madl-y · 3 months ago
Text
✧. ┊— you're the one that I like (I can't deny)
3 times Orter Mádl denied his affection for someone, and the one time he was too tired to defend himself.
sypnosis – the other divive visionaries are sick of seeing orter lovesick (despite being amused themselves) so they try to push him to confess. (they, mainly being kaldo and ryoh. lance was there unwillingly)
> no tw! fluff! hopefully not ooc..? beware of grammar and spelling mistakes (sorry..)
> set in post innocent zero! so mild manga spoilers :"DD
> its also been a while since i've started writing fics again! this was kind of an impulse decision ahahaha...!
> i also didn't expect this to be long! sorry :"D
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1 - 3 : EASTON ACADEMY
Orter Mádl never thought he'd see you again.
This is the third time in a row that he, alongside with another person, finished the assigned mission in each class that gives silver coins. Orter glances at the side, where another student slowly walks to the front as the teacher sang praises about them. Of course never forgetting the 'lectures' on how everyone should take inspiration from the two of them. (Frankly, it was getting quite sickening to hear.)
He kept his gaze at the front, while his awareness and attention is still directed at you. You, who always managed to keep up with him in tasks and classes. You, who despite having a weak personal magic, had always excelled at other spells. It was to the point where higher level year spells and advance magic was so easy for you.
You, who Orter thought that the first piece of the silver coin you got was a fluke.
Evidently enough, it wasn't.
Finally, after a lot of unnecessary speeches and praises, Orter and you are able to go back with the rest of the class. It seems most students were willing to run away the moment the teacher announced class was over.
Orter pushed his glasses and sighed. He finally felt the weight of his pocket from the gold coins he acquired recently.
Just from looking at you, Orter knew you felt the weight too.
Its nothing new. Clearly, Easton has a lot of students that were born talented. Easton in itself is a privilege. The best and the talented are here. Orter knew he'll have to face a lot of strong magic users just to carve his path towards becoming a Divine Visionary.
He must become one. Someone needs to maintain order. He needs to punish all those who dare and try go against society. He needs to fulfill his wish—
"Orter, aren't you going?" He blinked. Surprisingly, (or not really) Orter found himself still rooted on the grass. His previous place just a few steps behind him.
Ah, right. Someone called out to him.
That someone gazed up to him. Orter got used to people having to slightly tilt their head up from how tall he is. Though, he never noticed that your height reached his shoulders.
"Orter?" You called out again.
Orter shook his head, trying to keep his mind from wandering elsewhere.
Somehow, this always happens. Its always whenever the two of your interact with each other. Orter gets distracted and gods knows why!
"Sorry, I was just thinking."
It somewhat became a routine from how it always happens when Orter and you interact.
Its always you who's initiating. A simple greeting in the hallway. A simple show of respect to Orter's achievements. A simple saying of "congratulations" whenever Orter finishes first in class quizzes.
And it always follows up with an act of concern to when Orter spaces out.
Because somehow, he always ends up thinking of you. How did you keep up? What did you do? What magic spells were you able to wield so easily, yet you're own personal magic was so weak? Why were you talking to him? Did you want to become a Divine Visionary? Should he expect you as a future enemy? Why do your eyes always look like they're shining under the bright warm sun? Why—
"If you excuse me, I need to go." Orter bowed before walking away. He hasten his pace at the mere sound of your voice that stopped midway to ask something of him.
Why is it that its always you he exerts his effort to think about?
Its irrational. Its... nonsense.
Yet somehow, he couldn't help but think how prettier you are up close.
And its ridiculous to think about.
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2 - 3 : BUREAU OF MAGIC
When Orter thought that you might be working alongside with him, he didn't mean with you as just an assistant.
"You really saved me time, thanks!"
"These notes are so well organized... I should learn from you."
"I'm starting to see why the Divine Visionaries respect you alot."
"Heh..? Not bad from an assistant."
"Be nice, Renatus."
"Shut up, you stuck up hag." Sophina Biblia glared at the foul word.
"You–!"
"Would you like some honey sashimi with me?"
"With all due respect, Kaldo." You blankly stared at the Flame Cane and his abomination of a... food choice. "You're tastes in food and honey combinations are the worst thing ever." Kaldo felt an arrow struck through him. The palm of your hand raised up in front of him indicated that you were rejecting his food taste (like everyone else) and flopped to the floor in pain.
The other two visionaries sighed.
"Orter, here is your schedule for today and tomorrow. One of the chiefs in the Police force would like to schedule a meeting with you. Nerey's still clarifying who's attending though." You handed a folder to Orter while ignoring the bickering behind the two of you.
Orter nodded. "I'll take note of that. Although," He took a quick glance at the cup of coffee on your other hand. "I thought you don't drink coffee anymore?"
"Oh, this is for you."
Orter blinked, before pushing up his glasses. "I don't recall ordering one."
"What? Don't tell me you suddenly dislike coffee?" You leaned in with a teasing grin. Any outsider would think that the Sand Cane looks unamused, but working with Orter for a long time means you've known every expression of his, no matter how stoic.
"I didn't say I dislike coffee." Orter sighed.
"Yeah? Then, here you go." You lightly shoved the cup of coffee towards Orter. It looks so casual, as if its something you've done for a long time.
And it is something you've done for a long time.
Orter accepts the coffee. Gingerly taking care of the cup in his hands. His fingers subtly touch against yours.
Its always the same, and yet Orter still feels that small budding affection in him. (Not that he would show it, of course.)
A coworker calls your name. You immediately follow him down the hallway while giving a quick smile to Orter. He nods briefly as he watches your back retreating further.
Actually, Orter already drank a cup of coffee a while ago. He usually doesn't order a second one. He dislikes the feeling him palpitating in the middle of work. It only happened twice, but he refuses to feel it again.
Still, every cup you give him unknowingly, he takes it.
He licks his lips as the warm liquid travels down his throat. Its sweet.
Its sweeter than he's used to. He prefers it with less sugar, and absolutely refuses to let Kaldo brew his cup of coffee.
He takes one more sip.
Orter doesn't mind as he walks back to his office with the cup of coffee and folder in hand.
The next day, you find a freshly brewed cup of tea on your desk.
You tilt your head questioningly. This is a first that's happened ever.
You look around to see if there were someone nearby. Most of them were walking past and chatting with one another.
It tasted good at least. (After confirming that it wasn't poisoned. You wouldn't know what to feel if there was someone who wants you dead.)
Weeks pass by, and there's been at least two times that it has happened. It happens at random times so you weren't sure what the pattern was.
But clearly, the Divine Visionaries know something. Every time you ask, however, they just smile or sigh while giving you a cryptic answer.
Orter just shrugs and walks away.
"Hey-! I wasn't done talking to you!"
"Well, I am." Is what he always replies.
Soon after, Ryoh slings his arms around Orter and gives him a grin. "So... you like her?"
Orter pauses in his steps, before blankly staring at the smug Light Cane. "Her?"
Kaldo emerged from the sides. "Oh? Never thought you were the type to play dumb." His smile grows at the bristled look Orter directed at him.
"I'm not playing dumb."
"Sure."
"Its just that, she's the one you only prepare tea just right before she arrives at work. You don't do that to anyone else." Orter stares at Ryoh, who just smiles knowingly. Nothing escapes the Light Cane afterall.
"My, my, who thought that I have a rival in finding ways to charm a girl? Me, the greatest creation–" Orter shrugs off the narcissist before he can start his self narration.
Kaldo walks beside Orter, "So, you truly like her?"
Orter sighed, pushing his glasses in habit. "I don't."
Kaldo hummed in thought, "I'm not convinced." The Flame Cane frowned. "You two seem to get along well. No plans of confessing?" He tries to push further for answers, which makes Orter irritated.
"If you're not convinced, that's not my problem." Gold eyes glared sharply. "Again, I don't like her. I'm just giving back favors. I don't know about you, but I don't think gossiping is how a visionary should spend their day."
With that, Orter walks away ignoring the stares from the two.
It's natural to repay favors. You don't need to know Orter was the one brewing the tea on your desk after every coffee you give him.
Kaldo and Ryoh stared before smiling at each other.
"He likes her." Ryoh grinned.
Kaldo nodded in agreement.
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3 - 3 : EASTON ACADEMY
The bell rang indicating that class is finally over. Which also means that you have successfully made it through the whole day while teaching.... enthusiastic students. (The amount of headaches you've received from teaching students the most basic spells. Offense spells, especially.)
You greeted one last goodbye to the class before heading out towards the faculty.
While your main job is a secretary position in the Bureau, you were also recruited to teach at Easton for once a week. Mostly classes that are supplementary for those with borderline failing grades.
"Ah, who is more suitable than the student who excels in different spells regardless of difficulty? Am I right?" Walhberg's voice resonated in your mind.
It's been a year since you've started teaching. Right after the whole Innocent Zero world abomination happened. Can't say that you're surprised that Finn is one of your students, but he's currently doing better than you expected.
"I have to thank you for being patient with me, Sensei!" You recall Finn beaming with joy as he finally got one of the hardest offense spells to master. Safe to stay you were delighted that you had an impact to students.
Right after this class, you usually head straight towards the Bureau to take over the night shift-
A tap in your shoulder made you halt in the middle of the hallway, "Done with class?"
You come face to face with... huh.
"I didn't know you had a meeting here in Easton?" You should know, because you were in charge of handling the Visionaries' schedules. So you should know that Orter has no business here in Easton.
He shrugs, "I don't."
"Well, yeah, you don't. I should know that— I'm your goddamn secretary— but I'm assuming its an emergency?" You tilt your head in confusion. Gold eyes meet yours, his stare seemingly calculating and... hesitant?
"No." Orter replies.
Silence assumes between the two of you. You raised a questioning brow at Orter who just stares blankly at you.
"Then..? Care to elaborate oh divine one?" You add a hint of sarcasm which Orter slightly bristled at. He sends a sharper glance at you while you smile innocently.
Its not as if the two of you haven't acted that way before. Working together somehow brought the two of you closer and your relationship is somewhat casual.
Other words, you can be as annoying as you want and Orter won't shove sand down your throat.
"I don't know, you're the secretary." He raised a challenging brow back. You scoff in lighthearted annoyance while Orter seemed unfazed. That is, if it weren't for the ghost of a smile you managed to capture.
If you can be annoying as you want without consequence, then Orter will do the same.
"Okay but really, why are you here?" You question seriously while inviting Orter to walk beside you towards the faculty. He follows while keeping his gaze ahead.
"Hmm... You're headed towards the Bureau after this?"
"Oh? How did you know?" You ask with slight surprise. Nobody ever bothered to know your schedule, except for the ones that are quite obvious.
Orter sighed and sent you a dry look. "We've worked together for a long time."
A laugh escapes your throat, "Yeah, well, I've only started teaching a year ago. Until now, some forget I have to teach weekly then head towards the Bureau. I swear, its laughable at the same time such a headache. They keep on scheduling things when they shouldn't be." You sighed roughly, wondering if you should start scolding your coworkers more.
"They're idiots." Another laugh escapes your throat at Orter's words. "I'm guessing they're the same ones that accidentally added in my schedule that I'm supposed to be here at Easton." You see the way Orter's usual calm expression turns slightly irritated. Not evident that anyone from outside could see, but enough for someone like you who've known Orter since studying at Easton.
"Oh I see, that's how it is." You stifle another laugh, not wanting to irritate Orter further, but can't help the urge to tease him.
"You say its a headache when they do this, yet you're laughing? How annoying." Orter let out a huff while you grin.
"Maybe its laughable when I see others suffer." You teasingly smirk.
Orter rolled his eyes, yet he can't help but feel a minute affection at the casual interaction between you.
"You haven't answered my question, Orter."
Ah right. He hasn't.
Orter paused in his steps. Causing you two pause beside him too before facing him with a questioning smile.
Again, its the same. As if they're back studying at Easton where Orter always sees that smile of yours. Its always the same, so how come he always felt the same emotions where his stomach and chest swirl at the sight of it. At the sight of you.
He cleared his throat, "I did. I told you they sent me on accident. Messing up my schedule."
"That's true, but you could've gone back immediately." You turn your gaze towards the group of students on the field where they were practicing spells or playing around.
"You caused quite a commotion you know? It was hard to settle down my last class because apparently, a Divine Visionary is on Easton grounds." You cross your arms while a playful pout forms on your lips. "They were more focused on the fact that the Sand Cane was here. That was an hour ago, so care to explain?" You sigh in exhaustion. However, your pout was replaced by a smile the moment you see Orter's subtle shift in his eyes while he looked dejected at being caught. Again, only you could see those minute expressions behind his stoic attitude.
Orter pursed his lips, he didn't expect that his presence would be that of a commotion. To think he was confident in concealing his presence right before your class.
Huh, nothing really escapes you.
"That's.." Orter glanced away while pushing his glasses up. "Its not like it wouldn't hurt to—"
"Sensei."
"—visit you.."
Orter went silent before sending a glance to the person who had the guts to interrupt to people talking-!
His mouth opens in slight surprise at the look of one of the students he was mentoring.
Additionally, Lance looked equally as surprise to see Orter right behind you. He blinked, wondering if he interrupted something. He was pretty sure he heard another voice overlapping with his once he called for you.
"Sensei, Orter-san." Lance bows politely then turns back to you.
He sees in the corner of his eye how Orter pushed his glasses up (a tiny bit harsher) and looked away. Lance didn't have time to think about it as you call for his name.
"Yes, Lance?" You smile at the younger Divine Visionary.
"Ah, Finn wanted me to tell you that he can't go to the faculty after class to bring you his assignment. His other teacher told him to stay after class." Lance handed you a sheet of paper.
"He asked me to deliver it to you instead."
"Oh, thank you Lance! Its nice to see you taking care of Finn. Please tell him he did a great job and not to worry." You smile brightly as you felt another wave of pride for Finn. Sure he was called as the "weakest" in your supplementary class, but he's improving. A lot. Especially under your guidance.
One glance at Finn's paper, and you already knew he's going to have another high score soon enough.
"Also, Professor Claude told me to look for you. Apparently there's an emergency meeting with the faculty."
At the mention of Claude, you couldn't help but grimace. Lance didn't seem fazed at your expression, yet he also can't help sending a pitying glance at you.
Orter just raised his brow.
"And he couldn't tell me himself...?" You mumbled questioningly.
"He said he was busy." Lance replied dryly.
"Sure, he always says that." You muttered once again, not bothering to hide your disdain at your fellow professor.
You perked at the sound of someone clearing his throat. You turn to Orter apologetically. "Sorry, Orter. I forgot you were there."
While Orter didn't seem fazed on the outside, Lance could see the slight twitch on his forehead.
"I think Lance may have accidentally cut you off." You smiled sheepishly.
Lance thought so too.
"What was it you were going to say?"
Orter remained quiet for a moment before sighing. "Its nothing. I was about to head back to the Bureau."
While you nodded understandingly, Orter took the chance to sharply glare at Lance in displeasure. Maybe he should teach this kid a thing or two on how to not interrupt two adults when they're having a conversation.
Lance stared back unfazed.
"Well then, I have to go! Can you do me a favor and tell anyone who asks for me that I have an emergency meeting at the faculty?"
The Sand Cane let out a sigh, displeasure thinly veiled in his expression. Orter, however, nodded while his stoic look returns. "Sure."
"Thank you!" You bowed and smiled gratefully before quickly walking away. "See you around as well, Lance!"
The blue haired nodded as he and Orter stood still while watching your retreating back.
Once its just the two of them, it seems tension has risen again between them. Despite the fact Orter is training Lance, and frequently sees him around from the fact Lance is the newest Visionary.
Still, Orter can't help but stare at Lance who, of course is one of the known people to be stubborn as hell, stares back as well.
Orter is starting to think he should say something to rid of this awkward silence.
"Are you—"
"Did I—"
Both visionaries closed their mouths.
A sense of Déjà vu passes through them.
Orter tries once more.
"Did—"
"Is—"
....If he wasn't annoyed, he'd be very astonished right now.
Lance quickly spoke before Orter could, "Did I interrupt something?"
Orter just sighed heavily, "Sort of." His shoulders dropping as he recalls that very scenario just a moment ago.
"Sorry, I actually didn't see you there." Lance said politely as he could. Rubbing the back of his neck in slight awkwardness.
"Its fine. It wasn't important."
"It looked like it was though." The younger visionary rolled his shoulders as he looks away in thought. Orter raises his brow at the comment while Lance looked as if he remembered something.
"Ah, so she's the one Kaldo-san and Ryoh-san were saying that you liked?" With the way Lance said it with such a straight face, Orter had to process the words that was casually spoken.
"...What?" Orter's face crumbled in irritation.
Lance continued to look to the side in thought, oblivious to the way Orter was seething. "So that's why your schedule changed all of a sudden. I thought there's someone who was going to attack Easton so I was on guard the whole time."
Lance glanced back to Orter. "But Kaldo-san and Ryoh-san told me not to worry about it. It was quite a headache since a lot of our classmates heard news of you in the school grounds. Although, I never thought you were the type to agree to change your schedule for someone you like—" Lance felt a magical aura out of nowhere and began to get his guard up. Ever since Innocent Zero, its like an instinct at this point.
However, he paused as he noticed Orter who looked the same as usual. Straight-faced and stoic, yet Lance could see how tense he was.
"...I see." Orter said lowly.
He began to stare ahead in thought, before bringing out his wand and turn around without glancing at Lance. "Thank you for providing information. However, I would like to clarify everything was false."
One look at Orter, and you'd think he was just as calm and composed. Lance's glance at the hand gripping his wand tightly made him think otherwise.
The other knew to not say anything further, lest he drowns with sand flowing down his throat and out his ass.
"Everything?" But of course, Lance had a stubborn streak. Maybe Mash and Dot were rubbing off him too much.
Orter replied without looking back, "Everything."
"Even the part where they said you like her?" Lance pushed. Call it curiosity, or maybe the fact that someone like Orter indeed has feelings for someone, which makes it so intriguing for Lance to find out more and risk getting buried in sand.
Orter let out a deep exhale, which got Lance tense for a moment, before the Sand Cane started walking again.
"...Yes."
The Adler student watched as his mentor rounded around a corner. He was soon left alone in the hallways.
Lance couldn't help but feel like he caused a murder that's going to happen in the Bureau of Magic.
What's more intriguing, however, was that Lance immediately knew the real answer from the quick moment of silence before Orter replied.
Lance harumphed and went back to his dorms. "...The fact he had to lie even though it was already obvious."
That day, Ryoh and Kaldo struggled to give a lot of excuses to avoid Orter before they were caught.
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FINAL : LIBRARY IN THE BUREAU OF MAGIC
Orter was getting sick of this.
Its been weeks since that awful interaction with Lance and you, yet Orter keeps finding himself victim of Ryoh and Kaldo's infuriating schemes.
What's worse, is that the other visionaries go on about their day. As if there's nothing going on.
Here, Orter is glaring at Ryoh who keeps on convincing him that Orter should get over it and just confess.
Orter would be drowning Ryoh in tons of sands if it weren't for Kaldo backing him up. "I'm getting sick of this." Orter snapped.
"Well, sucks to be you. We're getting sick of it too!" Ryoh grinned while Kaldo laughs as if Orter wasn't getting bombarded with ideas on how to flirt with someone you've like for a long time!
"It was amusing at first, seeing how you'd suddenly act so soft and caring towards her. Yet it began to look painful at how both of you were acting so oblivious." Kaldo sighed as if it was his personal problem, and the fact that Orter can't even hurt them in retaliation, because damn them and they're actually useful for protecting the citizens.
"I don't-!"
"Quit the act! You like her, she likes you back. Now confess!" Ryoh cuts him off while pushing Orter forward to god knows where.
He's actually going to kill these bastards, visionaries or not.
Of course Orter is true to his words, so he brings out his wand and glares at the two. Ryoh just smiled (even though there's a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead at the sight of Orter's wand so close to him) and Kaldo doesn't seem fazed and watches from the side.
"Oi Kaldo! A little help?"
The Flame Cane hummed playfully, "Why, you're the strongest aren't you?"
"But we're in this together!"
"If you two don't stop this, I swear.." Orter gritted his teeth. He has a meeting for goodness sake. He's busy. He's also getting tired of this bullshit of a—
"Oh? What are you three...?" You had to double take the sight in front of you. Ryoh, who's grin faltered at your voice, still has his arms wrapped around Orter's shoulder while leaning his whole body to push Orter forward. Kaldo, who's playful smile drop and is replaced with a look of surprise as he stands from the sides.
Orter on the other hand, blinks and remains still while his expression remains his usual.
That is, if it weren't for the fact that his wand was gripped tightly in his hand and pointed at Ryoh with tiny bits of sand circling around it.
You raise your brow questioningly. "I think sparring between Visionaries is better suited outside and not in the library, no?"
The three blink once before glancing up at the sign above, which shows that indeed, they're in the library.
Just like what Kaldo and Ryoh planned.
Before Orter could protest, he was roughly shoved inside the library. He managed to stop himself from colliding with you.
Curse Ryoh Grantz and his narcissistic attitude because in the end he's still a strong visionary, and Orter prays that all mirrors nearby shall break once he merely appear in front of it.
Kaldo isn't forgotten in Orter's prayers, as he wishes all stocks of honey shall obliterate.
"Well!" Ryoh claps his hands gleefully, unfazed at the menacing glare Orter is sending his way. "Orter's schedule is cleared for the day-"
"It's not-"
"It is?"
"-And he has something he wants to tell you!"
"I don't."
"You do?" You tilt your head at Orter, who inhales deeply. He can feel his patience thinning.
"I don't-"
"He does." Kaldo interjects, and Orter was one step away into murdering the two before the library doors shut.
"Also! Miss secretary, your schedule is also cleared for the day! So spend more time together in the library. I heard you like to read from Kaldo." You can hear the joy in Ryoh's voice despite it being muffled. Which makes you even more confused as you alternatively stare at Orter and back at the doors.
"There are new selections in the library! Especially that one series about the legends of magical creatures." It was Kaldo's voice this time.
"Really?" Orter looked at you in slight disbelief. From how efficient and quick you are to adapt, you sure are easily distracted at what's really happening.
So of course, Orter will use it as an opportunity to—
"Ah, but first listen to what Orter will say." You don't have to see Kaldo to know that he's smiling.
...Orter hopes Kaldo will enjoy having sand in his honey as soon as he dealt with what he's gotten himself too (unwillingly).
It was silent for a moment. This time its a truly awkward one as you and Orter stood still side by side while staring at the entrance of the library.
You blink before giving Orter an embarrassed smile, "So.. I'm guessing you were dragged here against your will?"
Orter sighed tiredly, "Yes."
"I see, but I am curious as to why they had to force you to come here. Apparently, you want to say something?" You questioned, curiosity and slight worry evident in your voice.
Did something happen? Were they hiding something? Or was it just something silly that the visionaries (Ryoh and Kaldo you're guessing) planned and somehow, Orter was on the receiving end.
You watched with slight worry as Orter continued to send daggers towards the entrance of the library. Taking a small step beside him as you examine his expression. Not knowing if he was deliberately choosing to ignore you or not.
"Orter?"
Orter's head jerk up slightly at your voice. Indeed he wasn't choosing to ignore you, but was lost in thought on how to punish his fellow visionaries (mainly the two who shall not be named).
He turned his head towards you, sensing the worry in your tone. An apology for the current situation at hand and reassurance are at the tip of his tongue, ready to reply and.. oh.
For someone with great intuition and reflexes, Orter who prides himself in having great situational awareness— its something he thinks visionaries should have— he wasn't aware you two were this close to each other.
Orter finds himself stunned. A thought he's oh so familiar with immediately floats in his brain every time he coincidentally gets a chance to be close with you.
Again, and again, and again, and again.
Its always the same.
His mind always thinks that you're prettier up close. Not that you weren't pretty if you were far away.
Orter watches your eyes slightly widen at the close proximity you two are in, despite the library being so big. Its as if a spell was cast between you two. Designated to stare at the windows of each other's soul, not wanting to look away.
You think Orter's eyes are pretty. Like sand sparkling with hints of powdered gold that's blending well.
Orter thinks your eyes are glowing. Not physically, but with emotions he himself cannot express. He always finds himself melting at your eyes.
Maybe that's what's getting him soft when he interacts with you. Maybe Ryoh is just mistaken and that anyone you interact with also unwillingly goes soft at the sight you.
Orter blinks once, as he regains his composure. He sighs before looking to the side at the moment before looking back at you.
"Uhm, well, you really don't have to say anything if... you're not ready." You let out a chuckle. "Even though I don't know anything about what you uhh, want to talk about.." A light flush blooming at the tip of your ears and across your cheeks. A rare sight even for the Orter Madl himself.
Orter looks at you closely one last time, as he felt that exact swirling emotion in his chest as he takes in your abashed expression.
He scoffs to himself, earning a confused look from you. Before sighing tiredly. He resigned to his fate that Ryoh and Kaldo put him in.
And maybe, Orter has finally come to terms that he's indeed a liar.
"...Do you have anything else that you need to accomplish in the library?" Orter walks ahead of you swiftly taking the books in your hands as he looked at them interestingly.
Your mouth gapes in both confusion and surprise. Orter turned back to you and raised a brow while holding the books. "Well? I'd rather do something productive even if two... nosy idiots decided to clear my schedule."
Orter had the satisfaction to hear your laugh. "Careful, I might get too used to hearing your composure break. Who knew the all powerful Sand Cane had a foul mouth."
The visionary tilts his head, "Hm? I wasn't the one who turned to a blushing mess at a mere eye contact." He quickly turned away but you managed to catch a small smirk on his lips.
The unexpected teasing made you scoff, this time another light blush spread your cheeks in embarrassment. "I—! That was...!"
Orter feigned ignorance as he levitated a few books to organize them to their correct spot. Still, a light smug expression grew as he watched you from his peripheral vision try to defend yourself.
He took a quick step to the side to avoid the incoming jab to his arm. You glared at him unamused before waving your wand and levitating more books, grinning in triumph as one of them managed to hit him in the head lightly.
Orter stumbled slightly as he grunted at the thud of a book against the back of his head. He glared unamusingly, "That's no way to treat a Visionary."
You shrug, "Yeah well, maybe you should be quicker on your feet."
"I am though."
"Didn't seem like it."
Its been a while since you've engaged in friendly banter with Orter. It reminded you when you two would take quick jabs at each other back in Easton.
Orter stared at you, thinking deeply whether or not if he should go along with what his mind thought of.
"Well? Did that book hit you too hard or what?"
You started to shift in place at Orter's gaze. Not knowing if you should be worried or not if you actually hurt him.
Always one to act without thinking, you lift your hand up towards his head. Hesitating slightly at the way Orter's expression slightly shifted in surprise, before resolving yourself lightly touch his brown locks while feeling around the back of his head where the book hit him.
"Did.. did that actually hurt?"
Orter who finally processed everything, let out an amused hum. He grasps your wrist gently before lowering it back to your side. His eyes, once again, examining your worried gaze.
He really can't believe it.
You thought you managed to hurt him?
Orter let out a light huff.
How cute.
"For someone who's duty is to organize schedules and meet with different kinds of people," Orter finds himself facing his body to you. He grabbed a book on a nearby shelf and raised it in the air, gently hitting your head with the spine of the book. "You still have that quick temper and sharp tongue of yours from way back." He says, and he can't help but let out a more softer tone as he meets your eyes.
Orter sighs (for what it seemed the hundredth time) and places the book back in its proper place. Satisfied at the offended reaction he managed to get from you.
"You-! I was worried and-!"
He watched as you go on and on rambling about how you were genuinely worried. About how he was an annoyance from back then until now.
He sighed, how troublesome.
Orter pushed his glasses up as he faced you. "Really, how irritating." He sighs, "Out of everyone, I had to fall for you."
You paused. Your pointer finger that was in the air that was near jabbing his chest faltered.
Once again, Orter had the satisfaction to see you caught off guard.
"What?" Your heartbeat felt like it was pounding out of your ribcage. If you could hear it, what are the chances Orter couldn't.
Both of you stared at each other, heartbeats beating as one. While silence filled the room, the minds of the two were filled with different thoughts and the sounds of their heartbeats.
Finally, Orter spoke.
"I said," he leaned in closer, bending slightly forwards so his face meets yours directly upfront.
You could see the hint of amusement and affection in his eyes.
"Do you have anything else that you need to accomplish in the library?" Orter questioned.
He smiled in satisfaction at the frozen state you are in before heading off to walk with books in hand.
If Orter had to endure weeks of stress because he was forced to confess, well, you can't blame him for wanting you to experience the same.
He did confess after all. So sue him if Orter wanted a bit of fun messing with you.
He dodges another book thrown at him, a ghost of a smile hidden from the back of his head. Yet, if only you weren't so distracted that you could see the red tints on his ears.
Don't worry though, Orter will do this seriously. He doesn't intend to mess with you for that long.
Not until Ryoh and Kaldo get what they deserve.
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well... I didn't expect this to be THIS long.. why is this so long oml im so sorry aksdlajfklashglshdf hope you enjoyed though :"D this is not proofread
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aranarumei · 6 months ago
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on love (and basketball): hirano to kagiura, ch 23b
if the title's not obvious, SPOILERS BEWARE! I'll be putting this under the cut for extra safety and also because. i have a tendency to not shutting up
so i recently saw this wonderful post by @kalpalatas talking about how basketball is central to hirano and kagiura's relationship, and there's a lot of wonderful add-ons to it as well, so highly recommend checking it out (i may be one of them ;p)
anyways, to me, a lot of hirano to kagiura as a manga centers on the complications of the fact that hirano and kagiura both have deep feelings for each other, but the way they express these feelings and the way they're received hasn't quite aligned. hirano's confused by why kagiura isn't happy to be touched, and kagiura is absolutely in the dark regarding hirano's feelings, judging by the way he immediately thinks hirano's trying to officially turn him down. we saw it in that chapter with the distrail and we see it now--despite all that kagi's been doing, he's remained so careful about not crossing that line. that silly little love fortune has haunted him.
so here, it's a breath of fresh air for kagiura to just notice how much hirano loves "the kagi-kun that plays basketball." and for kagiura, who plays basketball morning, day, and night, the version of him that plays basketball is just. himself, entirely. it's this passion that hirano responds really positively to--because hirano responds positively to passion and drive in general--and it's probably the point in which they connect the most, I think. side note: though it's not explicitly said, kagiura zeroing on not missing any shots (the thing that cost them the game last time) really shows how much that loss affected him. i think this moment's really lovely because we get to see what we see in the first chapters of hirano to kagiura--that hirano's a genuinely affirming and uplifting presence in kagiura's life. for a moment, when it's basketball, it feels like that confusion between them suffuses into pure warmth.
anyways, when they're talking with ichinose, the question that gets cut off seems to be kagiura asking about hirano's passion, which I'm very excited about... if hirano understands kagiura's love through the lens of his passion for basketball, how much kagiura's understanding of hirano develop when he understands hirano's dreams? hirano's approached kagiura's feelings with a lot of curiousity (wondering about his expression in this chapter) and I like it when they discover and ask things about each other. it's very them. i also have a lot of crazy feelings about ichinose but uh. haha! perhaps another post. i don't wanna sound too unhinged yet...
I'd love to have formatted this post better but I hope my main points have got across... this is really just half a reaction post to the ch since it's a really cool chapter overall. also just for fun i'll let everyone know that a lot of the moments where kagiura gets blushy or something really romantic happens often has kagiura like... below hirano in perspective or height. seriously if you go back through the chapters you'll notice it. it happened again this chapter which I was so excited about. this chapter's so awesome. so many different things to talk about.
(like... how kagiura almost kissed him...! and hirano's reaction is. fascinating. i always love how it's so delayed. it's like... how do i explain it. when it's delayed, it feels like hirano's reacting to the feeling more than the physical situation, which is... wonderful to me. the way he talks about kagiura having dated before also makes me think he hasn't, which checks out to me.)
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everlasting-rainfall · 6 months ago
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-Most Terrifying Yandere in One Piece-
Okay so I just had a thought of who the most terrifying Yandere in One Piece would be as yes, Luffy is someone who would probably rip the entire world apart just to get his hands on you but it ain’t him in my personal opinion
Sanji would crack the skull of any man who tried to speak to you and Zoro is so intimidating that no one would probably even dare try to speak to you
Boa would trap you with her without you even knowing that you’re trapped and if you ever do then you won’t be able to do anything about it, Robin knows exactly how to hurt you and exactly what to say in order to keep you from leaving her side
Akainu could have an “Only Alive” bounty placed on your head if you ever managed to escape him, Garp would chase you to the ends of the earth until he had you again
Kaido would keep you locked up in Onigashima in a place where only he would only be able to access you to ensure that he’s the only one that can see you, Big Mom would have you dragged off to Tottoland by her many sons and daughters in order to attend your wedding with her
But I gotta say that I don’t think any of them would be the most terrifying Yandere in One Piece and keep in mind that this is just personal opinion… But you know who would be?
!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!
!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!
Kidnapping, No Hope, Total Island Destruction, Uncomfortable Situations, Attempted Murder, Starvation, Imprisonment, Mind Break
!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!
!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!
!-MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE MANGA AND MOST RECENT EPISODES OF ONE PIECE-!
!-BEWARE SPOILERS-!
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That would be this fucker right here in my personal opinion… Imu…
Why? Well I’d like you to think about this as Imu is someone that little to no one knows exists and no one even knows what Imu even looks like to begin with so let’s say that somehow you did manage to escape Imu’s grasp
You can’t tell anyone who had you… No one would know who you’re talking about and now that person you just told? They’re going to face an imminent death…
We all saw what happened on Lulusia too, all that just to kill Sabo who saw Imu if I’m right. An entire country wiped from history so if you told that person about Imu then you just potentially wiped that island out…
Granted Imu might leave you unharmed like they won’t kill you but there’s a good chance that when you’re brought back to them, it will be with your ability to walk or even stand removed so now you’re stuck with this person… Assuming Imu is a person, that is…
Plus I don’t think that Imu would even reveal their appearance to you for a good long while so imagine sitting down for a meal with this person covered head to toe in black, they stare at you with these unblinking red eyes anytime that you make a sound
If there was any way to lose your appetite, it would probably be from the sheer uncomfortable feelings brought on by Imu’s staring… I don’t think that they would even speak to you for a while after being captured so you’re just living with someone whose dead silent and won’t stop staring at you…
Also that brings up the case of imagine catching the attention of Imu like maybe you were one of the few people unlucky enough to be able to approach Imu but how much more terrifying would it be if you were just some civilian?
Who knows how they found out about you but once they decide that they want you, you’re being seemingly arrested out of the blue like you’ve done the worst crime imaginable if you aren’t just straight up kidnapped
Then you’re brought before this person who you’re absolutely terrified of and have absolutely no clue what they want from you only to be left alone with them because this is home now
Fucking horrifying if you ask me…
You can’t even hope at killing Imu either as even if they have no fighting skills, you’d probably have to get insanely lucky in trying to kill them like I’m talking winning the lottery eight times in a row on the same day then seeing like a quadruple rainbow on your way home only to find that every problem with your home miraculously fixed itself kind of lucky…
So let’s say that you did achieve that kind of luck and managed to sneak up and seemingly kill Imu in order to hopefully return to your life before all of this occurred, it seems like you might be home free and escape is so close within your grasp…
But let’s not forget about something…
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And knowing that the Gorosei’s devil fruit forms can regenerate from seemingly just about anything, I’d assume that Imu can do it as well so they’re pissed that you tried to kill them after how kindly that they’ve treated you
So as you’re running, you’ll likely look back and see whatever this is chasing after you until it grabs you in a grip that feels like it’s trying to crush you as they drag you back where you belong
If you make Imu mad then they likely aren’t going to treat you with kindness like I can honestly see them depriving you of food and locking you up until you’ve learnt your lesson, Imu wouldn’t kill you and wouldn’t allow anyone to lay a finger on you to harm you
But by the end, you’ll be wishing that you were dead and no matter how much you might scream that you’ve learnt your lesson… Imu will leave you there until they know that you have only coming to you to give you just enough food and water to where you’ll survive…
Once Imu is sure that you’ve learnt your lesson and will never try anything like that again, that is when you’ll finally be freed from your prison and actually start to be treated with gentleness and kindness as well
Imu might even test how your time locked up affected as you as they’ll caress you and if you lean into it then they’ll kiss you… And if you return it? That’s probably the first time that you’ll hear their voice speaking the word “Good”
They’ll be gentle with you as they wash your body and take care of you until you’re all better but don’t think for a second that Imu won’t shove you back into your prison if it’s needed…
Now this isn’t to say that any other One Piece character isn’t absolutely terrifying as everyone is absolutely horrifying like hell… Luffy is absolutely horrifying because of Gear 5…
This is just my personal opinion on who I think is the scariest… And it’s Imu without a doubt for me…
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arvandus · 2 months ago
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Hello hello, I know you're not really talking about him recently but truthfully i feel like you understand Dabi's personality the most. So i wanted to ask what MBTI you think he relates to the most?
So, as per usual, the weekend was a bit busy with IRL stuff. But now I'm finally able to answer this!
First off, thank you SO MUCH, it really means a lot to me that you feel I understand him the most. That's very high praise because there are some truly amazing writers and meta-analyzers on here that also have amazing takes on Dabi and his personality.
Also, PLEASE talk to me about Dabi! I still love him so so much, I'll never get tired of answering asks about him, truly. I know I haven't written for him recently, but I don't love him any less.
Okay, back to your question...
So I've looked at this a few different ways... First, I went through and took the personality test as "Dabi"; i.e., I answered the questions the way that I think HE would answer them (this is different from how others may perceive him, btw). I used the test on www.16personalities.com, and the result that I ("Dabi") got was INTP, i.e., the Logician. I also looked at what was listed for him under the personality database website, which was ISFP, the Adventurer. Finally, I simply read up on what each of the categories were on Wikipedia, and thought about it. From what I understand and through my observations of him, I would label him as INFP, the Mediator.
Below the cut I'll show the personality test results, and discuss them by comparing them to the other results. Beware though, both anime and manga spoilers will be present because I use some specific examples to explain the results.
So, from the 16personalities test, here is what Dabi got:
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Here's the rest of the descriptors for INTP-T:
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I think for the most part this is accurate for him, at least for how he perceives himself. But I think there are going to be some key differences between how he sees himself and how we, as observers, see him.
Let's start...
Introversion:
We definitely can't deny that he's introverted, and that's clear across all three personality types that were assigned to him. He's never meshed well with others, especially on first meetings, thanks to his abrasive personality and very thick walls. This introvertedness may not seem as obvious when one thinks about how badly he wants the attention of his family, and his willingness to go public with his past, etc. But think of those moments... of him recording himself, of him dancing in front of Enji as he revealed himself... think of those things as a performance. Think introverted theater kid. And even then, it wasn't exactly for the purpose of the public's attention, but for his father's attention. His broadcast? Pre-recorded, not live. His face-off with his dad? He didn't give a shit that others were there and watching; his focus narrowed like a singularity; it was only him and his father in that moment.
Another helpful thing to keep in mind is that Introversion doesn't mean you don't want to be around others; it just means that you recharge best when you are by yourself. Dabi still definitely wants to be seen by his loved ones, but I think he is naturally an introverted person in that isolation is something he enjoys as a way to rest and rejuvenate himself. I see him finding most people exhausting to be around.
Intuitive:
This was the one of the portions that differed from his MBTI on the personality database, and I actually agree with the test result more. I see Sensing/Observation as "the scientist" and Intuition as "the philosopher," and I definitely feel that Dabi is more Philosopher than Scientist. Whereas Sensing/Observation is more literal, in the now, and taking things at face value, Intuition is not. That's not to say that Dabi doesn't observe; he absolutely does. But he does so through the lens of his ideals and how all of these individual pieces fit together into his belief system.
Wikipedia describes Intuitive as "imagining the possibilities of how things could be; notice the big picture, see how everything connects; enjoy ideas and concepts for their own sake, and likes to describe things in a figurative, poetic way." While I don't necessarily see him as figurative or poetic, I do think he's a bit of an idealist. He's someone who looks at the bigger picture, who's able to extrapolate a lot of information through observation, more so than what's immediately in front of him. He's a bit of a creative genius in that way, and it's shown by how quickly he was able to develop his quirk through watching his father's battles, and later with his brother, with practically zero practice. Additionally, he's a dreamer, always wanting more for himself, even when he was young, which was why his inability to meet his father's standards was such a huge blow to him. He could see the big picture of heroism and what it meant to society, his family, and to his father (and by proxy to himself) and to not be able to see himself as a part of that picture was incredibly damaging for him. Now, this intuition isn't necessarily something he's utilized for positive gains, at least not positive for others; his focus is very selfish/self-centered in this regard. But he's still able to idealize, imagine, and extrapolate. I also think he'd enjoy deep conversations about morals and hypotheticals, and enjoy playing devil's advocate quite often. He never takes things at face-value, always looking at what's underneath.
Thinking:
This was an interesting one, and the one that I think I wouldn't exactly agree with as an observer of his character. BUT, I think Dabi would believe that he's more thinking than feeling. We know that he's incredibly ruled by his emotions in his decision-making; and I think he embraces those emotions a bit more openly once his big reveal finally happens and he's able to fully pursue his conflict with his father (and by proxy his brother). But, I think Dabi fancies himself as someone who thinks 'logically,' who is smart and isn't swayed by the hearts of others. We see this in how he keeps others at arm's length; at how he keeps a level head during the summer training camp arc, etc. But, at the same time, later on, we see more of his vulnerable side. His strangely kind gesture and words towards Toga was spurred by his care for her. His reaction to Twice's death heavily impacted how he battled Hawks. And of course, we see how emotional he really is with regards to his family.
Now granted, he would most definitely put a 'logical' decision that will get him the result he wants over someone else's feelings, in most cases. When it gets down to it, his feelings will take priority over others' feelings, 9 times out of 10. But that doesn't mean he's a Thinking type; that just means he's selfish, and that if anyone's feelings are going to be listened to, it'll be his own. This doesn't surprise me considering his history of being emotionally neglected, let alone all of the other things that happened to him. Typically, a Feeling type would have a strong sense of altruism for others because they can easier empathize with them... and I think a part of him does empathize with his league comrades, which was why he behaved the way he did with Twice and Toga. But I think overall for Dabi, his Feeling is turned more inward, as he's empathizing with himself. It's a form of self-preservation, a way for him to protect his damaged ego. It clouds his judgment in the sense that he thinks he's not emotional because he's not easily moved by others; and yet, he's very emotionally moved by himself and his own pain.
Perceiving/Prospecting:
This, along with introversion, was consistent across the board of all three methods I used to analyze Dabi. The definition alone from the test describes Dabi to a T; good at improvising and adapting; flexible noncomformist, valuing novelty over stability. Need I say more? Also, Wikipedia describes it as: prefer to leave your options open; see rules and deadlines as flexible; like to improvise; spontaneous...
By contrast, Judging is much more rigid/structured, which doesn't really fit Dabi at all. Judging is all about planning, organizing, staying on task and meeting deadlines... I think Dabi is far too ADHD for that (Shh, I'm not projecting, I swear!).
Just think of it this way: if Dabi had the perfect upbringing and never became a villain, what kind of job would you picture him having? Would he have a desk job, pushing papers and sitting through meetings, doing the 8-5 grind? Or would he have something a little more spontaneous, more flexible, something that would mentally (and likely physically) engage him?
I rest my case.
So, I'd say that there are two answers to your question. If you're really looking at what would Dabi identify himself as, I would say the test would be the most accurate: INTP. (he'd also really like the title of the Logician; it would totally stroke his ego!).
BUT, if you're looking for more what his "true" personality would be, I would say INFP.
Now, the irony of this is that I'm an INFP. Actually, I used to be an INFJ, and that's what I thought I was while writing most of this up. I retook the test earlier today because I was curious if my results had changed at all over the past few years, and apparently they did, and it just so happens to align with what I was assigning Dabi. This could either mean that me assigning INFP to Dabi is due to implicit bias, as I see a lot of myself in him and vice versa, and it's possible that the two have gotten muddled a bit. Alternatively, it could also mean that I'm able to write him so clearly because I understand his character and his personality in a very, well... personal way.
Anyway, I hope that helps! Let me know what you think and which MBTI type you think fits him best! 💕
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c-moon20-12 · 1 month ago
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(RANT AHEAD!!!! BEWARE⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️)
(ALSO SPOILERS⚠️⚠️⚠️)
I need jjk to end now and I mean NOWWW, like no sequels no side stories(maybe the rest living a happy life) no NOTHING I am soo tired of this manga Sukuna the main threat is gone Yuji got his friends back hooray.Though I think the ending is shitty everything is fine and dandy, pls gege is THREATENING me with a sequel and I think gege can't write for shit(sorry) there are so many plot holes and some unnecessary deaths that literally make my skin crawl don't get me wrong the way he writes Characters and their lore and stuff is glorious, and very well written but he doesn't do well with a plotline like AT ALL. Like why is he reviving characters and trying to hide their faces behind speech bubbles🤨🤨🤨(other reasons too this one is just kinda funny) like what is going onnnnnn just end it. JJK was fun until it got super super popular I really don't know Im just hating it a lot recently.
BUUUUTTTT like what do you think of the way it's going????
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shiro-s2e2-erukinzu · 1 year ago
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Anime only watchers and people who aren't caught up with the Manga, BEWARE... Cuz I'm about to discuss Spy X Family Mission 90... You have been warned...! 👌
[SPOILERS AHEAD FROM THIS POINT ON]
What an adorable little chapter today!! It sure was a sweet one...!! 🤗
Honestly, nothing too crazy happened in today's chapter, but there is still quite a bit that I wanna talk about...!! 😁 So let's get to talking about it, shall we...? 😊
The chapter begins with Anya tagging along with Yor, who's taking Bond for a walk...!! 😁
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AND THEY'RE GOING TO THE SAME PARK THAT THEY CUT OUT OF THE ANIME THAT ONE TIME...!! 👌😆
Once there, Anya's having the time of her life until she overhears some kids talking about this old man...:
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And when I first saw this man, my theorist brain started thinking of all the possible people who this man might be...! 🤔
Is he possibly one of the scientists that experimented on people and animals to give them powers? (Like Anya and Bond... 🤔)
Does he have powers like Anya? (Maybe to read minds or something else...! 😲)
Is he a long lost relative of one of the Forgers? (Most likely to Anya, but Yor and Loid are also possible...! 😌)
Honestly, out of all the possibilities that I thought of, being a long lost relative to one of the Forgers is what I think is the most plausible...!! (But for now, he's just a random old man.)
Anyway, because of what those kids were saying about him, Anya thought that the old man was a spy, but he just wants to go home to his wife...!! 💗
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So, Yor, Anya and Bond decide to help the lost old man find his home...!! 😊 But since he mumbles a lot, Anya uses her powers to, um... Varying degrees...! 😅
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OH MY GOD ANYA!! 🤣That is NOT at all what the old man was thinking...!! 😂
Yor, Anya and Bond take the old man to the market because he remembered that he was gonna go do some shopping...! 😄 And as they walk through the market, the old man remembers how it was during the war... 😔
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Every time when I see stuff about the war that took place in this story, it always makes think about all the horrible conflicts that are happening out in the world right now and how I hope that one day no one will have to suffer through things like war ever again...
...
Anyway, Yor, Anya and Bond try to figure out where the old man lives, but they end up back at the park...! So they try again and...:
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THEY ACCIDENTALLY RUN INTO SOME THUGS THAT START SHOOTING AT THEM...!! 😱
After running around some more, they stop near a place that sells waffles and the old man offers to buy Anya one...!! Then, Yor has a thought:
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Oh, my heart... 💔
Honestly though, this is probably my favorite moment in this chapter...! 💗 Just the fact that Yor thinks about if Anya misses something that she never had, it makes me wonder how Yor will feel when she finds out that Anya didn't really have anything until the Forgers came to be...
Then, the gang gets a lead as to where the old man might live thanks to a coupon that fell out his pocket and Anya recognizing where it's from...!! And then...:
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They end up at their apartment building...!! But, all is not lost because this IS where the old man lives!! 😆 We see Twilight helping the old man's wife with moving because they are going to be living next door to the Forgers...!! 😊
Lastly, the old man and his wife properly introduced themselves as Sigmund and Barbara Authen...
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...and two of them get real lovey dovey with each other after being reunited...!! 💗🤗💗
And that was Mission 90, and it was such a sweet little chapter...!! 🤗 I am loving the recent focus on showing more of Yor and Anya (and Bond) together, their relationship just makes me so happy...!! 💗 Something else that I'm wondering is if whether or not Sigmund and Barbara are gonna show up again in the future (and if they'll have a secret connection to Anya in some way) because I both love them and are quite intrigued by them (especially since they were actually given names...!! 😌) I also wonder if the Authens' relationship is a possible hint as to how Loid and Yor will be like to each other in the future...!! 💗😏💗
Something that I just realized is that ten chapters from now, we'll be at Mission 100!! 😆 I don't know if Endo will do something special for this milestone, but I sure do hope that he does!! 😊
Anyway, that's pretty much all I wanted to say about this chapter...!! 😁 So until the next Mission... Take care, be safe out there and be kind to one another...!! 👋😄
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wesleysniperking · 5 months ago
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One Piece Film: Red and What It Meant for Usopp
Part 3 (TL;DR)
(beware spoilers!!!)
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I want to emphasize that although Usopp didn't receive a specific foreshadowing in "One Piece Film: Red" tailored for the Wano arc, I believe this absence actually serves as a setup for his future growth. Koby's foreshadowing in the film, and the way Oda often gives Usopp his moments to shine in unexpected and spectacular ways, suggest that Usopp is being reserved for something bigger. Usopp's character is known for his flashy yet unassuming nature, which means he needs more than just one significant scene in Wano.
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It hurt to see certain trade-offs in Wano that negatively affected Usopp's reception among fans. While Robin and Nami had fabulous, queen-like moments, especially Robin, it was frustrating to see Usopp pushed to the background. This might be a bias on my part, but like in project management, there are always trade-offs. Fans have speculated that Oda faced challenges with his original team and the impact of Covid, which led to Wano feeling rushed and congested. As a result, out of the project's time, cost, and quality, quality seemed to be the aspect that suffered.
I understand Usopp's role in Wano from the standpoint that it simply wasn't his time to shine. However, I'm critical of how this affects fans' perception of him. It’s irritating to see Usopp become the fandom’s punching bag because he didn’t get a fair trade-off. This situation, I hope, will be rectified with future developments where Usopp gets the spotlight he deserves, demonstrating his growth in a way that silences the critics.
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Another point I’d like to make is that the movies often highlight and make callbacks to certain qualities of Usopp that we've seen in the past, both pre-time skip and earlier post-time skip. For instance, in "One Piece: Gold," we see the creative and smart problem-solver Usopp, who might run away at first (“Usopp Dash!”) but always comes back to save his friends. This is reminiscent of Little Garden and Alabasta Usopp, particularly when he outsmarted Baccarat, who had the Luck-Luck Fruit.
In "One Piece: Stampede," there’s a scene where the Big Bad insults Luffy’s friend (Usopp), calling him weak. Later, Usopp drags Luffy to safety, apologizing for not being able to get the treasure, which evokes the Water 7 vibes when Usopp is beaten by the Franky Family. Despite his initial setback, Usopp comes through in the clutch to help Luffy save the day, similar to his role in Enies Lobby. Some fans believe that "One Piece: Stampede" might have been one of Oda's planned endings for the series before he decided on another direction.
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Then, there’s "One Piece: Red," which brings back memories of Dressrosa when Usopp unlocked Observation Haki to save Luffy and Law. These movies showcase Usopp’s potential and remind fans of his core qualities.
This makes me entertain a fan theory that Oda uses the anime to explore scenes he couldn’t convey as precisely in the manga with just drawings and dialogue.
I want to emphasize that Usopp still has much more to offer. It isn’t the end for him despite his lesser role in recent arcs. It frustrates me when people criticize Usopp harshly, especially when the rest of the Straw Hats are seen as bada**es while Usopp is labeled as "doing nothing." Seriously? Usopp isn’t fodder and never will be.
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Some fans argue that if nothing significant happens for Usopp in Elbaf, they’ll lose faith in his character. This criticism is misguided. Power-ups from this point on are likely to happen in battle, and it’s not just about training but showcasing noteworthy skills in crucial moments.
Usopp is likely always practicing his Observation Haki and creating new weaponry off-screen. The problem isn’t that people abhor him, but that they don’t articulate their frustration well. They might say, "he doesn’t get enough screen time anymore," or "he’s not utilized to his full potential." This still hurts, but if people expressed their thoughts more maturely, there would be fewer arguments with Usopp fans.
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Yes, high expectations might mean that people care about Usopp and want what’s best for him, but some people have a really bad way of expressing that and it often looks misguided.
Coming to a close, Usopp may not get enough screen time and might have been put on the back burner for a while, but good things are in store for him. The final saga is here, and all the Straw Hats are together now. Old villains are reappearing, and Usopp’s story is likely to come full circle, especially when he meets his dad (it wouldn’t make any sense if he didn’t!). Speculation aside, these theories mean something—they mean something to me.
Usopp's big moment has been delayed because, for it to be impactful, it has to be meaningful. People claim he regresses after moments of growth, but perhaps Oda is creating a false illusion to build up to a long-awaited moment that will cement Usopp's growth, allowing him to truly embody his dream of becoming a brave warrior of the sea. So, again:
In order for it to stick, it has to be meaningful.
Thank you.
Part 1
Part 2
video to gif credit (original video DBX96)
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zarathelonewolf · 9 days ago
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Gachiakuta 115, or Yes, Corvus Lore is about to DROP, BABY, WOOOOO
Ok ok ok I LOVE this chapter OMG. I also have some thoughts about it which make me excited and wanting to screech.
Beware spoilers!
I am a bit scared about what Tamzy is going to do while on a mission with Team Child... OK, more than a bit, I am feeling very tense about the whole ordeal. I thought he'd go after Enjin or, idk, Zanka? Remlin? Since them and Rudo are very close... However, could the kids under Santa's protection be actual possible targets?
I loved how Corvus stared him down BTW. He was so real for that. I think Arkha knows there's some bullshit cooking in Tamzy's mind and even if Tamzy tries to put the kids in danger, Corvus has decided to watch over them and he's sending Tamzy a very clear message.
Also Arkha and Corvus talking to each other??? Rudo's even further development???
Arkha's expression of pride????? HELLO????
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Oh my goddddd I love these two even more now.
The reveal that the Cleaners are more than just, y'know, Trash Beast hunters is interesting. I sort of suspected it, since Corvus is a very inquisitive person AND their boss.
Of course Arkha is interested in the Sphere and the Ground and their origins, of course he would want to investigate them. But I had thought that, similar to the Fire Soldiers of company 8th in Fire Force, "discovering hidden truths" hadn't necessarily been the objective that the Cleaners had been created with in mind. I thought it had been a recent development, either from Corvus himself or his predecessors.
I saw someone highlight that Corvus staying in his room for four days is an indicator that he is Kuro. Could be. The Kuro=Corvus theory is becoming the most obvious solution to the dilemma of Kuro's interest in the Cleaners and Corvus' hidden characteristics (age, Jinki). I still want to know if this is an Elden Ring situation (Kuro and Corvus are separate, but the same thing) or a Shapeshifter situation (they are not separate identities, it's just one being putting on masks... and by Kuro's own admission, forgetting which comes closer to his original personhood).
At the same time, it seems that Corvus, much like Kuro, doesn't trust the Choker-maker. Is it really a good thing, for the Cleaners and the Raiders, to look after the Choker's creator? I am positively pumped up, can't wait to see it.
I am also of the firm belief that the Manga is setting up towards an alliance between Cleaners and Raiders. And Tamzy, I believe, is going to be the reason why they will join forces. I don't remember where, but a member of the Raiders (was it Jabber?) said that they really don't vibe with the Angel. Though maybe, in the end, it could be Tamzy and Raiders that join forces: after all, both Zodyl and Tamzy have an interest in Rudo, although for seemingly different reasons.
I adore the scene of Corvus kneeling to Rudo. He's putting himself on Rudo's level and at the same time, he's showing... admiration. Rudo's all "I don't wanna be bothersome and a burden to you Cleaners" SHADDUP MY BOI CORVUS LOVES YA ALREADY
Father/son or best friend duo, I can't choose.
And yes Rudo, coffee is horrible without milk and sugar. I feel ya.
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stellar-constellations · 1 year ago
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ive got 0 idea if you takes reqs, but i recently finished your yuri briar x reader AND IM IN LOVE
so.
we got a slightly sick yuri, but what about an extremely ill y/n that yuri has to take care of ? with his stubborness theres sure to be some aruging
of course, if youre not feelig up to oneshots, some cute headcannons for them whould be awesome !!
youre such a great writer mwah i hope you have a good day !! :3
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        Sick! Fem! (Y/N) x Yuri Briar
        This can be read with or without reading my Yuri Briar x Fem! Spy! (Y/N) series: An Alliance (part 1).
Beware! This fic DOES contain SPOILERS for the manga and for the Yuri Briar x Fem! (Y/N) series: An Alliance!
        Setting is AFTER the reader rejoined WISE (so Yuri and (Y/N) are married and [Y/N] becomes an official double-spy).
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        I rarely get sick. I think part of that is because of all the viruses and infectious pathogens I've been exposed to growing up. Growing up in the poor side of Luwen, Westalis. Joining the Westalis military and watching as doctors with not enough medical experience or knowledge bullshit their way through life-threatening procedures or even unknown viruses from Ostania get tons of syringes jabbed in their shoulders. Traveling through countries and hiding in sometimes very unhygienic places as a spy. All of those factors has probably helped with my strong immune systems.
        There's been times where I've been sick that it's completely left me bedridden for days, sometimes even a week or two, at a time. Every once in a blue moon, I'd get a common cold or sore throat, but if I can walk, then I can work.
        I figured today must've been one of small common cold days when I woke up with a foul taste in my mouth. You know when you're sick and you have that awful taste when you cough? It's taste like that sour, off-putting taste.
        I ignored the system and buried my head back into my pillow, hearing the annoying alarm shut off thanks to Yuri.
        "(Y/N), it's time to get up." Yuri spoke.
        We've both grown used to this routine now. Yuri spends a good ten minutes trying to drag me out of bed while I lay motionless, purposely ignoring him as I try to go back to bed.
        Today, however, I feel even more tired than usual. It feels awfully hot under these covers and my body feels really sore, almost numb.
        "Come on. Don't start this today! You know we have an important meeting with the Director!" Yuri groaned, getting back on the bed to crawl over to my side and grabbing my arm.
        Right, the meeting with the Director. I'm supposed to go over there and discuss any new information on WISE in correlation to the chase with Winston Wheeler (and Twilight).
        Me and Yuri finally healed up enough to where we can be sent back to work. I was getting real sick of that liquid diet, I never want to have soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner ever again (Yuri can agree with me on this). My broken nose is also healed too so now I can stop wearing that stupid bandage.
        Apparently, there's been a security breach in the SSS's latest website and I'm supposed to narrow down a list of potential suspects that could've caused the breach. I contacted The Handler last night and had her conduct a list of unfortunate Ostanian civilians to place blame on. I don't like having to bring innocent people into such matters, but I don't really have a choice. If the SSS finds out I'm still working with WISE, I'm royally screwed. The work the agents in WISE are given is far too important to sacrifice, so unfortunately I'm going to have to trade in unsuspecting civilians in order to keep the peace between Ostania and Westalis.
        I already know the true perpetuator of who caused that security breach; it was me. I needed information on Winston Wheeler so I hacked into the SSS's security files and emails and got information, then I snuck into city hall and got some public files of Ostanian citizens with the information I learned and was able to identify WISE's mole with just a tad bit of luck. The whole operation almost costed me my head with how I almost got exposed as a WISE agent to Yuri in the sewers along with almost dying to Winston (I'll never say this to her face, but thank God that Nightfall came when she did).
        "Fine, fine..." I groaned, moving my hair out of my eyes and slowly sitting up from my bed.
        I stood up from the bed and felt lightheaded, whiteish-black dots appearing in my vision as my body temperature raised and a nauseous feeling came over me, my ears ringing as I felt the dull thud of myself collapsing onto the carpet.
        I saw nothing for a long time, but a short time as well. I was able to regain my vision and found myself on the floor with Yuri hovering over me.
        Damn, I fainted.
        I've fainted a lot in my lifetime to the point it's probably unhealthy now. Exhaustion, extreme sickness when I'm bedridden, and sometimes even just from changing position too fast or standing in the same position for too long. By now I'm very aware of the symptoms, I just usually believe I can fight through it and continue on (the amount of times I coaxed myself into believing this then fainting afterwards is absolutely foolish of me by now).
        "(Y/N)? Are you okay?" Yuri questioned, a concerned expression on his face.
        "I tripped over my feet." I lied.
        "You sure stayed on the ground for a while. You weren't responding to me." Yuri responded, a bit suspicious.
        "I was hoping you'd leave me alone so I could go back to bed." I lied, again.
        "Seriously? Come on, we've got work to do." Yuri sighed, grabbing my nightgown's sleeve.
        Luckily my sleeve was covering my arm so he wouldn't come into direct-contact with my skin and feel how hot it is.
        "Do we want to cook breakfast or go grab some?" Yuri questioned, lifting me up from the ground with ease, placing me on my feet as I mumbled a "thanks".
        "Let's go out. I don't feel like cooking. I'm still sleepy." I responded, watching as Yuri walked to his closet and grabbed a pair of mundane office clothes.
        "I was thinking the same thing. It'd be quicker too." Yuri commented.
        I inhaled deeply, feeling as though I couldn't breathe through my nose. I still felt light-headed and I feel like I'll topple right over if I take a step forward.
        "Can you choose my clothes today? I don't wanna." I breathed out, crawling back into bed and staying above the covers since it felt too hot to get under them.
        "Don't plan on falling back to sleep. I will drag you into the car with you still in your nightgown if I have to." Yuri grumbled, shooting me a glare but walking to my closet nonetheless.
        He looked through the hanging clothes before grabbing a green sweatshirt and finding a pair of blue jeans on a shelf. He threw the clothes at me as I worked up the energy to get today started.
        "You better be dressed by the time I'm done changing." Yuri emptily-threatened, grabbing his own clothes and walking into the bathroom.
        I huffed, wanting to do anything but get out of bed, yet I decided to listen to him. He's right, today is an important day. It'll help me prove my innocence to the SSS (and I have to make sure I keep Donnie's little trap shut in case he decides to put his two-bits in and expose that I was gone during the whole mole hunt.
        I stood up from the bed, ignoring my wobbly head and aching head as I changed into the clothes Yuri picked out for me. It's funny that even though we're both basically married now (just without throwing a real wedding), we still change in separate rooms. I'm completely fine with that though, it's nice to take things slow.
        I grabbed sock and brown boots and slipped them on, then immediately fell back onto the bed to get at least an extra minute or two of rest.
        Yuri came out and looked at me, crossing his arms as he stared at me with his laser eyes.
        "Are you sure you're okay? Your throat sounds sore. Do you want a cough drop?" Yuri questioned.
        "I'm just really tired." I spoke, adverting eye contact.
        "Should we get coffee too?" Yuri asked, tying his boots on.
        "Yeah, that's a good idea." I nodded, raising my hand up in the air for Yuri to grab.
        He grabbed my hand without question and lifted me off our bed, allowing me to plant my feet back on the ground. I reached for my glasses on the dresser (if you wear any) and grabbed my wallet, shoving it into my pocket.
        "You're really hot." Yuri commented.
        "Thanks." I smiled, still having some energy to mess with Yuri.
        "I meant your skin is hot. Are you really sure you're feeling okay?" Yuri questioned, his concerned expression appearing.
        "I'm fine! I'd tell you if I feel off, so don't worry about it, love." I spoke, giving him a smile in hopes to reassure him.
        His shoulders released some tension, but they still weren't fully relaxed, so he doesn't believe me just yet.
        "I just have a small cold, nothing I can't handle. Now let's go, we still have work to do." I spoke, grabbing his hand and leading him to the door through blurry vision.
        I bumped into the door and huffed, feeling around for the handle.
        "(Y/N), that's a wall. The door is behind us." Yuri pointed out.
        On normal days, he'd chuckle about how much of a dumbass I am, but today he seems really in-tune with my physical state.
        "My vision is still blurry 'cause I'm tired." I spoke, coming up with that stupid excuse on spot.
        "Here, let me help you." Yuri spoke, guiding me over to the bedroom door as he opened it, pushing me through before walking out and closing it behind him.
        "I got the rest." I reassured, taking a few steps forward to go to the front door.
        I stopped once I felt my stomach start to turn and my vision start to blur once more. My ears started ringing and it felt like I was swaying from side to side.
        I took silent deep breaths to calm myself down and hopefully settle my immune system, all while Yuri stood behind me, closely observing me.
        "Are you sick?" he finally questioned.
        "No." I huffed stubbornly, gathering my energy to take another step.
        It was a terrible idea as I immediately fell forward, my body going limp as I couldn't control my feet or hands or anything any longer. Even though I was unconscious, I felt pressure under my head and on my wrist. I saw darkness again and waited for it to pass, before finally regaining my vision once more.
        Yuri had his hand under my head, checking my pulse before making eye contact with me as the waves of blurriness started to fade from my sight. He gave me a look I'd never think I'd get shot my way for fainting, he gave me a scowl.
        "I'm not sick." He taunted in a high-pitched voice.
        "Oi! I don't sound like that!" I huffed.
        "You told me you weren't sick. You said you'd tell me if you were feeling off, you little lying brat." Yuri huffed, moving his hand from under my head and allowing it to hit the ground with a thud!
        "Ow..." I groaned, reaching up and grabbing my head as my head ached, probably a headache forming. "Jerk! I didn't treat you like this when you got sick!"
        "I didn't lie when I got sick!" Yuri retorted.
        "Y-yeah... but..." I paused, thinking of something to say. "Just shut up and help me!" I huffed.
        "You're lucky I'm a nice guy." Yuri muttered, grabbing my hand and picking me up, throwing me over his shoulder.
        He opened our bedroom door and placed me back down on our bed, making sure to keep the covers off me. He walked up to his separate nightstand and picked up the phone, sliding the rotary wheel to his desired digits until he raised the phone up to his ear.
        "Hello, Director? This is Yuri Briar speaking. Me and (Y/N) Briar are going to take the day off, she's terribly sick and I don't trust her to be by herself. We can reschedule the meeting another day?" Yuri spoke
        "Oi! I hear you!" I huffed, throwing a pillow at him (albeit weakly).
        "Yes, that was her. She sounds terrible, huh?" Yuri spoke, now just taunting me.
        "You're a horrible man..." I grumbled.
        "Yes, sir. Thank you so much." Yuri spoke before hanging up the phone. "Looks like you're going to get your shut-eye after all."
        "Thanks, Yuri!" I smiled.
        "Do you think you can stomach anything? Do you want some soup?" he questioned.        
        "Yeah, I guess." I sighed.
        "I'll go make you some. Now, you change into some more lighter clothes so you won't be as hot, then you can go back to sleep." Yuri ordered.
        It really wasn't something I'd fight him on as I nodded, taking the pajamas I was wearing earlier from Yuri's hands. Yuri left the room as I changed, then got back into bed. I closed my eyes (taking off my glasses if needed) and listening to Yuri's command on some shut-eye.
        Yuri woke me up sometime later, gently shaking me awake.
        "Hey, wake up." Yuri spoke, coaxing me to waking up.
        I opened my eyes to see Yuri's face. He picked me up from the bed and took me out and into the dining room, sitting me down on my dining table seat. A bowl of simple broth sat in front of me, something simple that I wouldn't throw up.
        "You can eat on your own, right?" Yuri questioned.
        "Nope." I smiled.
        "Of course..." Yuri grumbled.
        He grabbed his chair and pulled it up close to me, our knees touching as he lifted my chin up and grabbed the spoon.
        "You should keep your distance if you don't want to get sick." I spoke.
        "Don't worry about it. The only time I get sick is when Yor is out of town." Yuri spoke.
        Right, I remember having to take care of him when Yor left a few days for her job at city hall. He's surprisingly easy to take care of since he doesn't talk as much when he's sick due to his aching throat. I thought.
        "Open up." Yuri commanded.
        I didn't put up a fight as I opened my mouth, taking a sip from the spoon.
        "It's pretty good, Yuri." I complimented, opening my mouth for another spoonful.
        "I got the recipe from a cookbook." Yuri admitted, scooping up some more and putting it in my mouth.
        I finished the bowl and thanked him as he picked me up and carried me back to our room, placing me down on the bed.
        "I'll be back. You just hang on a second." Yuri spoke, walking out of the room.
        He came back with a towel and some medication in hand.
        "Do you like medicine?" Yuri questioned.
        "No, who does?" I questioned, looking at him funny.
        "I mean, will you put up a fight?" he questioned.
        "...I mean, I guess not since it's for my health?" I muttered.
        "Good." Yuri smiled, twisting open the cap and pouring the dark red liquid into a small medicine cup.
        He raised the spoon to my mouth as I sighed and opened my mouth, drinking the liquid. It tasted disgusting and I hated every drop of it, but I understood it was for my health.
        "Thank you for taking care of me, Yuri. You didn't have to take the day off too to take care of me, but you did anyways. I appreciate it greatly." I smiled.
        "It's the decent thing to do." Yuri muttered, not taking the gratitude.
        "Don't underestimate your kindness, Yuri. I was just messing with you when I said you're horrible." I admitted.
        "I know that much, dummy." Yuri huffed, flicking my forehead with his finger.
        He pushed my chest for me to lean back on my pillow, then grabbed the cold wet towel and placed it on top of my forehead.
        "Now get some more rest, I'll come check up on you in a bit." Yuri spoke.
        "Thanks again, Yuri. I love you." I smiled, watching as his face started to match his eyes as he covered his mouth with his arm to hide his smile.
        "Whatever... I love you too." He muttered softly, but I could still hear him.
        The whole day Yuri tended to my needs as I got my well-deserved rest. It's nice to finally be able to sleep all day again, the last time I did that was years ago.
        I can't remember the last time I was cared for when being sick. Before the war when I was a kid, I remember being bedridden for three days and being unable to do nothing. My dad was out working and my mom was sleeping because she worked night shifts as a nurse (she was able to find a hospital that allowed married women to work there), so she slept during the day and went to work at night.
        My younger siblings couldn't take care of me because they were too young to have any medical knowledge. My older sister was out collecting rocks and my older brother was out with his friends. Even if they weren't busy, they still wouldn't be able to help me since they've never gotten sick (or at least didn't remember it).
        Even after joining the military and ending up getting the Spanish Flu I wasn't care for. It was actually a miracle I survived it because of my age and size. I must've found a lucky penny or something around that time because I luckily didn't have any severe symptoms, but after seeing all the people dying around me from the illness, I took absolutely no chances to being transported in the crowded nursing tent. I stole a small tent and ran far out into the woods along with a bottle of medicine, eight water bottles, four cans of tomato soup, and a blanket, spending five nights out there before I finally felt better.
        Because I didn't allow myself around any others to worsen my sickness, my Memory T-cells were able to identify and grow an immunity to the disease and I was able to overcome it.
        Even when I became a spy, the first few missions I got sick pretty often because of all the traveling and sight-changes I had to endure, but I soon grew accustomed to the constant change in scenery all around Westalis and Ostania that my immune system was eventually able to get used to it.
        But even then, it's nice to be cared for and pampered. The last time I got fed by someone was when I was two. The last time someone tucked me in for bed was when I was three. I never did have someone make me soup for when I'm sick, or give me a wet towel to place on my head, or even just give me a bottle of medicine.
        Even those the gestures might be small and "what a decent human being does" as Yuri said—it means the world to me. To be swaddled in the warmth of protection and love, something I was once sure I'd never be able to experience again until I met Yuri Briar.
        The ring on my finger isn't just a ring; it's an everlasting vow between two lives now connected through life and death, sickness and health, wealth and poverty. It's a pledge of undying adoration, sincerity, unwavering loyalty, and shelter; all of this for Mr. and Mrs. Briar to share with one another.
        BONUS: Headcannons about Yuri and (Y/N):
        Yuri and (Y/N) have their own seats at the dining table they silently assigned to themselves. Yuri's seat is the closest to the front door, he chose this seat in case (Y/N) ever does try to run away to go back to WISE (in actuality, it's so he can protect her if an intruder ever breaks in from there).
        Believe it or not, Yuri and (Y/N) aren't much of physical lovers. The love languages in their relationship is quality time, acts of service, and (shockingly) words of affirmation.
        (Y/N) can't detect sarcasm despite being sarcastic herself at times.
        (Y/N) used sleeping as a coping mechanism growing up. She used it to escape from reality; the hardships of money and war, deception and betrayal. She slept so much she learned how to lucid dream on her own. Now she sleeps because she's tired often due to work.
        (Y/N)'s always tired no matter how much sleep she gets; 30 minutes to a day. She once slept for 22 hours once and woke up feeling miserable. She slept for twenty minutes while waiting for a target during a mission and still felt like total shit; so no amount of sleep can truly make her feel 100% awake.
        (Y/N) has problems with memorizing people and their names so she focuses on a certain attribute that helps her recognize a person (ex. someone's hair color, the shape of their eyes, their jacket).
        (Y/N)'s memory isn't good either, she'll be in the act of cooking then forget she's cooking and walk away. Yuri now supervises (Y/N) to make sure she doesn't wander off and let the smoke alarm go off again.
        If (Y/N) had the option to go to the past, future, or stay in the present, she would choose staying in the present in a heartbeat. She believes if she goes to the past she might mess something up that would make it so Yuri and (Y/N) never met, and she doesn't want to go to the future in case she discovers something then accidentally messes up the future by going to the present and changes actions that would've led her to something happy in the future to something disastrous instead.
        Yuri's side mission in life is to try to discreetly find out (Y/N)'s favorite flower without being caught. He wants to surprise her but refuses to ask her for the answer. So far it's been a month of trying.
        (Y/N) has absolutely no idea when she's being flirted with by someone other than Yuri because she doesn't believe it's possible that someone could actually have interest in her (she still secretly questions if Yuri's proposal was true or if it was a gig to gain trust for their contract).
        Yuri has memorized every speckle of color in (Y/N)'s eyes because of how often he stares into them. He is a firm believer of giving someone his attention when they're talking with him.
        Yuri does, indeed, like to mess with (Y/N) because he thinks it's cute when she gets frustrated.
        When (Y/N) gave Yuri's mother brownies as an offering he cried in his car the entire time that (Y/N) talked to Yuri's mother. That day was the day Yuri started to lower his guard without even realizing it.
        Even though Yuri and (Y/N) bicker a lot, they're very aware of their true feelings since they always look at each other's eyes when talking (the eye is the window to the soul after all).
        It's a known fact that Yuri and (Y/N) always work with each other at the SSS. They help each other with listening to bugged rooms, Yuri listens and (Y/N) writes. Whenever they do interrogations, they're always in the room with each other in case one of the interrogators decide to get hostile. During raids, (Y/N) prefers to be lookout while Yuri heads into action. Even though (Y/N) doesn't like Yuri fighting with the possibility of getting injured or possibly even killed, (Y/N) doesn't like fighting up close due to the hostility she experienced in the military (the same applies with guns due to this).
        Yuri learned about (Y/N)'s dislikes towards guns and does his best to get them both out of raids or missions that involve them. He doesn't want to have her forced into a situation that makes her uncomfortable or feel threatened.
        Yuri and (Y/N) have come to the comprise that Yuri cleans and (Y/N) cooks after Yuri complained a lot about (Y/N) doing all the housework. Yuri doesn't like the thought of using (Y/N) like that, even if they live in the 1950's.
        As previously mentioned in this fic, (Y/N) got the Spanish Flu. She got the Spanish Flu by walking into the nursing tent to bring a sick comrade in. While she was in there, she saw someone have a terrible reaction to the vaccine they were given, foaming through their mouth and blood pouring out of their eyes and nose, that started her intense fear of needles (want to know how Yuri helps? Check out this fanfic along with the head cannons in it!)
        Yuri and (Y/N) like watching sci-fi movies and debating whether the events could one day be true or not. These debates get very heated, logical, and serious; some are still ongoing to this day.
        Yuri's ([Y/N]'s really) teddy bear (teddy bear is introduced in the Yuri Briar x Fem! Spy! Reader series, part 9) is named Graham Cracker because of the fur's color (Yes, [Y/N] named it).
        (Y/N) once had a dream of being an astronaut because she loved the stars so much. Now, she's not exactly sure what she wants to be career-wise, but she wants to be truly happy and have an ordinary life (which means ditching the SSS and WISE).
        Yuri once took (Y/N) out on a roadtrip to go to a space museum out of Ostania. In the middle of the night he stopped the car on a hill and prompted (Y/N) out of the car and pointed up at the stars. Yuri's mind has the image of her stargazing engraved in his mind. (Y/N) had never seen as much stars as she did then and she started crying hysterically because it was the most considerate and romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. Yuri now takes (Y/N) out to see the stars at the same hill at least once a month.
        Sometimes Yuri goes on complete rambles about Yor, specific adventures he had during missions, some biology facts he remembers from school, or even just Ostanian politics and (Y/N) would look at him with the world's brightest eyes and soft smile. Once he notices, his voice becomes softer and he stumbles over his wording a lot. (Y/N) will bring him back to with a soft "go on, love" despite hearing this subject hundreds of times before, and it'll officially explode Yuri's mind and heart.
        (Y/N) got Yuri into Frank Sinatra and Doris Day songs. Yuri's mood could be terrible but if he hears any one of their songs he'll immediately start cheering up because of the memories their songs bring. His favorite is "Fly Me to the Moon" from Frank Sinatra and "It's Magic" from Doris Day. (Y/N)'s favorites are "Blue Moon" from Frank Sinatra and "Dream a Little Dream of Me" from Doris Day.
        (Y/N) absolutely loves Christmas music. She loves decorating the apartment with festive lights and baking holiday foods. Yuri used to be indifferent about the holidays but now he can't wait for the next Christmas because of the first Christmas they spent with each other and the Forger family.
        (Y/N) was given the code name "Vixen" because of how she lured and deceived others. She stuck to using her looks as a form of deception since she had a hard time switching personalities due to her morals and how opinionated she is.
        (Y/N) hates receives gifts because it feels like she's indirectly using someone for money, being too needy, and now has a debt she needs to pay.
        (Y/N) and Yor meet up every weekend after work to talk about work, their family, and get to know each other better since they're in-laws. (Y/N) still finds Yor scary, but now she's determined to protect Yuri because of how kind-hearted and nurturing she is. (Y/N) makes sure to walk Yor home so Yor doesn't get into any danger (unbeknownst to [Y/N], Yor is the true danger).
        (Y/N) meets up with Camila and Yor once a month to teach Yor a new recipe. It's a really good bonding experience and it gives (Y/N) a healthy amount of social interaction without having to try and lie to anyone for ulterior motives. (Y/N) loves being able to call therm her friends since growing up she didn’t have any (that are still alive, that is. Twilight and Franky are like brothers).
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Thank you so much for requesting! I love writing for Yuri, especially because of how dry the Yuri train is on Tumblr.
Want more Yuri content? Check out the Yuri Briar x Fem! Spy! reader series: An Alliance! Or perhaps something short and sweet? Check out another adored request WITH more head cannons!
        Have any other requests? Check my masterlist to see the characters I write for: Masterlist
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yggdraseed · 1 year ago
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My Deal with Giselle Gewelle
So, let me preface this by saying that I'm trans. I'm not saying that to invalidate the feelings of other trans people, just to specify that mine isn't some outsider's perspective. There's also spoilers for Bleach: TYBW, but I'm guessing that there aren't a lot of interested parties left who don't know about this. You probably also know this goes into transphobia, necrophilia, and rape, but if you don't, uh... trigger warning! Reader beware, you're in for a scare!
Recently, an episode of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War came out in which noted bitchy asshole who uses too much product Yumichika Ayasegawa misgendered darling, sweet murderous trans babygirl Giselle Gewelle. It's also implied that upon necromancing Bambietta's corpse, Giselle had sex with her, probably against her will. That's all pretty fucked up, and I want to talk about it.
I started my transition about ten years ago, and exposure to trans or gender non-conforming anime and manga characters in general went a long way towards me accepting I was trans. Looking back, Giselle was one of the most significant characters to me at that early stage. I've always loved her design, and she was the first legit trans character I ever really saw and resonated with in anime and manga.
Get this: there used to be this thing in Shonen Jump's manga line-up called the Big Three. The most influential, bestselling manga in the bunch. One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. And you wanna know something? Bleach was the first one to have a trans woman character. We can debate whether or not Giselle was good representation, but you know what? At the time, the closest we ever got was Haku pulling the "Oh, by the way, I'm a boy" card in Naruto's first major arc back in the early 2000s and a constant bombardment of okama jokes in One Piece. Okama is a derogatory term for gay men and drag queens, and for a long time, Oda could not get enough of making jokes about big, hairy men in women's clothing.
Now there was also Alluka Zoldyck in Hunter X Hunter, but the vast stretches of time Hunter X Hunter spends on hiatus makes it unclear to me whether she or Giselle came first. But within the Big Three - a designation which doesn't mean much now, but meant a ton back then - Giselle was first. Hunter X Hunter was never quite considered part of the Big 3. But either way, I think Alluka is the better character in terms of how her being trans is written. She's cute, she's precious, she's perfect in every way, and I'll make you pay if you say a single bad thing about her.
Years and years later, Oda would go on to write Kikunojo and Yamato. I still have complicated thoughts about Yamato as trans rep, but Kiku is great trans rep for being a relatively minor character. Oda has also phased the okama jokes out of the story over time. Jujutsu Kaisen also has a subtle, but well-handled example of a trans woman in Kirara Hoshi. She doesn't get nearly enough time in the story, and her identity hasn't been explored yet, but I hope GeGe will unpack that before the story's conclusion.
I tell you all of that so you realize that even if Giselle could have been handled better, Kubo was the first of the Big 3 authors to even try to write a trans girl. Not a femboy, not an okama - a trans woman/girl. He also gave us Charlotte Cuulhorne, and while Charlotte's depiction flirts with being just an okama gag and nothing more, she's so fabulous and so positive in her outlook on life that I can't bring myself to be mad.
So let's look at Giselle as a character. She's very cute, with her big eyes and goofy, purposefully adorable mannerisms. None of the other Sternritter girls try to be cute in quite the way Giselle does. Meninas likes cute things, but doesn't act cute, and that's as close as it gets. Unlike the other Femritters, Giselle wears clothes that cover up as much as possible. Even Liltotto's outfit shows off her shoulders and thighs some; Giselle keeps her shoulders and neck completely covered by a baggy sweater, and her legs covered by tights. Kubo drew a swimsuit picture with the Bambis all together, and he opted to put Giselle in a swimsuit with a skirt. It's pretty apparent that Giselle has concerns about how she looks and covers up as much as she can out of dysphoria. As a card-carrying member of the big jacket-long pants-closed toe shoes gang, I can tell you that when you're not very progressed with your transition, it's like that.
I think you can also make the argument that part of why Giselle acts so cutesy is because of her insecurities and feeling like she has to make up for them by being extra, overtly feminine and adorable. It's like that.
There's not a doubt in my mind that Kubo intended for Giselle to be trans. But is she good trans rep? Probably not, but she might not be as bad as she's made out to be.
People who criticize how Giselle is depicted as a trans character have two or three go-to arguments. Three points of interest to say that she's being written in a transphobic way.
1.) Yumichika scopes her out as trans and misgenders her.
2.) Charlotte says she and Giselle have a lot in common.
3.) The most damning: what Giselle does to Bambietta.
So, I've never liked people using Yumichika as a litmus test for how Kubo feels about trans people. Let me explain something to you: Yumichika is a bitch, an asshole, and the consummate gadfly. One of his defining traits is his awful personality and his inability to resist saying cruel, petty things to others. He's awful to Charlotte and he's awful to GiGi, and he's pretty much awful to anyone besides Ikkaku and Kenpachi, but especially Charlotte and GiGi.
Yumichika is an allegory for a closeted gay man. He has this deep admiration, respect, loyalty, and arguably love for Kenpachi and Ikkaku that's led him to stay in the 11th Division even though it's not where his talents are best put to work. He's adept at kido and his zanpakuto is based in kido, but he refuses to use the former or reveal the latter to his squad because he doesn't want them to reject him. The 11th Division is the manly man squad, all testosterone and sweat and bulging muscles and... ahem. Sorry, I got a little carried away. It's all very erotic. Anyways, Yumichika wants to be close to the men with whom he shares a bond of emotion and martial loyalty alike, and he refuses to embrace his gifts because of it. He's afraid his friends in the boys' club will kick him out for having interests and inclinations that most of them look down on.
I think you can make the argument that Yumichika hates Charlotte and Giselle precisely because they're being true to themselves, meaning they've made a leap he hasn't yet. He's too scared of what might happen if he doesn't keep the lie going about his zanpakuto, and he resents Giselle and Charlotte because they overcame a similar fear of rejection. And he expresses that by rejecting their truth, i.e., misgendering them. This is the interpretation I like the best. It's a sad fact that lots of gay men, closeted or otherwise, refuse to accept trans women.
Charlotte says she and Giselle have a lot in common, and honestly, I don't think this is transphobic either. If you choose to read Charlotte as a trans woman who isn't stereotypically feminine, but is true to herself, then what she's stating is just a fact. She and Giselle may not look the same, and Giselle may have an easier time passing, but they're both trans women if you ask me. And I think Giselle reacting with discomfort isn't innaccurate, either. Charlotte's confidence is admirable in some ways, but I think it sets of Giselle's alarm bells that she's going to be outed and rejected. Lots of trans women - myself included - are haunted by this fear that we'll never pass, never be accepted, or will be incapable of retaining our desired presentation as we get older. It's like that.
So, that brings us to the Bambietta Incident. Not quite as wide-reaching as the Shibuya Incident, but about as traumatizing for some, apparently. Full disclosure, I don't believe any heinous acts should be censored from fiction. If it makes you uncomfortable or awakens traumatic memories, then I'm sympathetic to that, but I do not believe that the right answer is to sanitize every work of fiction of every immoral act that could have that effect. You know where your limits are, so don't count on authors to protect you. Most of them won't, and I think you're stronger and smarter and more able to navigate a world with fictitious depictions like that in it than you realize.
I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, Giselle probably sexually assaulted Bambi. And is that right of her to do? Fuck no, it isn't. But nobody's really debating if that's right or wrong. The problem is that if you look at it a certain way, this is just reinforcing the old, awful stereotype of trans women being predators in disguise. Lots of shitty writers have done that, and it sucks.
However, those depictions assume that trans women are predators, by definition. Or at least sexual deviants. We could go down the rabbit hole of how sexual deviancy has historically been defined by people who use sex as a form of control anyway, but I'm not well-read enough to do that and - well, you've seen how long this post is. Be honest, you wouldn't want me to even try.
The point is that a depiction like that assumes trans woman = deviant. I don't want to make that logical leap here, because that means you need to assume that Kubo wrote Giselle with the intention that she assaulted Bambi because she's trans. I'm not a mind reader, so I'm uncomfortable with acting like I can know Kubo's intentions. It's a bad look to us in the Western sphere of the anime fandom, but I'm not sure how Kubo saw it. He might have not realized how it would look until that chapter was out there and he couldn't undo it, but given the fact they kept it in the anime, he either probably doesn't see a problem with it or there were other rewrites he saw as more important to allocate his mental energies to. Writing Bleach burned this man out, so I'll cut him some slack if so.
My point is, I'm not sure if you can say for sure that the story intends you to believe that Giselle assaulted Bambi because she's trans. When you look at it, Kubo seems to have a more in-depth understanding of trans people than some of you might have first realized. And I mean, shit man, he gave her biology manipulation powers. Every trans girl's first pick for super powers is shapeshifting or some form of biology manipulation. He knows. He's onto us. He's familiar with our ways. The jig is up, girls.
Looking at the broader scope of the narrative, Bleach is littered with characters who perform heinous actions and are not just shoved out the "All Villains Die" airlock. Chief example being Mayuri. The man committed war crimes, experiments on human beings, turns his own subordinates into bombs, and is heavily implied to have performed some very sexual deeds to reconstitute his daughter Nemu after Szayel parasitized her. Yet he still saves the day multiple times and he isn't gotten rid of, because he's more useful to the side of overall good alive than dead. Bleach is one of very few series to have characters who perform heinous deeds and still be treated as humans, rather than reducing them to those deeds and nothing else.
Plus, nobody really treats it as an issue with Kubo's writing that Bambietta killed one of her own fellow Quincies in cold blood just to vent her frustrations. I think because it's sexual and because Giselle is trans, she ends up being the lightning rod when... let's be honest, compared to what some of the Shinigami have done, what Giselle did is kind of quaint. She even helps rescue Candice and I think Meninas after they're taken captive by Mayuri in the novels, and she's considering releasing Bambietta from her control.
Given what we've seen, I think it's less accurate to pick on Giselle and try to say she's a case of Kubo being transphobic, and more accurate to say that living in the Shadow Realm under Yhwach's cruel, exploitative regime has made all the Sternritters fucked up in their own unique, vibrant ways. And for that matter, Kubo never kills her off. He clearly likes her enough to want her to still be around after the end of the series.
When you look at how Kubo draws Giselle in the manga and in illustrations after the manga's conclusion, you can tell he enjoys himself when he's drawing her. He always lavishes her facial expressions with detail, and you can feel love radiating off the page. That's more than you can say for a lot of the Quincies. I think Kubo was overjoyed to not have to draw PePe and his Vollständig anymore.
So like, yeah, Giselle is my problematic fave transgender character. And I don't think she's even as problematic as people's kneejerk reactions are to think she is. If you disagree, I don't care, I don't value your opinion. Particularly if you're not trans. If you're an ally, then that's sweet and all, but never try to speak for trans people about depictions of trans characters. If you are trans and Giselle made you uncomfortable, then I'm sorry you feel that way.
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jinnaizaemon · 2 months ago
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Nintama Rantarou: Ninjutsu Gakuen Zenin Shutsudou! no Dan commentary
I've been wanting to write about this movie for a while because it was my entry point into the franchise, and since I've been neck deep into the script recently after translating it, I thought now is a good time. However, I wasn't sure how to articulate my post, and what direction to give it... So in the end, it looks like a collection of my own thoughts, mixed with some trivia, notes about the script and how I translated some things, in my best attempt at following the movie chronologically. I hope it doesn't come off as too messy and that it is at least a little bit of an interesting read to you. Let's begin under the read more! Beware of spoilers, and forgive my broken English.
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(by all means, have a snack while reading)
A little background first of all: The first Nintama Rantarou movie came out in 1996. This one, Ninjutsu Gakuen Zenin Shutsudou! no Dan, came out 15 years later, in March 2011. And 13 years later, in December 2024, we will get the third movie in the franchise... the gaps are too long, I don't want to wait a decade between each movie >< More precisely, this movie came out in theaters on March 12 2011, that is to say one day after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11 2011 ; it resulted in promotional events related to the movie being cancelled, and in general theaters in Japan shortening screenings or closing entirely. As a consequence of this, the movie is a box-office failure, despite having extremely positive reviews.
The movie itself adapts the contents of volume 37 and 42 of the manga, which had already been animated in the 16th season of the anime series, making the movie a remake of sort, with movie-only original scenes, and an adaptation of the plot so that it includes every member of Ninjutsu Academy.
Personally, I only watched this movie recently at the recommendation of friends, and while I've felt a bit overwhelmed by the HUGE cast of characters, I've been charmed by the colorful palette, cheerful characters and positive, optimistic tone contrasting with the setting of the story - the Warring States period in Japan not being an obvious background for a fun children cartoon... It's a strange mix Nintama always does brilliantly and it's shown at its best in this movie I think, daring to show actual battlefields (as opposed to the usual dust clouds of the TV anime version) and wounded soldiers as explicitely as an anime for children can allow, while giving the spotlight to the Health Committee, most importantly to Rantarou as he finds his role and what he's best at in battle. The movie isn't about Tasogaredoki VS Oomagatoki, it actually opposes war and healing at many scales ; Tasogare Jinbei and Oomagatoki Magatoki's abusing villagers VS Ninjutsu Academy protecting them and giving them their freedom and independence, the great ninja Zatto covered in wounds and his mirror opposite clumsy Isaku the healer, and finally Rantarou who offers to heal (free of charge!) soldiers and let them go when the expectation at the time was that surrendering meant death. It's like, in an era poisoned by war and death, Ninjutsu Academy is a little pocket of optimism where children grow to make the future a little bit kinder, here shown most explicitely in the Health Committee and Isaku's good influence but not only ; and I found that surprisingly sweet. I also have an interest in historical settings and anime so... yeah, that movie left a good impression on me!
Anyways, now to follow the movie chronologically! Iza~
Opening scene
The movie opens with a flashback scene involving Zatto and Isaku, introducing the big themes of the movie I mentioned before. According to Amako Soubee, the original author of the manga Nintama Rantarou is adapted from, cloth was expensive at the time, hence the recurring use of flags, clothings, underwears, etc recycled as bandages.
Isaku is dressed as yamabushi, practicioners of shugendo, known for retreating to the mountains for ascetic practices, rituals, etc. In the context of nintama, the outfit permits to hide Isaku's affiliation, making him an enemy of no one, and signify a knowledge of herbs and medicine giving him credibility to care for the wounded.
if i had a nickel everytime i wrote on tumblr about yamabushi because of anime I'd have two nickels etc etc...
Ninjutsu Academy
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The TV anime seems to go back and forth with this, sometimes showing background students in classrooms, sometimes showing very small classrooms (like how 1st year i-class and ro-class each have 4 known students, and they are sometimes the only ones in their classroom while sometimes there are more desks occupied by nameless mob characters), but the movie features a BUNCH of unknown, nameless students appearing in the back. It's probably an effort to give the school a feeling of greatness to fit the grand scale of the story, but it's a bit weird to see unfamiliar students especially in older years haha.
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The 名物 meibutsu, or local specialty of Sonoda Village. It's a flower tha is never named, and despite showing up multiple times throughout the movie no big attention is brought to it, apart from it being mentioned that while it can be used as a painkiller, a wrong dose is poisonous. It finally gets a significant role at the very end, though, when it's used by Tasogaredoki to halt the Dokutake army. I think I could write a lot about the symbolism of this flower and how it relates to Isaku but it may border on crazy fan rambling so it'll be for another time. (maybe)
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(They appear in numerous scenes taking place in Sonoda Village!)
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Komatsuda was probably too busy thinking of his big brother, owner of a fan shop, to notice the pattern on the floor spelling へっぽこ heppoko, "useless", "incompetent".
When the ha-class is discussing the mixed-up homework, Chouji is shown growing asagao, Japanese morning glories. Because these flowers grow fast and easily, they are often used as teaching material in lower grades of elementary school where students have to care for them and report on their growth as homework.
In the same scene, while all of ha-class is laughing, only Shouzaemon and Kingo stay serious, Shouzaemon being well, Shouzaemon and Kingo being Kisanta's roommate.
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Before the Headmaster enters, there's a sheet of paper on the floor with every student's name and the homework they received. If they got the right homework, it's marked with a O. Flipping and zooming on this frame reveals whose students got the wrong homework, and what the assignment they got was. Sadly, since the text is blurry I couldn't decipher everything, and putting the whole list will make this post even longer than it already is. But I can tell you that apart from Kisanta, Monjirou, Chouji, and the Rescue Team... Heita, Kyuusaku, Shirobei, Sakubei, Kazuma, Takamaru, Heisuke and Hachizaemon got the wrong homework too.
...Takamaru's summer homework was "crossdressing".
Kisanta Rescue Team's introduction scene has a LOT of interesting details, so I already dedicated a post for it.
Talk with Tegata Kessai
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Tegata Kessai explains how he wants to get a 庇いの制札 kabai no seisatsu from Tasogaredoki's lord, which I translated as a "protection decree" for ease of reading, but it's actually a little bit different. In the words of Doi-sensei: "Don't burn, steal, and kill. Basically, a document prohibiting the army from committing violence." kabai means protecting or sheltering, while seisatsu refers to an edict publicly displayed on a wooden board in a specific place to make the public aware of a law in place in the area, a recent proclamation of the local lord or of the shogun, etc.
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Danzou misunderstands kabai no seisatsu as kaba no keisatsu, literally "a hippo policeman" - I don't know if the average Muromachi child would be knowledgeable of animals in Sub-saharan Africa, though!
I think the people behind him are Maasai people, but I'm not very knowledgeable so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
In this post, under the read more, I wrote about the meaning of the words "Tasogaredoki" and "Oomagatoki".
Kousaka makes his only appearance ever in civil clothes in the next scene. I have to point it out. It's important., okay. By the way, badminton only became a thing in the 19th century. But feudal Japan already had a similar game called hanetsuki, which started as a game reserved for nobles, but grew in popularity during Muromachi and became a New Year tradition by Edo. He's not being anachronistic... just a little bit avant-garde.
Opening theme and to Sonoda Village
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The noodles they are eating is a dish called kuzukiri, a popular, refreshing summer dessert from Kyoto, so it's a local snack for nintama. It's made by mixing kudzu starch with water, and once thickened, cut in the shape of noodles with the tool seen above. It's then served with black sugar syrup traditionally, and with a variety of others toppings in modern times.
Given Sanjirou, Isuke and Heidayuu's reactions, looks like there wasn't enough for everyone.
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What I translated as "hand", as in a manual worker, is 夫丸 bumaru in the original script, and is a word specific to Muromachi-Edo. The bu part means male and maru is a suffix for names used at the time for children (like Kirimaru!) or lower-class workers. Shinbei explains that they are "the people carrying supplies to the battlefield", which is true, but it seems that the word refers to lower classes laborers in a more general way.
When Kirimaru explains how he traded his lunchbox for a bunch of things until he got the Oomagatoki hands' uniform, Rantarou tells him it's just like Warashibe chouja, or the Straw Millionaire story. It's a folktale that became popular during the Muromachi period, about a poor man who starts by trading a piece of straw, and after a series of trades, meets with a rich man who offers him his daughter in marriage, making the poor man a millionaire.
Rantarou misreads the tag as "Size rerere" because the roman letter L looks like the katakana character レ, which is read re. So レレレ is read rerere.
When Kirimaru first tries to carry Shinbei on his shoulders, they both talk in a very theatrical, over the top way, and wear red make-up. You can also hear a nohkan flute, hyoushigi wood clappers and tsuzumi drum in the background. This is all typical of Kabuki theater.
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Just a cute detail, but Rikichi was carrying Shouzaemon on his back in this scene.
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Okay.. that's a very poor attempt at adapting Rikichi's joke, I hope we find something better by the time we release it publicly hahaha. In the original script he says 斯く斯く然々kakukaku shikajika, which simply means "this and that", "such and such"... while holding a puppet of the bishop shogi piece, called kakugyou or kaku for short, and a puppet of a deer, or shika in japanese. So the joke is that as he says kakukaku shikajika, he shows a kaku and a shika... hm...
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Lord Oomagatoki, in hiding, wears a raccoon dog mask to conceal his face. Raccoon dogs with the ability to shapeshift to conceal their true identity and play tricks on others are a common motif in japanese folktales and they are known as bakedanuki. They are usually portrayed as goofy and fun characters, with um, large testicles reminiscent of Oomagatoki's chin under the mask lol.
Zatto turns his head to listen to lord Tasogare from his right side, since he's deaf in his left ear.
Sonoda Village
Everyone is here! This is the part where you point in excitement at your fave getting two seconds of screentime.
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Chouji is shown with the 震天雷 shintenrai, or thunder crash bomb, which will play a big role later in the story.
There are a few words used related to Ninjutsu Academy's whole defense tactic that are a bit specific, either to warfare or to the period, which I swapped for ease of reading. For example, 逆茂木 sakamogi is "abatis", as in a fortification made from stacking wood. I left it as simply "barrier" for ease of reading.
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The rabbit design of the telescope is explained in the manga and TV anime, but not in the movie. According to Shousei-san, it's a common motif on telescopes, but when I tried to find pictures of real telescopes with a similar design I only found Nintama Rantarou related webpages. So. Okay stay with me this is a little look into how tricky nintama can be to translate sometimes hahaha... The design is a pun based on the 12 animals of the zodiac, ordered like this: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. If you count ten animals starting from the rabbit, you end up with rat. Rat in japanese is nezumi, or "ne" for short. "tenth is rat" is 10番目がね juubanme ga ne, which you can also read as 十目がね toome ga ne, which is itself an homonym of 遠眼鏡 toomegane, "telescope". ...Phew!!!
When the Explosives Committee destroys the bridges leading to the village, Takamaru and Saburouji, being newer additions to the committee, have to cover their ears while Doi and Heisuke are okay.
While most soldiers in the Tasogaredoki army simply wear the skull kamon (emblem) of their lord, higher ranking members wear kabuto helmets with... interesting designs, like a crab, squid, or a banana design. In the Muromachi period, when the tanegashima matchlocks were introduced, armors had to be redesigned to become thicker and bulletproof ; as their design evolved, so did the datemono, or crests on helmets. Initially U shaped, these crests got a number of designs, usually one's kamon or fortuitous animals like rabbits, dragonflies, etc. Yes, samurai walked around with cute rabbit ears. The country of moe, truly.
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Here, Isuke and Shouzaemon call Hieta Happousai 冷えた 発泡酒 Hieta Happoushu, hieta meaning cold and happoushu refering to an alcoholic drink similar to beer. Unless I find something better, it's Hieta Happousoda in the translation.
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Look at how cute Hikoshirou dozing off is. Yes, that's all.
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This scene puts a lot of focus on the two tins containing the leaves from Sonoda's local flower ; it can be used both as a painkiller or a poison depending on the dose. When Zatto enters the room, Fushikizou throws a bunch of stuff at him, including one of the tins. Just after, Fushikizou notices that Zatto took one of the tin with him... but doesn't seem to have told anyone about it. I guess that makes the first time Zatto and Fushikizou work together!
Tasogaredoki's assault
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The tactic used by Ninjutsu Academy... well... Torawaka to defend the village against Tasogaredoki is very reminiscent of the battle of Waterloo, where Wellington's army was posted on a slope made muddy by bad weather, slowing down French troops.
The shintenrai, or thunder crash bomb, is just as Senzou explains in the movie: "Ordinary cannonballs don't explode on impact. But this thunder crash bomb has a timed fuse, and its shell itself explodes." It comes from China, and is one of the first bombs developed in history.
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I love this scene so much... well, I already explained the reasons why above. But even though he's the titular character, Rantarou rarely gets the chance to shine like this, doesn't he? After this line, you can hear hyoushigi again, as Kirimaru and Shinbei cheer for Rantarou. This evokes Japanese theater again ; what they are doing is called kakegoe, shouts from the audience to encourage performers. When a kabuki play reaches its climax, when an actor does something really impressive, he will often strikes a pose and the story will stop for a moment just for the audience to shout such kakegoe.
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I don't know if it's intentional, but there's a scene earlier in the movie where Tasogare Jinbei repeats multiple times "Nine for me, one for Magatoki-dono", referring to their respective share at dinner but obviously to the taxes taken from Sonoda Village, too. Yuki wasn't here to witness it, I think, but I find it ironic that she specifically goes "One for my lord" here as he hasn't realized yet his scheme has been found out.
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Tasogaredoki ninja corps used the leaves taken from the Health Committee earlier to stop Dokutake.
Credits
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It's more explicit in the manga but Monjirou is bonking his head because he's frustrated he didn't get to fight haha.
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And Kisanta isn't the only one who completed his summer homework in the end, Isaku did too!!
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Finishing with one last pic because Doi crying for Kisanta is just way too cute.
And now I think I'm done! There were so many things I wanted to mention, I know that the moment I press publish I'll realize I forgot something important... oh well!! That means I can write another post later. If you've read this far, thank you! I hope it wasn't too boring ^^ Now I can't wait until the next movie...!!! Tenki...!!
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rinseveryday · 7 months ago
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Hi hello! do we have any death flags in blue exorcist ?! I know that osceola had a death flag ! and I know some others also have it and Lewin do have one he said something about " let us work together after this is over" to Yukio ! that is a death flag right ?
Hello anon! Thanks for the ask! Wow you're probably the third or fourth that's asked me about characters dying lmao.
MAJOR BLUE EXORCIST MANGA SPOILERS BEWARE
Here's a post I wrote last October responding to an ask with my theories on the main and supporting casts and whether or not we've seen death flags for them. Though, rather than a death flag, I would say Osceola had straight up foreshadowing leading up to the events of the recent chapters lmao. Now we all know that when someone gets a short backstory chapter that something will happen to them soon! It happened to Izumo's mom too! :,D
Since it's been about 4 chapters since I wrote that post, I guess I could update it a bit, though to be honest, I haven't been reading super closely lately. If I could choose, I would wait until the volume release to read this arc but alas, I would get spoiled no matter what in 2 seconds after the chapter drops (has happened)
Lewin- I do not think he has a death flag, at least he's not dying just yet. His character story arc is not anywhere near finished yet. He is a major piece on the chessboard and we are only just beginning to get a feel for what his true purpose in all of this is. Whether or not he survives afterwards is not certain though! I wouldn't be surprised either way.
Shura- I'll be super pissed if all of Asmodeus's comments on her being "close to death but yet full of vitality" or whatever is actually true. She, like Ryuuji, and Izumo and Takara has had her character arc told already and they're all sitting on the sidelines as benchwarmers in terms of plot relevance at the moment. I very much hope that she survives all this and ends up with aa family of her own at the end of the series TwT.
In my last post I even said "Shura might come close, but she'll hang in there so she can attend Rin's graduation." and look at what happened OTL "Hang in there"... Kato are you testing me right now... Close call number 1 out of ??
Exwires- so like... this is a Shonen manga right? Where's my cool power ups and special moves...They can't die before they get those!!!
And just as I did last time:
tl;dr Might die: Neuhaus, Shima (as a joke), Lucy, Jeremiah, Dragulescu, Todou round 2, Rin (kinda but at this point it's expected of him lmao), and Lewin (maybe? after everything ends? or maybe he'll turn into a demon? would be cool)
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mesmarique · 2 years ago
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Yuri and Subtext in Spring 2023
Spring season is knocking at the door and the Yuri shipping in Spring 2023 will be unreal. I swear to Madoka.
There's at least two Yuris that are gonna hit us with full force, two at the very least subtext-heavy ones, and I'm sure the Uma Musume creators are gonna find a way to make it really gay in Road To The Top as well.
Here I list the shows (as far as I know, but in case there's gonna be last minute additions, I will edit this post accordingly) that are going to come out in April, as well as little side information, fun facts and my personal feelings about them:
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Season 2
This series is, like it says, a continuation of The Witch From Mercury which aired from October 2022 to January 2023, our protagonist is a shy girl from Mercury by the name of Suletta Mercury, who was thrown into a setting à la Revolutionary Girl Utena, with duels that determine who's going to marry President Delling's only daughter Miorine Rembran. I'm gonna keep the summary short here, because there's a lot of spoilers to beware of, but for the Yuri enthusiasts it's a show that should not be skipped over.
I personally really loved this show, it was very exciting to watch and the next cour promises a lot more than what we have already seen.
And the best thing is: You can watch all of it subbed on Youtube legally on the GundamInfo channel for free. The episodes are still being regionally unlocked, but a great portion of the world should be having standard access to most episodes by now, as well as the Prologue that is strongly recommended to watch before you get into the main series at all.
There is also a novel chapter set between the Prologue and Episode 1, which you're free to read anytime after watching the Prologue.
You are NOT required to have seen other Mobile Suit Gundam series' prior to this one, it's original and written by the author of the official Revolutionary Girl Utena novels (mind you, he is not the original creator of Utena!).
Season 2 is going to air from April 2023, every Sunday (presumably the first Sunday of the month, which is a 2nd. Oy, don't look at me like that, they did say it as cryptical as that! lmao). Edit #1: Set airing date is 9th of April!
Here you can watch an English subbed trailer for Season 1:
youtube
Edit #2: There is now a trailer for The Witch from Mercury Season 2 (it contains heavy spoilers for Season 1):
youtube
Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story Season 2
This show is produced by Bandai, like the series above. The first season aired from April to June 2022. This one is honestly quite a messy but entertaining show, with quite a few genres mixed into it. The lead characters in this one are also girls and have a very soul-matey connection to one another (They legitimately can't stop thinking about one another for 5 seconds, there is also a noticeable attraction going on).
It's best described as a wlw soap opera with golf and other themes (to keep it spoiler free).
Fun fact, this series offers quite a few winks at Gundam fans and I would not be surprised, if somehow The Witch From Mercury and Birdie Wing were to collaborate in one way or another to promote the respectively other series during Spring season.
And even if you don't enjoy golf as a sport, you might still enjoy this series. I personally loved it even more as a casual binge, but that's to each their own.
Season 2 is going to air from 1st of April 2023. Edit #2: it's April 7th, my bad
Here is a PV for Birdie Wing: Golf Lesbians' Story Season 2:
youtube
Yuri Is My Job
I'm a huge fan of the manga and I can say for sure: YES, Yuri is indeed their job, but also part of their private lives.
It is personally one of the better Yuri dramas that I have encountered over the recent years and if I had to compare it to anything, then I'd say it's like Citrus, if you take away the SA, make it more manipulative instead, as well as diving deeper into the characters feelings, thoughts and struggles that come with those. I can't say for sure how much of its greatness there will be displayed in just one cour, but regardless of it, I'm excited to see the adaptation.
The general setting is the one of a café from an in-universe fictional German all-girls academy, with very sapphic display of affection among the waitresses as part of a roleplay.
Season 1 is going to air from 6th of April 2023.
Here is an English subbed trailer for the anime:
youtube
World Dai Star
There is a rising trend of Takarazuka Revue anime, but why would I complain?
For those who don't know: Takarazuka Revue is an all-female musical theatre group based in Takarazuka, Japan, that perform any kind of roles regardless of gender. Because of that the "genre"(if you can call it such) itself has very sapphic undertones. Directly or indirectly influenced by Takarazuka Revue have been Roses of Versailles and Revolutionary Girl Utena, of which the former inspired Kageki Shoujo!! and the latter inspired The Witch From Mercury (so many crazy coincidences in the upcoming season, aren't there?) and Revue Starlight. To get back to this series:
It's not known a lot (or translated) what the story of World Dai Star is gonna be roughly about, but judging the media footage alone, its focus lies in the Takarazuka Revue performances and presumably to make it big in the world, if the title is anything to go by.
Season 1 is going to air from 9th of April 2023.
The most recent non-subbed PV for the show:
youtube
Uma Musume: Road To The Top
Uma Musume is back at it again, after two successful seasons, and other medias, here we have a brand new story that is gonna be directly released as an ONA (Original Net Animation), likely on this Youtube channel. It's not known how long it's gonna be, but its primary focus is a retelling of the late 90s/early 2000s era of Japanese horse racing with 3 new protagonists and I believe some reoccuring characters from either of the seasons before.
Uma Musume retells historical careers of Japanese race horses in a kemonomimi setting, and the passion of the work behind it is tangible. The emotions are captivating.
I had a hate-love relationship with Uma Musume Season 1, because it drifted away from the historical aspects here and there that it initially covered so greatly, but Season 2 reignited my love for it so strongly, that it became one of my favorite anime. A Season 3 is also in the works, which I'm excited for.
Now for the legitimacy of the Yuri in this one: No, it's not Yuri, but it offers enjoyable subtext. Season 2 is a great example for that. Uma Musume is about racing, which also leads to great rivalries. And we all know and love a good girls-rivalry story.
The ONA is going to release (whether one by one or fully remains to be seen, as its length is not known) from 16th of April 2023.
Non-subbed trailer for Uma Musume: Road To The Top (I'm already loving this animation, it's the same studio that produced Season 2 and it shows):
youtube
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monarch-moon · 1 year ago
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Re: that last reblog
I might get a few raised eyebrows over this but here goes...
TL;DR: Thanks to that post, I'm accepting that I'm not cut out for producing consistent forms of media, internalized ableism might be why, I'm not cancelling Elegy, but Imma just do whatever I want.
Full thing with explanations below, but beware, Imma get personal for a bit, and my experiences with ableism will be mentioned, which...I never really talk about outside of my innermost circles:
In the last several years, I always thought my inability to make comics or games or literally any other form of consistent medias was due to the fact that I "lacked discipline". That was reinforced by the fact that the artists I follow, a couple of my friends, and my fiancee, are all webcomic artists that handle/handled things at a moderately consistent pace. This was also reinforced by shit I was told when I was younger IRL, when my undiscovered neurodivergency was excused by shit like "you're lazy" or "you lack discipline" and other similar statements.
In the last several years, I've tried time and time again to make some consistent medium in which my stories can be told, namely comics and games. I wanted to believe that I was doing it for the love of my stories, but in truth, I was doing it to "improve my discipline", which inevitably, ended in failure time and time and time again, and with each failure, hatred for myself increased, and in the last couple of years....it began to extend to my confidence and my stories. It all ended in one thought to everything: There's something wrong with me.
Recently, I felt like I experienced an artist's existential crisis, thanks to the one-two punch of burnout from doing Elegy Chapter 1 and being slapped with arthritis-related issues: why do I create, am I a good artist, why do I love these stories, is there really a right way to tell a story, do I ACTUALLY love the stories I make?
Well obviously, yes, I do love the stories and worlds I create, but for whatever reason, I genuinely cannot get myself to do anything beyond disjointed art pieces of stuff that would be classified as "spoilers". My followers want something more than that, I thought. They want stories.
But then that post came across my dash, and I felt like I was hit with an epiphany.
For one, I was projecting onto the followers I do have. I know those that truly stick around through my inconsistencies after all these years will love the stuff I create no matter the form or medium, and no matter how out of context it is. I should believe that rather than the imaginary expectations that have been placed on me for years.
Two, it was never about a lack of discipline....I was actively working against my neurodivergent brain, AKA how I function entirely. Of course it wouldn't work! It's like asking a mircowave to be a washing machine! Realizing that lifted a huge weight off my shoulders as both an artist and a person.
Three, I create because I love to. That's it, that's all the reason is! I love the art of creating worlds and weaving stories and writing fun and complex characters, and I love seeing how they all interact and change and influence off each other! The world influences the characters, the character influences the story, the story influences the world.
Soooo, why not draw whatever I want, do whatever I want, and be whatever I want? Out of context sketches and arts and insane ramblings is just as valid as a medium right?
While I do have people who work on webcomics, I also know and follow people who do this exact thing: draw things relating to their story, attach a blurb to said pictures about their worlds and characters in various forms of medium, and nothing more.
So I'm going to try that. Forget the manga....well okay, I might still do smaller comics for funsies, but forget "proper" mediums, Imma do whatever I want, and I know people will love it, no matter the numbers! Gives me a LOT more room to experiment with different styles and mediums and the like!
If you've managed to read this far, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I do have a terrible relationship with social media and how the internet is nowadays, but I do cherish the followers that have stuck around this far. I wanna do things for y'all, but above all, do things for me.
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faces-and-morefaces · 1 year ago
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Beware of Spoilers I'm about to talk for anime/manga: Migi to Dari
So I stumbled on trailer for one upcoming anime which wasn't bad so I wanted to give manga a try. While it kept/gave off creepy vibe, the more you read it the more you get to know about other characters aside the twins, twins aren't the only creepy characters actually. I finished the manga and to be honest I liked it a lot. When anime started it was good, but I felt that some scenes were missing which I went to check manga again and yep they skipped it, even in episode 2 as well. They kind of merged chapters 1 and 2 in first episode and chapters 3,4 and 5 (if i remember correctly) in episode 2, while skipping few scenes. Which, yeah of course, it's not something new they were doing before for every adaptation obviously, but they're probably going for 12 episode format, which I know what to look foward to...What sucks is if they're planning to like pack whole 44 chapters into 12 episodes then it means they'll skip more and more scenes. :/
Though I can't complain regarding anime since it recently started and artwork and animation look pretty nice so far.
Even though it's portrayed like a dark story (which it has a reason why for sure),mystery and also having comedy obv, I quite like the manga and I do hope they translate it officially as well.
I'd say it's slept on, but then again I don't know how much that'll be true for people who are simply not interested in such story/genre and who are simply interested in most popular stuff, not blaming anyones tastes obviously, just stating that everybody has different tastes in stories.
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thephantomhivefuckboi · 2 years ago
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♞Kuroshitsuji Joker Theory♞
(Beware, for this will contain Kuroshitsuji manga spoilers.)
Okay, so a thought literally just occurred to me. I will do my utmost very best to explain it the best way I possibly can, so please bear with me.
So, I've discovered here on tumblr that there is this theory speculating that Polaris is probably Joker:
Which to be honest, is a very good theory that I personally enjoy, for it honestly makes a lot of sense. And in my opinion, it kind of makes a lot more sense since Doll was recently revealed within the manga as well. However, when I decided to re-read a page from the manga —Specifically chapter 137, I had discovered something that I'm hoping everyone else that read the manga saw as well.
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Now, if this guy is Joker like the theory said, then...
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WHO THE BLOODY HELL IS THIS GUY, THEN?! Could it be that Joker isn't Polaris afterall? Because who else could this person shown here be? BUT yet again, what if this cloaked man actually is Joker? Allow for me to explain.
Now, I recently thought of a bit of a theory that could perhaps make sense. Do you guys remember when Barron Kelvin remade the basement into the place where R!Ciel was sacrificed in, especially the locked in cages that contained those poor children?
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How on earth could this absolute madman possibly had known how it looked down to every detail when he wasn't even there? The fact that he created it so that it would look exactly like how O!Ciel, and R!Ciel had experienced it is quite bizarre say the least...But I think that there may be an answer to that.
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What if this guy actually is Joker? Perhaps Joker was a witness to this whole thing, and as soon as things started to escalate, he quickly left. Perhaps that would also explain why we didn't see this guy get killed by Sebastian within the manga when O!Ciel gave him his first order to kill the ones who did those horrid things to both O!Ciel and R!Ciel. (And how this guy hadn't been shown anymore after that one panel in chapter 137. This dude literally made one single appearance, then dipped. Coincidence? I think NOT!)
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And not to mention that when the news was broken to Baron Kelvin that a buyer had gotten ahold of the Phantomhive twins, and that they were to later on be used as sacrificial lambs, Kelvin had begged to be taken to that same place that they were in:
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And since Kelvin himself couldn't just go with the man who had just broken the news to him (due to not being able to walk due to his recent operation, and because the man had hurried up and left the room when Kelvin began to behave hysterical), what if Kelvin himself had ordered Joker to go follow the man to the location where the twins were being held, and perhaps save the twins, thus is why this cloaked individual here is randomly shown in Chapter 137 of Black Butler? I like to imagine that Joker had made it to the location, he disguised himself as a member of the cult to blend in with the crowd, and was pretty much silently watching everything unfold before his very eyes.
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This would also explain how Kelvin knew of how the place where R!Ciel had been sacrificed, and how it all went down.—Because Joker told him everything about it. (i.e the appearance, the cages, the children within the cages, the table used for the sacrifice, the pentagram engraved under the sacrificing table, etc.) He probably didn't tell Kelvin about Sebastian being summoned, for Kelvin probably would've thought Joker was spouting nonsense.
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And by the look on Jokers' face within this panel of the manga, I'm quite certain that fear isn't the only thing you can see on his face, but also guilt and anxiousness. I have a theory speculating that whilst Kelvin was boasting about re-creating the basement to look exactly as that satanic alter where R!Ciel was sacrificed, Joker was probably afraid that Kelvin was gonna reveal to Ciel that he had sent Joker to the place where those horrid things had happened to he and his brother that very day which probably would've caused Ciel to go mad, and probably shoot Joker, or just order Sebastian to murder him right away. But Kelvin wasn't able to finish his sentence due to Ciel immediately shooting him:
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(Serves this nigga right, for I'd shoot his ass, too 🤷🏽‍♀️)
What do you guys think about this? I mean, don't get me wrong, I feel like I could be incorrect about all this, or that it could just be a coincidence, but yet again, you also gotta think to yourself—Not everything is a coincidence in Kuroshitsuji, for there are quite a lot of observations to make when it's a supernatural series full of all of numerous different mysteries.
But yeah, that's really all I've got to say about that, but let me know what you guys think about this theory.~
-Astre♞
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