#we know virtually nothing about this little guy yet

[camping-with-monsters]

WHO ARE YOU.

[autumnmobile12]

The League of Morons vs A Summer Camp

All right, so I love the hell out of this nonsense and I want to talk about the Vanguard's plan and how ridiculous it was.

First, most of the crew showed up a night early and…well, then what?  That first night, Dabi says they’re still waiting on a few more people to arrive.  Okay, so what are you all doing here already?

Did Kurogiri warp them back to the bar after they’d gotten a look at the place?  Scouted the area a bit?  You needed seven people for that? Were they that bored waiting for Twice, Compress, and the Nomu to show up?  What were they doing in the 24 hours between this part and the actual attack?  Standing on that cliff and muttering,  “Heroes…”?

Was Toga all, "Guys, I'm tired. Can we go back to the bar already?"

Spinner: "No, as villain protocol dictates, we must stand here menacingly for a minimum of twelve hours."

Dabi: Fuck you, I'm going to bed.

Except for being a scare tactic, having Dabi start a fire was mostly unnecessary. Their goal was to further weaken society's faith in heroes by targeting UA students, so you'd think he'd be a little more proactive in...well, actually harming someone. As it happened, the fire really only to served to announce there was an attack happening.

But I’ll throw the Vanguard a bone here and say this was Spinner’s doing.  Like their original plan was to start a massive fire that would consume both classes and all the heroes in a singular tragedy, but then Spinner said,  “Hey, pump the breaks, people.  We’re here to uphold Stain’s ideals about toppling the corrupt Hero culture.  Do we really want mass child murder as part of our brand?” Sure, he wanted to go after Iida, but he was a specific target since he was on Stain's hit list.

The two copies Twice made of Dabi were virtually useless in a fight since Vlad and Aizawa both took him out so quickly it was embarrassing.  And yet he’s apparently a big enough threat that No. 1 and No 2. can’t handle him.  Go fig.

Endeavor/Hawks:  Oh, no, he’s too strong…

Aizawa/Vlad:  Listen here, you little shit!

...

Muscular goes and reveals their plan even though he didn’t have to.  They all saw the Sports Festival, they knew what Bakugo looked like, and yet here he is asking Deku where he he can find Bakugo as if he was going to answer him.  Yes, he didn’t think there was any harm in telling him since his plan was to kill Deku anyway, but alerting UA to the fact they were looking to kidnap someone is still just hubris.

Going after Bakugo in the first place was a dumb idea.  We can probably credit that one to Shigaraki because only he would look at the violently temperamental teenager raging on national television and think,  “Yes, he seems like a reasonable person to negotiate with.”

...

Gonna drop in some actual light criticism here: Given the inequality issues that arise in the series later, targeting the heteromorph students for recruitment purposes would have been a smarter move for the LoV.  They’re all part of a demographic that has a justified reason for being dissatisfied with society, so there would have been a believable chance of the LoV thinking they could sway some people to their side.

But hey, the League of Villains was on a learning curve. Give 'em a break.

He totally saw Aoyama here.  Or at least he heard him because he clocked that there was something weird about that bush and he was going to go check it out…and then Twice distracted him and Dabi has an total ADHD moment and forgets what he was doing.

And it's not because Aoyama was the spy. Nobody in the Vanguard knew.

1.) Shigaraki says he tried and couldn't figure out where the camp was, but AFO figured it out relatively quickly. So if even his successor doesn't know who the spy was or called on that resource, then why would AFO tell anyone else in the group?

2.) Moonfish, Muscular, and Mustard were all apprehended, but none of them ratted out Aoyama, as someone with nothing left to lose would. Neither did Kurogiri when he was later apprehended, but that one may have been a loyalty matter. So I think this was a case of AFO saying, "I have a source of info and you don't need to know who it is." Because at the end of the day, AFO is an arrogant narcissist who's definitely not placing all his eggs in one basket. Aoyama wouldn't be an easy spy to replace, so of course AFO would want to limit any chances of him being exposed.

So this was Dabi's screw up.

Speaking of forgetting things, Dabi also straight up forgot they had a Nomu because he thanked Twice for reminding him they had a Nomu.

Sir....how the hell do you forget you have a Nomu?

Toga was supposed to get blood from at least three people.  She failed.

Twice had a simple job. Create clones. He succeeded, but the only two he made were Dabi and I refer you to the previous point on how useless they were.

Spinner and Magne’s roles were a diversion. Distract the Wild, Wild Pussycats and give everyone else the opening to find and kidnap Bakugo.

They did pretty well. Up until the point they were almost caught and Kurogiri had to bail them out. Also Spinner lugged the giant, over-the-top blade contraption all the way there only for Deku to destroy it.

However, they do deserve some credit for making probably the best strategic decision of the group that night, and that was taking out Pixie Bob. We saw on the first day of the camp that she was able to hold back a class of twenty students with an army of earth creatures she was simultaneously controlling. That would have been a huge problem, so for the purposes of their team, good on them for removing that obstacle.

Underrated squad members right here.

Mustard was a legitimate threat for same reasons Dabi and his fire was a threat, plus he brought a firearm into the fight. (I want to know what the other villains thought when they saw that.)

But instead of putting him in the center of the fight where he could do some significant harm, they placed him on the outliers and all he did was knock some students unconscious and everybody made a full physical recovery, showcasing the gas he emitted wasn’t all that lethal and didn't cause any long-term complications. (Again, maybe this was Spinner's idea of Stain's ideology on not indiscriminately massacring children. "Guys, I'm telling you! That's fucked up!")

The Nomu (effectively brain dead without orders) did more damage than any of them, which makes the previous point that Dabi forgot they had it even funnier.

And finally, Mr. Compress was missing for half the night and then almost came in clutch by fulfilling their main objective plus extra credit, only to nearly blow it with his showboating. Seriously, they could have gotten away with both Bakugo and Tokoyami had they just booked it while the going was good.

But no, Compress had to make a dramatic production of it. When he first snatched the kids, he could have just left and Deku and company would have had no idea what happened. Had he just kept his mouth shut and left, they wouldn't have known he even existed. Then as the Vanguard members were leaving through the warp gates, he goes and does it again, giving Aoyama enough time to fire at them with his navel laser, something that also could have bee avoided had Dabi just checked the fucking bush!

The Vanguard Action Squad won by sheer dumb luck and their collective incompetence actually succeeding is the most hilarious thing about this arc. In the end, three members of their crew were arrested.  (Although I think everyone was secretly relieved they lost Moonfish.  Even if he was on my side, I’d be actively worried that guy would kill and eat me in my sleep.)

Yet this self-important twerp is smiling like they actually did something to be proud of here.  All Dabi really accomplished personally was grab a marble (coincidentally the correct marble) before Shouto could, which is borderline more standard older sibling behavior than actual villainy. He literally lost two separate fights in one night and called it a win.

This arc was a five episode Scooby-Doo trap going wrong and succeeding.

Seriously, I hope that after the warp gates closed, they all just looked at each other and immediately started calling each other out on everything. Like Dabi slapped Compress upside the head and asked him what he'd been thinking having 'one last bow' before they got away. Spinner yelling at Dabi about how the clones did nothing. And there's Bakugo all, "I can't believe I've been kidnapped by a gaggle of morons."

Fake it till you make it at its finest.

[judgmentofcorruption39]

N25 KAITO X GN!Reader

(Not proof read... as too I am a beginner writer so yes, it's not the best)

And as per request to be @ is @kotarchipelago

Little note you're a Virtual Singer here!! This is a bit based on that area convo, but the reader is not n25 rin or miku! Lastly, you kinda?? I made the reader a little playful or well teasing... I know it doesn't match the Empty Sekai, but I guess you could say that they took on a bit from Mizuki and N25 Luka's personality

You were feeling extra tired today. The sekai seemed much more claming than usual. You couldn't help but lay behind the broken pillars of the sekai and rest. Sure, it's uncomfortable at times, but the atmosphere around was truly so calming. Your eyelids fell really quickly. When you awoke, you felt something soft and uneven under your head.. You slowly opened your eyes, the light of the dull and emptiness of the Sekai wasn't the thing you first thing you met with this time, but a blue haired man. Your head was on his lap. How'd you get here? What is happening? You felt relaxed but at the same time confused. It took you second to realize it was KAITO. You could also feel something stroking your head? It was nice, I guess. It felt like a massage but by KAITO? That's something you'd never think would happen in your time here in the Empty Sekai... He hasn't noticed you're awake, yet he was just staring off into the seemingly endless distance of the Sekai. You raised your hand and poked his cheek. Which startled him. He suddenly looked down and saw that you were awake. You've never seen KAITO's face so red and embarrassed before!

"What do you think you're doing, KAITO?"

You chuckled and he seemed to be a bit speechless. This is the first time you've seen KAITO nervous? Or perhaps embarrassed. "Cat bit your tounge?" You spoke again and finally sat up. "It's nothing, is it suddenly wrong to be kind? Aren't you always telling me to be nicer?" He finally spoke and crossed his arms, his face seemed to get back to normal. If you look close enough from his cold or seemingly angry expression is a small blush. "So? Are the kind of man w-" you tried speaking again yet got cut off by KAITO. "Shut up." He continued "This never happended." He then stood up and tried leaving. "You know I'm not the type to just forget?" You said in a teasing tone, and stood up too, to follow KAITO. "Don't follow me." He turned to you and shot a cold glare, well you would listen if it weren't for the blush on his face! "Don't be embarrassed, it's a cute gesture no?" You chuckled mockingly. He didn't respond, and covered the lower part of his face with his hand, looking down. "Hey... don't be ashamed! The massage was nice!" You teased again.

KAITO removed his hand from his face and the other rubbed the bridge of his nose. You can't tell if you're getting on his nerves or he's embarrased. You were about to speak again, until you heard some chatter from behind you. "Oh! [Name]! And.. KAITO? We we're looking for the others." Mizuki spoke and a bit surprised KAITO was there too, beside them was Kanade. "Isn't it late for you guys, hmm? Still.. what is it do you need?" You tilted your head, you also turned around for a second to check on KAITO, but he just disappeared. Typical. You sighed and tuened back to the two. "I made a new song. I wanted to hear you and the other's opinions." Kanade spoke and handed the phone to you. The song played and it was a calming, and slow tune. Similar to what of a lullaby, the lyrics bittersweet too. The song soon finished and you handed the phone back to Kanade. "You are quite talented, Kanade. Sadly, we could've asked KAITO. I'm afraid he ran of to who knows where." You shrugged and smiled at the two. "I remember seeing Len and Rin play somewhere close by.. though it was probably was hours ago. I believe you could find them, maybe?" Kanade nodded and Mizuki spoke. "Thank you so much, [Name]! See ya!" Mizuki winked and waved by as they grabbed Kanade's arm the two walked away.

(Mizuki and Kanade's POV)

"See, probably if [Name] likes it the others probably will too!" Mizuki encouraged, Kanade was about to speak until they heard someone call them from behind. "Hey." The two turned and saw KAITO. "Ah! KAITO, can we ask you to do something!" Mizuki said, and Kanade handed the phone. "A new song? Huh?" KAITO sighs and plays the song. Kanade and Mizuki were more nervous for his reaction. You could see a small smile but then it quickly faded.

"It is nice. Yet, it feels rushed. You showed the others a new song just a few days ago. Then you come and bring another one. Can I ask my question now?" He sighed and crossed his arms, the cold stare looking down upon the two. "I wanted to ask, eh... How has [Name] been doing the past few times you've visited them." KAITO's voice got a bit softer, and you can see some traces of embarrasment on his face. He rubbed the bridge of his nose once again, trying to regain composure. "Ohh? Well nothing much, she's been normal!" Mizuki tilted her head, they seemed to try remembering anything but yet seems they had nothing left to say. Kanade jsut nodded her head agreeing with Mizuki. "Okay." KAITO says and walk pasts the two. Mizuki caught a glance at his face and he was a blushing mess. Mizuki seemed to have gotten a hint on whats going on with KAITO..

[mayajadewrites]

Levi Ackerman x Reader: Almost

Chapter Six: Coffee Ice Cream

Chapter Summary: We start off in Levi's POV, getting more insight on him and what he's thinking. He invites you over for TV and some ice cream. Nothing more. *tehe*

Fanfic Preface: Modern AU Levi Ackerman x Reader fanfic I’ve been dying to write! Levi is my latest hyper fixation so this was bound to happen. There will be other AOT characters in the mix, but remember this is a modern AU!

WARNING: SMUT AHEAD

ao3 link

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕ LEVI ☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

It's been a few days since our little incident. I didn't want to come off as obsessive, which I may or may not be, but I knew if I wanted this to last and bloom I needed to give her space to continue to be her own person.

"Mr. Ackerman, I've meal prepped for you for the next week and there's a load of laundry going." My housekeeper, Daisy, says as she fixes her apron. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"No, thanks Daisy." I nod for her to dismiss as I walk through my mansion.

Honestly, I'm not sure why I have a housekeeper. No one cleans like I do. I guess I keep her around for the cooking since I'm shit at that. Cleaning has always relieved my stress and makes me forget where I am in the world.

I didn't start off as a millionaire, almost billionaire. I started at the very bottom, with my mother.

We used to live in homeless shelters and sometimes strangers couches, until she fell ill because of our living circumstances. I watched my mother wither away in front of me, like a rose.

"Levi, promise me you will be something." I remember she said to me as she was taking her last few breaths. "Mommy will always watch over you."

Then she was gone.

Social services picked me up after that and I went to live with my aunt and uncle. They lived comfortably in middle class with no kids - lucky me.

I'd like to think mom would be happy with how far I've come.

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

"Levi, your new assistant starts today. Don't run her off, please." Hange gives a pleading look. "She's nice."

"Nice and competent are two separate things." I continue to jot down notes from a contract I'm reading.

"Levi, this is Juliet. Your assistant." Hange walked into my office with, who I'm assuming is Juliet. She's young, with long blonde hair and brown eyes. Conventionally attractive.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Ackerman. What do you need me to do first? Do you want me to get you coffee?"

"I don't drink coffee. I drink tea. And I get that myself." I look up from my desk. "Hange, have her go over my schedule for meetings next week and make sure everything is in order."

"Sure thing boss." Hange left with Juliet, closing my door gently behind them. I have a therapy appointment today, thankfully it's virtual. I open my laptop and sign into the portal to initiate the meeting.

"Levi! You look good!" My therapist, Maria, smiles.

"Thank you. The camera probably smooths out my skin."

"So, tell me about your week. What are you feeling, what's going on, all that jazz."

"I punched a guy in the face last week."

"Levi! What did we talk about with your anger?"

"I did think it over. I thought before I punched, and after. I don't regret it."

Maria shook her head, bringing her glasses to the bridge of her nose. "Ay dios mio, you make my job so hard sometimes."

"That's why you get paid the big bucks, right?" I let out a rare chuckle.

"Why did you do that?"

Because he was touching whats mine.

"I thought he was going to take advantage of someone."

"Who's this someone?"

"I don't want to tell you about her yet. Then that means its serious."

"You punched a man because of her, that's not serious enough?"

"No. It's not. I'm 30 years old, Maria. I've never had a real relationship so I'm navigating it the only way I know how."

"Levi, she is not your mother. You can't treat her like she is a fragile human being. She has feelings, like you, and she is her own person. Does she want to be serious?"

"I'm not sure. We're ... dating? I guess that's different from being in a relationship."

"Ah, taking things slow. I see. Well, tell me about her."

"She works at my favorite coffee shop that I go to every day before work. Except I get tea. Anyways, I've seen her almost every day for 6 months and I've had long and short conversations with her. Only recently have we started seeing each other."

"And what are you scared of?" Maria's question stumped me.

I'm scared of everything.

I'm scared of losing her. I'm scared of losing what I have. I'm scared of starting a family only to have it ripped from me.

"Levi?" Maria snapped me out of my thoughts.

"I'm scared of, a lot. My feelings scare me. I feel, protective over her. I feel like I want to savor every moment we're together. I'm also scared she's going to run off once she truly sees my life."

I'm rich, like, filthy rich. She works hard for her money, lives alone, and has dreams of opening her own coffee shop. Which I can help with.

She's used to doing everything for herself. She doesn't have a housekeeper, a chef, none of that. She cooks, cleans, and does everything herself.

Everything I want in a woman is in her.

"You can't go around anticipating people leaving." Maria tapped her pen on her notebook. "You know what I say, everything happens for a reason. There's a reason you connected with her and there's a reason you feel the way you do about her. I don't think it would hurt to explore those feelings more."

After your therapy session, I decide I'm inviting her over for the first time. I want her to see how I am, in my house, and I want to observe how she is.

Me: Are you busy tonight?

Her: If by busy you mean I have a date with a pint of coffee ice cream and Grey's Anatomy, then yes.

Me: Would you like to do that here?

Her: Here is where?

She's gonna make me work for this.

Me: Here as in my house. I'll pick you up at 7.

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕ BRATTY BARISTA ☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

After getting ready for Levi's, you take a look at yourself in the mirror. Your outfit consists of leggings, crew socks, sneakers, a low cut tank top and a zip up hoodie. You can't lie, part of you wants Levi to continue what he started at your place last week. The other part of you is scared shitless to go to his mansion.

At 7 PM sharp, you hear tires roll in front of your place. By the time you lock your doors, Levi is waiting outside the passenger door for you. He kisses your cheek before letting you in the car, scanning your body.

You study the drive from your place to his - about 20 minutes. Levi lives in a rich, residential area with plenty of land to spare.

Walking into his home, it's spotless. Like, actually spotless. No dust anywhere, nothing is out of place, even the remotes on his coffee table.

"I bought some coffee ice cream and I have Netflix set up for that show already - Grey's what?"

"Grey's Anatomy. You're watching it with me?"

"I was serious when I asked you if you wanted to do that here. Can we start from the 1st episode?" Levi grabbed 2 spoons and the pint of ice cream.

"Sure." You walk over to the couch, which looks like a cloud, and sink your body into it. So this is what it's like to have money.

Levi pressed play, opening the pint. He plunged his spoon into the ice cream as neatly as he could, bringing it to your lips.

You open your mouth slowly, letting him insert the spoon into your mouth. You stare at his eyes as you lick the spoon, getting lost in the clouds that live in his eyes. He pulled the spoon out of your mouth, taking a scoop for himself.

Levi had coffee ice cream residue on his bottom lip, which he quickly licked away. You stared at his chiseled jawline as he watched the show, his eyes moving back and forth with the scenes.

Eventually Levi put the ice cream away, knowing we would eat it again later. As he sat down next to you again, you couldn't help but notice a bulge in his pants.

We meet again.

Levi put his arm around the back of the couch, leaning back so his chest was stretched out. You could see his collarbone peeking out of his shirt, along with his sculpted muscles.

"You're not even watching, brat." Levi interrupted your daydream.

"I'm watching something else." You turn your body toward him. "It's much more interesting."

"What do you mean? I think it's ok so far -" Levi directs his attention back on the tv, getting lost in the plot.

You took advantage of this moment and unzipped your hoodie a bit, exposing your cleavage. He didn't seem to notice, but he will soon.

You slide into him, making sure he can feel your body against his. He looks down at you through his jet black locks, seemingly by surprise.

"What-"

"Shhhh." You press your finger to his lips, pulling your leg over his lap so you're straddling him. "You can't talk until I'm done. I mean it. Not a word." When did you suddenly get bold?

Levi's erection was more prominent now, pulsing against your thigh. You trail kisses down his face, neck, chest, and eventually you snake down to your knees, in front of his belt buckle.

You look up at Levi, who's mouth is open like he wants to say something.

"Remember the rules, Mr. Ackerman." You wiggle your finger, unbuckling his belt. "Not a word until I'm done."

His belt slid off with ease, as you pulled his slacks down to his ankles. His dick print through his boxer briefs startled you, but you're not gonna stop now. You spread his legs, pushing yourself in between them.

You drag your fingertips down his stomach to his pelvic region, tracing the 'V' line gently. You glanced to look at Levi, who's eyes were dead set on you.

His underwear came off, and his dick slapped his abs. Your eyes grew wide from his size, knowing you might have bit off more than you can chew.

You take one hand and start pumping his dick slowly, brushing your thumb over the tip. Pre-cum leaked from the slit, motivating you to pump harder.

You take some of the pre-cum from your finger and slid it into your mouth with a 'pop' sound. Levi groans, letting his head fall back.

You bring your lips to his tip, sucking it gently while pumping his shaft. You could not take all of him in yet, but you will. Your other hand starts massaging his balls, which hitched his breath. Your tongue caressed every vein in his dick, paying special attention to the tip.

Levi finally put one of his hands in your hair, directing you on his dick. You took more and more of him in, eventually hitting your gang reflex, but you didn't care. The look on Levi's face is worth it. He whimpers as your tongue cascades along his length, the sounds alone causing him to almost overstimulate.

Levi moaned your name before you felt his dick start pulsating in your mouth and his hand pulled your hair roughly. "Where do you want me to cum?" Levi said with short breaths.

"In my mouth."

It was less of a mess that way.

That must have sent Levi over the edge. He unleashed his load in your mouth, holding your hair tightly.

You snake your body up to his face and smile, swallowing his load.

"Fuck." Levi caught his breath, kissing your lips gently. "My turn." Levi pulled you onto the couch, laying you down horizontally. "But you can be as loud as you want."

Levi slid your leggings off, revealing your hot pink thong. He played with the straps before sliding them down your legs, kissing your thighs as he passed by.

Your core was drenched at this point from sucking his dick alone, and seeing him at your pussy sent you to another planet.

He slid two fingers in without warning, pulled them out, and sucked them while keeping his eyes on yours. "What a good girl. So wet for me." Levi started pumping his fingers, curling at your clit.

"Levi.." You moan his name, curling your toes. Levi presses his hand on your stomach, sitting his face in-between your thighs. His lips touched your pussy, sending electricity up and down your body.

The entire time, his eyes are on you. Watching every face you make, listening to every moan. Levi ate pussy like it was his last meal. His tongue and fingers invaded you and made it their home instead. Your walls started to pulsate as his tongue went in and out of you, devouring every last drop.

"So beautiful." Levi mumbled against you, curling his fingers one last time before the world went away around you. The feeling is euphoric. A man hasn't made you feel like this, ever. You've pleasured yourself enough to give yourself an orgasm, but this is different.

"Levi." You moan loudly, gripping his hair, riding out your high. You could not focus on one thing - there were no thoughts in your head. Levi ate you through your high until your legs were shaking uncontrollably.

Making his way to your lips, Levi kissed you gently, the sheen of your arousal all over his mouth.

"I wish I could savor this taste forever." He groaned, putting his hand behind your neck and pressing you into him gently.

His lips moved with purpose, making sure every inch is taken care of. Your lips are plump from all the arousal, your heart feels like its beating out of your chest.

"Do you still want to watch Grey's Anatomy?"

[spotlightlowlife]

Loona is a whole missed opportunity

Loona is Loona, someone who has had plenty of time to see her dads situation for what it is and she's old enough to understand, but this would deviated from the rude and sarcastic, edgy and always bored 20 something whoes minimal progress always gets squashed by her own attitude. Like Blitzø, Loona falls victim to 'had a hard life and that's the justification, oh and they're only ever punching up which is fine, oh and comic relief', but where Blitzø's words and actions make a some difference to the story, Loona's make none.

We know Loona to be an excellent tracker because she is a canine, she has something that is hers and hers alone, it would then fit that she would be the one to find runaway Octavia. Their heatt to heart consisted of guilt tripping Octavia, a child who had the right to be upset, for being too hard on her disinterested dad, this was hypocritical of Loona who mistreats her loving dad but so easily could have been growth for her.

Since she had just got done viciously physically attacking Blitzø, trashed his workplace and making a scene infront of their colleagues for discreetly attempting to address her intentional poor conduct at work, did her own advice to virtual strangers hit home and make her reflect? No, she kicked the worried Blitzø in the nuts, with no regard for Stolas or Octavia's presence, the fact that she has just pushed compassion on the reasonable teenager she influenced, no regard for how she looked in the least. Sensibility gone.

The episode were we meet Verosika and the gang end up on a beach showed us that Loona knows transformation magic, the first example of her having an important skill her team don't, yet when did she learn this skill no other leading character has? How is it possible that she has resorces Blitzø doesn't have? Why does she have more common sense than anyone else? What else does she get up to in her spare time? Why is this not a bigger deal?

This was her best episode because it raised questions that have yet to be answered about her, one being her lack of reaction to Verosika, which could have helped us build a timeline.

We would also learnt that she is friendless and not comfortable with this, she is no edgelord around a new peer but an awkward young woman who doesn't socialize much, helped and not helped by the person she's nervous around is someone she is clearly crushing on.

Loona also showed that she is capable of feeling guilt for her mean ways, but that was only because she got called out a little by this new peer she just met who she fancies, so it's hard to give her credit and many episodes later, it made no difference to her growth.

Loona finds out that the guy she just met has a girlfriend, which for her is a bummer, but he invites her to one of their parties where she can mingle, which is excellent. In a future episode Loona does attend the party but as expected she is unnecessarily rude to multiple party goers for no good reason, to no detriment.

She goes on to meet Bee, the host, who happens to be her crushed girlfriend, who happens to be high up royalty, a whole district leader and gluttony itself, instantly Loona is threatened because "she's hot" and it's not long before Loona is rude to Bee, as usual, to no detriment.

We actually had the opportunity to address the dog shelter Loona was living in, signed off on by queen Bee. Loona could have had a subplot that was just hers, but yet again, hierarchy means nothing, she doesn't know who Bee is and doesn't appear to have any political views.

Loona chooses to give the party another chance when another 'cute guy' approaches her, who we never see again, with Blitzø turning up for this party and receiving a positive reception, Loona is now happy to show him off as her dad, gets closer with him and goes on to show him kindness, but alas, this doesn't carry on to future episodes.

All these two episodes taught us was that though she's sad, she is a Pickme and like a school child will jump on the bandwagon of what will grant her instant popularity. These actually are not bad things, they're good, they are at the heart of a lot of people's failure to find themselves along with their crowd. If only we were allowed to explore her shallowness and loneliness more, her need to compete with other women and not be like other girls. This would start by her actions actually resulting in something.

There is an abundance of teen mean girls in media to study that could help give Loona more substance, explore the numberours things she may gave missed out on during her childhood.

Let her be a user, let her smugness at knowing she gets away with her horrible ways be challenged by maybe revisiting her work 'assessment' and addressing her fat jokes at Moxxie, maybe we could know what it is she's constantly viewing on her phone too? Just look at how Stolas validated his feelings with the dramatic telenovela in that tiny little scene.

The episode where Blitzø and Moxxie were abducted gave us a level headed Loona who got along fine with Millie dispite being rude to her for mo reason, it made it clear they they don't talk at all, yet immediately and many episodes later nothing has come of their excellent team work and friendliness, nothing has come of level headed Loona, she has actually gotten more unpleasant. Sensibility gone again.

This latest episode, crescent moon, had us hear from Loona again for the first time in a while (personal reasons took the VA away from work) and what we got between Loona and Blitzø was a proof that they are no parent and child, smugly suggesting that Stolas is simply getting bored of Blitzø and that she too employs tactics of ignoring him shows us her level of immaturity, she is old enough to know what's going on and capable of empathy, her apathy and meanness is a choice, we saw her self censoring at Bee's party, we saw her trying to impress Tex, we saw her quickly get thought to Octavia who is nothing like her and it was Loona who was kind to Blitzø at their home when he was drunk, sad and opened up about being alone. Sensible and caring initiated because she was impressed which is a huge take away Loona? What did any of that matter? We can't have these aspects aswell as unbothered wise cracking Loona at the same time, even though character duality is out there, it's one or the other with this character and the other has to be prompted to suit the plot on the occasion something actually happens, one is an intention bully who is ignored, it's hard to say tolerated when her actions don't matter at all.

I guarantee Loona's character improve if this series stuck to the main plot more and we saw them working most of time?

Since she really could do with her own thing, the property damage she caused in crescent moon coming back to bite her would be the making of her best storyline to date. Community give back would let her learn new skills and mingle.

Lastly, she as good as throws on a cape for Stolas yet again. Since the tone is that Blitzø needs to come to his senses and hook up with his abuser, why not have Loona be part of this plot and let her commit to wanting a rich stepdad and the perceived popularity that comes with it?

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

How You Met THE SPARROW ACADEMY:

PAIRINGS: Sparrow Academy x Genderless!Descriptionless!Reader

FOLLOW UP TO: How You Met - The Umbrella Academy

A.N: we need more sparrow content ASAP. I fell quick and I fell hard

WARNINGS: Quick and minor mention of a bus crash (under Marcus tab), varying degrees of content for each character, me borrowing a villain from the comics I don't know shit about other than what i read off of TUA Fandom Wiki, and me still getting the hang of this format and writing and just having fun and being silly with it more than taking it seriously

LINKS: main masterlist || sparrow masterlist

MARCUS HARGREEVES:

Ahh Marcus 😍

He's really just so... 🤩😍🤪🥰😚☺️😅😘☺️🤩

Yeah

Oh my gosh seriously, theres a reason he's number one and it's because he's the biggest dork

You knew a thing or two about putting up about three different kinds of walls until you could hardly recognize yourself, what with you basically being the Lila of the Sparrows

It's complicated how you met but also, not in the slightest

True, there was only one Handler and the only kid she ever "had" was Lila

But she wasn't your mother, she was your boss

One that you only ever met once or twice, but you can hardly remember it, it was so long ago

You were recruited by her, however, at a unusually young age annnndd long story short, you quit

Working for an organization out of time sounded cool, and was. For about 2 (non)minutes

Then it just got depressing and way WAY confusing and downright dangerous

It took so many (non)years to plan an escape and then another two or so to actually put it into action and escape

Nothing unusual, you were constantly jumping from year to year, place to place, never staying one place too long. (Kinda like couch surfing! Time surfing if you want to put it that way)

It went off without hitch, your little plan, and had been going fairly smooth for what you perceived as about four or five years

Then said "pitstop" in good ol' 2009

That's when your path collided with the Sparrows

And when it did, you crashed

No literally, there's a literal crash involved

It was definitely something that happened by total chance

And yeah, you could argue that's how most things are, but, hopefully you get what I mean

Like, it's crazy how you just happened to forget something when you left for your walk for work and decided you had time to go around the corner and get it. Crazy that you had just enough time to catch the next bus

And that next bus just so happened to be the one that got caught in the crossfires of a Sparrow vs Villain of The Week fight

Thankfully nobody was seriously hurt, but there were a great number of close calls

You being one of them

And you had Sloane Hargreeves to thank

In a spur of the moment as you were fleeing the bus with the rest of the crowd, she pulled you lot from across the street and out of harms way

When the fight had died out, the weirdo supervillain calling himself the Murder Magician was taken away (his sidekick, the assistant as well) And the Sparrows were swarmed with press and thankful citizens

You think, because of this, it'd be virtually impossible to get any face time with the famed sparrows, right?

Wrong

Again, it's crazy how you just so happened to be trying to make a beeline out of there (what? being on the run meant blending in, and you couldn't very well do that from here) when you ran into a very handsome wall

"Oh! My apologies, I didn't see you there"

Okay, so. Not a wall. Just a very tall, very handsome, and very very famous man you knew more about than you probably should thanks to your old job maintaining timeliness and such

You insisted you had to go, but wouldn't you know it, your little streak of luck wasn't over yet

That murder magician guy? Did I mention? He had a little something called a murderbot

Kind of makes sense now, I guess. Usually, supervillains aren't as cool with being caught unless they have another trick up their sleeve

So, kinda awkward, but

the thing kinda took ya hostage along with some other unlucky few in the crowd thanks to advantage it got witht he element of surprise and all

Marcus and the sparrows handled it fairly quickly but it was still upsetting!

Experiencing a bus crash, a murder magician, his murderbot and then two rescues all in one morning can take a lot out of you!

Marcus, having already ran into you and then letting you get kidnapped right in front of him immediately after, he felt kinda responsible for you. call him old fashioned (lol)

He asked multiple times if you were okay

He did not want to leave your side until he knew you were okay

He'd invite you back to the academy where Grace could check you over for potential injuries (concussion, internal bleeding, etc) and he could be certain you'd be getting good medical care

(even though EMTs are right the f there lmao)

He may be a dork but he's also a spoiled rich kid like his siblings lskd8v8

You, all the meanwhile, having a whole different timeline's worth of knowledge on him and his siblings thanks to your time at the commission (this excludes the kugelblitz since that was technically not supposed to happen... I think) felt like you were treading dangerous waters interacting with someone so famous in history

I kinda lost where this was going lol but I do know that after all that, it was a bit harder to say no to Marcus and the little soft side he started to show when he was getting worried

Cause you were definitely started to get a little dizzy and you definitely hit your head at some point in all that chaos

And a very handsome, very famous, very dorky, and very kind man was now very worried about you

Okay, so maybe you could be a little bit late to work

SPARROW!BEN HARGREEVES:

I finally understand the term poor little meow meow

He is a wet cat

Angry and petty and snippy

And inexplicably ruthless

You two would probably meet somewhere totally unexpected

Hold on let me think of it real quick

I guess I could see you working their PR or something, if that was even a thing for them (you being newer, and ofc around their age)

Idk I feel like, with Sparrow Ben, and how much of a little shit (affectionate) he is, I think it would be kinda hilarious and yet totally on brand for him to have a connection (good or bad) with someone who got paid to tell him what to do - ie, he thinks he doesn't need it and that it's the others that need to behave and rebrand themselves when he's like, right there

His promo poster was literally the Had To Do It To Em pose, you know I'm right about this

Not exactly the kind of image that's super great for, you know, a superhero

So yeah, he would have to listen, but he'd give a stink

And even a bigger one when you threw it right back

I'd think you'd have to have that kind of skill, at least to some degree, after working in such a field

Or maybe I'm just talking out of my ass

The point is, y'all would likely be bitter, but like, the kind that got comfortable after a while?? If that makes sense??

Either way, he's such a little shit and i just don't see an instance where you meet and it's perfect sunshine and rainbows right off the bat pfft

FEI HARGREEVES:

BIRD SANCTUARY!! BIRD SANCTUARY!! BIRD SANCTUARY!!

YOU WORK IN A BIRD SANCTUARY

You two are a match made in the cosmos and its sickening 🥰

Fei, like her aforementioned brothers, takes herself and the job pretty seriously

So it can be a bit rare for someone to see her in her true element

Or at least--

People who really know her

Her family

So, when a total stranger just comes along and just,,

✨️✨️✨️

Its really special

And what better than bonding over birds, and nerding out over birds?!

I feel like she wouldn't exactly shy away from whatever she may be feeling

But I also think she'd try to underplay it

Ya know, keep it cool and not make a huge deal

You know, it wasnt a huge deal that one day, on her day off, she decides to visit a reveried bird sanctuary just outside of town

And that, upon that visit, she happened to stumble upon you, unable to stop yourself from spewing bird facts and hey? Did this random visitor know about the loyalty of crows and all the limitless examples of humans befriending crows??

Well they did now

Oh no did she love your corny enthusiasm over birds - crows especially!!

She just couldn't help herself when she first overheard you and wanted a better view

Sure she spent her time communing with the birds around her, but a select few of crows--her crows--adopted a sudden interest in you and your info-dumping to unwilling visitors, flocking to you wherever you went

It wasn't unusual for birds to bond with caretakers but you didn't recognize these crows that now seemed to follow you everywhere, always keeping a polite distance and paying careful attention to anything you had to say

Soon enough, you were fully conversing with these crows, making sure they were comfortable wherever they might have come from

That pretty much sealed the deal for her

From then on, she knew she had to make herself known to you; introduce herself, commend your respect for her birds (and the others in the sanctuary)

Yall hit it off immediately, no surprise ajdkps

Oh she's also so fucking smooth adjsjs

Idk, shes just kinda sweeps you off your feet when she finally introduces herself to you, commending you for your respect to your birds (totally teasing you for how you, by extension and strictly technical terms, treated her through her birds) and is such a coy little fker who loves seeing you get all flustered

My god though, shes also so fucking soft and sweet and loyal when you earn her trust

Either friend or partner, she'll come across something she'll think you'll like and give it to you next time she sees you (ohh idk, like a crow)

Shes so fucking loyal and just so heart melting while also being the coolest, smallest fker ever and AHHH

I just love her

ALPHONSO HARGREEVES:

Jskapsoyc

He's so boyfriend shaped

I love him, I need to know more about him, and I'd love to say how you guys met was some miraculous coincidence that makes perfect sense like Fei, but honestly he just really strikes me as someone you just Bump Into, ya know?

He's a guy, and he's just around

Maybe you met in a convenience store

That feels like something that would happen (or maybe I'm just still thinking of his fight scene with Diego)

Oo! Honestly, some place like a bowling alley or arcade

He, like Marcus, is such a dork

But he holds himself as like, a, Cool Dork, ya know?

And it's not as hidden

It's not hidden at all, he's such a snarky pizza-eating, soda-chugging, quick-as-a-whip dork

He feels comfortable in public, for not all the right reasons

And he's easy to run into

He gets a lot of mistreatment by Sparrow fans, but his attitude is much like his power

Arguably, it's because of his powers

He's rubber, they're glue; what bounces off of him sticks to you

ie, he's so good at letting a bad attitude bounce off of him and stick to his attackers

And yeah, sometimes his walls are down and stuff gets to him when he isn't prepared, but overall he is sadly (and infuriatingly) used to it

He's not always the favorite among fans, is what I'm trying to get at

>:( fucking stupid if you ask me

But!!

Woah woah woah. Hold on...

Back up

Apparently he's... your favorite?

Lol okay, yeah, sure, you're totally not trying to be nice, he thinks (note the sarcasm)

Like I said, he's used to feeling the occasional tap on his shoulder -- like now, where he stands in line for some good ol' mediocre bowling alley hotdogs -- cause someone recognized him

He was, arguably, one of the more recognizable sparrows after all, behind Christopher obviously, so

Here we go, he thinks, turning around, hands lazing in his pockets and quite possibly the least enthusiastic look any living thing could conjure on his face

And just like anyone else, you stood waiting as he turned to face you, smiling in a way that was all too obvious you were trying to hide your excitement

"Hey," he nods

"Sorry," you laughed, but not in the usual way. More like an awkward chuckle that sounded nervous. That wasn't too unusual, either

"Sorry," you said again, burying your hand back inside your pocket like the other. "you probably get this all the time, pretty much everywhere"

He shrugged it off, not appearing too bothered by it

"No problem," he said, glancing back ahead to check the line. It still was pretty long; some issue with the deep fryer holding up the line, by the looks of it. He had time. He looked back at you, waiting indifferently for whatever to come. "What's up?"

Judging by the looks of it, you had already started backtracking the moment you got his attention. You were second guessing getting his attention. Cause figures

"Just a big fan," your hands were still in your pockets, fiddling and moving around visibly through the thin cotton, maroon zip-up sweatshirt

You had shrugged, and thats when he noticed your zip up was familiar; it was a piece of sparrow merch

An older one, judging by how worn it looked

The little sparrow insignia higher up on the left breast of the jacket was still there, but it was significantly faded, and the matching white rope laces dangling from the hood were fraying at the ends

He nods again, leaving the future of the conversation up to you

Wildly inconvenient for you, you thought, considering you hadn't exactly thought this far ahead. At least, if you had, you immediately forgot.

You said the first thing that came to mind, cause of course you did

"I loved the Sparrow comics when I was younger,"

Okay, yeah, you definitely regretted this. This was mortifying. Plain and simple.

Sadly, however, Alphonso saw this in your face and misconstrued the reasons for regret

He thought you were regretting talking to him when really you were just getting in your own head

You quickly assure him though, that, actually, he's your favorite and you think he's super cool and you've actually been a fan of his since yall were kids

He takes the information like any other fan interaction,

That is until it really clicks for him you're being totally serious and your enthusiasm is genuine and he kinda :o

Then he's such a suave little shit I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

Goes straight to his head, God bless <3

SLOANE HARGREEVES:

Love of my life, bane of my existence 🥰

She's perfect and such an inconvenience to me personally

I love her entirely <3

She's the sweetest of the sweet and sunshine in every sense of the word

Huh? Oh right!

How you met... *ahem* ☺️

Oh no biggie, she just uhh, saved your life is all

Okay okay, maybe not your literal life but she did save your morning shake which saved your morning which saved your ass from your boss

She was a blushing mess despite the grace of her powers and agility -- but it technically had been her fault

Sloane had been in such a rush, she unintentionally collided with you on one of the busier streets downtown

Totally cliche and a meet-cute right out of the movies

I honestly don't think I have much else to say about that, it was pretty straight forward and sweet (like her)

Admittedly you had been rattling around her head for a few days afterwards cause hey 👀👀👀 she can appreciate what's in front of her - and yet, she was kicking herself for not doing something about it

She held a lot of responsibility as a sparrow and part of her was afraid, not so much upholding the sparrow image, but disappointing her siblings

Sloane dreams of a having a life of her own, unsanctioned by her father and/or her brothers and sisters. She's been planning ahead for her inevitable exit, why had she chickened out with you??

Almost two weeks had passed since she ran into you and thirteen days since she talked herself into giving up on anything happening.

She had scolded herself, really, how foolish it was of her to think she could have something sweet and endearing with a very cute person like you

Sloane is a romantic in every sense, and this had merely been proof. How naive

And...

How naive of her to think she saw you standing out like a sore thumb in one of the sparrow crowds stationed outside for one of their outings

She had to do a double take when you gave her a shy wave, and she definitely had to make sure she wasn't making a fool of herself as she made her way over

You had sent her a grateful nod when she covertly steered you two out of the reach of cheering fans crowding around you trying to get to her and her siblings

Sloane may or may not have failed in her attemps to tamper down the corny smile that came with your being here

You looked almost, shy

"I thought you seemed familiar," you smiled, looking up over her shoulder at one of the many huge banners plastered on the academy. She followed your gaze over her shoulder and then quickly averted her gaze, not overly eager to see the sight

Were her cheeks always this sore?

JAYME HARGREEVES:

She was forged by the gays, for the gays

I love that trope where the sunny sunshine one is the grumpy grumps favorite

I feel like that could easily apply to her

But I also feel like it wouldn't be like that immediately, if at all

Not even soon

It would be a long process to get her there cause she's a sparrow after all, and being a sparrow means you come with an ego and stubbornness so strong it might as well be its own superpower

When she met you, she was irrationally and entirely furious

A big part of it was you kept cropping up everywhere

You delivered a pizza to her and Alphonso once upon a time and ever since, by total coincidence, you kept reappearing

She didn't believe it was accidental ofc

She thought you were some stalker

Meanwhile you were just as confused

It wasn't exactly love at first sight for you, either

Jayme was brash and short tempered, but when she was around you -- bumped into you on the street, out for a run in the park, whatever -- she was just plain cruel

And the thing is, she didn't know why

All you had done was the deliver the pizza, made light conversation with Alphonso and wished them both a good day before leaving

The fucking nerve of you

She's just crushing hard, actually

Nah, you're just annoying to her, that's totally it

She totally didn't think you were infuriatingly attractive, fun to be around or anything. And the display of dry humor she witnessed when you were chatting with her brother totally didn't anger her in a way she couldn't understand because she wasn't used to cute people saying stuff that she almost laughed at

But she didn't laugh. So there

She won, you lost

And you didn't even know it.

You simply thanked Alphonso for the early arrival tip, nodded a goodbye to both of them and then left

Just like that. No fan freak outs despite you knowing who they were, no autographs. Just a "thanks for saving the day" and a "let it cool for a few minutes, the pizza oven can get pretty hot and it was a short drive here"

That's it.

But that's just the thing.

That was never it.

There was always more, and Jayme wasn't buying it.

You were too calm, like you had been planning that meeting for ages

Maybe you were, even if that didn't make a damn lick of sense

Alphonso calls her out on her shit and he's the only one she really listens to even though she's not happy about it

On some level she knows she's being an asshole but it's kinda hard for her to help

Oh, real quick, by the way

If you're in the community and that's the context between you two for this preference, I don't mean to say she's acting like this cause of internalized homophobia or anything, she's just kind of an asshole skskxhcppff

This girl knows she's gay

Like Ben, she's more like a cat than a dog

She's cute, but she bites, and she's quick and really, she's just a total dick

It's also just kind of a Hargreeves thing, too to be fair

But, like cats, it's kind of, weirdly, part of their charm

She does make an effort though, after her talk with Alphonso, to be less... dickish

It works

Kind of

After a few practice runs

And lots of pizza orders later

But eventually, she's working her way up to answering the door and getting the pizzas from you with one goal in mind

Not making you storm away in rage

I mean, sure, part of the reason she gets so mad is cause you can actually keep up with her

It's never been this hard for her to get the last word in cause you actually can keep up with her and whatever she dishes out to you, you dish right back

In a way, she's kinda met her match

And that made things worse

But. You were still human and she was the one who was a literal super whose specialty was finding someone's weakness

(Actually Jayme sometimes worries she does that somehow without actually using her powers, so that was a big part of her wanting to be better ☹️)

And she's making mild progress!

It isn't until she's dialing the pizza place and working through her nerves as she does so that she realizes why she's so nervous

And then she throws the phone on the couch in embarrassment cause ew feelings

But one thing keepa her from giving up completely:

For whatever reason, you keep coming back

[song-linked-from-nine-verses]

The Eternal Loop (those four notes will never stop playing)

ao3 link

orr read below!

"There is no way you guys played an MMO with each other-" The Veteran says in disbelief. "Anything else I don't know?"

"We all ended up in a group Discord," Warriors says, then starts to count, "there was me, I mained the bass player in the game so I was the coolest, Midna, who mained the guitar so not as cool as me, Ravio, Marin-"

"Wait, what!? You knew Marin?" The Vet slams the table. "Ravio, why did you never tell me about this?"

"You never brought it up!"

"I don't think it was that important to bring up. It was an insignificant time for all of us anyway. Besides, he never chats or anything… and AFKs the whole time- only coming back for the rewards collection." Warriors says.

"What kind of Dad Lore is this?" Veteran starts throwing his hands.

"Oh yea, there was this guy named Mask as well. He had a voice-changer if he could join VC, and we all thought he was ten, also, he was a massive asshole!" Warriors lets out a chuckle. Knowing how 'Mask' is doing, they wouldn't believe it even if they saw it with their own two eyes. 

"Anywho- Why are you here Ravio? I swear, you haunt me like a ghost." The Vet says. 

"What do you mean? I work here!"

"Uncle???" The Vet yells upstairs. "WHY DID YOU HIRE HIM???"

"WHAT?" his uncle yelled back.

"WHY DID YOU HIRE RAVIO??"

"HUH???"

"WHY D- you know what, NEVER MIND! Let's just start cleaning-" 

— —

Ravio learned two things: a. An old friend of his is starting a band, and b. Another, older friend of his is also going into a band. 

What's with people and music nowadays? Those things barely make money.

And they are both helping eachother sweep the music venue. The two work well together, despite the bickering.

Both of them are hiding their identity with each other. Another reason to not be in a band, in Ravio's honest opinion. You'd think a small town would mean there would be no reason to hide your face to avoid 'fandoms' or what not, but you'd be wrong. Ravio picks up a stack of boxes, which kinda tips over and he almost slips. Gossip goes around like a minish who knows how to fly, and if you ever suck then the whole town knows. Or if you're too good, the town will annoy you to death. Ouch, those boxes were heavy. He'd rather sell gossip than be a part of one.

To be fair, no one actually tried to be in a band since 'last time', so who knows how people will react now. It's just a stupid superstition, and he thinks nothing would really happen if their identities are revealed, though Ravio won't sell his friends' information for money. It is super tempting, however.

On the other hand, Warriors is lying. Ravio made a bet to himself that his old friend is lying.

– 

Ravio remembers when the servers of Dynasty: Club Instruments of the Night closed down, the entire Discord group went on the game for one last time. It closed at midnight, and the hour that led up to that, everyone pulled out their main and played their instruments. 

If you have never played, this game had a fully fleshed instrument system, if you mapped it to all the keys on your keyboard. Console might have had a little less notes, but was basically still functional. 

Video games are amazing. It was the best virtual jam session ever, especially when you're friends with people who could play.

To be fair, other than his own crew, the rest of the people made wildly horrible tunes and it felt like a spam session of people button smashing.

Thirty minutes before closing, a few of his gang had to leave. But not after one last song.

Warriors typed in the chat: "I don't want to say goodbye yet."

He asked if they could play "kiitos". It's a song where he starts with a four note loop, and all the other instruments will start layering each other. Most of them just followed Warriors to know when the loop ends, although there were times he accidentally forgot to continue the next verse.

One. Two. Three. Four. Warriors started out lonely.

One. Two. Three. Four. One by one, each person started blending in with their own instruments.

One. Two. Three. Four. One last time before the loop ends.. wait-

One. Two. Three. Four. Ravio typed in the chat, despite never talking in game: "Warriors, you forgot to end the loop"

One. Two. Three. Four. He didn't play the next part, and kept looping those four notes instead.

One. Two. Three. Four. Midna typed in the chat: "pretty boy, you're trying to keep us here forever"

One. Two. Three. Four. Medli typed in the chat: "hey, we will talk in discord! this is not goodbye forever! ^>^"

One. Two. Three. Four. Darunia typed in the chat: "Big Guy, I Don't Know if I could keep this up, the buttons on my keys are getting Jammed"

One. Two. Three. Four. Marin typed in the chat: "I hope we can keep hanging out forever. I hope we will never go out of touch. I love that this game brought us all together"

One. Two. Three. Four. Ruto typed in the chat: "Marin you're going to make me cry"

One. Two. Three. Four. Mask typed in the chat: "no one cry or i will have to cry as well"

One. One. One. One. Warriors suddenly stopped playing. He typed in the chat: "im- already crying." 

And the next part of the song began.

Whoever told us that this game was nothing but time-wasting, that our time in this game is insignificant, must be an idiot who is lying, Warriors once told Ravio as such.

___ ___ ___

Warriors realizes that Ravio has been staring at him the whole day. Suspiciously staring, even. But everytime he tries to ask about it, the Vet needs Ravio for something else. So the moment they're asked to clean the storage room (it can only fit two people at best), Warriors immediately volunteers.

"My my, I thought I was the master liar around here." Ravio starts whispering as the Vet is outside of ear shot.

Warriors rolls his eyes as he sweeps out all the dust. Is this what it's all about? "Don't you dare tell him you know what I look like, or what my real name is. This town is small enough."

"That's not the only thing you lied about," Ravio seems to mumble behind the ice boxes, but before Warriors could ask, he quickly says, "but! What if I just give you a picture of his instead? For a fair price of course!" 

Warriors stares right back into Ravio's eyes, barely peeking from the boxes. That's such a valuable offer - but - does he want to know who exactly the other guy is? While still keeping his own face a secret?

"Your pick Mr. Bass Hero Sir! But I bet bassists don't pick." 

—- —- —-

"Ravio, whatever you sold him, I hope you ripped him off." Legend says once he is sure the Captain can't listen.

"Ho, it depends on what you deem a rip off. Fifty rupees for a can of Lon Lon is very much valid in my opinion. But I did try to offer interesting pics of yours-"

"Ravio for the last time, do not sell my apple tree pictures and call them 'interesting pics of mine'." Legend pinches the bridge of his nose. "Did you actually offer him that-"

"At least he didn't buy any!"

"I wonder if we can make 'Timeline Breakers' lose all their slots for the stage?" Legend asked.

"No can do, I only answer to the owner." Ravio says. "But you can totally bribe me!"

"I am the owner!" Legend says as he pretends to takes out his wallet. "How much?"

>

>

>

Extras:

___

There was a time when nothing mattered more playing online with his friends. Warriors' entire life before that was dull, he made acquaintances, not friends. He was a nobody, walking through life like a rock floating through a river.

It's strange how much a year can change someone.

Before that, they were faceless people, just words on a screen. Ravio would always say he knew everyone's faces though… 

Sometimes, Warriors wonders what would happen if all those people never logged onto the game.

He can still see his old friends in his current enemies, ironically enough. The Rancher's way of playing reminds him of Midna, despite playing different types of guitar. Sailor's tunes remind him of the songs Medli used to hum during lobbying. The Vet, well, he adorns his clothes with hibiscus. 

Funny how sometimes your friends can almost reincarnate, but they turn into your rivals instead.

Warriors might even say that makes him hate them even more. For reminding him of his old comrades. He doesn't want nostalgia right now. Maybe another day, but not today. Today is for work, and he will pretend none of that happened, just for one day. 

He wishes that had never stopped playing those four notes. Just to keep them there for a tiny, tiny bit longer.

Sometimes, he wonders what would happen if all of them still kept in touch. 

—- —- —-

--- /dear Origami JP, I hope you don't mind that I took inspiration of one of your videos to write this chapter. anyways love your music

[mephinomaly]

[TL] BIOHAZARD/Chapter 3

[ This post uses Ois~su ♪ ]

Time: The next day

Location: At 'AIIE', the fourth experiment facility, known as "CRADLE"

Tomoya: “Welcome! To the AIIE project’s fourth experiment facility, also known as CRADLE!”

Hajime: “Fufu, we are your Guide Robots, and we will be showing you around ♪”[1]

Koga: Huhh? Don’t suddenly start spewin’ nonsense terms, this ain’t a sci-fi movie ya know?

More importantly. What the hell you doin’ here, Ra*bits?

Tomoya: “Ah, we aren’t Ra*bits!”

Hajime: “We have been created for the AIIE project, or more specifically, we are AI idols!”

Koga: ...? ...?

Adonis: Are you really— are you really not Mashiro and Shino? Or are you just playing a part?

Tomoya: “Yep, we aren’t real!”

Hajime: “We have no affiliation with any real person or organisation!”

Koga: No connection, huh… Is that okay? Did you get permission from the real people t’do this?

Rei: Fumu. This isn’t meant to be me playing the old man character, I’m honestly just commenting plainly but - technology has advanced in leaps and bounds. Honestly, I really can’t keep up.

So these Mashiro-kun and Shino-kun lookalikes are rather peculiar. I suppose this beautiful scenery we’re seeing is also an illusion?

Kaoru: I feel like we're being conned. This place is supposed to be indoors, yet opening this ‘door’ reveals a gorgeous view with the sun shining brightly in the sky.

Adonis: This is what is called VR, or virtual reality. Via the contact lenses fitted in our eyes, we can see a reality that doesn’t actually exist.

Since we don’t know exactly where the walls and boundaries are, it's best if we do not move around too much.

Rei: Ah, ouchie!? I hit my head!

Kaoru: You alright, old man~...?

Rei: Mhm… From the outside, this building looked rather spacious but the reality is that it’s probably only the size of a school gymnasium.

As Adonis-kun quite rightly said, we should keep jumping and skipping around to a minimum.

Koga: You guys have bigger bodies than me so watch yourselves, alright?

Kaoru: Fufu. That’s why if you line us all up, Koga-kun’s only a wee little thing. The fans love it, they’re like “ooooh he’s so cute.”

Koga: HaaA? It might make you feel happy, but it don’t me. Feels like I’m bein’ made fun of, it’s uncomfortable.

You enjoy playin’ around with other people’s inferiority complexes for fun, dontcha?

Rei: Kukuku. What’s more important, we weren’t called out here to stand around, but what is it that we’re supposed to be doing?

The fact that we have answered our agency about this AIIE thingamabob is wonderful, but they still haven’t explained anything to us in any great amount of detail.

Hajime: “We will explain!”

Tomoya: “That’s what we’re here for!”

“The AIIE project, as the name suggests, is a project to ‘manufacture’ idols!”

Koga: This smells super fishy.

Rei: This is the kind of thing Tenshouin-kun would enjoy.

Though that is mere speculation. He’s probably taking advantage of this by being a sponsor of some sort.

Kaoru: Well, isn’t that kinda better than being involved in a shady private business’ experiment that you know nothing about?

Rei: I suppose so… Anyhow, I’m struggling to understand. What is an artificial idol? What does it do?

Hajime: “We can answer that!”

Tomoya: “We are your Guide Robots, and that’s our job!”

Rei: Well, as you’re not the real Ra*bits, I can take a guess as to what artificial idols do–

Hajime: “Yes. As we mentioned earlier, we are artificial idols created for the AIIE project.”

Tomoya: “To give a brief explanation, we are idols created in the image of real idols, copies so to speak.”

Hajime: “This involves copying the physical aspects of pre-existing idols and pasting them onto robots, and, using AI, we can replicate accurate speech patterns and behaviour.”

Tomoya: “So at a glance, we are the exact same as the real idols.”

Hajime: “Although with the current technology, it is not possible to create exact copies, therefore the result will be similar but not perfect.”

Tomoya: “With your cooperation, we can continue to experiment and improve our technology until we can even copy your fans.”

“—Soon, we will be able to create perfect replicas of your parents and siblings!”

[ ☆ ]

these 'versions' of tomoya and hajime speak in keigo, which is fancy fancy speak. it's what ibara speaks in, though unrelated to ibara. just an example!

Chapter 2

Chapter 4

[sokai-asuki]

Lance Relationship with MMJ and their VS

More More Jump with Lance:

Minori —> Lance: "Lance is good actor and sometimes most of his practice performance that we see usually does ends up being dramatic. I guess that is part of the performance then!"

Haruka —> Lance: "Sometimes, most of his performance is too dramatic for me but I guess, we shouldn't judge what shows on front. Nevertheless, Mr. Richmond does teach us a bit of acting."

Airi —> Lance: "Even though I know his an actor, sometimes the smile he show didn't even reach his eyes... He is an actor but is he?"

Shizuku —> Lance: "He seems more confident and charismatic, I think if my agency ever met a guy like Mr. Richmond, they would hired him on spot to be a model. I've told that to him, he just smile and pat my head, saying he isn't too cut out to be a model."

Lance with More More Jump:

Lance —> Minori: "I must say, nothing will ever cease to amaze me with how upbeat and determine Miss Hanasato are. With her being like this, the fans love for her will increase. As an idol, you do have to be upbeat and have a charisma after all."

Lance —> Haruka: "A former idol becoming an idol again, huh? Not something well known of but kinda sweet if I imagine it now. With Haruka experience as an idol, I guess she can give a few tips to her friends about being an idol. I swear, why is it always the blue one that seems too hardworking..."

Lance —> Airi: "She seems such an energetic young lady, reminds me of Macy. She's the one who have coach Miss Hanasato to do the dance for Miss Kiritani before. But sometimes, I always hear her mumbling to herself, she having a doubt... She is an idol and will be an idol..."

Lance —> Shizuku: "Ah, the sweet young lady she is, but as such, too sweet for this world. To cut it short, an airhead... I don't really mean it in a mean way but she really is... Ah, I seem to have lost in word to describe Miss Hinomori..."

MMJ Virtual Singer with Lance:

Miku —> Lance: "An actor to an idol? That was something I didn't expect at all! Lance seems to be so passion about his acting career and yet, he seems a little distraught... He says acting is his passion and joy but, why does he always frown when he arrive to practice?"

Rin —> Lance: "Lance is like a big brother to me and Len! When we had a break, we always watch his acting practice while the others are on stage! Lance can be a bit too, jerk, sometimes, but he means well if you know him!"

Luka —> Lance: "I have to say it was a surprise to me that an actor is also an idol. Though Lance try to refuse that he is not going to be an idol, there is no way for someone like him to refuse the chance! He can be an actor and an idol! What could go wrong?"

MEIKO —> Lance: "An actor and an idol at the same time! It's really sound interesting. Lance may seem ignorant to most things, but he always makes sure he says the right thing to someone!"

Len —> Lance: "Another boy idol in the group! Other than KAITO, Lance is like a big brother to me and Rin. He did say he have a younger sister. Though, Lance seems to be the one who started the problem but at the same time, he did try to resolve his problem."

KAITO —> Lance: "An actor and an idol! That's amazing and terrific! I can't even wait to set up a stage for More More Jump! They're show must be top notch! I can't let an of them down! This is gonna be so good!"

Lance with MMJ Virtual Singer:

Lance —> Miku: "An idol with lots of shine and upbeat for her fans. She seems more mature than anyone think and yet, she try to be an upbeat idol she is to help her fans. What a perfect idol she is..."

Lance —> Rin: "Young lady Kagamine seems to be admire about my acting performance. Of course! I won't let her down! My acting career had always been my passion and I can't let anyone get in the way of it, no one is going to stop me..."

Lance —> Luka: "I have to admit, out of all the Vocaloid, Miss Megurine seems to be the only person I get along with. Despite our difference, we did have a playful personality, that's what lady Kagamine said. She seems gentle rather playful if you ask me."

Lance —> MEIKO: "She seems more social and very easy to have a conversation with. I must say, that's a good thing an idol should have. Interacting with a fans can help to show the fans that they don't need to feel afraid when meeting their idol."

Lance —> Len: "A boy idol that full of surprises! Hah! He reminds me of Robin, but as an idol. He seems to love leaving small object on the stage huh? That explains most of the object I found on stage..."

Lance —> KAITO: "A manager AND an idol? Now people say mine is very weird... He is very happy with working at the backstage and helping everyone with they're performance. The others did say because of him setting up the backstage, he forgot to perform on stage... Truly an idol who forgot they're an idol..."

[mx-mongoose]

ROTTMNT characters if they were in 2012

Casey Junior 💀🏒

- So its the future timeline. Casey and April are still alive, Donnie hasn’t turned himself into a robot yet. All of them in their early 20s. Raph still has amnesia though.

- Its hard to say it Casey senior is thriving or not. Like he’s definitely vibing with Mad Max thing going on, but he does mask (no pun intended) a lot of his emotions behind his arrogant persona. He really misses his little sister. He misses playing Hockey too but with how dry it is its virtually impossible.

- He found Junior in a dumpster while scavenging for food. The baby was injured and malnourished like its been sitting there for a while. Casey took the baby back to the ShellRaiser.

—

“Casey, what is that?” Raphael pointed at Casey’s cape, which was wrapped up like a swaddle and was crying.

“Guys I can explain-“ He croaked but was immediately cut off.

“CASEY, IS THAT A BABY?!” April shrieked, rushing over and peering over Casey’s arms.

The baby had scraggly black hair prickling from his head and had minor injuries all over him. His face was boney though when it was supposed to be brimming with plump and fat. He was wailing like mad and grabbing at nothing.

“No, it's a dog I found,” Casey quipped mirthlessly

“I’ll go find if there’s anything they can eat!” April was on it as she rushed to the small pantry they had.

“Oh my god, out of the most boneheaded decisions you’ve ever made this takes the cake, Jones,” Donnie exclaimed, gesturing towards the baby.

“Can babies have regular milk, Red?” Casey ignored Donnie’s insult and hovered over April who was pushing way canned rations.

“No, but the milk grew some mold anyway,” April shook her head, not breaking focus.

“Do gas stations have formula?” Casey asked, quick and stern. Moreso than he's ever been in a while

“Dude, the baby is gonna die anyways! Its a liability,” Donnie stated, pinching the bridge of his beak. “We barely have enough food for our-“

“SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR ONCE, DON,” Casey screamed at purple masked turtle, his voice making the baby sob louder if that was even possible. Venom spit from his voice and hugged the baby to his chest.

“What do you want me to?! Throw it out the window!” He continued to retort.

“Maybe if it means we won’t starve to death!”

“The dude won’t even eat the same food as us, he just needs milk!”

“And when it needs to eat the same food as us?!”

“Its gonna eat smaller portions as us anyways!”

“Raph, say something!” Donnie demands, quickly averted his gaze towards his big brother. He was sitting in the drivers seat in deep thought, gripping the steering wheel and staring at nothing.

Casey pushed away Donnie and towards his best friend. “Raph, please. I can’t let the little guy die. If there’s even just the smallest chance I can save him,” He pleaded. Casey Jones never pleaded or begged, he got what he wanted and would never take no for an answer. But this time he was desperate.

“Please, dude,” It came out as a raspy whisper, holding out even the tiniest bit of hope.

Raphael groaned before looking back towards the baby and then Casey, “You’re really serious about this kid huh, Jones?”

“You’d know if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here,”

Raphael stared at Casey for a long time. He couldn’t tell if the Terrapin was looking for something, tired or both but eventually it ended with a dry-

“There should be some abandoned daycares nearby, if we book it then we’ll get to one of them in five,”

A thankful smile grew on Casey’s face and sighed in relief. The exasperated squawks of Donatello going in one ear and out the other.

—

- The ragtag group tried their best with Junior. Donnie installed a crib connected to the wall, they usually gave the soup and soft foods to Junior, took turns staying up with him, you’d be surprised how much stuff you can substitute for baby diapers.

- They came up with Casey Junior because Casey decided on it and wouldn't budge. Claiming "He's named after the strongest and badass warrior I know,

Junior actually gave all of them their titles once he learned how to speak.

Casey is dad

Raphael is Raphie

Donnie is Don-Don

April is just April and she was so salty about it.

Despite being raised by literal warriors and vigilantes, in nature he was a pretty gentle and docile kid. Sure he knew when to defend himself the time called for it, but overall a good kid to say the least. (Also still a total fanboy, constantly wanting to hear stories from before and his family's adventures when they were young)

He still has his Hockey Stick chainsaw but it was originally Casey's before he passed. Its less advanced and quality as Rise's but it still gets the job done. Casey's mask was passed down as well

I'd say the main difference between him and Rise is that he's a lot less formal and regulated. Instead of growing up in the resistance, he was just adopted by a ragtag team of nomads. He's less like a soldier and more of a kid just trying to figure himself out while growing up in a post-war earth. He knows how to survive and knows battle techniques but not to the capacity as Rise. He's a lot looser with his stratagies if that makes sense.

Once they found Mikey and Leo, GOD was Junior just gawking and fanboying all over the place. Leo and Mikey were just stunned Casey had a kid and he's still alive. Though they were hurt to hear about his and April's passing

Debating if I should a part 2 about if he was sent back in time too

[yellowhollyhock]

Rise Angelo: RISE AND SHINE Y’ALL AND DON’T YOU BE CLOWNIN. WE ARE OFFICIALLY OFF OF DEFLECTION AND WE GON’ TALK ABOUT OUR FEELINGS TODAY

IDW Michel: Thank you for getting us together, Dr. Feelings. I move we start with our relationships with Splinter.

Rise Angelo: How dare you betray me like this if you ever bring that up again you’ll have Dr. Delicate Touch to deal with. WE’RE BACK TO CLOWNIN Y’ALL

87 Michelangelo: Man, therapy with yourself is nothing like I expected.

03 Mikey: At least the snacks are good

12 Mikester, ate all the snacks:

03 Mikey: You gotta teach me how to talk to pigeons! Please please please please

12 Mikester: I asked first! I’ll teach you my water balloon tricks.

03 Mikey: I’ll give you my comic book collection!

12 Mikester: I’ll share the secrets of Dimension X!

03 Mikey: I’ll help you unlock your dragon avatar!!

12 Mikester: I!! Will make you!! Pizza!!!

87 Michelangelo: Hey relax dudes, it’s free of charge. First you say hello, real polite like—Hey Little Fella. Now you guys try.

Rise Angelo: Huh, I didn’t know pigeons spoke English.

IDW Michel: You’ve never met a pigeon who speaks English? You need to get out more.

12 Mikester just finished telling them about Turflytle

03 Mikey: We could make our own little superhero team! With our own comic book series! This is our origin story!

12 Mikester: Yeah that’s epic yo! Turtle Titan and Turflytle—oh oh Dr. Delicate Touch could be on it! Buzz buzz

Rise Angelo: Omigosh I heart that idea! Although, I always secretly thought of him more like a supervillain

03 Mikey: Well don’t spoil the ending!

Rise Angelo just won their daily skateboarding competition

Rise Angelo: All-Time Champ of the Mikeys, baby!!

03 Mikey: Every time you win we never hear the end of it 😑

1987: Ahem

03 Mikey: What??

12 Mikester: Oh, it’s nothing… Battle Nexus Champion

03 Mikey: … Oh, right. Great job Angelo! heh

IDW Michel: More fairy lights!!

12 Mikester: More blankets!!

03 Mikey: More game options!!

Rise Angelo: More snacks!!

87 Michelangelo watching the blanket fort spill into the whole of the lair: Uh, fellas, I think maybe we can stop building and start chillaxing

Rise Angelo: Aw, but I didn’t even get Donnie to add robot assistants yet ☹️

12 Mikester: We can’t do it without the robot assistants 🥺

87 Michelangelo:

87: You know what, while you’re asking him, I’ll see if my Donatello can make time and space work a little better for us. Maybe we could have an entire blanket fort dimension, or like a virtual reality or something.

12 Mikester: You’re a really good cook, Angelo!

Rise Angelo: Thanks! I watch a lot of cooking shows ☺️

87 Michelangelo: Ever thought about starting your own?

03 Mikey: We would be unstoppable if we could appear on TV.

Rise Angelo: You know, I’ve thought about it, but I think I need to finish my law degree first, I really didn’t understand the contracts

87 Michelangelo: Oh yeah, I totally vibe with that, amigo

12, 03, and IDW:

Rise Angelo: And then, they still showed up after I told them I had it under control! I literally had it in my hand! I was literally about to leave!

12 Mikester: Bruh I feel you, I’m the one who found the cure for Donnie’s brainworm, not to mention invented Ice Cream Kitty, and I’m still not allowed in the lab without supervision

03 Mikey: Yeah my bros still make fun of the Turtle Titan. I’m a literal superhero but to them I’m still a baby

IDW Michel nudging Michelangelo to fix it

87 Michelangelo: Hey, cheer up microdudes—

Rise, 12, and 03: What. Did you call us.

87: Michelangelo: Uh, microdudes? It’s just like, a phrase I like to use—

IDW Michel: MichelaNGELO RUN

[badpostureart]

Message in a Bottle (pt. 1)

For anon, who asked my thoughts about secondary characters in Free!

Without Gou working her magic in the background, none of the conflict of season one could have been resolved. She became the Iwatobi swim club’s manager (primarily) because she wanted to reunite her brother with his old friends and hoped that in doing so, he’d start smiling and opening up again. Despite having no sports background and never having put a training regimen together before, Gou improvised with the resources she could find and did the proper fieldwork. All this is to say that she took her managerial responsibilities seriously for Iwatobi’s sake as well as for Rin. She’s earnest and hardworking (albeit a wee bit too ambitious where muscles are concerned) and made a great coach despite her inexperience. She’s a great sister to Rin who she never stopped reaching out to even when he neglects to answer. I do really wish we got to learn what Gou’s secret plans for the future were though! How’re you just going to tease a secret and then not tell me?!

Kisumi serves an interesting function in the series because he doesn’t swim and yet he’s in the loop about what virtually everyone else is up to. He’s a bit of a smartass, often trying to get a rise out of Asahi (by making fun of him) and Haru (by being in the vicinity), but he’s a good guy as well as a reliable source of information. As something of an outsider, Kisumi has also said things I was thinking while watching the show in real-time. For example, in Dive to the Future when Makoto is to race Hiyori for the “right” to be Ikuya’s friend, Kisumi says, “Is there really a point to this? Isn’t it kinda childish to bet things in contests like this? I don’t get it.” Indeed, although Kisumi is right that it’s really fucking juvenile to race for the “right” to be someone’s friend, swimming is like its own language to these guys, so Makoto will learn something important about Hiyori if they compete—and frankly, so will we, so I’m glad Kisumi asked!

I wasn’t terribly fond of Sousuke at first because of his hostility towards Haru and his bad attitude more generally. Instead of using the word “reminiscing” when thinking about his childhood in season two, he says he’s recalling “phantoms of the past.” Like, you wanna lighten up a little there? Sheesh! You could almost see the dark cloud hanging over his head! And while I can totally understand wanting to protect his friend, it still isn’t his place to tell Haru to stay out of Rin’s way or to say having Rin participate in Iwatobi’s disqualifying relay in season one was “idiotic.” Over time, however, we see Sousuke soften up in his interactions with others. He comes to appreciate the value of swimming together instead of soloing and he spends a good deal of time mentoring his juniors. It was lovely to see his recovery over the course of the series and how he came to accept that although his timeline may look different than others, there’s nothing wrong with doing things at his own pace.

My first notes about Ai were that he was “an insecure first-year,” and that I didn’t know for sure what stroke he swam. He reminded me of a remora with the way he followed Rin around. Of course, I couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor kid because his encouragement fell on deaf ears and most of his attempts to reach out were dismissed—what with Rin often refusing to dignify him with any answers to his questions. It was good to see Ai gain confidence in himself over time though! Leadership looks good on him. I also appreciate that despite his ability to plan itineraries down to the minute, his living space is in a constant state of disarray. (Though, I still can’t fathom what would compel a person to bring their umbilical cord with them to boarding school…or anywhere for that matter!) He’s a bit of a disaster, and maybe a bit too earnest for his own good, but he’s a nice kid through and through.

Momo is a joy. He may not be the smartest and may not have much of an attention span, but his enthusiasm is unmatched. The kid scores a 7 on a test and instead of thinking anything remotely negative or self-deprecating, he instead believes the number is a sign of good luck. What a joyful way to move about the world! He’s equally unapologetic about the things he likes (which include but are not limited to stag beetles, capibaras, Gou, hot springs, and Dangerous Ookuchin Hosoeson-kun, among other things), and remains a good sport in the face of defeat. I don’t think there’s a negative bone in his body. He’s “joie de vivre” incarnate!  

Much like his little brother, Seijuuro is boisterous and kind of dumb, but he has a heart of gold. Initially, he maintained a pretty cutthroat swimming culture at Samezuka, saying that “the past doesn’t matter. Performance is what counts here. The fastest swimmer wins. That’s all there is to it.” But by the time he enters university, he says instead that “there are many ways to get stronger! Past teammates and friendships can contribute to your strength in the present. There are lots of things that are important besides just practising.” For a meathead, he can be awfully wise, huh? He also doesn’t use a swim cap at all for some reason…but to be fair, most (if not all) of the other characters that do use one wear the damn thing incorrectly anyway. And I’m sure it’s to help us at home distinguish who’s who more easily, but that’s why you give them all different jammers and goggles tinted in different colours!

Isuzu is undoubtedly the coolest of her siblings, though I would have liked to see more of her to get to know her better! She compliments Haru on his triceps the first time they meet, which were what Gou had described as his charm point in high school—meaning that Isuzu and Gou are something of muscle-fanatic soulmates. The two of them proceed to induct Ayumu into the muscle cult and I’m frankly left sitting here waiting for my invite! Sure, I can’t confidently identify biceps from triceps or quadriceps from…hamstrings(?), but I promise I have the spirit!  

Nao is refreshingly no-nonsense and calls it as he sees it. Wise beyond his years, Nao’s advice is always astute and pertinent. He’s someone I’d look up to if I ever got to meet him. I just think he’s really cool! His adeptness at observation made him a hell of a coach even back in middle school and he’s only gotten better at it as he’s gotten older. And maybe I’m a wee bit biased because he’s said some of the things I’d like to say to other characters, but that’s neither here nor there.

Asahi is another goofball. He likes to show off and talk about how great he is, he’s highly reactive, and also an idiot. It’s quite easy to get under his skin and get him riled up if he feels like he’s being made fun of, hence his need to boast. His plight in Starting Days was one of the most baffling in the entire series: he “forgot” how to swim the front crawl. I’m not sure that’s something a person can forget to do, but that’s probably because it wasn’t that he actually forgot, he just lacked the courage to try out of a fear of looking silly/not being the best. Frankly, that’s something a lot of people can relate to, me included! His willingness to look inward (instead of continuing to blame Haru) is perhaps what I appreciate the most about Asahi. He took accountability and was able to grow as a character. It was also really sweet to see that as a young adult, he still says positive words of affirmation to himself in the mirror! While it may feel silly, it’s important to treat oneself with kindness regardless of if one feels they’re actually the best or not!

Mikhail, while a bit out of the loop concerning whatever’s cool with the youth these days, is a delight. He gives helpful advice (saying cute things like “having a lot of baggage is what makes life richer! [Even if] sometimes that baggage weighs you down too,”) and understands that sometimes what a person needs isn’t to be told what they did wrong and could instead benefit from some time to hurt. Meanwhile, Ryuuji tears into Rin and Ikuya’s performances at Sydney’s prelims to Haru—deliberately singling out the people he knows are important to him even though they swim different strokes—dismisses hard work that doesn’t yield the desired results, and then he sends Haru to bed saying, “all that matters is how you do in free tomorrow.” I’m not even supposed to be talking about Ryuuji yet and here I am getting pissed off at him in advance! Mikhail, in contrast, is kind in that he gives Rin the space to figure things out for himself while offering his support in the meantime. I also find it incredibly amusing to imagine Ai and Mikhail corresponding back and forth about how well-built Rin is—they couldn’t not have, right?

[pof203]

A Summoner Birthday

Previous post: https://pof203.tumblr.com/post/727506377780625409/a-summoner-birthday

Story (Chapter 12 Part 4 (After Battle Part 1))

After a long and vigorous battle, you finally manage to defeat the Fisher King and his angels.

FLASH

You have done it. You have given this story the happy ending that it needed. I am sorry. I have caused you so much trouble.

It's not your fault. You were just having a bad dream. But we woke you up. Now there's nothing ahead of you except a brand new day.

The Fisher King: I know. Thank you, all.

Even though this Fisher King is actually a glitch, it still behaves like an Exception. And like all Exceptions, it can only disappears when a hierarchy is established. The Fisher King lowers his hand to you... You kiss it. Then, the Fisher King was gone. Suddenly, the stone that your sword raises to show... a computer terminal.

There it is. Kurogane, are you ready on your end?

Kurogane's Voice: I'm ready, Boogeyman.

Boogeyman goes to the terminal. He types a few things and finally hits enter. When he does, everything goes dark for a about a minute. Then... It becomes light again.

Computer Voice: System Reboot: COMPLETE. All Real World Access: RESTORED.

WE DID IT! We can leave the virtual world now!

Well done, everyone. We worked together and we accomplished our goals.

Yeah. Now we can go home. I can't wait to get to-

Shiro: (sternly) Kengo!

Kengo: (surprised) Oops! Almost spoiled it.

Spoiled what?

You will know soon enough. Now, let us be off.

With that, Toji, the rest of your Guild, and all your friends disappear, returning to the real world... Except for you, Wakan Tanka, Oniwaka, Taurus Mask, and Zabaniyya.

Boogeyman: Aren't you coming?

Lupin: We'll be out a little later.

Yes, you go on, My Boogeyman.

Boogeyman: Alright. But don't stay too long. We don't want anyone to worry.

Boogeyman returns to the terminal... Yet, he stays a little longer to hear.

What is it, Lupin? Is something wrong?

Lupin: It's about what I said... I really meant it when I said you can join the Summoners. Having you guys around will make everyone so happy. Me, especially. I love you all. I know the App says I can only love one person back at a time, but I don't care. I love you all. All those times you went away, I was scared. My Wakan, when you became a World Representative, I felt like something inside me just falling silent. Almost like I couldn't believe it.

Wakan Tanka: (looking down, but hopeful) I know. I'm sorry I scared you. You must have been really unhappy.

Lupin: The same with you, Zabaniyya. When I first laid eyes on Israfil, I was worried that you might be gone and might never come back. When will we ever find another angel like you?

Zabaniyya: I'm sure there are plenty of others, but I'm glad to hear that from you.

Lupin: Oniwaka, when you disappeared after what happened with that Exception at the Berserkers' Arena, I was afraid you went to place I couldn't reach you. But it was a relief when I met you on the mountains with Zao.

To be honest, I was afraid myself. Because I just met you and I already liked you. I didn't show it then because my loyalty to my Guild. But after what happened on the mountains, I now know how important you are to me.

Lupin: Taurus Mask, Daisuke, when we met again and you didn't remember me because of what Alice did to your memories, I actually felt pain in my chest. I was sure you didn't care about me.

But in time, I did remember you. You're my soul brother, no matter what a little girl and her magical stuffed rabbit say. You will always be in my heart and that will never change. And if you love me more than a brother... It just makes my heart glow.

Wakan Tanka: The other me is happy, too. Happy that you love us no matter what happens.

Zabaniyya: So dose Israfil. Maybe the next song he composes will ensure that even after the end, love will live on.

Lupin: Thank you, all. I... (begins tearing up) I love you.

All of Them: And we love you.

You go to Wakan Tanka and your lips meet. You feel a great energy as this mean you are kiss his other self, as well. Then, you go to Oniwaka and you kiss on the lips as well. You feel how strong he is, not from being an ogre, but from being him. You move on to Daisuke and your lips also lock in. You can tell just how passionate he is about all of this. Finally, you go to Zabaniyya and you also land your lips on his. You can feel how hot they are. Then, they turned wet as the angel inside him is also sharing this kiss. Then, the four people you love kiss each other to show that the love they they have for you, they also have for each other.

From the terminal, Boogeyman was watching. He remembers that you and him used to date. But you broke up because Boogeyman is a teacher and said you need to be with someone close to your age... But seeing this was giving him second thoughts.

He quickly logs off. Then, you, and the newest members of your Guild log off, as well.

After finally returning to the real world, you look at Wakan Tanka who was once again in his World Rep. form. You were scared at first, but you remember that he can switch between this and his mortal form whenever he wishes. But for now, he is in this form as a formality to his Guild.

Back in front of the safe house...

I called them before we left. They should be ready now.

Lupin: Ready with what?

Close your eyes and you will get a big surprise.

You cover your eyes as your friends guide you inside.

Ryota: Now you can open them.

SUPRISE!!!

You were surprised to see the safe house so finely decorated for your birthday.

Shiro: Agyo, Gullinbursti, Inaba, Kijimuna, and R-19 stayed behind to decorate for the party when we came back.

We were a little worried after Kurogane told us what happened. But we're glad you're alright.

Same here. I'm pretty sure the last thing my partner wanted was to be trapped on his birthday.

We're also glad that time does slow down for us in there. We shouldn't waste food.

I'm more concerned that there's an Invader and an Entertainer here.

What gives? You two better not start any trouble. This is party for our leader.

Knock it off, you guys. Wakan Tanka is Lupin's boyfriend and Bigfoot is Wakan Tanka's friend. If they're here on the birthday boy's invitation, we should treat them like guests.

Tadatomo: I know. I'm just paranoid, I guess.

(whisper) Nice act.

Tadatomo: (whisper back) Thanks.

Now, without further a due, let us begin the celebration.

He's right. This is party for my darling grandson. How about a game of tin-pin?

I have been told a more traditional game for this sort of occasion would be... Pin the Tale on the Donkey.

Kengo: (unimpressed) It is... If this was a little kid's party.

NOTE: This After Battle has been cut to a Part due to hitting the 30 Image Limit. Part 2 will be posted soon. (I keep telling them, they have to remove the limit to make it so each post can have an infinite number of images.)

[29pageshomestuckeveryday]

Homestuck, page 2,852

Karkat: Open memo.

Author commentary:

Maybe the saddest thing about this spectacle is it takes an entire page of Karkat's bellyaching before his future self even bothers acknowledging his existence. Even though his future self is the one who arranged Jade and Karkat to connect this way in the first place, so as to send them on a path toward friendship. Future Karkat almost seems to deliberately give his past self enough conversational rope to hang himself with, buying enough time for Jade to say something that triggers Karkat so hard that he launches into one of his "I AM YOUR GOD!" tirades. Which by now we should know is a romantically coded message, because that's how he introduced himself to John before he proceeded to spadeflirt with him. Basically, Jade has barely been awake for a few minutes and she's already lunging headlong through the hormone-slicked slalom of interspecies romance. Welcome to the party, Harley. And just like that, the moment Future Karkat steps in, practically the entire page of dialogue turns to gray. Nobody can get a word in edgewise between these two. Their unrestrained auto-invective basically renders Karkat's neuroses totally apparent for Jade to marvel over. The consequences of this are hard to even fully keep track of. First, by defending Jade like this, Future Karkat is virtually making the case to his own past self to give her a chance, and to try to acknowledge that his aggression toward her is masking romantic attraction. If that wasn't nuts enough, the altercation doubles as an actual confession of this to Jade, which she now has to bear in mind as she goes forward befriending this guy. Like most other shouting matches Karkat has with himself, it's a complete free-for-all of self-owns and eyebrow-raising psychological revelations. And yet, in the totality of this clusterfuck, it's probably about as sufficient as anything else he could have done to get her to start giving the friendship a chance. How do you sidle out of something like this? You don't. This miserable basket case needs all the help he can get. Karkat trying to talk to someone while his future self is in the same conversation is almost as if you were talking to a friend or a crush, and you had a little demon on your shoulder who was shouting all your private thoughts out loud and then mocking you for every embarrassing thought you had. The frightening thing is, Karkat might be accidentally proving this method to be a fairly effective pick-up maneuver? Like, rather than negging the intended target, you have an utterly ruthless wingman at your side constantly negging you instead. Eventually, like Jade is about to do here, she just fucking snaps. Then once the ice is finally broken, it's all smooth sailing from there. Trust me on this. When Jade says she's "all ears," that's foreshadowing for when she has big dog ears later in the story. Ha ha, just joking, that isn't even remotely close to being true. Gotcha. Anyway, things really heat up quick here. Now that Karkat's unbelievably shitty strategy has broken the ice, they're letting loose all their bottled-up emotions. Who are they even kidding at this point? They might as well just be making out here. With the massively cross-pollinating collision between troll and human affairs resulting in stirrings of Vrisjohn, Daverezi, and Rosemary, you knew it was only a matter of time before someone latched on to Jade too. Jadekat is a highly respectable shipping endeavor. Clearly there's much to work with here. One could hardly be blamed for imagining it had a chance to make a deep run, perhaps even threaten endgame status. I mean, it didn't, but it totally could have, and there's nothing wrong with you sitting down in its cheering section. It also has some intriguing quadrangular dynamics with Daverezi, considering Davejade, Karezi, and Davekat are all powerhouse ships as well. Okay, I'm going to stop now, before someone puts me into the nerd catapult and launches me into the ocean.

[botslayer]

Why (Almost) every member of The Seven is Sympathetic:

Yes I said “Almost” but I want to do this in descending order (With one exception, you’ll guess who quickly). What makes these characters human monsters despite their great power? The only ones I feel no sympathy for at any given point are Translucent and Shockwave. 

Okay they lock him in a cage and he really only wants to get out, but remember that he nearly killed some guy (Hughie) for trying to spy on them as he thought Hughie was a government spy. However, while in that cage, he mentions the idea that normal people are nothing to supes. I believe his exact words in once scene were “You’re nothing but a water balloon full of blood and meat.” So when he dies after bouts of bargaining and bribery, yeah. Fuck ‘im. Shockwave is on the extreme opposite end, he’s given virtually no characterization so his death is basically immaterial to the story and I have no clue what level of scumbag I’m supposed to infer he is.

He takes A-Train’s job (Which he can no longer do due to a medical complication). Big deal. He’s just some guy with super speed and a pawn for Homelander that gets taken out before he can do anything as far as the story goes. He looks cool but he’s a nothing character. (There is also Mister Marathon but we don’t know enough about him for anything relevant yet) The Deep, perhaps ironically this far up, is next.

The Deep has a couple of short scenes where I do sympathize. For example when he tries to help a supermarket lobster only for it to be killed, and then another where he invites a woman into his house. Said woman fingers his gill holes much to his protest and apparent pain while they have sex. Does he deserve that? No. But through all of that, and through joining the Church Of The Collective, he never learns the lesson he should have. He doesn’t actually appear to see what he did as wrong just that it’s inconvenienced him so thoroughly. Not to mention the fact that he’s technically committed bestiality (Albeit the sea life he communicates with seem to express roughly human level intelligence or something he understands as that at least which makes it... less bad, arguably.)  All the same, the irony of The Deep is that he’s a completely shallow person. He’d do what he did to Starlight again if he thought he could get away with it, you can’t change my mind. I think that’s kind of the point though. Given the shows writing, I really don’t think I’m supposed to give a crap if The Deep lives or dies. He’s done one authentically good thing in the whole show and that was at the very end of season 3 with someone else’s prompting. (Although I won’t spoil that) Next, we have Black Noir, The Seven’s resident ninja. Which I want now.

Black Noir is probably a little high up for some of your tastes but I will say that from Deep, it’s a pretty steep drop to Noir. This physically abused and mentally broken assassin is honestly one of my favorite characters even before we got his backstory. His old and new leaders in the teams he was/is in were/are both absolute tyrannical monsters and he’s blindly loyal to a company that likely sees him as little more than an asset. You almost wanna give the guy a hug. Even when he kills someone it’s stiff and robotic. Like he only does it because it’s what he knows how to do. We also know he has either imaginary friends as of season 3, or basically schizophrenic delusions of cartoon characters. One or the other. This still suggests his brain is completely fucked. Especially when you see a chunk of it fell out in Nicaragua.  Noir is ultimately a manifold victim of circumstance that slowly, over time, broke his mind, busted him up, and made him a monster, not because he simply is one, but because he was broken into one. Just like his most recent leader. But we’ll get to him. For now, Lamplighter.

Now, Lamplighter is a bad enough dude, but he feels an all-consuming, soul-crushing guilt. He feels nothing but pain for what he’s done, the thing that broke up The Boys before the show started, killing Grace Mallory’s grandkids. See, he might be a supe and was wrapped up in their wrong doing but he’s committed a great sin and knows its weight full well. His death in season 2 is a release. One that was unfortunate for The Boys but it was for peace. And it’s depressing but I’ll be damned if I don’t understand it and... Sympathize. Rest in peace, Lamplighter. Then there’s Maeve. 

Maeve is a bad person. I don’t care what people say. Maeve is a bad person. But the question we have to ask is “Why?” “Why do you leave a plane full of people to die?” “Why do you enable the monsters around you?” Because she wants to survive. You tell Homelander of all people “No.” You tell him he’s doing something wrong and to give a shit. If you don’t go along with it, you don’t know what he’ll do. And it’s the same with people like Translucent spying on people in the bathroom. She’s so surrounded by this evil by this corruption and forced to smile and wave and pretend she’s happy when she isn’t. She’s the strongest woman in the world and ultimately feels powerless against the corporate scumfucks she works for or Homelander or A-Train, whoever else. She might be able to do damage to the others but not on Noir’s watch, not on Homelander’s. Defineitely not on Vought’s.  She’s been cut off from the woman she loves for years, her approach to being a superhero is completely warped by what’s happened in her tenure, and the only person on God’s Green Earth willing to try and help her actually act on being a good person is Starlight. There’s a good person in Maeve trying to get out and Starlight helped or at least tried to but it’s a constant uphill battle against everything both of them are surrounded by. She gets a happy ending but the road to it is long and painful and honestly it isn’t entirely unearned even if I would have preferred her dying a hero’s death. Speaking of Starlight: HOMELANDER IS NEXT!

What hasn’t been said about Homelander? He’s a scumbag. He’s a manipulative, opportunistic, hateful, evil, egotistical, violent, sociopathic monster and needs to be stopped. But like with Maeve, the question is “Why?” Put Simply: He’s Superman without the Kents. He was denied something people need in their formative years. Love. He was affection and connection starved and taught to be the most effective weapon, not hero, possible. His super strength he only uses for relishing his horrible actions because his lasers do almost anything he needs quicker, even if it results in more collateral. That’s really not his concern because he was raised more or less not to give a shit. They gave a demigod a fullgod as a son and then denied either of them that bond and spoiled the god they made rotten, letting him think he could do whatever he wants.  Homelander, not entirely unlike Noir, is a victim of surroundings. We don’t know what kind of person he could have been if he just had a proper family or at least a father. Vogelbaum certainly wasn’t going to give it to him and he admits that was a mistake. Homelander’s story is a tragedy when you get right down to it. A kind, loving boy forced to endure what could only be called torture just to see what sort of powers he had and then unleashed upon the world with a constant desire to be loved and seen as a hero by the people he’s supposed to work to save and help lead further astray by a combination of the already fucked up superhero culture of the time and his warped psyche. We all want Homelander to die, I think. But I wish I could go back. That I could just help a screaming child get the life he deserved before he became the monster we all know. Up next, we have A-Train.

A-Train is a bad person... Or perhaps was. But do remember the pressure and threat he lives under every day. If he slows down from his records for even a few milliseconds, that’s a few milliseconds someone else can take and use to take his place in the spotlight. Something he, a character from at least an inferably low-money background probably doesn’t want to have happen despite Homelander forcing him to run V everywhere to make “Supervillains” or the idea that Homelander could just, apropos of nothing, decapitate him and face no consequences.  And now, given what happened in season 3, even though we know he’s killed more people than Robin and Popclaw, he knows why the things he’s done are wrong. He understands. He’s learned something approximating a lesson about what he’s put others through and is sorry. He understands at long last why what he’s done over the years is wrong, something he had to learn the hard way and he wants to make up for it all but doesn’t know how. At least he’s trying to use his platform for social issues. For whatever that’s worth. Now we come to the bottom layers, Starlight, Supersonic, and Blindspot.

Starlight, or Annie, is a character who kind of represents the average Superhero fan in my opinion. We see Superheroes as symbols of hope and justice. We see them as moral paragons who, while having flaws, let their good qualities shine through as much as possible not just because they’re good for everyone but because they, themselves, are good. They’re kind, caring, and maybe have just a pinch of an ego or show-offy tendencies.  However as the show goes on we understand how that image is maintained by Vought in this universe through fake exploits in movies, comics, and shows. We learn that Earth’s Most Mighty, The Seven, are almost all monsters of various different kinds the lot of them are managed by a single company that has its fingers in every pie at once. Annie, upon walking in and experiencing all of this first hand, has to adjust to it. She has to learn to play the corporate game which she already kind of does but only in theoretical ways she HAS to flex to stay afloat. She has to learn how to appeal to her supposed team mates and dance around all their bullshit, even Homelander’s. She gets everything she thought she wanted only for it to be a nightmare, and as it turns out, kind of forced on her by her mother.  Annie isn’t a bad person and is probably the best superhero in the show. She doesn’t do what she does because her ego is off the chart or because she’s driven by some abstract agenda. She genuinely wants to help and inspire people with a platform in The Seven. And to the show’s credit it’s not portrayed as a bad thing or superb naivety. She lives in a world of brainwashed people and is kind of one of them. She has to do bad things, even if she doesn’t want to. And that’s the kind of thing that you just feel for.  I don’t really have a segue, but Blindspot.

We don’t know anything about him. Okay, he’s basically Daredevil but other than that, virtually nothing. He’s a good dude though and kind of comes off as another Annie. Hopeful, aspirational, and genuinely wants to do what heroes are said to do and help people, stop criminals, that jargon. Then Homelander ruptures his eardrums. We don’t know what happened to him after that, if he bled out or got taken to some variant of medical area and is recovering but all the same Homelander stole a dream of a kind from him and left an entire secondary layer of crippling him. Blind-deaf people can get through life, yes, but he’s got one hell of a learning curve ahead if he survived and it’s all just a sad sight.  Just short of finally, Supersonic.

Supersoinc is a lightly developed character. He’s an old boyfriend of Starlight’s and we know for a fact he’s not a bad dude. He, like her and Blindspot, kind of embodies a sort of heroic idealism. He’s overcome a crippling drug addiction, he’s cleaned up his act and gotten back in the game, he’s openly displayed a trusting nature toward Starlight and a willingness to help fight Homelander, so much so he tried to recruit A-Train to the cause because he understood it was worth doing. He dies before the right thing can be done which is arguably worse than dying doing the right thing IMO. Now... The one you’ve all been dreading or perhaps sharpening various weapons and farm equipment edges for: Stormfront. 

I’m saying this now: I saved her for last because I know she’s a hard sell. She’s a fucking nazi. Like... There’s virtually nothing else to say. That alone is enough of a reason not to give a shit or relish when horrible things happen to her. She arguably deserves just about everything she gets, key word “arguably,” on that metric alone. Her loss of spotlight and platform and eventual death were good things... But hear me out. This woman was born into a country that had problems. In the years that followed she was indoctrinated into the prevalent, evil ideology, made into a god, and then she outlives... everyone. Her husband, her daughter, lord knows how many friends and other family members. Then she finds a new love, a man who embodies everything her rancid ideology wants. The strength. The power. The lovely blue eyes and blond hair. She’s found the perfect ideal and he’s into her. They’re in love. Homelander loves her so much he introduces her to his son who she tries to indoctrinate into her hateful world view and then that boy does so much damage to her body it’s unreal and her own healing factor can’t keep up with it and she’s left as major burn victim who’s slowly losing control of her body. Not only can she not physically be with the man she loves, she can’t wish a happy birthday anymore because her body is gradually failing her more and more. She can’t wheeze or even blink on command anymore until she kills herself being unable to deal with how, to her own ideological lens, pathetic she is now.  I struggle to feel no sympathy because that’s a lot of shit all at once. Again, happy she’s gone. The world of The Boys is a better place with out her. But just because she’s a terrible person, just because I find her to be awful... I still can't bring myself not to feel some sort of sorry for her. But she’s experiencing terrible, horrible things and I’ll be damned if those don’t engender some variant of empathy of sympathy. You may now flog me if you don’t agree with that stance. Anyway the point of this post was essentially just gushing about how I love this show. All of the characters are properly diverse and interesting even in their scummier behaviors. They know how to make them all uniquely scummy and sympathetic at once... All the ones that matter at least. 

[stillness-in-green]

Chapter Thoughts: 362, Light Fades to Rain

On Tamaki: 

Man.  We all knew that Tamaki’s cannon special wasn’t going to be enough to get the job done, but I seriously don’t think you could ask for a better encapsulation of, “If you’re not in Class 1-A, nor are you named Endeavor, Hawks or Eraserhead, nothing you do is going to matter,” than Bakugou’s massively hot concussive attack leaving a black sear mark across half of Shigaraki’s face that endures for multiple chapters while Tamaki’s massively hot laser blast can’t even scratch Shigaraki’s perfect abs.

That’s somewhat overstated, but, I would contend, not very much so, at least not since the war.

Mirko was instrumental in Ujiko’s capture, Ryukyu saved a lot of people from the newly-awakened Shigaraki’s Decay wave, and Jeanist and Mirio between them secured Mr. Compress, but I really think that’s about it for actions of any consequence.  The Class B kids get little things here and there—Monoma’s been the most significant help, though part of that is because he’s using Eraserhead’s power; it remains to be seen how much Monoma’s use of Warp Gate will stick with Kurogiri not yet off the board for good.  And I suppose the Pros dealt with most of the MLA, which is pretty huge, but it’s damned hard to make something feel huge when virtually all of it happens in off-panel handwaves to characters the audience hasn't been given the chance to get attached to.

And just…  It’s not real satisfying, team.  Why even bother getting invested in other characters, you know?  It’d be one thing if this felt convincingly thematic—i.e. only the class that will change the system for the better is allowed to be seriously effective against the people the system has failed—but given that the kids are still, even at this late stage, passively following the plan the adults laid out,(1) I’m just not feeling the theme vibe.  As-is, it mostly just feels like more of the series’ signature wildly inconsistent approach to damage.

On Bakugou, taking the chapter in order: 

   ● I like the parallel being drawn of him fighting through whole-body pain while being forced to rely on analyzing the opponent being like Deku’s experience.  I wish that hadn’t stopped being Deku’s modus operandi entirely too many arcs ago, however.  Seriously, when even was the last time it was mentioned that using One For All caused Deku pain?  And yeah, the framing here is that fighting-through-pain was something Deku had to deal with in the past, something Bakugou is only just now catching up to because yadda yadda shounen manga rivalries, but still.  Deku was more interesting when he was operating under those limitations, and thus it is that Bakugou is more interesting now.    

   ● So that’s definitely Vestige!Might, yeah?  The easy explanation would be, “Heroes Rising is canon,” but I just can’t make myself believe that Horikoshi would farm out such a critically important connection to one of the movies.  Otherwise, maybe something to do with Second’s quirk, as so much of what we know about him is tied up in comrades, friends, trust in one’s allies, etc.  Damned if I can see the connecting line between Bakugou seeing Vestige!Might here and Deku nearly using Second’s quirk out over open ocean, though.  (Disclaimer: If I cared more about any of the characters involved, maybe I would puzzle something out, but eh.)    

   ● I wonder if L’il Tsubasa’s wings were retractable—a transformation effect rather than a heteromorphic one—or if his quirk just hadn’t come in yet?

Do heteromorphic quirks even “come in” like transformation or emitter-types?  It seems like the kind of thing one would be born with, in most cases, since the defining trait of heteromorphic quirks is their permanency.    

   ● As to the big bombshell of the chapter, that big closing two-page certainly looks pretty damning, but guys, I just don’t buy it.  Shigaraki willed himself back to life out of pure spite, and forgive me for not believing Bakugou’s will is any lesser.  Especially with Second having a still-unrevealed quirk and this being more than recent enough for Eri to effect.(2)  Sorry, Horikoshi, but if you wanted me to take this seriously for even thirty seconds, you should have killed off Gran Torino when you had the chance.

   

Odds & Ends: 

   ● I like Fat Gum’s expression here a lot:

It’s not so simple as being a big bright grin; you can see in the shading around his mask that his eyebrows are lowered, giving the expression a rueful air, like he’s supportive but also a little perplexed by Suneater’s insecurities despite the kid’s obvious powerhouse status.  It’s a nicely nuanced look.    

   ● I enjoy ShigAFO’s Creature vibes here: 

       ● I wish I weren’t so incredibly weary of how lacking in nuance OFA has proven to be, because I really do think there’s a lot of dramatic potential to those characters that’s going squandered by taking the easy way out on the darker actions Second believes he and Third took.  All the same, I retain a ghost of interest in Second’s dynamic with Yoichi and Third and especially AFO.(3)     

   ● I continue to love the rattled Best Jeanist.    

   ● Fascinated by ShigAFO bringing up “the villains’ tale.”  One of the things I’ve long thought potentially important about Spinner’s fight-closing narration in Deika is his use of past-perfect tense to talk about how Shigaraki’s victory marked the point at which the villains’ story began picking up speed, “to the point that nobody could stop it.”  That statement never felt like an accurate assessment when the villains were so thoroughly routed in the war that followed, but if it was intended to describe the villains’ path through the rest of the series, a promise that heroes will no longer be able to sweep them back under the rug that will remain true in some sense even on the very last page, that will be much more satisfying.  So seeing ShigAFO bring up that same idea of the “villains’ story” here is very interesting.     Also interesting is that it feels doubly like a reference to Spinner when you consider AFO’s talk with him back in Chapter 239: “Do justice to your name as one who spins this tale.”     Of course, AFO has his own villain narrative he’s pushing—the one where he remakes the world as its very own Demon Lord—but that one is the story for him and him alone; he doesn’t frame it as the collective villains’ story.  It’s certainly possible that this is just him—or even just the story in general, as the heroes and their narration get plenty of their own mileage out of the idea of fiction becoming reality—being hung up on the rhetorical device, but chalk it up as another thing I’ll be keeping an eye on.

----

1: Give or take Tokoyami and Jirou taking it upon themselves to go help with AFO, though even there Tokoyami defends his choice in terms of being true to the task he was given. I admire their moxie, however.

2: The wiki says her quirk works on “living humans”; the manga itself says “works on people but not on objects”; Ultra Analysis doesn’t say one way or the other.  Is a dead body a person?  I will say that her quirk works just fine on objects when those objects can be conceived of as “part of a person,” otherwise separating Nemoto and Overhaul would have resulted in the entire readership getting to see what Nemoto’s body looks like under that voluminous poncho of his.

3: AFO must have killed him in positively excruciating fashion—or at least very much wanted to—and I am extremely down to hear all about it.