#this is part of a larger story i want to write about these two eventually 👀

[panic-flavored]

Idea: What if, along with the "siren song" merfolk use to put victims into a trance, they also have one other kind of call that they only use as an absolute last resort.

It's basically known by merfolk as the "Death call." It's a very specific frequency and volume of sound that, when used, can burst the eardrums and major arteries of anyone within the area. Even those farther away can experience temporary to permanent deafness, severe headaches, and nose bleeds.

The reason that merfolk try never to use this call, even in very deadly situations, is because the frequency and volume are so harsh that it causes harm to themselves. Those who do use it are lucky if they escape with minor effects, such as bleeding of the gills and eyes, temporary loss of proprioception, or permanently altered vocalization. But in extreme cases, the call can lead to collapsed lungs and internal bleeding, causing an agonizingly painful death to the merfolk making the call.

Most merfolk are fortunate enough to never be put in a situation where the death call is nessecary and can go their entire natural life without having to make it. But with modern humans becoming mcu more of a danger to them, that luck is quickly running out.

[the-broken-truth]

Missing Piece - Yandere Leona Kingscholar [Part 1]

Summary: Leona finds Yuu is pregnant with his child and demands she get rid of it; claiming he hated children and walked nothing to with the cub she was carrying. Upon refusing to do so, she ends their relationship. 7 years have passed since graduation, and Leona is working at his Father's Company but he feels like something is missing in his life. He finds what he is missing upon meeting a lost boy while on his way to work.

Broken: I don't know every single thing about Twisted Wonderland or Leona, but I really wanted to write this, so just bear with me. Here are some notes explaining a few things in this story.

Notes:

Yuu possesses magical abilities, but she is still human. Her specific magical ability is called Binding Magic, which allows her to use chains to immobilize her targets. However, she needs to be within a certain distance from her target for the chains to remain bound. Alternatively, she can use more magical energy to maintain the chains at a distance. The maximum amount of time the chains shall remain bound is one hour.

Night Raven College is an All-Boys School, so Yuu attends a school for girls.

This is a more modern version of Twisted Wonderland - The Kingscholar Family owns a major company and Leona is one of the possible heirs, but he has an older brother who is the main heir. There are still Beastmen and others, as well as magic, but they live alongside humans in this storyline.

Yuu sat alone in her dorm room, tears slowly streaming down her face as she attempted to calm herself down; stress was not good for her, not at this delicate moment in her life. She inhaled through her nose before exhaling through her mouth and opened her eyes to look around the room, she was currently in the middle of packing; graduation was right around the corner and her time at the school she was attending was coming to an end. She was excited and sad to leave this place, she made great friends and had some good times, but at the same time, there were some times she had massive regrets. One of those moments was happening right now. Yuu's attention was drawn from the room when the phone in her grasp dinged and vibrated against her palm, signaling she had a new text message. She unlocked her phone before opening the message, her eyes narrowed as more tears flowed upon reading the contents of the message and who it was from.

Leona, her boyfriend.

No.

She should not call him that anymore; no loving boyfriend would say the things he said to her earlier in the day.

Leona: You know that I love you, I really do, but I can't accept this; I refuse to. Just get rid of it and we can forget about the fight, we can continue being happy together as we planned, Herbivore. Just get rid of it.

Yuu scoffed at the message before turning her screen off and throwing the phone on her bed before placing her hand on her stomach which contained the most important thing in her life now - her child.

Yuu met Leona during a joint school event with Night Raven College as the main sponsor since it was much larger than the school Yuu came from. She was talking with some friends when she bumped into Leona and ruined his shirt with the drink she was enjoying; he literally growled at her and demanded that she apologize for ruining his shirt, but she stood up to him and told him to leave her be. This is what triggered Leona's Interest in her and he continued to follow her around for about 2 months - he somehow got her number and would constantly text her, asking her to give him a chance and she finally gave in, agreeing to a date at the cafe in the city. Things went well, better than well, and the two of them kept seeing each other until Leona asked Yuu to be his girlfriend; she agreed and life was good for them.

Alas, all good things come to an end eventually; do they not?

Yuu had been feeling under the weather for a while and her friend told her she might want to get a pregnancy test done since this feeling arrived after Yuu helped Leona out of his rut; Yuu was certain that the two of them used protection but she went to get the test anyway. Imagine her surprise when she discovered she was bearing Leona's Child; she was happy and terrified at the same time, she knew Leona wasn't fond of kids but she hoped once she told him the news, he would accept it because it was his own cub.

She called him and asked him to meet her at the cafe where they had their first date; she ordered his favorite drink and waited for him to arrive. Once he did, the two of them sat and talked about things going on in their school lives and possible plans for after graduation; once he was relaxed and Yuu had his undivided attention, she told him the reason he called him there.

The moment she told him that she was pregnant, Leona burst into a fit of laughter, thinking that she was joking, but when she told him that she was not joking and she was really expecting his child, Leona's tone changed and the next words that came out of his mouth caused a nail to hit in the center of her heart and it shattered like glass.

"Get rid of it." Leona growled out, making the young woman sitting across from her shiver in her skin; it was instant, no delay or thought given. He wanted Yuu to get rid of their child and she knew he wasn't kidding; she's been with him for a long time, and she knew that look in these green eyes. This seriousness caused tears to form in Yuu's blue eyes.

Yuu tried to keep herself together as she begged Leona to reconsider - this was another life they were talking about, a life their love had created. She understood that he wasn't really interested in children at the moment but they could adapt and watching the child grow and eventually be born could make Leona see just how precious this life was. Leona growled and glared at Yuu before he rose from his chair and hissed out his next words with venom.

"Either you lose it or you lose me."

As Leona left the cafe, a young woman was left crying alone in the booth, with her hands covering her face. The other customers looked at her with pity and concern. The barista decided to offer her a free drink and muffin, while another pregnant woman brought her a cinnamon roll. She sat across from the crying woman and introduced herself as Mira. They had a deep conversation for about two hours until Yuu returned to school. Mira made sure to give her phone number and urged her to call in case of any emergency or uncertainty. Yuu sat on her bed in silence for a while, remembering the words Mira told her in the cafe before she reached over to grab her phone and unlocked it once again before returning to Leona's Message Thread; upon collecting her thoughts and calming her heart, she started texting Leona.

Yuu: You have expressed that you want nothing to do with this child and that is your choice, that is your right as an independent individual. However, I am my own person and I shall make my own choices, and my choice is to keep my baby.

Yuu pressed the send button and waited - a response arrived 3 minutes later and she didn't hesitate to look at it.

Leona: You can't be serious. You're gonna choose a parasite that's not even alive over me?! You're willing to lose me over that thing?! Use your fucking brain, Herbivore; you need me just like I need you! That thing will only get between us! Get rid of it so we can be happy again!

Yuu typed her response.

Yuu: You told me to choose and I chose - I'm keeping my baby. My child will have nothing to do with you or the Kingscholar Name if that's what you are worried about. They shall not know your identity as their father or even as a past lover of mine. I shall give them the best life I can without you in it. All I ask is that you continue to live your life and find someone who will make you happier than I ever did. Goodbye, Leona Kingscholar.

Yuu sent the message before pressing the button on the upper right corner of Leona's Messeng Thread.

You Have Blocked This Contact

Yuu locked her phone once again before looking out the window at the full moon in the cloudless sky as the stars twinkled in a sea of deep darkness. She closed her eyes and prayed to the Great Seven that she and her baby would have a prosperous life, to give her the knowledge & resources to aid her child in whatever they wished, as well as a prayer thanking them for all they have done for her and everything they will do; once her prayer was done, she placed her phone on the charger before sliding into bed and fall asleep.

As Yuu slumbered, green eyes glared at the screen of the phone in his hand as he sat in the darkness of his room and he looked at the system message with hatred and heartbreak in his eyes.

The Person You Are Attempting To Contact Is Actively Blocking You

He snarled and threw the phone across the room causing it to hit the door and shatter into pieces, the male gripped his hair while covering his ears as the voice started coming back; the voices of doubt that once plagued him. He thought he was free from their curse when Yuu would hold him but now she was gone, she was ignoring him, and he was alone once again. He roared in anger and sorrow as he fell upon the blankets of the bed, tears flowed from his eyes until he opened his eyes once again to see the Lion Plushie Yuu gave him for his most recent birthday. He reached out, grabbed the plushie, and looked at the collar around its neck:

Leona & Yuu Forever

Leona hugged the plushie to his chest, balled himself around the plushie, and sobbed himself to sleep; she'll come back to him. She realize that he was right and she will come back to him. Everything was going to be alright and they were going to be happy once again; all he had to do was wait.

[Seven Years After Graduation]

It is said that time can heal wounds and allow scars to fade away, as well as allow us to improve ourselves for a better future; at least, that is what Leona wanted to believe.

After Leona graduated, he tried to speak with Yuu at her graduation ceremony. He wanted to explain that he cared about her and wanted to make things work between them. However, when he arrived, Yuu's best friend told him that he was too late. Yuu had already left with her parents after the ceremony. They promised to take care of her during her pregnancy and to support her until she could find a job and a place to live. Leona never got the chance to meet Yuu's parents or visit her home. It was then that he realized he had lost her forever. His heart was shattered into a million pieces.

Leona returned home and applied to work at his father's company- while he was not next in line to be the CEO, that title and right belonged to his Older Brother - Falena. Falena was rather serious about his job and family when it came to his wife and son, Cheka; Falena loved his family more than anything and he would do anything to protect them. He hated working under his brother, constantly in his shadow, but Leona was still a Kingscholar and he was not going to let his brother's high position outshine him for long; he would work harder than Falena ever could and continue to rise above.

Leona did just that and worked well with the other employees; he would always do his part and help anyone who needed it, he wasn't over-friendly but he was still respectful to those he worked with, including his father and brother in the office.

During those seven years, Leona managed to snare the President Title for himself while his father was CEO and his brother was COO; the pay was grand and the people in the office respected him, that should be everything he wanted but he could feel it - the hollow void in his heart that could only be filled by one piece, a piece he discarded and regretted ever since.

Leona moved back into his room at Kingscholar Estate and that is where he spent most of his time, lying in his bed while holding his lion plushie that was slowly falling apart at the seams; it was the only thing he had that reminded him of her and he refused to let that piece of her fade away.

Leona's Father attempted to introduce him to numerous women from respectful companies and families but he was never interested in any of them; he wanted her and none of them were her. His father would tell him that he was holding on to the delusion of the one he wanted coming back to him when it was Leona's fault she left him in the first place. Leona would snarl at him before leaving the room to leave Falena to reticle his father in kicking Leona at his weakest point; the younger brother no longer cared about being outshined by his older, his worst regret was letting go of the only person who truly understood him.

One day, Leona was out and about dressed in his suit with his satchel across his shoulder and resting on his hip; his father sent him to close a business deal with a potential new client, they were a rather small business, well, small when comparing it to the scale of the company Leona worked for but their name was getting out there and Leona's Father knew it was important to make the necessary connections the business world.

He walked down the sidewalk, eyes green eyes focused forward as his tail swayed from side to side with each step he took; he was so distracted that he wasn't really aware of his surroundings until he came to a stop when a smaller body connected with the side of his legs, causing him to look in the direction of the child and his eyes widened slightly in confusion.

The child's visage reflected his own when he was around that age with the only exception being the young boy's eyes were the deepest blue he had ever seen. He watched as the young lion rose to his feet and looked up at the man before him before bowing his head in respect.

"My apologies, Sir! I wasn't looking where I was going and bumped into you." The boy said before looking up at Leona with a bright smile; this boy radiated a kind aura that he felt like he was familiar with.

"It's alright, kid; I was rather distracted too, and wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings." Leona said causing the boy to gasp.

"That's not good! You have to watch where you are going or you shall get hit by a car, or a bus, or a train, or even stabbed by some stranger who is having a bad day or malicious intent! Then, your family shall miss you and people will be sad!" The boy exclaimed while waving his hands around.

"Where did you come up with that?" Leona asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Mommy would say that when I was too distracted! I'm working hard to be more careful so Mommy won't worry too much about me and she will see that I a a big boy!" the boy smiled while placing his fists on his hips in a superhero-like pose, causing the taller lion to chuckle at him.

"Your Mommy sounds like a wise woman. What about your daddy? Is he just as wise as her?" Leona asked.

"Oh, I don't have a Daddy. Just Mommy and she is the only one I really need, but I also have God-Ma, and Auntie, as well as Grandma and Grandpa, so I'm really happy! I don't need a Daddy!" The boy smiled again as his smaller tail waved around behind him. Leona opened his mouth again when a voice called out through the air; sending a ping through his heart.

"Leonis!" A female voice called out.

He watched as the boy, Leonis, turned around and ran to a woman wearing casual clothing; long black hair, lightly sun-kissed skin, and a golden necklace with a locket pendant laced around her neck. Leona looked at this woman as the young boy hugged her legs as she petted him between his ears.

"Mommy!" Leonis called out while looking up at her with shining blue eyes.

"Leonis, I have told you numerous times not to run off like that. What if you got hurt or if someone tried to take you away?" She asked - her voice light and sweet but stern and concerned to her child.

"I would have scratched their eyes out!" Leonis said as he raised his claws to show them to his mother, "I am the Lion Strength of Our Family and Grandpa taught me how to fight! There's no one stronger than him and I'll be able to protect you too, Mommy!" She chuckled and smiled sweetly at the child.

"I know, My Sweet Cub, but Mommy wants to make sure that you remain safe. Now, it's time to meet Grandpa and Grandma for lunch, are you ready to go?" She asked.

"Yes, Mommy!" Leonis turned to look at Leona who was standing there watching the interaction between mother and son before he started waving at the male, "Sorry for bumping into you, Sir! I hope you have a prosperous day!" This caused the mother to look at Leona.

Time seemed to slow down around the Kingscholar Male as his breath was caught in his throat when sapphire locked with emerald.

"Yuu?" His voice came out in a weak whimper as he looked at the face of the woman who stood before him, who looked at him with wide eyes but said nothing.

He watched as Yuu reached down, took Leonis by the hand, and started walking him to their car in the parking lot;. He watched as Yuu placed the cub in the car seat behind the passenger seat of her car before closing the door and walking to the driver's door, opening it and getting inside before closing it. His keen ears picked up on the sound of the engine roaring to life before the car pulled out of the spot, out of the parking lot, and drove down the street until it disappeared completely from sight.

Leona stood there as the world moved around him, his eyes remained wide as the pieces started falling into place of realization and 6 critical points were made obvious to him.

Leona had finally seen Yuu after their break-up seven years ago.

Yuu was now a mother.

Her son was a Lion Beastman while she was a human.

His name was Leonis.

Leonis couldn't be older than 6 considering his size.

Leonis looked just like him when he was that age, only with Yuu's eyes.

Yuu had given birth to his child, to his son, and had been raising him alone. He was a father. Leona Kingscholar was a father.

However, that's when his eyes widened once again when he remembered what Leonis told him during their conversation and it caused his heart to grow cold once again.

I don't need a Daddy!

Leona stood there for a while before he started walking once again - he had a business meeting to get to and after that...he had to make a very important call.

[END]

[everlasting-rainfall]

I'm imaging a platonic version of your pages au with Whitebeard...

Maybe the book is about found family with a "larger than life" pirate who adopts the MC and Whitebeard reads it during his medical appointments and believes it's about him and his "new daughter", so he tracks down the author and abducts her so she can join her new family.

Any thoughts? 👀

OH MY GOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I ADORE PLATONIC YANDERE’S LIKE THEY MAKE ME 🎆🎇🎆!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!

Thank you so much for sending this ask in, dearie!! I’ll make sure that it’s a lot of fun to read!! And for any of you reading this, feel free to send in some more stuff about platonic yandere’s especially if it’s Familial Yandere’s!

God, I love it so much!! It’s so freaking cute!!

Anyways before I start exploding like fireworks sprayed with a flamethrower, let’s get into it! Shall we?

I hope this is what you want! Also keep in mind that there’s no romance here, it’s all Platonic!!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

Delusions, Kidnapping, Getting Heavily Babied, Character Death, Spoilers for Marineford, No Chance of Escape, Trapped Forever

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

Okay so let’s say that the books are still about romance like there’s still the Pirate versus Marine love story but you decided to take a break from writing about that story to focus on something else like maybe you wrote a new book in the series

And this book entirely focuses on the main character getting separated from the love interests like maybe there was an accident at sea that made the MC fall overboard and they wind up being found by like this other group

This group takes them in and they’re kinda hostile at first but they become more trusting and caring over time eventually deciding to basically adopt the MC into the group as like the youngest sibling to the parent of the group

It doesn’t last forever though as at the end of the book, there’s a tearful goodbye between the main character as they’ve been found by the pirate and the marine so they have to return to their old life, a promise is made to not forget them and the group even helps the main character and their friends escape some pursuing enemies

End on a note of the parental figure of the group watching as the main character vanishes into the distance with their love interests and quietly saying “May you always find happiness, my dear son/daughter” or something to that extent

So with enough time, this book eventually lands in the hands of Whitebeard like let’s say that Marco got it for him to keep him from getting bored during his medical appointments and he appreciates the gift from his son so I’d say that he reads it

Like he’s sitting there getting a check up for his health and at first, he’s a little bored especially as he has no clue what’s going on due to this being a book later on in the series but he does know that he doesn’t like the Pirate or the Marine as they both seem annoying to him

He was about to put the book down and never touch it again but figured that he had about an hour left on the appointment so he might as well keep reading so he does getting to the part where the MC meets the group and gets taken in

Now he’s getting a bit interested and so he keeps reading getting more and more interested, he’s actually smiling quite a bit when the Main Character gets adopted into the group as the youngest sibling but when he finally reaches the end of the book and finds out that the Main Character leaves with the two characters that he finds annoying

God, you practically see the despair in his eyes…

His hopes perk up a little when he reads that the group arrives to save the Main Character and the two annoying ones (his words, not mine) from an enemy as he thinks that the leader of the group might take the MC back telling the two of them to get lost

But instead, the MC sails off into the distance and Whitebeard is left staring at the final sentence of the book alongside the illustration of the leader of the group looking off into the sunset

He can’t stand the idea of this and when he finds out this is a series of books, he remains somewhat hopeful that maybe the MC will go back to the group to be part of their family again so he asks Marco to buy the other books in the series when they reach a new island

Marco does of course and gives them to Whitebeard so now anytime that he’s bored or getting a medical appointment, he picks up one of the books and starts reading in hopes that what he wants will happen but alas… No such thing happens…

Throughout the books, there is brief mention of the group but they never appear again as maybe that book didn’t do too well with the audience that primarily reads your books or you just didn’t wanna include them again

The MC never goes back to the group, it’s enough to make this poor old man’s heartbreak and when he sees who the MC wound up with in the end it’s just about enough to make him want to get rid of these books

He almost does too like he was this close to ripping them up but instead he sees one last thing that makes him stop, he looks at the back of the book and sees your picture thanking your readers for the support along with telling them that you’re going to move onto other things but he doesn’t care much for that as he keeps staring at the picture

Is it just him or do you look just like how he envisioned the Main Character to look?

And now that he really thinks about it too… Is it just him or did the group seem eerily similar to the Whitebeard Pirates?

I mean the right hand man is a bird and the group leader is described as being as big as a whale plus a gun slinging cross dresser, a cook with a pompadour, and a narcoleptic with fire powers? There’s no way

He goes back and reads the book that introduced to the series and he sees even more similarities however whether they’re actually there or not is up to you but lord knows that it’s unintentional if it’s true

With this, Whitebeard basically has a lightbulb go off in his head as it’s clear to him now that you’re the youngest member of their family and he needs to go find you as clearly you’re in an unhappy relationship and just want to come home to Pops and your brothers

Well don’t worry as Pops is coming and he’s bringing the family who with some brief convincing have wound up just as deluded as Whitebeard is as they all really think that you’re some kind of lost member of their family

It’s gonna take a while to find you like I’d give it about a week at the least but a month at the most, he’s coming for you and it’s not like anyone can stop him as no matter what island you’re living on and no matter who it belongs to, he’s still coming

When he finds where you are, prepare to be almost immediately hauled off back to the ship with your screams and thrashes being shushes like you’re some kind of child throwing a temper tantrum

“We’re here to help you, stop thrashing!!” “Don’t you recognize us, *MC’s Name*?! We’re your family!!” “Quit screaming already, we’re taking you home!!”

Literally no matter what you do, there’s no chance once they’ve found you as you’ll be hauled back to the ship like you’re some kind of treasure then once they’re done on the island they’ll be sailing out into open waters so even if there was a chance now there’s -10000% chance of escape

Chances are that a big party is going to be held on the ship in celebration of you finally being back with them even though you were never here in the first place, everyone’s having the time of their lives though and no one is listening when you try to ask to be set free

You attempt to jump overboard and swim to safety while no one looks but I’d like to see you try as you’ll likely be found before you can even get close to the edge and if you do make it then you’ll be pulled up within seconds

You’re going absolutely nowhere and the only thing that you can convince them of is to at least use your real name when they talk to you

Honestly as well, something in me says that you should prepare to be babied as you’re the youngest sibling and you can’t even fight plus they haven’t seen you in so long like Whitebeard claims you were like that big when he last saw you

Like imagine going from a life of independence and doing things on your own to never being left alone and having people do a lot for you like you aren’t even allowed near the stove as you might burn yourself according to Thatch

You should just let them take care of everything for you now, they’ll take good care of you and someday when they deem that you can get married then they’ll help you find a suitable person that they approve of and who treats you right

You’re allowed to do some things for yourself like bathroom stuff and getting changed but other than that, it’s honestly a wonder to you that they don’t also have you wearing footie pajamas with a pacifier in your mouth considering the way that they treat you

Even if you attempt to bring up your problems with this to Pops and request to leave, Whitebeard will simply say that he’ll think about it but always he’ll get back to you under an hour and tell you no as you’re staying like this plus you’re not going anywhere

Why would you want to go anywhere anyways? They can give you everything that you’ve ever wanted or needed right here on the Moby Dick, you should be really grateful that they’re doing this for you as they found you and rescued you after all this time

I wouldn’t recommend trying to raise a big stink about wanting to leave either as it’ll likely just be seen as a temper tantrum by the Whitebeard Pirates which will just get you an early nap time like imagine being scooped up in this man’s hand and forced to take a long nap on his chest because clearly you’re fussy from sleepiness

Now you might think that you have a chance of getting away when you hear that Whitebeard dies and the Whitebeard Pirates get scattered by Blackbeard like you definitely feel sympathy for them but this could also be your chance at freedom

Yeah, no sorry… Marco is definitely not letting you go ever after what happened like you’re on such a short leash that it’s practically non-existent like hell, I can see him legitimately child leashing you in public…

Also dating and getting married someday is completely out the window now like if someone takes even the slightest interest in you, Marco is going to scare them off so there’s no chance for you to ever escape

Your fate was sealed the exact moment that Whitebeard picked up one of your books, you’re his youngest child and you’re not leaving your family ever even when he’s gone…

The family will be together forever even if they have to put you on a child leash…

[atelierwriting]

so you want to build a character 102

written by popular demand of nicole @seasteading’s cat meowing into the mic

so you’ve got a story idea, and now you need to populate it with characters—where do you begin? or perhaps you have the vaguest idea of a character in your mind, but you need a little help figuring out their story. characters are absolutely vital in the story you want to tell, because they’re your readers’ eyes into the world. they experience the story as your characters do. you might even hope that your readers will get attached to them and send you a million all-caps messages crying about the fate of said characters. 

whatever your goals are, here are a few things to keep in mind as you begin.

TRIED AND TRUE RECIPE FOR MAKING THE PERFECT CHARACTER (run them through the mary sue litmus test)

don’t write characters, write character arcs. characters are not static. throughout the story, there will be conflict that should—and will—change your character. the character arc can either compliment the main plot or be that plot. many conflicts are resolved by characters overcoming their own personal or mental battles, or developing in a way that makes a solution possible. the person your character begins as at the beginning of the story will not be the same as the person they are at the end.

think of lord of the rings and how frodo ends up at the end of the story as compared to the very beginning. the struggles he went through ended up changing who he was, and he realized that there was no way he could return to how he was before his journey.

point a to point b. this is one method that i use to write character arcs. i first figure out who my character is and what their situation is like at the beginning of the story. then, i come up with how i want them to end up at the very end. once you have these two points, you can work on how it is possible for them to develop from point a (the beginning) to point b (the end).

along the way, there will be a lot of intermediate points. you can flesh these out as you come to them, and even discover more things about your characters. point b can eventually become point z, or point 1000. how did we go from letters to numbers? who knows! but the journey of character development doesn’t happen immediately. it is a gradual shift.

conflict. pay attention to how your character responds to conflict. conflict can be used as a catalyst for change for your character. when coming up with conflicts, it is important to keep in mind your character’s values and limits. in order for the conflict to feel worthwhile, these two things need to be challenged. it is an ideal situation for development, and even a little angst, if you want that.

character relationships. how does your character view the rest of the cast? if you’re working on the previous point, how might they come into conflict with them? relationships between characters allows the readers to understand more about nearly everything in the story—the plot, the world around them, and in turn, the characters themselves. the way they treat each other can reveal a lot about their own backstories. think about all the ways that they can play off each other, and how this may change as the story progresses, especially when the characters each branch off and develop.

character-driven narratives. if your story is character driven, it becomes even more important that your character motivations are solid and progress in a believable manner. they are the ones enacting change around them—specifically, they will be the ones moving the plot along. think about the ramifications of your character’s actions: how it affects those around them and how it affects the larger picture. then, think about where your character will go from there as a reaction to the things their own choices have caused.

the plot doesn’t just happen. even if you are writing a more passive character, the plot doesn’t magically part for them like the red sea for moses. there are other factors, such as other characters within the story, or perhaps your own character’s desires. of course, this all depends on where you want the character to go from here. you might consider what would make a more passive character less passive, or how else you can ruin their lives to force them to act. either way, plot is something that moves the story forward, not something that just happens to characters.

fundamental character traits. we’ve been talking a lot about how the characters change, but we also need to keep in mind that in some ways these characters must also remain the same. they each have fundamental character traits that will remain by the end of the story. for example, kaz is still the bastard of the barrel at the end of the duology—but he’s opened up more to the crows. the changes a character goes through must be proportional to the events of the plot. they might change a lot, but they must still be recognizable at the end of the story due to the things that they have gone through.

flaws. last but not least, make sure your character has flaws! these can be their weaknesses, things they work on throughout the story and eventually improve upon, or even just character traits that aren’t exactly the best to have—simple facts about them. people aren’t perfect, and your characters shouldn’t be either.

[haeryna]

i feel like reader (especially after being called princess and the two working together to tear down her walls) would be in a dilemma— like a few things came out of them abandoning her but one being just this indescribable feeling of rage and hurt

so upon being in their hold and touch and suguru endearingly calling for her to hear them out, part of her wants to fold SO bad but the other part of her wants to stay unreasonable and not hear them out because it’s just so much easier to be angry at them and paint them as the villains in her life, if she does accept their apology she knows that feeling won’t go away— she’d have to come to terms with how bitter of a person she really was (i mean rightfully so, they did screw her over)

also bless u and ur writing— i don’t see many poly! satosugu x reader stories with a plot that has me biting my finger in absolute investment LMAO love uuuuuu 🫶🏾✨

ANON THANK YOU you perfectly summed it up !! i wanted to write a story where there was a difficult decision that had to be made, with several catalysts involving how everything went down. (splitting this so that it doesn't invade people's feeds with a wall of text LOL)

satoru's "coming out" to his parents: mine were so homophobic that i didn't come to terms with my own sexuality for a long, long time, so i empathized with the sheer panic and trauma that gave him. you don't make rational decisions when your parents are beating the shit out of you, and you also don't make rational decisions when you're 16 years old.

suguru choosing to leave reader behind: they could only withdraw so much money with the limits satoru's parents had placed on his bank account. they had to have enough to eat, to rent an apartment, to actually get away. they had to choose a place far enough so that satoru's parents wouldn't follow, which brings me to

retaliation: there's a unique kind of fear, when you're unsure if someone is hunting you down. there's a kind of terror in realizing they can track you. it's why they got rid of their phones, and immediately upon signing to the same company, received heavily protected ones. only people who had their number could reach them, or even respond.

"they could have said something:" again, they were panicked, satoru had just been beaten by his literal parents, and they were trying to flee as fast as possible. in the moment, they could not have and would not have been able to do that. as alluded to before, they did not live a comfortable life in asia. the beginning was rough as they scraped by. it wasn't until satoru began auditioning that things started looking up for them, and if you're into the kpop scene, you know how brutal training is. suguru ultimately spent all his time caring for satoru and working on the side until he also made it big.

"and what about after?:" honestly sometimes, when you know you fuck up, but you feel like you can't do anything about it anymore? that was them. and you can be upset with it all you want, but it had gotten to the point where they genuinely thought you would never be a part of their lives again. yet the chasm in their chest grew larger and larger, until they realized they couldn't continue on unless they know they at least tried.

that's not to say reader isn't in a predicament as well, like you mentioned nonnie. leaving hurts, and abandonment is worse, so it would be far easier to paint them as the bad guys. it doesn't matter what their intentions were. to reader, they left her alone, and now they're suddenly back for unknown reasons? reader is also not the most stable of mind right now (real); she's working two jobs on top of taking care of her sick parents. for the past five years, she's had to be the one taking care of herself. now satosugu need to prove that they WANT to be the ones taking care of her. i've been in this situation before, as the left party (who eventually ended up forgiving the leaver), so i hope that will help to incorporate realism into the situation.

and i'm glad you like the plot/understood the nuance of the situation! i'm grateful to you and your ask anon, thank you for allowing me to go in depth into the situation <33 i love you too!

[call-me-copycat]

Escaping The Night (Part 8)

➤ Welcome - Introduction and Request Rules (Requests are open + Some info about me)

▶ Characters: Shinso x Fem! Reader + Father/Mentor Aizawa (platonic)

▶ Genre: Angst to Fluff + Slowburn

▶ Summary: Aizawa takes you to register your quirk, and after you get to meet Eri. Following that, Aizawa tells you that school is starting for you tomorrow.

▶ Word Count: 5047

▶ Warnings:

- A little bit of derealization during the meeting with Eri

- Little bit of PTSD experienced by the reader

➜ [Part 1]

➜ [Part 2]

➜ [Part 3]

➜ [Part 4]

➜ [Part 5]

➜ [Part 6]

➜ [Part 7]

{This is Part 8}

➜ [Part 9] Coming Soon!

And soon enough, he was sure you'd be living a happy and fulfilling life. He just had to keep going, for the greater good.

The drive was quiet after that, the only sounds being the quiet sounds of the radio and the rushing of warm air that was let into the car. You sat as you usually did, knees facing away from Eraserhead and your attention directed to the world outside the window. Although the calm atmosphere gave off an outer mask of safety, you loathed how in tune your behavior was beginning to become in response to Eraserhead's actions.

The drive was unusually long, and as time wore on you began to become more antsy due to the lack of knowledge of what was next. Eventually larger city buildings began to fill your window, and it soon made sense to you that city hall would naturally be located out in the city rather than the little suburbs or town.

The car came to a halt in a small parking lot, and as you stepped out you were immediately greeted with the chilled air blowing in your face. Shivering a bit, you studied your surroundings, unfamiliar since this was Honei.

*I downloaded this game and the city is stunning (　･`ω･´)✨ I'm going to use it lots more to map out places better since I struggle to see what authors describe in writing. The building in the story is the yellow one right there.*

On the other side of the building you parked by was a large mall, a staircase leading up to an outer balcony and paths built over the road to help citizens safely walk throughout the city. It was a busy day, with people being seen pretty much as far as the eye could see. Looking up at the building just led to nothing new being found out, the slight yellow color not doing much to make up for its overall mundaneness.

Aizawa made his way over to your side of the car, signaling to you with a simple wave of the hand to follow. You complied, no matter how much spite was filling your heart, your mind always knew better.

You turned a corner from where you two came from and followed the short path to the entrance of the building, although looking at the end of the little area you saw what you believed was a police officer and some caution tape. Sensing your curiosity, Aizawa filled you in on what you were missing.

"They're just cleaning up some rubble from an old villain attack. Nothing out to the ordinary"

You don't know what compelled you to rebut back.

"And how much of that damage was caused by the hero?"

The lack of response didn't grant you the slightest amount of satisfaction, but it was already said. For a moment, whether you wanted to acknowledge it or not, regret peeked it's eyes over at you. Dark and beady.

"Who knows. Let's get this done with."

He didn't give much of a response before opening the door and silently commanding you in while also cutting off any more spiteful responses.

And that's how you found yourself sitting in a small windowless room like many others around you, an empty paper*¹ in front of you waiting for you to fill in its blanks. Eraserhead sat in a cushioned chair off to another corner of the room, his arms crossed as he waited for you to finish. It was something perceived as so seemingly simple; after all, who knows their quirk better than the owner itself?

You did the best you could, filling in the basics first. However, as you skimmed the whole document, your fingers began to twitch. It was rather... Lengthy. Questions after questions filled your vision, most of which you realized you didn't know how to fill in (addresses, dates, serial numbers, etc). And since this was a formal document, you couldn't just try your best. No... You'd need to get help.

Looking over at Eraserhead through the corner of your eye, you clenched the pen in your hand tighter. Heaving a breath, you decided to do what you could. You'd run into the problem later.

The basics were filled out. Your name, quirk, and updates on your quirk answered the best you could. However, the pen froze just as the fingers holding it did. It was daunting, seeing how much more information was needed compared to the last time you filled it out. Physically being able to look at the blanks brought about a new awareness, it finally clicking in your mind just how little you knew about your situation.

The scraping of a chair across the carpet drew you out of your thoughts, and looking to your side you realized that Eraserhead had brought himself to sit right next to you. You both silently shared a look, the silence filled with tension coming from your side. It quickly faded to understanding as you let him take a look at the paper, then going to jot down everything he explained right after.

At long last, once you finished filling out what you could, the bright rays of the afternoon sunshine greeted your eyes, helping to warm up your frosty body after being inside the cold building for so long. Stepping out, you stood in place for a second, taking in your surroundings once more.

You noticed an increase in people since it was midday, although this group mainly consisted of a younger age group compared to the older people that visited in the morning. There must've been a building cooking something nearby, because the savory smell of either pork or chicken was wafting throughout the air.

It was nice in a way, seeing a new area you hadn't before. All the new sights and people were a bit overwhelming, but it held such an acute feeling of comfort, one that you couldn't pinpoint. As you saw Eraserhead in the corner of your eye, your remembered what he had promised you earlier and began to walk back to where his parked car was sitting.

A sudden hand to your shoulder caused you to freeze.

"Looks like I completely forgot about food. Let's get something in your stomach, okay?" Aizawa looked up and around, and you realized he most likely was not familiar with this area any more than you were.

"There's a few restaurants around here, you can pick any you'd like to - my treat." Upon receiving a blank look, he knew he'd have to learn to be more stubborn with you in retaliation, even if his heart wasn't in it. "I'm not one to offer this very often, either you pick something or I will."

"I'd rather not eat here"

Your response was forced. Everywhere, all around you, were people. You had never eaten at a restaurant before, but you had seen too many damaged and taken over by villains to feel comfortable casually going to one to eat.

"So we'll just go home to eat then, that's what you're saying?"

Home.

You didn't like that at all. Him saying it as if you lived there (which you technically did). As if it was permanent. As if you had always been there. As if you will always be there.

Aizawa was about ready to pull out his hair. He tried being nice and giving offers, yet nothing could make you budge. It was odd for him, forcing himself to be so kind for so long. But he knew he had to keep going. It was all for your sake, after all.

No response was expected, and so he simply took the initiative to head back to his place. He wasn't exactly one that liked to stay home when he could've been productive, but he decided that he couldn't complain. You were still new, and you still had a shell to break out of. If you ever would in the end.

The drive was long, the rest of the day even longer. Once home, you ou simply sat looking out the windows in silence, ignoring every offer of books or drawing paper given to you by an antsy Aizawa.

Truth be told, you felt like you could burst away at any second. Without having anybody to fight or protect, you constantly felt as if you had to be on guard. There was nowhere for your energy to go, and you couldn't bear to sit around and not do anything.

Looking at the darkening sky, you made a silent promise to yourself that things would get better. That you'd be okay in the end... That everything you went through wouldn't go to waste.

-

The next morning, you caught Aizawa off guard by being up before he was, pacing around the living room as silent as a cat. At 4 in the morning.

"You're up early."

You stopped pacing with a swift halt, and Aizawa could see the tension from where you stood with your back to him. He could tell you were starting to feel the withdrawal. The feelings of loneliness and confusion that normally accompanied having something dear taken away.

"Where are we heading now?"

Your voice was quiet, but still enough to catch him off guard.

Looking around the dark room, Aizawa make a split second decision.

"You're starting school tomorrow."

A beat of silence passed through the room, moving slowly as if it was going through molasses. You didn't say a word, yet you looked up from the floor to the roof, your back still to Aizawa. There was little that surprised you at this point, and you had long ago accepted the fact that these were the consequences that came from your actions. It still hurt.

"For now..."

You could hear him grabbing his keys, indicating another event or activity.

"We're going to see someone special. Someone I'd like you to meet."

-

The cold air once again nipped at you once you exited the warm apartment, but you hardly flinched. It was something you were used to. Something you had to get used to. It certainly didn't go unnoticed by Aizawa, ever so observant.

The drive was shorter, and this time it led to a quaint two story house, an older one that was quite large in size. The paint was peeling, but it was overall in rather good condition, the colors providing a very rustic atmosphere.

You followed Aizawa up the pathway, watching as he rang the buzzer to the gate and spoke into some connected speaker, before following him through the gate once it opened.

The door almost immediately swung open to reveal an aging lady, her hair tired up in a bun and wrinkles decorating her face, with a much younger lady in the background who had her hair up in a ponytail, and was wearing an apron and boots.

"Shota, you were just here! It feels like you never left," the older lady spoke, ushering him in, to which you followed.

The house smelled clean, and it had a very homey feeling, one of comfort and familiarity. It smelled of honey and lemon, along with some kind of pastry that must've been baking. It reminded you of a grandmother's house. The surfaces were polished, and lining the bookshelves were numerous pictures of many different children, all at various ages. Each were smiling and doing something different in every photo.

The lady in the background hummed while mopping what you supposed was the kitchen floor, before looking over directly at you.

"Oh? You're new, aren't you?"

Aizawa looked up, nodding before gesturing to you.

"She's new, yes. I decided it would be in both of our best interests if I brought her with me today."

Listening closely, you could hear the squeals of children laughing upstairs and outside. Was this place some kind of daycare, you guessed? It felt like some sort of extra reality, it was starkly quiet on the inside of the house, yet you could almost feel the comfort of the many little lives that would've normally been bustling around. It brought back old memories you wanted held down, the familiarity swallowing you and your mind in it's tar-like stickiness. It was suffocating. You couldn't breath. You wanted to leave. To get out.

Looking all around, you trembled, feeling trapped just as you did on that fateful night. Heaving a soft breath, you calmed your racing heart, looking at the ground for the time being to prevent any future panic.

The older lady was gone by the time you looked up, and Aizawa waved for you to follow him down a new hallway. As you did, you noticed the wallpaper becoming more colorful, with various cartoon bees and cats littering a blue sky and green grass background. It was getting harder to breath. You didn't know why it was so difficult. Why it was so intimidating to be somewhere so innocent. But it wrung out a reaction from you that you had never seen nor expected before.

Reaching a door at the end, you waited with baited breath as Aizawa knocked, once, twice. The hallways had little lights on the floor and soft yellow lamps along the top of the walls, coating the dark area on an old yellow glow. Time seemed to pause as you stood there, wondering who was behind the door. Faintly, you could hear some shuffling before a muffled, "coming!"

The door opened to reveal a younger girl about 7 years old, dressed in a flowery sweater and stripped leggings. She had gray hair and striking red eyes, along with a little horn that sat on her right side of her forehead. Your eyes widened, not having expected to meet with a child that day.

Her face of confusion upon seeing you almost immediately vanished as she smiled at the sight of Eraser, opening her arms at him.

"Mr. Aizawa! I didn't think you'd come today!"

He smiled, patting her head a bit before stepping back, "Just felt like visiting today, you could say."

"I'm so glad! I made a new drawing, come see!", she exclaimed as he followed her into the room. You stood on the outside, curiously peering in to keep an eye on Aizawa in case he called you to do something.

It was isolating, seeing them converse with such familiarity while you stood and awkwardly watched. Why did he say he wanted you there? So he could show how much he liked to see other kids, so he could show off how close he was to others while he held you at arms length?

Your eyes slanted into slits. Why were you feeling this way? What lowered your self-esteem so low to the point of being jealous over a little girl? Why did your heart pang everytime you saw how kindly she was treated? Why did it hurt seeing her have such a happy life when you struggled throughout your entire childhood?

It wasn't fair, but you had learned to suck it up from a young age. A deceased mother and a callous father meant you didn't live such an easy life. You stopped looking at everyone else's good lives, learned to eventually ignore the pangs of jealousy until you forgot they existed.

Your moment of bitterness was cut short when you felt a soft tug at your shirt, only to look down and see her staring directly at you. Before you could do or say anything (not that you would've), she beat you to it.

"Aren't you cold outside?"

You realized she was pointing at your plain sweater, and Aizawa internally beat himself for not buying you better winter gear. Your heart beat harder. She was worried about you. She didn't know you, and yet she still worried. You had never met a child like that before.

"Not particularly."

She thumbed the fabric, and you didn't know why, but you let her. She didn't feel like a threat, and you didn't feel she was as dangerous as someone like Aizawa. Her actions were soft and caring, slow and gentle. Most kids you met were the exact opposite. It was nice, seeing somebody your own pace.

"What's your name?"

She was a child, you reminded yourself, it was only natural to be curious. Yet, it had been a long time since you interacted with children. You didn't know their mannerisms, and how to make sure they wouldn't cry.

"[Name]"

She looked up into your eyes once more and smiled. You looked back, and saw a heaviness in them, masked behind her current happy mood. Something that was held in her eyes told you that she saw something she should never have for someone her age. It held a secret fear, a worry that was otherwise hidden from the rest of her facial features. But there's a reason why they say the eyes never lie.

"Well, [Name], I'm glad I got to meet you! Are you friends with Mr. Aizawa?"

"No."

You knew your response was a bit too quick, but there was no going back once it was said. You saw her frown a bit before relaxing again, resuming her smile.

"Oh, well I hope you two become friends one day, I know Mr. Aizawa can seem scary, but he's actually really nice! He'll show you!" She turned to look at the man in question, "Right, Mr. Aizawa?"

He smiled softly in response before nodding. You had never seen him look this way before. So relaxed and... Happy. It was like a whole other person. Seeing him put on another face so easily should've startled you, worried you about what it was hiding. Yet, for some reason you didn't think of that at the moment.

"Here!"

The girl grabbed your hands, and you bent lower in response to her tugging. She gently wrapped a scarf around your neck. "I don't need this one anymore since Mirio got me a new one, but you can have this one so you're not cold!"

Looking down, you saw the scarf was entirely red, the same shade as her eyes. You rubbed the soft fabric between your fingers, before offering her a bow of gratitude.

"I'll take care of it. Thank you "

She laughed in response, "You're welcome! You're very funny!" She chuckled.

You failed to find what was so funny about your actions, but Aizawa was already telling her goodbye.

"We'll be heading out now, thank you for the scarf. She appreciates it... just a little differently than others would "

The girl hugged her backpack that was once sitting on the floor to her stomach, "Don't worry! I'm different too! Now she's not alone!"

Aizawa chuckled before waving and closing the door. As you walked back outside, you replayed the entire visit through your mind once more. More layers were unraveling, and you were beginning to lose track of what it was you were searching for.

Before you went into another spiral, the door to the building opened, and out rushed that little girl, who ran up to the now closed gate. She was followed by the young lady from before, frantic about trying to get the girl out of the snow.

"Eri! My name's Eri by the way!" She smiled and waved goodbye as you stood by the open car door, before the girl was picked up by the lady.

"It was nice meeting you, [Name]!"

As she smiled and waved, so happy despite such a minimal interaction, you stood and watched until she wasn't able to be seen anymore, brought back inside the warm house. Slowly, you raised your hand and waved to the empty air, a small smile stroking your face before it all fell back into the same monotonous glare.

-

The car was warm. It was always warm.

You couldn't pinpoint the feeling that was building up inside of you... But it was new, and... Odd.

One side of you hurt for some unknown reason, perhaps the feelings of isolation were finally getting to you? Maybe because you had been opened up to a new perspective once you saw you weren't there only one Aizawa knew? Who knows...

The other side felt warm. Warm and... Soft. Happy in a way that you were cared for by someone so new to you. It rarely happened on the streets. Sometimes someone would bring you some food or a blanket every now and then, but for the most part it was you taking care of everyone else. You couldn't bear the feeling of being a burden. It was dishonorable. Disrespectful.

Once back at the apartment, Aizawa stopped you before you made your way up the steps to his floor.

"Let's take a little walk. The sun's out and I've been cooping you up inside for too long."

There wasn't much to say except for a nod, which you then turned to follow him down the sidewalk. As you kept with his pace, you noticed that he walked a bit more freely than his usual walk, with his hands in his pockets and a slight jaunt to his step.

It was quiet between the two of you, but the sounds of the town surrounded you both. It was the weekend, so families were out and about, with the sidewalks littered with people of all sorts.

You didn't think Aizawa had anywhere to go in mind, but you were kindly surprised when you both eventually made your way to the harbor, passing the docks where the boats were sitting in the water.

Looking around, you saw fishermen unloading nets of fish into large containers and others preparing for fishing trips of their own. Some were already setting out, but the larger boats were parked.

The sun was out just as Aizawa had said, and it made for a pleasant afternoon. As you followed in his steps and sat down next to him on a bench facing the boats, you realized you hadn't had a day to yourself to do... Nothing, not in a long, long while.

You watched as a boat blared its horn as it slowly backed out, remembering the sound as you had heard it plenty passing by at night.

Next to you, Aizawa pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket before lighting one, just having it as an afterthought as he set it in his mouth before crossing his arms.

A beat of silence passed between you two once more before Aizawa spoke up suddenly.

"My father was a fisherman... He'd always be gone in the early mornings and late at night. Sometimes he'd bring some of his catch home with him," leisurely looking up at a passing kite a child was running with, he paused before continuing.

"He had a little tugboat that he always rode when it wasn't time to catch anything. Sometimes I got to ride it with him as long as I got up with him early in the morning..."

You didn't respond, but Aizawa knew you were listening. He softly smiled at the memories as he looked over the boats, feeling at home with the sights and smells that surrounded the area.

Why was he telling you this, you wondered? You knew it was most likely to get you used to him, to see him more as a person than an event or cause of force. But... You didn't resent it. It was odd, but you didn't mind the stories, as they were harmless after all.

-

You both sat there until the sun began to set, and you knew it was time to go when you began shivering once more.

That night, it was just you and Aizawa. No Present Mic or any other visitors. It seemed it was always quiet between you two.

While Aizawa cooked in the kitchen, you looked around for something to do. Finding a blank piece of paper sitting idly on the coffee table, you set to work folding it.

As Aizawa made his way to the living room to watch TV while the food cooked, he noticed you folding a paper into some origami creation.

"Hmm... Dog?"

You paused your folding to glace at him in confusion before continuing.

So it was not a dog, he now knew.

As you folded, he couldn't help but be impressed at the craftsmanship and delicate way you were folding the edges. It reminded him of his mother...

"A cat then?"

Still no response from you but you did give him a glance. He didn't know if he was getting closer or further.

As you finished, you gently set the paper down, looking at it for a second. Wringing your fingers, you felt empty now that you didn't have anything to do.

"I see ears... A tail... It looks like some kind of canine?"

"Canidae."

He perked up at your response, glad to get something for once.

"It's... A fox."

"I see."

Aizawa took a sip of his drink as he saw you idly flipping and folding the remnants of the leftover paper, before offering to you, "There's some books in my room. The shelf next to my work desk to the right of my bed," He shrugged, "I don't know if any will be to your suiting though, they're a little old."

As the timer for the kitchen went off, he saw you stand and walk off as he made his way into the kitchen.

Aizawa's room was about as empty as the rest of the house. A single bed that was hardly used, dark red blanket and black sheets. A work desk to the right of it, that extended so it fit in the corner, like an L.

Flipping through the few books he had on the shelf, you pulled out one with a light blue color you thought you recognized. It was an older book, but it was the autobiography of someone who lived through the first generation. They spoke of the horrors that they had to go through as the world was plunged into chaos and despair at the emergence of quirks. You were the 5th generation, with Aizawa being somewhere in between 4 and 5.

You frowned a bit as you saw it was bent, so someone had clearly folded the pages back around as they read (only one person it could be...).

*As much as I love him, I hate the way he reads*

Ignoring it, you clutched the book to your chest as it was something familiar. Something you were able to recognize. It felt nice during all the new things being forced onto you.

You walked out back to the living room, not wanting Aizawa on your case about being in his room for too long. Although the logical part of your mind told you he genuinely didn't care about it, the emotional side held onto the fear that was born from each visit to your father's room in the past. It never seemed to diminish, no matter how much sensibility you threw at it.

Sitting down again, you opened the book to read as you did once in the past. It was clearly older than the version you had, the cover worn with creases and tears, the pages yellowing. On the inside of the cover was a small note scribbled in pen, but you just passed by it, eager to get to the story you knew of.

"Ah, now that's a classic."

You paused your search in order to look over at Aizawa, who was plating the food he had made. Noticing your attention was on him, he nudged his head in the direction of the book you held.

"I read that plenty when I was your age... Sometimes I'd have it on me to read when I took a break during missions."

Of all the books he had, you had to pick that one. The one his mother was always reading. The one gift from her he had actually kept after leaving. The one reminder he had of his youth...

It made him slightly uneasy... You reminded him of his mother in ways more than one. It was a childish way of thinking for a grown man, but it was the truth.

-

Aizawa didn't let you go to bed that night without a brief lecture as to what your school-life would be like. He wanted to make sure you knew as much as you could, so you wouldn't be left in the dark anywhere. The last thing he needed was you getting overwhelmed and running off somewhere again.

"Using the measurements received from the tailor at the mall, I put in for your uniform a few days ago. I'll go get it for you in a second."

You nodded.

"I already got you everything you need. Your bag's hanging on the hook next to mine by the door. It has everything you need in it; writing supplies, notebooks, the textbooks for classes, all of it."

Glancing over at the wall by the door, you nodded. You couldn't see it, but you knew it was there. When you turned back, you saw Aizawa sliding a piece of paper over to you on the coffee table.

"Your schedule. It's a little different for everyone, but either way you'll have me as your homeroom teacher like everyone else. You met Hizashi not too long ago, he's the English teacher. As much as he jokes, you've still got to treat him with respect."

So much was being thrown your way all at once. You normally had no trouble holding onto large amounts of information, so you tried not to let it get to you.

"During my homeroom class we normally train by going over different scenarios and things like that. It's where your mind and body will be trained in order to learn to think and react like a hero-"

"I'd rather not..."

Aizawa sighed. He had a slight understanding at this point of your thought process. It was blurry, but it was a forming image.

"You don't have to be a hero if you don't want to. Nobody's going to force you. But with all you know, plus all your experience, it'd be beneficial for you to learn to hone your quirk better."

Your expression furrowed a bit, but you left it at that. There was a mutual understanding that arguing wouldn't get anywhere.

"Now as for your classmates..." Aizawa heaved a breath, not knowing where to even start. "They're a bit... They can be a little rambunctious at times. Don't let that discourage you though, they're quite smart and can hold themselves up pretty well." He smiled to himself slightly, thinking about it.

"Don't worry too much, you'll be in good hands."

Aizawa knew they'd love you.

A/N:

And we're back once more! I wish everyone a successful New Year! Think of this as a little New Year's Gift (　ﾟᵕﾟ)

That being said, I do apologize for being slow at writing! Between work and school, I'm pretty much kept busy 24/7, so I've been struggling to get some free time ꒰ ᐢ ◞‸◟ᐢ꒱

I'm working on Chapter 9 along with the other many requests I've gotten! I'm trying to get as much done as I can! ✌('∀-)-☆

I do have something to say to those still with me though:

Thank you for staying with me.

Wishing you all a lovely New Year, start safe and healthy for me please! 🌸(♡´ ꒳ `*♡)人(♡*´ ꒳ `♡)🌸

Tag List:

♡ @bingewatchintilldawn

♡ @talia-the-gemini

♡ @cactilli

♡ @breadglasses

♡ If you wish to be tagged/taken off the list, please let me know! Feel free to do this either by messages or by giving me an ask :⁠-⁠)

Notes:

*1 - I made out a whole quirk registration form online. Why? I have no clue. I think I'll post it when it's fully finished.

年2023/ 月12/ 日31

[fanofthelamb]

So I went dumpster diving in my tablet for the first lamb I ever drew and WOW... I found a lot of sketches I really don't plan on revisiting. I am jsut gonna dump them below the cut for people to see!! Some of it is lore related, some of it is shit I ABSOLUTELY FUCKING HATE, but IDC!!! I will post it anyway for the tumblr users who I keep an eye on my notifs for. (yes, i see you guys. even if i dont always interact I see you and love you guys)

Anyway, here is the earliest drawin I have of me drawing the lamb!! I am going to write a comment under a lot of these to add context to them.

A cute little baby <3333 but I struggled a LOT of figuring out what the lamb was wearing, I eventually figured it out though. (I hope)

if you know, you know. (RIP VAL)

for my BTG AU. I decided I no longer wanted chemach to make the [spoiler] for the lamb, though, so I scrapped this

vaaaal,,,,,, i was still learning how to draw him, i wish i put pants on him but do those even exist in COTL? (yes)

I haven't been able to do much with them because I'm putting other stuff first, but Brear has two kids, Notre and Brejul who Narinder absolutely ADORES. he is the one who babysits.

fun fact but the lamb being touch repulsed is a projection LOL. i hate it when people touch me it feels so tickly and makes me want to bite their faces off. (but i am touch starved and i LOVE to show affection to other ppl, esp thru back rubs)

yes, they have a hoop for personal space. no, ill never use it.

drum corcl,,,, i love the little dancing guy that comes from the drums

more narinder and brear. they're not romantically interested in each other, but he is absolutely head over heels for brear, their brother, and the kids. they even call him dad sometimes.

[no context]

kallamar and leshy before their crowns. the scene i have related to this isn't happening anymore, but it was leshy begging to be taught to swim.

another "the one who baby sits" doodle. the bishops all came into the cult with a very good repuation thanks to narinder. he likes to tell the kids of the cult stories about how amazing his siblings were. at first, it was just to nobre and brejul with stories about leshy(he missed leshy a lot even though he was still mad at him, and the two reminded narinder of his time with leshy), but then it escalated into him hosting storytimes with larger groups after they started repeating some of the stories he'd tell them.

unfinsihed stuff about with the lamb and thier mom. their mom wasn't afraid of the bishops at all, but knew that they were a still a threat to her and her child's life. the lamb did NOT care for anyone thier mom didn't approve of/enthusiastically liked. they were much more afraid of the bishops than their mother.

i do not actually know if i posted this.i dont think so, but i giggle every time i scroll past it

brear and nobre <333

im still workong on BTG shit, and i post a little bit of the characters on here even tho the comics are going to be posted elsewhere. they have a "crownlike" beak, but a body part. there's different creatures who became gods through different ways; crowns are one way but their power is stuck with the crown and they are considered extremely weak compared to other gods. i wont blabber on about it tho.

so many sketches has random lines through em because i work with a tablet,,, i hate it. anyway, narinder and kallamar everybody!

sketches i made but didn't bother to finish of me and merbre,,,,,,,,, my husband #1 <3 them w/ narinder + merbre arent gonna be considered "canon" but damn it ill self-ship with them until i get a follower i can WORK with

i come back to this every few weeks and im never happy with it, i dont know if ill finish this but i think about them........ before the divorce </3

unused from an ask

heartstealer. menace. you can rip my heart out anytime, leshy <3

dreshy. he LOVES dresses and being pretty and cute and pretty. he sucks narinder into a lot and heket will sometimes join in if he demands asks her to <3

another unused drawing from an ask i'll eventually answer. (mildly offended at being called a mutton cube.)

.... aaand WOW! I think that's everything guys!! things are still kinda wild but they're calming down a little bit. idk how much longer it's gonna last like this but I have some energy so I made a way-too-long post showing off art I wasn't supposed to post! Awesome. :D

[sweetarethediscords]

You're the meaning in my life, you're the inspiration...

The Maiden of the Barren of the Rime wouldn't exist if it weren't for Critical Role, Liam O'brien, and most importantly Caleb Widogast.

I'm sure every Critter out there has asked themself the question: 'What character would I play if I ever got to play at the table?' My answer was Mina.

Mina, originally, was a ranger/bard eladrin cursed to stay forever in the winter season. Specifically made with Campaign 2 in mind, I wanted to design a PC that would create a good juxtaposition to those already at the table. A literal iceblock that the Mighty Nein could chip away at as they often did with too-serious NPCs, and someone who could be mirror to Caleb, my favorite PC from Campaign 2.

As Campaign 2 steered it paths towards Aeor and the Eyes of Nine however, Mina didn't fit in the campaign any more (as most fandom OCs will do as canon goes along) but I couldn't abandon her. Couldn't throw her into my constantly growing pile of character sheets.

And she wouldn't let me forget her. In fact, her and her eventual counterpart, Sebastian, are some of the first characters of mine in recent memory to invade my dreams.

There was something in her I had to explore. Her rage echoed my rage. Her want to overcome her trauma, but fear that she would always be chained by it, mirrored my own healing journey.

Other characteristics of myself and themes I wanted to explore became the other characters. Sebastian became the other side of Mina's coin, someone who met inconveniences with relentless optimism instead of rage. A self-sacrificing people-pleaser against a self-preserving misanthrope, whose flaws both came from coping with past hardships.

A dirty little fire wizard sparked a rich story exploring the societal expectations of womanhood, the nature of generational trauma, and the complex journey of learning how to love one's self through others (among many other themes)...

...and a incredible talented singer/songwriter from Ireland helped hone them.

When I first started writing The Maiden of the Barren Rime in 2021, Hozier's music played an important, but minimal roll in providing emotional clarity for the characters. "Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene" helped to color the more ethereal and deadly nature of Mina, the fae part of her that lures people in, while "Nina Cried Power" grounded her fury, and helped to shape the larger world of Mina's story that will be revealed in later books.

As the core of the novel was written and finished in January 2023, the editing and refining process became my next great beast to slay. A huge slab of marble that with my fantastic editor and outside readers I was able to carve away at, but Hozier's Unreal Unearth steadied my hands.

It was already a wild enough coincidence that 'Blood Upon the Snow', a song meant to capture the brutality of winter in God of War: Ragnorak, released during writing MBR; eerily capturing exactly how I pictured Mina's upbringing. Hearing Unreal Unearth, a beautiful album about heartbreak, healing, death, and grief among other things, while I was writing an novel about heartbreak, healing, death, and grief among other things was surreal. And wonderful.

It helped to inspire the words I was missing, helped me carve out more cutting prose to capture the depth of my characters' emotions, and most importantly gave me the reassurance that the themes and emotions I was exploring were not singular, but shared. In different shades and presentations, but all coming from a same source of universal human truth.

I can not thank these two enough for the inspiration they've given me, and I can not thank you enough if you've read this much of my ramblings (and suffered my cheesy use of a Chicago lyric.)

[bonesandthebees]

Need if there’s one thing I’ve always admired about your writing it’s how well you blend characters, setting, and plot, especially in TCFSV, Stars, and Glass. Is there a trick to it that I’m missing??

-alittlebitofwonk

hmm this is a tricky question. for one thing it's a little vague as to what you mean by 'blending' all these elements, so while I think I get what you mean I could be wrong so sorry if my answer isn't what you meant

this is a balancing act I think every writer struggles with and you never really get it down pat. kind of like what I've said about pacing, blending all these different elements of a story together is something you just kind of learn how to do by doing. I think one of the reasons it's something I can do without having to worry too much about it is because I've watched a lot of movies in my life. like, a frankly ridiculous amount. I know how stories are told. different narrative structures have been ingrained into my head over the course of two decades, so coming up with plots that blend into the characters and setting feels more natural I guess?

it's still something I have to think about though. I think if you're trying to blend setting and plot together, one of the easiest ways to do that is to establish your setting first and then figure out what in that setting you can use for plot points. I want to give an example with rose, but that'll be spoilers. so instead I'll bring up stars

(warning, spoilers for the stars and their children)

in stars, I believe I established fairly early on that wilbur and tommy were being kept in a guest wing of the palace, while the area phil and techno's rooms were in was a separate wing. later on in the story, after wilbur and tommy have their major fight, phil allows wilbur to stay in this separate part of the palace reserved only for him and techno. the setting itself makes sense, of course there's a guest wing vs a personal wing in a palace. but also it plays into the plot. it physically separates the brothers which only exacerbates the issues they're having with each other. the setting they're directly serves the plot, making them feel connected.

when it comes to blending characters and plot, I think what you mean is tying character development and/or relationships into the plot itself. not to get too into the definition of plot or anything, but if you want your character to have a character arc in your story then your plot needs to move the character down that path. whether the plot is caused by the character themselves (tommy in honey and tangerines chooses to spend time at phil's place which eventually leads to their reconciliation) or the character is being moved by outside forces (glass!wilbur being kidnapped by tommy at the start of glass) the plot should be pushing them along their arc. but the entire plot doesn't have to revolve around the characters arc either, and the character arc can be just a side effect of the plot. I think clinic is a good example of this, because the larger plot is the heroes vs villains narrative going on that tommy simply gets sucked into. but because he gets sucked into things, he's forced to have his own character development as he first rejects but later embraces his role as a healer.

also, something I'm still learning is how to tie relationship development and plot beats together. of course you can carve out separate quiet moments that aren't exactly plot related to show two characters having moments where they get closer, but you can also have those relationship growth moments happen during plot beats. in rose, I need tommy and wilbur to bond and get close. tommy is already in a precarious position as a potential heir, so the fact that someone attempted to get him killed with the bandits attacking their carriage is unsurprising and shows an escalation in the plot of him taking his place as a possible heir. but this is also what causes wilbur and tommy to become closer. kill two birds with one stone and all.

overall it's a tricky thing like I said, and really something you get a feel for the more you write. but try to think of ways to tie these different elements of a story into each other. how can your setting serve the plot? how can your plot help characters grow?

hope that helps!

[patternedlantern]

Keep You Safe - A Marcus Moreno Statesman!AU

Pairing: Statesman Agent Marcus Moreno x Statesman Agent Reader x Agent Jack "Whiskey" Daniels

What’s this? Pat’s writing fanfic now? Well… no, not exactly. 😅 Consider this a loose concept for a fic that I’d want to write if I had a knack for writing, inspired solely by Pedro’s Emmy’s look. As soon as I saw it, it reminded me of Marcus Moreno and the costumes from the Kingsman movies. My brain’s been unable to think about anything else for the last couple days so I'm hoping that setting some of my headcanons free will help free up some brain space haha

Not really any warnings, it’s all pretty brief anyway. Highlights include: pining/unspoken feelings, fake dating, a love triangle dynamic that evolves into polyamory. The Boys keep their canon backstories for the most part. Reader is gender neutral.

The set up:

After sustaining an injury during his last mission, Heroic-turned-Statesman agent Marcus Moreno finds himself on temporary desk duty. He’s promised his daughter that he’ll stay out of harm’s way until he fully recovers. Desperately needing to feel useful while stuck behind the scenes, he's excited to receive his next assignment - as your new handler.

You have been a Statesman field agent for a few years now and have gone through your fair share of handlers - this isn’t your first rodeo. Nonetheless you appreciate Marcus’s unique experience and perspective as a former superhero. He’s kind, patient, and respectful, and the two of you become close rather quickly (while still keeping things professional).

While you’re away on missions, Marcus spends most of his time with Ginger, monitoring mission statuses and tech needs. His powers and weapons knowledge make him a good fit for the tech specialist team. Marcus and Ginger get along so well that their coworkers begin to joke that Ginger is his work wife. And yeah, they’re good friends, but she’s seen how he gets when you’re gone, steadfastly studying the wall of screens. He only has eyes for you. 

Eventually, you get assigned to an undercover mission where you’ll be posing as one half of a romantic couple. Your lucky partner? One Jack “Whiskey” Daniels. You’ve worked with Jack a couple times before and while you find him to be a bit much sometimes, he’s charming and thoughtful under all the bluster.

Marcus, on the other hand, is apprehensive. He hasn’t met Jack yet but he’s heard the gossip around HQ about our flirty, larger-than-life cowboy. Ginger’s not-exactly-glowing comments about him certainly don’t help either, but she assures Marcus it’ll be fine.

Cue the mission with all its potential for tension and pining:

from Marcus having to watch the person he secretly has feelings for “fall in love” with someone else. Seeing the mission unfold and realizing that Jack’s not quite what his reputation suggests

to you actually slowly falling for Jack throughout the course of the mission (because it’s a fake dating story after all) but also having Marcus’s voice low and steady in your ear, always reminding you of his presence and the task at hand

to Jack knowing this is a fake arrangement (and that you and Marcus kinda sorta have a “thing” going) but wanting it to be real anyway, feeling his heart stirring for the first time in a very long time. 

And obviously there’d be all the classic tropes. Couple practice. First kisses. One bed. A fancy gala. You know.

Maybe at one point, Jack becomes briefly incapacitated and Marcus has to step in and take his place for a moment to keep up ✨the ruse✨ Because they do look awfully similar from afar and who’s gonna notice really...

Something something the bond between two men, who’ve both experienced the loss of their previous partners, unexpectedly finding new love. The both of them witnessing the lengths the other is willing to go to to protect that love.

And then eventually the three of them work it all out and get together and fuck nasty. the end :)

[mostlyinthemorning]

Top 7 Reads of 2023

It's the time of year for lists, so inspired by @missgeevious, here are my favourite books from the past year, in no particular order.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles. Imagine Our Flag Means Death, but instead of becoming a pirate, the main character inherits a country estate and has a fascination with entymology. There's smuggling and murder and other nefarious deeds, but they fade into the background behind the very soft romance.

Cat Sebastian is one of my always-read authors and I love her new set of stories that are set in the more recent past of the 1960s and 70s. We Could Be So Good is a wonderful mix of character and place and setting with two main characters working through things to decide if they can be together.

This novella is absolutely perfect. A Flowering of Ink takes the classic misdirected mail trope and creates something soft and wonderful. The two main characters are an architect/artist and a botanist, which is truly the path to my heart.

I put off reading One Last Stop for so long and I wish I'd read it sooner. It has everything I like - time travel, magic, star-crossed lovers. The twisty connections between the two time periods were really well done and tied the entire story together.

The final book in the Last Binding series, A Power Unbound delivered the perfect conclusion to this series. I really liked how each of the three books focused on a different pairing but that their stories were part of a larger plot.

I've followed this author on Twitter for years, but The Red Scholar's Wake is the first of her books that I've read and it's wonderful. The scifi universe is complex, but not so vast that it overwhelms the story. The arranged marriage plot starts out with a very unequal balance of power that eventually evens out through the story.

A Psalm for the Wild Built is such a difficult book to describe - on the surface it's about two new friends who take a journey together, but it's about so much more - about hope for the world, about figuring out who you are, about finding yourself. I can't wait for the sequel.

What did you read this year? Tagging @weathereyehorizon @blackandwhiteandrose @likerealpeopledo-on-ao3 @rmd-writes @stereopticons @obsessedwithdavrick @chelle-68 and anyone else who wants to share.

[cha-melodius]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you @rmd-writes, @welcometololaland, @liminalmemories21, and @orchidscript for tagging me! How did you know I love random questionaires about my fic writing. 😂

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

109! I celebrated hitting 100 recently (technically still celebrating, I suppose).

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,220,396. I had a goal to hit 1 million before the end of last year, and somehow I've written 220k since then???? Howmst?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

RWRB, TMFU, Loki

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood (RWRB, E, 20k; couples therapy AU)

Nova, Baby (RWRB, E, 66k; spy AU)

Class(room) Warfare (RWRB, M, 7.8k; professors AU)

All the Old Showstoppers (RWRB, E, 20k; celebrity bake off AU)

Always Where I Need To Be (RWRB, T, 5.4k; roomates AU feat. David)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do but I am now horribly behind because y'all are so lovely and I am a little overwhelmed. I like to respond because people took the time to leave a comment and I want them to know how much that means to me (it's a lot. it means a LOT). I promised I WILL get to them eventually!!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Definitely Who's Gonna Love You (The Mandalorian), which is a no-comfort breakup angst fic. I wrote it after having my heart ripped out by reading two unhappy ending fics lmao. Have never gone back to the truly unhappy ending again. (I have done some bittersweet or ambiguous ending fics, but those don't reach this level.)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my fics have quite happy endings, but I don't think you can beat a fluffy ending at the end of a long fic. I often go for the chapter full of pure, tooth-rotting fluff (after tearing your heart out lmao). That means Nova, Baby, Love is a Losing Game, A Good Man Is Hard To Find, Amor Magnus Doctor Est... probably the most pure fluff at the end.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've had some here and there. One particular person who just kept coming back and I'm like just stop reading????

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do, but when it comes to one shots I'm probably more likely to leave it out. My smut always comes with plot and/or lots of feelings. I like writing it best as part of a larger story, actually.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven't for a while but I have two requests I need to fill. Previous crossovers have been The Mandalorian/Battlestar Galactica (because badass ladies named Cara/Kara), and The Mandalorian/The Witcher (because surly dudes with accidentally adopted children). Oh I guess my most recent was TMFU/Glass Onion (because Hugh Grant).

(If you're wondering what the requests are, it's TMFU/Loki and TMFU/RWRB.)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yup! Four fics, all TMFU (three by the same person). I am always happy to grant permission!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I've got plans with @cricketnationrise.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Can't choose! I love all the ships I write for—that's why I can't stop.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don't think I have one of these. I have one abandoned WIP that I've anon'd because I hate it lmao. Generally if I want to finish something, I will.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Plot (I unabashedly love many of my plot twists), action sequences, dialogue/banter, world building, characterization?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Although it should be straightforward because see: action, I feel like my smut is kind of lackluster. Sometimes I hit the notes just right and it really works, but other times I feel like people just get bored.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'm unlikely to do it unless I have a native speaker I can run it by (I have some wonderful Russian friends who have been vital for this for some TMFU fics).

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Xena: Warrior Princess

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I will scream about this one until the end of time, especially since it's relatively low kudos'd: the 60s chess AU, Love is a Losing Game. It's my most complete and well-structured novel, and I promise you don't need to know anything about TMFU to read it.

Tagging @cricketnationrise, @14carrotghoul, @inexplicablymine, @cheesecurdsgravyandfries, @three-drink-amy, @petrodobreva, @myheartalivewrites, @nontoxic-writes, @leaves-of-laurelin, @tintagel-or-cockleshells, @celaestis1, @xthelastknownsurvivorx, @nicijones, @thetamehistorian, @jettestar, @ikeepwatchinghelicopters, @heytheredeann, @loki-is-my-kink-awakening, @mirilyawrites, @dewdropreader and an open tag for anyone who wants to do it! (sorry if you get multiple tags on this one, tumblr was being a bitch)

[reds-skull]

BLOOD||HUNGER

[PREV PART] [AO3]

This chapter was quite fun to write, even if it was hard.

Its name is "Vainglory"

Page 7 of the “Blooede Starvatfōre-dēde”, parable 3:

An aged trader spoke to him, a witty man of many lessons,

You shan’t let a monster follow you, a being made of evil,

Fuelled only by malice and hate, a beast of the devil’s doing,

Run along blind man, leave lest it takes you down a sinful path.

The blind man, in wisdom or in foolishness,

Asks the Beast, shall I trust you?

The beast, in honesty or in deceit,

Tells it is only to be led, not to lead,

And if it finds itself, pushing down a death way,

May the fallen knight, strike down the Beast himself.

Ghost doesn’t remember the last time he’s had something as decadent as an orange to eat. Even a few minutes later, its sweet taste does not dissipate from his tongue.

Soap has been quiet since he cornered him, but he can feel the man’s gaze burn the side of his face. He’s… an odd one, that’s for damn sure. Says he’s been discharged, but has more skills than many SAS operators Ghost has worked with in the past. Soap may not be the strongest, but he’s cunning, can work on the fly, pushes against orders but not enough to actually disturb the mission.

Ghost would ask why the hell he was discharged if they weren’t about to split paths. The houses are becoming sparser and smaller, the fields surrounding the city almost in sight.

It hasn’t been… exactly unpleasant, having someone on his six, surprising as it is. 

Perhaps, when he finally dies, he’ll see this memory among the many, many regrets and tainted dreams.

But now? Now, he needs to get out of here. Figure out how to obtain an antidote, go under the radar, and watch. Wait for the right moment to strike the Hunter down. Nobody crosses Ghost and lives to tell the tale.

“Think we’re far enough for ye to call for exfil?” the Sergeant says, slowing to a stop. Ghost surveys the area. 

There’s one truck he could use. For a short moment, he wonders if he should drag Soap out with him. Ghost knows, no matter how smart the Scot is, he’s going to run out of kindling eventually. Malice only takes you so far.

He shakes the thought away the next. He works alone. The Hunter just harshly reminded him of why.

He covertly unsheathes a knife. Ghost doesn’t want to hurt the Sergeant, he’s not unfair in his violence, but he rather be ready for a fight than find himself bleeding into the muddy ground.

“Seems as good as any-” movement to his left catches his attention, and Ghost swings around to watch two soldiers closing in on them.

“Drop your weapons!” a gruff voice commands. A voice of a man that has been smoking cigars for the better part of a decade, who wears a daft hat that never seems to come off, a man with a kind smile and kinder eyes.

No… why would he be here? Ghost shakily exhales. He must be wrong…

Next to him, Soap already raised his guard, aiming his rifle at the soldiers, “identify yerselves!”

The larger man steps forward, and Ghost feels his control slipping, slipping, slipping.

Malice can only get you so far, and even metal caskets eventually rust and crumble.

Under his breath, a dead man whispers, “...Price?”

“We’re with the British Army! Now put. Your weapons. Down.” the man repeats, and Soap feels his mouth gape open. Have they come to rescue Ghost? He almost takes his eyes off to smile at the Lieutenant, but they’re still considered hostiles for the SAS soldiers.

Soap lets his rifle fall and raises his arms, “thank God yer here, this place has gone to hell,” he grins, “I’m-”

“John MacTavish?”

Soap blinks, staring at the other man, “...Gaz? Steamin’ Jesus, what are the chances!”

Kyle “Gaz” Garrick steps forth, gun still raised but aim obviously faltering, “John, what the fuck are you doing here?!”. The other man’s brows shoot up, “isn’t that…”

Soap’s smile wobbles, “ah, ye see, it’s a long story-”

A hand drops on his shoulder, and he finally eyes Ghost. Soap’s brows furrow at the sight. He looks more tense than he’s ever seen him.

Instantly, Gaz and his partner train their aim on them again, “let him go, Ghost!” Gaz snarls.

“Wait, yer all misunderstanding this,” Soap raises his arms, placating, “Ghost’s with us-”

The bite of a sharp blade at his throat makes his voice fade. Ghost drags him to his chest, a large arm wrapping around his shoulders. Soap’s eyes widen, “...Ghost?”

The mass at his back breathes heavily. Gaz freezes, but the other man pushes, “he has nothing to do with this. Let him go.”

“Can’t do that, Captain.” Ghost drawls, his tone cool, a stark contrast to his taut and shivering form.

Gaz drops his gun, and the Captain copies him, both raising their arms in surrender. “What do you want?” Gaz spits, venomous and burning.

Ghost takes a step back, “the truck. You follow us, John gets offed.” Soap grinds his teeth.

Something ugly brews within him, arrows of treachery pierce his heart, rivers of blood flow down his body. Leaving only hate.

The realization drips through him, that nothing about Ghost made sense because he was lying.

“You got it.” the Captain grounds, “but let the lad go.”

Another two steps backwards. Soap should attack him. Even with a knife at his throat, he can take him down with him. Let them both be burnt up with bitterness and cruelty.

And yet he does nothing, as the man drags him further back. Because John is weak, at his core, and betrayal brought forth the man behind his mask.

“I’ll drop him a few miles off the city.” Ghost says by his ear. He can’t even feel his breath through the mask. “As long as you don’t follow, Price.”

Captain Price? Of taskforce 141? Fuck, if he was sent here to take out Ghost, Soap has been fucking running around with an international criminal.

The Captain’s gaze hardens, and Gaz tells him, “we’ll get you back, brother. Just… listen to him for now.”

Aye, he’s gonna listen. Doesn’t mean he’s gonna fucking obey.

Soap flashes a smile at Gaz, trying to calm him a little. He hasn’t seen the man in so long, his brother. Ever since joining his new taskforce…

Fuckin’ hell, he joined the 141. No wonder he didn’t have time for him.

Ghost drags him into the driver’s sit, pulling out his pistol to aim at his head.  The Lieutenant- no, he probably lied about that too, the man sits at the passenger sit and shoves the pistol at his face, “drive.”

Soap finds the ignition key (oh how he wishes he didn’t, now that would put a wrench in this walloper’s plans) and starts the truck. He solemnly watches the figures of Price and Gaz, as he shifts the gears and drives up to the dirt road.

Ghost keeps his gun glued to his temple, eyes hidden in shadow.

Soap swallows around the bitter blood in his mouth, and drives into the night.

“Yer a real piece of shite, ye know that?” Soap growls again, voice almost hoarse from cursing. His maw would slap him a new one if she heard how he’s talking.

Ghost is, as he was for the entire drive, silent. The pistol never strayed from his head, but the bastard’s eyes have fogged over, zoned out at a distant point in the horizon. Soap doesn’t know what the fuck is wrong with him, but at least he’s letting him take out his frustrations.

He grips the steering wheel tighter, watching his knuckles turn white. Soap’s hands start feeling numb. It doesn’t distract him enough, so he continues yelling at Ghost.

Soap doesn’t want to admit it, even to himself, because he’s already weak enough, but…

He thought Ghost could be someone he trusted. More than anyone else he met in the past year.

And… it hurts. Somewhere in his heart that isn’t fuelled with anger, there’s a place that aches.

He’s losing control. Price wasn’t supposed to be here, and certainly not after him. Ghost kept his tracks hidden, knew how to get around the systems he worked with for so long.

It wasn’t him. He was too careful.

The Hunter. Could they have alerted the 141? Must have. But Price wouldn’t be sent after him, the British Army has used him before.

Unless he’s considered too dangerous to keep anymore. 

Even the most useful attack dog will be put down if it bites the hand that holds the leash.

Why did he take the Sergeant? He should’ve killed them. Should’ve killed them all. Trusting the Captain’s word was dumb.

(You’re a good man, Simon. Don’t let them erase that-)

He knows he should be focused, on the road, on their back., listen in to see if Soap is spouting anything useful between his badmouthing. Make sure Price keeps his promise.

(Price always keeps his promise, except when he promised they’ll all come home that day-)

But Ghost is wading deep waters, memories constantly floating and sinking. Voices, dead and alive, sing for him, and like sirens, their only wish is to drown and consume him.

(You stabbed him in the back, because all you know to do is hurt-)

“-and I should’ve never trusted ye, you fuckin’ bawbag. Yer mask is feckin’ stupid, ye know that? I had a better fashion sense at twelve-”

Ghost blinks back into reality. The Sergeant runs his mouth, obviously spitting whatever comes to mind, talking for the sake of filling the silence, it seems. 

“-I wasted a good bottle of chlorine gas on ye, that shite doesn’t exactly grow on trees-”

The water recedes, and his lungs finally fill with air. Ghost shakes off the last of his mementoes, and examines the view outside the windshield.

The city is far behind them, now hidden by a hill they apparently drove over a few minutes back. The fields around them are pitch black, the only light emanating from the truck, leaving the crops washed out.

Nobody has followed them. Good. He can still salvage this mission. 

He considers staying quiet before deciding he should at least try to gather more intel, “How do you know Captain Price?”

Soap’s mouth clamps shut, his shoulders jump minutely as he startles from his monologue. The Sergeant recovers quickly, sending him a fiery glare, “so he remembers I exist, let me bring the feckin’ confetti. It’s none of yers, ye cunt.” 

Ghost sneers under the mask, “if you’re not going to say anything useful, shut your trap.”

“Or what, ye gonna make me?”

He taps the barrel to Soap’s temple, to which Soap responds by rolling his eyes, “yer stupid, but not stupid enough to shoot the man driving the truck yer in.”

This man is fucking impossible when he hates you, isn’t he? Ghost relents, quieting again. He’s not going to waste his time.

A flash of light makes his heart skip a beat. From the narrowing of Soap’s eyes, he caught it too. Ghost turns around to check the road behind them.

Headlights. Multiple vehicles.

Ghost presses the pistol at Soap’s head, “drive faster.”

It’s not the 141.

(Even years later, the dead man has a hold on Ghost, screaming, “he would never betray us”-)

Soap seems to come to the same conclusion, stomping the gas pedal and accelerating, “yer old friends?”

“The Hunter.” Ghost grinds his teeth. The vehicles speed up behind them, and he can make out at least 6 armored trucks. “Where’s your rifle?” 

Soap scoffs, “left it with Price and Gaz, when ye decided to stab me in the fucking back!”

One of the trucks bumps their rear, making Ghost and Soap jerk forward. Bullets start dinging off the exterior, and Ghost locks eyes with the driver. He brings his hands up, lining up the iron sights of his pistol with his head.

Time seems to stop when he presses the trigger. The bullet shoots through glass, straight into the driver’s head, the soldier slumping forward and losing control over the vehicle.

Time speeds back up when the enemy’s truck hits them with full force, forcing both of them off the road.

Ghost hears Soap scream before they hit the ditch, the truck flipping over.

For a few moments, the world is silent. His ears ring something awful, and his eyes are closed. It’s not until Soap groans besides him that Ghost refocuses back.

“Ngh… Steamin’ hell…” Soap unclasps his seatbelt, falling on his back. He kicks the window open while Ghost follows him. 

The trucks park on the road, soldiers shouting commends to each other. Ghost and Soap crawl out of the wreckage, the crops around them covering them, for now.

Ghost opens his mouth to order Soap, but stops himself at the look the Sergeant is giving him. It’s as if the man is assessing who would best who in a fight. Ghost grips on his pistol tighter. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill Soap, if it came to that.

(He wouldn’t hesitate breaking Price’s trust-)

No. He can’t betray yet another person. Not the Captain.

The stars above them cloud over, the night skies all the more darker, shadows threatening to swallow the world whole, when red lights slice through them, leaving bleeding trails behind.

The Hunter’s soldiers are shooting flares. Soap’s eyes widen, their color dulled by crimson red, and Ghost grabs his arm and starts running. Soap sputters behind him before picking up his pace.

Ghost is losing control. He knows, leaving the Sergeant behind is the most logical step. Alone, he can slip into the nightshadow, disappear like the ghost he is. But a nameless grave is being unearthed, a man raising from a cracked casket. A man who is far less rational than Ghost, a man that can’t leave the Sergeant to die.

“Where are we going?!” Soap shouts.

Ghost doesn’t know. He doesn’t have a plan, his movements are dictated by the instincts of a dying animal.

The flares burn closer, red creeping around his peripheral, a gruesome helo cinching tighter.

Soap’s arm is warm under his fingertips, the man behind him breathing heavily. Ghost keeps running, because they can’t do anything but flee. Cornered and surrounded, fate only brings them certain death.

Ghost only feels a tingling sensation shoot down the left side of his body as a warning, before his arm and leg locks up, and he falls to the ground. His body is shaking, fighting the poison eating away at his blood.

Soap falls with him, dragged down by his stiff arm. “The fuck- let go!”

Ghost stares at his hand, the limb feels detached from him. In his mind, he commends the arm to move, but in reality it is still, causing a phantom hand to swing around. Soap pries his hand away, face scrunched up in fury, before he looks up at Ghost’s eyes.

What do you see, a dead man wants to ask.

Do you see a soldier, a monster, 

Or a corpse?

[fr3sh-tragedies]

Chores

[The Owl House] Amity Blight x Female Reader

Word Count: 4.05k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Mentions of overworking, but that's pretty much it.

[A/N]: Story 3/3 for Amity! I'll be writing for Boscha next.

At the time I’ve finished this and proofread it before scheduling, we’re at 110 followers, so I just wanted to quickly say thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy my content as much as I enjoy creating it.

Enjoy!

 An occasional strained grunt filled the small space in between the idle chatter of citizens and workers. Lilith turned from her conversation with Steve, her gaze landing over to the source of the grunting. Amity, just a few feet away, was tugging at a rope in an attempt to lift a large wall skillfully tied to the other end. She seemed to struggle too much for a moment, but before anyone could step in to help her, her hand lifted enough for her to cast a spell circle and summon an Abomination. Two much larger hands joined hers on the rope and gave a hefty tug, finally allowing the wall to lift with ease. Once it was set in place, Amity sighed in relief, shrugging and rolling her shoulders back to ease the already growing tension.

She stared up at the work that had been done so far: three of four walls had been lifted, two of which were set in place against their designated pillars. Just one more left to go, then the Construction Coven would finish it off by tidying the design for the roof and building it on their shift. Hands on her hips, Amity smiled. They certainly had made a good amount of progress on the newest sets of households for those who’d had their previous home destroyed during the Collector’s reign of terror and Belos’s eventual defeat.

Thinking of all of the citizens who would once again be able to call somewhere home brought an even wider grin to her lips. Her mind wandered back to her own home–which she shared with her girlfriend [Y/N]. The mere thought of the girl made Amity feel warm and relaxed. She wished she was home with her in that moment. She knew, however, that she had to play her part in the reconstruction of the Isles. It had been months since she had been able to convince herself to take a day off. She was upset by it, but her guilt for not helping the others certainly combatted those feelings. It was a battle everyday about whether or not she should just stay home.

A quick yelp unwillingly slipped past her lips as a hand dropped onto her shoulder and squeezed. She turned, startled, but settled again when she saw her former mentor Lilith standing there. Her eyebrows were creased in concern. “Amity, you look exhausted. Why don’t you take a break for today? We’ve got it from here.” Amity smiled softly up at her and waved it off, gently lifting Lilith’s hand from her shoulder and letting it drop back down to her side. “No, it’s alright. I can keep working.” A frown crossed the Clawthorne’s features.

“I understand that you feel as though you have to help out all day everyday, but I can assure you it’s alright to take breaks here and there. I haven’t seen this many bags under your eyes since your mother had you competing for grades and status in school.” Again, Amity waved, this time shaking her head. “I promise I’m good to work like this. I feel guilty anytime I take a break anyway. I’d much rather be here.”

“You’d rather be here than at home with [Y/N]?”

Now silent, Amity glanced down at her feet and let her gloved fingertips scratch lightly at the back of her neck. “Well, no, but–” “Then go spend time with her. I’m sure she misses you. I mean, you’re gone so much. Please just take the rest of the week off, alright? No one will be upset with you for it. They’ll understand. And besides, you’ve done plenty already. It’s not as if you haven’t been efficient in your work.” The younger woman seemed unsure at the mention of taking the week off. It had been so long since she had taken even half of a day as a break–and that alone had her guilt eating away at her conscience–how would she survive an entire week?

“I couldn’t,” came her reply after a moment.

“Amity, at this point, it’s not a question anymore. It’s a request–an order. Not only am I worried about how little time you spend at home, I’m also worried about your health. When’s the last time you sat down to eat a proper meal and just relax?”

Amity wracked her brain to find the example, though she couldn’t, and ultimately sighed. “I guess you’re right. I’ll take tomorrow off, but could I at least finish up my work here for the day?” Lilith’s glare sharpened. “Only if you take the rest of the week off. Not just tomorrow. Deal?” Another sigh of defeat. She truly didn’t want to feel as though she was letting these people down. “Deal.”

The rest of the day had gone by rather quickly, much to Amity’s dismay. She wasn’t looking forward to the rest of the week. She felt as though she constantly had to be helping out in some way, always searching for approval and praise. After all that had happened, she thought she had moved past feeling like she needed to prove herself for merely existing, but it was hard to break a habit she had been in her entire life. It seemed to be getting better though–at least, when it didn’t come to reconstruction.

As everyone wrapped up for the night and began to disperse towards their own homes, Amity found herself fastening her tool belt more sluggishly than normal. Her eyebrow raised at this, though her silent question of, “why is it so hard to move?” was answered as she yawned. After wiping her watery eyes from the yawn, she grumbled under her breath about feeling horrible. Just as she turned to head home with her staff underneath her, Lilith called out to her. “Amity, remember to take the rest of the week off! If I find you working somewhere aside from home, I’ll be sure to tell [Y/N], and you know she won’t let you leave until you rest.”

Amity nodded and waved in acknowledgment before signaling for Ghost to float up and head home.

By the time she made it home, Amity was almost too fatigued to even make it up to the doorstep. She managed to force herself to push the door open and shut before trudging to her shared bedroom. The moment she stepped into the room, she smiled at the sight of [Y/N] curled up against the headboard, huddled in between pillows and under blankets as she silently read her book.

She looked up at Amity once she heard the doorknob twist, a wide smirk gracing her lips. “You’re home. How was work?” At the mention of what had made her so tired, Amity groaned and walked forward, collapsing onto the bed and murmuring something unintelligible into the pillow. A small chuckle made her turn her head. “What’d you say?” “I said good but tiring. Lilith–you remember her, right? My old mentor? She’s pretty much my boss for our projects, and she told me I had to take the rest of the week off.”

“Why do you seem upset about that? I mean, we’d be able to spend more time together.” “Yeah, I know. Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to spend time with you, you know I do. I just feel guilty for not being able to help them out at the same time, you know?” [Y/N] nodded softly before letting out a small sigh. She shuffled in her spot on the bed, and when Amity looked up to see what she was doing, she found her huddled up further in the blankets, already reading to distract herself again.

With a bit more effort than she thought she’d need, Amity picked herself up into a sitting position. She then shifted over to lean against [Y/N]’s shoulder and rest her head against it. “What’s wrong?” She questioned gently as she peered up at her. “Nothing’s wrong,” was the only response. Amity wouldn’t accept that, however. She nudged at her shoulder until they made eye contact again. “C’mon, you can tell me. Is it because of me? I won’t be upset.”

It took a few moments before [Y/N] finally answered, visibly hesitating. “It’s not necessarily because of you. I know you, Amity, and you know me. We’re both the same when it comes to wanting to help people. I just wish you would spend more time with me here instead–I want to help them out as much as possible too, don’t get me wrong, but it’s better to take breaks. If you’re exhausted all the time, then you won’t have the energy to keep working everyday. I’m really starting to worry that one day I’ll be called to one of the sites because you’ve collapsed.”

Amity’s heart ached at the thought of [Y/N] being so concerned for her. She knew she was likely overworking herself the same way she used to during school, but she had never really paid attention to how long she was away from the house for that work. [Y/N] had offered to help out more often as well a while back so she and Amity could alternate during shifts and not work for too long. She had denied the suggestion, but now, as she looked at the way her girlfriend’s eyebrows furrowed upward together while her eyes glinted with an accompanying distress, she regretted it.

Maybe Lilith was right–maybe spending so much time at work was doing more harm than good. Surely, after spending over ten to twelve hours a day doing near-constant labor, she was too fatigued to actually be helping out all that much. She thought she was doing most of the work, but looking back on it, the others did come in after her shift to correct some of the things she had messed up. And those errors were growing more and more frequent.

With a small sigh, she nodded and shifted up further to let her face burrow into the crook of [Y/N]’s neck. “I know. I’m really sorry. I had no idea I was concerning you that much. I’ll listen to Lilith and take the rest of the week off, but I’ll also start reminding myself to take more breaks and spend more time here at home with you, okay?”

At this, [Y/N] looked up at her again, having turned away to stare mindlessly at the thin pages of her book to avoid eye contact. “You promise?” Amity smiled and nodded reassuringly. She lifted her arm and let it wrap around the smaller girl’s shoulders, allowing her to pull her closer for a hug. “I promise.”

A few hours had passed since Amity made her promise, and she was finding it harder and harder to stay awake with each passing second. She had slumped down further into the sheets, eventually letting her head fall to rest partially against [Y/N]’s hip and thigh as she continued to sit up and read her book. She glanced up, occasionally managing to read a few words off of the pages of the story. The feeling of [Y/N]’s fingertips lightly scratching at her scalp in a soothing manner, combined with the comforting motion of those same fingers raking through her lavender locks, finally lulled her into a deep sleep after a while.

Moments later, at the sound of soft snoring, [Y/N] pulled her attention away from her book and glanced down at Amity. She beamed warmly at the sight and sighed. Her free hand left the book long enough to slip her bookmark from its place on her nightstand and tuck it in between the pages before letting the cover fall shut. As silently as she could, [Y/N] placed her book to the side–essentially replacing where the bookmark was just a moment ago–tugged the small cord on the lamp to turn it off, then wriggled her way beneath the sheets. She turned over onto her side and pulled Amity into her chest.

Her lips made contact with the top of Amity’s head in the form of a gentle kiss. “Night, Amity,” she slurred out softly as her eyes fluttered shut. She was dragged into slumber as well shortly after.

The sun’s morning light poked its way through the partially shut blinds and gently blanketed the room in a comforting glow. [Y/N] stirred once it reached her eyes, squinting and murmuring to herself as she managed to pry her eyes open and look around. With a yawn, she looked down to find Amity still tucked away against her chest. She smiled, getting caught in a daze at how she looked in the lighting. After the long hours of the week, the bags under the youngest Blight’s eyes were very visible, though she still looked managed to look so beautiful in her peaceful slumber.

[Y/N] leaned down far enough to press a small kiss to her forehead before she slipped her arms out from around her and snuck out of the bed and into the kitchen. There, she quickly prepared Amity’s favorite breakfast and placed it on one of the table trays they had gotten recently so they could eat in bed without worrying about crumbs. She crept back into the bedroom, set the tray down on Amity’s nightstand, got dressed for the day, and headed out, sending a message to Lilith in the process.

By the time Amity finally woke back up, mainly due to the lack of warmth and the smell of her favorite dish, [Y/N] had been gone for a while. She sat up in bed and looked around, confused. Quickly, she pulled out her scroll and messaged [Y/N], asking where she was. Soon enough, she got a reply, which explained she was taking care of a few of Amity’s daily chores so she didn’t have to worry about them that day, as well as letting Lilith and the crew know she would get a few things done throughout the week so they both didn’t completely disappear in the meantime.

Amity couldn’t help but smile widely at the message. [Y/N] knew she was feeling guilty for not being able to constantly help out, and that she also felt guilty for not spending more time together, so she was trying to find a way to compromise and make both of them work.

She turned over to the tray and lifted it. She set it on the mattress to rest over her lap and dug in, clicking over on her scroll for a bit to find a good video or movie to watch at the same time. Working for so long the previous day had built up her appetite, and she hadn’t eaten before she practically passed out the night before, meaning her stomach was roaring from hunger. She scarfed down the dish quicker than she meant to and slipped out from under the covers after picking the tray up. She brought it out to the kitchen, and while headed there, she noticed that the entire house–save for the bedroom, which hadn’t been cleaned in order to not wake Amity up–was spotless.

A sigh passed from her lips as she grinned. She rinsed her plate and glass and placed them in the sink, as well as her fork, and wiped off the bedside tray before folding it and tucking it away again in the pantry. “I’ll have to find a good way to thank her. Maybe I could make some kind of bot that could take care of the cleaning for her,” she mumbled to herself out loud. At the thought of this, she headed out to her laboratory and clicked on the light.

Her molten golden eyes shimmered as she noticed that her entire workspace had also been polished and reorganized. All of the discarded bolts and mixed puddles of Abomination slime had been wiped from the floor, every tool was in its designated spot, and every countertop was completely spotless. How long had it taken [Y/N] to do all of this? She thought back to her food, and within a few moments of reflection, realized that she had been asleep far longer than she thought. Her food had been cold when she ate it, but she must’ve been too hungry to notice.

Her hand moved back and slipped her scroll from her pocket once more. She sent another message off to [Y/N], asking what time she had left the room that morning. She made a mental note of the current time after her eyes flickered up to the digital clock at the top of her screen. Her response was quick. “I think I left around 4:30 AM. Why?��� It was nearly 2:00 PM when the message was sent. Amity sighed and smiled again. “Just wondering. Thank you for cleaning everything.”

She sauntered over to her chair in front of the desk space she usually used to sketch out blueprints and got to work once she was seated. She’d find a way to repay [Y/N] for helping her out so much. If her idea worked out, she realized she could also design one similar to help clean the construction sites when she was back to work later on.

Picking up a pencil from its original spot in a small cup on the corner of the desk, she pulled out a sheet of sketching paper and began scribbling down different designs and the pieces that would be required for each part. It didn’t take long for her to get lost in her work.

“Thanks so much, Matt! I’ll make sure Amity gets them,” [Y/N] called out with a smile and a wave, a basket full of baked goods tucked away in her arm. Matt waved back. “No problem! It’s from the whole crew, as a way to thank the two of you for all you’ve done!”

[Y/N]’s smile grew wider at this, and she nodded as she headed back to the house. She yawned, exhausted from both the work throughout the day and the early hour she had chosen to wake up at. On the way, she ran into Lilith, who recognized her immediately and turned from the conversation she was having with her sister. Eda turned as well, grinning. “Ah, if it isn’t Miss Bossy Boots’s girlfriend! Lily told me about what happened yesterday. Is she finally resting up?”

A nod and a chuckle was her response. “Yeah, she’s at home. She’s awake and she’s eaten, but there isn’t much to do at the house except–” She froze, her realization kicking in. A groan erupted from her before she could realize it, and she ran her free hand down her face. “What’s wrong, kiddo?” “Well, I completely forgot to lock up her lab, so she’s probably still working, just not out here. I gotta get back and make sure she’s resting.”

Lilith stepped forward and squeezed [Y/N]’s shoulder with a smile. “Thank you for looking after her. I’ve been worried for a while now.” Her eyes flickered down to the basket, and her grin widened. “I see Matt gave you our appreciation basket. Make sure to eat them fairly soon. They don’t spoil quickly, but they’re best when they’re fresh. I’m sure Amity will appreciate it as much as you because, well, it is for both of you, after all.”

[Y/N] nodded again. “Thank you for everything, Lilith. Could you let the crew know that Amity and I want to thank them as well?” “Of course.” Eda grinned and stepped forward. “Why don’t you get home now and make sure she isn’t wasting away like her pops in that lab?” She cackled as Lilith elbowed her gently in the arm. “Edalyn, please.”

“Ah, I’m just messing with her. Seriously though, make sure she actually rests. "Working hard is important, but feeling good is important too," to quote a show Hunter got Hooty hooked on.” [Y/N] smiled and nodded once again before turning on her heel to continue heading home. She waved to the Clawthorne sisters.

Once she finally made it, she unlocked the door with a bit of a struggle, and headed inside. “Amity?” She called out, placing the basket of goods on the kitchen table as she wandered to her shared bedroom. She peeked in, but it wasn’t necessarily a surprise to find that Amity wasn’t in there. She sighed, then headed to the entrance of the lab, where she finally spotted the lavender-headed woman already crafting something new on her experiment table.

Even behind the dark purple-shaded lenses of her goggles, Amity could see the door swing open to reveal her girlfriend standing there, completely exasperated. She lifted her goggles and planted them up on her head to see her clearly. With a smile and a wave, she greeted her. “Hey, welcome home. How was your day?” [Y/N] stepped in once being acknowledged. “It was good, but why are you in here working? You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“Well, inventing stuff helps me relax. And besides, this machine I’m making will actually help both of us relax more often–if it works properly, that is.” Now curious, [Y/N] stepped closer, peering over at what was being built. “What is it supposed to do?”

Amity smiled, happy to talk about her current work in progress. “It’s a cleaning bot. It’ll help us clean up around the house and the lab. If it works the way I want it to, then I was thinking I could help cut down the amount of time we spend at the worksites by making one specifically for construction cleanup.” [Y/N] cringed at a memory that she triggered. “Amity, I don’t know…don’t you remember what happened last time you tried to do something like this?” “Oh, believe me, I remember that. I remember the broken plates and frames–""--and chairs.” “And chairs, yes, but that’s why I’m going to set up a small practice area to test it out in. And I won’t use anything fragile.

“I promise I won’t try it out in the house until it’s perfected.” [Y/N] sighed, already anxious, but she smiled at how enthusiastic Amity was at her newest idea. She stepped closer again and pulled the taller woman into a tight hug, which was returned just as eagerly. “I’m proud of you, Amity.” At this, Amity couldn’t help but tear up just a little bit as she pressed a small kiss to the top of [Y/N]’s head.

“I’m proud of you too.”

After leaning away from the hug, [Y/N] grabbed Amity’s hand and led her out of the lab and into the kitchen, receiving very little resistance. She revealed the basket still resting on the table, pulling the small cloth on the top off to reveal the rest of the baked goods.

Amity tilted her head, confused. “What’s all of this for?” [Y/N] beamed up at her and picked a random treat out. “The construction crew, including Lilith, wanted to thank you and I both for all the work we’ve done recently–especially you.”

She grew warm at the thought of all of her work being appreciated, grinning uncontrollably as she plucked one of her favorites from the small woven basket. She unwrapped it and turned it in her hold before biting down into it, humming at the flavor. “It’s amazing. Hopefully my bot will be a good enough way to thank them for it.” [Y/N] nodded and bit into her own snack. “Maybe, but remember: this is to thank you for everything you’ve already done.”

“I know,” Amity started. “I’m excited to see them all again next week, even though I plan to spend less than half of the amount of time there.” At the sound of this statement, [Y/N]’s head perked up, her glee evident on her features. “Well, I’m excited to spend that time with you.” Amity smiled down at her and pulled her closer. “You know what else I’m excited for?”

“Hm?”

“I’m excited to eat all of these treats.” [Y/N] laughed at that, prompting Amity’s smirk to grow. The smaller woman stood on her toes to press a small kiss to Amity's cheek, already thinking of ways to spend time together during the next several days.

“So am I.”

[yunoteru4ever]

A big review of Sakae Esuno's 'Big Order,' Part 1: The Actual "Review" Part

It begins.

This all began with a simple ask from @bluescxrs, but I've definitely made it grow in my mind since I received that request. What began as "Can you outline the story differences, particularly in relation to Eiji/Rin" became me thinking "I should make that just one part of a much larger, thorough review."

So for a while now, I've been sporadically writing parts of this post while simultaneously asking myself "How do I even do this?" More specifically: How do I review a manga AND an anime that are so different from one another? How do I explain the differences between the mediums without proliferating tons of spoilers? And is that even really part of a standard "review," or does this need to be multiple posts?

My ultimate conclusions are that I need to treat this like any other anime review I've put together on my main Tumblr. I think going deeper on what separates the two versions of "Big Order" is going to require its own post with more spoilers, though.

I'll just be upfront about this,, and state what any regular readers of this Tumblr probably already know: I've come here to praise "Big Order" as a manga, and to be less kind to its anime incarnation.

Background/Behind-the-Scenes

In case you didn't know, Big Order was Sakae Esuno's follow-up manga after he struck gold with Mirai Nikki/Future Diary. I'm sure he was feeling the pressure to produce a worthwhile follow-up after he hit it big with that one. But thankfully, Big Order was a successful series for Monthly Shōnen Ace. At least it was successful enough to run for almost as long as Future Diary did and get collected into 10 volumes. Kadokawa has never shied away from ending a series early if it fails to catch on, so that speaks well to Big Order's reception. Admittedly, it never generated the same numbers or level of passion among its readership. But as Esuno himself has said, a mangaka is lucky to create even one series as beloved as Mirai Nikki. And it's not like Big Order didn't have devoted readers of its own — especially in Japan, but to some degree also in China and parts of Europe.

It never made much of an impact on the Western hemisphere, though. Mirai Nikki's success in America and much of the Western hemisphere came largely in the wake of its popular anime adaption. I can't speak to how well Big Order did as a scanlation. But unfortunately, the manga wasn't officially published in North America until AFTER its anime adaption had finished airing... to pretty much the opposite of acclaim.

The anime was produced by the same studio that adapted Future Diary a few years earlier: Asread. Although Esuno has stated his overall satisfaction with the anime adaption of Future Diary and said that he sat in on some story meetings to see how they were adapting the manga and provide some feedback, I've never seen him comment whatsoever on the anime adaption of Big Order. In fact, I don't think I've ever read or seen any interviews that were conducted with him since post-2015! The closest I've ever seen him come is confirming that they were developing an OVA prior to its eventual release in late 2015. That's it. As such, we have no idea how involved he was or wasn't with the development of Big Order's anime, nor do we know what he thinks about the end result. I don't want to assume his feelings... but I have to imagine that they're less positive than his opinion of Future Diary's anime.

We'll circle back to why I think that at the end of this post, though. For now, let's dig into what this series is actually about.

The First Chapter/Episode's Plot Setup

Ten years prior to this story, everything changed. A massive cataclysm struck the globe that killed approximately 3.5 billion people... about half of the world's population. At the same time, the world saw the appearance of the first "Orders" — people with supernatural abilities that can be activated verbally, or sometimes just mentally. People become Orders when when a floating, intangible fairy-like girl named "Daisy" appears to them and grants them a single wish. The Order's ability is based upon how Daisy interprets their wish... but no one who isn't an Order or potential Order can even see Daisy, so how or why these superpowered individuals come into exist remains unknown to the general public.

Daisy's first appearance before Eiji.

In the aftermath of that disaster now known as "the Great Destruction," the majority of the world's governments collapsed. It fell to the United Nations to create and establish interim governments and oversight councils as a way to maintain a semblance of order. Most of these governments are led by Orders who are put under the U.N.'s well-paid employ, with their supernatural abilities serving as a means to both maintain local control and enforce the law among normal civilians.

Eiji Hoshimiya is our focal protagonist. He's an 18-year-old high school student who lost his parents in the cataclysm 10 years ago. To make matters worse, he's the very person who accidentally caused the Great Destruction — an unintended side effect of his wish to "dominate the world" running amuck. Yup, Eiji is an Order, although he's sworn off ever powers after what happened back then and kept the secret of his guilt to himself. After both his parents died in the Great Destruction, Eiji's main focus has been to simply give his terminally ill stepsister, Sena, whatever joy and attention he can manage to provide during the limited time she has left. When our story starts, she supposedly has just six months left before a rare form of leukemia takes her life. And once Sena passes away, Eiji's fine with accepting whatever punishment come his way for his actions 10 years ago. He only wishes to hide his guilt for as long as it takes to keep Sena smiling.

A symbol appears on the user's palm whenever they invoke their Order ability, which also calls forth a "stand" or "avatar" figure that embodies and ultimately enacts the user's Orders. Just like Daisy, these avatars are only visible to other Orders.

(This is a VERY LONG post, so I'll put the rest under a cut for everyone's benefit.)

Rin Kurenai is our secondary protagonist despite the fact that she's also something of an antagonist — a dichotomy that's certainly famillar to anyone who's experienced Future Diary. When Rin shows up at Eiji's school one day, Eiji immediately crushes on her. Unfortunately for Eiji, Rin isn't the sweet new transfer student she initially appears to be. In reality, she's an Order that's come to this school to fulfill a personal vendetta. After spending 10 years working training herself up while trying to locate and identify the person who caused her parents to die in the Great Destruction, she's finally arrived at her chance for vengeance. Her sole dream stands before her: A chance to kill Eiji Hoshimiya.

Some facts to consider about how Eiji and Rin's Order powers work:

Eiji's power of "domination" lets him control absolutely anything within his "domain," which is defined as anywhere he's been + a surrounding radius of roughly 2 meters. This domain ALSO includes anything vertically aligned with that same space/radius. (In other words, if he walks the entireity the first floor of a three-story building, he now can control anything that happens on not only the first floor, but ALSO all the same spaces above him on the other two floors. Or if he flies above the ground, he can now control the ground directly below that airspace. Get it?) Oh, and his control/domination isn't limited to just giving orders to people and/or creatures within that space — he can literally control the laws of physics if he so wishes. He basically controls reality itself within his domain. But importantly, the moment that something he's controlling leaves his domain? He loses all power over it. And he can do nothing to anyone or anything that never enters his domain.

Rin's also an Order, and her power is regeneration. Whenever she so wishes, she can heal herself as well as anyone and anything within arm's reach. This allows her to repair broken weapons or heal wounded allies, of course, but it also auto-triggers any time she dies, reviving her in seconds. This renders her effectively immortal.

Given the above facts, when Eiji is faced with a relentless immortal assassin whose only wish is to kill him by any possible means, he makes the decision to use his powers on Rin by giving her two consecutive orders:

Order #1: Rin can never harm him or his sister.

Order #2: Rin can never leave his domain. (Because if she did, she'd break free of Order #1.)

Just like that, our lead characters are thrust into an unlikely, antagonistic "partnership."

But wait; there's more!

If you're wondering how Rin knew that Eiji caused the cataclysm? That's because she's an agent of the Ten Hands — a group of ten powerful Orders who made up the interim U.N. government of Kyushu... until now. Because when Eiji and Rin wind up at their headquarters in Dazaifu, it turns out that the Ten Hands have just declared they are the next evolution of humanity and intend to rule the world. (If you're familiar with the X-Men? Just picture Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants :P). Rin's went rogue even from THAT rogue organization, though, because Ten Hands wanted her to capture Eiji alive! They're after Eiji because his powers are useful to them AND he makes the ideal figurehead/decoy to front their organization. Once they declare war on the United Nations in Eiji's name (going so far as to include the public announcement that Eiji is the one to blame for the disaster of 10 years prior), Eiji find himself forced to cooperate and act as the figurehead/puppet ruler of the Ten Hands. Where else can he go when he's now the most wanted and hated person on the planet?

A spread giving an overview of the Ten Hands, aka "the Group of Ten."

But as an extra carrot-on-a-stick, the leader of the Ten Hands — Colonel Hiiragi — reveals to Eiji that they've kidnapped Sena. And he then suggests that if Eiji expands his influence over the world, he should logically eventually locate an Order that could cure Sena of her terminal illness.

So wait, what kind of story is this?

For me, the primary joy of Big Order's main plot comes from the characters constantly working to out-manuever and out-manipulate one another. This is often done in the form of Order "battles," sure — but rather than being about who can hit one another hardest with a superpower, those battles are still fundamentally about pulling tricks, feints, and ultimately out-manuevering someone.

Eiji thinking what EVERYBODY in this story is thinking, essentially.

You can see it built into where the setup I described above leaves off. See, it's like this:

Because the Ten Hands has already announced Eiji as their leader and the cause of the great destruction PLUS they've got his sister, he is blackmailed into becoming their figurehead leader.

To try and counter this, Eiji swiftly places his domination order on every member of the Ten Hands, giving him the ability to control them individually while they're inside the base — providing him with leverage. IN THEORY.

But what he (and we) don't initially know is that Colonel Hiiragi had already put his own unique Order in place that covers the same base, and Hiiragi's power completely counteracts Eiji's control of the Ten Hands' people. (Hiiragi's power does NOT, however, counteract Eiji's control of the objects, air, physics, etc. within the base's property.)

But there's another complication to consider: One of the members of the Ten Hands is using his ability to stop time to freeze Sena, preventing her disease from progressing. As such, anything Eiji does to attack within the base or undermine the Ten Hands' plans will obviously cause that person to unfreeze Sena, returning her lifespan to a ticking clock.

With all that going on, Can Eiji really do anything to push his own agenda and exercise his free will? That's just ONE example of the complicated tit-for-tat thinking that makes up so many of Big Order's character interactions and confrontations.

Eiji and Rin's relationship is a microcosm of this stuff. Eiji knows Rin can't kill him thanks to his Order ability, but he also knows that she's foolishly obsessed with killing him personally to the point that she refuses to let anyone else have that pleasure. As a result, the person who hates him the most also becomes the person he's most able to trust. But that doesn't mean Rin's ready to give up on trying to trick him into a not-quite-accidental death, either. There's a push and pull to their mutual trust-laced-with-distrust.

Even within the Ten Hands themselves, there are a couple members who turn out to have more faith/trust in Eiji than they do in Colonel Hiiragi. Hiiragi's mission is ultimately somewhat compromised by his need for personal vengeance, whereas Eiji manages to gain faith and trust from some of the members based on how he indepently handles some things. All these personal motivations, unique powers, and relative/comparative intelligence mix to make a stew of actions and counteractions that I greatly enjoy reading. And by the time the story starts to move away from focusing on these complicated showdowns, you're far enough in that you should (hopefully) be attached to some of its characters already.

The Narrative and its Characters

From a writing POV, it's worth noting that Sakae Esuno took a different approach to writing Big Order as compared to how he wrote Mirai Nikki/Future Diary. See, Esuno had a pretty strong outline for the story when he started making Mirai Nikki. (Actually, he says he created two outlines for Mirai Nikki: One for "I get to write the full-length story" and one for "I have to wrap things up quickly because the series gets cancelled early.") However, on Big Order, Esuno opted to only plan where the story would go in a much looser, vaguer way. He said he wanted to leave himself more leeway to explore whatever new ideas he thought of as the story developed, not constrain himself so much to a tightly pre-planned narrative. I'm not telling you this as a form of judging his choice negatively, though; I can see the appeal to both approaches. I'm just telling y'all this because I think those differences in approach are sometimes noticeable.

There are occasionally pieces of info or hints within the manga that don't seem to go anywhere, and you might even notice some of these are dropped entirely in the anime. A prime example: The early chapters of the manga have Sena referencing that the doctor working caring for her at the hospital is her and Eiji's uncle. Whether she's speaking literally or somehow metaphorically, this never goes anywhere. Heck, we never even see or meet that character! So it's understandable that those references are left out of the anime. It doesn't feel like it's some lost subplot that was left hanging, but it's just the kind of detail that feels like it might hold meaning down the line... yet never does. Those sorts of "dead-end details" get increasingly rare the longer the manga goes on, however. The story grows leaner and tighter as it nears its end.

Beyond that, this story has all the hallmarks I've come to love about Sakae Esuno's works: Tons of plot twists (much more in the manga), the ability to vascillate wildly between darkness and comedy, engaging psychological underpinnings to the characters (mostly in the manga), a twisted focal relationship... it's all here. What's not to love? Well, I suppose Big Order and Future Diary share one weakness: Despite both stories supposedly having a global impact, the entire story stays isolated to Japan. Future Diary justified this with some passing text explaining that Deus has intentionally developed or lured his future god prospects into one area. Big Order's justification is that the entire "Great Destruction" was caused within Japan due to research taking place in Japan. Perhaps not as strong of an overall driver for the localized focus, but it works decently enough.

So let's dig a little into that "twisted focal relationship." Despite what I said previously about Rin and Eiji's "dual protagonists where one is also kind of an antagonist" dynamic being similar to Future Diary's Yuki and Yuno, these characters almost feel like counterpoints to the leads of Mirai Nikki. Although Eiji visually looks a lot like Yuki and Rin might initially give off Yuno vibes thanks to her aggressive nature and twin hanging hair-tails, they're each more unlike their Esuno-created predecessors than they are similar to them. And so — as I said in that old post I just linked to — Eiji and Rin almost feel like a reaction/response to Yuki and Yuno, intentionally designed to flip or trade off a lot of their individual traits while still maintaining a select few similarities.

Rin's blind rage at Eiji can make her kind of a moron at times. Delightfully so.

Both of them get to grow and change a lot over the course of the manga's story, though they don't get anywhere NEAR as much growth in the anime. The ten or so manga chapters following the end of the anime are particularly good for Eiji, who goes through a period of trauma-response depression that's very well-portrayed IMO. I think him already being in his mindset helps him cope with the wild perception-warping crap he sees and experiences shortly before the final stretch of the story kicks in. Rin's growth is more gradual; at first, she's just forced to gain some empathy for the person she's spent a decade hating. That helps her to eventually shift her desire for revenge onto other parties. But in the end, she gets smarter AND kinder, learning to let go of her desire for revenge and legitimately finding a way to forgive something that once seemed unforgivable. It's actually touching, IMO.

But you know, Yuki/Yuno's relationship never got a strong outside competitor. Let's face it: Yuki never showed any interest in or attraction towards Akise, regardless of Akise's own feelings. On the flip side, the Eiji/Rin relationship actually gets a pretty strong third party thrown into the mix: Iyo.

Iyo! No surname needed, evidently?

If there's a tritagonist in Big Order, it's Iyo — a member of the Ten Hands' leadership who demonstrates fr more compassion thant he rest. Iyo's a shrine maiden/miko whose Order granted her the power to predict the future with 99% accuracy by asking any question to the heavens, summoning a slip of paper that provides the answer. The downside to this is that whenever someone acts upon her predictions they are inherently changing the course of fate, so their actions will affect whether the prediction remains true. And for Iyo, that's a personal matter: Her very first question to the heavens (and thus the first prediction handed down to her) was to find out who her future husband would be... which is when she learned that she was destined to marry Eiji Hoshimiya and bear his child. This prediction + Eiji's natural kindness towards her are two reasons why she finds herself swiftly infatuated with Eiji as soon as he aligns himself with the Ten Hands. And thus, Iyo winds up being the third spoke in a love triangle that also includes Eiji and Rin. But she's not hanging around just to undermine or irritate Rin, because she proves to be an invaluable partner to Eiji's goals in her own right.

I adore both Iyo AND her twitchy bunny-ear head-ribbon. Part of me can't help but want her to win Eiji's heart, because she deserves the world. However, because her infatuation with Eiji is driven by her prediction, her attraction to him is kind of questionable IMO; does she only fall for Eiji because she was told that she would by her powers? Regardless of the reason, her feelings drive her to try and spend more time with him/get closer to him. The knock-on effect, however, is that because she's acting upon her own prediction, that means her actions have every possbility of destroying/altering the very future she's pining for.

The writing here definitely favors Eiji and Rin as the core couple, but unlike Future Diary, Big Order isn't going to give you a clear-cut answer as to who the characters wind up with. Future Diary wound up cementing Yuno and Yuki's relationship canonically because, well, that was the whole point of the thing. The central Yuki/Yuno relationship was the absolute core of Future Diary's narrative, but conversely, the Eiji/Rin relationship isn't the most important relationship in Big Order. It's a major focus, sure, but it's not propping up the entire narrative — which I think is why Esuno feels no need to canonize it. Although the story definitely seems to favor Eiji/Rin, neither the manga nor the anime explicitly state who Eiji winds up with (if anyone).

Instead, the core relationship that's propping up Big Order's story is a familial one: The one between Eiji and Sena. Sena is the stepsister he didn't think he wanted and who he was initially hesitant to get to know. Ultimately, however, she won him over with her warmth and sweetness. When their parents were killed in the Great Destruction, Eiji wound up isolating himself from everyone BUT Sena. Which is a big reason why Eiji's ultimate goal is merely to protect her and give her happiness for as long as she lives (which, as previously stated, is currently expected to be only six more months). It definitely calls to mind Yuno's own simplistic goal of "one day of perfect happiness," etc. But while Yuno's goal is inherently flawed, Eiji's is theoretically possible... right up until the Ten Hands ruin it. Because just a few chapters into the story, they start telling her all kinds of shit that Eiji had been trying to hide from her.

Sena starts out as little more than a background MacGuffin, but she isn't content to stay on those sidelines. Once she has agency to do so, she starts participating in her brother's struggle despite this being against pretty much everybody else's wishes. Her unwanted intervention makes for a pretty fun spanner in the works of the story... but I'm not going to get too specific about it. I think it's really fun to watch her fight back against her own "MacGuffin" status — too much fun for me to spoil how it all happens.

Anime vs. Manga: The Short Version

The anime adapts the first 32 chapters of the manga over the course of its ten episodes. MOST of the major plot beats are the same, at least. But along the way, there are LOADS of scenes altered in small ways, as well as some added and some entirely deleted. And of course, once it reaches the final episode? There's a new ending and denouement so that everything stops there. They do not leave anything open for a possible future season that would adapt the remaining 22 chapters of the story — those are simply ignored.

Now yes, the anime aired while the manga was still ongoing. But... the manga was also MUCH farther along than the anime would lead you to believe — 50 chapters had already been published when the very first episode aired! So the decision to cut the manga's story off at Chapter 32 is definitely a weird one.

To briefly summarize the most common changes made to the first 32 chapters in the process of turning them into 10 anime episodes, it's like this:

The anime turns the nudity / sexual content / fanservice WAAAAAY the fuck up. Like, a simple hug in the manga becomes grinding/dry-humping in the anime. A girl in full clothing in the manga will become a girl in a very loose-hanging dress with most of her body exposed in the anime. And, look — for better or worse, Esuno is no stranger to tossing female nudity into his manga, either for some pointless fanservice or sometimes to further accentuate the horror on display. But even the most fanservice-y manga scenes are extended and expanded upon a lot in the anime.

Ton of background information that provides foundations for how things work in this world is removed. The manga often ends a chapter with an info page providing details on a supporting character's backstory or how one specific powerset works. These are the kinds of lore-dumps that are often used as screens that frame commercial breaks in a lot of major anime (Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia both have done this). In Big Order, however, the framing cards for ad breaks are just pieces of art, and no attempt is made at providing any of these additional details in any format. They're just left on the cutting-room floor, which I think definitely makes a lot of things both more shallow AND more confusing.

An example of one of these "data pages" within the manga.

THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE OF ALL: This one bullet could be an entire essay of me complaining ALL BY ITSELF, but I'll try to keep this brief: In the manga, a number of characters point out that Eiji and Sena aren't actually related by blood, so they theorize that maybe their relationship is somehow romantic/sexual etc.? This suggestion is always shot down by a disgusted Eiji, who will usually insult the theory/theorizer while explaining that being "family" isn't just about your blood ties — but regardless, Sena is absolutely his family, and so on, because she's always had his back. And it's sweet. They are willing to do anything to support one another, even when they see the other one headed in the wrong direction, but it's always very pure and warm-hearted and UMMMMMMMMM, the anime goes in the exact opposite fucking direction. These stepsiblings are absolutely fucking one another in the anime. I cannot and will not ever understand what drove them to do this. Whatever the reason, this is SO antithetical to the manga's point and the central relationship of the story that it does a good job ruining the anime all on its own, even without the other changes... and that's without me touching upon the ethical question of 18-year-old Eiji fucking the 13-year-old Sena. One of the weirder aspects of this ill-advised change is how this whole new subplot has NO impact on the rest of the story! The scenes of them being sexually/romantically involved contain no voice work, for one thing. But also, some of the scenes from the manga where he angrily denies his relationship with Sena being like that are still present in the anime. But I guess now they're just really aggressive lies? He literally beats up one character for suggesting he might be attracted to Sena. Which works great in the manga, but now it's like.... wtf? Also, Eiji having feelings for/involvement with Sena *never* comes up when he's dealing with his relationship with Rin or Iyo — he's still flustered by the idea of sex with anyone or being close to a cute girl, etc. It really comes across as though Asread just kinda inserted this gross shit without telling anyone outside of the animation team directly involved with the new scenes.

WHY, FUCKING WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS

Suffice it to say that for as much as I love the suspense and twists of the manga, I can't recommend its anime incarnation unless you just want to see the characters (1) in full color and (2) in motion. It makes a somewhat amusing side dish to the manga, but it's a very poor substitute.

But I'm going to get somewhat more in-depth about all the differences between the two in my next post on the subject, which will include sharing some spoilers about what happens AFTER Chapter 32 in the manga. It's a big enough task that I think it deserves its own separate writeup. And lord knows that this one is already long enough. :P

[aemiron-main]

Pretty Woman, Pretty, Henward, The Pennhurst Guards, and Always Sunny in Philadelphia

This is part of a much larger analysis that I’m still working on regarding the electrocution scene and Henry in the lab in general, but there’s a specific parallel I want to point out right now. Long story short, I think the word “pretty” was used in a creepy way towards Henward in the lab.  So, have you ever seen “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”? Well, whether you have or not, I think the Duffers have. Now, what does this have to do with Henry/Edward Creel? Well, let’s look at a specific, particularly famous Always Sunny scene - the ending scene from the episode called “Frank’s Pretty Woman.” 

In the scene, the song “Pretty Woman,” by Roy Orbison plays while the characters drag the body of a prostitute who Frank Reynolds (the guy played by Danny Devito) had just proposed to, out of Frank and Charlie’s apartment, and down the hall of the apartment complex:

The way that Henry is dragged out of the electrocution room, and down the hallway, immediately reminded me of that Always Sunny “Pretty Woman,” scene:

Frank, just like Brenner, does not drag the body himself- instead, he stands and watches and slowly follows as Mac and Dennis drag the body down the hall, just like Brenner watching the two orderlies drag a barely-conscious (and seemingly eventually unconscious) Henry down the hallway:

So, why add this parallel? As mentioned before, the woman, Roxy, specifically was a prostitute, and therefore it would tie the scene of Henry to another scene which had sexual connotations- and because I think that the word “pretty,” was likely used in a creepy and leering way towards Henry on behalf of the other orderlies when sexually harassing/assaulting him.

To further demonstrate the idea of  “pretty,” being directed at Henry and guards sexually harrassing Henry, let’s take a look at Pennhurst. 

So, the security guard at Pennhurst brings Robin and Nancy down to Victor, where the guard says “Victor, you’ve got visitors- real pretty ones.”

Not only does this tie the word “pretty,” to Henry via his narrative connection to Victor, but also, Victor’s “visitors” are described as “pretty”- and we know that Henry was “visiting” Victor. It’s a subtle tie-in, I know not all Victor’s visitors are “pretty,” but it’s a writing connection nonetheless. They set up the line that Victor’s visitors are “pretty,” and then also went out of their way to set up the fact that Henry was visiting Victor/was one of Victor’s visitors, therefore tying him to the “pretty,” references/making him be referred to as “pretty.” 

TLDR: I’m pretty sure that the lab guards were creepily hitting on (and sexually assaulting, but that’s further explored in the analysis I’m working on) Henward, and I won’t be surprised if we get a flashback to a scene of one of them calling him “pretty,” especially after he’s been castrated/all of the forced sex reassignment/mother stuff we’ve been talking about with Henward today, and the reference to pretty woman, and Henward being seen as a woman by the guards as a result of the surgeries forced upon him.