes shot up towards his dark hairline. “You hunt?”

Placing her hands delicately on her lap, Elizabeth nonchalantly replied, “Oh, I try.” Further down the table, Maxwell smirked. He knew better. After all, he had been the one to teach her to shoot.

“I’m sure you’re quite good.” Dr. Valenti complimented her.

“I’m a dreadful shot but it sounds fun.” Elizabeth forced herself to smile at him more intimately and flirtatious than she actually felt. “Perhaps you could show me how?”

“It would be my pleasure.” Kyle answered her. His eyes held a flicker of interest. If she could manage to mind her manners and act like a lady, her family might be saved after all. She found Kyle attractive and boring, but he was kind and there were worse things he could be. Feeling cheered at the progress she was making, she looked down the table at Maxwell. She could tell he was judging her for the exchange and she felt the urge to send him a vulgar gesture. Despite once being her very best friend, Maxwell only brought out her worst traits now. With the doctor, she did her best to behave and be everything society expected her to be. Not that it was a comparison or competition, because Maxwell was her past and she was going to do everything to ensure Kyle was her future.

————————————-

The conversation with the other ladies in the parlor was tedious at best while she waited for the men to join them. She found herself desperately talking about the weather with Lady Isobel. When the gentleman joined them, she exhaled with relief until she saw that Lord Wyatt Long was approaching her.

“My dear Lady Elizabeth, I was so saddened to be sitting so far away from you at dinner.” Lord Long leaned in too close to her and she willed herself not to retreat. She couldn't control the look of disgust on her face though.

“Oh?” Elizabeth told herself not to roll her eyes and went to move around him but he caught her wrist.

“We should remedy that by having a conversation now.” Lord Long wasn’t letting go of her wrist and was starting to scare her.

Maxwell left a protesting Maria across the room to rescue Elizabeth. “Actually, she promised to have a conversation with me.” Maxwell had found it amusing watching Elizabeth try to escape Lord Long until he could tell she was distressed. Maxwell had probably ruined his chances with Maria based upon the disgust on her face but Elizabeth had needed help. Taking her hand from Lord Long’s Maxwell placed it in the crook of his elbow, pivoted and sat with her across the room. “You have picked up a determined admirer.” He teased her.

“I keep discouraging him but he won’t go away.” Elizabeth huffed. In the haze of the gaslights, he could think of a million reasons a man would be infatuated with Elizabeth. He’d barely been able to keep his eyes off her smooth tan skin and sparkling dark eyes all though dinner. “Thank you for the rescue. Now if you’ll excuse…” Elizabeth stood up, her yellow skirts rustling.

“Where are you going?” Maxwell had the strangest flutter in his stomach. He didn’t know what to make of it.

“To speak to Dr. Valenti.” She craned her neck looking for Kyle. That feeling in Max’s gut intensified and he belatedly realized it was jealousy.

Max found himself chuckling. “Why?”

“Look, I know he isn’t the most exciting man in the room but he’s not bad to look at. And he could take care of me and my family. My father is sick. He’s an honorable, skilled man.”

Max had to admit she was making sense in a detached logical way. But the Elizabeth he knew was passionate and bold. It made him sad to think of her spending her life that way. “It seems like a decent match on paper but why do you think he would want to marry you?”

Elizabeth gasped in outrage and leaned forward. It did amazing things to her breasts in that dress and distracted Max. “I could ask the same thing about Lady Maria. Why would the daughter of an Earl want to be with you?” They were staring each other down when it was announced that it was time to form the hunting party.

Before his eyes, Elizabeth took a deep breath and transformed into a perfect lady. She smiled a sweet innocent smile and her dark eyes lost their spark of mischief. She batted her long black eyelashes and every inch of her posture softened. “I bet I can make Dr. Valenti mine before you manage with Lady Maria.” Elizabeth’s voice had become quiet and husky. It had the type of suggestive rumble that made a man want things. Her expression was pleasant and blank and it startled Maxwell to see her acting so unlike herself. Before Maxwell could tell her that he wasn’t sure he wanted Lady Maria after all, she lifted her skirts and flounced over to Dr. Valenti, glaring at Maxwell over his shoulder. Elizabeth was put on a flawless performance and anyone that hadn’t known her since childhood would be under her spell.

————————————-

Elizabeth found herself alone in a sea of tweed with no one but Maxwell for company. Assuming she ever spoke to him again. Elizabeth closed her gun with a snap and plastered on her brightest smile. “Good afternoon, Dr. Valenti.”

It bothered Maxwell that the doctor received her sunniest greeting while so far, all he had gotten was a scowl from her.

“Are you ready for the hunt today?” Kyle asked Elizabeth.

“I’m actually a bit nervous. This gun is just so big.” Max snorted and Elizabeth lifted her skirt to move closer to Dr. Valenti, deliberately stomping Max’s foot on her way under her skirt so no one else would know.

“Hand me your weapon and I’ll make sure it is properly loaded.” Kyle held out his hand and she demurely handed him the rifle.

A while later, a flock of partridge took flight from the shrubbery and Elizabeth tracked it with her gun. She followed its arc with her eyes then with a curse, yanked the gun up and shot wide. Maxwell raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing.

“Cheer up, Miss Ortecho! Just a little practice and I’m sure you’ll bag something.” Called Kyle from her other side. “You have a good steady hand.”

“They fly so fast, don’t they?” She blinked up at him innocently.

“They do. Just have some patience and you’ll hit one.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” She sighed sweetly and reloaded her weapon.

“You’re such a liar.” Maxwell teased her when Dr. Valenti had walked a ways away from them. “You had those birds in your sight. You missed on purpose.”

“You must be seeing things.”

“To be honest, I’m quite positive you could outshoot every man on this property.”

“No man wants to be outshot by a woman.” Elizabeth argued.

“You were better than me at everything when we were children. I don’t know why you pretend to be something you aren’t.”

“You were much smaller then. You could take me in a heartbeat now.” His eyes darkened and Elizabeth flushed when she realized what she said. Clearing her throat, she explained, “Most men get cranky when something threatens their masculinity.”

“What will you do if you marry him? You can’t hide your skills from him forever.”

“I suppose I will have to be a dutiful wife and not embarrass my husband by outshooting him.” Before Max could reply that he disagreed, she lifted her yellow skirts and headed towards Dr. Valenti. “Dr. Valent! I thought you could give me a few pointers on my aim.”

“Of course, Miss. Ortecho. Now raise your gun” Kyle was all smiles as he settled her gun against her shoulder. He adjusted her hands on the weapon and smiled warmly. “Try it like that.”

“Thank you so much. It feels better already.” Elizabeth smiled warmly at him over her shoulder and Max saw it then- the moment Dr. Valenti started to fall and it tore him up inside.

Whispering quietly to Elizabeth as they followed the hunting party, Maxwell asked, “Are you going to stop pretending you can’t hit the broadside of a barn? It’s very tedious watching you pretend to be someone else.”

Up ahead, the hounds barked as they flushed out a flock of pheasants from the brush. Glancing away from Max, Elizabeth raised her gun, aimed and fired two shots in quick succession. Two birds fell from the sky with a squawk. The rest of the men turned to stare at her in astonishment. She shrugged daintily, “Would you look at that! Wasn’t that lucky?”

Max rolled his eyes. “Come find me when you get tired of this farce. I much prefer the real you.”

[tfw-no-tennis]

huntoxhunto

we watched 2 whole more eps but we’re abt to vacay so i better recap this biz now before i forget

ok so we finished the zoldyck arc and uhhhh gotta say we werent expecting like any of that to happen lol 

ok ill back up so we start w/killuas mom (i dont think we ever heard her name) confronting gon & co....and canary (i lov her) is not dead which i assumed but thank goodness. 

zoldyck mom was totally using nen. also she is off her rocker gotta say. tho that visor is super cool, albeit confusing - is it connected to a bunch of security cameras or something? how does she see all that shit? 

granpa is wild. his tunic thing that says ‘one kill a day’ or w/e is kinda hilarious, it reminds me of the ‘apple a day keeps the dr away’ saying...a murder a day keeps the....idk away????

i love that killua makes it abundantly clear that he couldve like escaped at any time lol. also tho why didnt he just escape....baby boy just leave 

killua getting all serious and threatening milluki if he messes with gon....my boys got it BAD 

this family has so many communication issues hvbjadkfbjaskdfj nobody is on the same page at all 

the butler guy continued to remind me of kuro one piece this whole time...i was waiting for him to bust out the ridiculous cat claws

oh my GOD wait the flashbacks of EVEN BABIER KILLUA were so precious ;_; he was soooo tiny and cute oh my god. so precious. and canary was also so tiny and cute 

baby killua really just wanted a friend :(((( and canary wanted to be friends w/him but knew that mom zoldyck would kill her if she overstepped like that :( thats so tragic mannnn

also canary is so cool man. her beating up all those guys was epic

ok that whole scene with killua and his dad was like, such a rollercoaster lmao

like....it was all over the place for me...first of all the ambiance was wack, the room lighting was weird and im p sure killuas seat was an electric chair??? and the dad was in a coffin thing..???? like....interesting aesthetic choices all over the place here 

also i see now where killua got his hair and also his catboy tendencies. the zoldyck catboy genes seem to trace back to zoldyck dad, who has kinda scary cat eyes 

also im guessing that the dad is the blood zoldyck and the mom is the one who married in. they sure seem to put a lot of emphasis on like, family legacy or w/e, but the two parents certainty go abt it in different ways 

the whole convo b/w killua and his dad was wild, it totally didnt go where i was expecting it to. his dad was weirdly chill while also being super intense? 

killua happily telling stories abt gon was so sweet....baby boy baby 

and his dad telling him ‘never betray your friends’ was rlly interesting...i wonder what his reasons were for saying that 

cause then he tells killua he can leave, and killua does, but then dad zoldyck tells mom zoldyck (i rlly need to find out their names) that he thinks killua will come back on his own time....inch resting 

i wonder if dad zoldyck made killua promise that bc he was trying to set killua up for failure - as in, he tells killua to never betray his friends, thinking that killua inevitably will & be distraught abt it, and then turn back to the zoldyck family when this happens. idk

also its interesting to me that zoldyck dad wants killua to lead the family someday. like, illumi is right there, hes the oldest and clearly dedicated to being an evil assassin, and he seems p good at it...i wonder why killua is the favorite....the grandpa (i think) did say that killua is Special(tm) which...yes he is a special baby boy i love him. i wanna see more zoldyck family flashbacks/interactions so we can see what led them to this point 

oh lord that reminds me of illumi briefly appearing in the killua flashback and hes just like, suddenly there, wearing some gay ass sweater....like ok dude did you just come back from the Evil Assassin Library or st?????

that reminds me too, ruth tells me that apparently in the manga illumi and hisoka got married or something???? to which i say, thats fucking wild, but also it makes sense, those two are both horrible and disgusting and they absolutely deserve each other hbvajvhsdfjbak peak evil nasty gay rep, i love it. i cant wait to see whatever the fuck the context to that is bc, thats fucking wild

ok back to the plot so like its so wild to me how smoothly everything went hvubsjduhfbjsh like....killuas dad was rlly like ok u can leave and killua just went to the butler house and then canary woke up and was like ok gon & crew lets go to the butler house to see killua, fuck the rules, (and she didnt even get killed for ‘disobedience’ or w/e, or more likely - in most big shounen, she wouldve been attacked by the other evil butlers and gon wouldve had to fight them)

killua Rlly was like fuck this place im leaving my boyfriend and his parents are here to pick me up [puts on gayest outfit he owns and skateboards away] hvbhsjdfbjdkf

i love killuas weird gay preteen fashion so far and i cant wait to see more 

killua telling the butler guy to let him know as SOON as gon gets there cause he wants to see him AS SOON AS HE CAN ;_; bro they r....in love 

of course the butler is trickey tho lmao, any other shounen this wouldve turned into an 8 ep long fight scene sequence where gon has to fight the butlers in order to see killua 

and the of course gon is the same way, gon is like i need to see killua RIGHT NOW take me to him!!! ohhh my god babies

the whole coin game was wild, it was funny when the other butlers got involved too lmao 

when gon was like ‘hey leorio can i see your knife’ i was like OH NO I DONT LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING. and i was right bc OWWWWW baby boy oh my god!!!! but that seems to have solved it even tho thats NOT how swelling works at ALL- 

anyways gon is a cute smart good boy and i also find it funny how killua eventually gets impatient and just busts in on this whole dramatic situation (and the tension immediately deescalates as a result lmao) 

tangent but god its so funny seeing all these butler guys deferring to killua, an actual 12 yr old....i wanna see the hilarious and hijink-filled results of killua being raised as a rich spoiled assassin prince. thats a lethal combo thats gotta result in some wildly skewed perceptions on how things work, especially paired with gon ‘probably eats dirt for fun and sleeps in trees’ freecess 

godddd gon and killuas lil reunion is SOOO cute they were so happy to see each other ;_; bro they are SO cuteeeee augh. two tiny babies

killua being like oh hi also uh kurapika andddd [looks at smudged writing on hand] lorpo 

hvhhbajfbs dont do my man leorio like that killua hes a hardworking father 

the fact that they just like. LEAVE...thats so wild. i cant believe how little fighting this arc had. this all wrapped up SO much faster than i could have ever anticipated lmao 

where the heck was alluka!? i assumed she’d show up here but uhhhh guess not......in the silhouette shot of all the zoldycks she and killua were holding hands ;_; my fucking uwus bro 

we also didnt see the grandma or great grandpa so im guessing theyll appear later 

gon being like fuck it im not using my hunters license til i punch hisoka in the fucking face hvbhahsfbjsk thats hilarious 

also a convenient way to let him have his hunters license but not utilize it til later in the story...its so early for him to have achieved that big chunk of his goal, which just shows that hxh is Not your typical shounen and isnt gonna just be centered around gons quest to become a hunter 

so we finally found out what hisoka said to kurapika....just as i thought, it was st to do w/the phantom troupe. so theres a handy setup for the yorknew city arc later. bam 

hisoka just being like ‘hey meet me in this (presumably) very large city on this date. no i will not tell you where in the city to meet me. bye seeya there’ 

tbf hisoka is very hard to miss 

god when they arrive and kurapika is just like ok well we got killua so im out lol bye everyone....bro hvbjkhgbfjhdksfhjk that felt so abrupt 

and then leorio was like oh yeah same i gotta go study time to take the fantasy MCAT or w/e

AND THEY BOTH LEFT....now gon and killua r chilling but im like oh my god no leorio kurapika come back, we need some (questionable) adult supervision over here 

and like immediately killua is like ok gon do you have money. and of Course gon doesnt have money. so killua is like well you need money and you need to train so you can deck hisoka, so lets go to a fantasy version of an underground fighting ring! this is why kurapika and leorio needed to stay 

tho they probably wouldve just gone along with it 

they did all promise to meet in yorknew city, but thats apparently like 6 months away. are gon and killua rlly gonna spend 6 months at heavens arena

the part where killua draws the diagram demonstrating how much of a n00b gon is....hvbajdkhfbhajskf

AND THEN when he drew himself into the diagram and was like :3c wow im so modest HBJHSKHDFHBJS that was so funny

it was like that post thats like ‘you can tell when a cats pupils change and they just shift into Silly Mode’ thats what killua looked like...catboy

so thats basically it i think, gon and killua are heading to heavens arena to join fight club or whatever. tournament arc time! 

PREDICTION CORNER: 

i doubt this is the last weve seen of the zoldyck family. i mean we havent even met 3 of them, and we barely saw the ones we did meet...idk when theyll come back but i suspect theyll be making some big money moves later on and fucking shit up somehow 

i think maybe illumi or someone will like, spy on killua sometimes to keep track of him. or theyll track him by other means

ill use the prediction corner to reflect on incorrect predictions so heres a few. i rlly thot killua was gonna be more edgy than he is but hes rlly just a good boy huh. like hes a gay baby assassin catboy but hes so cute and good too. he just wants to live his life and hang out with his tiny bf like... omg :’) 

also i thot hisoka held a totally different narrative role lbvahkfjhjjaksfl i thot he was like main villain guy....hes more like an annoying creepy clown dude who (probably) shows up a lot to bother the main cast. we’ll see, but thats what i think of him now

like i thought hisoka would be like p1 dio, where hed be/quickly become a powerful antagonist who would amass a bunch of followers/minions (when actually the only person he seems to hang out w/is illumi, and theyre more like equals than an evil guy/minion dynamic)...or like i thought hisoka would be very well known as a scary evil guy but nope he was just another participant in the hunter exam, albeit a weird freaky one whose rancid vibes everyone seemed to pick up on 

anyways actual predictions, i think hisoka is gonna be at heavens arena, which would be super funny. gon is like im gonna train to beat hisoka and he shows up to do that and hisokas just there like >;) hey

i think if i had to guess, the zoldycks will show up again (in a plot important way) at the end of the yorknew arc/before the greed island arc. i know basically nothing abt any of the arcs but i do know the order they go in so theres that

i do think illumi will show up earlier than the other zoldycks tho, since he seems to be out doing his own thing more than the rest. also we still really havent resolved the whole mind control thing that im still convinced of 

i think nen will finally be introduced/alluded to heavily in this arc...or like, characters will use nen and gon will be like whoa whats that 

i think killua knows what nen is...maybe? it would make sense since im sure all the zoldycks can use it (at least, we saw mom zoldyck use it, probably)

can killua use nen already? that would be pretty funny. i dont think so tho. maybe u learn nen at a certain age. i have no idea what nen is 

also isnt gons nen power the power to like, turn into a really buff version of himself or something. how the fuck does that work 

ok enough nonsense its bedtime zzzzz

[letstalksymphogear]

Symphogear, EP. 5

LAST TIME ON SINGY WINGY

ANGRY GREMLIN BEAT UP GOOD BY SUICIDE MOVE SURVIVE BLUE BIRD YES. BLUE BIRD GO TO HOSPITAL FOR WATER METAPHOR WITH AFTERLIFE GIRLFRIEND. TINY BIRD SAD, BUT THEN NOT GET SAD! JACKIE CHAN TIME AFTER MUCH THINKING. WIFE WORRIED ABOUT THINGS. SOMETHING SOMETHING PUNCH GOOD NOW.

Let us continue.

Miku wakes up to see her wife has run off yet again. This is the part of the Sam Reimi’s Spiderman franchise phase where the Mary Jane (not weed) begins having a rockier relationship with Peter Parker (not slang for penis) due to lack of availability.

It’s contrived.

It’s almost impressive that she left a note and had time to draw a tiny Hibiki saying something in a bubble. Glad to see you have your priorities straight, Hibiki.

“you know she might have had a better time in the local art school that doodle aint half bad”

Hibiki is motherfucking Rocky all up in this.

She’s going to kick some ass and nobody’s getting in the way.

“YOU’RE GONNA EAT LIGHTING AND YOU’RE GONNA CRRRRRAP THUNDER TACHIBANAAAAA”

“THAT’S A DIET I CAN GET BEHIND”

I wasn’t joking when I said she’s not fucking around anymore. Did you think I was joking? I can see how you can get the impression given the first few episodes, but I really can’t emphasize the thoroughness of the ass kicking she is going to be capable of.

“MY FATHERLY ENERGIES ARE WORKING! ADOPTERS ANONYMOUS WAS WRONG AFTER ALL!”

That’s totally not ominous in the slightest.

Meanwhile, in the middle of an unnamed McMansion in the middle of who knows where...

Gratuitously spoken English is heard. To be fair, it’s actually really impressive pronunciation coming from people whose native language are systemically different to ours. Most shows would just settle for “this dude is actually speaking english but everything is said in japanese for better interpretation” but not Symphogear! No siree!

Relic business is afoot.

We have a random blonde lady shooting random Noise from the thing The Gremlin had in her hands.

She’s really trying her best with her accent. She’s also casually shooting Noise because let’s face it, would we not do the same if it were in our hands?

“i do whatever i want with my big stiff rod pal”

Also, she’s a nudist. To also be fair, if you lived in a fuckoff rich McMansion with weapons beyond your comprehension, you likely couldn’t help but walk around naked doing whatever the fuck you want.

The people she’s talking to are the Americans, which we explained before are portrayed strictly in an antagonistic light. They want some relics, and this lady clearly deals them like like some sort of glorified drug dealer.

Suffice it to say, she’s not a very nice person.

Also, the subs don’t match what they’re saying in English in the slightest.

The name of this woman... is Fine (pronounced fi-neh). And she is the main antagonist of this series.

Fucking identical.

And here is the most unpleasant scene in the entire season.

The person we’ve repeatedly alluded to as The Gremlin is called Yukine Chris. She serves Fine in whatever the hell they’re up to right now. In this case, it’s using the Nehushtan armor to run around with Solomon’s Cane to throw Noise around the city.

“shits gonna get real abusive, pal”

Fine is a narcissistic sociopath. She’s manipulated Chris into servitude by believing she is the only one that can pave humanity into salvation.

“i dont like that smile”

Chris thinks Fine can secure her deepest wish. Ironically? It’s world peace.

“yeah! yeah yeah, world peace, yeah, totally. just treat me like jesus and we’re gucci”

Anyway, she proceeds to thoroughly shock Chris.

The lore behind this is that this is helping her resistance with dealing with the physical demands of the Nehushtan armor, as well as deal with the pieces of Nehushtan that may be still inside. Let’s be real, though. Fine’s a sadist, and just likes hurting people willy nilly.

“fuck... that hurt like shit... hey wait... wouldnt some of the electrical arcs hit you and shock you too, given you’re so naked and close to all this...?”

“ya nevermind that food looks real nice and i want a piece of that fuckin turkey”

It’s a real creepy scene, and it cements Fine’s horribleness really well. One of the most pivotal things to take note is that Fine says that people can only communicate with each other universally through pain. Strong, terrible BDSM overtones notwithstanding, this will be a common (though varying in quality) motif of the entire series.

“BITCH YOU THOUGHT WE WAS GUNNA EAT AFTER THAT FUCKIN’ WISECRACK ABOUT GETTING SHOCKED LIKE YOU’RE EVEN FUCKIN’ NIKOLAI TESLA ALL UP IN HERE WE’RE GONNA ELECTRIC SLIDE YOUR ASS TO NEXT WEEK”

“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK”

“WHERE THE FUUUUUUUCK IS HIBIKI?!”

“i was gonna invite her to the circus with the rest of the class ‘cause i felt bad about how i treated her but i guess she’s not here”

“the only clown im interested in is hibiki, in the carnival tent of my own bedroom”

“isn’t being a part of /fit/ great, hibiki? can you just feel the gains?”

“yeah who needs doting wife based significant others when you have your gym bros, right newly acquired father figure?”

Hibiki, having acquired a new brain cell during her training, asks the million dollar question:

“Why the fuck are we relying on schoolgirls to deal with all this stuff?”

“anime just be that way, hibiki. i’m just the wrong protagonist in the wrong show.”

Japan is super big on keeping the Symphogear a secret because they are strong and the world really, really wants a slice of the Symphogear pie. These people are basically walking super-weapons. Tsubasa literally dropped a sword the size of a skyscraper. It’s like the premise of the series of Iron Man films.

“do i get like a superhero name too or”

Something to wrap your head around. This was released around 2012, and while the setting seems to be slightly more futuristic, the world it was made in at the time had not been through the era of social media/smartphones we have right now. It was on the cusp of doing so, which means the idea of decent (yet vertical) amateur footage of things happening wasn’t something in the mainstream yet. Why do I say this?

Because in Symphogear, the fact that Symphogear exist is the biggest open secret in this unidentified city ever. NDAs are passed like hotcakes to keep people’s mouths shut on seeing monster-fighting singing superheroes. And they sing, too! Symphogears as an entity are the most high-profile fighting agents out there. Bright colors, no masks, constant singing, fighting in broad daylight in populated areas. Everybody knows, but no one says a word.

Which means every politician on the face of Japan hates these idiots, but they’re stuck with them out of sheer necessity.

“i swear to god if you bring up sam reimi’s spiderman one more goddamned time”

“look it’s the truth, all anime comes back to sam reimi’s spiderman. fate zero did it. uhhh, fucking...baccano, probably? now us. face it. its pretty much the bible.”

It’s also pointed out that the very concept of a Symphogear is born from a science that didn’t exist, and it probably contributes to political frustration as well.

“im going to microwave all your sam reimi spiderman dvds. im gonna do it. you try me, motherfucker. i didnt go into acting and get into this position to hear lectures about a decades old film franchise nobody cares about anymore.”

“can we stop fighting about the validity of sam reimi’s spiderman for five seconds and get back to helping me thing of a dope as hell superhero name? now, lemme lay one on you: Mister Fister”

Hibiki asks where Code Ryoko is.

“any answer besides Not Here works”

“oh, she left to talk to the americans, why?”

“huh, shes sorta late, actually”

“WHY A BAD BITCH LIKE ME GOTTA GET STUCK IN TRAFFIC LIKE THIS”

In the mother of all Mom Vans, no less.

MEANWHILE... IN METAPHOR LIMBO...

Tsubasa has reached the sea floor of the water metaphor dimension surrounded by water, which is her feelings, which are very gay. Imagine the Mariana Trench but like, deeper. Way deeper. That’s where Tsubasa is.

Leave it to Kazanari “I am literally a sword” Tsubasa to successfully spin the very act of surviving a suicidal move during combat as a failure. That’s a special kind of self loathing right there.

“the sheer force of my love for big ladies is keeping me alive”

Tsubasa asks about the point of Kanade’s sacrifice. Why’d she do it? Why was she so hungry at the end?

She personally shows up to answer that question, because that’s Kanade for you.

“being badass is cool, but you know whats cooler? caring.”

“sharing the sauce... you... you shared the sauce...”

“thats right, tsubasa. i wanted to protect the sauce, but... ultimately... sharing it was better. it wasn’t my sauce, tsubasa. it was everyone’s...”

“im gonna suck on a ketchup packet in your memory, tsubasa”

Kanade’s spirit pulls her out of the dimension of water metaphors as she is slowly undrowning from her emotions.

Tsubasa, like Kanade, was lost in the sauce. But now, after Kanade’s touching peptalk, Tsubasa is lost no longer.

“will i ever see you again in my dreams, kanade...?”

“where there’s a sauce. i’ll be there.”

“ill eat taco bell every day just to see you again kanade”

“and i dont even like taco bell... im more of a chipotle girl...”

After accepting Taco Bell as her lord and savior, she is immediately pulled out of the metaphor zone.

And wakes the fuck up.

“b..... b..... b............”

“Baja Blast....”

[meistoshia]

talk to me about your favorite episodes of xyz !!! or your favorite moments !!

oh my god ,     okay ,     uh ,     i have     SO many favorite episodes / moments ,     this is gnna take a hot motherfuckin sec   ( post!editing edward here ,     i was right ) ,     uh ,     KDSFJGHSDFJ ,     okay ,     sO   …               folks ,     if you’ve ever wanted a somewhat comprehensive summary of all of my feelings on the xy/z series ,     here it is ,     all in one place :

                                001 - 002.

right from the start of satoshi showing up in kalos ,     the entire energy of the series was just so !!! & the battle animations were just such a breath of fresh air after having watched bw & i was just instantly drawn in .               then there was the whole incident with the gablias & just satoshi following it up the tower & having calming it down enough to remove the collar ,     knowing that it was in pain ,     be the first priority ,     & then leaping after pikachu when an edge of the tower broke off   ——   my heart just was so warm throughout all that .

                                003.

satoshi consistently repeating that a strategy is needed against yayakoma sort of just made me smile & think ,     yeah he’s grown a lot since previous seasons .               along with that ,     the moment where it clicks for satoshi why keromatsu has been described as   “ the pokemon that battles as it pleases without listening to its trainer ” ,     understanding his feelings & working to attain keromatsu’s goal together instead of him just leaping blindly without considering how to most effectively achieve it  ;          that also just really made me soft ,     because finally there’s a trainer that actually understands keromatsu & it reaffirms that him choosing satoshi was indeed a good choice .

                                006.

a really small thing ,     but when satoshi’s stuck on how to counter viola’s pokemon & he & serena have a small talk & serena says that he told her   “ don’t give up until the end ”   & that he hasn’t changed &   “ this is so like you ”   & satoshi just pauses for a second .               & then he laughs .               because how could he forget   ??               it’s not like him to mull things over too much ,     he just goes at it with fighting spirit ,     no matter what it may be or even if fighting spirit is all he has .                 that moment just always makes me smile to think about ,     probably mostly due to the pause & laugh ,     honestly .

                                007.

serena putting her sihorn knowledge to use & teaching satoshi how to ride one ,     & the moments where she was remembering herself learning & when she repeats her mom’s words of   “ don’t talk !!     you’ll bite your tongue !! ”   &   “ go for broke !! ”   without even thinking   ——   those were sweet .               also the kalos gang talking to serena’s mom for the first time ,     that was really adorable ,     especially with everyone pushing each other out of the frame to talk & satoshi excitedly talking about serena teaching him to ride sihorn & her trying to get him to shush up & ending up just shoving him away from the phone entirely before he could finish a sentence .

                                008.

satoshi & pikachu continuing to battle the rocket gang even after maaiika blinded pikachu by having satoshi become his eyes & guide where to dodge & where to strike  ;          it was a really nice way of showing the trust that pikachu has in satoshi & vice versa ,     because battling blind while relying on someone else’s directions does take a lot of trust to pull off smoothly .

                                009.

honestly just the entire episode  :          the backstory with the citroid ,     citron reclaiming his gym ,     the kalos gang saying they’ll grow together with citron ,     him declaring to his dad that he wishes to travel with satoshi & serena & stating that they’ve helped him grow as a person in even just the short amount of time that they’ve been together at that point ,     the promise between satoshi & citron to have a proper gym battle against each other once satoshi reaches the skill level of someone with four badges & citron promising to get stronger as well to be able to give that proper gym battle   ——   this entire episode was filled with so much goodness .

                                025.

after rewatching the orange league arc ,     i’d come to realize that zakuro giving his challengers the option to climb their way to the battlefield was quite similar to a previous gym leader that too had his challengers climb for the right to challenge him ,     but there were a few differences ,     one significant one being that ,     in kalos ,     satoshi has zero hesitation in his decision to climb the walls & ,     though he slips once ,     he doesn’t look down & finishes his climb with relative ease ,     a vast improvement from the aforementioned orange league arc ,     & the connection with the earlier arc makes this a moment ,     or rather thing ,     that i really liked .               also the evolution of way of fighting through battle with the counter - tombs was really neat .

                                030 - 033.

honestly just watching corni & her lucario bond & grow & come to truly understand each other & overcome the overwhelming power of lucario’s mega evolution was all just really interesting  ;          also the understanding that satoshi had for her connection with lucario & for the need to battle the bursyamo in the cave on their own due to his own experience ,     that was nice .

                                034.

the entire episode ,     really .               satoshi took one look at luchabull & just went   “ kin ” .              the excitement & admiration he felt at meeting luchabull & him asking if kanazawa could share some stories about him & just being so !!! when kanazawa tells him he could take him to luchabull’s training spot   ——   it was all just so tangible & heartwarming .               satoshi working with luchabull to help master the flying press & trying to help by thinking of a way to increase the speed of the attack without having to remove the personal dramatic flair aspect of luchabull’s particular move was also really sweet ,     along with admitting total defeat even though it was a draw between luchabull & keromatsu because luchabull had perfected his flying press after trying satoshi’s suggestions only once & impressed him + luchabull still wanting to go along with satoshi & the others .

                                039 - 042.

the rival trio were so great & the summer camp was a wonderful way of introducing these recurring characters ,     not to mention that this marks the beginning of steady discovery for serena of what sort of dream she wants to attain ,     with sana telling her about the trypokarons & it sparking an interest for her .

                                044.

oh man ,     the gym battle between satoshi & corni was such a ride to watch ,     especially just the first time around ,     like the animation team really pulled out some god damn stops for this episode because ,     holy fuck ,     it was like a cup of coffee for me .               also ,     the moment with satoshi realizing he can’t really copy anyone else’s strategy because he’s got his own type of rhythm to battling was just kinda nice .

                                047.

serena’s first caught pokemon & her deciding that she wants to become a pokemon performer along with fokko & yancham .               she’s struggled with the fact that she’s the only one she knows without a goal or a dream in life all the way up until this episode & just the fact that she’s finally so certain of something like that really warmed my heart .

                                053.

going off from the aforementioned ep ,     serena confronting her mom about wanting to become a pokemon performer & challenging her to a race with the stakes being that ,     if serena loses ,     she’s going to come back home ,     & even though she falls down in the middle of the race ,     not giving up & her determination getting her through to the finish line first .               she finally had something she’s so passionate about & i just felt nothing but pride & joy for her .

                                054.

kojiro & maaiika ,     man .               kojiro & maaiika .

                                060.

while serena may have failed in her first trypokaron ,     it was really heartwarming to see her finally turn around in the end & not let the failure stop her entirely from pushing on ahead ,     knowing that she’s not alone in it ,     she has her pokemon with her .               also the blue ribbon she got from satoshi being used for her new look was sweet .

                                064.

elle & serena’s battle & serena taking elle’s advice of smiling while performing with her pokemon to heart & reaching fokko in a way that made it evolve into tairenar all hit me in the heart like a bag of bricks ,     not gonna lie .

                                067.

oh man .               the entire gym battle between satoshi & citron .               it really was so electrifying to watch ,     the animation & emotion in the battle was off the hook & i could swear that my heart was racing its own marathon during all of it .               i really felt that feeling of not wanting the battle to end & wanting it to last forever ,     & when it was over i felt like i’d just gotten an absolute rush of adrenaline & had to slowly come down from it .               it’s honestly my favorite gym battle to date ,     full stop   ( though the unofficial gym battle against kasumi in sumo is a close second due to similar reasons as this one ) ,     because not only was the battle itself so incredibly well done ,     but the chemistry between not just trainer & pokemon ,     but trainer & trainer as well was just so beautifully displayed in a way that none of the other gym battles with travelling companions who were gym leaders had   ( the battle against kasumi is one of an old friendship from the very early first days of their journeys ,     sort of an   “ it’s been a long while, wonder how you’ve you been ” ,     while the one against citron is more that of gratitude & respect ,     mostly coming from citron  ;          they’ve got two distinctly different connections )  ;          citron was inspired by satoshi to be the type of trainer he is in this episode ,     all the events & incidents that have happened up until this battle have made him the way he is ,     & he is giving it his all because it’s not only what satoshi deserves but it’s also what citron has achieved   ——   he’s grown as a trainer & as a person & this battle is his way of showing all his progress thus far .               it’s a thank you .               also ,     you can pry the line   “ satoshi, you need me.     a fighter like you needs a calm type like me by his side ”   from my cold ,     dead grasp .

                                074.

satoshi dealing with the trick rooms was interesting to watch ,     & even though the end result may not have been quite as satisfactory as he’d hoped ,     the repeated use of flame charge to build up speed for when the room timed out was a heh moment that i liked  ;          he’s got a tendency to sometimes purposefully make his opponents think he’s making a mistake while he’s actually just waiting for the right moment to make a good move & i really appreciate those moments .

                                076.

the gang parenting the newly hatched onbat was so sweet & so cute ,     especially with satoshi & his flying types ,     helping it learn to fly .               it’s kind of a small thing ,     but it’s so adorable & heartwarming that i can’t help but call it a favorite .

                                085.

kojiro stepping up & helping serena with tairenar’s broken stick because he understands the feeling of losing something that may seem easily replaceable to others but holds immeasurable value & memories to the one who owns said something .               it was honestly just so sweet & so heartwarming & he was happy for tairenar even while getting blasted off ,     i mean come on .               my heart was mush .

                                087.

tiny thing but satoshi sprawling out in his sleep to the point of having an arm draped over citron was really cute & a favorite thing .

                                092 - 093.

first off ,     i dig gojika’s whole Thing so much & i think she might be my favorite gym leader purely aesthetic - wise  ;          second ,     the foreshadowing of satoshi - gekkouga & gekogashira’s backstory ,     holy shit .               not gonna lie ,     the lines   “ what keromatsu wanted was something deeper .     i call this … love .   […]   this one’s future   …   is you two climbing up towards a future of new greatness   …   that no one has ever seen before . ”   hit me in the heart like a bowling ball .               & oh man the gym battle   …               god it was so much fun to watch & i loved every moment of it ,     particularly satoshi having pikachu time the amount of time it takes for gojika’s future sight to strike ,     & Oof the moment where gojika sees satoshi & gekogashira’s future in the water pulse .

                                100 / xy&z07.

gekogashira’s evolution & the first instance of satoshi - gekkouga   …               honestly ,     almost every time i rewatch an instance of it after a while of not seeing any ,     i realize i forgot just how intense the satoshi - gekkouga state is ,     like even just the powering up part on its own .

                                106 / xy&z13.

something about the abruptness of the ends of the battles between satoshi - gekkouga & jukain & mega lizardon always cracks me up ,     i don’t know what to tell y’all .               also the exchange of   “ satoshi, what was that ??     how can you do that ??     please tell me !! ”   “ i don’t know either.     my vision goes bam & then i’m all rargh. ”   “ i see, i see   …   wait, that does not help !! ” .

                                112 - 113 / xy&z19 - 20.

even though she lost in the end ,     the fact that serena had even made it to the point of facing off against elle in the first place was such a huge deal & i can honestly say that i cried a Lot during these episodes & that they are the reason i now instantly get teary - eyed upon hearing serena’s dori - dori song .               also ,     it was really nice that musashi accepted her loss as well as she did ,     casually stating that it was because of the rest of the gang that she made it even that far ,     even though just a few trypokarons ago she would have blown her lid off at a loss when she was so close to her goal  ;          the rest of the gang being just so proud of her & kojiro & nyarth being more than willing to pay for the celebratory dinner was really sweet ,     too .

                                116 / xy&z23.

small things stuck with me & make this a nice episode to rewatch ,     such as the start of studying satoshi & gekkouga’s synchronization ,     pikachu shouting at satoshi for calling out onvern for a battle instead of him & getting pouty ,     the small details of satoshi’s eyes narrowing just as he’s about to resume battle with gekkouga having freshly powered up & his pupils contracting in a closeup when an attack is incoming which are such tiny things but delight me to no end ,     & just the enthusiasm with which satoshi goes into his decision to raise his own strength closer to that of gekkouga’s .

                                118 / xy&z25.

where can i even begin with this episode Holy Shit   …               first off ,     this ep reaffirmed to me that carne is such a delight ,     honestly ,     def one of my favorite champions ,     second   …   that battle though   …   that battle   …   poetic cinema   …               the battle choreography ,     the animation ,     the way satoshi - gekkouga’s theme seemed to perfectly sync up with what was on screen ,     satoshi moving in perfect sync with gekkouga’s movements as he attacked as though he were the one performing the attacks ,     the raw emotion in satoshi’s voice as he called out attacks & declarations of becoming much ,     much stronger   …               it was such a rush of adrenaline to watch ,     even bigger than the one i got while watching the gym battle between satoshi & citron ,     i felt like my heart stopped beating the moment the battle was abruptly ended by satoshi losing consciousness .               & hey ,     the animator(s) responsible for the scenes with the white background & black paint splatters ,     let me get y’all’s number ,     i wanna treat y’all because holy fuck those were intense .               i loved them .

                                119 / xy&z26.

this episode is less of a favorite due to what happens & more of a favorite due to the content as a whole .               upsetting to him as it may have been ,     satoshi had been having a huge winning streak ,     alan & black - outs excluded ,     so a loss was imminent ,     & ,     honestly ,     understandable .               seeing that shoota had surpassed him in an aspect & grown so strong in such a short amount of time got to him & affected his psyche  ;          kid got scared .               he got nervous & ,     as we all know ,     a nervous trainer leads to a faulty battle .               i will say though that the little bit after the internal thoughts in the middle of the jukain vs gekkouga battle of satoshi saying shoota surprised him delights me to no end & i blame how rica said the line along w/ the small motion satoshi makes while saying it .

                                120 / xy&z27.

satoshi literally saying   “ hold my jacket while i fight this guy ” .               i can’t call anything else a favorite even though i loved this episode because everything else just made me emotional & upset  ;          particularly the fact that the preview for the next episode was silent except for the snowy wind blowing & satoshi dejectedly reading out the title of the episode without even saying the   “ everyone, get pokemon ”   line at the end .

                                121 / xy&z28.

putting aside the upsetting factor of the title not being read out by anyone   …               the flashbacks of younger satoshi with all those wild pokemon really warmed my heart after all of the upsetting stuff that had been going on .               also the moment of satoshi & gekkouga finally making their power their own ,     based on their mutual strong desire to save one pokemon ,     along with them both deciding to start fresh from zero ,     gekkouga rolling his monster ball towards satoshi just as like when he initially chose him & everything .

                                122 / xy&z29.

oh honey when satoshi - gekkouga showed up   …   oh Honey   …               again ,     the thing with satoshi moving in sync with gekkouga’s moves as though he were the one attacking ,     except this time even more intense than during the battle with carne  ;          for some reason the aerial ace kick downwards always gets me & that small bit is one of my top favorite parts of the entire episode somehow .

                                123 / xy&z30.

satoshi & eureka finishing off the preview for the next episode together while citron’s in the background wordvomiting about the wonders of ingenuities .               that is all .

                                125 / xy&z32.

satoshi’s declarations of aiming to win the entire league ,     serena having to physically drag satoshi away from a battle before it begins when he’s already running out of time to get registered for the conference ,     satoshi doing the arm thing on trova ,     seeing the frustration of someone who failed to get all eight badges in time ,     just so many favorites across the episode .

                                126 / xy&z33.

the various mega - evolutions ,     tierno & shoota’s battle ,     & numelgon rejoining the team were all Oof .

                                127 - 128 / xy&z34 - 35.

satoshi’s eyes shining while watching alan’s fight honestly made my heart go ding ,     not gonna lie  ;          the boundless excitement building in him is real & it’s wonderful .               & the start of the battle between satoshi & shoota   …   i felt like satoshi using pikachu’s electric ball against bloster’s grip was a nice callback to using it to get out of horubee’s grasp on his tail in the first episode ,     & honestly the part where satoshi had pikachu block gillgard’s entry into its shield was such a heh moment ,     like it really was so on brand for him to pull something like that ,     something that would have failed were the timing off even in the slightest  ;          also i really liked the small detail of satoshi’s pupils contracting when he spots a chance for dealing with king’s shield & the little laugh he did when shoota’s peroream returned the favor for what onvern did .                    but holy fuck the finale of the battle between satoshi & shoota   …   the fight between satoshi - gekkouga & mega jukain   …   oh man i absolutely felt that battle  ;          the adrenaline rush i got from watching it was on par with the gym battles against corni ,     citron ,     & urup ,     & the battle against carne .               the raw power in it   …   wrow   …               the animation ,     the battle choreography ,     just how absolutely tangible the attacks were   …               but the true oof was yet to come   …   this was only the semi - finals   …   the biggest big dick energy of them all was still only just around the corner   …

                                129 / xy&z36.

honestly this episode had just really tiny things that i liked ,     like the nurse joy at the beginning of the episode wishing for satoshi to do his best in the finals with a shine in her eyes which was honestly really cute ,     citron & eureka’s dad stealing the citroid’s line about waiting in line for 2h being an easy feat ,     the jirachi keychain ,     alan genuinely being excited for the finale & battling satoshi ,     & how could i list off favorites in this episode without mentioning the ending song ,     oh my god ,     it’s the softest & cutest & sweetest shit ,     i swear i could get a cavity from watching it on repeat .

                                130 - 131 / xy&z37 - 38.

ho - ly - shit .               i mean ,     this was the finals match ,     so no fucking shit the battle would radiate big dick energy ,     but the absolute wave of power that ran over me while watching it was absolutely phenomenal .               the animation ,     the movements ,     the emotion ,     the raw power behind each call of attack & execution of move ,     the absolutely palpable energy of the battle   …   whew   …   i needed to sit back for a few minutes & just catch my breath after all of that   …               like ,     putting aside how much hatred i have for the constant baiting of a league victory for satoshi   ( with him declaring he’s aiming for victory throughout the entire series & a bunch of characters saying lines that imply a league victory   ( not to mention ,     the final episode of the conference being called   “ kalos league victory !!     satoshi’s ultimate match !! ” ,     like holy shit ,     can you pull a bigger dick move ) ) ,     only for alan to beat satoshi - gekkouga with a move that he’d easily blocked before in spite of gekkouga using an insanely more powerful counter attack than the first time while also having the type advantage   ( but go off i guess )   …   it was an incredibly well executed battle & ,     really ,     the end result was the only thing that i would   ( & did )   change .               also ,     a bunch of tiny things that i really loved were citron’s hand trembling out of excitement during the start of the battle ,     luchabull coming out of his monster ball on his own when onvern was defeated & badly hurt ,     alan experiencing the same feeling that most trainers feel while battling satoshi   ——   the feeling of wanting the battle to continue on for as long as possible because they’re deriving such fun & enjoyment from the raw passion that arises in the midst of the fight ,     kojiro starting to root for satoshi & while initially giving him slack for it musashi & nyarth joining in on it ,     rocket gang stating that they were the ones that helped make satoshi as strong as he is   ( which ,     honestly ,     go off y’all three because you’re so right & i’ve been saying it for a while now ) ,     & again ,     the fucking ending song ,     i swear it could cure my depression if i watched it enough times .               & then there was the start of fleur - de - lis’ plan being set into motion   …

                                132 - 134 / xy&z39 - 41.

rocket gang broadcasting live coverage of the happenings in miare city ,     the zygarde showdown ,     serena & platane going to save hari with manon & rocket gang following them & the    “ this is that   “ the enemy of our enemy is our friend ”   thing ” ,     citron kicking flare gang ass   …               satoshi & gekkouga resisting energy that was powerful enough to control zygarde & satoshi’s speech of loving this world & there being people & pokemon he loves & the absolute raw Emotion in his delivery as he shifts into the bond phenomenon along with the return of   …   the Thing with the white background & black paint splatters   (seriously ,     people responsible for those ,     hit me up & let me treat y’all )   …   poetic cinema   …               in the midst of fighting against fleur - de - lis ,     satoshi honestly dropped some intense fucking lines ,     not gonna lie ,     & you can’t deny ,     like   …   “ fighting instinct, whatever   …   there’s more to a pokemon’s power than that.     i’ve realized during my journey   …   that me & my pokemon’s strength is constantly believing in each other   …   & constantly loving each other no matter what.     if you don’t get it, i will show you here & now !! ”   &   “fleur - de - lis !!     i don’t care if you hate this world or not ;     the world belongs to humans & pokemon alike.     it belongs to everyone !!     stop being selfish & talking about   …   how you’re going to destroy or change it, or that we won’t live to see tomorrow !!     those who will meet someone dear to them tomorrow, those who will achieve their dreams tomorrow, those who will start their journeys as trainers tomorrow, & those whose wounds will heal tomorrow ;     each & every one of them has their own tomorrow !!     you have no good reason to not let them see that tomorrow !!     that’s why   …   me & my pokemon will fight for their tomorrow !! ”   were some raw as fuck lines .               & speaking of raw as fuck   …   holy shit did eureka bringing squishy back to its senses absolutely tear me apart   …               this child   …   she’s scared for her life & in tears ,     but she’s not crying for herself ,     she’s crying for the one she’d promised to protect & never let go of   …   & she finds it in herself to sing to it the song she’d made up just for it & that she’d sung & hummed to it throughout their journeying together   …   & the more she sings it ,     the louder she does so ,     hoping ,     knowing   …   it will help bring her friend back   …   & it does .               & ,     if you listen closely ,     you can hear edward in the background absolutely sobbing just remembering it all .               oh but the emo shit doesn’t end there ,     oh no - no - no   …   there’s the citroid .               i have one image for that   …

                                135 - 136 / xy&z42 - 43.

putting aside the rocket gang also kicking flare gang ass & continuing to broadcast live coverage of the mayhem unfolding ,     i think we all know who the true hero of the zygarde arc was .               it was eureka ,     that’s who .               she befriended a basically - god & saved it & protected it & made it & another basically - god of it’s kind realize that the world is worth saving .               i love her & i’m proud of her .               that being said   …   eureka tickling a spot on the other z - core while saying that squishy likes when she does that & it just nodding next to her like she’s said the wisest truth in the universe was really hecking cute .               the little detail of daigo kissing his key stone to activate mega evolution was neat ,     & oh damn carne & the gym leaders assembling to assist   …   they came in ready to kick ass & kick ass they did .               everyone charging in on the megalith ,     even the rocket gang joining in ,     the back - to - back champion fighting ,     everyone doing everything within their power to save hari & stop the maglith   …   & the zygarde   !!!   “ we have set our hopes on humans.     she has protected us this whole time.     she promised she would never let us go.     now it is our turn !! ”   oh honey   …               i’m telling you ,     eureka saved the world with her kindness .               but the use of the piano instrumental of squishy’s song when the zygarde are saying goodbye & the ending song bye nyarth was illegal ,     bye .

                                137 / xy&z44.

honestly just someone instantly recognizing satoshi from the league made me really happy somehow ,     especially since the only other time someone’s recognized him from a league that i can name of the top of my head was masato way back in advanced .               the citroid learning about the joys of gym battles all over again was really nice ,     too .

                                138 / xy&z45.

serena deciding to hold a pokemon performance in miare city’s square to lift everybody’s spirits higher with sana & musashi joining her in it absolutely lit my heart up ,     so i’d say serena was quite successful in her plan .               also ,     satoshi pointing out things he knows are of interest to serena while they’re out in the city & him pulling her along by the hand to battle when he notices her being gloomy was really cute & sweet  ;          i might not be on board for them as a ship but man i can so absolutely see the appeal .               also - also ,     the mention of pokemon contests   !!!   which makes me think that it’d be really interesting for serena to meet with haruka & hikari & their rivals & face off against them ,     which i know we’ll never get to see but it’s nice to think about .               also - also - also ,     yashio saying she’s a fan of serena’s & the beginning of dori dori kicking in really yanked at my heart strings & still makes me instantly turn into a tearful mess ,     thanks .

                                139 / xy&z46.

the long - distance battling with satoshi - gekkouga was really nice ,     especially since i’m particularly fond of any & all scenes that display the powers / abilities brought out by the bond phenomenon   ( something i might make a post on some day ,     actually ,     since it really is such an interesting thing to think about )   …   but alas ,     it was time to say goodbye to gekkouga   …   it was sad ,     yes ,     but the knowledge that their bond will always connect them no matter the physical distance is a comfort   …                    the promise between squishy & eureka to go on an adventure again when eureka’s a trainer sort of punched me in the soul ,     honestly .

                                140 / xy&z47.

hanako & okido   !!!   pikachu squishing his face on the monitor   !!!   satoshi leaning way into the camera   !!!   it was all so cute !!               also ,     rocket gang editing the footage they filmed so that it looked like they were the ones responsible for the defeat of the flare gang & it actually working  ;          i also really liked the little heh detail with the solrock & lunatone keychains as a nudge about the upcoming sumo series .               but good lord eureka’s speech to dedenne about not wanting to say goodbye either but knowing that they have to & that one day she’ll become a trainer with dedenne as her partner   …   i barely skimmed over that part while rewatching the episode & even two lines from it made me start crying .               also ,     what does it say about me that the first thing i thought when citron said   “ [..] can i also ask one last favor ??     there is something i want to do very badly. ”   was if he wanted to kiss satoshi too ??               i will say though ,     them having one last battle before parting ways warmed my heart a lot   …               the flashbacks of everyone’s adventures throughout this journey & the glimpses of what the side cast were up to hit me in the emotions ,     but what truly played my heart like a violin concerto   …   was satoshi coming home .               there was no big fanfare ,     no grand welcome back ,     just a boy returning to his home town after a long journey ,     nothing but the sounds of the night accompanying him as he makes his way to his house ,     followed by a message of   “ & to your own way. ” ,     unlike in previous finales where the send - off was   “ next time   …   a new beginning   !! ” ,     a sign that ,     from here on out ,     we are no longer going to follow satoshi ,     that ,     though he still has a ways to go before achieving his goal of becoming a pokemon master ,     we won’t be accompanying him on his next journey .               the way satoshi arriving in masara town was executed   …   it felt final & it really felt like coming home .               & i for one can only wish satoshi the best on his next adventure .

[spinach-productions]

Kale, chapter 1

Summary: Our story begins in the middle.

Wordcount: 4375

Hello again, dear readers!  I’m proud to bring you the third and final arc of the Spinach Project: Kale!  This chapter takes place towards the beginning of Wilted Spinach, but the rest of the arc?  Who knows~

(i know)

As always, thank you for sticking with me.  This will hopefully be a 3 or 4 part epilogue to the rest of the story.  Thanks for reading!

201x (minus 2 years): after two centuries of use, the Underground’s hydroelectric system begins to fail.  Maintenance crew work frantically to repair the dams while the Capital draws power from its emergency backup generators.  Two days later, the backups also fail.  Power fluctuation rock the city.  Monsters who already have so little now have even less; waves of unease spread across the Underground.  The Royal Danger Clock, which sits attuned to the moods of the general populus, ticks further into the red zone than ever before.  

Scientists are pulled from all non-critical projects to work on creating a new energy source.  Doctor Gaster is one of the many people on the Emergency Power Restoration Committee.  They work in three eight-hour shifts, ensuring there’s always someone available if anything else goes wrong.  Ideas are proposed, analyzed, discarded.  Another day goes by and the Capital city blacks out entirely.

Sans balances his phone against his shoulder while he lights a candle.  He’s been pulled in on the committee, since Gaster was hardly going anywhere without his favorite coworker.  “It’s okay, buddy,” Sans says into the phone, “We’re working as fast as we can.  Yeah, we could use all the help we can get, come on down here.”

“Tell him to bring paper,” Gaster says from where he’s pouring over yet another notebook.

“Dings says-- yeah, good.  Thanks.  See you soon.”

Gaster pulls the candle closer and makes a mark on his calculations.  “You never call Papyrus ‘buddy’ unless you’re worried.”

“Me, worried?  Nah,” Sans says as he lights another candle, “We’re going to nail this thing to the wall.”

“Your lack of inflection doesn’t make you inscrutable.  This the greatest threat to monster mental health since we were locked Underground, and you are on the team keeping the general population from dissolving into so many piles of dust.  ”

“That’s--” Sans stutters, “Of course I’m not-- It’s going to be--”

Gaster continues scribbling without comment.  He seems to be waiting for Sans to finish a thought.  Any of them.  He’s patient like that.

Sans sighs heavily and sits in his chair.  A second desk was moved into Gaster’s office when San became an official Royal Laboratory employee, roughly eighteen years ago.  He slumps forward onto it now.  “Yeah, okay.  I’m pretty concerned about this.  I might even say that I’m worried.”

Gaster absently pats Sans’ shoulder.  “If it helps, I am too.  But I really do believe we’re going to make it through this.  After all, we have each other.”

Sans peers over his own arm to see Gaster smiling at him.  Despite reminders and complaints from both his sons, Gaster’s head remains cracked in two places.  Sans makes a mental note to increase his bothering about it and tentatively smiles back.

“Thanks da--”

The door, closed for privacy, bursts inward.  Papyrus comes stumbling in, his arms laden with paper stacked higher than his own head.  “Hello I am here, I have the thing you wanted!”

Sans feels his eyebrow tick upwards.  He and waves the papers over to Gaster’s desk as Papyrus’ gulps down air.  “How did you get here so fast?”

“I ran,” Papyrus gasps, “A lot.”

Gaster has drifted across the room with a glass of water.  Sans doesn’t know where he got it.  “Easy, Papyrus, deep breaths.”

“How can I take deep breaths when everything is dark?!”

Sans pulls Papyrus down into a hug.  He knows he isn’t talking about the absence of light in the powered-down buildings.  The feelings hanging over the city are uncertain and angry and scared, any one of which could be enough to make an unstable monster Fall Down.  Papyrus, Gaster, and Sans are all doing pretty emotionally well, but there are others who aren’t so fortunate.  Who knows how many of them are going to make it through this?

Gaster presses the water into Papyrus’ hand.  “Easy there, it will be alright.”

Papyrus holds the drink with an unsteady hand.  He peeks up from Sans’ shoulder.  “You’re going to fix this, right dad?”

Gaster smiles and gestures at his desk.  The stack of paper has lost structural integrity and sent sheafs all over his space.  “With your help, I believe I already have.”

-

To Sans’ surprise, Gaster’s calculations actually extend over most of the paper.  They’re absolute chicken-scratch, but the end product is beautiful in its simplicity: geothermal electricity, produced from Snowdin’s ice reserves and Hotland’s natural lava flows.  The steam resulting from their combination will then be combined with excess magic runoff collected from the population's negative emotions gathered at various points in time (though Sans has no idea how Gaster managed that part).  He plans to use available resources to light the city.  Sans is grateful, impressed, and inspired, all at the same time.

Plans are made, blueprints are drawn up and followed, the Core is constructed.  Gaster supervises the process with his usual eye for detail.  Sans handles the big picture ideas like how big did you say the radius was and where should this bypass valve go, and Papyrus helps with general administration and organization.  The Gaster family (which, according to the adoption papers issued twenty years ago, is the last name all three of them share) is efficient under normal circumstances and brilliant under difficult ones.

The Committee, which consists of most of the lab, comes together two days later to celebrate the Core’s completion.  King Asgore himself makes an appearance to pop open the first bottle of champagne.  Everyone is over the metaphorical moon and, before long, just a bit drunk.

Sans skirts the edges of the party to sit with Alphys, the newest employee of the Royal Laboratory and his oldest friend.  She looks as uncomfortable with the crowd.  “So,” he says, sliding into the chair next to her with what he considers his best slouch, “We’re not going to die today.”

“Nope,” Alphys agrees, clicking her champagne flute against Sans’.  “D-doctor Gaster d-did one heck of a job.”

“Just because you work here doesn’t mean you have to fall back on formalities,” Sans points out, taking a sip of his drink.

Alphys draws her fingers around the rim of the glass.  “It d-doesn’t feel right just calling him Gaster.  I d-don’t want to give anyone the impression I got here because of anything other than my own ability and hard work.”

“No one thinks that, but I do get it.”  Sans looks across the room, to where Gaster and Gerald are chatting with the king.  Gerald is holding up cup that, unless he’s planning to dump the contents into his respirator and drink through his breathing system, probably doesn’t have liquid in it.  Asgore laughs heartily and slaps Gaster on the back hard that he lurches forward and his drink sloshes out of his glass.  Gaster, whose body was designed for rough impacts, doesn’t seem to mind.

Sans sits in comfortable silence with Alphys as the idle chatter continues around them.  He can’t remember the last time the lab came together like this.  Sans isn’t one for crowds, but knowing all these people are here to celebrate a rare monster victory.  Realistically, this just puts them back to square one, but emotionally, it feels like a long awaited step in the right direction.

“How are you doing without Papyrus?” Alphys asks.

Sans fiddles with his glass.  This morning marked the day Papyrus left the Capital to go train for the Royal Guard with Captain Undyne.  Personally, Sans suspects the training program is a ruse to keep Papyrus off the Guard roster, but his brother is capable of making his own decisions and if this is what he wants to do, Sans isn’t going to get in his way.  If anyone else had asked about him, Sans would have shrugged the question off, but he and Alphys have survived twenty years of friendship and shared childhood trauma, so he says, “It’s going to be tough going back to an empty room tonight.”

Alphys nods sagely.  “He’s going to call, right?  Tell him you miss him.”

Sans watches Gaster to keep from looking at Alphys.  Gaster is excusing himself from conversation with the king and pulling his phone from his pocket.  “I don’t want him think he needs to come back.”

“I think he’ll appreciate it,” Alphys disagrees, “I think hearing that you’re proud of him, but that you miss him, will make him feel good.”

“That would mean talking about feelings,” Sans whines.

“How will you survive,” Alphys says with heavy sarcasm.

Sans finally looks up to meet her eye.  He grins slightly wider than he usually does.  “Speaking feelings and the lady my bro is training with--”

“D-don’t you d-dare,” Alphys snaps.  She turns away from Sans to sip at her champagne, but not before he notices a faint blush rising up in her face.

“I think she’ll appreciate it,” Sans teases, slinging an arm around Alphys’ shoulders, “I think hearing that you like her will make her feel good.”

Alphys shoves him good naturedly.  Sans laughs and lets her remove his arm.  He glances across the room to see what Gaster is up to, but finds him missing.

“Hey,” he asks, “Did you see where Dings went?”

“Sans,” says Gaster, who’s suddenly right next to him.

Sans, who’s had many years to acclimate to Gaster appearing out of thin air, doesn’t startle.  “Ah, there you are.  I was just looking for you.”

“Hello D-doctor,” Alphys says.

Gaster doesn’t look good.  If he weren’t made of non-organic materials, Sans might says he looks ill.  “Hello Alphys.  If you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to Sans.”

“I’ll catch up with you later, Al,” Sans says, hopping off his chair.  He follows Gaster as he weaves through the crowd, politely declining invitations for more drinks and conversation until they’ve made it into the hallway.  “Everything okay?”

Gaster places a hand on Sans’ shoulder.  “No, I can’t say that it is.  I just got a call from Donahue, who just got a call from one of her old friends on the force.  Apparently there was a jailbreak during one of the blackouts.”  He gently squeezes the bones under Sans’ jacket.  “You’re father is missing.”

-

A short humanoid monster escorts them home from the lab and stays for the first watch, courtesy of the Royal Guard.  Sans doesn’t remember how they get back to the apartment.  He does remember his magic thrumming nervously through his system, sparking against anything that gets too close.  Gaster handles the minor displacements like a champ.  His durable body makes him good, indestructible company when Sans is too agitated to properly control his magic.  He makes them all Hot Drinks (decaf tea, neither of them need a stimulant right now) and lets Sans sit in silence as he processes the fact that his dad could be en route to their house.

This man brought Sans and Papyrus to life via a murdered human child’s soul, kept them locked in a secret basement under the Royal Lab for eight years, spent three months tracking them down after they ran away, and fought Gaster in an extremely violent battle that utterly destroyed said secret basement.  He’s clever, difficult to track, and probably pretty angry.  Sans sips his tea as his brain spins out a colorful variety of scenarios, each more horrific than the last.

Gaster clears his throat.  “I assume by your complete inaction that you’re as worried about this as I am?”

“Probably,” Sans says.

They sit at the kitchen table with their tea as Gaster searches for words.  The clock, which is still the dumb little space clock Gaster’s coworker found in the dump a year before Gaster found found two children in a bush, ticks along.  “I want you to know that I believe things will be alright.”

“How can you know that?” Sans asks the clock.

“I suppose I don’t.  It’s possible that I’m projecting my own wishes for your well-being onto my sense of the future, but that doesn’t necessarily make it wrong.”

Sans watches the second hand move.  It helps to focus on something outside of himself.  “It’s been twenty years, Dings.  I’m an adult.  Why am I still so goddamn scared?”

It’s a rhetorical question, but Gaster treats it with gravity anyway.  “You learned some very good survival skills at a young age.  They served you well.  That kind of education doesn’t evaporate overnight, or even over a series of decades.”

“You been talking to Anne?”

“Many times, over the course of twenty years,” Gaster replies.  The corners of his mouth turn up just enough to suggest a smile.  “There’s nothing we can do tonight, why don’t you go to bed?  Things might look clearer in the morning.”

“He’s right,” says the guard in the livingroom, where she’s guarding the door and drinking her own tea.

“Oh, well then.  Who I am to challenge the popular vote?”  Sans mutters under his breath.  He dumps out the last of his tea in the sink and heads towards the room he now has to himself, pausing by the doorway to thank the guard for coming.  “You really think we’ll come up with something?”

“There’s a higher chance of coming to a valid conclusion once the shock wears off.”

Good enough.  Sans sighs heavily and slouches off to bed.

-

Everything is screaming.  Sans knows this isn’t the first time he’s been here, but he also knows he’s never seen this space before.  Countless events flash past, seemingly from the future?  Or possible futures?  He catches a few commonalities between them: an explosion, some kind of child--?

Sans wakes with a start.  His bones are chilled and his teeth are on edge, and the sheets are snarled in his fingers.  He takes a moment the breath, then slowly unclenches his hands.

His phone is ringing.  Apparently, it’s what woke him up.

He taps the menu button.  When Gaster’s picture lights up the screen, he slides the phone open.  “Hey, Dings, where are you?”

“We’re in Hotland.”

Sans feels the world drop out from under him.  Sometimes, when he can’t sleep at night and he’s feeling particularly masochistic, he’ll lie awake and try to remember details about his father: what color he was, how he held himself, how he sounded.  The details have become fuzzy over the years, but Sans still recognizes his voice.

“I wanted to let you know that your dear Doctor Gaster is having some difficulties with the Core.  You may want to get here before anything else goes wrong.”

His right eye begins to ache.  He doesn’t answer.

“Do hurry.”

The line goes dead.  Sans sets the phone down.  He breathes for several long minutes, fighting his own shock to try and come up with an answer to this.  His dad found him, he found Gaster, and something is happening in Hotland.  There’s no other way he could get Gaster’s phone.

Finally, he pulls himself out of bed, pulls on a hoodie and shoes, and throws open his door.  The gingerbread guard starts at the sudden noise.

“Is Gaster here?”  He asks on the off chance this is a bluff.

“No,” the guard says, straightening back up her chair, “He got a call from the lab and left about an hour ago.”

Sans takes a deep breath.  His jacket tries to slip off one shoulder, so he straightens it back out.  “We have to get to Hotland.”

-

It’s still late enough that the Capital streets are empty.  Sans and the guard sprint out of the apartment and skid down to the river.  By some stroke of luck, the Riverperson is available at the Capital dock.  Sans throws enough gold for three people into the jar and scrapes together enough manners to keep from swearing when he asks the Riverperson to gun it.

“It doesn’t matter how fast we go,” the Riverperson says as they cast off, “Things won’t play out until you get there.”

“What?”  Sans asks.

“You’re about to take a trip.  Try not to throw up.”

“What?”

“I mean.  Tra-la-la.”

Further badgering doesn’t get the Riverperson to elaborate.  Sans wheedles a bit longer, but when the Riverperson continues to hold their peace, he slumps down in his seat next to the guard.  “What is the point of giving out mysterious clues if they don’t help the person you’re giving them to.”

The mineral stars glitter overhead and on the surface of the water.  Sans rests his arms on his knees as the guard pulls out some knitting to pass the time.  The fake stars haven’t changed since monsterkind was forced Underground, just stayed up there and watched generations of people live and die.  No plans, no cares.  Sans isn’t sure if that sounds good or unbelievably boring.

They make it to Hotland and hurl themselves off the skiff.  The Core lies over one of the largest lava flows in the region, not far from a river that runs parallel to the main Underground waterway.  The front of the building doesn’t look different from when building completed the day before.  Sans pulls the keys from his pocket and slots them into the doorknob, but hesitates..

Endless testing on top of caring for a new infant; sleeping on park benches and stealing leftovers from the trash; two enormous hands hoisting him into the air by his shirt, shaking him until his eyes rattles in his skull and one goes out entirely--

The guard pulls Sans out of his memories with a hand on his elbow.  She’s at least six inches shorter, so she may have been aiming for Sans’ shoulder.  “We’ve got this,” he says.

“How do you know?” Sans asks, staring at the door ahead.

“Because I’m not willing to believe anything else,” the guard replies simply.  “So there’s no reason to dwell on any other possibilities.”

Sans lays his hand over the guard’s, then unlocks the door.  The guard smiles at him, gently moves Sans aside so she can take point, and kicks the door in.

“Shouldn’t we, uh, try for stealth?”  Sans asks as they rush past the main lobby and start the long descent into the Core.

“There’s no point.  Your father already knows we’re coming.”  The guard takes the stairs three at a time, careening around corners and kicking off the walls to gain speed.

The control booth is almost two-hundred feet below the building.  It has a large switchboard, two microphones, and several computer monitors for keeping track of the various aspects of Core maintenance, and an enormous pane of magic-infused glass.  Sans finds himself thrown into the booth as he passes it, knocking over one of the two chairs as he sails inside.

“You stay here,” the guard says, standing just outside the booth with one hand on the door.

“No,” Sans disagrees, straightening himself out.

“Your best offense is that your magic can counter your father’s, and you can do that from here.  Taking you into the core would be a liability.”

She’s right, and Sans hates that.

“Plus, you can use the intercom as a distraction so I’ll have time to get in there.”

There isn’t time to argue.  Sans grits his teeth and spits a few choice threats around bodily safety, but doesn’t contradict him again.  The guard gives him a thumbs up and darts past the doorway towards the main reactor.

Sans climbs to his knees, still muttering complaints under his breath, and carefully peers over the control panels.  The booth overlooks the main floor of the reactor in all its glory: towering metal pipes and boilers on a raised platform, plugged directly into the Hotland central lava flow.  It’s supposed devours steam and bad feelings and spits back useable electricity, but something is wrong.  Steam and emotional magic gathered from various points in the past and present are hissing from several overstressed joints, and the entire system seems to be buckling outward.  Sans doesn’t dare risk using his own magic in such a heavily charged environment.

Gaster and Gerald are standing by the main valve.  They seem alright, but Sans’ attention is drawn to the man standing by the platform’s edge.  He’s in what Sans assumes is his first form (not the natural one, he’s always shifted depending on his needs and wore each form as naturally as the others), dressed in a Royal Penitentiary tunic.  A prisoner number stitched into the back.  He’s saying something to the others, but Sans can’t hear it without turning in.  He has a walkie-talkie in one hand, and is using the other to hold a small, armless child over the lava.  She’s crying silently, tears dripping off her face into the molten rock.  This is a hostage situation, and Gaster and Gerald have stayed to try and diffuse both it and whatever malfunction is affecting the Core.

For just a moment, Sans hates them for putting themselves in danger like this.

The moment passes.  Sans scans the control panel, positions himself in front of a microphone, and hits the button to activate the intercom.

The wall-mounted speakers screech to life.  Gaster covers his ears, but the man in the prison only tilts his head in what Sans assumes to be interest.  After all this time, his father is going to listen to him.  Sans calls up all the imagined conversations, all the discussions with Doctor Snowdrake, everything he’s ever wanted to say to the man currently holding most of his family and a small child hostage.

“Hey, it’s me, the kid you ruined.”

“What the hell gave you the right to do this?”

“Guess who remembers you?  Not your youngest son, because I found him a better dad and never told him you exist.”

“Did you ever even care about us?  At all?”

Sans evaluates the situation and discards each of these options in turn.  Finally, he clears his throat.  “Hi, Dad.”

The man looks up into the control panel.  When his eyes land on Sans, he smiles widely and brings the walkie-talkie to his mouth.  “Hello, Sans,” he says, voice coming through the speaker next to the microphone, “How are you?”

“I’ve been better,” Sans answers truthfully.  “Wanna tell me what’s going on here?”

“It’s quite simple, really: if either of your guardians move in any way that suggests they’re plotting against me, this young girl is going into the lava.”

Sans tamps down his rising panic, falling back on the nonchalance he uses to cover unpleasant emotions.  “I should have been more specific.  Why are you doing this?”

His father’s grin widens.  “My observant son.  Always looking for details so he can best understand the situation.  I’d say I was proud of you, but we both know that would be a lie.”

“I guess I didn’t turn out exactly how you wanted,” Sans agrees.  “Want to monologue about why you’re doing this?”

The grin trails off.  “You’ve developed a nasty sense of humor, Sans.  I have to say, that’s something of a disappointment.  Perhaps this is endeavor is a waste of time.”  He lowers the monster kid another precious inch closer to the lava.  She opens her mouth, but Sans can’t hear her scream through the glass.

Gaster, who has been using Sans’ distraction to fiddle with the few controls on the Core itself, takes a furious step towards Sans’ father.  Gerald, who has been helping, holds him back.

“No,” Sans says quickly, before anyone can get hurt, “Sorry, I won’t do it again.”

His father studies him.  “You’ve gone soft, too.  Another disappointment, but it works in my favor today.  I would like a chance to explain myself.”

“Explain away,” Sans says.  He keeps his eyes on his father, to makes sure nothing will draw attention to Gaster and Gerald as they resume work on the Core.

His father begins pacing, swinging the monster kid in one hand as he walks along the edge of the platform.  “I’ve been in prison for twenty years, Sans.  Do you know what that’s like?  It’s hell.  Every day, all the concentrate hopelessness threatens to drag you down into dust.  There’s no escaping it.

“But that’s not the worst of it.  No, the worst of it was watching you and Papyrus, my most cherished experiments, my sons, run away.  You were destined for great things, and you ran away.  I loved you, Sans.”

Sans swallows thickly.  It takes everything in him to keep from responding.

“And you turned your back on everything we achieved together.”  He sighs and sets the monster kid down, but keeps a firm grasp on her shoulders.  “I am beyond disappointed.  We could have achieved so much together.  We could have been a family.”

“I wish it could have been different,” Sans says quietly.

His father sighs.  “So do I.”

The watch each other for a long time.  Gaster and Gerald manage to keep the Core from overloading for another minute.

“But,” Sans’ father says, “It didn’t turn out that way.  We live in a world where you made different choices.  We have to live with that.”

He begins to turn back towards the core, where Gaster and Gerald are not being model hostages.

“Wait,” Sans says, desperately hoping to buy them more time.

At the same moment, the gingerbread guard comes hurtling across the room with a scream.  She tackles Sans’ father, sending them both sprawling across the platform.  The monster kid shrieks and sprints towards the Core, looking for either shelter or an adult to protect her.  Gerald opens his arms to catch her; the gingerbread guard draws back a fist as she pins Sans’ father in place; Sans’ father summons a handful of blue magic.  

“No!”  Sans yells.  Gaster says something he can’t hear without the walkie-talkie, but Sans suspects it’s a similar expression of alarm.

The already magic-saturated air catches on Sans’ father’s spark.  It accelerates the expansion of energy outwards from the Core and initiates a cascade failure of the various safety protocols.  Sans catches a glimpse of what could be fire or some kind of explosion.  He has just enough time to wonder why they hell they thought they could contain different types of energy in one system before the room is blacked out and the building disappears from the Underground.

[rachelbethhines]

The Antoine and Bunnie Retrospective - 135

“No Where to Run” - Songoose I - Sonic the Hedgehog #153 

We open up with the Freedom Fighters doing some training with General D’Coolette as their coach. Sally’s there too, to oversee things, and she has this chat with Armand while there. 

So several things are going on here. Both Sonic and Antoine are being blamed for the behavior of their evil counterparts. (though honestly, Scourge’s flirting didn’t harm the last mission at all. None of the girls broke out into a fight or anything, and to be frank, the personal relationships of your team mates really aren’t any of your damn business Sally) However, Armand, blames himself for “Antoine’s” sudden change in behavior; thinking that the pressures of war and living in the shadow of a hero might have pushed him over the edge. It’s a poignant and ironic insight, and not just because we all know “Antoine” is really Patch. No it’s ironic because we have seen the real Antoine’s response to war and living in his dad’s shadow. It’s not cold, harsh, and standoffish behavior, rather it was arrogance and fearful cowering. But Armand wouldn’t know this about his son because he was reunited with him after all of his character development. 

It’s also interesting to find out that Armand use to ship Sally and Antoine. Though one has to wonder why. Did Max inform him about the Source of All’s vision? Or was it merely a folly he had when they were both small kids? Like how adults do when they pretend about the life their children will have when they’re grown. Or did he genuinely see something between them and thought they would be good together? It’s telling that he claims that it is Antoine who is not right for Sally. Not that she is wrong for him or that they mutually might not be suited to each other. It kind of implies that it’s Patch he’s really talking about here, and that before the sudden change, he really did believe they would make a good couple. 

However Armand is a stand up guy who, unlike Max, doesn’t threaten or belittle his children into complying to his wishes. Nor does he treat his son’s actual chosen significant other as being beneath him. Armand’s always been supportive of Bunnie and Antoine, no matter what his feelings of Sally may have been. And he even apologizes! He sincerely asks for Sally’s forgiveness for ever unintentionally putting pressure on either her or Antoine, despite the fact that he never ever did such a thing at all. Can Armand just be Sally’s new father now? Please! He’d be so much better then Max. 

Speaking of the devil, Max and Alicia interpret them with a phone call. 

Ok, so both Armand and Max have fallen ill, at the same time, with similar symptoms. And we know it’s not anything contagious because no one else has caught it. And Dr. Quack just thinks it’s some bullshit thing that happened long, long ago from the first war? 

If it was radiation pensioning from like a bomb or a byproduct of chemical warfare then wouldn’t there be others coming down with it? Like Bernie, Chuck, or even Quack himself as they all would have fought in that same war. Probably in the very same battles. Also why would this “poison” only take effect so many many years later? Wouldn't a more recent poisoning be the logical answer here? 

Look I’m not saying everyone should immediately suspect Patch. We the audience know damn well he’s behind this. But of course the characters still believe him to be Antoine, and well Antoine would never harm his father nor betray the crown. But it is rather convenient that nobody even entertains the idea that there might be foul play afoot somewhere and that there isn’t any investigation launched at all. 

But intrigue will have to wait, because Armand soon collapses. 

And of course the only person who suspects anything is wrong is Bunnie. 

I mean you would think something like you’re dad dying might cause a bit of concern from your friends. Especially if you’ve completely emotionally shut down, which is a sign of denial and a stage of grief. But nope, they all decide to go to a concert instead of checking up on “Antoine” personally. 

This leads into the much less interesting main story for this arc. Eggman wants Mina dead for petty reasons and hires Nack to assassinate her. Oh and more dumb relationship drama that should have been done with ages ago. 

But at least Bunnie gets to do something useful and puts out a fire. 

The second story this issue involves yet another AU tale where this time the cast are in a fantasy medieval setting, and really it’s just an excuse to write and draw the characters as their pre-development selves.  It’s a pointless, yet simi-fun throwback, that I personally wouldn’t mind if only one small niggle. 

Rosie is the one narrating this story. 

And she casts Antoine as a jester or the comic relief if you will. Which makes sense from a meta stand point, and if this was a Zone Wars story that would be fine. But here? 

Rosie is Antoine’s adoptive mother. She raised him for ten years after he lost both his parents. She’s basically calling her own son an idiot! 

Does no one working on this damn comic understand Rosie’s character and her relationships with the rest of the Freedom Fighters? 

I’m sorry, but everyone ignoring Rosie’s role and importance with in the comic is something that really bothers me. It’s such a waste of potential that’s never been fully explored even in the reboot. 

Gee, it’s almost like those are legitimate criticisms that’s been thrown at the comic before and instead of learning from them and growing as an artist you gave everybody the middle finger instead just to protect you’re own fragile ego.

No I’m not bitter, why you’d ask?