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sassooda · 3 years

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Worlds Away JJK AU / Chapter 37 - Destined for Greatness

w/c - 7,731

Suguru has been lying in bed for hours now as his mind wanders through his past and imagines different scenarios for the future. He sighs as he tosses and turns for the thousandth time, facing away from his door while his gaze takes to his new quarters that are viewable from this angle. This is by far the cheeriest room he has ever called his own. The walls are a warm yellow, the floors of solid hardened red clay and all of the matching furniture a light wood. His eyes take to the closed curtains with long thick white drapes, ‘This is so fucking annoying…’, he mumbles knowing there’s not even a window behind it, there’s no way for there to be when you’re underground. Sitting up now with aggravation, he reaches over to the bedside table and places the bowl of water he was using the night before, back into his lap. He wants to check in on Elska’s surroundings although he knows other Titers are tasked with the enemy’s usual surveillance. Before activating his technique though, he hesitates due to anxiety, ‘What the fuck am I going to do when we take her? What the fuck will she do?’. He hears footsteps approaching his door and knows Genghis must have already finished with most of the arrangements.

“Little one! Time to wake up!”. Genghis calls out in an eager voice. He stops and smiles when he sees that Getou is already awake and asks, “Aren’t you excited about today?”. He looks over the worrisome Suguru who’s vexation is transparent. The golden sheets drape along his body and slide from his bare skin whenever he moves under them.

Getou grumbles and turns his head, “I don’t think what I’m feeling is excitement…”. He keeps looking at the curtains that hide lies while wondering if he’s much different. ‘Will I have to subdue her when she lashes out? Am I going to have to hurt her when she resists?’. He’s had no qualms with doing so in the past but feels an incredible amount of pressure regarding it now. ‘Could we…like each other?’.

Genghis chuckles and ignores Suguru’s reluctant attitude while looking around the room, “This is definitely much more suitable! Did you really put in a request for a giant tub though?” He’s poking fun at his pupil but he was also puzzled by that. Genghis thinks the brighter room will serve them both well psychologically. ‘Not too shabby for being done at the last minute.’.

Embarrassed by the question, Getou submerges deeper into his bad mood and bed before retorting, “It’s for me. I’m tall.”. He was certainly not about to admit that it was for Elska, thinking she really must love them judging by how insane Naoya acted about it when the Zenin originally designed the first room where she was held. Suguru is aware that her reaction may be hostile overall and is dreading these coming days because of it so he hopes having one may ease her nerves. He doesn’t know that tub is Naoya’s thing.

Genghis isn’t really satisfied with that answer but continues on, “I’ve gathered the most adept offensive fighters we have to offer.” Knowing the Titer’s abilities are incredible but lack in the area of traditional combat, selecting the most capable available would be crucial. “I believe you’ll quite enjoy my plan…”. His teeth show in this smile now, he’s more than willing to share his enthusiasm.

Suguru finally turns to his mentor, interested. “Do tell me what you’ve concocted.”.

Genghis lights up, “So as we were discussing, we need to restrict their actions. We will make our move in a public setting but you’ll still be able to have your fun...we will have to harm innocents but I assume that’s not what troubles you.” He grins maniacally, “Mr. Satoru Gojo’s presence will be requested before the Elders here in a few and his curiosity will assure he attends.”. Genghis sighs, “I was worried Gojo might want to kill all of them but I brought in two special people to mediate our fictitious ambitions.”. He chuckles, “The silver shaman has no idea what’s in store for him.”.

Getou smirks at the thought of Gojo having the rug pulled from beneath him, “So we’re planning on having to deal with Toji, Zenin and Choso…aside from her today?” Genghis nods to his question but a heaviness forms in Suguru’s chest when he thinks about having to kill Choso. He’s still not on board with that completely and figures he’ll try his best to protect the hybrid in the midst of confusion. ‘Not him too.”. Getou wishes to find a way to bring the hybrid back to his side.

Genghis claps his hands, causing his yellow robes to flutter, “You better get up and get ready! I’m about to meet with our team. I believe your first sweetheart will be amongst them.”, he chuckles for the drama but honestly loathes that woman.

“Lidia?”, Getou stiffens immediately as that did not help his motivation. “She’s fucking crazy Master Genghis, I don’t want to be anywhere near her!”. Suguru takes his head to his hands as a few memories of her dependency and inhumane behavior flood him. ‘Psychotic bitch.’. Lidia always chased after Suguru when they were younger and at some point this wore on him as before he knew it, she was claiming them to be betrothed. She was obsessed with his destiny, his calling for the clan and would worship him in the most toxic ways due to it. Her need to be the only one in Getou’s life caused her to mutilate young women amongst Suguru’s outer circle out of spite and jealousy. Their time together did not last long as it quickly became a violent pairing, ending with him crushing her ribs under his usual technique. Suguru sighs, “She’s is not going to help me obtain another woman…”. He shudders recalling how after healing, she was back to throwing herself at him as if nothing happened. ‘Fucking…crazy…’.

Genghis hides his sneer, knowing full and well the history of the two. “On the contrary, she requested this assignment.”. He notices Suguru’s growing frustration and wishes he could explain exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing but instead says, “I’ve seen many outcomes for this and although they may have varied, I can assure you Lidia will serve a great purpose here.”. Little does Getou know, Lidia will be the proof offered to show Elska she will be cared for while in the Titer compound.

Suguru is skeptical to believe this and shows it through his expression as he rises from the bed and says, “Women are the bane of my existence…”. He stretches in his black briefs and cracks his neck while thinking something foreboding was eating at him. ‘I’m probably going to have to expose my other techniques now.’.

“You’re about to receive the most powerful wife in the world…and yet, you complain.”, Genghis teases as he’d probably be nervous too if the roles were reversed. He watches Suguru don a black robe, clearly showing signs of stress so he walks up to him and puts his jokes aside, “This is going to work out, little one, one way or another.”, and pulls Getou’s head down to plant a fatherly kiss to the top of it. After sharing the rare moment, he bows and leaves Suguru to his morning routine.

Getou watches him quietly walk out of the room with conflicting emotions. Genghis is the only man he’s ever looked up to, the only other human that ever offered genuine affection. Ever since Suguru was reunited with his mentor though, something has felt off or perhaps he’s just seems more purposeful. He’s not sure if this odd feeling is because of his own unstable emotions that threatened to derail his purpose of revenge or if there’s another reason but he can’t ignore it either way. He trusts that his mentor is still worthy of his respect and recognition though and finds his returning welcomed regardless. ‘All of those years…’, he wonders where Genghis spent his time and exactly why. ‘Did they really keep him away to simply foster my hatred for Gojo?’. He knows that doesn’t really make sense.

Genghis is turning a hall leading to stairs to take him upward. He sees two of the recruited Titers waiting for him outside of the designated meeting area at the top, smiles and nears them. The first one he shakes hands with is Sain Khun. The 32-year-old Titer was a remarkable martial artists and hunter. His rare eyes are more grey than blue and stand in contrast to his long black hair that he wears down. Sain is one of the handful of Titers that learned to channel their metaphysical natured abilities into to combative techniques but usually stays out of the political fray of the clan. ‘A fine young man.”. Before he’s able to address the handsome Titer, the second of the pairing cuts in.

“Master Genghis, I have more questions about this woman.”. Lidia shamelessly exudes her opinion of the situation and demands attention. She receives a sharp look from the clan’s head that only fuels her suspicions. “Are we certain she’s the best pairing for Master Getou?”.

“Miss Lidia, you look lovely today…”, Genghis takes her hand and kisses it, ignoring her inquires. He continues to smile until she speaks up again. ‘She never ceases.’.

“Can we trust that her intentions for Master Getou are ones we can stand by?”. Lidia shakes her long curly red hair that dances down her arms. Her green eyes narrowed still, she waits for an answer. “She’s not even human. What if she uses her powers to manipulate his biology as well?”. Her foot taps impatiently against the now softer ground, ‘I’ll fucking kill that bitch if she even looks at him wrong!’.

Genghis has already grown tired of catering to Lidia’s neediness in the short time they’ve come to know each other but understands she’s vital. “And what of your own intentions?”, he confidently questions her as he doesn’t need an answer. He already knows and is glad to see her heart hasn’t wavered from its possessive ways.

Sain feels forced as this greet was supposed to be simple. He cares not of Lidia’s unhealthy interest for Suguru and even with his instincts crying against Genghis, feels badly for the man. He decides to enter the conversation in hopes to shut it down. “Lusting Lidia, it’s time to get on with the meeting.”, and grabs her arm, leading her through the door where the rest of the selected wait.

Genghis takes a moment to center himself, ‘I understand your resentment little one…’. This quick exchange between them wasn’t the worst he’s suffered from the woman but he still cannot stand to be around her. He chuckles and whispers to himself, “But if she were any less obsessed, this wouldn’t work.”, and then enters the room with the rest as they lay out their plans.

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Elska is looking around at the busy street as they occasionally bump into passing people. “My prince, are you sure it’s around here?” She’s never been to this part of the city before and is feeling anxious by the crowd. The sun is out but a chilling breeze catches them every so often. Her mind is heavy and plagued with questions but doesn’t want to dampen Naoya’s mission for the day.

Naoya stops near the edge of the wide sidewalk and pulls out his phone, “I’m positive!”, while checking the map to make sure he could stand by those words. ‘Where is it?’. His brow creases as he studies the screen.

Toji huffs, “We’ve been walking forever.” He’s abnormally agitated but also hates crowds and is pinning the fault on being dragged out into one. He looks at Elska who’s eyes happen to meet his and feels his tension release ever so slightly as the wind blows her black V-cut dress along her knees. All of them are dressed up more than usual since Naoya begged for them to eat at one of his favorite restaurants. He sees Elska eyeing him in a way that foretells she finds his black pants and squeezing button up suiting and it makes him feel like he could deal with the clothed restriction for a while longer.

“It says we’re close!”, Naoya points to the map on his phone pridefully. It’s been a few years since he was on this side of the city and a lot has changed. He’s becoming frustrated with not knowing how much time they’ll have before Gojo returns, wanting to enjoy some normalcy. ‘I just want to treat her to nice meal!’ He turns to Elska and takes her hand, “Baby, I promise it will be worth it. I’m talking…food fit for a princess.”, when she giggles, he does too, being happy to see that she isn’t wanting to turn around. He looks to Toji now, “Want me to find you a walker?”, and snickers as the giant narrows his eyes before continuing ahead.

Elska feels Naoya’s finger lace into hers as they resume walking, with Toji on her left. She’s trying to be cheerful today, wanting to appreciate the time she’s spending with them but her mind keeps leading her into thought. The night before, Toji stopped her from feeding and although she was aware of why and understood the risks Satoru spoke about, she tried to proceed anyway. There were a weird few minutes where she could only focus on drinking from her beloved and flailed wildly as he restrained her. ‘Why did it feel like I wanted the Titer energy too?’. She thinks to hold Toji’s hand as well in this moment but stops herself as she doesn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to the three of them. ‘He looked so concerned all while I couldn’t even stop…”. The ancestral voice advised her to feed. Her heart aches as she knows this was out of character and extremely selfish when they didn’t know how it could affect her. The one thing keeping her afloat in this matter is how Toji held her after she snapped out it, how he seemed to understand without saying that she didn’t mean to.

Toji lets Naoya and Elska get a step ahead of him so he can keep his eyes on her. After their last outing, he’s remaining highly aware of their surroundings and is watching for anything suspicious. He sees Naoya in his dark grey slacks and black dress shirt, leaning down to talk to her as they maneuver through the groups of families and friends, keeping her close. ‘Is she really, ok?’. Toji recalls how she struggled against him the night before. Gojo tried to rush to the bed after seeing her reaction but Toji was also wanting to shield her from him. Her eyes changed, showing the dashes of his green while she clawed at his arms and flashed her fangs with a glare. Toji knew that wasn’t his Elska but didn’t want to make her apprehensive, so he hid her the best he could from Satoru until they reverted. He heard something from within while this was all occurring, a voice that he swears communicated for him to feed his master. ‘Is that even possible? What the fuck was that?’. He rubs his bicep after feeling a sharp pain run through his arm.

Naoya leads them to a building that has loud club music playing inside, the base being noticeable from where they stand. He looks up and scrunches his face, “What the fuck is this?”. He checks his watch that bares 1:39 and is further confused by the daytime club scene. ‘I’ve failed.’. Toji can be heard groaning so he orients himself to face them both, “It was right here!!”. He takes in Elska’s kind smile as she’s clearly not going to make him feel bad for being wrong. Not knowing what to do to save their lunch adventure he stands there awkwardly to think but hears Elska say, “Well let’s enjoy a drink while we look up somewhere else nearby!”. He smiles at her ability to always find a silver lining and follows behind her up the ramp that leads inside.

As they walk through the room on the first floor, Toji feels this intense wave wash over him. Music is drowning out most other sounds but the way the bass pulses through him allows him to feel alive. The stench of cigarettes, sweat and alcohol sting his senses while they find a seat at the bar. Once sitting, he can smell Elska’s perfume when she whips her hair behind her shoulders, exposing her neck to which causes him to stir in the stool. Naoya hands out drink menus from them all but Toji doesn’t even look at it, knowing his order already and wanting it immediately. He feels ready to pounce but is cautiously calming himself as he knows this is not the place, ‘I am NOT Gojo…’. When she crosses her legs he feels the sting in his arm again, bringing his mood back to a wavering position.

“I’m thinking a red…’, Elska states loud enough to be heard while looking over the wine menu. Naoya smiles to her words as he announces his choice of Mojito. “That’s why you’re so sweet!”, she jokes vaguely in regards to his actual taste. She places a hand on Toji’s right knee before turning to him and feels him jump. Her voice now concerned, “Did I scare you!?”. She giggles until she sees the intensity in his eyes, wondering why he’s exuding so much right then. Her breath was held in her throat as she waited for his eyes to glow, knowing that would not be good for where they are. They never do though and she eventually resumes respiration as he places his own large hand over hers. ‘What was that?’. She now swivels her head around the large room, taking in all of the day drinkers on the dance floor and seated randomly about.

The bartender takes their orders with a smile and begins to serve them up right there. He recommended a red for Elska that he swears was his personal favorite and proudly waited for the approving sip. When she stated its palatability, he then left to attend other customers while Toji stared him down menacingly. ‘That’s a brave man to be flirting right in front of us.’.

Naoya sips his drink while eyeing Toji chug his whiskey on the rocks. “Slow down old man, we still have to go somewhere to eat!”, he laughs at the eyeroll he receives and notices Elska drinking pretty quickly as well. “Baby, what’s on your mind?”, he knows something is bothering her and wonders if they’re both just nervous after the last Titer attack. ‘Maybe I can convince her to dance it away!’, he thinks as he imagines himself twirling her under the disco ball. He just wants her to have a good day.

After finshing her glass already, she sets it down and tells Naoya, “I’m fine, I promise! I just really have to pee!”. He chuckles and adjusts himself so she has more room to slide off the stool. She announces that she’ll be right back before searching the walls for signs indicating the direction she should take. A drunken man bumps into her shortly after leaving the bar and can feel Toji increase his presence so she turns around to show that she’s fine. The whole room was lively except for Toji’s motionless staring. ‘I better be fast before he loses his shit.’.

“She shouldn’t be alone.” Toji followed her with his eyes as she turned a corner down a hall. He’s worried about her and has this familiar unyielding need to be in her vicinity. It’s almost as if he knows something is about to happen. “I’m going to wait for her, watch the drinks.”. He hears Naoya protest with grief but faces him and says, “Boy, why don’t you find us a place to eat since we’re out here because of you.”, and places a hand on Naoya’s shoulder as he goes to walk past to counter the aggression in his voice. “Order another round too will ya?”.

Elska stands up in the stall and flushes but doesn’t leave. She’s feeling like Toji’s eyes were trying to tell her something minutes ago but she can’t figure it out. All she knows is that it was sexy. She opens the latched door to wash and dry her hands but takes in her reflection in the mirror and thinks, ‘Life is so much crazier now…’, but smiles to herself knowing she had fantastic support from everyone. The door pushes open abruptly behind her and she gasps in startlement before realizing that it was Toji himself. “TOJI! What if there are others in here?!”. She can tell by his focus though that it didn’t matter anyway.

“Doll…” he mutters as he locks the door behind him. He sees that she was caught off guard when she asks what he was doing in there but he just walks closer until he’s inches away. “I need…”, he lifts her up so she can wrap her legs around his waist and supports her weight with his right arm. “I need you.”, he whispers while dragging the tip of his nose along her collar bone, watching her skin change pigment from his glowing eyes. Her hands are roaming through his hair and he moans to the sensation of her nails against his scalp. “Right now.”. He nearly growls as he sinks her into his groin from above.

“Toji…”, she was right about his prior intensity but can’t find it in her heart to stop him as he begins kissing the crook of her neck. The music can be heard through the walls along with idle chatter and it all serves as a reminder for where they’re at. She thinks of her pheromones and instantly pulls herself out of their beautiful trance. She whispers, “We shouldn’t do this here, my beloved.”, and frowns as he lifts his head to meet eyes. “I can’t release them here, it’ll be a disaster…”.

He agrees that they shouldn’t have sex and nods with a grunt but that’s not truly what brought him in lady’s room to begin with. Feeling his fangs form he shows them to her and happily takes in her reaction as she smiles and moves her hair while saying, “Oh! ok…but we have to be quick!”. He squeezes her cheek with his right hand that supporting her rear and drags his teeth across the skin of her neck. “I just need to taste you.”, he wantonly groans before biting down. She gasps to his intrusion and grips his hair as he begins to suckle. His own whimpers could be heard between his gulps, loving every drop he’s being given as he deciphers her soul and feelings. Her flavor, now that he’s not as overloaded by the information, is reminiscent of the aroma born from a field of flowers. Each time he swallows more of her blood, his overall restlessness fades while her squirming increases.

Elska cradles his head into her while melting in the master’s ecstasy flowing through her. Her eyes are closed as she bites her lip and attempts to muffle her sounds. “My beloved…”, she whimpers to him while her fingers stroke through his hair. His hypertonicity dwindles as she feels his left hand travel up her back, resting a grip on the nape of her neck. “I love you, my beloved Toji…”, and gasps in desperation as she can sense his own, wanting to assure him of his importance. Those same fingers now dance along her clavicle as he brings them over the wounds to close them while panting into her neck. He leaves his face buried there, adorning the area with his lips slowly as he she can tell he’s gathering himself. “Do you feel better?” She caresses his temple and cheek hoping that he did, feeling terrible that she didn’t recognize or even sense his disposition sooner. When he lifts his head to look at her again, she feels the need to lock her lips to his as they both exhale in a gratified union. She moves the hair out of his eyes and kisses his forehead before he gently puts her back down, him looking refreshed with a bashful grin.

He grabs a paper towel from the dispenser and wets it. In the mirror he can see Elska’s loving eyes watching him and the scar on the corner of his lips bends pleasantly. While wiping away any evidence, he shyly adds, “I love you too, doll.”, the words still seeming unreal. After discarding the bloodied paper towel, he takes up her hands in his own, “I’m sorry for following you in here, I just…I really needed to do that.”. He’s still uneasy by how compelling the desire was. “I felt like I wouldn’t get another chance.”. He sees the concern on her face and doesn’t want to worry her, “It was just time for me to feed doll, everything is ok.”. Her hand sails upwards to hold his cheek and leans into it. ‘I have to keep her safe.’.

Naoya is watching the condensation accumulate on his glass and is now feeling nervous as he checks his watch again. ‘Where are they?!’, he swings around in the stool to check the room and feels an incredible wave of relief as he finds Toji and Elska making their way back to the bar. After they sit he asks, “Did you guys go to the bathroom at the dorms or what?”, but picks up on the weird laughs he receives from them. ‘He wouldn’t have tried something sly, would he?’, and squints his eyes at Toji. ‘He looks way better though.’, and decides to let it go as he’s sure even a quickie couldn’t be that quick. “Baby…”, Naoya slides his phone over in front of them as he finishes his second Mojito, “I’ve only been here once but they have beautiful seating along the water!”. He cackles, “…and it’s only about half a mile away by foot…”.

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Gojo is quickly walking through the whited-out halls with Choso following. He speaks without looking, “Choso, when we get in there…I have to warn you, you’re not expected.”. Gojo heard Choso stop in place so he turns around to see him. “You’re with me though so it’s fine! If they say anything to you, just ignore them. I will do the talking.”, and waves for the being to hurry.

“I…I don’t understand why I’m here with you and not everyone else…”. Choso is familiar with the Elders but can’t ignore the fact that he used to work for them where as he’s now on the opposing side. ‘Is this a good idea?’. He was expecting Gojo to sulk and whine to being called in today and is puzzled by how thrilled he seems.

Gojo jumps up to click his heels to the side before saying, “I don’t trust these cunts and I’m almost positive this is a trap of some sort…”. He notices Choso’s eyes widen with confusion so he continues, “If they’re trying to distract me from Elska, they fail if you’re there using your technique to watch her for me!”, his smug grin appears, “This way I’ll know the moment something happens.”. He’s sure the Elders have called him away in order to create an opportunity but has a mind to flip their plans upside down with this small act of rebellion. “I can never remember where to go! This shit all looks the same…it’s creepy.”.

Choso sighs but tries to keep up with Gojo’s quickened pace. The bright lighting overhead is blinding and causing him discomfort as he prefers darker places. He doesn’t know what to make of Gojo’s explanation but figures he’s along for the ride at this point anyways. “Do you think they’d even admit to what they’re doing?”. Choso understands the amount of secrecy the surrounds the Elder’s goals and is sure that he’s not even fully aware of their intentions.

“Yes. I will make sure they do.”, Satoru’s words are eerie but his expression is still delighted. “These fuckers have messed with us for long enough. They’re cowards, Choso and the things they want to do to my love are unacceptable.”. Gojo is certain that none of the others would have condoned what he’s thinking he’ll have to do which is why he said nothing before leaving. “They need to leave her alone and how can I call myself the strongest if I can’t protect her from these witless skin bags?”. Satoru at least wanted to inform Nanami of his meeting but hasn’t been able to reach the fellow shaman yet. ‘Did they get to him too?’. Gojo is certain that something happened with Shoko but was waiting to see how things played out. ‘As long as she’s fine, I know she can handle it.’, but worries about Nanami’s reaction if he’s already discovered this too.

‘What is he going to do?’, Choso feels like something big is about to happen, something that cannot be taken back. The unnerving pressure in his gut hints that whatever it is, it’s not good. “Itadori and the others are still on standby but isn’t it odd that they haven’t been given any missions?”. They pass more rooms before Satoru finally stops. Choso watches the silver shaman’s expression change to lethally cold one before straightening himself with resolve, and knows he should do the same. ‘I guess I have to just trust him…’, the thought not sitting comfortably at all.

Gojo quietly speaks, “Remember, don’t mind them, they’re not worth the stress. You do not serve them any longer.”, and places a reassuring hand on the hybrids shoulder. He’s impressed when he looks over the being, seeing that his previous nervousness has been cast away and replaced by a collected ensemble. ‘I’m pretty sure I’m right about him.’, and feels poised in the dark nature that lurks beneath Choso’s kindness. Turning back to the door, Gojo kicks it open fiercely before entering. “WHAT’S UP FUCKERS?!”.

Three people sit along one side of a long white table, seeming prepared aside from the sudden commotion. The first is a representative of the Kamo clan, a new middle-aged face Satoru has never seen draped in dark red robes. The second is a Zenin, the bought errand man known better as “Peaches” for a less known reason. Gojo knew him rather well from his childhood and all of the clan events he was forced to attend. The third, however, catches Satoru by complete surprise and angers him. The woman sitting as a representative for his own clan is none other than his mother.

Gojo seethes with white knuckled fists, “What the fuck are you doing here?”, as old anguish resurfaces between the two. Satoru hasn’t been home in years and purposefully. He was sure if he stayed any longer, he’d annihilate his own family.

The Kamo rep scoffs, “Yes… well hello to you too Satoru Gojo. We could ask you the same.” He points to Choso, “Isn’t that Kamo property?”. The hybrid and Gojo fail to give him the time of day, causing tension.

Gojo never takes his eyes off of his mother while waiting in silence as Choso dutifully ignores them. His eyes darken, “I asked you a fucking question you miserable old whore.”. He feels the urge to gather a technique but calms himself with his better judgement.

His mother speaks, “That is no way to talk to the woman who raised you!”, she laughs in a haughty way but brings her dramatics to a close, “Why else would I be here? You can’t be left to just do whatever you please…”. She tilts her nose up and displays her notion that she is untouchable.

Peaches shifts in his chair, “You have something that needs to be returned to the Zenin’s. Master Naoya was promised her hand.”. He’s honestly terrified of Gojo but would never allow this to show. Satoru darts stormy eyes in his direction and he feels a chill race down his spine.

“Let’s just be frank about it. You want Elska.”. Gojo voice is calm, almost lighthearted. He brings his gaze back to his mother, feeling a little better about the situation knowing he’s going to handle more business than he expected today. “Choso, please start now.”. Gojo doesn’t have to look since he can feel Choso’s energy gathering to form the window. He watches the representatives lean to figure out what the hybrid is up to and laughs out loud. “My friend here”, He scowls at the Kamo man, “is going to observe Elska while we meet.”. He winks to Peaches, “She’s with Naoya right now for your information…Toji too.”.

Gojo’s mother bursts into hyaena laughter, threatening to rupture the unsuspecting eardrums of the others. “You think you have it all figured out, don’t you? Such a pitiful child.”. Her long white hair waves in the air as she jerks her head to see Peaches’s perplexed expression. “Don’t believe him just because he speaks it…trust me…”, and folds her arms while thinking of how many more beatings her son should have to experience when younger.

Peaches clears his throat and tries to save face, “Surely this is some kind of joke. Master Naoya loathes your very existence Satoru.”. He’s now chuckling to himself having felt it was a test of some sort, “Are we not on better terms than that of your games?”. He’s now sure it was a lie.

Gojo regrets that Peaches is here today but is unable to overlook the fact that the old goat is in cahoots with this situation. ‘It can’t be helped!’. He turns to Choso now for the first time since they walked into the room and is reassured that nothing bad is happening. Now facing Peaches again, “You know… Zenin and I got off on the wrong foot.” He grins, “But now we have threesomes!”, loving the shock that plasters everyone’s face. The Kamo man choked on his own saliva to the mention. Gojo looks at his mother, “Don’t be upset just because no one wants to fuck you. It can’t be helped when your cunt leaks venom.”.

Choso sits motionlessly as he listens to the meeting unfold, completely flabbergasted by Satoru’s way of speaking. ‘What did his mother do to him to make him hate her so much?’, he hesitates to explore the options in his mind as he can only imagine. Aside from that though, Choso has never witnessed such a display of blatant disrespect to the higher ups and is completely unnerved by the silver shamans ever changing composure. ‘What is he planning to do?’, the ominous feelings he’s experiencing from this are only growing at this point.

Peaches is red with embarrassment, “HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT!”, and allows his anger on the matter to spill over. The representative huffs relentlessly to the accusations and feels disgraced for his ears being exposed to such vile talk. When expecting to see an angry Gojo, he’s further confused by the smile that meets him instead.

Gojo runs his finger along the table as he casually saunters in front of each of them. “If you three decide to get rowdy…I’ll have to kill you.”. He basks in the glares and especially enjoys his mother’s fear as she knew he was not playing around. Once they become settled he says to her, “You being here makes you my enemy, mommy. How long have you been involved?”. She starts to swat his question away with a scoff but everyone leaps out of their skin when Satoru yells, “HOW FUCKING LONG?!”. He increases his presence tenfold and watches the representatives writhe in distress before him.

She says nothing.

The Kamo rep is sweating bullets as he’s only heard the tales of horrors committed at the hand of Gojo. ‘Genghis said nothing about this hostility.”, he thinks to himself as he comprehends that he’s bitten off more than he could chew. He’s afraid to peel his eyes away from the powerful shaman making inquiring demands but also wants to flee the room. ‘This guy is even crazier in person!’.

Gojo takes a deep breath and exhales dramatically, “Well…this is going nowhere…”, and summons energy into his hand as he aims it at the Kamo representative. The nameless man cries out in fear and studders in his breathing. Gojo notices Choso jump to his feet but the being doesn’t say anything. Only when the defeated female voice utters, “3 years.”, does he quell his attack. He thinks about that answer for a moment before acknowledging her again. ‘That’s strange.’. Looming across from her he now asks, “I’d already had my love for some time before that, why did you join them to conspire against me at that point? Don’t make me blow this poor guy’s skull open…”, he warns of his lack of patience.

His mother sulks in her seat having her hands tied about the questioning, “I thought she was a passing infatuation at first, like all of the others but you completely neglected your responsibilities of being an heir because of that wretch.” She’s met with unforgiving eyes and wishes she was able to smack the audacity out of him but has learned the hard way about his response to abuse. “She is not yours Satoru and you jeopardize the entire balance of the clans with your actions of keeping her.”. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Peaches nod in support and feels reaffirmed by it.

Gojo slips a wild laugh and slaps the table, “She is mine though. I voyaged worlds away to find her. I went to incredible lengths to bring her back…”, he sighs while resting his hands on his hips. “You do know, mom, these Titers that have you in their pocket…they were going to use her to assassinate me.”. The atmosphere of the room deteriorates at the mention of the Titer clan. Its obvious that they were left unaware to Gojo having knowledge of the group’s silent partner.

His mother jumps from her seat and screams, “AND THEY SHOULD HAVE SUCCEEDED!”. All of the hatred she’s ever felt for her son sears the air around them, her chest feeling lighter for the honesty but heavier for the fear. “You were destined for greatness but even with your gifts, something is wrong with you! How you ever came out of me? I will never know…”. She feels she must stand her ground or else the structure they’ve served their entire lives will crumble. “You’re evil. You always have been.”.

Choso is still watching Naoya, Toji and Elska but can’t help but be distracted by the darkness exuding Gojo. ‘What is going on here?’, he doesn’t understand how this is official business and even finds himself feeling defensive over Satoru. ‘That woman is appalling.’, he thinks as he considers Gojo’s upbringing and decides there’s more to the man than he ever considered. He looks back to the window after surmising that none of the representatives would attack. Choso becomes rattled when the window shows Toji drinking from Elska in a cramped bathroom, ‘I can’t believe the lighting permits this, it must be dim.’, He temporarily becomes fixated with Toji’s fangs anchored into her as she quietly moans. He’s not seen anyone but her feed before. ‘So, his bite feels good to her as well?’. He brushes his lap as if to tell it, “Knock it off”, but his attention is soon stolen by Peaches’s mention of Elska.

“If you don’t return Elska Oda then this will be seen as an act of aggression Satoru, please…don’t do thi-…” Peaches can no longer speak as Gojo grips hit throat and is thrown into a fit of fright.

“I kind of liked you…I was use to you at least…but if you ask me that one more time, I will break your fucking neck.” Gojo feels his face twitch as he squeezes the old man’s beard into his throat, “You guys are fucking with me today and I don’t appreciate it.”. Never letting go, he turns to his mother but also glances at the petrified Kamo rep, “I do not give a single flying fuck about the clans, I couldn’t care less of your archaic ways and I am never going to surrender my Elska.”. As Peaches reaches a critical point of needing air, Gojo clamps his fingers deeper, “I left my love’s side today to be here because of your guys’ little fucking Titer friends. That is what we will discuss.”.

Gojo’s mother rushes to pull her son’s hand away but right as she’s reaching out, Satoru releases Peaches. She watches the old man heave and choke uncontrollably and shoots hateful eyes. “How dare you lay a hand on him? Do you fear nothing?”, she thinks to threaten with her husband but knows that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree so it’s likely useless.

Satoru smirks while studying Peaches inability to regain his breath, “I crushed his trachea a bit, he’s going to need medical attention soon.”. He watches the Kamo man stand up in disbelief and warns, “My mother is right about one thing, I do not fear you or your influence.”, and smiles approvingly as the man takes his seat again hesitantly.

“You psychotic little freak!”, his mother cries out in disgust, “We need to get him to a doctor!”. She feels herself fill with anxiety as she was not expecting him to go this far. “Let us take him!”.

Satoru hisses quietly, “If you guys weren’t so dead set in dicking me around then this wouldn’t have happened. No one leaves until I get some answers.”. He strolls around the table, loving how terrified the Kamo representative became when he was close. He yanks up the suffocating Peaches and throws him back into his chair, “Have some fucking dignity…I thought better of you.”. When Peaches makes eye contact, he can see the dread wash over the man, knowing their dynamic has changed forever.

The Kamo man speaks up sheepishly, “Wh…What is it that you want to know?”. He’s all for handing over the required information as he clearly cares about his life more than the others. Satoru’s expression softens as the other two representatives hang their mouths open, not expecting him to fold so easily. Gojo states, “Everything.”, which causes the rep to tense up as he doesn’t know where to begin. He hastily blurts out, “Suguru Getou inherited ancient techniques as well. The Titers are planning on taking the girl for themselves to ensure their supremacy.” He inhales sharply, “The head of their clan met his end by the hands of your company, they want to repay by being rid of you as you are their final target. You’re still too strong because of your infinity, so the girl’s fate was determined the moment you were born.”.

“You… weak imbecile…”, Gojo’s mother retaliates to the sensitive information by pushing Peaches backwards causing him to fall to the ground and thrash violently. Without so much as a second thought, she gathers energy into her hand and expels it at the Kamo man’s mouth. The representative dons his own matching blood as his brain matter exits the back of his head, decorating the white surroundings behind him. Only a cavernous jagged hole remains where the words escaped him only seconds prior. His body slumps over the table as he leaks his remaining essence into a pool that shortly forms a dripping pattern to the white tiled floor.

Choso defensively stands as the black tattoo on his faces begins to wave. “Satoru…”, is all he says while watching Gojo’s mother now strain to lift the blue tinted and gasping Peaches back upright his seat. ‘His mother is just as rash…’. Choso waits for a few moments longer but is eager to gauge Gojo when their eyes finally meet. ‘Why does he look so satisfied?’, he questions himself as he’s met with that smug smile. The Zenin man’s eyes look like they may pop out of his head but Choso can still make out the man’s reaction to his own presence. He hears Gojo say, “Everything is alright Choso, don’t worry. Just watch them.”, but the being is unable to simply sit with ease at this time. ‘How is this alright?’.

“And you wonder where I get it from?”, Gojo is irritated that the only man that was willing to talk is now dead but he’s also able to take the information to heart because of how his mother reacted. ‘So all of this really is because of me…’, he thinks of Elska with a heavy heart knowing all that she’s been through, even before he got his hands on her was his fault. ‘My love…I will make this right.’.

Gojo’s mother now sits back down, wondering if she went too far and gave away their hand. Peaches struggles to speak next to her but she can make out that he’s trying to question the fidelity of the Kamo’s last words. She sighs, “Look Peaches, I like you but I’m siding with Genghis.”. Peaches gurgles himself into a purple hue as he still cannot breathe or talk properly. She understands that Peaches was completely ignorant to the Titer’s planned betrayal to the Zenins and calm says, “They’re not wanting to eliminate other clans, they’re just going to help guide us to this proposed peace, don’t worry so much.”.

Peaches can only think of Master Naoya who he feels is in grave danger after hearing this information. ‘I…he has to know…Master Na…he needs to be made aware!’. He thinks to grab his phone but he wouldn’t be able to relay the information, nor is he fast enough to text it. Peaches chokes in his stress and can tell his body is slowly shutting down after being deprived oxygen and feels completely hopeless about his predicament. When his heavy eyes meet Gojo’s he freezes in apprehension while listening intently.

Satoru sighs dramatically with growing anticipation, “Now…where were we?”.

Next Chapter (38) >>

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Tagging : @angelofthorr ❤️

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forasecondtherewedwon · 4 years

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Queen Takes

Pairing: Beth Harmon/Benny Watts Rating: M Word Count: 1938

Summary:

With Beth home from Moscow, her friends gather to celebrate her achievement. One guest arrives late.

The colour of Kentucky feels like a trick after Moscow. Her blue home—her mother’s home—is a playhouse, not the American standard it’s masquerading as. Sure, Russia with its cold, with its blacks and browns across the walls of the hotel where she stayed and on the jackets of the old men in the park, is striving for a monopoly on drab stoicism, but Beth Harmon passed her early years in a trailer as silver as a bare tin can. You can find barrenness anywhere, even inside a person.

Across the coffee table, Jolene looks back at Beth like she knows what she’s thinking, those morbid thoughts. Beth can hear the smooth crack of her friend’s voice in her head. It’s… comforting, the sense that someone can simultaneously have no time and all the time in the world for her. Jolene’s eyes don’t tell her she’s a fool for taking so long to recognize love or a genius for refusing the draw (plus everything before and after)—they just say, nice dress. Subtly, Beth raises her Coke and inclines it towards her friend. Thanks.

Matt and Mike are keeping her living room balanced, one twin on either couch. Harry’s moving his hands with precision and intensity as he reiterates the brilliance of Beth’s endgame over Borgov, though Jolene is laughing at him, laughing in airy howls, because she has no interest in chess. Unlike Alma/Mrs. Wheatley/Mother, Jolene does not possess the patience to sit and listen while Beth unravels her win, move by move. How different is a friend from a sister, a sister from a mother, a mother from another mother again. This is fine. Beth, smiling, admires her guests and accepts that she has quite enough chess-lovers in her life.

There’s a knock at the door.

Jolene’s laugh cuts off like there should be a blade dangling in midair.

“Well,” she says to Beth, “go get him.”

“He’s worse than any of these three,” Beth warns with a smile, stalling and hopefully concealing the waver in her words, hands, and heartbeat.

“I’m anticipating a sanctimonious pain in the ass, and that’s just from the articles I read about you playing him.”

“You could’ve met him in New York,” Mike says as Beth gets a grip on herself and the couch, pushing up and striding with sudden purpose to the front door.

“Fight New York City traffic in my nice car? Just to sit in some dirty concrete basement? All of you talking nothing but chess?” She huffs a laugh from her nose. “Even when I was an orphan, I had better things to do than that.”

Beth’s heart is doing something painful and distracting in her chest and she misses any rejoinder the boys might have made, though she wouldn’t advise one. Very few people are so much their own person as Jolene is. Very few. Her hand is clammy on the knob as she takes hold and swings the door open. He doesn’t speak, and yet she hears, again, his voice down the long, long line, reaching her in her hotel room the night before the final. He doesn’t even smile.

“Benny,” Beth breathes, and collapses into him when he greets her with a startling kiss that captures the remainder of her oxygen. Her eyebrows raise when he pulls back. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

His gaze dips down to her dress and back to her face. Now, he smiles.

“I guess I’m playing white.”

She narrows her eyes.

“What happened to determining sides with an impartial method?”

“Don’t have any pieces on me to hide in my hands. You wouldn’t happen to have a board in the house, would you?”

Beth smiles again and holds the door wide to let Benny enter her home. She sees his car tucked against the curb out front. Likely, it contains his hat. His head is uncovered.

“And that was fair, by the way,” he whispers as she walks him into the living room. “When have you known me to skip a chance at making the first move?”

With the addition to the party, there are fresh drinks to be poured, trips to the bathroom to be taken, and things are shuffled around some until Jolene joins Beth on one couch, the twins and Benny opposite. He’s slung his leather jacket over the back of the couch and elects to sit forward. With his elbows braced on his thighs in this way and fingers intertwined in the space between, he could be contemplating one of their many games. But it’s her he looks at—staring straight across with a steadiness she can’t match in front of the others.

Jolene and Benny swap remarks, her judgements a strange and wonderful counter for the way he has always spoken in foregone conclusions. She calls him by his full name every time, just the way she told Beth she read it. As the afternoon stretches and Jolene’s career ambitions take their place in the conversation, Benny begins to call her ‘Esquire’. Beth looks on warily. Jolene breaks into a slow smile and nods her permission with a proud bob of her chin.

They bring out the cake she’s been pretending not to know about. Once, on a plane, she told her mother that a Houston tournament would take first place in her life’s Christmases; well, this feels like the best birthday she’s ever had and she doesn’t even have to age for it. Beth only cries at moments of excruciating frustration or when she is ambushed by emotion, no escape route of three moves prepared, so, naturally, the tears spill over.

“You. You did this,” Jolene insists, firm hold on her shoulders as she rocks Beth side to side on the couch.

Beth can only sniffle and smile down at the cake, chocolate, as Benny wields a knife (from a drawer in the kitchen) to slice uneven pieces. It’s heavenly. Despite high hopes of leftovers and sending each guest home with a slice, the six of them devour the cake. Harry chases the last crumbs around his plate, Matt groans and kicks his feet up on the table in search of relief for his overstuffed stomach, and Beth lies on the floor, raking her fork lazily through the icing before raising it to her lips and licking the tines clean. It’s only the pleasure of the day she means to extend with this exercise, but she can feel Benny’s eyes on her. Black makes its opening move.

She hugs each of her friends at the door as they drag themselves away. The alternative is to risk passing out across her chic living room set, and she hasn’t offered to let them stay. If any of them asked, she certainly would, but no one is at a loss for where they’ll be spending the night and they’re all—Beth knows—too aware of the car parked out front with the New York plates to want to intrude.

“You’re a queen,” Jolene says. She’s the final person to fold her into a hug. “You deserve this and more. And I bet,” she adds, dropping her voice so it’s just for Beth, not Benny, standing at the picture window and watching the boys drive away, “tonight’s going to feel even better than when you wiped Ohio with his skinny ass. Or whatever the hell happened between the two of you since then.”

Beth draws back, hands still on her friend’s waist, and gives her a look.

“Please,” Jolene begs, “it’s obvious. You’re World Champion and I am staring at the only thing Benny Watts wants to win.” She leans in with a conspiratorial smile. “This and more, Cocksucker.”

Laughing out loud, they break apart. Beth’s flushed as she waves from the doorway, arm making a wide sweep over her head, tears of gratitude welling up as her friend peels away. She dabs beneath her eyes with her fingers. She shuts the door. She flicks her eyes to Benny as she sidles around the little bit of wall separating the living room from the front room, dominated by her mother’s piano.

“I threw up in that one,” Beth volunteers, pointing out a silver cup trophy to Benny as he turns from the window. He shoots her a critical look.

“And the papers all say you’re so glamorous.”

“Everyone’s different in their own home.”

Benny gives a sideways nod to concede this.

“You’re different, I think,” she ventures. She’s less sure now, skirting the piano to come closer to him. “Like you might actually sit down.”

“I sit down,” he protests.

“For something other than a journalist.”

“I sat on your couch for hours.”

“Like you might actually stay.”

Him not entertaining her with flimsy attempts to leave, to find a hotel for the night, was his move. This boldness is Beth’s. Will he laugh at her? He could. She wonders if Harry ever mentioned to Benny that he did a stint as her roommate.

“Are you going to pull something inflatable out of someplace and condemn me to blowing it up?”

She laughs under her breath.

“No. You’re welcome to come upstairs.”

There are dishes, a light left on in the kitchen, but this mess is unlike what she did to the space herself while drunk. This scene is simply lived-in. Beth ignores the dishes and the light, eyes locked on Benny. It isn’t ‘now or never’ with him like it was with Harry—with Benny, it’s then and again. He brushes by her at the piano, the way he would in his New York apartment before they began sleeping together; the more he made sure not to touch her, the smaller the space felt. The near-collisions alone nearly drove her mad, she didn’t need chess for that. But when he’s almost past her, his fingertips connect with her skin and trickle down her arm to take her hand. Beth exhales with a smile. His middlegame remains the least predictable stage of his play.

Though she’s made the master bedroom her own, she turns the other way at the top of the stairs, right instead of left, wanting to show him where she studied and learned. He lets himself be pushed back onto her flowered bedspread. She indicates the torn mesh canopy overhead as she staggers forward on her knees to sit astride him and he hikes the black dress up her thighs. As he reaches for her back and unzips her—Beth tilting accommodatingly towards his chest—she talks ceiling visualization. How she found it, how she mastered it, how she got it back in Moscow. She waits for Benny to parrot her annoyance over discussing chess at a time like this, but he wears an empathetic smirk. Following leisurely minutes of undressing each other—“Slow down, Harmon, this isn’t speed chess”—that smirk is just about all he wears.

His necklaces glide across her chest as he kisses her neck. When he slips his hand between her legs, she invokes touch-move, insisting he finish what he’s started. Play progresses from there. This is all mine, she thinks, feeling Benny, denting a pink pillowcase with her clutching hands.

They’ve written her up as someone who attacks early and with ferocity. She lunges and thrusts, she likes control. ‘Out for blood,’ ‘killer instinct’—they make her something more than human. In her time, she’s been a talent, a prodigy, a virtuoso, a wunderkind. All of that’s become a bit mechanical. Have they forgotten, or have they never understood? Beth swipes her fingers through Benny’s hair as they catch their breath.

Chess can also be beautiful.

#my writing #The Queen's Gambit #Beth Harmon #Benny Watts #beth x benny #I haven't jumped fandoms in almost a year so it was about time

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fostersffff · 3 years

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Anime I Watched in 2021, from Worst to Best

2021 was the year I got back into anime real hard, after almost a decade of maybe checking out one show a year, if that, so below the break is a list of all 34 of the shows/movies/OVAs I watched to completion over the course of the year, roughly ranked from worst to best.

YASUKE

The actually true story of Yasuke- the slave-turned-samurai who fought for Oda Nobunaga- should lend itself so easily to adaptation that I assumed the Netflix anime was going to be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, it was very clear within the first ten seconds that this was not going to be what I wanted it to be, and if not for the fact that it was only six episodes I would’ve just dropped it completely by the end of the third.

ANGEL LINKS

This is the only thing on this entire list that I watched with complete confidence that it would be bad, and what I wound up with was the most middling anime I have ever seen. A perfect 5/10, the ultimate wash, could have been much better or much worse, I’ll be thinking about this series forever.

LITTLE NEMO: ADVENTURES IN SLUMBERLAND

Little Nemo was a production that was in development for over a decade and involved nearly every talented person in both the American and Japanese film industries in the 80’s at one point or another, resulting in a gorgeous looking film with nothing else going on. The development of the movie is genuinely more interesting and star-studded than the movie itself.

CASE CLOSED: EPISODE “ONE”

The first thirty minutes of this special are made worthless by the fact that everything that comes after is a 1:1 recreation of the first (plus like ten minutes of the second) of Case Closed/Detective Conan, so all the extra exposition that happens during that chunk just wound up getting repeated, and all of the future elements that were added in like Sherry/Ai and the other Black Organization members are ultimately just cameos. It was nice to see it in HD, and for the new dub cast to take a swing at the origin story, but that’s about it.

MICHIKO & HATCHIN

Sayo Yamamoto’s directorial debut was both disappointing and frustrating, because (spoilers for this list) the components that made The Woman Called Fujiko Mine so incredible are all present here, but not used anywhere near as well as that series. And while it may not be fair to compare her earlier original work with a later one that’s also based in an established franchise, if I hadn’t seen The Woman Called Fujiko Mine first, I honestly can’t even say if I would’ve watched all of this series.

LUPIN III: THE FIRST and LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO

Watching The First made me retroactively lower my ranking of The Castle of Cagliostro, because I ultimately realized the only reason I’d ever watch either of these again is for the animation. And make no mistake, the quality of animation in both of these films is superb, but both of these fail to deliver on what I want out of a Lupin III story in almost the exact same way.

OSAMU TEZUKA’S METROPOLIS

A movie loosely based on a manga that itself was based on a single frame of a 1921 silent movie, Metropolis spreads itself a little too thin in too many directions in terms of its plot, but I appreciate the ambition involved compared to the previous movies on this list. And, like those movies, it’s also positively gorgeous to look at: even the dated CG has a certain charm to it, considering the setting.

MEGAZONE 23 (Parts 1-3)

The series that was credited with the explosion in popularity of the OVA format in Japan, they’re a little less remarkable in the wake of all the sci-fi stories that have come after it (especially 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim), but still worth checking out. Part 2 is the best, followed by 1, which is a prerequisite for the second part anyway, and Part 3 could probably be passed since it’s ultimately just the story of the first two parts told again, but slightly worse.

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: CHAR’S COUNTERATTACK

Char’s Counterattack is a great action movie, but… man, there’s a lot to deal with in terms of what its story is and how it deals with it. It has the distinction of being the only thing on this list that I went through more than once because there was so much to mull over, especially in the greater context of Universal Century Gundam, but even so, I’m comfortable with its relatively low place on the list.

OTAKU NO VIDEO

A charming love letter and cautionary tale about, for, and by otaku, cutting between an animated and romanticized story about otaku life and live-action mockumentary segments warning of the dangers. Gainax- at least early Gainax- seems to have been the king of “listen, we love this subculture with all our hearts, but please don’t let it consume you”.

LUPIN III: GOEMON’S BLOOD SPRAY

I think one of the keys to making a good Lupin III story is to use Goemon sparingly, because he has a very specific set of functions, both practical and comedic. I appreciate the effort involved in making a movie that’s meant to be about him, but of the movies that take place in The Woman Called Fujiko Mine’s continuity, this is easily the weakest.

LUPIN III: FUJIKO’S LIE

It comes up in other Lupin III stories, but what makes Fujiko so interesting among the other members of the core cast is that she’s way more prone to doing horrible things than Lupin is. This movie trades super hard on that, where most of the movie is Fujiko doing one particularly horrible (but very mundane) thing, which is great, but it also suffers from having a particularly ridiculous antagonist.

LUPIN III: JIGEN’S GRAVESTONE

Jigen’s movie doesn’t have as much to say about Jigen as the other previously mentioned movies do about their titular characters, which is actually pretty alright since Jigen is a little more flexible than the others when it comes to how he’s presented story to story. This instead goes in hard on being a thriller first, and simply gives Jigen the spotlight for the major sequences, which gets it top spot next to it’s siblings.

LUPIN III: BYE BYE, LADY LIBERTY

This was the first Lupin III TV special, released at a time when the series had a lull in popularity. As such, it feels almost like “The Best Of Lupin III Part II”, which made it a delightful watch and my recommendation for how you should get into the franchise, if you’re so inclined.

SLAYERS: THE MOTION PICTURE / SLAYERS PERFECT

In the course of getting back into anime this year, I’ve discovered one of my favorite character archetypes is “unbelievably overpowered protagonist with one or more crippling character flaws that keep them from being boring”. Lina Inverse may be the queen of this archetype, and watching this got me very excited about eventually tackling the rest of The Slayers stuff out there.

PROMARE

The answer to the question “what if the director of Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill made a movie”. A plot with some aspects that you could argue the depth of if you’re feeling frisky, in service of some really incredible action set pieces with Hiroyuki Imaishi’s distinct type of visual spectacle.

LUPIN III VS. DETECTIVE CONAN: THE MOVIE

The movie version of this crossover is pretty much what I was expecting: a fun action thriller with characters I love a lot. It’s a little more convoluted and the character moments are spread thinner than the special (spoilers for this list), but still a very fun watch.

ARIA THE ANIMATION

Never before have I encountered something with such elaborate sci-fi worldbuilding to set the stage for such a simple slice of life story. Sugary sweet feel good stories about girls being friends and working hard to achieve their goals.

MOBILE SUIT ZETA GUNDAM

I stand by the comment I made in my bigger review that Zeta Gundam feels like Mobile Suit Gundam fan fiction, going a little too heavy on the melodrama after the more grounded original. In spite of that, it’s still a great watch and has some of the best paced action scenes I’ve yet seen in a mecha anime.

YASHAHIME (Season 1)

The biggest compliment I can pay Yashahime is that a large part of the reason I started watching so much anime again is because it reminded me of how much I enjoy anime. It hits the exact same zone that Inuyasha did 20 years ago that makes me go “anime good”.

CASTLEVANIA (Seasons 1-4)

The bar for good animated adaptations of video games. Taking all the seasons together, I do think it got weaker over time, but only incrementally, and it started out with a perfect score.

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM

Genre-defining series that holds up to this day, even with its dated, budget production values. It would be higher if not for the deep pangs of “what could have been” I feel wondering what if they had gotten a full 52 episode run instead of the truncated 43.

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM ZZ

Gundam ZZ feels like the true successor to Mobile Suit Gundam, more in line with it thematically and tonally despite having much more lighthearted and much heavier moments. I would’ve honestly put this even higher if the finale had been a little more put together, but even in spite of that I’d say this is my favorite of Universal Century Gundam so far.

TOKYO GODFATHERS

A movie that would be almost sickeningly sweet if not for the willingness to poke fun at itself, both in terms of the main cast being losers and weirdos and for the increasingly unlikely situations they find themselves in. Enhanced dramatically by the stellar animation to punctuate a lot of the comedy.

ROBOT CARNIVAL

An amazing anthology loosely themed around robots whose weakest part still lands a “technically impressive”. It also hits a wide range of genres across all of its shorts, so there’s a good chance that even if you’re a tough sell, there’s at least one that will appeal to you.

MACROSS PLUS: MOVIE EDITION

With the same core creative staff that would go on to make Cowboy Bebop, including Shinichiro Watanabe, Keiko Nobumoto (rest in peace), and Yoko Kanno, it’s not a surprise this turned out so excellent. Some aspects of the story felt a little underdeveloped, but I imagine that’s a consequence of this being a compilation movie of four ~40 minute OVAs.

EXPELLED FROM PARADISE

A terrifically paced action movie that brushes up against heady philosophical concepts just enough to keep things interesting, without getting lost in the weeds. The only real strike I have against this one is the embarrassingly transparent decision to de-age the adult woman protagonist to a sixteen year old’s body for literally no reason other than audience pandering.

OUTLAW STAR

The most rock-solid action series on this list, with a clear, overarching plot strung along fun episodic stories, a fantastic cast of characters, and a setting so unique among stories set in space that I wish there was another series that would actually make use of it (I’ll be thinking about Angel Links forever). It’s a cruel cosmic joke that this series is so closely associated with Cowboy Bebop that it’s never gotten the spotlight it deserves.

PERFECT BLUE

An incredible psychological thriller that you’re probably better off going into knowing as little as possible about, considering my own experiences with expectations of its content.

CITY HUNTER

City Hunter is like a Donald P. Bellisario TV show (i.e. JAG or NCIS) in that every episode has almost the same formula, but the formula is so solid and the characters are so strong that you can just keep watching it forever. Maybe that’s not the most flattering way to describe something so high on this list, but this series and its characters very quickly entered All-Time Classic territory for me.

LUPIN III VS. DETECTIVE CONAN (The Special)

I was hoping I would enjoy this crossover, but I absolutely did not expect it to be basically perfect, in that it did everything I could have wanted to see utilizing both the Lupin III crew and the cast of Case Closed. The only flaw, in hindsight, is that it used up the crossover potential so expertly that they didn’t have much left for the sequel.

LUPIN III: THE WOMAN CALLED FUJIKO MINE

Strikes a perfect balance of being artistic without being totally up its own ass, completely willing to have fun with its characters and settings while also being much more dramatic than what I would typically expect from a Lupin III story. Without going into detailed spoilers, I also think it’s possibly the most perfect retroactive origin story for an established character ever told.

MOBILE FIGHTER G GUNDAM

In my heart of hearts, I will always love big, dumb, hot-blooded combat series more than anything else, and this is the big, dumb, hot-blooded combat series executed with perfection. Nothing speaks more about how confident it is in its own execution than ending the final battle with the literal power of love, and completely nailing it.

If you read all this: thanks for indulging me! I hope you have a safe, healthy, and happy 2022!

#long post #anime #review

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thiswasinevitableid · 4 years

Text

PSL (OT4)

Prompt for the 14th was: Pumpkin. The OT4, for new folks, is Barclay, Stern, Indrid, and Duck (every is dating except Duck and Barclay, who are metamors). This prompt could also be called “the silly things we sometimes do for love”

Stern absentmindedly taps the steering wheel as the last cars trickle from the visitor center parking lot. The last song before he dropped back into the NRQZ was “Bad Moon Rising” and so that’s what he taps in time to. The lights in the building can't go out soon enough.

He’d only been in D.C week, had skyped the others every night, but the sensation of missing them was so strong. It’s the trade-off, he supposes, for knowing there were three people waiting for him instead of the none he’d grown accustomed to.

Even with the LAN, the signal on the Kepler end was too weak to show video most of the time, so he lay on the hotel bed, basking in their voices. Barcaly’s voice makes him feel safe the way a well-built house and a warm drink on a stormy night make him feel safe. Indrid’s is like something from drem, familiar and alien all at once.

The car door swings open, letting in a burst of fall air.

“Hey, darlin.”

Duck’s voice makes him feel sixteen again. He never had a highschool sweetheart, but that drawl feels like it’s coming in through the open window in the summer air, promising something wonderful if he climbs outside.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

And then there’s him, sounding like a dork. But Duck just smiles.

“You have an okay drive?”

“It’s been worse, and at least this time I drove past the city limit sign knowing where Bigfoot is.”

“In your room pinin after you?”

“I hope not.” Stern lies, blushes a little at the image.

Duck moves to put his water bottle in the center cupholder, picks up the starbucks cup sitting there, and makes a face when he finds it mostly full.

“You feein okay? Don’t think I ever seen you leave coffee long enough to get cold.” Duck sniffs, nods in understanding, “uhuh, I see, not a fan of the old pumpkin spice?”

“No. I buy one every year, and every year it’s the same thing.”

“So...why keep buyin it?”

“Because it’s so popular and yet I don’t like it. It’s so frustrating, I feel like I’m missing something! And now I basically have this weird ritual where I buy one just to see if this is the year I finally taste what everyone else does.” He tosses a sideways glare at the cup, “I have to be missing something.”

Duck giggles as they turn down the street to his apartment, “Missed you a hell of a lot, city mouse.”

“Do you think Indrid will mind if I don’t come up? I’m ready to collapse, and his sleep schedule is so weird anyway-”

“Think you don’t gotta worry about it.’

Sitting on the foot of the outdoor staircase is tall figured bundled in sweaters. Once they’re parked, Duck leans over and turns Sterns face towards him, kissing him while running his hand along his leg.

The passenger car door clicks open and Indrid’s hand appears. Duck takes it, winking once before leaving the car. There’s the sound of another kiss, and then Indrid bends down , bracing awkwardly on the seat, purring as he looks at Stern.

“Hello, pet. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Stern leans in without being told to, Indrid chuckling lightly before kissing him.

“And yes,” Indrid says as he pulls back, “that surprise you’re thinking of will work nicely.”

With that, he’s out of the car in a rustle of fabric.

------------------

His plan to surprise Barclay by waiting in the Sylphs room until he gets off shift does indeed go well. He gets fucked into the bedspread and cums with Barclays head between his legs, and that's not even the best part.

Barclay is so happy when he sees him, clings to him afterwards, trails after him like a faithful dog as he puts his things away. They started sharing the room after the almost end of the world, partly because it’s further from everyone elses and thus they run less risk of being heard (Sterns love of letting Barclay know how well he’s taking care of him in bed stops just shy of letting everyone else know). It also acted as a sign that Stern meant to stay, somehow reassuring Barclay of that fact more than the agent’s own permanent assignment over the gate did.

He’s never told Barclay the truth, which is that if it had come down to staying in Kepler or leaving the FBI, he’d have turned in his badge in an instant. Barclay alone is reason enough for that, and when you added Duck and Indrid into the mix, how could he be anywhere else?

Then again, maybe Barclay has guessed as much after Stern willingly dragged his boss into a closet to help them save the world.

It scares him, knowing he might have put so much of his ambition aside to stay here. But it thrills him too.

Right now, it seems deeply worthwhile; he’s laying on the couch, legs in Duck's lap, doing a crossword while the other man reads. The Sylphs are on the floor, Indrid using his claws to scratch and groom Barclays fur. They’re talking quietly to each other in what Stern now recognizes as High Sylph, Barclay letting our rumbling purrs as they do.

Then he opens his eyes, looks at Stern, “No way. Babe, you don’t like pumpkin spice?”

Stern looks at Duck, confused. The ranger shrugs, “I told ‘Drid about it.”

“Just the lattes. I like pumpkin in other things.”

“I am the one who hates pumpkin in all forms.” Indrid says, handing Barclay his bracelet.

“Hold up, not even pumpkin pie?” Duck sets his book down.

Indrid shakes his head.

“But it’s a classic!”

“It is a trap. Pie is supposed to be sweet, not vegetal. And do not get me started on the wretched gourds themselves.”

“Do they make you sick?” Stern is already making a mental note to steer the Sylph clear of the bins of them by the Kroger.

“No. They resemble a fruit on Sylvain that is commonly grown near where I grew up. That fruit tastes sweet, like a melon. Not like horrid pulp.”

“Hmm, I wonder if seeds from one got through the gate and created the other.”

“Had to be the pumpkins goin to Sylvain, pumpkins have been growin in the americas for a long time.” Duck adds, then sighs, “can't believe I’m datin a fella who hates pumpkin pie. My mom made the best version in the world. Wonder if I can make it…”

“My sweet, I doubt even you are capable of as impressive a feat as making pumpkin pie not repulsive. But if you want to try, I will not stop you. Just go easy on the ginger, I am not fond of that either.”

“Indrid please, you’re breaking my culinary heart.” Barclay pouts.

Indrid licks his cheek, “You will survive, sunburst. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check some futures. Joseph, you have a phone call.”

Stern stands, already moving down the hall by the time the phone rings. Dating the mothman has some benefits.

-----------------------

Barclay watches them go, rubbing his beard, then looks over at Duck with an unusually mischievous glint in his eye.

“Up for a friendly bet?”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Bet I can make Joseph a Pumpkin Spice Latte he likes before you can make Indrid a pumpkin pie he'll eat.”

“What are we bettin?”

Barclay smirks, “assuming those two are up for it? Winner gets to be on the bed, loser gets tied up and has to watch.”

“You’re on.”

------------------------

Barclay carefully measures spices into simple syrup, Joseph watching him with his usual curiosity from a stool by one of the prep stations.

“You know you don’t have to go to all this trouble right? I’m happy to keep doing my nonsensical fall ritual.”

“Know you love you patterns babe, but I love a challenge. Once managed to recreate Dani’s favorite dessert from back home out of apples, peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff with a red licorice reduction.”

He glances over his shoulder to see his boyfriend making a horrified face.

“She still asks for it for her birthday. Or she did, I assume she can get the real deal now,”

Returning to his whisking sends bursts of cardamom and ginger into the ir. He inhales, content, just as the music coming from Sterns phone quiets.

“You’re also looking for a distraction.”

Damn FBI training.

“What makes you say that, agent?”

“Your posture, tone, and the fact you keep changing the subject.” There’s a sharp sound of leather soles on tiles as Stern hops of the stool. Then he’s in Barlcay’s periphery, leaning back against the counter, sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up, “It’s alright if you don’t want to talk about it. But if it’s something to do with me, please tell me.”

“No” he turns off the burner, sets the syrup side to cool, “not even little, babe. I, uh, my first memory of fall on earth was getting exiled.”

“Oh, oh Barclay I had no idea.” Stern pivots, rests a hand on his hip.

“No one but Mama really does. It just means that all the stuff people like about fall; the leaves changing,getting to bundle up, building the first fire of the year, even the food...I still get this miserable feeling. Even though I’ve had lots of good stuff happen in the fall since then I find myself knowing what I was missing all those years. That was one of my favorite times of year on Sylvain that feeling. Having projects makes it easier to ignore.” When he turns his head his gaze is on the ground, “sorry, don’t mean to make things heavy when we’re just doing a goofy bet.”

Stern tugs him away from the stove, rests a hnd on each bearded cheek, “Thank you for telling me, Barclay. I’m sorry, I can't imagine how that felt, and if you ever want to talk about it...well, actually, Indrid might be the better person, but I’ll do my best. And,” he guides Barclay’s face up so he’s looking into brown eyes, stroking his cheek to coax out a smile, “I’m happy to be a distraction whenever you need me to.”

--------------------------------------

“Oh of course, how could I have missed that?” Indrid whacks his head into his notebook as Stern mentions his conversation with Brcly, “He told me once when in the year he was exiled, but I never put together what that corresponded to. I wish there was something I could do.”

“Me too. For now I’m taking him at his word that the bet is enough of a distraction.”

“Wise. Speaking of which; any luck, my love?”

“Nope!” Duck’s voice comes down from Janes attic. His sister is mostly sure their mom’s pumpkin pie recipe is somewhere in the boes up there, so Duck used his spare key to get into the house.

“How’s the ltte?” Indrid dips his head to indicate the travel mug in Stern’s hnd.

“I still don’t see what the fuss is. Barclay even used my favorite blend as the base.”

Indrid looks down t his own mug, “do you want some of my white chocolate- oh dear”

“Ahfuck! Uh, ‘Drid, Joe? Can, uh, can one of you move the ladder back? Because I just kicked it.” Duck’s legs are dangling from the attic door, the stepladder on it’s side on the floor. Before Stern can grab it, two chitinous, slightly velvety arms paper.

“Just let go.”

Duck obeys, dropping into the mothman’s waiting arms.

“Thanks, sugar.”

“You are welcome. Since you are about to say you did not find it, how bout lunch.”

“Sounds good. You comin, Joe.”

“Of course.”

‘...’Drid, you gonna put me down?’

“.......I haven't decided yet.”

-----------------------------

“Okay, this one has condensed milk, less ginger, and a hint of caramel.”

“Mmm. Hmmm, no I mean, it’s not bad but it’s still not trendsetting.”

“Dang.”

---------------------------------

“Jesus, why’d they keep all this stuff? These are report cards from first grade!”

“What is there to grade at that age?”

“Behavior, mostly. Huh, here are some cookbooks, maybe mom put that recipe in here.”

“While you search, I shall amuse myself with this box of photographs--you never told me you played trombone. Or had frosted tips.”

“That was one time in college, and gimme that box, you fuzzy menace.”

“Only if you come and get it, little human.”

---------------------------------

“This one is salted caramel, pumpkin, spices, and vanilla infused heavy cream.”

“Nope, still not revelatory.”

“Grrrrr.”

“Was that directed at me or the latte?”

“The latte, but if you feel like being a little late for your meeting with agent Steele I can growl over you some right now.”

----------------------------------

“...Thanks, Aunt Alice. Uhhuh, yep, talk with you soon.”

“No help from the extended family, I take it?”

“Nope. Just questions about when I’m gonna get married.”

“Oh dear.”

---------------------------------------------------

Stern sips from his Flathead Lake travel mug, the one where a monster becomes visible when warm liquid is poured in.

“Oh my lord, Barclay, this is incredible! You’ve done it, I want to drink this everyday.” He sips as fast as his tongue will allow as his boyfriend rumbles out a laugh.

“Well, yes and no. I did make that, but it’s not pumpkin spice. It’s dirty chai with fall-spiced caramel syrup.”

“It’s amazing. I love you so much.”

Barclay laughs louder, reaches across the center console to squeeze his hand, “Love you too, babe. More I thought about it, more I figured you're a man of very, uh, particular tastes sometimes, and if you don’t like pumpkin lattes, you don’t like them. I’d rather spend my time making something I know you’ll love, rather than trying to make your tastes match everyone else's. I mean, I kinda benefit from your having weird taste. Um, so to speak.” He pulls up to the apartment, and as soon as the car stops Stern pulls him into a kiss.

“Thank you, Barclay. I, um, no one’s ever gone to all that effort just to try and help me understand why people like something.”

“Any time, agent.”

Stern pulls his phone out, “I have something for you too.”

Barclay reads the image of an email he saved, “You’re taking time off?”

“Yes. I, um, I was thinking we could go to Sylvain during it. I can't give you back all the things you missed being gone. But I thought maybe I could give you the chance to start making up for lost time. I love fall on earth; I want to learn how to love it on Sylvain too, with you as my guide. I want to do what I can so it isn’t a bittersweet time of year anymore.”

The larger man looks like he might cry, but Stern doesn’t get long to examine it, since he’s crushed in a hug.

“Thank you, babe, thank you so fucking much. I, I’ve been kinda nervous to try and go back for things but I felt silly for being scared and I didn’t know how to ask and just...thank you.” He sniffles, pulls back with a watery smile, “Now c’mon, let’s go up. From the smell of it, Duck made pie.”

The apartment smells like the platonic ideal of fall, and Duck, streak of flour on his cheek, is putting the finishing whip cream touch on a pumpkin pie.”

“Where did you finally find the recipe?”

“In a book buried at the back of my closet, full of moms advice for when I got my own place. Haven't looked at it in close to two decades, and Winnie shredded the top cover, but the recipe was there alright.”

“Gotta admit, I’m impressed. That looks real fucking professional Duck.”

“Thanks man.” The ranger grins, cuts a slice and places it in front of Indrid (happily bundled in one of Barclay’s orange and grey flannels). The Sylph takes a forkful, scrutinizing it for a moment. Takes a bite, and chirps as he chews.

“Good?”

Wordlessly, Indrid stands, removes his glasses, and picks up the pie dish.

“If anyone needs me, the pie and I will be in the bedroom.”

“HAH!” Duck whoops triumphantly.

“Hey, hold on, I gotta try this to see what the secret is” Barclay takes off down the hall after him.

“No, mine, AH! Unhand me, I am the court seer.”

Duck flops against Stern as he doubles over, laughing.

“Fine, I gotta try it sir.” Barclays voice dips lower, and Stern sees him shift into his Sylph form.

“Don’t try to sweet talk me, this pie is mineOHgoodness, put me down.”

“Wanna know the secret?” The ranger says between giggles.

“Please.”

“I tripled the amount of sugar it called for.”

“Good thinking, ranger Newton.” Stern kisses him, “care to help me arbitrate a cryptid fight?”

Duck grins at him, love in every line of his face as laughter rings down the hallway, “lead the way, darlin.”

#promptober #OT4: Government Men and Their Cryptid Boyfriends #indruck #indrid cold/duck newton #sternclay #agent stern/barclay/indrid cold/Duck newton #agent stern/barclay #agent stern/duck newton #Indrid cold/Barclay #trans stern #trans duck newton

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talldarkandroguesome · 3 years

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1st of Frostfall, Fredas

Well, it was certainly a day full of surprises.

First, while Seryn and I were discussing how she witnessed a terrible misunderstanding with a Hlaalu trader who was convinced that one of the Ahemmusa wise women was, in fact, the most handsome man he had ever seen and he was trying, in the most humoursless pathetic ways to woo her, we saw three figures approaching in House Dunmer attire. No armor, so likely not soldiers, but clearly in clothing typical of someone associated with life in a House city.

Of course, the first time we finally manage to get Seryn off the subject of her concern over her brother’s strange behavior and here comes trouble with the House mer. I had finally managed to get her to really relax and enjoy herself since we arrived, and now this!

As they drew closer, I realized there was something familiar about one of them. As they neared further, I immediately recognized the red hair of none other than Tel! I could easily guess that the two with them were Nenet and Gethan.

Knowing that they would be up to something, I made my approach, with Seryn along with me. I began to explain to Seryn that I knew them and that they were not planning any harm, though they were the type of House mer who was foolish enough to believe their own culture superior and blinded to the value of others. I made some comments about their naive and blind adherence to Almsivi, who they served, and how as long as you left matters of personal belief out of it, there were really of no harm.

Of course, we had approached during my explanation of this, but I had felt no compulsion to hold back, since I was speaking in Velothis. I knew that Tel knew none of the language, most House mer do not bother learning any Velothis at all. Not even those studying Chimer history and religion. Then there was Nenet and she just did not seem the type. It is rare enough for a Dunmer outside of the Velothi to speak Velothis, so a Redguard, even were she to have been raised within Morrowind, was even less likely to understand. So I felt rather confident in speaking freely in Velothis.

Which it turned out, Gethan was able to understand, as he explained immediately upon my finishing to speak.

It was all rather embarrassing, but Seryn took it as a good laugh and Gethan did not make a scene over it all, so really it was just my own shame I had to contend with. Only made worse by the fact that Gethan had been so very polite about the whole thing, making me the seeming arse of the whole affair. Which, of course, I was.

Nenet asked, well, more demanded, to know what I was doing here. I told her I was here on business and asked her what brought her here. She replied in kind, it was business, to which I assured her that there were no cults to be found here. I was immediately defensive of what actions she might be about to take.

To her credit, Nenet said she was not there for cultists. So I asked then what she might be there for. She said they were looking for the Red Exiles, but that the group had been hostile, so they were coming to learn what they could about them.

I inquired what it was about them she would want to know. And so we continued this slow needling of ask and response until it was mentioned that they were interested in a staff that the Red Exiles had acquired from some cultists.

Now it was all beginning to make sense. Sensing there might be more to this than meets the eye, I suggested we take the conversation away from the growing number of eyes that befell us.

Seryn invited the whole lot of them back to her yurt and I am sure she was soon as thankful as I was that we were not where all could see and hear us.

And it was a good thing that we did. For Nenet began to push more and more about the staff and asked if I knew anything about such a thing. I asked if she might describe it for me, noting that Seryn was happier to have me speak, though I looked to her expression to temper my responses, not wishing to divulge anything she was not prepared to share. I kept my answers mostly vague for that reason.

Nenet held out a paper with a drawing of the staff on it. I did think it looked rather familiar. More familiar than the drawing, however, was the handwriting upon the page. I knew it, for I had in my possession another page authored by the same hand. It was Chodala’s.

I read the writing on the page aloud, as if to myself, wanting for Seryn to be able to hear it. I wanted her to know I wanted to share as much with her as possible, while also not needing to make it a whole production. They need not know if she could read or not, nor did I want her to have any cause for embarrassment. The writing mentioned needing to have the Red Exiles get the staff and of its great power. I watched Seryn’s expression out of the corner of my eye, seeing that she was certainly putting together the pieces for herself.

Nenet pressed me again about if I knew of the staff. I told her that I had seen a mer, who was not a Red Exile, carrying the staff away from the Red Exile camp. She tried to push me for more, but I asked her instead if the staff was dangerous.

She was cagey, not wanting to show her hand. So I knew there was something big to be learned and I continued to ask, as though I were very concerned, not that I was not, but I played it up as though perhaps it was a friend of mine.

Still she only tried to dig deeper. I knew that this was going to take a long time and though Tel was there, I felt it was best to use my birthgift to get straight to the point. I told her to explain everything to me.

To say it was a surprise, would be the understatement of an era.

As it turned out, things in Vivec were bad. Very bad. The tremors we had been feelings, simply the warning of things to come. As it turned out, the situation was rather dire. For the staff they were search for had the ability to siphon off Vivec’s power to the wielder. That it had been making Vehk weak and if left as it was, the Warrior Poet would be unable to keep Red Mountain slumbering.

It was interesting to note the look of surprise on both of the out of uniform Armigers. So apparently Nenet was in close association with Vehk. I could not guess why. As Seryn and I exchanged glances, Nenet turned to Tel and Gethan and apologized for not telling them. She said that only the arch canon and one other serving under Vivec knew and that she had been told to stay quiet, lest it alarm Vivec’s followers.

Well, a bit late for that, Nenet. Gethan looked pale and gave a series of whimperous cries, clutching his heart and looking about to faint. It was all a bit over the top and I had to try not to do anything but looked alarmed myself.

In truth, my mind was racing to the consequences this would have, not so much on Housemer religion, but rather, the horrifying realization that if it came to light that the Ashkhan of any Velothi tribe was stealing Vivec’s power it would insight the Houses to arms. Already there is a very tenuous peace in Vvardenfell between the Houses and the tribes, with the Houses wanting to take all of the tribal lands for themselves. This would be all the excuse needed for my bloodshed. If one thinks what happened to the Zainab outside of Balmora was bad, this would be more than just a singular massacre, it would be a holocaust against the Velothi people. They would be far outnumbered and I do not even want to think of the devastation it would cause.

I knew that Seryn, being a diplomat herself, would be thinking much the same as I. Not to mention that, with Ald’ruhn so close to Red Mountain, its eruption would affect this sacred gathering place more than most anywhere else.

Seryn, overcome by emotion, eventually just said she could not believe that her brother would be stealing Vivec’s powers. At that point, I knew that she was going to show her hand as well, so I let her be the one to share her brother’s ambitions, his change in personality, her apprehensions, and even the things which I had discovered at the Red Exile camp. I offered the page I found at her behest.

By the end, Nenet and the others knew about as much as we did. Seryn was clearly upset, though her face did not show it, the change in her posture was clear, so it did not surprise me when she made to leave.

Nenet went after her and I followed her, with the others behind me.

So the whole group of us made our way to the wise woman’s yurt. Only to find that the wise woman and Chodala both had been there while we were all in Seryn’s yurt and had since left. Chodala to prepare for his Nerevarine trials and the wise woman to convene with Azura.

Seryn made to go after the wise woman and Nenet demanded to go with. Seryn said she could not come and Nanet would not take no for an answer. The whole situation digressed into an argument about who was going to be seeing the wise woman and I could not take the aggression. It was too likely to lead to violence. I have no idea how capable or not Nenet is, since Vehk has put confidence in her.

Besides, there are some aspects of Velothi life that are secret outside of those in particular roles within society. As a wise woman in training, I can only assume that much of what Seryn would want to discuss would need to remain secret from all.

All the while, the bickering continued, Seryn was clearly getting very frustrated by the fact that Nenet would not listen to her reasons for needing to go alone and Nenet was refusing to not do as she was asked of.

So I interceded.

With my birthgift.

I do not know how often I have made use of it on so many people at once. still, I bade everyone to calm down, stock bickering, and to have a proper meal and drink together before further discussion. I figured that some of the nerves might be eased by a rest and nourishment. I felt like I was with the children again when nap time is close and a meal well needed.

We all headed back to Seryn’s yurt. As the host, Seryn went to cook. The others, I kept an eye on as I began to write.

I know things will wear off soon, but I am hoping food and drinks and some time in silence will help them all to understand that cooperation is the only way forward.

#ESO #TES #RP #Dunmer #Elder Scrolls Online #The Elder Scrolls

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kkemtal · 3 years

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Risk and Benefit: Where Was I For You Not To Mind My Own Business Here

September 1, 2021

The peak of my red tide has got to be the cause of why my mind goes intangled and triggered a growing deeply sown frustation throughout this whole day. I might second my over intake of caffeinated beverages today to be part of the major blame too. This has conjured images of the things I really want to do and enjoy. In the unprecedented world we're currently caught on, with my reluctance, I am jeopardized by having second thoughts on weighing out the risks and benefits on pushing what I desire to do as part of my self-love - gym, solo travels, driving classes. From these planted frustrations unveils what rolls out at the end of today.

Throughout the day, just out of the blue, while waiting for my appointment at the hospital, I decided to meet with someone who works at the coffeeshop. It's just a walk mile distance. I had a fine moment of transient socializing with 'them' while jumbling with my client calls and a few mail reports. As always, on how consistently thoughtful and welcoming they were, they treated me with my favorite coffee drink along with vegetarian salad and blueberry cheesecake. Honestly, I felt an immense gratitude on my every visit there as I thought they and along others associated with me are angels in my life based on their gestures imbued of positive energies. Along with our conversation, it was just me being accosted of how I was doing. I was expressing on wanting to unwind on local travels and beaches as a solo traveller or hoping to be adopted by any willing adventure seeking cliques. As an open opportunity for me to explore and along the way make new friends which I know how crucial this is at my age.

From suggesting cool beaches and tourist spots into harboring mixed emotions of frustration and dreading over you as they asked me how am I with you. They kinda felt dubious on our non-label or lowkey so to speak kind of relationship. They kinda felt a pity on me as they knew how expressive I was on assuring you that I still have feelings for you. They adamantly advised me not to take this martyrdom too long while you're at abroad as they had a gut feeling you might possibly met someone more special. Since, we haven't spoken yet for almost two months right after you left me on seenzone last July 20, 2021, I believe? You were at the van on your way home from whatever was your part-time job related errands at night. As an overthinker, I have already thought about that as one of the future major possibilities for another painful heartbreak in this cusp of adulthood. Most likely the reason to be would be you finding yourself falling in love more in there and choose to live permanently there and restart a new life chapter. I sensed it's never gonna be as traumatazing as my last toxic ex-boyfriend. But, a somewhat liberating yet a very painful and great lesson in love to be embedded from.

Right now, honestly, I'm crying here at my room because I'm overthinking that maybe our depth of love for one another since then was we misinterpreted in some way on confronting what's so special and rare we had or we took it differently by meaning. Maybe, on your side, this is just a fleeting rollercoaster moment, a phase you'll take what we had a special connection for granted. From my side, I know I prayed for this to have it with you during college which right now I yearned for something greater between us and that has left me feeling one-sided with you. Maybe, I mistook what you've felt for me as something greater and beyond just purely a crush. Since you've got no father figure and are a single child, maybe you loved me more as a sibling with no romantic/intimate attachment, perhaps. I don't know, I feel kinda guilty, confused and hurt with these self-inflicting thoughts. I have a hunch that could be the reason on your phases of denial flickering out. At the same time, I'm sulking to the thought of you being taken over by your selfishness and pride or your own demon as you mentioned then. Maybe you might forget me and along with your closest loved ones here who are missing you. I know you just have to figure things out for yourself and come up with some thoughtfulness and considerations whilst exploring on your dream land which I'm so happy for you that you've made it given the global situation.

Being so emotional right now and incessantly crying, fuck. Of course, I have thought about these possibilities on being on your shoes because I want to save myself from being too idealistic in love and shift my perception into what is realistic. I have considered every factor amidst this pandemic while being patient with you without waiting, I don't know if that makes any sense. The pain caused from these thoughts is something I should embrace as a cure of a future heartbreak. I don't want to disturb you although I want to besides on how much I miss you so much and wondering about you. But, truly the main reason is I know you have received more than enough of my assurance that you'll always count on me based on the poems, songs, letters and most especially that birthday presentation I sent during the lockdown period.

Apart from that, I will just let you be. Just like that significant gist from the film Ruby Sparks, I don't want to control or try to change you out of frustration to stay in line what favorable consequences I'd like to project through you in choosing me. Teary-eyed me painfully sees this as a challenge on what's meant for me will find its way back to me on the right time granted by the Universe. Done right out naturally. Regardless, the balance of negative and positive opinions I gathered from others, I'm still gonna be on flow and patience with you. Wholeheartedly, no matter what, I'll always be thankful for how long I take this too far on reaching you amidst the uproar of doubts and approvals, cheers and jeers from the crowd on how our relationship unfolds. Despite, I felt I am silenced onto holding with this, anchoring with hope though I'm drowning in despair. Because, I swear to God, what we have is so unimaginably rare that I couldn't find this kind of special connection with a gazillion of people I met who just come and go. I kept searching for you to anyone who has been enamored by me or anyone at our age group connected with me both in and out of my professional field. At this far reaching point, you are beyond comparable. No one is anywhere near significantly special as you - the fear of losing and the risk of temporary place in my life serving as what figure of platitude.

Tonight, I saw a post introducing one of the locally known DJs residing from the middle region of our country who's in a long-term 6 year relationship with one of the Miss Universe candidates from the aformentioned region competing against other beauty pageants for the globally crown reigning competition. As I viewed the couple's adorable pictures and appreciating how beautiful they are, I cried asking God how I wish to be genuinely happy by having this kind of exact inspiring and loving relationship with open acceptance and no room of denials coupled with exuberance and blessings from both parties and the public with no clouded judgements and be perceived as subject to love is beyond what's intangible. This. I felt envious. I know this overblowing trail of messed up rumination will pass but come in lighter degrees from inexplicably thinking about you past work hours until I hit the hay.

Right now, I only hope and ask the Universe for you to be safe at all aspects while chiselling in becoming the better version of yourself by weeding out the realized toxic traits you figured from yourself based on your encounters from living with your abroad ambitions. Hoping you will have more strength and energy to take care of yourself and tread against whatever plummets you down in this new journey as the world has been hard enough. As you say, happiness is such a luxury.

- kkemtal

#kkemtal #Hope #Love #Desire #Pray #Adulthood #Diary #Gratitude

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deitiesofduat · 5 years

Photo

BASTET: “As it turns out, the project has been due for this type of update for some time -- which the artist @tenicola (aka @teninini, colacanvas, and "Teni") finally got around to, after having enough headspace to approach it.

“And just to avoid worrying anyone seeing this -- nope, Teni is not dropping DEITIES project anytime soon. She's not going anywhere, and neither am I! Or the rest of my pantheon!

“But Teni mentioned she was worried about projecting that outcome, due to how inactive she's been online, and how quiet she's been about progress. She's hoping this update can add some clarity on what's actually going on, and what to expect going forward.”

“The rest of this update is below the cut, as text mixed with panels. It's on the long-ish side, and while it's best to skim through everything for context, you can also skip to the section "SHIFT IN [PUBLIC] SCOPE" if you just want to get to the point.

“Without further ago, let's start with some history that Teni wanted to share for full context -- again, under the cut!”

--------------------------------------------------

[ HISTORY OF DEITIES PROJECT ]

BASTET: “DEITIES Project -- and the main story for said project (Deities of Duat: The Chaos Seal), which is intended as a long form webcomic -- has been in development, privately and offline, since late 2014. Teni meant to keep it private for as long as possible, until she felt “ready” to share it.

“However, she was motivated to take the plunge and reveal the project's existence with these color tests and with this comic, as part of her coursework for her visual storytelling class. You know the one…”

“The surge of encouragement from both her classmates and her followers motivated Teni to create this blog -- the one you're visiting right now! It was Teni's full intention to use this blog to share progress on the main story, as a full-length webcomic, while building and engaging her audience.”

“However, along the way were a few... unforeseen obstacles that reared their head. Some obstacles were mitigated by making steady updates to the story and blog, but some were much more challenging, and she thinks it only fair to disclose some of them for context...”

--------------------------------------------------

[ OBSTACLES OF LIFE ]

BASTET: “The first obstacle was the sudden onset of chronic lower back pain -- just before the launch of the DEITIES blog in 2016. She still has it to this day, and says this ache makes it unbearable to sit or stand in the same position for too long. Among several inconveniences this causes, it also means she can only draw in short bursts before her stamina taps out, or before needing pain relief -- like heat, ice, and pressure.”

“As you might imagine, it's not the most fun condition to have when you enjoy drawing! And it's taken a while for Teni to cope with this daily frustration. She's still planning to find answers and a treatment to help reduce it, but has also accepted that she's been dealt this hand -- not unlike other creatives that deal with some form of chronic pain.”

“The back pain was one obstacle, but having to deal with different interpersonal struggles and friction was another. Some spiked her usual feelings of anxiety, and in one relationship's case, made her question whether or not the project was worth continuing. (On that note -- Teni does not want to call out anyone or guilt them, she just wanted to bring it up as a factor for the larger point she's making — just bear with us!)

“The third big obstacle a few years back, was having a day job that had an... ‘unfriendly’ work environment, and was paying a lot less income than she fairly deserved. And near the beginning of 2018, she was laid off from said job, putting a halt to any income she was earning only a week after signing the lease to her first apartment!”

“Teni didn't go into detail about those months of job hunting and taking tech classes, though she explains bits of it in previous updates. But the lack of financial stability at the time hung over her head constantly. The way she put it was: ‘It was hard to motivate myself to indulge in something I loved, but that didn't provide income, while I was in the middle of an extended job hunt.’"

“She didn't expect all these obstacles in succession when she launched the project. And she admits that she felt a combination of frustration, impatience, and disappointment for not updating the project at the same pace she started.”

“This was not because of any pressure from followers -- she told me you all have been incredibly understanding and patient! It was because of the fact that the project had been publicly promoted for so long, and she set her own expectations and goals so high -- without factoring the likelihood of life getting in the way. There was also the lingering fear of disappointing a lot of people, if one day she had no choice but to stop the project for her own livelihood and health.”

“Ah, why am I adding to this creative angst -- Teni didn't want this to be a sob story! I'll move on haha.”

--------------------------------------------------

[ IN A BETTER PLACE ]

BASTET: “Thankfully, in spite of all those obstacles, things are turning around for Teni in this new decade. A year ago she found a job with a feasible income to support herself, and an overall healthy work environment within her team. She's also fostered healthier relationships with her family and friends, and even made closer connections with the best friends she's had for ages!”

“And while her back pain is… still there, it's a manageable part of life that she's still determined to find answers for and improve.

“Not to mention that in the past year, she's been able to work on other projects, more quietly, and indulge in drawing other characters and fanart for fun. She's consumed more of her favorite media in the interim as well to support others, and to sate her own curiosity and interests.”

“Moving on to how this relates to this update, now that we have some backdrop for what's been happening...”

--------------------------------------------------

[ AREAS OF INTEREST ]

BASTET: “Again, Teni is not dropping DEITIES Project -- she admits the fear of having to make that call had crossed her mind, but it's not something she thinks she'll need to reconsider right now. Her bigger concern has been how to approach this project publicly, moving forward. And after giving it some thought, she's made some observations that may shed light on this answer.

“Teni wanted me to emphasize the idea of her doing a ‘reset’ for the public presentation and development of DEITIES Project -- not to change or hide the development thus far, but to reframe the project's scope -- what it's focus and goals are, more or less.

“...Oh-- looks like she made some visuals to help with this -- you two mind lending me a hand?”

“You all might have figured it out by now, but Teni absolutely loves drawing character art and designs. She also likes panel-style comics, as well as the dialogue, expressions, and SFX that comes with it. She can work on them offline without prompting, but she also loves sharing what she comes up with!

“What she's less fond of sharing is some of the other... *ahem* unmentionables and time-consuming work that comes with traditional comics. Things that take hours to set up and hours to practice, let alone execute for the final product -- an unfortunate hurdle when you're a one-person production team, and you can only draw in small bursts at a time.”

“She initially tried to put off the more indulgent art that she liked, in order to focus the less-favored obligations... but she realized that this just made her feel demotivated to work on anything, and less got completed as a result.”

“Overall, Teni's coming to terms with both her own limitations and her personal drive, and wants to shift her priorities accordingly for the project -- even if it goes against the grain of what's considered ‘good’ or well-meaning advice for a personal project.”

--------------------------------------------------

[ SHIFT IN [PUBLIC] SCOPE ]

BASTET: “Instead of treating the DEITIES main story/comic as the ‘end game’ goal of this project -- and pouring all her available energy in preparing for it and hyping it up -- Teni wants to shift the main story as a future, and more private ambition, until she's in a better place to execute it and share it publicly.

“No, she does not have any estimate or TBD date for when this will be, or when she'll make public updates on it’s progress or launch. It may even remain private indefinitely. And for now, she's okay with this.

“Because (1) The main story "The Chaos Seal" is not the only story that's worth telling from this project. Smaller side- and backstories, and even small character interactions, have their merit as well -- something Teni learned from drawing askbox responses, completing memes with the cast, and character exploration with friends. And with the main story not sucking up all the oxygen, she thinks it'll leave room to tackle the others more easily -- whether they're planned ahead of time or are spur-of-the-moment, and as comics or different formats.

“(2) Removing the DEITIES main story from its public pedestal will also allow her to work on other non-DEITIES things as they crop up -- and with less irrational guilt to indulge in things that aren't ‘priority’ for completing the comic. Meaning more art of her original characters, fanart, giftart, collabs, memes and bandwagons, and other smaller projects. Heck, she might even give herself permission to relax.

“And (3), perhaps most importantly -- Teni realized that DEITIES Project shouldn’t have to start and end with the so-called main story, and placing the story aside wouldn’t mean the project suddenly becomes a waste of time -- as she originally worried about projecting when her life took a twist.

“DEITIES Project just… is. It already exists, and the characters and world already exist -- with or without a completed webcomic to validate that existence.”

“But anyway, I side-tracked. The point is, Teni's planning to shift DEITIES project to just that -- a project, with room to continually grow, explore, and experiment with, and to engage with others as she feels comfortable, without the pressure of having a giant epic to tell.

“So while the main story and comic is going to shift to something more gradual and private -- the way it was originally meant to be -- this shift in scope will help adjust the project’s longevity, and also set the stage for some changes to be made around the blog, and for the public presentation for DEITIES.”

“However, that content will be less scheduled and remain sporadic -- things will ‘happen when they happen,’ but what Teni has in mind will hopefully be enjoyable for those following the project.”

--------------------------------------------------

[ WHAT'S NEXT-- ]

BASTET: “Here’s the thing: we actually had more to share, but Teni made the call to save it all for another day -- to avoid making this update longer than needed, and to also avoid announcing any plans prematurely. No need to risk building pressure all over again or burning out, right?

“She asks for everyone’s patience and to give her another few weeks to re-calibrate things, address pressing questions, and work on some overdue housekeeping on the blog -- and to just draw whatever pops to her mind, cuz hey, why not? After that, she'll wait until any project items are already in the works and on the road to completion, before she announces that they're coming -- an ‘under-promise but over-deliver’ approach.

“But one thing you can look forward to are more featured deities from the main cast and the supporting cast -- including those colors tests she's been working on since last year, and then some! There's no shortage of inspiration or fodder, so to speak.”

--------------------------------------------------

[ IN CONCLUSION ]

BASTET: “So to recap! DEITIES Project will be shifting its scope and priorities, so that the main story and comic is developed more privately, and more characters and lore will be explored online at a more manageable pace. On the surface, that may not look like much is changing, but hopefully this update can make expectations more clear.

“Teni knows that there may be some in the audience who may feel down about this decision, or who were looking forward to the webcomic to be completed above all else. She says that's totally fair, and encourages anyone looking for stories to check out her recommendations. But she also hopes you'll understand, and be willing to stick around for other content in the meantime.”

"That brings Teni -- and me -- to one final point. Which is to sincerely thank you for all of your support, encouragement, and patience these past few years. In addition to things that are still in the works, there's a lot of content on this blog that had been inspired by everyone's engagement, which we can't thank you enough for!

“Teni and I, and everyone else from the pantheon, are excited about what’s next for Deities of Duat and DEITIES Project. And we’re looking forward to sharing more content, more freely, in the upcoming year for you all to enjoy.”

#// If there was only one long-winded update I would encourage you all to read it's definitely this one #// Partially for the actual update and also cuz those panels took a while lmAO;;; but I did it for the sake of this announcement!#// I think Bastet explains it well enough for now; that the project is shifting it's scope online #// But if anyone has questions then feel free to leave it as a comment; I'll try to answer what i can directly and/or in the next update #// Thanks again for all your support and patience everyone; I'm genuinely thinking this shift in scope will be good for the project overall.#// Now excuse me while I draw something other than these mascots for a bit; it was nice to draw them for the first time in a while though #DEITIES Project #Deities of Duat #DEITIES updates #Bastet #Set Spawn #Ba #animals #characters #DEITIES text #artwork #comics #mini comics #egyptian mythology

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bestworstcase · 4 years

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Since Gilbert took over Corona in the latest chapter, I wanted to know like, what is his relationship with his brothers? Do he and Frederic usually get along? Is it a kind of "I was supposed to inherent the throne" kind of deal? Also how does he feel about Arianna, Punzel, and Eugene?

alrighty so!!

gilbert is the middle sibling; fred’s older, ludolf is younger. i don’t think he has much, if anything, in the way of ambition to rule—he’s very much a traditionalist and that includes buying into the system of monarchy and frederic having the “right” to rule as the eldest son.

however he absolutely is not the kind of person who could loaf around being a rich prince all his life, and since the temple didn’t appeal to him (too boring) and neither did diplomacy (too delicate), as a young man he enlisted in ingvarr’s battalion and served as an officer in the hvassjarn war, which was a fairly significant war ~20 years ago involving, primarily, a territorial dispute between ingvarr and seland, with their respective allies getting dragged into the mix (and quintonia stuck in the middle like “god damn it, guys, again?).

and that is an environment in which gilbert definitely thrived. he always has a very black and white, us-vs-them mentality that suited him well for war; he liked the military camaraderie of the battalion, the physical and mental challenges of battle, and the... simplicity? of the whole conflict. i think any political nuances that existed were entirely lost on him and in his mind it was a very straightforward... we (the seven kingdoms) are the good guys, we want the land, seland/the hĺessian alliance doesn’t want to give us the land, therefore they are bad and we’re fighting them.

buuut then the war ended, and he retired with honors from the battalion and returned home to corona, where... there was really nothing for him to do except advise frederic and involve himself with the king’s watch, which is the closest thing corona has to a standing army. and i think he found that sort of boring and unfulfilling / ended up being to restless to ever... like start a family of his own.

i figure in the last 20 or so years he’s been in and out of corona a fair amount for diplomatic reasons, and he doesn’t... enjoy that, but it’s something he can do to Serve Corona, which he’s very keen to do. because he’s very patriotic. but like, in general, he isn’t a man who... can exist without an enemy, if that makes sense? he needs a them to be in opposition against, and in times of peace there’s really not. a clear cut them

and then of course in this same time frame his baby niece was kidnapped and he was heartbroken about that and dealt with that heartbreak by, even moreso than frederic did, looking for someone to blame...

...which is where his hatred of saporians really started to boil over. like he was never not bigoted against them, but when he was a younger man i think it really was more just the average... thoughtless dismissal / distaste and casual distrust of saporian culture that Most Coronans have. but after rapunzel was kidnapped gilbert a) looked at the exploding popularity of saporian separatism and went “clearly Those People stole, and probably killed, my infant niece,” and then b) generalized separatism to all saporians and entrenched himself further and further in that bigotry until he got to... where he is today, which is something goes wrong and his knee-jerk reaction is to be like “the saporians did this somehow”

when the saporians / the coalition between the separatists and the syconium started actually seriously laying the groundwork for a rebellion, gilbert was already mentally primed to jump straight to saporians are the enemy and we need to treat this like a war...

...which frederic repeatedly refused to do. and gilbert was legitimately distressed about this, because in his mind, saporians are The Enemy/not coronan, and they’re a dire threat to corona, and he can see very clearly that they’re going to become a worse threat if something isn’t done, and... frederic is doing nothing about it. [what fred is actually doing is applying moderation and recognizing that saporians are part of corona too, but that. doesn’t register as doing anything, in gilbert’s brain]

so gilbert is like UH??? because it feels to him like he’s the only sane person left in the room and everyone else is just sitting on their butts with their heads in the sand. and he really doesn’t know what to do about it other than loudly and insistently asking fred to Do Something, but that keeps... not... working...

and then the saporians steal the journal of herz der sonne. this compromises herzingen’s security in a MAJOR way, and gilbert is able to wring a couple concessions out of it... but it’s nowhere near what he feels is enough, in his mind the task force (under sir peter’s command, not his) is a token gesture at best. it’s not going to fix anything.

and then his niece gets kidnapped AGAIN! and STILL nothing changes! the witch who kidnapped and hurt her gets coddled [this is how gilbert interprets sir peter chewing out the guards he catches roughing her up] and lackadaisical security allows her to not just escape but also murder a guard on the way out. and still nothing changes except for a handful of arrests and interrogations that don’t really go anywhere.

so gilbert is getting very frustrated and uneasy and upset, and he feels like the only person taking this huge burgeoning crisis seriously...

...and that’s where he’s at when cass dips and leaves her note confessing to stealing the journal, and gilbert is like. HOLY SHIT. THIS HAS GOTTA CHANGE THINGS. and he pushes very very hard for more stringent measures, and for the most part he gets them, but that ends up being, in his mind, too little too late, because just a couple weeks later socona revolts and almost thirty coronan guards die. (and there’s also the report from falke that two of the guards stationed in socona were traitors lol)

and then in the scene with him and sir peter in the hospital in artois, gilbert very much sees that... sir peter is not going to emotionally be able to handle a war where cassandra is on the other side, so he’s like. weighing up the odds he can get frederic to remove sir peter from the commandership and he’s like... Doubt.

so that’s the point at which gilbert commits himself to a coup, because he is at his wit’s end and in his mind it’s either... a leader who is better prepared for war steps up to steer corona through this, or the saporians destroy corona forever, and as much as he doesn’t want it to come to forcibly removing frederic from power he feels like it’s his only choice, because frederic is too soft and sir peter is too emotionally compromised by. everything.

and then it’s uh. about a month, give or take a bit, for gilbert to actually put the coup together—which is a FAST turn around, but he’s able to pull it off because a lot of the king’s watch is very unhappy about how sir peter has been handling the whole “saporians keep killing guards” and “cassandra was a traitor” situations, and it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to get enough of them on his side for a coup to be possible. and then he waits until the next opportunity presents itself and rolls in with a plan and the backing of corona’s closest thing to an army at his back and strong-arms frederic into abdicating to facilitate a “peaceful” transfer of power. and now frederic and arianna are under a soft house arrest rip them

*deep breath*

anyway all of that is a long winded way of saying in gilbert’s mind, he’s 100% the Virtuous Underdog Hero who is Selflessly Stepping Up to save corona from its Well Meaning But Incompetent Leaders in a Time of Dire Consequence. so that’s where he was coming from.

as for his relationships with his family:

- he loves frederic but does not respect him very much, because the events of benighted / fred completely losing any semblance of control he had over the separatists eroded gilbert’s respect for him pretty signifcantly. (prior to benighted, i think gilbert felt pretty favorably about frederic’s leadership; he approved heartily of the crackdown, though he kept trying to nudge fred to go even harder to clean up those last few hotspots of separatism in southern corona)

- he also loves ludolf but ludolf confuses him because ludolf is perfectly content with his life as a rector and gilbert is just kinda like. but isn’t it boring. but he keeps that thought to himself because gilbert is a fairly devout man and he respects ludolf’s decision to devote his life to the temple quite a bit even if he absolutely does not get it. he does however think that ludolf, and the whole temple really, is Too Soft and Too Idealistic to function in reality

- he clashes with arianna a lot on political grounds because they have almost no common ground in their opinions on the direction corona should go, but he likes her as a person and thinks she’s generally a good fit for frederic / he’s pleased to have her as a sister in law. they just. have a no politics at the dinner table sort of agreement. because otherwise they Will fight.

- he was firmly, if silently, convinced that rapunzel was dead until she strolled back into herzingen. after that he was delighted to be wrong, and very happy for fred and ari’s sake in addition to just happy to have his niece back / for the chance to get to know her. i think a lot of his pushing and some of the desperation he has in benighted comes in part from a desire to protect rapunzel, though he sorta conflates her safety with the safety of corona as a whole in a way that frederic doesn’t.

- he... did not like eugene at all at first, and still doesn’t like him very much. he thinks eugene is a rude, ignorant layabout who is taking advantage of frederic’s and arianna’s gratitude and he does not like that rapunzel is involved with him and he was PISSED after the botched proposal. i think fred and ari had to tag team him to get him not to just like. explode at eugene, and that only worked because gilbert knew other people were chewing eugene out for the whole thing. he has warmed up to eugene very slightly since then, because eugene started to get his act together and stopped acting so lazy. but he still is definitely like, hoping rapunzel will dump him and kick him out of the palace soon lbjkskdjlfjksd

- he’s very big on the Idea of family, even though he was never able/ready to start a family of his own (which i think... is something that bothers him a bit, though not something he dwells on). so the coup is something he genuinely didn’t want to do to frederic, but he did it because he felt it was for the greater good / he had to put his personal feelings aside to do the Right Thing. and in general he wants and tries to have good personal relationships with his family.

#bitter snow #Anonymous

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wichols · 4 years

Text

Rain and Confessions

@sammy-moo and @falling-pages you both requested something utterly heartbreaking and I am both here and not here for it! How you gonna do my OTP like this!?! I am not liable for whatever feels you experience while reading.

Pairing- Kyoya x Haruhi

Prompt- “And yet, you’re still not enough.”

Word Count- 1,662

Kyoya had decided to stay an extra week in America to help her pack and prepare to move back to Japan to begin studying for the bar. After setting down another full box he silently watched her across the room as she organized a box in the kitchen. “Care to go for a walk?” “Sure but its still raining outside. Don’t want you to melt from the wet.” “At this rate, we will finish tonight and still have two days left before our flights. Plus, when are we ever going to be here again like this?” Glancing around the room, her boxes lined the walls, neatly organized by importance. “Ok, fine. You’ve convinced me.” Peering around the corner she dug out their raincoats for the closet and slipped on their shoes to brave the light rain.

“Anywhere, in particular, you would like to walk?” He questioned looking up and down the empty street. Pointing away from the row of buildings she gestured to the left. “If we go this way there is a nice park near campus that I like to visit.” With a broad sweeping gesture, he motioned her to take the lead. “After you.” He smiled, stuffing his hand back into his pocket. His fingers rubbed softly against the small velvet box secretly tucked away. Making his heart begin to jump and sputter much to his dismay. They walked silently side by side listening to the rain drop unceremoniously to the ground. “I think I am going to miss this.” Haruhi mussed, keeping her steady pace. His eyes sneaking quick glances at his companion. Behind his glasses, he has watched her world morph and change. “This has been the place you have spent much of your time. You were bound to get attached. Though it is nothing like home.” She was no longer the oblivious blunt girl she was in high school but now an observant, headstrong, law school graduate. “This might not be where I was raised but it has become a home. The feeling of home is less about the physical place but the memories your heart holds onto. I have grown so much in this place I contemplated staying for a while.” She smirked. “But we both know that Tamaki would never let that slide. I am sure once I get back Japan will feel like home again too.” Turning the corner he watched as her eyes lit up with excitement at the lush greenery surrounded by red brick buildings. Though he would never understand the appeal of Boston his eyes were set on a different goal. A long-awaited accomplishment to add to his list. It didn’t matter what happened to his life, he was bound and determined to have her face light up like that for the rest of her life. “Care to walk through or are we just going to look at it?” “Walking through. My favorite times to come here are right after it rains. It makes everything smell like new beginnings.” Her eyes held their dreamy wonder as they approached the opening of the park. Kyoya’s heart swelled as they continued their walk through the flourishing greenery. New beginnings are exactly what he wanted. Haruhi would be back in Japan and they could begin planning the rest of their lives together. His hand fidgeting nervously around the box as they approached a low hanging branch. Reaching out quicking he grabbed the crook of Haruhi’s elbow stopping her under the small sanctuary of the tree. “Kyoya? What’s wrong?” She asked, cocking her head in confusion. Sliding his hand down to hers he clutched it lightly as he settled down onto one knee. “Haruhi, I know that I am not the easiest person to get along with and for that, I want to thank you. It has been a joy and a pleasure watching you work hard to achieve and surpass your goals. You are an extraordinary woman and I would be remiss to not want to be beside you while you rise to new heights. I want each day of your life to be better than the next and not only that, do I want to play a role in that. I want to be the person you create new beginnings with. I want to be the person to comfort you and stand beside you. Will you do me the honor and privilege of becoming my wife?” Momentarily letting go of her hand, he fumbled the small box out of his pocket revealing the dainty ring nestled in velvet and satin. Haruhi’s eyes were blown wide with shock. Her eyes flicked between the ring and Kyoya’s steady gaze. “What?” Chuckling he let out a small sigh. “ Marry me Haruhi?” A pregnant pause lingered between them. “No.” Her voice stuttered breathlessly. “What?” Feeling his stomach drop he looked at her pleadingly. “I can’t.” Steading himself back on to two feet he watched as she took a tentative step back. “Why not?” “I just can’t.” She repeated. “You said that already. I was more so looking for an actual reason.” Snapping the box closed he placed the ring back into his pocket. Stepping cautiously towards her, he found his hands reaching out for hers. “I don’t want to be with you because of your money or your status.” She tried to come up with some reason to appease Kyoya. “Then don’t be with me for those reasons. Be with me because of the connection we have between us, for the love I hold for you. I never thought I would be able to be with someone of my choosing. Someone who not only kept up with me but threatened to surpass both my expectations for them but also the expectations that I hold for myself. Be with me for any reason of your choosing but all I ask is that you be with me.” He could feel his walls begin to crumble. “I am not one for begging but please be with me?” “I’m sorry.” She whispered as her tears mimicked the ever-present rain falling around them. Kyoya was feeling even more desperate, he never expected her to say no. “I can give you anything and everything you could ever want. My name alone has cleared a path for any position in any law firm that you could ever possibly dream of being a part of. I have placed my life on hold for years while watching you reach towards your dreams. I have sacrificed more than anyone else around you to make you happy!” He felt his jaw clench and unclench trying to regain some composure. “But I never asked you too.” Her eyes never wavering. Watching him silently as his world crashed around him. “You might not have but they are all things I did for you. It is because of you that I am who I am at this very moment. Against all suggested advice I have carried on, biding my time, and clearing a way for you to succeed. There is nothing more that I could ask than to be by your side while you bring justice to those who need it most.” “This is bigger than the two of us.” Her lip quivered as she dropped her eyes to stare at the ground. “What more could I do to be with you? Tell me what you need and I will do it. Tell me to change for you and I will. I will become whoever you need me to be. No matter the monetary cost or personal sacrifice. If you ask me for more I will give you more.” His weak voice grating against his soul. “You say all these things expecting me to change my mind. I know you do not say these things lightly nor do you say these things without the personal expectations to do whatever it takes to accomplish those goals. Even after your declaration of love to me, you still missed what I said. You are so caught up in your goals and the situations that you control that you want that you become blind to others. You offer me everything. You place me on an unrealistically high pedestal that I will neither be able to stay upon forever or safely get done from without you. I understand that if I am to be with you that I will never have to struggle. That my whole life, all the things I have done, becomes null by taking your last name. No matter what happens. Being with you is not feasible. In the eyes of those around us you are still the Shadow King capable of anything. And yet, you’re still not enough.” His heart twisted and stalled as his mind played over her words. And yet, you’re still not enough. “How is it that I offer you everything and even still you are not satisfied with my proposal?” “Because you are asking me for the impossible.” Twisting her hands together, she watched his face shift from frustration to confusion. “You are asking me to change you. To morph you into someone unrecognizable form your true self. I cannot ask you to give up everything for me. You cannot change your status or your ambition. You say that you will do all these things out of your love for me but it is because of my love for you that I cannot accept your offer because you become less of who you are and more of the person you think I need. I don’t need your money or your prestige to be successful. I want to be seen for my own abilities not by my last name and for that there is nothing you could do or say to be enough for me because you will never not be Kyoya Ootori.”

He listened as her footsteps and light sniffles faded into the cadence of the falling rain. And yet I still want to be enough for you. You can find more of my stories on AO3 or FF.Net.

#OHSHC #angst #ANGST AND FEELS #Kyoya Ootori #haruhi fujioka #Kyoya x Haruhi #writing prompt fic #KyoHaru #ouran host club #ouran high school host club #ouran hshc #ouran kyoya #haruhi ouran

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mira-shard · 5 years

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Marina Willow Profile

I had to use this once I saw @hogwartsmysterystory AMAZING template!

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IDENTITY

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Name: Marina Madeline Willow

Gender: Female

Age: 15 (In most of my works)

Birth Date: 2/2/1973

Species: Human

Blood Status: Half-Blood (Father is a pure-blood, the mother is a Half-blood)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Alignment: Chaotic neutral

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Nationality: British

Residence: Willow Manor

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ENTP

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THE MAGE

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1st Wand: Acacia wand, 12 inches, unicorn hair core

Acacia wood:

A very unusual wand wood, which is found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted. This sensitivity renders them difficult to place, and Ollivanders keeps only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not suited to what is commonly known as ‘bangs-and-smells’ magic. When well-matched, an acacia wand matches any for power, though it is often underrated due to the peculiarity of its temperament.

Unicorn hair core:

Unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. Wands with unicorn cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. They are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner, irrespective of whether he or she was an accomplished witch or wizard.

Minor disadvantages of unicorn hair are that they do not make the most powerful wands (although the wand wood may compensate) and that they are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may ‘die’ and need replacing.

2nd Wand: 11-and-a-quarte inches, ebony wood, Hippogriff and Fwooper feather

Ebony wood:

This jet-black wand wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manner of combative magic, and to Transfiguration. Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider, ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix and among the Death Eaters. In my experience the ebony wand’s perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose.

Fwooper feather:

Fwooper feather wands are said to be a mark of ill omen for the wizards they bond to, as, like the birds they come from, they are rumored to slowly drive their wielder mad. Despite their poor reputation, they do well with Charms and Care of Magical Creatures. However, they have a near-inability to cast Quietus. They are commonly combined with another feather core, such as the phoenix for health or the hippogriff for stability.

Hippogriff feather:

Hippogriffs are noble animals with a reputation for not taking a slight. These wands require constant respect, and if the wielder does not give it, they can watch its formerly stable and versatile magic backfire on it. It is not the strongest core, but it is one of the most adaptable. These wands are most common amongst Gryffindors, but they are rare overall.

Animagus: Jaguar

Misc Magical Abilities: Legilimens

Boggart Form: A younger version of herself and her brother, clinging to each other in fear while a threathening shadow is towering above them.

Boggart meaning: A simple moment that makes her remember all the times Marina and her brother spent together, unable to trust anything in their own home, their own parents included.

Riddikulus Form: The shadow turns out to be their mother, who casts spells that create butterflies and other pretty things, leaving the siblings in awe.

Amortentia, what she smells like: Sea salt and lavender.

Amortentia, what she smells: Butterbeer, a smoldering fire and cinnamon.

Patronus: Jaguar

Patronus Memory: Besting the ice vault with her friends, being one step closer to her reunion with her brother.

Mirror of Erised: Her brother and her playing at the cliff sides near the manor, while their mother watches over them with a smile.

Specialized/Favourite Spells: Musicis Ludere (A spell that allows instruments to play whatever song the caster was thinking of without a musician) is her favourite spell in general. Her favourite combat spell is Bombarda.

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APPEARANCE

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Faceclaim: None.

Game Appearance:

Voice claim: Morgan Berry

Height: 173 cm

Weight: 58 kg

Eye Colour: Greyish green

Hair Colour: Brown, dyed purple passed her shoulders.

Skin Tone: Pale

Scarring: Scar on her left cheek from the fight with the ice knight in her fifth year and a burn mark on her back from the dragon in the portrait vault.

Inventory: Pet food, lots of empty notebooks, stuffed kneazel, at least 1 sweater, a walkman, a beanie and reading books.

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ALLEGIANCES

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Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Ilvermorny House: She would have been a Pukwudgie

Affiliations/Organizations: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of the Phoenix.

Professions: Cursebreaker at Gringotts, helper at the Willow home-away-from-home, her brother’s business.

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HOGWARTS INFORMATION

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Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: Outstanding

Charms: Exceeds Expectations

DADA: Outstanding

Flying: Exceeds Expectations

Herbology: Dreadful

History of Magic: Acceptable

Potions: Exceeds Expectations

Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations

Electives:

Care of Magical creatures: Acceptable

Divination: Exceeds Expectations

Extra-Curricular: Slytherin beater and prefect.

Favourite Professors: Professor Kettleburn. She adores his passion for his subject and can see herself in his recklessness when it comes to dealing with said passions. He might be a tad crazy but she enjoys talking to him and can often get away with misbehaving in his class.

Least Favourite Professors: Professor Snape. Marina enjoys challenging authority figures and has a strong sense of personal justice that sometimes goes against Hogwarts rules which rubs Snape the wrong way. She has gained some respect for him when she learned he distrusts Rakepick as well. To quote her exact words, "Well, turns out Snape is less of Dumbledore's bootlicker than we thought."

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RELATIONSHIPS

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Brother: Acacius "Jacob" Willow.

Marina and Acacius have a very loving and protective relationship. Being born with a neglectant mother and an abusive father, the two learned to rely on each other at a very young age. When Acacius started studying at Hogwarts, he made sure to teach Marina everything he learned during the holidays and the summer.

Much like his younger sister, Acacius is not one to look away from injustice, having to watch his family suffer from his own father’s cruelty for so long. Thanks to the support of Duncan Ashe and Olivia Green, he learned how to stand up to his father and how to quietly rebel against other sorts of authority figures, something he passed onto Marina.

Acacius tends to say ‘fuck it,’ when someone talks shit about his family or muggleborns and just fight them the muggle way. He finds it a good way to get his aggression out but it got him into loads of trouble and a reputation as a delinquent at Hogwarts. It was one of the few things he didn’t pass onto his baby sister.

Father: Emeric Lorenzo Willow

Emeric is a faithful follower of Voldemort, his ambition of furthering his family legacy based on power instead of blood purity being the only thing more powerful.

He married Marina’s mother merely for the natural born skill of legilemncy that ran trough her family, hoping it would pass onto their childeren. As far as most of the wizarding world knows, this marriage nor the childeren it produced exists. Emeric has another family elsewhere to keep up his reputation as a powerful and clean man.

He controlled his hidden family with fear and his connections, making a show of torturing aurors during Voldemort’s reign and forcing his childeren to watch.

The abuse was never physhical but mental torture, as a punishment for Acaius and Marina for not having legillmens abilities as far as he knows.

Mother: Abigail Kowalski-Willow.

Abigail is a witch who was born and raised in America and transferred to Hogwarts after an experiment gone wrong and got her expelled from Ilvermorny.

A naïve yet determinded soul who enjoyed using her legilemens abilities whenever possible, but her ambitions got her into huge financial debt after graduating from Hogwarts.

Enamored with Emeric’s affections and interested in his wealth, she agreed to marry him after a few months of flirting.

When Acacius hid his talent from Emeric, the wizard took his frustrations out on Abigail, torturing her with the cruciatus curse. By the time Marina was born, their mother had passed the brink of insanity. Neither of the kids truly got to know their mother and never learned they got their curiosity and determination from her.

Other Siblings: To be Revealed :3

Love Interest:

Canon love interest: Jae Kim

The two of them had met during detention and connected by making fun of professor Snape. When the two gradually started hanging out more often they bonded further about their authority defying traits and humor.

The two had been flirting quite often, sometimes even kissing one another on the cheek or forehead, or cuddling in one of their common rooms, but they both played it off on them just joking around,afraid of rejection from the other.

It wasn’t until the Circle of Khanna was estabalished when Jae decided to act on his feelings, but Marina was sadly emotionally unavailable. However, once she worked trough her grief and finished the quest for the vaults, they began a relationship in their seventh year.

Friends with Benefits: Marina and Merula had an agreement that lasted from their sixth year until the first half of their seventh year. Eventually Merula broke things off cause she knew the relationship wouldn’t go anywhere and they parted ways. Marina rediscovered her feelings for Jae Kim a few months later.

MC love interests:

Molly darling ( @mollydarling-hphm ) :

Marina is ride or die for her girl, simple as that. You have a problem with Molly? Marina would like to know your location. They’re the equivelent of “Don’t mess with my badger or you’ll never see the light of day again.”

Best Friends: Rowan Khanna and Ben Copper.

Rival: Merula Snyde and Acacius Willow

-She never truly saw Merula as a rival, more as if they were two sides of the same coin

-Jacob made himself her rival the moment he refused to work together on finding the vaults

Enemy: Rakepick and R

Dormmates: Rowan Khanna, Merula Snyde, Liz Tuttle and Night Rhea ( @nightrhea-hphm )

Pets: Fritzgerald (Her kneazle) and Tiberius (her owl)

Closest Canon Friends: Merula, Rowan and Ben.

Closest MC Friends: Stephanie Alexeev, ( @hanihonii ) Helene Adler ( @heleneplays , Alice Beaumont ( @mizutoyama ), Luna Silvermore ( @lunasilvermore ), Kyril Vasiley ( @kyril-hphm ), Samantha O’Connell ( @samshogwarts ) Feen McKenzie ( @sam-winchester-is-my-bitch )

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BACKGROUND/HISTORY

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Born to Emeric and Abigail Willow, the younger sister of Acacius "Jacob."

A sadistic, death eater for a father and a mentally unstable legilimens for a mother. The first part of her life Marina always kept to Acacius and her mother, scared to leave the house and unable to befriend the kids of her father's associates. The few happy moments she had in her early childhood was whenever her father was working or at a meeting and her mother enchanted the music instruments to play her favourite lullaby as she and Acacius danced and chased each other around the ballroom.

The order of the Phoenix managed to capture Emeric Willow before Voldemort’s defeat at the Potter house. By then Acacius had already dissapeared, leaving Marina alone in an empty household. The few house elves that worked there took care of her as Abigail was taken into St. Mungo’s.

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PERSONALITY

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Positive traits: Curious, Determined, Ambitious, quick thinker, understanding and protective.

Negative traits: Cynical, distrusting, rebellious, impulsive, sarcastic, wants to do everything by herself.

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MISC

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-Marina was against going after the cursed vault at first but had a change of heart in her second year when she found a secret attic in the manor filled with Acacius’s stuff.

-She's so busy she often forgets to eat.

-She’s affectionate

#hogwarts mystery mc #hogwarts mystery #harry potter hogwarts game #hogwarts mc #marina willow #character sheet #character template

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multimetaverse · 6 years

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Tyrus in 3c

I’ve gotten a lot of asks about what might happen with Tyrus in the rest of the season and I’ll use this post to answer them all. We can already tell by the fact that they started this story line without the audience actually knowing that TJ is gay and that he and Kira only have 3 eps left that most of this plot is going to be subtextual and off-screen. Things have to end on at least a strained note for Tyrus in 3x15, the real question is whether they reconcile in 3x19 or if they only end up on good terms again as they confess in 3x21. The latter is always an option with Disney’s restrictions but there are some reasons to be cautiously optimistic that we’ll get the former and I have to blindly hope that TJ and Cyrus won’t be made into victims and will be allowed to be the heroes of their own stories. This will be a long post but tldr: what we know of Kira’s screen-time suggests that she’s largely redeemed by the finale, some sort of big gesture is likely needed for TJ to truly apologize to Cyrus like a rap or hug, it’s noteworthy that TJ’s scenes in 3x19 are all at school, and there are some interesting similarities between what’s going on with Jandi and Tyrus and noticeable differences between what’s going on with those ships and Muffy.

TJ and Kira have 3 eps left while Marty has 4-5 and Amber has 6 so already we can tell which story lines are most important. TJ disappears for three eps after 3x15 which is the longest he’s been away since he returned this season and the longest they seem willing to let the important love interests be off-screen. The gap is largely because the wedding is in 3x18 and TJ isn’t allowed to be there but eps 16-18 are likely to span at least several weeks in universe and suggests an opportunity for off screen growth and change on his part. Perhaps most importantly we know for the finale that Raquel was only on set for one day and that was the same day that all of the other main and recurring kids were on set so Kira is not going to get very much screen-time in the finale which along with the fact that she is even at the party suggests she’s already on good terms with Cyrus and TJ.

We know that Raquel was on set for only one day for 3x15 and it seems likely that Luke was only on set for a day as well during the filming of an outdoor basketball game with teen boy players; probably the same set up we saw in 3x13. This must be where Cyrus tries to talk with TJ but doesn’t really get anywhere, it will be interesting to see how angsty of a note they end on and if it’s meant to be something that sticks with us or something that they want us to forget about until 3x19. Fwiw it does look like TJ is wearing the same camo hoodie in 3x15 as he was in 3x07 so an angsty callback to’’ you’re the only person I can talk to like this’’ may be in the cards. Raquel never posted from set during 3x19 (presumably that’s when she appears though if she for some reason needed to have solo scenes with Cyrus she could potentially appear in 3x16 or 3x17). She wasn’t seen in any of the casts posts from that week so she likely wasn’t on set for more than a day for that ep either.

Three days of filming spread over 3 eps means Kira will be lucky to have more than 5 minutes of screen-time the rest of the season and that her redemption arc will have to be fairly quick. I have to hope that her redemption arc will begin in 3x15 when she realizes or is made to realize the hurt she’s caused TJ and Cyrus. Since Raquel confirmed that Kira knows what’s up with Tyrus I’d expect that the only way to redeem her would be for her to become TJ’s Buffy and support him in his sexuality as Buffy has with Cyrus which would mostly happen off screen but since they’re willing to let them have solo scenes could begin in 3x15, maybe with Kira offering to hear TJ out if he wants to talk. We need to see something from her that shows that she’s not an evil person and that she can learn to do the right thing.

I’d expect this plot line to look like a peer pressure/manipulation/being true to yourself plot line to little kids and the fear of homophobia story line it is supposed to be for older audiences. It looks like they’re trying to show a coming out story line where the fear isn’t internalized homophobia such as it was with Cyrus but external homophobia but I think that difference will escape much of the audience. We’ve seen TJ be so happy to hang with Cyrus at school or the park or at the spoon or at his work or with his friends so I wonder what little kids think of him suddenly being afraid to be seen matching with Cyrus.

Where does this leave Cyrus after 3x15? Again the audience has never had it confirmed that Cyrus likes TJ so that affects how the audience sees this conflict. Is he going to be allowed to talk about what’s going on with his friends or will this just be ignored until 3x19? Letting TJ be able to have solo scenes with Kira means that the show can wall this plot off from the rest of the show until 3x19 which is the route they’re going, I fear.

For Cyrus I think this will primarily look to him like TJ is ashamed to be close to him which is why I find it noteworthy that TJ is at school in 3x19 especially since before the re-shoots 3x19 was the last time the show filmed scenes at school. Cyrus feeling that TJ doesn’t want to be close to him would be devastating for Cyrus even if he’s not allowed to express it on screen. They had TJ say I’m sorry for the first time in 3x13 and he can say it again to Cyrus but I think TJ needs to show Cyrus that he’s important to him.

Jonah left Cyrus upset after refusing to wear their matching jackets in S1 and even though Jonah didn’t realize or care the hurt he caused Cyrus he did end up making it up to him by publicly praising him at the awards dinner and giving him a space otters jersey and a hug. I don’t think TJ’s apology would get anywhere near that level of attention but I think another rap is likely but this time it’s a more personal message from TJ to Cyrus. Or something like a hug or a callback to’’ He’s with me’’ from 2x08, something that shows Cyrus that he’s important to TJ. I’d imagine Kira would have to help out with whatever spurs their reconciliation so the audience at least doesn’t hate her anymore. I’m not saying TJ has to jump on stage and rap or hug Cyrus on stage but some sort of moment at the school in front of at least a couple of other people is needed for Tyrus to move past this conflict.

Luke was on set for two days in 3x19 and he and Josh had at least one wardrobe change so we’re probably looking at more than one day in universe. The potential Jandi and Tyrus scenes at the game could be very important as I’ll get in to in a bit. It also looks like TJ may have scenes with Buffy and Cyrus and Cyrus has a scene with Gus in the theatre which suggests Cyrus is getting more focus than usual and could be set up for a callback to 3x13 where Cyrus was miserable on stage but in 3x19 he’s happy.

So far in S3 Tyrus has been cycling through all their big moments: muffin, swings, dyscalculia, and somersaults. If the pattern holds we should get a look back in 3x15. I do think the audience needs something to show that TJ is gay and has a crush on Cyrus if this plot is to have any hope of succeeding. It mirrors something that @cyrusgoodboye noted after S2 aired; that in 2x12 Andi listed all the things Jonah had failed to do in what she thought was their relationship and then in 2b Jonah did all those things in the order she listed as they rekindled their relationship.

One thing that really caught my eye in 3x13 is the out of nowhere Jandi/Tyrus parallel they threw in with both Jonah and TJ letting down Andi and Cyrus (though for obviously different reasons). All of the GHC have a thing for sporty white guys but Andi and Cyrus have a more specific type: green eyed captains with hidden depths and secrets and poor coping mechanisms; which is why the both liked Jonah in S1. Andi and Cyrus are more alike than they are with Buffy just as Jonah and TJ are more alike than they are with Marty. Jonah and TJ have been written as foils from the beginning of TJ’s arc and the show even invented a past for them and has now established them as friends.

In contrast things are going much smoother for Muffy. The show could have dug into Marty icing Buffy out but the show blamed Buffy and dismissed it out of hand. That’s not to say they won’t have drama and angst but ‘’the boy I like has a girlfriend’’ is an order of magnitude less than the issues Andi and Jonah and Cyrus and TJ are facing. What’s also interesting is that Muffy is the only endgame couple that are together by the wedding. We know that Machel sinks in 3x17 as Marty is at the wedding in 3x18; he’s not there as Buffy’s platonic plus one. But obviously Tyrus doesn’t canon until 3x21 and Jonah singing You Girl to Andi isn’t until 3x20 which seems like that’s the big Jandi get back together moment. So both Jandi and Tyrus having scenes together in 3x19 shortly before they canon is very interesting timing and opens up the potential for more endgame parallels.

Another reason I think there may be another rap is that Terri does like to recycle her work and Cyrus realized his crush on TJ during the first rapology and during the second he could realize that TJ likes him back; it’s like poetry it rhymes. It would also create another parallel between Tyrus and Jandi as both of their love interests make a big gesture.

That’s not to say that Tyrus will get anywhere near the attention Jandi or even Muffy gets, it’s far too late for that, but it is interesting that the writers seem to be linking Tyrus with Jandi more so than Muffy; it does suggest a certain ambition on their part even if those ambitions are frustrated.

There are lots of interesting paths for the show to take in 3x19, but as always when it involves Cyrus’ story line, it’s a question of what they’ll be allowed to do. We have Andi and Jonah and Cyrus and TJ in the same scenes for only the 3rd time in the show and the first time they’ve been at the same game since 2x18. There’s potential for Jonah to call back to his ‘’are they friends’’ line and they’ve gone out of their way to make Jonah and TJ friends, will there be any pay off to that? Jonah knows that Cyrus is gay and knows what a look back means, Andi knows that Cyrus is gay and suspects TJ has a crush on Cyrus and is only allowed into Cyrus’ sexuality story line rarely, Buffy would be at the game and she knows that Cyrus is gay and suspects that TJ has a crush on Cyrus and has always been Cyrus’ staunchest supporter, hell Cyrus even has scenes at the spoon with Amber who knows what look backs mean.

The posters we saw in 3x07 spell out the endgame of all this; for TJ to take pride in who he is and for Kira to learn to respect others. Does TJ resuming his openly affectionate ways give Cyrus the confidence to decide to come out to him? The narrative is asking TJ to in a fairly quick time span be okay with being out to the whole world; something it has never demanded of Cyrus. With Andi, Buffy, Jonah, and Kira all knowing about them does that mean Cyrus and TJ will be allowed to act coupley in front of everyone at the party after they confess or can only those four other characters know? Does TJ even have scenes with Marty and Amber? Bex and Bowie are at the party and Bex likely knows that Cyrus is gay from their talk in 2x07 and both of them know who TJ is from 2x18, are they allowed to be the supportive adults who congratulate Cyrus or must they be kept in the dark as well? I can only hope that Terri managed to convince Gary Marsh to let her pull off a satisfying arc in these remaining eps

#Andi Mack #Tyrus #TJ Kippen #Cyrus Goodman #Kira #Jonah Beck #Buffy Driscoll #Jandi #Muffy #Andi Mack Meta #Andi Mack Season 3

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lokiarsene · 5 years

Text

thoughts on the dark sun OVA:

part 1:

-- oh hey the anime actually cut out haru's shitty fiance from the car entirely. thanks, anime.

-- akeCHI'S LAUGH AGAIN. "YEAH, RIGHT."

-- oh so they used ep 26's intro for this one. nice. it was so cool.

-- "kokoro no naka" is translated as "my mind" in these subs. that's... interesting?

-- okay i realized another thing about this twist that confuses me: it feels a lot like heavy rain flat out fucking lying to you about who the real killer is. there's a part in that game where it just lies to the player to throw you off, and it's STUPID

-- WOULDN'T AKECHI BE ABLE TO TELL HE SWITCHED INTO THE META WORLD? I DON'T?? GET IT????????

-- "THE MORE I LISTEN THE MORE PREPOSTEROUS IT SOUNDS" YEAH, SOJIRO, IT SURE FUCKIN DOES

-- "quite the romantic strategy, isn't it?" akechi that's gay

you're flat out telling these people lmao

-- akechi has no reason to talk shido out of going after the rest of the PT right now--if he found a way to cover up all those other people's deaths, he can surely manage this. so i can only interpret this as akechi actually trying to spare the rest of them from getting hurt--it’s not like he intends to have shido live long enough past his election to be able to order those hits.

i actually think this whole scene is a performance. he wants to present himself as someone with no lofty personal ambition, thus his charming little smile and declaration of just wanting to focus on his studies once all this is through. he wants to throw shido off the trail of him having a secret plan in mind.

it occurs to me that we so rarely ever see akechi be his honest, open self. every scene he has to perform and put on a mask. the few times we really see him are when he's pensive and reflective, and those bits only come around the okumura missions. he does let slip the truth a few times, but it's like i said in the other post--he says honest things dishonestly. he has to hide in plain sight. even his rage is a performance, not to lie or deceive someone else--he's tricking himself. it's like mona said: akechi's true feelings to joker aren't hatred and bitterness, but fondness:

Morgana (JP): オマエ…ジョーカーの事、気に入ってんだろ。 ("You... care about Joker, don't you?") Morgana (EN): And... you don't really hate Joker, do you? !! Alternatively "you like Joker, don't you?" or "you're fond of Joker, aren't you?". Either way, the implication here is that Morgana caught on to Goro getting attached to Joker, not just that he doesn't hate him. This line is also what finally sets Goro off, and just "you don't really hate Joker" isn't anywhere near strong enough to do that.

-- FUCK OFF WITH THAT MASSAGE SHIT

I'M REALLY GLAD THEY HAD REN SAY NO

FUCK'S SAKE, I HATE THESE WRITERS

-- now that i'm looking at translator anon's pastebin notes again, i'm struck by this line: Goro (JP): 誰かに望まれる為に、成績や大人の評判に徹底的にこだわり抜いた！！ ("For the sake of being wanted by someone, I was constantly fixated on keeping up my grades and my reputation among adults!!")

it reminds me a lot of what v says in devil may cry 5--he's speaking of his and vergil's true desire: "the truth is, i just wanted to be protected and loved." that's akechi--he just wants to be accepted.

-- akechi you aren't a disgrace to the world ;-;

-- convenient of akechi to just explain part of the plot like this lmao i know he does that in the game too but it always feels so contrived to me. but that's not really unique to this show's writing.

-- little though i want to mention berserk, i find akechi's 'black mask' design to be a little reminiscent of femto

-- "[the phantom thieves and i] both remove society's trash!" hmmmmm

-- joker asking to be the one to take on akechi alone makes me buzz quietly with excitement because villain/hero shit is ALL I WANT IN MY FICTION

-- akechi's breakdown here doesn't get any easier to bear :c because it's so clear that it's just... really ugly feelings spewing out. it's all his pent up frustration and anger, and while he may absolutely feel those things, they aren't ALL that he feels. they aren't even his complete, honest feelings.

-- "you want to be acknowledged, right? you want to be loved?" CLAWS FACE WITH HANDSSSSSSSSS

-- HE GIVES BACK THE CHESS PIECE JFKDLSAJFKLDSJAKFDSL

THAT MEANS HE'S BEEN CARRYING IT ALL THIS TIME FJDSKALFJKDSL

-- joker punching the wall after futaba loses akechi's signal ;_______;

-- i wonder what it was about akechi that reminded shido of his (akechi's) mother. was it his appearance? was it something about his personality? hmm.

-- the ryuji death fake out always makes me roll my eyes.

part 2:

-- my eyes are kinda glazing over with this whole third act twist (there are too fucking many of these, man). i just want all this to be over so i can go back to quietly anticipating whatever p5r will give us.

persona 4 had quite a few twists too, but they were handled much, much better--and the plot was far more simple than p5's. ahh i'm tired.

-- i will never not love JRPG's constant habit of making the final boss be one of the following: - a god - your father - your father, who becomes a god

-- AKECHI'S VOICE SPEAKING TO JOKER TO GIVE HIM STRENGTH TO FIGHT

fsdafjdskfjautoejkleawuof;dsjz;fkwauptawejf

REN SQUEEZES THE KING CHESS PIECE FOR STRENGTH AFJDKSL

REN HEARS AKECHI'S VOICE BEFORE HE EVEN NOTCES ANYONE ELSE IS CALLING OUT TO HIM

OH MY GOD JUST LET THEM DATE ALREADY, ATLUS

-- shooting a god in the face is the hypest shit ever--second only to persona 2 allowing you to travel in time to re-kill hitler.

-- "if a god plays naughty, then it's a demon lord's job to punish him!" good line, love it always, wanna write an entire fuckin series of novels with that exact premise

aaaaaaaaand that's it! the anime's finished! it was really worth it for all the akechi stuff, but i can't pretend i fully enjoyed experiencing this story once again.

thanks for taking the time to read all this! despite my salt and the somewhat sour note of the ending, i really am glad i watched it. and i look forward to finding out more about p5r as the months go by!

#this is the ask tag #p5 anime #anime

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ambitionsource · 5 years

Photo

AMBITION Season 1 ♫ “These Boots Aren’t Made For Dancing” [ 1.08 ]

CREATED BY Esther (rapunzles) & Maggie (quincywillows)

CULTURE SWAP – As part of the truce, the performers and techies walk a mile in the others’ shoes – almost literally. Some students are more equipped for the change than others. A technician performance at the end of the week promises plenty of surprises.

50 Minutes (10K words) || No warnings apply.

[ ← Black, The Color of Techies Scorned ] [ S1 Synopsis ] [ The Miserables → ]

( Follow along with the music on Spotify here! )

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Better When I’m Dancin’” as performed by Meghan Trainor || Performed by Zay Babineaux (feat. AAA Sophomores)

The new world order is in full swing at AAA – and the students are just beginning to figure out what exactly that means. To launch into the change, ZAY BABINEAUX leads the full class in a loose and upbeat rendition of the light-hearted bop.

Yes, that is the full class. Not only are the performers jamming together, but the techies are getting pulled into the dance and each getting their moment to show off their moves. Zay has a little duet with each of them (except Lucas, naturally), including a true standout moment with JEFF MONROE who actually seems to have a semblance of rhythm in his body.

JADE BEAMON allows Zay to twirl her, before scrambling bashfully back to her desk. DYLAN ORLANDO trips over his feet trying a step Zay attempts to teach him and ASHER GARCIA. DAVE WILLIAMS knocks over a desk and sends NICK YOGI and NIGEL CHEY into hysterics. The dancing isn’t good, but gosh if it isn’t charming as heck!

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The parade progresses into the auditorium, much like the last time Zay dragged them all into a dance. Everyone is twirling around and shuffling together, laughing and taking the challenge in stride. It’s a message of encouragement, both to the techies doing something they’re not great at and to Zay’s fellow performers, who are stressed as hell about what this episode might entail for them. It’s cute! It’s endearing!

But why is it necessary?

SHAWN HUNTER and ANGELA MOORE explain it to us, as the class settles into their seats in the front of the auditorium. They stand together on the stage, addressing the class and explaining what the assignment is going to be for the week.

Angela: Considering both sides of the class have now come to a truce –

Charlie, fondly: This school is bananas.

Angela: We want to keep that collaborative spirit and sense of exploration going as we try to navigate how to work together moving forward. This necessitates a better understanding of one another.

Shawn: An exchange of ideas, if you would.

So, to follow this trend and foster a better understanding of one another, they will be swapping sides for the week. Yes, the performers will be working through each of the roles a technician typically puts into a production. Meanwhile, the techies will be preparing their own number, which they will perform at the conclusion of the assignment. Then, all the elements will come together for the full production experience. It’s a culture swap, baby!

Although there are students clearly not enthusiastic about this development – if LUCAS FRIAR’s disdainful expression or FARKLE MINKUS’ nervous twitching are any indication – but there’s also tentative excitement in the air. This could be fun.

Cue opening titles.

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

The performers are discussing these new changes at lunch, and already the subtle changes in dynamic are already on display. Rather than all sitting in different corners of the room, Farkle, MAYA HART, Zay, and CHARLIE GARDNER are enjoying their lunch together at the same table. Nigel and YINDRA AMINO are also with them.

The reviews about the announcement of this week’s assignment are, decidedly, mixed.

Maya: This is insanity. Absolute anarchy.

Farkle: Look, everyone wanted me to lay down my arms and come to the negotiating table, so I did. This is what happened. I’m not taking any blame, thank you very much.

Charlie: Oh, come on. Maybe it’ll be good for you all to… learn something.

Maya: I’m sorry, when did we promote you to speaking level?

Zay gives Charlie a playful nudge. He almost chokes on his food.

Even more surprising is the arrival of Lucas to their table, floating over and carrying a stack of paper. His mere presence anywhere near the performer tables is unprecedented, so guess that’s the new world order talking. He greets them all stiffly before handing out the papers, a flyer explaining all of the tasks they will be learning over the course of the week.

Zay: Oh, and you’re gonna perform, right?

Maya, mockingly: Ooh, hear that? Huckleberry is gonna perform!

Farkle: You mean embarrass yourself. You’re going to embarrass yourself.

[ Lucas laughs along, taking the moment in stride. In some ways, this is scarier than if he showed anger. ]

Lucas: I’d be careful if I were you, Minkus. To progress through each station, you have to get approval from a senior technician to confirm that your work is of a satisfactory quality. Do you have any guesses who that senior technician might be?

[ Farkle has stopped laughing, mouth hanging open slightly. Charlie speaks for him. ]

Charlie: Is it… you?

Lucas: (: See you all in lab!

At the other end of the cafeteria, RILEY MATTHEWS is seated at the indoor techie table. She is eagerly discussing the assignment with ISADORA DE LA CRUZ, rambling on about how amazing it is that they’ll finally get to perform and already imagining what the number might be like. She can’t wait for the entire class to see how talented Isadora is.

Her rant is interrupted when Lucas rejoins them, sliding into the seat next to Riley and bumping her shoulder in the process. She clears her throat, getting distracted by how close he’s sitting. It’s hard to forget she now knows very well that he and Isadora are nothing more than platonic…

Isadora has no such distractions. She glances over her shoulder at how shaken the performers seem before looking back at the mischievous expression on his face, giving him a look.

Isadora: What did you do to them? Lucas, don’t –

Lucas: What? What, I did nothing! Nothing. I was just… preparing them. (:

Isadora rolls her eyes, already prepping a retort as Lucas smirks to himself. Riley glances at him, unable to hold back a smile. When he locks eyes with her, she bashfully looks down at her food.

Isadora: Don’t cause any more trouble, please. We finally have a school-wide truce, and I wouldn’t mind it if that could stick for a while.

Riley: It does seem like a long time coming.

Isadora: I just want everything to be normal now. That’s it. No changes, no drama, just… normalcy.

At Adams? That’s an impossibility. As if on cue, Yogi runs in, raving about whether or not everyone has “seen it” yet. Their table exchanges exhausted looks, assuming he’s referring to the AAA Confessions page and telling him they don’t wanna hear it. But that’s not what Yogi is talking about.

He slaps down his phone on the tabletop, the assembled brigade of techies leaning over to take a look at it. It’s open to an article from a tabloid, the focus being Isadora and her famous connection to Valerie De La Cruz. She’s officially low-hanging publication fodder. Lucas, Riley, and Isadora look up at the same time, exchanging matching looks of shock with varied degrees of indignation.

So much for normalcy.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Shawn and Angela are together in the theater classroom, enjoying their lunch as a pair. Shawn is seated in the desk chair, looking up at Angela sitting with her legs crossed on the desktop. It’s her desk, after all, so who is gonna tell her not to sit on it?

They’re flipping through the tabloid themselves, getting a sense of what storm might be brewing next. It never ends at the Academy for the Arts, it seems. Angela also drops the news during the conversation that she is eyeing a few auditions in the coming weeks, and she thinks she’s going to go out for them. She’s been putting them off because she wants to be present for as much of the musical casting process as possible – which is coming around the bend in a week or so – but she’s got a few auditions slated for Thursday and Friday. She wants to start trying to get some actual roles and pursue her dream again, crazy as it still seems.

Shawn is obviously a bit uncertain about this development. He makes a cheeky comment about how telling it is that he just got her back and off she goes again with this dream thing, but he’s mostly kidding. She tosses a playful statement back his way, kicking at him lightly with her heel.

He reaches up and pulls her off the desk, pulling her onto his lap instead as she bursts into laughter. They exchange a kiss, obviously in a better place to have this conversation than they were in their early twenties. Hopefully that mojo persists…

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

The chaos unfolds in Eric’s office, where Riley and Lucas marched Isadora as soon as they saw the article. ERIC MATTHEWS listens calmly while they rail on how ridiculous this all is, not to mention an invasion of privacy. Isadora is also quiet in the chair across the desk, not offering much to say herself.

JACK HUNTER is also present, equally as up and arms about the whole thing. Rather than playing his usual role of diffuser, he feeds off of Riley and Lucas’s frustration, the three of them just riling each other up and backing one another up. It takes Eric a hot minute to get them all to shut up, finally allowing Isadora the floor to speak.

When she does, however, she doesn’t say what any of them were expecting. She states she basically wants to ignore it. Yes, it’s stressful, and yes, it’s freaking her out, but she’s sick of reacting to it already. She just wants to pretend it’s not happening.

Lucas: Dora, are you serious?

Isadora: It’s not like I can make it go away, can I? But it’s just words on paper. It can’t do anything to me. And who actually reads that thing anyway?

Lucas: Yeah, but –

Jack: Are you sure that –

Isadora: I just want to pretend it’s not there, and focus on the assignment. Is that too much to ask?

No, it’s not, really. Lucas and Riley exchange a look, before looking to Jack. He steps forward, assuring Isadora that he will do whatever he can to get to the bottom of this. They’re going to figure out who leaked this information, and they’ll put a stop to it. Isadora is skeptical.

Isadora: Oh, yeah? You can’t even figure out who is running an anonymous Instagram account for a high school of 200 students. You’re really going to deduce the source of a nationally printed tabloid? [ off Jack’s flustered response ] Sure. Give it a try. Otherwise, I really just want to go back to the usual routine.

If that’s what she wants, there’s not much more they can do. Eric assures her that she can come to him at any time, which she already knows. She gets to her feet, leading the way out. As they’re leaving, Jack has one more comment to make towards Lucas.

Jack: You know, I think this is the first time you’ve left one of our offices without saying something inappropriate or knocking something over.

Lucas: [ with a cheeky grin ] Revolution is beautiful, isn’t it?

Eric: Yes, my yet-to-be-broken mugs and I are very happy with this new world order.

After Jack exits as well, Zay pokes his head in. Eric lights up when he sees him, responding in affirmation to Zay’s statement that he asked to see him and eagerly gesturing for him to take a seat. He explains they’re just waiting for one more person, just as Charlie appears in the doorway.

Eric happily greets him, inviting him in to join them. Charlie spots Zay and has a split second of hesitation and what could be described as panic, but he breezes past it and pulls himself back together in a blink. Could’ve just been a trick of the light. But the moment he’s seated, he immediately asks what Eric could’ve called both them in for specifically.

As he explains it, he pulled the two of them in because they’re some of the most universally liked students in the class. They have a reputation for good attitudes and keeping things positive, and given the challenge present this week for many of their classmates, he was hoping that they could work together to actively make sure things stay light and people are feeling good.

There’s a bit of a question of like… isn’t that Eric’s job, but Zay and Charlie exchange a look before agreeing that they’ll do it. Eric is thrilled.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

As Zay and Charlie step into the hall, they both agree that they have no idea what exactly they’re supposed to be doing. But hey, Charlie says, they’ll try their best. Together, as Zay reminds him. He pats him on the shoulder, and Charlie glances at his hand before breaking into a grin.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

And together, Angela reiterates in class, is how they’re all going to manage this week. It’s going to take collaboration from both sides to get to the end of the assignment successfully. And Shawn agrees. Thus, let’s kick off this exchange of swapping sides…

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Strangers Like Me” as performed by Phil Collins || Performed by AAA Sophomores

A montage carries us through the start of this immersion project, chronicling all the ways that they’re beginning to step into one another’s shoes.

The techies attempt to teach confused performers the basic ropes of their usual jobs. Jade leads them through a costuming seminar, Yogi inevitably sticking himself with multiple pins. Nate painstakingly shows Haley, Clarissa, and Darby how to construct a set piece, but they can barely carry the wood by themselves. Isadora runs them through basic stage mechanics, almost knocking Farkle off the stage on accident.

On the lyrics “Every gesture, every move that she makes makes me feel like never before,” the focus is on Charlie and Zay. The latter is helping Isadora and Asher with a bout of choreography, and as Charlie watches it’s evident that he’s clearly… struggling with something. He keeps wiping his palms on his jeans, and swallowing hard like he’s dying of thirst. Maybe he is! It’s a relief when Dylan pulls him away again for more help.

When it comes to “Why do I have this growing need to be beside her,” the moment belongs to Riley and Lucas. He and Dave are teaching her and a group of performers about crewing and moving set pieces during a scene, proper protocol for moving in the dark and where to hold the pieces. Riley evidently says something silly that makes the group of them laugh together. Lucas catches himself smiling at her like an idiot, and then is like. Wait a minute. What am I doing.

Riley, of course, doesn’t notice a thing.

On the flip side, performers are also attempting to give tips to the techies – teaching them dance moves, helping them stand taller with more stage presence, etc. Charlie spends a chunk of time with Dave, Dylan, and Nate, maintaining a positive attitude while showing all of them and their left feet basic dance steps. Maya examines each of them and adjusts their posture. When she gets to Lucas and he just glares at her, she just skips over him. Smart move, miss Hart.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

When the bridge arrives and we’re at the slower reprieve (“Come with me now to see my world…”), Lucas brings Riley into the technician’s booth for the first time. She follows him up the steps and then hesitantly into the space, knowing full well how sacred it is. She glances at Lucas for a sense of permission before stepping up to the lighting board and main window, getting a taste of the view.

She’s totally entranced by the view of the stage, but Lucas isn’t looking at that. He can’t stop looking at her.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The rest of the montage progresses with an epic feeling, showing the opposing sides beginning to get the swing of their new stations. Dave does some terrible dance moves, but with confidence! Zay manages to build part of a set piece without killing anyone. The only downbeat is Farkle, who is clearly struggling with every task put in front of him. Poor, poor, little diva…

Angela and Shawn watch all this unfold, exchanging smirks before lightly high-fiving one another. So far, so good.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

Riley is still in the booth with Lucas, getting her lesson in lighting from him. He’s showing her how to operate the board, sort of mumbling through it as he’s not the instructor Jeff or Isadora would be. But Riley is being a good student, listening very attentively and asking plenty of follow up questions.

When it’s her turn to set up the correct lighting design, she’s cautious as she places her fingers on the board. Partially because it’s an expensive board and she doesn’t want to like, break it, but also because she doesn’t know what she’s doing and doesn’t want to mess up. Lucas senses her hesitation, leaning closer and helping guide her hands to the right sliders.

Yes, it’s that kind of classic maneuver. Lucas leaning over her shoulder, his hands lightly resting on top of hers. It’s difficult to tell whether the move is intentional on either of their parts, but the moment they realize how close they’re standing it’s clear they weren’t prepared for it.

Riley catches her breath, tilting her head to look at him. She speaks softly, telling him that she thinks she understands why he likes being up here so much. The way it’s sort of removed, has this sense of quiet isolation… but how you can still see everything. The whole world is within your reach, even if you’re safely on the other side.

Riley: There’s something… I don’t know, beautiful, about that. Isn’t there?

Lucas: [ gazing at her, swallowing ] Yeah…

The moment is interrupted when Isadora storms in, wondering if either of them are going to do the hell job they’re in charge of and change the lighting? The two of them jump away from one another in seconds, shaking off the tension.

Isadora pushes past Riley, fixing the board herself. She claims they’ve been shouting up at them for like three minutes, what the hell were they doing up here, playing cards? Lucas can’t even look at them, turned away in the other direction.

Guess Riley’s turn in the lighting booth is over. Whoopsie!

INT. AAA - PROP LOFT - DAY

Farkle and Maya are in the prop loft, receiving instructions from Asher about the best way to handle each item. He’s going to detail about the elaborate organizational method he has set up for the place, and how it took his entire freshman year to implement it. He emphasizes how each prop is like a child that must be well cared for, handled delicately and with patience… just as Farkle accidentally knocks over one of the tables and sends a bunch of items scattering all over the floor. Asher lets out half a shriek as Maya scrambles out of the way of the wreckage, Farkle sputtering out an apology.

Asher looks like he might pass out, but he assures him it’s fine. He heads out to get a dustpan in case anything was broken, although the possibility seems to kill him as he speaks it. Maya and Farkle bend down to start gathering the fallen. She jokingly claiming that he’s a natural prop master, but Farkle doesn’t really find it funny. It’s obvious he’s in a mood, so she decides to zip it for now. They continue to clean up in silence.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The techies are assembled on the stage, grouped together to discuss their assignment. Much like their brainstorm in 1.02, they’ve got the rolling whiteboard out and Dylan and Asher are alternating taking notes. Most of the suggestions written so far are nonsensical or silly, demonstrating just how seriously they’re taking this potential performance.

Isadora has a surprising amount of ideas, throwing them out there passionately. Nate points out that it seems she’s been bitten by the performer bug, but she simply states it’s the auteur in her and she doesn’t want them all to embarrass themselves so it may as well be good.

Lucas, conversely, is the grumpiest about the whole thing. He claims they should just not do it. There’s no way they can force them to perform. It’s against their rights – those ones they just fought tooth and nail for. Dylan and Asher exchange a hesitant look, while Jade states that maybe they should just try and approach it optimistically.

Lucas: I would rather cut my feet off with a rusty hacksaw than do this.

Dave: Well, that would hurt. :(

It’s clear this brainstorm isn’t going anywhere productive, especially with Lucas in his current mood. The group disbands, sauntering out until it’s only Isadora remaining. She hangs back and keeps working on the whiteboard, scribbling a couple more ideas. She even starts to storyboard a sequence, muttering some potential lyrics under her breath.

It’s clear – she’s enthused about this performance. Now there’s a cinematic twist…

INT. SHAWN’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Shawn and Angela are eating dinner together on Shawn’s cushy couch, discussing how they think the assignment is going. The conversation quickly devolves into kissing, the two of them back in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, until a knock at the door yanks them out of it. Angela asks if he’s expecting anybody, which of course he isn’t, but he gets up to investigate.

When he pulls open the door, Jack is standing there. He’s out of breath, having ran all the way from the nearest subway station. Well, not the nearest, in his haste he jumped off a stop too early, but case in point he made it. Shawn is like great… and why are you here?

Jack invites himself in, settling down next to Angela on the couch after greeting her offhandedly. Angela is a bit embarrassed to be seen in such a situation by her boss, but when she exchanges a look with Shawn he just shrugs.

Jack doesn’t seem at all fazed by it, pulling out his laptop with urgency. He explains that he’s gotten a lead on the tabloid debacle, after spending the past couple of days doing some deep diving and investigating.

Jack: It took some research, and some conferring with online sources, not to mention a lengthy thread of rather persuasive emails –

Shawn: God, you need a hobby. Or a hook-up.

All this aside, Jack was able to retrieve the IP address of the source the tabloid used for the story. He turns his computer to show Angela, Shawn leaning over to take a look as well. She recognizes it first.

Angela: [ with a gasp ] Is that – ?

Jack: The IP address for Adams. Yes, yes it is. [ With gusto ] The source came from inside our school.

So there it is. Someone at AAA is leaking things about Isadora, and now they’re going to get to the bottom of it.

INT. MAYA’S APARTMENT - DAY

Maya is getting ready for school, KATY HART finishing up dressing in her waitress uniform for work. Bag gathered, she takes a moment to admire her mother, who questions why she’s looking at her with that goofy expression.

Maya makes a point of saying how much respect she has for her, considering she’s been working a fraction as hard as she does for the past couple of days and absolutely hates it.

Maya: I’ve been doing manual labor and things for other people eight hours a day for two days, and I wanna die. You, you do it all the time and don’t even bat an eye. I don’t think I appreciate that enough. I love you.

Katy smiles, wandering over and giving her a kiss on the head. She claims it’s entirely worth it, especially getting to see her follow her dreams. If that means making coffee and serving pie to greasy New Yorkers, then so be it. Oh, and the occasional well-groomed arts student.

Maya accepts the playful jab, claiming that since she’s been getting a taste of her life, Katy deserves a slice of hers. She prompts her mom to pick a song, whatever comes on the radio at work a lot of that she finds herself humming a lot. Katy is hesitant at first, but then she tells Maya to hand her her cell from the coffee table.

The moment she hands it over, Katy already knows exactly what song to play.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “9 to 5” as performed by Dolly Parton|| Performed by Maya Hart & Katy Hart (feat. AAA Sophomores)

The moment the jaunty piano rings through the apartment, Maya already knows the vibe. Katy is like you think you can keep up? And Maya is like it’s not even a question.

Katy takes lead on the first verse. When she sings “pour myself a cup of ambition,” Maya lets out a laugh. And yeah, it’s because it’s a nod to the title of the show. Cue credits!

The mother-daughter duo dance around together for the first chorus, and it is absolutely charming. We can see where Maya gets her love of performing from, even if Katy never got to see that dream realized. But for a moment in that morning, she gets a taste of it.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Maya takes the energy and sentiment back to school with her, leading the rest of the performers along with it as they complete their techie tasks. It’s another number that allows us to feature smaller moments with performers we don’t spend much screen time with, such as CLARISSA CRUZ and HALEY FISHER.

All in all, an endearing fun time through and through. Make the dull work flashy, Maya!

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Riley is attempting to tackle set construction again. Dave is trying his best to help her, but she’s not quite getting it. She’s too delicate with the tools, and you have to be a little forceful with them if you want them to get the message. Lucas walks over to check in and Dave explains the situation.

He steps up to help, coming up close to Riley again and showing her how to properly use the staple gun. It’s another classic maneuver in the vein showing someone how to bowl or golf only… staple gun, and once again necessitates more physical contact than either of them have ventured before. He explains that she has to give it a little more pressure, successfully planting a staple while pressing down his hand over hers.

Dave applauds the success, but Riley isn’t even aware of it. She is totally struck, just staring at Lucas over her shoulder and trying to figure out how to use words again.

Isadora stomps over, proclaiming that this job should not be taking so long. She essentially pushes them to the side, taking the staple gun like ugh, just let me do it! She does the full swath in like fifteen seconds, tossing the tool back at Dave. Riley backs off apologetically, claiming it wasn’t Dave’s fault and she’s just slow on the uptake.

Isadora nods her along, before turning her glare to Lucas. Her expression clearly conveys disdain, like, hello? You’re slipping? Please pull it together in the one week we need to be on top of things? Yes, Isa, he is indeed slipping…

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Another bulletin has been released about Isadora, discussing how she might be following in Valerie’s star-studded footsteps considering she is opting to perform in class that week. Eric and Jack are both hunched over the tabloid article, deducing that culprit likely isn’t in the sophomore class. All of them know the expectations of the lesson this week and are aware this performance isn’t anything more than a requirement.

HARLEY KEINER shows up, asking if Jack still needs access to the databases. Jack responds emphatically, allowing him to do whatever he needs to his laptop. When Eric questions what is going on, Jack explains that Harley is giving him access to the school online usage database so they can see who has been using the library computers which route to that specific IP address.

Eric: I didn’t realize you tangled with the technical, Harley.

Harley: I, janitor Harley Keiner, am a man of many interests. I am not simply limited to the sanitorial arts.

Well, no arguing with that. The three of them crowd around the computer, watching as Harley enters the database. Hopefully, taking them one step closer to finding their leak.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The class has come back together for specified costuming time, a duo of performers each assigned to design the costumes for a technician.

Zay and Riley have been assigned to work with Lucas, who absolutely refuses to talk about the assignment itself. Zay is fishing for details about what their number might be considering they need it to, well, design costumes, but Lucas doesn’t even want to talk about it.

However, all hope is not lost considering they are at least getting measurements. Yes, it is worth noting that Lucas is perfectly fine letting Riley touch him all over to get statistics with her measuring tape – across the shoulders, around the torso, obediently following her soft-spoken directives and doing whatever she needs. Zay is lowkey raising his eyebrows at this, but Riley isn’t saying a word about it because she does not want to jinx herself. Clever girl.

When Zay tries to step forward to help, Lucas reverts back to his Shawn-dubbed “feral cat” state and hisses at him but, you know, in brooding human form. Zay backs off with his hands raised in surrender, more than happy to let Riley do all the work if it’ll keep him from getting rabies.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Farkle and Maya are working on Isadora, getting much more about the performance out of her than Lucas. Maya is doing the measurements for her, approaching all of the close contact delicately and waiting for cues from Isadora to proceed considering she knows how uncomfortable this might be for her. Behind them, Farkle attempts to piece together scraps of a costume with the sewing machine. Maya asks if the techies are excited about the number, or if they’re all dreading it as much as Lucas clearly is.

Isadora: Is he that obvious?

Farkle: It’s like he’s sweating mediocrity.

Maya: Us performers can smell fear. Especially his; it’s rare.

Farkle also comments that the pressure of the tabloid can’t be helping Isadora’s nerves. Maya shoots him a look to shut up, but Isadora claims it really isn’t bothering her that much. She’s hardly keeping up with it considering how much work she has to put into this week. But so far, she’s kind of enjoying it.

Maya seizes this excitement, stating that Isadora should totally audition for the musical next week. They could certainly use the additional female star power, and what does she have to lose if she actually enjoys it? Isadora seems reluctant, but the more Maya goes on about it the more it seems she may be warming up to it.

Farkle interrupts the train of thought, sticking himself with a pin for the fourteenth time and letting out a resounding “FUCK!”

Maya: It’s costuming, Farkle, not brain surgery.

Farkle: Brain surgery would hurt less.

EXT. AAA - LUNCH COURTYARD - DAY

At lunch that afternoon, the techies are deep into discussing their performance, Isadora leading the charge. They’re running out of time, after all, so they need to get it together.

Lucas is zoned out, his mind elsewhere. Isadora calls him out, snapping him back to reality and expressing disdain that he isn’t paying any attention.

Isadora: God, where is your brain this week?

He doesn’t know, Isa, he doesn’t know! Riley took it and she won’t give it back! He snaps instead, getting defensive about how they shouldn’t be concerned about him considering he doesn’t even want to do it anyway. If Isadora is having such a good time with the whole thing, what does she need him for?

Isadora holds his glare, before pointedly continuing the discussion about the choreography. Lucas rolls his eyes, stabbing at his food. Dylan and Asher share another tacit exchange.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Unfortunately for Farkle, he’s the next person who has to deal with Lucas. He’s still stuck on the costume construction assignment, and Lucas isn’t in a very forgiving mood.

Lucas: Look at that. [ Looking up from the mess of cloth. ] Still sucks!

He tells Farkle to try again, which he’s sick of hearing. Farkle jumps to his feet, throwing the costume down and claiming he’s not doing shit again. Lucas claims he will, that is if he wants to pass. The moment is tense between the two of them.

Farkle: You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Must be so nice to finally wield control over the people who are so frustratingly more talented than you. Does that make you feel better? Less inadequate?

Lucas: I’m not the one who’s been stuck on the same assignment for three days because I can’t figure out how to work a little needle.

For a second, it really seems as though Farkle might pounce. Lucas raises his eyebrows, amused, but the moment is disrupted when Shawn pops in. He summons Lucas to his office, sensing the tension the second he steps in but deciding to just diffuse it rather than comment on it.

Farkle waits for them to leave, before kicking at the ruined costume again in frustration.

INT. AAA - SHAWN’S OFFICE - DAY

Lucas is seated across the desk from Shawn and Angela, who are confronting him on the basis that they’ve heard from his classmates that he isn’t taking the assignment seriously. He scoffs at this, defending himself and pointing out that he’s done nothing but patiently train the performers all week despite their glaring incompetence.

That’s not what they’re referring to, though, and Lucas knows it. Angela goes on to highlight the upcoming techie performance, citing specific things that Lucas has said or done over the course of the week that indicate his lack of compliance. All of the above have concerned his classmates, and made them worry about how their final assignment was going to turn out.

Lucas deflects and focuses on the very notion that his fellow technicians snitched on him, demanding to know who told them these things. Shawn states that he knows damn well they can’t divulge that information, and that shouldn’t be his takeaway from this conversation anyway. When they push him again on the assignment he gets defensive, claiming that they literally can’t force him to do this if he doesn’t want to.

Angela points out that he’s a student of this school and it’s part of the curriculum. So, actually, they absolutely can. Lucas storms out, knocking a stack of papers off the desk on his way out for good measure. Angela is totally shocked by this behavior, but Shawn seems totally unimpressed. Nothing he hasn’t dealt with before. He starts gathering the papers again, unbothered.

She laments that he absolutely shouldn’t tolerate that kind of outburst, but Shawn states it’s hardly different than when Farkle has a diva meltdown and stomps off. He comes further to Lucas’s defense, claiming he used to be the same way in high school. She should remember, shouldn’t she? Besides, he knows how it feels to be so reluctant to perform, certain you can’t do it. It’s difficult when everyone around you is so talented, and you know you’re not.

This parlays back into a discussion about Angela going off to try and get back into the business, only this time the focus is about what it would mean for the two of them. It’s evident that Shawn still has some leftover bitterness from being left behind the first go around. Angela assures him that it’s not going to change anything between them, as they’ve both grown and changed yet came back together anyway.

She also tells him that if he wants to become a better performer, then all he has to do is ask.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Over And Over Again” as performed by Nathan Sykes|| Performed by Angela Moore

Angela pulls Shawn into a slow dance with her, singing the romantic tune to convey that her devotion to him is indeed true. Although he’s a reluctant dance partner at first, he loosens up over the course of the song. Now that’s romance!

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Charlie has stepped in to help Farkle, as he’s clearly struggling the most out of all of the performers. Although he has as generous and soft an approach as ever, Farkle is basically foaming at the mouth at this point and is like I’ll kill you, saying some harsh and not very grateful statements to Charlie and what he can do with his plucky positive spin on things.

Zay steps to Charlie’s defense, pulling him away from Farkle and taking over. Only his lecture is far less encouraging and more of a wake up call.

Zay: Look, we’re here to be emotional support, not your personal punching bag. So first, you can apologize to Charlie, and then, you can stop being a royal bitch to everyone who just wants to help you.

Farkle, stunned: … sorry.

Zay: Needs improvement. But you can figure that out on your own.

Farkle is floored. Charlie is floored, watching the exchange with wide eyes. He doesn’t even react when Zay takes his arm and drags him from the room, leaving Farkle alone.

INT. AAA - COSTUME LOFT - DAY

Zay leads them to the costume loft, climbing up the ladder into isolation first while Charlie follows along in a daze. The costume loft is a rather confined hideaway in the realm of the auditorium, a place where students go to chat in private or… confer in other ways. Heaps of costumes make for suitable enough cushions, the rest of the eclectic assortment of clothing hanging from racks.

Zay continues to complain about Farkle’s behavior, flopping onto one of the piles. Charlie catches up to the last few minutes, coming back to reality and claiming that Zay didn’t have to do all that.

Zay: Of course I did. No one should talk to you that way. You let people talk to you like that all the time?

Charlie: I, uh… just never seemed like a big deal. Just trying to keep things polite.

Zay: There’s being polite, and there’s being a pushover. You’re way too good to let people step on you like that.

Charlie blinks, absorbing this sentiment. It’s unusual for someone to stand up for him so pointedly, and it clearly means a lot for him. Whatever he’s starting to feel here, it’s definitely deeper than he thought…

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

In a quick cut montage, Lucas goes around to each of the techies and interrogates them about who snitched on him. It’s accomplished in a relatively comedic manner, especially for people like Dave who clearly have no idea what’s going on. By the time he gets through a majority of the crew, it begins to become clear exactly who the prime suspects are.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

Asher and Dylan show up to the booth, asking if Lucas wanted to see them. He greets them cheerfully, gesturing them in and telling them to get comfortable. He asks if they want anything – snacks, a juice box, whatever – which Dylan definitely takes. Fun times with techie dad!

Or so they thought. Once he’s got them all cozy and secure, Lucas turns the tables on them and methodically questions them about whether or not they ratted him out. They start out resolute at first, adamant that they didn’t do anything, but as Lucas speaks more quickly and with more authority, clearly laying out the logic for how he figured out it was them, Asher cracks first.

Asher: Alright, okay! It was me, okay! We did it!

Dylan: Ash!

Asher: Oh, don’t look at me like that. He’s onto us! He knows! Look, you can see it on his beautiful, withholding face!

Lucas questions why they did it, but it doesn’t take much more to get them to spill all of it. Asher explains that they felt like he was holding back the group, and this week was going to be difficult enough as it is. Once Asher falls it’s not long until Dylan is confessing too, expressing that it took everything in them to turn him in, but they didn’t want the rest of the techies to bear the brunt of the decision. They really believed they were doing what was best for everyone involved.

Both of them apologize profusely, claiming they never intended for it to get back to him this way and they completely understand if he wants to pitch both of them off the catwalk.

Dylan: Just, please, let Asher wear a blindfold. He’s scared of heights. Me, you can just look me right in the eyes when you – [ Gestures a violent shove. ]

Surprisingly, however, Lucas is rather level-headed. He states he’s not mad, which both of them have trouble believing. He starts pacing, trying to figure out how to move forward with this revelation. Dylan rubs Asher’s shoulder reassuringly.

Lucas: … did you really do it because you’re concerned about me? You think I’m holding back the group?

Asher: Not you, specifically. Like, not you or your ability or anything like that.

Dylan: I actually happen to think with a little bit of practice, you could be quite the leading man.

Asher: [ hurriedly, off Lucas’s eyebrow raise ] We just know how much your opinion means to us, and we know it’s true for the rest of the crew. So when you keep shooting down the project, it’s like… it’s hard to get everyone in the right spirit.

Dylan: Yeah. If your attitude was a little more, like, receptive, the crew would totally go into the whole thing with more confidence. That’s all.

Lucas takes this in. It sure demonstrates the impact of his leadership, just like Riley said he had. He releases a sigh, before requesting that the next time they have an issue with him, they just come to him with it instead of going through a third party. They eagerly agree, apologizing again and promising him they will.

It’s evident that despite his demeanor, Lucas does care about his techie crew and the way they perceive him. He doesn’t care about much, sure, but the things he does? He’ll do anything for.

And boy, is he gonna have to do something…

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Farkle is tackling the costuming assignment for like the fifth time, well on his way to losing his mind in that claustrophobic black box. Jade is present now, doing her best to talk him through each step. He’s just totally frazzled and basically shutting down, and when Riley walks in to see how things around going Jade is more than happy to pass the responsibility of him to her. She makes a beeline out of there, Riley approaching and settling down across the table from Farkle.

Riley coaxes him into giving the assignment one more try, her calm demeanor and patience alone helpful in its own right. As they’re working through the costume piece by piece, she nudges him into expression why he thinks this assignment is so difficult for him. Farkle opens up a bit – it’s the Riley effect, after all – about how this situation just feels out of his control. Like there’s all these elements that he can’t control, and the less competent he is the more that feeling escalates. It’s a vicious cycle.

Riley empathizes, considering what’s going on with her parents. She states that Farkle can only control what is, well, within his control. And, believe it or not, accomplishing this costuming task is within that sphere. All in all, a key friendship building moment for the two of them.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Isadora gets a notification from a messaging app, startled to discover it’s from her mother. It’s the first correspondence she’s received from her in months, since she went to visit for winter break. Valerie apologizes for the way the tabloids have seemed to jump on her, and promises that she will take care of it.

Isadora ignores the messages, opting not to respond. She’s obviously still hurt by the state in which her relationship with her mother exists.

When she looks back up again, she’s made it back in front of the black box. The audition sheet for the musical is glaring back at her, almost daring her to put her name on it. It goes against everything she’s ever thought about herself and performing in general… and yet, she can’t seem to look away from it.

Clearly, she has some deliberating to do.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Lucas is alone at center stage, trying and failing to teach himself the choreography for the techie performance. It’s partially his fault considering he put it off until the last minute, but the fact that he clearly has no idea what he’s doing regardless certainly doesn’t help. Not to mention the nerves. That never improves a difficult situation.

Riley pushes through the stage doors and wanders into the wings just as he’s starting over from the top, evidently frustrated. She hangs back for a moment to observe, clearly finding the visual wholly endearing. Then, she decides to throw him a life preserver.

Riley: Well, there’s a sight I never thought I’d see.

Lucas brushes off her teasing commentary, explaining that given how important grades are to his crew he figures he should at least put a semblance of effort. Riley nods along, seeing right through his aloof exterior. If he really didn’t care, he wouldn’t be here attempting to rehearse.

Riley volunteers to walk through the steps with him, picking up the choreo sheet and taking a look at it. She observes his approach to a couple of the steps as he walks through it, stating exactly just how stupid he thinks each move is.

After getting a good sense of where he’s at, Riley claims that his main problem is that he’s too stiff. He’s all lost in his head, and there’s no way he’s going to be able to perform the number if he’s so locked up. She claims she can help him, but only if he trusts her and allows her to do so. Can he do that?

After a moment of hesitation, he agrees. He raises his hands in surrender, telling her to do whatever witchcraft it’s going to take to suddenly make him a good dancer.

Amused, Riley pulls out her phone and finds a waltzing track. She explains that it’s important to just get comfortable with movement first, and a waltz is probably one of the most basic forms of dance there is. It’ll at least loosen him up. He seems hesitant, but when Riley holds out her hand, it doesn’t take him long to take it. She adjusts their posture, Lucas allowing her to take the reigns and set them up correctly.

Riley: We’ll use the 3-count – you can count that high, right? [ Off his offended expression ] Just kidding.

Lucas: Ha ha ha. Very funny.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Princess Diaries Waltz” as performed by John Debney || Instrumental

They start off slow, taking the dance one step at a time. As they’re going through the motions, Riley can tell that he’s still stuck on the technicalities of it all. His head is constantly down, focused on what his feet are doing rather than letting them operate on their own.

Riley: That’s your problem. Don’t you see it? You’re overthinking. You keep looking at your feet.

[ Riley reaches out and lifts his chin, putting them back at eye level. Lucas locks eyes with her, speechless. ]

Riley: Just look at me.

From that moment, it’s clear – Lucas has slipped. He is cascading off the mountain top and falling head over heels.

As the music swells, the two of them continue their lesson. The longer they work at it the more they get the hang of it, actually getting comfortable with the whole thing and, dare it be said, having fun. Lucas even ventures a twirl under the arm, Riley breaking into laughter.

Definitely loosened him up, that’s for sure.

As they waltz, Isadora runs in looking for Lucas. She intends to tell him about the message from her mom and ask what he thinks about her potentially auditioning for the musical, but the second she sees them on the stage together she stops. She ducks back into the shadows of the aisle doors, watching them dance together.

She can tell from the look on her best friend’s face that something is different. Something is changing, and she gets the feeling she shouldn’t interrupt. But the notion also spooks her – if they’re changing, what does that mean for her? What else might change in the process?

Isadora backs off, disappearing back through the doors and leaving them alone.

INT. AAA - LIBRARY - NIGHT

Jack and Eric are both staying late, working together to comb through pages and pages of computer usage records. Eric flips through the documents while Jack cross references using one of the library desktops, the screen washing them both in blue-white computer glare.

As they’re searching, the two of them vaguely discuss the current sophomore class assignment and whether or not they think anything is actually going to change because of it. Eric points out that it’s impressive how quickly things can change under the right circumstances – including their dynamic.

Eric: I mean, at the risk of jinxing it, never before would I have believed you and I would be working together so effectively with such a clear goal.

Jack: Yes, I suppose our priorities tend to be… rather divergent.

But they both care about the students. That’s the obvious unifying motivation for both of them, and perhaps they should default to that train of thought more often. Something to think about.

The somewhat vulnerable conversation screeches to a halt when Jack stumbles upon what he thinks might be exactly what they’re looking for. There’s information about an email exchange with the supposed IP of the tabloid, and the student logged in at the time is a junior named Marly Evans.

Jack and Eric exchange a look. One step closer to answers…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The performers are all seated in the front section of the auditorium, chattering lightly and impatiently waiting for whatever is supposed to happen next. It’s odd for them to be there in the audience rather than getting ready to perform.

Suddenly, music blasts on over the speakers, being operated by Clarissa.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

Clarissa leans back, looking rather pleased with herself at having done the maneuver correctly, as well as relieved. CHAI FRESCO, working the lights, gives her a congratulatory pat on the back.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The moment the track begins, it’s clear what performance they’re about to be experiencing. All of the performers in the audience react accordingly, jaws dropping and excited laughter already premeditating the performance.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Dancing Queen” as performed by Mamma Mia! Original Movie Cast || Performed by AAA Sophomore Techies

As the first opening chorus kicks off, all eight of the usual techie crew make their way down the center aisles on either side of the center section. They’re going into this ridiculous number full throttle, singing along to the track with fervor and sporting the hilarious and amazing costumes that the performers put together for them over the course of the week.

Coming down the aisles, Lucas and Isadora lead the lines on either side and make their way up to the stage. As they pass through, the techies interact with their classmates in the audience. Nigel and Yindra pat Jeff and Nate on the backs as they sashay their way past. Dave high-fives Yogi and Haley, while Dylan and Asher blow kisses to Riley.

Isadora takes a brunt of the singing – and given the talent level of most of the techies vocally, this is for the the best. However, Dylan does get his claim to fame on the line “you’re a tease and you turn ‘em on, leaving ‘em burning and then you’re gone,” which he delivers with such a flourish. Asher joins in with him on the second half of the line, the two of them standing back to back and just belting that jazz.

In moments where the choreography pairs them off, the duos are Lucas & Isadora, Dave & Jade, Dylan & Asher, and Nate & Jeff. It’s so cute to watch them goof around with each other. They may just pull this heist off yet.

During the midst of each chorus (“having the time of your life, ooh”), Dave gets a mini dance solo. It’s all like, bad dancing – the robot, flossing, moonwalking – but it’s hysterical. Jeff also break dances, which is just legendary.

For each beat of the chorus where they sing “you can dance, you can jive,” the choreography involves pointing out towards the audience before turning to the side whilst Dave takes his solo to finish with a spin on the ooh. During one of these points, Lucas directs his point to Riley and winks. Yes, I did say that right. That idiot actually winks. Riley hides her face in her hands, a la Rachel Berry in Never Been Kissed.

They bring the number home going back to back with their dance partners, Lucas and Isadora at center stage. The moment their part is done and the final music swell takes over Lucas breaks into a relieved smile and pumps his fist in the air, so happy to have the whole thing be done with. But he did it!! Isadora tilts her head back against his shoulders, also relieved they managed to pull it off.

Dylan and Asher are jumping around and hugging. Dave hugs Jade and twirls her around. From the audience, the performers leap up and giving them a resounding standing ovation. I could never convey how truly iconic this whole sequence is, but there you have it. One of the best numbers in the full series of AMBITION.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Given that it’s usually the techies who clean up and strike each performance, now it is up to the performers. Charlie and Zay are cleaning up the stage, cheekily congratulating one another for successfully keeping their class from imploding.

Now that he’s had a couple days to think on it, Charlie makes a point of thanking Zay for standing up for him. Zay tells him he’d do it any time, and admits that he’s actually had a really good time this week goofing around with him. Charlie is all nervous chuckles and flustered waves of dismissal, but it’s clear the sentiment means a lot to him.

As he’s heading out, Zay calls after him.

Zay: Think I might take you up on that offer to hang out sometime. You know, if that offer is still valid.

Charlie: [ with a smile ] Hit me up, and I’m sure we can work something out.

Zay watches him go, unable to hold back that smile that blooms across his face. Then he gets back to work, putting the last of the set pieces back into place.

INT. AAA - GIRLS DRESSING ROOM - DAY

Maya finds Isadora in the dressing room, having just changed back into her usual clothes. Maya congratulates her on a job well done, and Isadora returns the notion by thanking her for the ridiculous but effective costume.

Maya reiterates her stance that she believes Isadora should seriously consider auditioning for the musical. Even though she did clearly have a lot of fun with “Dancing Queen,” Isadora hesitantly admits that her reluctance doesn’t just stem from the performing aspect of it.

Without saying much else, Maya senses that she’s referring to her mother, and all the baggage that comes with that. So she takes a different persuasive approach.

Maya: I get what you’re feeling. It may seem like I take after my mom, and I guess I do in some ways – especially the vocal ability. But otherwise, I really don’t. She’s sweet, just naturally, and softer than anyone I know. I’m not like that. [ a beat ] I’m more like my dad. And I fought against that part of me a lot, because he’s trash. He left me. He hurt my mom. But… it’s those parts of me that are like me that help me get where I want to go. The determination. The ability to be demanding, when necessary. The stubbornness –

Isadora: Yes, all of your best traits…

Maya: [ with an eye roll ] I know they’re not the most popular, believe me, but they’re a part of me. He’s a part of me, even if I wish he wasn’t. So I embrace it instead. Because I’m pretty effing awesome, and I’m not holding myself back because of him.

Isadora considers this, avoiding her gaze. Maya gives it one last push.

Maya: You’ve got talent, Smack. Don’t let the things your mom has done hold you back or stop you from doing what makes you happy. Don’t give her the power of taking away another good thing from your life.

Hanging on this sentiment, Maya gives her a light touch on the shoulder before heading out. Isadora ruminates on all of this, turning back to face herself in the mirror. She starts to wipe off her stage makeup… before hesitating. Tilting her head, trying to decide if she likes it or not. If this is something she may actually want to investigate…

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Bird Set Free (Live for Spotify)” as performed by Sia || Performed by Isadora De La Cruz

Isadora launches into this anthem for self-expression, growing more empowered the further into the song she gets.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

She takes the performance into the auditorium and owns the stage, not inhibited by anybody watching her or the pressure of living up to expectations. Just fully leaning into the interest in performing she’s been holding back for so long, potentially opening up the gates to pursuing it.

And boy, will she get to pursue it…

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Jack confronts MARLY EVANS (17), the student who has been leaking information about Isadora to the tabloids. She claims that it was just to make a quick buck – she’s trying to pay for college soon, after all – and she never meant to like, hurt anyone. Jack states that her behavior is an intrusion of privacy, and such treatment of another student could warrant expulsion.

Marly points out the hypocrisy that Lucas can literally start a fight and not get expelled, but Jack highlights the glaring differences in both of the situations. Angling for one last plea, Marly claims he might reconsider her sentence after she offers what information she knows about the AAAC. Which is to say – she knows things that he might find interesting.

Jack hesitates… this could be a good lead in an other cold case…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The world seems to have righted itself once again, as Farkle and Maya are back standing at center stage while the techies are seated in the center section. They first commend them on their fun and energetic performance, before going on to explain that although the week was brutal, they learned a lot and are happy to have participated in it.

Farkle: Really, I’m just happy to have passed.

But as the techies should well know, they’re performers, and they can’t get through an entire week without a song of their own. This one, though, they claim is dedicated to their crew.

Maya: We lean on you guys all the time, usually without even realizing it. I think after this week, it’ll be hard to forget how crucially.

Farkle: So this time around, we’re extending the invitation back to you.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Lean On Me” as performed by Glee Cast || Performed by AAA Sophomores

The rest of the performers take the stage as they hum their way into the number, Zay coming to join the other two divas at the front. He takes the first verse, the class joining in on the chorus.

About halfway through, the performers take to the edge of the stage to gesture the techies up there with them. They help pull them up over the front of the stage, climbing up to share in the performance with them. As the song slows to the bridge, the divas give the solo to Isadora who delivers it with gusto.

The class dances together through the rest of the number, emphasizing some of the new bonds that have been built through the episode or strengthening the old ones. Dylan and Asher each have an arm around Lucas. Dave is jamming with Haley and Nigel. Isadora fits pretty effortlessly in with the core group of performers, bringing the song home with them.

Angela and Shawn watch from the back, swaying together and reveling in the fact that their two sides of the school have finally made peace. She leans her head on his shoulder. Shawn smiles watching the sophomores band together and bring down the house to close us out. Finally coexisting.

For now.

END OF EPISODE.

#S1 #episodes #108

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