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doublegoblin · 2 years

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Rituals and Red Tape Chapter 5

The office was buzzing. Everyone gathered into the odd clumps of associates and friends. Our department wasn’t the flashiest or the most rewarding so our numbers often remained constant. Dreamers wander through this reality on their own whims, as chance may have it though, sometimes that whim settles down. I was not excluded from the speculation and enthralling prospect. As we heard the drone of far off wings we collectively held our breaths. The handle of the two gray doors clicked as the anticipation grew to a fevered pitch. The Hivemaster herself stood in the opening, with confident strides she made her way towards the center of the room. Flanking her were the numerous chaperones who acted not only as her guardians but also the train of her bridal gown.

“Salutations everyone!” The circular wicker plate of the Hivemaster contoured and smoothed into the semblance of something a humanoid visage. Her olive green garb draped over a segmented body.

We all in turn spoke in unison “Salutations Hivemaster”

Her mask twisting into a grin “Yvonne darling you were just out of sync by the teensiest amount.” She pointed at the girl with a sharp clawed finger.

I stepped forward. “We will be sure to address this.”

“Oh Alex, just the person I was hoping to see.” Several small winged insects escaped from under her heavy garbs and circled me.

Gently ushering them away “You do me an honor Hivemaster, but I of course had to be present, we don’t often get new employees.”

“What a fine upstanding manager, it’s a shame you never chose to become a part of something greater.” Her procession began to cry out and sob, silenced as she raised a hand.

“Come now Hivemaster, we both know it was out of my hands.”

“I suppose you may be right. I thought we were just cut from the same cloth.” The chaperones laughing in unison once more silenced by a matronly hand.

“Hivemaster, while I am honored to be in your presence, I know you are a busy woman so may I humbly request to not keep you any longer?”

A cold hand traced the lower side of my hood as she drew closer “How could I deny such a charitable request?” Stepping back she held several of her arms out wide as music emanated from the insects within her. “You have all been such wonderful hosts! Allow me now to pass unto you a gift. Coming from a land and time unknown, without an ounce of knowledge in their head, your brand new employee!”

At the crescendo she clapped her hands and a blinding light flashed from the points of contact. As vision returned the Hivemaster had vanished and in her place stood her ‘gift’. A young man with frizzy blonde hair and a freckle speckled face. He glanced around nervously, eyes of brilliant topaz darting this way and that. Tugging at his not quite fitted suit, he spoke up in tepid tones.

“H-hi, m-my name is…well…um…” taking a deep breath, pushing his glasses up, and moving his gaze from ground to us “my name is Peter and it is great to meet you all!” In an overcorrection his voice rose to shout that also startled him.

The office was deathly silent. Several people stifled snickers and giggles.

I stepped forward to break the silence with hand outstretched “Pleased to make your acquaintance Peter. I’m Alex and I’m in charge of this department.”

He looked cautiously at my outstretched hand.

“It’s not going to hurt you, but if it makes you feel more comfortable,” the lingering void of hand was wrapped in the same cloth of my robes giving form and shape.

Still with trepidation Peter meekly grabbed my hand. Finding it safe he smiled and firmly shook it. “Wow I didn’t think I would warrant somebody as important as the manager to say hello.”

I wasn’t exactly sure what to say in response. Luckily I didn’t have to dwell on it long. While fishing for a response the doors of the office once more opened as Andrea walked in holding her head.

Peter turned his attention and let out a scream.

Unphased Andrea beamed with enthusiasm and placed her head in the crook of one of her arms while reaching out with the other. “Oh hey! You must be the new guy! I’m Andrea, pleased to meet ya.”

Peter turned white as a sheet, eyes fluttered, and fell backwards almost knocking me over. Holding his weight up I motioned for Andrea to give me a hand and we moved Peter to his room/cubicle.

Setting him down on a cot of sorts I turned to Andrea to dryly remark “Nice first impression.”

“Hey, how was I supposed to know the new person was going to be here?” She set her head down on his desk while taking a seat.

“Can you please put it back where it’s supposed to go? I don’t need us having a new person run off just after getting here; what the heck even happened anyway?”

“This?” She picked her head up and stuck it on the stump of her neck. “Piere got loose and I thought I heard them behind my fridge.”

“So you took your head off to look?”

“Nah. I got stuck and well…pop.” She said while shrugging.

“Why not just flatten out?”

“I can’t stand how it feels.”

“Fair enough.” Peter let out a groan of sorts while slowly sitting up “Ah Peter, welcome back.”

“Huh?” he looked around the room, his eyes landing on Andrea he scuttled back while pointing “H-h-her head!”

“Peter.” I took a seat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know you probably have a lot of questions and, well, concerns right now. Andrea is sorry for scaring you like that.”

Taking a seat across from us “Yeah, my bad Peter. Your first decapitation is always a doozy to see.”

He seemed to calm down a little and nodded. Confused but otherwise at some sort of peace.

“Great, well this’ll be your office. If you are alright to walk, follow me and we can go get your equipment.” I stood and offered a hand down to help him up.

His face flushed a little rosy as he took my hand. With a heave I hoisted the young man up and with a final word to Andrea we stepped down from his area and made our journey down to the storage area.

We walked in silence for a while. I wasn’t going to be the first to speak up. I figured he would say something when he felt more comfortable; thankfully it wasn’t too long of mingling in awkward silence.

“Sorry about that, that was hella embarrassing.” He looked down at the ground while rubbing the back of his head.

“Yeah a little. At least you didn’t run off though.”

“I mean can you blame me? I turn around and this lady is just holding her head. It’s kind of a lot.” He let out a nervous laugh.

I couldn’t help but laugh in response “Let me break some of the magic for you right now, that is among the most tame things you’re going to see working this job.”

“O-oh…” I could see him staring off into the middle distance.

With a sigh I stopped our walk “Ask your questions. It’s rare we get somebody new so I can’t afford to have you turning tail and running at every new horror.” I tried to have my words come out kind but there was a sharp dryness to them; I think Dave was rubbing off on me.

Once again we stood in an uneasy quiet. He rubbed the upper part of his left arm and took a deep breath. “What exactly do we do here?”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you pay attention in on-” clearing my throat “Quick answer is we find problems and fix them. Now don’t go getting your hopes up that it’s all action and thrills. I won’t sugar coat it, a lot and I mean a lot of what we do is clerical work. This place has rules and we make sure they are being followed because when they don’t get followed the rules kind of fall apart and things can get weird.”

“Like what kind of weird?”

I had what I thought was a good answer to this but found my words caught in my throat. Resting my chin on a hand I mulled it over trying to find the best way to get them out.

“I have no really good way to explain it. So let me explain it in a not great way. There are these fundamental truths to this reality like if I drop a small marble it’s going to fall. However, in this example let's say a rule has been broken somewhere else, this stuff isn’t just localized, I drop this same marble but instead of falling to the ground it stays where I let go or even shoots up into the ceiling.”

He nodded “Well what about the lady with her head? Doesn’t that break some kind of rule?”

“No. You really didn’t pay attention did you?”

He shrugged, “It was a lot to take in.”

I motioned for us to keep walking as we spoke “So once again a short answer is that no since there isn’t a rule that states our bodies matter. These are just a means to make interacting with this reality more convenient. Hence why you will see all kinds of bodies out and about.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Yeah it does, but you get used to different kinds of hurt after a while.”

“Well if bodies don’t matter, why can we still experience pain?”

I shrugged “Because pain is still important I guess.”

He seemed troubled but accepting of that answer. He then stopped and held a very puzzled look on his face.

“Are we in America?”

I was startled by the question and laughed “What?”

“Are we in the U.S.? This place looks like a town right out of Maine or something.”

“Nah. I mean if you want to get technical we aren’t really anywhere.”

I saw his brow furrow and head tilt gently to the side.

“Think of this place kind of like a conscious crossroads. Not really in any one place but where all places meet.”

“But why the American aesthetic?”

“Someone higher up just really likes it I guess?” I shrugged.

We once more resumed our walk. I could see him glancing at me from the corner of my eye. The gears were turning in his head. He had a question but he just couldn’t put it into words. Given the prior questions I had a guess.

“It’s because this is just how I choose to look.” I answered to his silent inquiry.

“Oh!” His face flushed deeply “I-I…well…sorry, you must get that a lot then?”

I nodded.

“I guess, is the robe also part of you? Or are you the stuff inside…or are you just the floating shapes that look like eyes and a mouth?” He reached out to feel my robe but caught himself.

Smiling “Now that follow up is new. I’ll just say: yes.”

We stopped at a large set of double dark oak doors. On a little placard was the name ‘Storehouse Management Gloria.’ I knocked gently as a rough voice croaked out.

“C’mon in.”

Sat behind a disproportionately large desk was a wizened woman of green skin dressed to the nines in black finery. Papers and pens swirled around her as she lazily flicked a gnarled and clawed finger in the air. Upon seeing us enter the orbiting bodies all fell to the floor as she beamed jumping on top of her desk and scampering to the end.

“Alex you sumbitch! How are ya?” Gloria took a seat at the end of the table; her legs dangling to and fro.

Ushering Peter into the room before me “Not too bad Gloria, keeping busy I see?”

Rolling her eyes and sighing “Oh you wouldn’t believe it! Not only did Carl and Y’gul get into another spat but we have thirty shipments stuck in the void because somebody who will not be named thought it was a wonderful idea to use her matter-mover to grab a drink from the loading platform without making sure the area was all cleared. But enough about me who's your little friend here?” With a grin of gnarled teeth she pointed at Peter, small mechanical eyes began to circle the petrified man.

“Gloria, this is Peter, my newest employee. Peter, this is Gloria.” I pressed a hand on his back shoving him forward.

“Get out of here!” She jumped from her table with an audible grunt and began to look Peter over “It’s not everyday you get somebody new why I think it must have been the blondie well I think she was blonde at the time I don’t know what you dreamers do when I’m not looking maybe make trouble I don’t know but she was a very sweet girl not like the last several from the wildlife department a bunch of hooligans and good for nothings I tell ya!” She prattled on.

Peter wasn’t sure what to do about the small woman no taller than his knees looking him up and down. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?”

“H-hi. I-I’m Peter.” He offered a hand.

Tickled, Gloria shook it, Peter seemed concerned about the well being of his arm.

“Well a pleasure to meet ya Peter now don’t worry I don’t bite loosen up a little.” She smacked the back of his calf.

“It’ll just be the standard equipment Gloria, nothing too fancy.”

Scuttling her way to a large ornate cabinet she began to scale the furniture. While she opened and slammed drawers shut with mutterings in the denizen language Peter and I sat in some leather chairs.

“Why did she call us dreamers?” He asked in hushed tones.

“You don’t need to whisper. Also, because that’s what we are.”

“Is she a dreamer?”

“Not entirely, she’s a denizen.”

“What’s a denizen?”

Gloria had vanished into one of the drawers and random objects of all sizes began to fly out. I moved my head out of the way of a particularly angry looking book.

“That’s a whole discussion that I don’t-” I was cut short as a smoldering orb of rot collided with my chest knocking the wind out of me “we’ll talk about it later.” I wheezed.

After many more objects being hurled with blatant abandon Gloria reemerges with a Babblestone and several runed bracelets. With a look of immense satisfaction she deposited the items into Peter’s lap. We stayed for a while longer chatting; more so Gloria and I chatted while Peter sat silently until Gloria would address him directly. With several firm handshakes we were ushered out of her office and back into the hall. Peter held up better than I had anticipated, still looking shell shocked however.

We made our way back to the main area in relative silence. After returning to his space in the office we went over the basics of the Babblestone and some expectations about working with us. I had some matters I wanted to attend to so Andrea stayed behind to pick up where I left off. I think she still felt bad about giving the guy such a fright.

Closing the door to my office I let out a sigh. The kid was in for a real eye opener once we got him in the field. Setting down in front of my computer I lazily browsed the employee registry. I wasn’t likely to send him on his own for the first handful of assignments, even basic check-ups; not after what had happened with Yorick. I was considered Andrea. Despite their initial introductions they have some kind of rapport already so that would be helpful.

Deep in thought I was startled by a tear opening to my right. Shards of reality shimmered as from the inky void a letter was ejected. Midnight black with a golden wax seal. It fell with heft down onto my desk as the wound healed itself.

A direct correspondence from Archives?

Breaking the seal released the pungent stink of sulfur. The document inside fluttered against some unseen breeze as I inspected the contents of it. The cryptic wording and excessive use of blocking out text made the message hard to decipher, but eventually it all came together. Head Oracle Jeremiah had noticed some patterns in his recent vision and wanted us to check in on it. Nothing too out of the ordinary. That was until I reached the bottom of the page. A white marble slab had been attached to the paper. Dave himself had a hand in this request it would seem. My earlier concern of how best to integrate Peter into the team was satiated with this special addendum. I was to act as his chaperone on this assignment.

Once I had perceived that final portion of the message the letter in its entirety was engulfed in black flames. Reflexively I dropped the smoldering missave onto my desk. The long disordered pile acted as kindling as the hungry flames engulfed the entire surface. As the last smoldering ember hissed its death knell I was left with a completely cleared working space. My schedule was completely open now.

Peter shuffled about in his cubicle setting things as he saw fit. He did not notice my approach. I gently knocked on the gray corkboard of a wall. This caused him to jump slightly as he turned to face me.

“Oh Alex it’s just you.” He placed a hand on his chest and sighed “Sorry I didn’t hear you coming, what can I do for you boss?”

Leaning against the wall I went to speak up but was caught by surprise as the wall wobbled and leaned further back than I had anticipated. Peter snickered.

Collecting myself “I know you are just getting settled in but you’re going to be coming with me on your first assignment.”

His eyes lit up “Oh cool!”

I shielded my face “Peter, can you turn off your high beams?”

A puzzled look held on his face before a sharp intake of air and a flushing of flesh.

“Sorry! I didn’t know I could do that!” he frantically looked around his cubicle before holding a manilla folder in front of his eyes. Two glowing beige spots betrayed the obscuring.

“Take a couple deep breaths.” I instructed.

He settled his excitement as the glowing spots dimmed.

Lowering the folder he looked down “Sorry.”

Smiling kindly I placed a hand on his shoulder “It happens. Now come on, we've got places to be.” Nodding the side as a doorframe silently emerged from the ground behind us.

Exiting we stood amongst the bustling crowds of other dreamers in the center of town. Far removed from the shore, rows and rows of buildings stood as walls all around us. The other dreamers paid us no mind as they parted the flow of traffic around us. Distant conversations all melding together in an indiscernible haze. Sharing a connective glance we joined the bustling hive of pedestrians and walked along the cobblestone path.

“So what exactly are we doing?” Peter asked.

“Well, remember how I said we make sure rules aren’t being broken?” I responded, narrowly avoiding running into the shoulder of someone.

“I got that, but that doesn’t answer my question.”

“Right. Here.” I took his hand and led him through the thickest of the deluge to a cafe where we could sit and talk.

As we took our seat a server came up and took our order. Waiting for our drinks we both sat quietly and watched the crowds go by.

“I had no idea there could be so many people.” Peter remarked.

“It usually isn’t this crowded, we just happen to be in the busier part of town.”

“Wait so there are more people? Wow.” He sat back in wonder as our order was placed on our table.

“It’s a big place,” I took a sip of my coffee, “an understatement really.”

“Does everyone live here?” He gently stirred what I assumed was tea as his mind wandered.

“In the city? No. A large handful of residents congregate into small communities on the outskirts but most end up staying at the hotel.”

“Hotel?” He took a sip of his tea and winced at the heat.

“More like a large apartment complex but the owner thought it would be clever to name it after Hilbert’s Grand Hotel. Even if it doesn’t really fit; it’s good for marketing.”

“Do you live there?”

“Nah. I basically live in the office. I guess you could call it an employee benefit?” I shrugged while taking another sip.

Peter nodded in thought “I bet they must be really rich.”

“Who?”

“Whoever runs the hotel.” He was distracted from a followup remark as some sweets were brought out for us.

“You would think. But, no. He doesn’t make any more than the average person. It’s more of a passion project funded by the board. I’m sure he makes a little income on the side but rent isn’t really a thing here.”

Peter was baffled at this information.

“You really should have paid attention during…nevermind…the long and short of it is that The Board set pretty firmly in stone that anyone who resides here will have all their basic needs taken care of.”

“That seems really benevolent.”

“I think it’s more so no one member can be accused of having employment being gained either by bribing or coercion.”

“Why would people want to work if they don’t need to?” He muffled out through a mouth full of biscuit.

“Everyone has their reasons. A basic existence while comfortable can get boring after a while so either out of a need to just do something or to experience more people get jobs or take up hobbies that can get them some more income beyond what is provided.”

“Why do you work?” He leaned on the table staring intently at me.

“That’s a secret.” I smiled slyly and finished my coffee. “If you are done interrogating me we should go over the assignment.”

He sat back pouting “Alright.”

With a wave of the hand several documents manifested on the table. “So I’m glad you brought up living areas because we’re actually going to be checking out the hotel.” I slid a brief overview of the establishment towards him.

His eyes poured over the page as I continued.

“So the long and short of it is that the owner, he goes by Caretaker by the way, has been noticing some strange occurrences when it comes to certain hotel layouts. This information has been corroborated by Felix.” I tapped on the photo of a man laying on a beanbag without his shirt on; frizzy hair cascading over his shoulders “He’s the oracle for archives. Unsurprisingly he sees things most people don't and can make sense of some of the stranger things we can see. He sent out a message to our department head Dave about this and so here we are.”

I watched as his eyes scanned back and forth across all the paper frantically. With a sour expression he scratched at his head. Another wave of the hand and the pile of information vanished back into the ether.

“I’m sorry, can you explain that again? I couldn’t make heads or tails of any of this stuff.” He stated, still staring at the empty table.

“We’re going to the hotel because Caretaker is having issues with losing people.”

“Oh. Cool.”

“We can take the scenic route until your head has time to catch up.”

The two of us sat in relative silence as I waited. Giving me a subtle nod I stood and offered a hand to Peter. There was hesitation at first but soon he grasped it and I helped him to his feet; his hand was blisteringly hot. A few more moments of quiet before we began to slowly make our way out of the cafe and to the street propper. I held his hand just to be sure he didn’t get lost.

Every once and a while I swear I could feel him give it a gentle squeeze.

More so meandering along the gray brick path than walking with a certain purpose I watched him come around back to his previous self. His mind must have been drifting away somewhere far because as soon as he snapped back to reality he flushed pink and let go of my hand. We exchanged a look before laughing in unison. In a comfortable quiet we made frequent stops as something new would catch Peter’s eye and he’d rush over to a new storefront. His eyes sparkled with the light of a child opening a long awaited gift during the holidays at every single mundane thing. Though, I guess to Peter nothing was mundane; not yet anyway. Other dreamers had taken notice of his enthusiasm and fervor. Lingering in the background I watched as this man hopped from conversation to conversation without any difficulty. Maybe gray wasn’t my color, perhaps, I was better suited for olive green? I laughed the thought out of my head and collected Peter from his one-sided conversation with an ovis-headed dreamer to return to the course plotted out for us.

It wasn’t long until we broke from the commercial district and into the outer residential areas. Peter and I pleasantly conversed during the later leg of the journey. A couple times I had to stop him from going right up to somebody's abode. I let him know that we would not mistake the hotel and that breaking and entering was still very much frowned upon. His confusion though was understandable as most homes shared a similar outer facade.

“So how do people find their house since they all look so similar?” He asked while motioning to the rows and rows of homes.

I thought about it for a moment before answering “So you remember the portal we went through when we left the office?”

“Of course, but then why do they have doors of their own?”

I chuckled “Well try not to jump the gun and the answer will make more sense. So firstly I’m glad you brought this up because it will be relevant when we get to the hotel. Secondly, we are a special case; we being everyone employed by The Board. We can call on portals and doorways to make our jobs a lot easier. Can you even imagine having to walk across an infinite plane of existence to get where you need to go?”

“I mean, we’re walking right now.”

“I said I would take us on the scenic route, didn't I? Also it’s not like we can call them in exactly the right spots. We first have to have some experience in the place we’re going and sometimes it’s also just nice to take a stroll. Now you are getting me off topic.”

“Sorry.” He replied looking down at his feet.

“Thank you.” I smiled “ Now the first explanation is that most people remember their address and how to get to and from their homes. Secondly, each dreamer has their own ‘key’ that they can stick into the ‘lock’ of any door and it’ll take them home. Basically there is this long winded full explanation; but that isn’t for our department to have any concerns about. Just know that for whatever reason it works.”

He nodded in time with his steps and returned his gaze forward.

The houses that dotted the landscape grew more and more sparse until we were walking down a well worn path of asphalt and concrete. Where once houses stood were now endless expanses of idyllic green hills gently rolling beyond the horizon. Flowers of many shades and hues swayed along with the temperate streams of air.

The sky between the clouds shimmered with quiet iridescents as a structure came into view beyond the dip of a larger hill. A modest single story building. Pastel-salmon stucco walls framed by rosewood pillars along the edges held the terracotta shingle roof. The west and east facing walls each held a single large circular window; whose shutters half opened with the breeze rocked gently to and from the house. In contrast to the humble stucco the center door demanded attention with its bright cyan paint and large bronze knocker. Along the perimeter of the foundation were flower boxes and small gardens teeming with well tended life. This however was it. No sitting area or shaded spot to be found. Amongst the green of hills stood the hotel sat alone.

We stood before the door; the hand polished knocker reflecting the rays of light back towards our eyes. Peter fidgeted with his jacket edges as I raised a hand to the door. Moving on it’s own accord the knocker pounded against the wood echoing out into the ether.

Then there was silence; the wind itself awaited the reply.

Slowly the door creaked open. Scraping along the red brick flooring. We stepped past the portal door and into the warm glow of the incandescent lights.

Once inside the door closed behind us. Peter jumped. The sounds of nature were shut away inside the hotel. Where there was once wind was now the droning hum of a fan oscillating back and forth and the low buzz of ages old lighting. The gentle trickle of a life giving stream was supplanted by the cold gurgle of a water cooler. Quiet jazz gave some kind of character to the cell. Beyond the windows were not the same green hills we had left but instead a dark and dingy cityscape with skies choked by smog; the blues cast away for sickly yellow grime. A worn to the last fibers carpet was our guide towards the desk. A slab of granite shined to a mirror finish. Atop this altar of hospitality was sat a single bronze bell which begged to be rung. So it was rang. The ring carried past us down a hall that trailed into darkness.

I saw Peter's eyes darting towards every small noise. He stiffened as I placed a hand on his shoulder but his form did soften after a moment. Not saying a word he nodded to me, and I back at him.

“Welcome, may I take your things?” An oily hiss of a voice fell from behind clenched teeth.

A scream caught in Peter’s throat as we turned. He more slowly than I.

“Ah, Alex…and friend. I thought you two to be guestss. Pardon me.” Before us was the crooked frame of Caretaker. His faded bellhop uniform neatly pressed and form fitted, despite the numerous patchwork repairs sewn here and there. Hair, though sparse, combed to the side and held in place with who knows how much oil. As he spoke his lips strained to move against his corpse-like grin. He shuffled slowly past us and behind his counter, placing his hat upon the counter top. Linking white gloved fingers he no more leaned upon the counter as stood normal behind it with elbows resting in worn divots.

“Unlesss you have come to sstay?” His head jerked clockwise as those hollow pits stared past us.

“Kind of the opposite Caretaker, we are here about the tenants who can’t leave.” I set the request form down on the counter.

“And what of him?” He points to Peter with a crooked finger.

I place an arm in front of him “He’s with me, new employee.”

Caretaker lowers his arm back to the interlocking rest and sighs. “A dissappointment. Very well. Pleasse follow me.” He shuffled his way to what was earlier the empty black void; now the gate of an elaborate elevator.

Exchanging a look with Peter, I nodded and we made our way beside Caretaker.

“Pleasse do follow the ruless of the hotel while you do your work. The comfort of my guesstss is of the highesst priority. You will have full accesss but try and usse your headss. Each floor hass a call bell. I am never far from sservice. I will ssend you two to the fourth floor firsst. Sspeak with any tenantss. And above all enjoy your sstay.” He steps back from the opening doors with a bow.

Stepping onto the elevator I turn to ask Caretaker a question but the little bugger wasn’t anywhere to be seen. “Of course,” turning my attention to Peter “excited? First real assignment and all.”

“S-sure, I mean it can’t be that bad right? S-something easy t-t-to ease me in right?” He was fidgeting with his collar and swallowing hard.

I couldn’t help but laugh “That is dangerous thinking. Just stick close to me, be my shadow, and there shouldn’t be any issues.”

“Sh-shouldn’t be?”

“Oh good, you were paying attention. Stay sharp rookie you’re about to enter a world you have nothing to compare to.” With a metallic scream the doors slam shut and the lights around us go out one by one. We then began our descent down into the darkness. In truth Dave’s idea of a first assignment was very much sink or swim. Luckily Peter had a pretty good lifeguard.

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tang-wei · 3 years

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ONS Guren LN Vol 1 Chapter 5 Part 2 translation

Title: War and Convenience Stores

Translator: @tang-wei

Raws: Chinese

If you feel the need to re-read the whole series again, the masterpost is here. Don’t forget that this is part 2 of chapter 5, please read part 1 as well!

Important note: Because the previous sources for Volume 1 have been taken down/ made unavailable, I am translating this for the sake of fans who are not able to purchase a copy of the official English translation that is available. If you enjoy Guren’s story, then please support the author by buying the novel!

***

The sun had set.

The town was dyed red.

On the way home from school.

In a place where there were not that many people, a small convenience store.

While Sayuri and Shigure shopped for dinner, Guren waited with his arms crossed, sitting on a guardrail.

At that moment,

“Saito-san! Saito-san! Is it really okay for me to buy any sweets that I want?!” The happy voice of a young boy could be heard.

Guren glanced at the direction of the voice. As one would expect, there was a young boy.

A fair-skinned boy with blond hair and a beautiful face. It was likely that he was not Japanese. Or it was possible that he had foreign blood in his veins.

The boy spoke while smiling very happily.

“I wonder what I should buy to make everyone at the orphanage happy~? Hey Saito-san, if I buy ice cream, do you think the director would get mad?”

It was then the man named Saito-san responded,

“I wonder. In that orphanage, is there even a fridge…”

“Of course there’s one.”

“Then it should be fine. Even the director should allow for sweets.”

“Yay!”

“There now, take this money and go to the supermarket. Will you be alright buying it yourself, Mikaela-kun?”

The boy called Mikaela responded to that question,

“Of course. How old do you think I am? I’m 8!” He smiled. It was then Guren saw Saito take out 10,000 yen.

“Eh, this much…” Mikaela exclaimed, surprised.

Saito smiled.

“It’s for everyone after all.”

“But, is it really okay, to take 10,000 yen…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Now go on.”

“Okay! But if I was going to get that many sweets, it would’ve been good to have brought Akane-chan with me…”

Having said that, with sparkling eyes, the boy named Mikaela entered the supermarket.

“That’s why you are trying to get the sinful people who won’t join the 《Hyakuya Sect》, and therefore will die from the virus, to hurry and join?”

And thus,

“……”

Guren watched this with his arms crossed. Then, Guren’s gaze switched to watching the man called Saito.

Saito wore a black suit.

The man who had attacked Guren ten days earlier had worn the same black suit.

“……”

That is to say, that was the guy that tried to kill him in the elevator, the assassin from the《Hyakuya Sect》.

“Saito? Didn’t you say that your name was Kijima?”

The assassin smiled cordially at that.

“At the orphanage, I go as the kind Saito-san.”

“Hmm. So then is Kijima your real name?”

“I do not have a real name.”

“To put simply, you’re an assassin?”

“Yes.”

“Then, at that orphanage, you like playing the role of Daddy Long-Legs?”

“Haha, that’s what it looks like. Well then, knowing that I am such a kind Daddy Long-Legs, have you become interested in hearing what I have to say…”

“Nope.”

The assassin laughed at the interruption.

“Even so, please call me Saito-san while we’re here. If Mika-kun overheard, there would surely be some confusion.” He said.

With that, Guren glanced towards the supermarket where the boy named Mikaela had gone.

“And? What would you be using that kid for?”

“What do you mean?”

“The 《Hyakuya Sect》 is famous for their human

experimentation. Don’t try to say otherwise.”

“No no, that is a huge misunderstanding. In the end the 《Hyakuya Sect》administer the Hyakuya Orphanages as charitable work…”

“Then where did you come from?” Guren asked Saito.

“Who did that thing to your body? Where did that happen?

There’s no way you’re going to say something like your parents raised you in good health and with love, right?”

“……”

At that, Saito stopped smiling. He then replied in all seriousness,

“…You’re right. It’s certainly true that I came from the Hyakuya Orphanage. But I undertook the laboratory testing of my own free will, and obtained this body.”

“Huh, so brainwashing.”

Then, staring at Guren, Saito continued.

“No, I seriously think that the 《Hyakuya Sect》 wants to guide

this country to the right path. While Guren-sama may not be aware of this, if Japan continues down this path, the trumpet of the end will drag us into decay.”

Such strange things he said.

Still, Guren smiled and replied,

“Hah, so you’ve come out with it. The apocalypse, huh? That’s a signature move used against newcomers of a religion. If you do not believe, you won’t survive the apocalypse? Even we know how to use that kind of talk. So do the Hiiragis. There’s always something that resembles it in doctrines. But so what? By using that, did you think you’d be able to convert me?”

Guren asked.

Saito’s facial expression did not change, but regarded him seriously.

“That was not the meaning of what I said.”

“Then what is it?”

“In truth… if this continues, a virus will spread via an untouchable forbidden magic, who knows how rampantly it would spread, and the people of this world will find no place to live.”

“And, you’re saying that you guys are protecting us from that?”

“Yes.”

◆

Saito smiled and shook his head at that.

“No, as I said, I am not having this kind of conversion conversation. Even up til today, I didn’t have any intention to speak to you about these kind of things.”

“Ah? Then what do you want to speak to me about?”

To this question, Saito replied.

“About war. The one who made the virus is not God, but humans. And these are humans you know very well. The ones named Hiiragi.”

“Wha, that’s…”

Saito ignored that and continued,

“The 『Mikado no Oni』 who stole the seat of the National Magic Organization from the 《Hyakuya Sect》 has run wild, they are using the absolutely forbidden magic. That’s what we are frantically trying to prevent.”

��.........”

Saying this, the corners of Saito’s mouth lifted.

“Well? Don’t you think we have common interests?”

What a thing to say. Saito stretched out a hand towards Guren,

“So, won’t you join forces with us? Before the word ends, to attack the Hiiragi.”

He proposed.

Guren looked at his hand.

He said that the Hiiragi were going to destroy the world with the forbidden magic they got their hands on, and that they were trying to protect everyone from it.

And then, in the dawn of the era of the Hiiragi being destroyed,

“…The position of the Ichinose would rise.”

At that, Saito smiled and nodded his head.

“Of course. Since this about those who assisted the 《Haykuya Sect》 in making history, regarding the position currently occupied by the Hiiragi, it would be between the forces of 『Mikado no Oni』 and 『Mikado no Tsukki』.”

“Hmm. Well, then what? Are you offering an alliance with all of the Ichinose– no, all of the 『Mikado no Tsukki』?”

“Of course.”

“Then, why are you offering it to me? The Head of the

Ichinose House is–”

“Your father, is that right? However, your father is part of the

docile faction.”

At that, Guren smiled once again.

“Then, I’m the radical?”

Saito nodded his head apologetically.

“As I’ve said before, we have also done some investigations into the past. Including yours and your father’s. And so we made a choice regarding who would be the party to participate in this conversation with us.”

“You chose me?”

“Yes.”

“You thought that if it were me, I would readily accept?”

However, Saito shook his head.

“No. We did not think that. However, we thought that before it starts, we should at least say hello to you.”

Or so he said.

Before it all starts.

In other words,

“Even if you did not have the Ichinose, you intend to go to war?”

At that Saito shrugged his shoulders.

“The ones who started it are the Hiiragi though.”

“Besides, by telling me this much information, the start of that fierce struggle is fast approaching. ”

Smiling widely, Saito nodded.

“It is 10 days away. After 10 days, the 《Hyakuya Sect》 will go to war with the Hiiragi House.”

“10 days, huh. I will give you my reply then…”

“No, we need your answer now. If you do not join us today, then the plan for you to also be our enemy will be put into progress.”

Saito said, looking right at Guren.

Guren glared right back in return.

“That’s not happening. In the first place, if I don’t know the truth of what you are saying, how can I accept? Is the Hiiragi House really going wild with forbidden magic? Is it really necessary to stop them? Far from that, it’s also entirely possible that you guys the《Hyakuya Sect》 and the Hiiragis are teaming up to test the Ichinose. In these circumstances, you want me to immediately give you an answer? That is impossible.”

He responded.

However, Saito simply nodded his head, and,

“I see. Then negotiations have broken down.”

“No.”

“What is it? Did you want to join us? Please be decisive. To be honest, it doesn’t really matter whether you are a friend or foe…”

In other words, it is what it is.

If a war began, the more comrades the better.

Even so, they thought that with the power the Ichinose have, whether they have them or not, would not influence the battle at all.

That is a fact.

Nevertheless, the 《Hyakuya Sect》, is a bigger and more powerful organisation than the Hiiragi House, who had the Ichinose under their submission. Of course there was no need for them to bow their head and beg for the Ichinose’s help.

At the end of the day, before the fight would begin, they just came by to say hello. If the Ichinose did not join, then they would be destroyed together with the Hiiragi.

That’s why in Guren’s mind, he was furiously wondering how to best act. What was the best method to ensure a future where the Ichinose House wouldn’t be destroyed. A method to ensure a future where those that belonged to the 『Mikado no Tsukki』would not be destroyed.

Right now, with the answer he had to give, there was a possibility that everything could change.

In that case, what was the best thing to do?

What was the best way for him to move?

As Guren was forming those thoughts in his head, he replied.

“At least, give me an hour to consider.”

“I cannot.”

Saito rejected.

At that, Guren narrowed his eyes.

“Then my answer is ‘No’. I won’t join forces with an organization that w

That night, Guren wrote to his family.

About the contact the《Hyakuya Sect》made.

About how the Hiiragis would run wild, and how it was possible that they would cause the destruction of the world with a virus. About how a war between the Hyakuya Church and the Hiiragi House will begin in ten days.

About how he rejected the 《Hyakuya Sect》’s proposal.

~CHAPTER 5 PART 2 END~

The letter would reach home the same day. Regarding such an important issue, not just the Ichinose, but all of the 『Mikado no Tsukki』 would gather to discuss how to act.

They would begin to gather information to verify the truth of Saito’s words.

Such a large job would take 3 days to complete. And then afterwards it would take a week to make preparations.

But, if what Saito said was the truth, then there was no time left to act at a leisurely pace.

It was possible that a war as going to start.

Furthermore, it was a war that could possibly destroy the whole of Japan―

Then, how should he personally deal with such a war.

“No, we need to carefully consider the best things to do during this chaos”

That night, Guren tossed and turned, thinking about such things.

T/N: I don’t even know where to begin with the apologies or the excuses... but it is finally here!

<<Chapter 5 Part 1 || Chapter 6 >>

#owari no seraph #ichinose guren's catastrophe at 16 #ichinose guren #saito #mikaela hyakuya #shigure yukimi #sayuri hanayori #mushroom translates #guren ln

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stillness-in-green · 3 years

Text

MVA In Memoriam (2/5)

The Comprehensive Account of the Butchering of My Villain Academia

(Introduction and Part One, Episode 108: My Villain Academia)

Part Two, Episode 109: Revival Party

Chapter 224 – Revival Party

• Mr. Compress’s side comment about how the distance Re-Destro wants them to travel means he must know they have warp capabilities. Also shortens his subsequent line, removing the bit about how their position has been locked onto, leaving only the marveling about the dude on the phone being the kind of person who has access to a satellite camera. Not a major cut, but it did strip out a bit of reiteration on how very Seen the League is. The warp line is another nod to how the MLA’s been doing their research—in particular, it ties in nicely with RD’s observations about the Noumu. He talks, there, about something Dabi said after the High End fight, which means he must also know that Dabi was warped out by an “Ujiko-san.”

• Also Mr. C’s observation that they haven’t broken Machia yet, and his posed question about what to do. Mr. Compress, I’m so sorry that you’re so wordy and lose so many quips and asides because the anime was set on brutally scything out every line of non-essential dialogue it could find.

• Ujiko’s extremely hilarious, “Listening to Villain Radio is my new favorite hobby,” line. Why would you cut this; this line is hysterical.

• The bit where Mr. Compress has the bright idea to use a High End Noumu like the one Dabi used, Ujiko rejects the suggestion out of hand, citing production woes, and Shigaraki says that he wasn’t going to ask for one of them anyway. Aside from being more cut Compress content (or “Comptent,” for short), it helps center the timeline somewhat at a point where the manga is jerking it around all over; it also shows that the League has been keeping up with news from the outside world. It also shows that at least one of them thought about using the Noumu—and since we know Re-Destro did some rationalizing on that scenario too, it’s good to see that it is at least briefly on the table. Further, Ujiko provides a few rare details about the Noumu creation process. Firstly, that AFO is normally involved, so his absence makes the procedure much more difficult (though not, apparently, impossible). Secondly, that Hood-chan was the only Noumu who’d actually reached the testing stage. This will be important later, for Ujiko’s agonizing about unleashing them early/Mirko having to fight four of them at once. Also, I just miss Mr. C’s funny little head wilt when Ujiko immediately turns down his “use some Noumu” idea. Ditto Shigaraki’s blasé shrug and little grin. Again, not to harp on the art too much, but man I wish the anime had kept all the fierce little grins and tight, incensed smirks Shigaraki has through the majority of this and the phone call sequence.

• Spinner’s line, “Without knowing squat about what we’re up against?!” A minor cut, as these things go, but it reiterates that there’s a chance RD is bluffing and the League has no way to know one way or the other, and demonstrates that the League can give Shigaraki some pushback on his decisions without having to worry about getting dusted for the temerity.[1]

• Takes one of Spinner’s lines—“Wait. I get it. Wherever you go, Shigaraki, he’ll sniff you out and hunt you down.”—and gives it to Shigaraki instead. Because fuck Spinner’s growing understanding of Shigaraki and the way his mind works, I guess! It’s especially notable that Spinner figures this out when Mr. C had completely the wrong idea about Shigaraki’s intentions—it demonstrates the way Spinner is gradually aligning himself with Shigaraki’s way of thinking, which we’ll see even more clearly during the War Arc. Also, again, it’s good to see the moments where the League weighs in on Shigaraki’s plans.

• The visual of Twice lashing out at Dabi with his razor-edged tape measure over Dabi’s dismissal of Giran, though all the relevant dialogue was there. Possibly this is because, having cut the CRC bit, the audience has no way of knowing that Twice’s tape measure is razor-edged, so why bother raising the question, “Why is Twice trying to attack Dabi with a tape measure..?” Possibly it’s because showing that attack would require animating movement, and MAN ALIVE, did Episode 109 ever want to do everything it could to avoid animating movement.

• Slidin’ Go’s line about how Deika isn’t usually his turf, but today is a big exception. This makes the hearty affirmative with which Trumpet announces himself a response to Shigaraki’s half-phrased observation about the reason behind the city’s emptiness, rather than a response to Slidin’ Go. It works, more or less, and probably even flows more clearly, all things considered. I’m always sad to lose lines from the vanishingly few named/characterized MLA members we have, though. I like, too, that it hints at the machinations that have to have been involved with setting things up for the Revival Party, and the way those plans were carried out with confidence that Re-Destro’s “bait the League into coming for their broker” plan would work despite the total absence of a response from the League in any of the time Giran was missing/his fingers were cropping up on the nightly news reports.

• A few shots of cameras in the city, which foreshadow Skeptic’s watchful eyes and ability to track the League through the city. In retrospect, this isn’t surprising, since the anime went on to cut basically any indication of Skeptic’s entire plan re: the footage of the League attacking, so why bother keeping the cameras? (Oh, right. Skeptic’s whole thing is cameras and information/disinformation. Skeptic for second-most screwed-by-the-anime MLA member.)

Additions

• Showed Toga having stood back up somewhere during Shigaraki’s explanation of their throw-Machia-against-the-MLA plan. A simply appalling choice. In the manga, she stays crouched down by Twice the entire time Shigaraki has his mask pulled off, because Toga cares about reassuring Jin-kun when he’s in a bad way.

• Rephrased Compress’s dialogue somewhat, also giving him a new line about the MLA’s forces in Deika when the League was still in the hills looking down at the city: “The so-called Meta Liberation Army has a force of 110,000 here.” I assume it was because the scene falls in a different episode than the tactical discussion did (in the manga, they’re the same chapter), so the anime was reminding the viewer of the stakes, but it’s potentially awkward because, er, no, the MLA categorically did not bring their entire army to Deika. We’ll find out as much for sure later, with the note that the regiment advisors weren’t in attendance because they were occupied at the bases they command, but even with only the knowledge we have here, Re-Destro’s statement about his numbers is that they’re scattered all over the country—hence the shot of Japan with a bunch of lights scattered across it to represent said numbers. That said, to be (briefly) charitable, there’s no particular reason for the League to assume that, and they did discuss the possibility that there were going to have to fight 110,000 people. So it makes sense that Mr. C might state as much when recapping for the audience.

Chapter 225 – Interview with a Vampire

• Re-Destro talking about Deika’s geography and why they chose it strategically. The anime dropped so much about the MLA’s planning and information-gathering beforehand; it really made the MLA look ludicrously overconfident. And while they don’t lack for that trait, certainly,[2] this is also an organization that has meticulously grown its membership for generations right under Hero Society’s collective nose; you don’t get to where they are by being unduly foolhardy. Erasing so many scenes demonstrating their caution and forward-planning undercuts the threat they represent to both the League and society at large. Also too, the descriptor of Deika as a nice, quiet, isolated little town in the mountains gives us some hints about how the MLA has avoided notice for so long, when you consider how the Hero business works: because so many people who get into heroism want to make it big, like celebrities, they don’t want to stick around small-town beats, and so the rural areas are understaffed.[3] That’s presumably why groups like the CRC and the MLA grow their numbers out in the boonies: much less attention from the Powers That Be. You can guess at some of that from how Spinner describes the place—“not too small, not too big”—and what Trumpet says about the percentage of the population that’s MLA, but RD adds that key “isolated” descriptor, and says that it’s a place where they “lay low.” That gives us some potential insight into how many—likely the majority—of the MLA came to their beliefs: by being raised to them, because their hometown was infiltrated by the MLA generations ago and they have literally never known anything else.

• RD’s phrasing, “Counter to point one,” when he makes his second point about the Noumu. He acknowledges that it’s counter-intuitive to his first argument, that he knows it would normally be an argument against that opening point, not in support. It’s just conversational padding, really, but “conversational padding” like that does a lot to distinguish character voice, so that not everyone talks the same way.

• A panel showing a trio of unnamed MLA warriors strategizing about how to divide their forces now that the League has split up. It’s the little cuts like this that gradually remove the agency of unnamed characters, such that they’re left looking like unthinking puppets instead of real people with the ability to register and respond to their circumstances. It also points towards the truth of what the MLA warriors are and one reason they’re so dangerous (for all that the manga itself will neglect this most egregiously later on): they’re trained in regiment tactics and accustomed to working in groups. This contrasts them both with villains, who might group together, but certainly don’t usually fight that way, and heroes, who are so unaccustomed to working in groups that it’s cited as part of the reason to have named super moves.

• Curious’s little pageboy-cut middle school kid line telling Toga to back off when Miss Curious is on the job. This is an early example of how defensive the MLA are of people above them in the hierarchy, an important thing Spinner will pick up on and attempt to use against Trumpet. Again, it’s little moments like this that both add some welcome notes of individuality to the MLA warriors (if only by virtue of Horikoshi and his assistants’ traditional talent for distinctive character design) while also fleshing out who the MLA are as a group, and contrasting them with the League.

• Deleted Toga’s line IDing her “on-the-go suck-suck mask,” but did insert a nice little bit of her expression shifting when she whipped it out. It lost a bit of the self-conscious silliness of her support item name in exchange for a cool little animation beat. I don’t dislike it, particularly, but I am, as previously stated, very leery of edits that make the League more polished in their villainy at the cost of their human foibles.

• Curious’s line about having come prepared to counter Toga’s moves, which was supposed to further reiterate that the MLA has done their research on the League; they didn’t just decide out of the blue to target the most notorious Villains in the country without studying up on them first and planning accordingly!

• Curious’s line about how she’s going to get started with some background info while her people use their meta-abilities to keep Toga and her buddies on the ropes. A marvelously characterful line! It speaks especially to that edge of formality the MLA brass observe that even as she’s ringleading this attack, Miss Curious is still set on going through her interview process step by established step.

Framing Shifts

• Made some of Curious’s lines spoken dialogue instead of internal monologue. That’s probably fine for when she’s waxing enthusiastic about Toga’s lack of hesitation in committing murder or how she’ll use Toga’s story to further the MLA’s agenda. It’s less fine when she’s rattling out the entire name, brand and patent status of her support item for no particular reason when Toga is already halfway through trying to knife her (that’ll be next chapter).

• The anime implied pretty firmly that Curious’s bombers died. And like, yeah, that’s always made more sense than the idea that anyone could survive something like that, but I hate it anyway. For one thing, it makes it even harder to credit the idea that Toga’s still on her feet afterward if Curious’s supposedly not-very-lethal explosions merk all her own people. People in this series survive ludicrous amounts of damage, and these random MLA devotees are no exception! For another, it leans into the narrative that the MLA higher-ups throw away the lives of their minions without the slightest care. It’s a lot harder to make that case when it’s explicit in the manga that Curious’s people survive the blood explosions—the blonde in the tracksuit is unharmed enough to snicker about it, and the noodle chef is even doing well enough to continue attacking! I’ve always been of the opinion that the MLA are, yes, willing to spend the lives of their underlings on attaining goals, if that’s what they think is necessary, but that is not at all the same as gleefully throwing them onto the pyre to watch them burn.

Additions

• Some individual shots of Mr. Compress, Dabi and Twice fending off or fleeing from various MLA types. A nice try on getting the group split up, but it feels kind of budget save-y, when we could have gotten actual animation of those fights instead.

• Inserted a quick shot of a headline about Toga’s first attack as Curious was rambling on about why she’s interested in Toga but not the League in general. Actually a fairly reasonable insertion, given how much text is crammed into her talk bubble in the manga while the dude standing next to her is already getting a knife in the neck.

Chapter 226 – Bloody Love

• A panel of interviewees talking about Toga’s first victim being sociable and popular. It gives a bit of context on what he was like, what people thought of him, but given that we know enough about Toga at this point to know that his popularity was entirely incidental to what she liked about him, it’s not a huge loss.

• The detail of the broadcasted interviews censoring Toga’s name. Considering how Japanese media normally treats minors accused of crimes, this is an eyebrow-raising change—the manga censors it because Japanese media outlets would have done the same. No idea why the anime didn’t, unless it’s another of those places where it would feel too “real,” to have something that so closely mirrors real life treatment of criminals?

• Everything about quirk counseling, and whoo boy, that is a loaded cut. There is exactly one other mention of quirk counseling anywhere in the manga, and, curiously enough, it also comes up in relation to a villain: in the U.A. faculty meeting after the USJ attack, Midnight muses that maybe Shigaraki never received quirk counseling in elementary school. It’s a weird little non sequitur there—exactly what sort of program did she expect could single-handedly make the difference between a well-adjusted adult and a gleefully murderous manchild with aims on killing Japan’s Number 1 Hero? Just over two hundred chapters later, we get a hint: a program designed to fit people “neatly into society’s little boxes.” Quirk counseling, then, is not about helping children find healthy ways to process their quirks, but rather, about teaching children what is and is not acceptable in terms of quirk use—and as Curious says, Toga’s admiration of blood was never going to be acceptable.[4] This explanation doesn’t just tell us a lot about Toga—that she wasn’t only failed by the hysterical condemnation of her parents, but also by a society that had no interest in helping her if it didn’t see a use for her—but also provides some insight on the viewpoint of the Meta Liberation Army vis-à-vis mandatory state-funded programs that dictate what “normalcy” looks like to impressionable children. Curious is, of course, not a particularly trustworthy narrator in this, as one might expect of someone who uses language like “society’s little boxes,” but it does track with Midnight’s earlier musing of, “Maybe the anti-social dude never took the program intended to make sure he was a functioning member of society.” That kind of statement—“State-sponsored educational programs are there to program children into becoming unthinking cogs of society, actually.”—is one that it’s all too easy to imagine the people with an eye on broadcast standards taking issue with, even coming as it does from the mouth of a villain.

• Curious’s line, “Let’s turn your death into a legendary tragedy, shall we?” and its accompanying visual of two different papers with imagined headlines. The dialogue doesn’t strike me as crucial—Curious’s fervent belief in Toga’s story is amply demonstrated elsewhere and her intent to turn that story into a legend reiterated in the line immediately following—but it is a shame to lose the headlines. They tell us, in Curious’s own words, exactly the tack she was planning to take in telling Toga’s story to the general public, without the constant namedropping of the Liberation Army that she does when talking about it in person. One headline in particular—The Price of Suppression: A String of Bloody Murders—is an especially useful reference for discussing whether the MLA actually wants, as is popularly claimed, completely unhindered quirk use, even for people like e.g. Muscular who want nothing more than to murder people with their quirks.[5]

• Curious’s initial wait what response to getting Floated, and her people’s focus shifting away from Toga and onto Curious instead. On a surface level, that focus shift helps explain why Toga’s able to zip around the ground and touch nearly twenty people before they even react: because they’re afraid for Curious. It also hurts the ongoing characterization of the MLA rank and file as being fanatically devoted to their higher-ups which, again, is something Spinner is supposed to notice later. It’s the worst kind of plot device if that devotion is completely told to us rather than consistently shown!

• Toga’s internal reflection that she’s seen Ochaco use her quirk, and knows how to use it. It’s obvious from the panel that she knows how to use it, but the manga implies that Toga transforming doesn’t automatically grant her an understanding of peoples’ quirks; it’s only in observation (and possibly love) that she can reach this particular unlock. Leaving out that information leaves open the possibility that she can just do this all the time now, with anybody she transforms into.

• The reaction from the surviving crowd to Curious’s death. See above re: STOP FUCKING ERASING HOW MUCH THE MLA CARES FOR EACH OTHER.

Framing Shifts

• When Toga bolts, Curious in the anime sounded serious, her expression alarmed, like she was actually worried that Toga might escape, even though her dialogue said just the opposite. Maybe you could say that she was afraid Toga would die before she got her statement, but given that she tried to kill the girl herself moments later, I’m skeptical of that claim. Regardless, in the manga, she never loses her smile, and she flashes a Liberation salute as she stands up to give chase. It’s a characterization note, that she’s so wildly confident about this that she never stops being completely enthralled with whatever Toga has to show her.

Chapter 227 – Sleepy

• The last of Toga’s conscious dialogue, about how she’s lost a lot of blood, is fading out, can’t move—but more notably, the way that this state of things makes her feel closer to “them,” that it’s “the same sensation.” And who is “they” here—her victims? The people she loves? More alarmingly, why does the line sound like she’s been this beat-up before, and remembers the sensation? Does that tie into e.g. her comment during the training camp that she doesn’t want to fight too many hero students at once because she doesn’t want to die? Has she actually been subject to this kind of violence before in the past? Does that tie into her still-unexplained ability to erase her presence? It’s an interestingly loaded little line, for being so vague, and illustrative of Toga’s mentality on becoming the people she loves. Which also lets the scene segue nicely into Re-Destro’s observation that, in Toga Himiko’s world, there’s no such thing as “other people.” On which note, guess what else the anime cut?

• The entire fucking scene where Re-Destro actually reacts to Curious’ death, the motherfuckers. This lost: 1. RD’s talk about the way Toga sees the world and how that led to society casting her out, which he points to as evidence of said society clinging to old ideals even though the nature of humanity itself has changed. It calls back to his methodology with Detnerat, marrying his lines from the commercial to his overarching ideals; it also shows that he understood very well what Curious saw in Toga, and demonstrates that he can express that understanding and empathy even in the face of losing one of his closest allies. 2. Skeptic’s reaction to Curious’s death, which is pretty sparse, but at least present. He says she never should have been on the front lines—an excellent reminder to the people who’re always going on about how the MLA brass thinks themselves so above their followers: Curious was on the front lines, against the wishes of some of her peers!—and calls her a valuable resource.[6] You can theorize about Skeptic not caring for her beyond her usefulness to the cause, or just that Skeptic is a huge autist who processes his emotions differently than most, and isn’t going to stop to do that when there’s still a battle going on, but either way, you need this scene to do it accurately. 3. Speaking of people who process their emotions in unusual ways, as I said above, this scene also shows Re-Destro openly crying over the deaths of Curious and each and every warrior diving into battle with their hopes for the future. They’re not crocodile tears, either. As was the case with Miyashita, there’s no one in this room that Re-Destro would need to perform grief for: Skeptic clearly doesn’t see a use for tears right now, so I don’t see him expecting them from Re-Destro, and the only other person in the room is Giran, a hostage who the MLA—very probably Re-Destro himself—maimed! It’s not like RD’s tears are going to change Giran’s mind about him (indeed, Giran gets a comedic reaction beat at the absurdity of the dude who started all this up here crying about it)! But RD says life is precious and he cries anyway, briefly, before he ruthlessly turns it off. RD’s valuing of human life—especially his own peoples’ lives—crops up in roundabout ways twice more, both leading the fight with Shigaraki (“It angers me.”) and ending it (“Any more would bring about meaningless death.”). This, though, is when he’s most open about it, to the degree that—as with Machia’s grief—it’s kind of off-putting and strange. Cutting it makes it that much easier for people to get entirely the wrong impression of RD as a character. 4. The delightful scene where Skeptic berates Giran about asking brainless questions and then answers his question anyway. Fuckin’ hell, why cut this?? So much of Skeptic’s character is in this scene! You get moments of his neuroticism later on, but never in so concentrated a burst as this (there’s one other sequence that could compete, but—spoilers—the anime cut that one, too). The exchange also explains the cameras placed throughout the city—which are visually referenced early on—and what the MLA is planning to do with their footage. Without that explanation, the audience has no idea how, exactly, the MLA was planning to use wiping out the League as a springboard for their grand return to the spotlight. That footage is the crucial part of how the rest of the country reacts to Deika in the Endeavor Agency Arc, and the anime never even mentioned it! The audience was just left to assume that all the media came in afterward, not that there was the slightest whiff of footage from the battle itself. 5. Once again brings up Re-Destro’s belief in the power of the heart to move other hearts. We get a bit of that in Curious’s flashback, but here he says it in his own words—as he will also bring it up to Shigaraki. Once again, Shigaraki is going to be challenged about his conviction, which ties back into what Spinner and Ujiko demanded from him earlier in the arc. With so

many people set to be grilling Shigaraki on this front, it tells us again what the arc is for: Shigaraki’s conviction, and him demonstrating it to the people who think he lacks it.

• The panel of Spinner asking how long they’ve been at it and Mr. Compress responding. This line helps manage the pacing, giving the audience an idea how much time is passing as we cut around to different places. It’s also, you know, more cut Spinner dialogue, and shows the beginnings of Shigaraki and Spinner getting split off from the rest by Shigaraki’s sleep-drunk staggering angling him off in a different direction. The rest of the scene is moved to after Toga’s fight with Curious, but not otherwise tampered with.

• The other big reaction to Curious’s death, which is Trumpet using it to rile up the crowd. The group that attacks Shigaraki isn’t just some free-roaming mob—they’re coming at him in a grief-stricken frenzy, which they’ve been goaded into by one of their leaders. This sequence also introduces the campaign van—a vehicle that will have several more appearances—to events, and hints at Trumpet’s meta-ability. Further, it’s one of the scenes that outright states that the MLA is less an army than a religion, in Mr. Compress’s line about how Trumpet is like a preacher rallying his flock. That understanding—that the MLA may style themselves as an army, but what they really are is a cult—is key to the way the MLA members act, from the very bottom to the very top.

• Trimmed Shigaraki’s flashback down, cutting—among other things—the very first lines Hana speaks, and her namedrop. This moment is the first one Tomura gets back, and the very first thing we find out is that he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing. The anime also failed to identify Shimura Nana’s relation to Tenko/Tomura and Hana—helpful to remind the audience of a plot thread they haven’t heard about since Kamino. It also cut out the silhouette of chubby baby Tenko and Tenko’s first line, asking why Hana’s showing him this, a line which clues us in that Hana was the impetus here, not Shigaraki as he was back then. Still not satisfied, it also cut the phrase, “Daddy said all that stuff,” which is a clear and ominous warning that there was some conflict going on between young Shigaraki and the Father whose dismembered hand he now wears on his face.

• Left the dialogue but cut the silhouette of an airborne Geten with his enormous ice fists coming in hot behind Dabi when he was smarming about it not being his style to take the pacifist route. It’s not crucial, since we see the fists again shortly (it’s the end of the chapter page, whereas the anime rolls right on into the continuation of the scene), but it’s a shame, since framing Dabi from below with this sudden presence behind him is a much more fun, dynamic angle than the dead-boring medium shot the anime used. Also too, it’s good foreshadowing for the fact that Geten can fly, since he certainly didn’t get that kind of air by jumping off the roof of the mini-mart across the street.

Framing Shifts

• The crowd attacking Tomura came at him from the back of the shot, whereas in the manga, they’re surging forth from the front; that is, the anime had Shigaraki between the crowd and the POV of the viewer, whereas the manga has the crowd interposing between the viewer and Shigaraki. It makes a huge difference in the impact! Running up from a nebulous background distance, the crowd looked small and futile. Crossing directly in front of the viewer as they attack Shigaraki makes them look like the crashing human wave that they are. But, you know, coming in from the front would mean they’d have to be animated with more detail, and again, Episode 109, more than any other episode in the arc, clearly didn’t have the budget to spare on such things.

• The moment Shigaraki first uses the spreading Decay is horrifically clear in the manga. It’s full of speed lines, Shigaraki moving so fast he decays a dude mid-word, but the impact itself is spread over two pages. We watch his hand literally cleaving through the leading attacker’s face, and then are encouraged to linger on the oversized panel below, the intricately drawn crowd, full of individual faces, still intact on the left, scattering to dust on the right, all fully lit, with Shigaraki—still drawn with speedlines to emphasize his movement—the focal figure in black at the center. The anime rendered this moment in two stills—Shigaraki’s hand about to hit the lead attacker’s face, and then the crowd already decaying. There was virtually no movement to it, the crowd was so heavily silhouetted against a glare of daylight that it was difficult to tell what was going on, and the moment stayed on screen for only two seconds before Shigaraki landed and threw up, both actions favored with more animation than one of the signature moments of the entire arc. Hell, it even left the walls on either side of the alley intact, when the manga shows them dissolving into ash as well, decay traveling through the ground in a deadly, destructive radius around Shigaraki’s attack. The anime ever-so-graciously allowed Spinner his line to explain to the audience what just happened, but I think that’s mostly because it would be genuinely difficult to parse if he didn’t. It also gave him a flashback to what we had literally just seen, except this time it wasn’t silhouetted for some reason, so at least the audience got another chance to look at it, I guess? “Am I seeing things? Just now, his decay effect spread to people he wasn’t even touching!” Well, I guess we’ll have to take your word for it, Spinner.

Additions

• A quick shot of a camera, there and gone almost too fast to register. I want to compliment the anime for adding a camera back in, since it removed the shot of the cameras earlier, but honestly, given that it cut all the scenes about how and why the MLA was gathering footage, I really don’t know why it even bothered. Also too, the camera was gone so fast it felt more like a marker for a scene change—which it also was, segueing the scene from Toga collapsing (only to cut back to her later staggering down an alley) to Spinner and the rest still trying to hold their own—than it did something the audience was supposed to really notice.

Chapter 228 – Wounded Soul

• Twice in the opening pages left out scattered members of the MLA that were around for the start of the Dabi/Geten fight. Leaving them out raises the question of where all the people attacking went, but it’s also the first demonstration that Geten is a danger to his own allies. We don’t see any of them dying on-panel or anything, but we do see them having to dive frantically out of the way because Geten demonstrates no care to the collateral damage of his attacks.

• Cut a small flashback, presumably from Twice’s perspective, of finding the site where Toga and Curious’s fight concluded. You can see the ground covered in blood, and a body that looks a bit like Curious if you squint (distinguishable by the sleeves of her jacket), as well as a small group of people kneeling on the ground in various poses suggesting mourning and a paying of respects. Yet another shot demonstrating the depths of care these people have for their leaders, that they’ve completely let the battle fall by the wayside in favor of their grief.

• Drops the “those zealots” phrase from Twice’s, “I’ll rip those zealots limb from limb for this!” line. Damn, the anime really was determined to erase everything that even hints at the Liberation Army being something much creepier and more damaging than just an underground militia, huh?

Framing Shifts

• For all my complaints about the material, I generally like the voice acting quite a bit. I don’t love the first exchange between Dabi and Geten, though. It’s not a fault of the voice actors themselves, but rather the delivery. Geten was very cool and level-headed throughout, which is all right to a point, but he’s a gremlin under that troll parka, and this fight is where we hear him as close as we ever will to how he is before the multi-layered humbling he’s subject to over the course of this fight. It’s a bit of a shame to play him totally straight, without any of the snark he’s so clearly capable of—and without the tick upwards in vehemence his talk bubbles indicate in his last lines. Meanwhile, it’s fine for Dabi to get more heated as the scene goes along, and indeed he does, but he also plays it pretty cool at first. You can tell in the shape of his talk bubbles that he’s completely unruffled during his delivery of that, “Consider this a freebie, just for you: ice melts,” line. The anime had him raising his voice for it, and it just loses a lot of the humor of Dabi’s own snark to have him yelling it instead of just laughingly stating it, voice barely raising enough to give his talk bubbles some straighter lines instead of being all undisturbed curves. (For comparison’s sake, it’s about the same level of angular as Geten’s, “You’d best not think your little campfire can melt my ice!” line, but the anime had Dabi shout his line, while Geten continued at the same unperturbed volume he’d maintained since the beginning.)

• As with Shigaraki’s first mass decay, the shot of Geten’s ice dragon did not make the impact on me in the anime that the manga did. I think it’s mostly the way the ice was colored? The claw’s pretty good, but the head looks blobby and indistinct, more like blue soft-serve than the shifting, sharp-edged, brilliantly bright sculpture-in-motion of the manga.

• Twice’s voice actor did his best to sell the scene of him finding Toga, but I wish they’d kept that tight close-up on his mouth when he says, “Give it up. The girl’s dead.” They animated him leaning closer to the camera, but that doesn’t have the sharpness of that sudden cut to being right there on his lips, like some malevolent thing is using them to speak words so terrible that they can’t even be associated with the rest of his face.

---

Come back next time (and hopefully in less time) for Part Three, Episode 110: Sad Man's Parade.

FOOTNOTES

[1] We would, of course, have an even clearer idea of that had the anime not cut the scene of Spinner shouting in Shigaraki’s face.

[2] It seems particularly strange to me that Curious and RD both mention quirk evolution as a thing they know can happen in extreme circumstances, but didn’t predict that backing the League into a life-or-death corner might provoke one or two members to undergo exactly that evolution.

[3] Mount Lady is the obvious example, but you can look to places like the island in Heroes Rising, too: one hero, and when they retired, a group of high school kids had to go sub in for a while until a replacement could be arranged. It’s not like retirements just happen overnight; the Commission had to have known it was coming. Still, they had to scramble to find someone. It doesn’t suggest they had anybody just champing at the bit to take the post, you know?

[4] In Chapter 140, we see a young Tamaki Amajiki in a class called “quirk training.” It’s uncertain how connected this P.E.-like class is to quirk counseling, but Toga wouldn’t have been getting much help there, either, seeing as it’s all about figuring out how to use one’s quirk in a way that’s “useful to society.” I can think of some ways, but nothing that I expect would be very popular or liable to be explained to a grade schooler in a country with as long a history with ritual cleanliness as Japan. To a Shinto mindset, Transformation isn’t just off-putting or unhygienic; it’s spiritually unclean.

[5] The answer there being, no, obviously not, or Curious wouldn’t, in all apparent sincerity, be trying to characterize Toga using her quirk to murder people as an undesirable outcome, a cost society is paying for its current stance on quirk use. Yes, you can gather that much from her calling Toga a tragic girl, and Re-Destro concurring later, but listen, I will take every line I can get that I can use to push back against the wretchedly widespread idea that the kid whose name means Apocrypha is the be-all-end-all source on MLA ideology, somehow more reliable and trustworthy than every other MLA character combined, including Destro himself. I would very much like it if the anime had not deleted a bunch of my talking points while making good and sure to leave all Geten’s most damning lines intact.

[6] Not that an anime-only person would fully understand why some random reporter was all that valuable a resource, since the anime cut the explanation of what Curious actually does for a living.

#my villain academia #bnha #bnha meta #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #my writing #stillness has salt

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adaru32 · 3 years

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The Red Devil’s Chronicles’ Dec. 2021 DMC Updates: Another Smokin’, Sexy, Stylish Year

Hey, how's it going? Hope everyone had a good and safe holiday season. Here are this month's Devil May Cry related news updates: 1. CAPCOM is unsure of what to do with Dante anymore. 2. Asmus Toys has come out with a 3rd version of DMC3 Dante. b) Here's a work in progress of the figure. 3. You can now obtain Dante's belt, but they're asking for a high price for it. 4. Devil May Cry V Special Edition won the Special Award in the Playstation Partner Awards. 5. The Steam version of Devil May Cry V got a copyright infringement update, which made most people think it was bad news for the modding community, but nothing really happened. Only problems occurred for certain mods, which ended up being fixed easily. 6. Devil May Cry briefly trended on Twitter. 7. Hideaki Itsuno hints at another project in the works. 8. The Devil May Cry Peak/Pinnacle of Combat mobile game may be coming to PC.

My Thoughts On These Updates:

1. I can agree that CAPCOM, let alone Hideaki Itsuno himself doesn't know what to do with Dante anymore. Sure people change as they get older or when they're younger, but some of the changes they've made to him over the series were too much to where people end up coming up with their own personality traits in fanfics and such that are completely out of character for him. Not just personality-wise, but facial features-wise, and story plot-wise as well (Eg. Dante's reason for fighting). I can see why Itsuno would rather concentrate on Nero more than the other characters. Sure Dante had a bit more spotlight in DMCV, but Itsuno has mentioned in interviews that even though he likes Dante, he's not technically his character and has gotten too old for him, which is why Nero was created 'cause he's a fresh new start to the series Itsuno can be comfortable working with. As most of you already know, Dante is my most favourite fictional character of all time, and it would pain me to see what would happen if CAPCOM were to give him his complete ending to the series. I'm still looking forward to what CAPCOM has in store for him but even so...I'm hoping that if they ever plan to rid him of the entire series at one point that it ends on a happy note with valid context, and not a cliffhangar with no context. 2. Asmus Toys has improved yet again on their DMC3 Dante figure. It started off as a weird Tom Cruise-looking guy with his belly button looking like it was made with a light poke from a toothpick. Then they improved where it looks more like him, but the details on the pores made him look like he had freckles, and he has no belly button. Now they added more detail on him where he looks more realistic and made him look his actual age. The only issue I have with it is his lips on the one where he gives the neutral expression (not the roaring one, that one looks all right). They made his lips feminised and a little too dark to where it looks like he's wearing lipstick. Then again, I notice this is a common mistake quite a bit of figure-making industries or companies make when it comes to making Dante's lips. 3. It's awesome how you can buy Dante's belt, but that price range....I shared this in a Facebook group I run and quite a bit of people were upset about it. To be honest, I am a bit as well, but I can see why they would make it that price. It has to do with the materials and how it's a collaborative project so it's not just CAPCOM making the profit off of it, it's also whoever made it and where they get their source materials from. Take that bath and skincare place Lush for example. The reason their products are so outrageously expensive is 'cause not only is it profit going towards the company, but it also goes towards the employees working there, and how everything's made by hand and not from a factory or something, where their source materials come from, and how their profit also goes towards charitable things. 4. That's awesome that Devil May Cry V still keeps winning awards to this day. Gives more hope for possible future titles at a quicker pace. 5. Even though I don't mod myself, and have never used mods before, I always appreciate and experience positive feelings and emotions with the modding community. Even I was afraid that the copyright infringement update was going to affect them terribly to where mods can't be implemented or made anymore. It wasn't just DMCV that had this update, but the Resident Evil games on Steam did as well. Glad this update didn't affect them too negatively 'cause if it did, there would've been a riot. I understand that making a profit off of mods isn't fair for the companies in some way since it's their property (yes, there are modders that ask for donations to make mods since certain programs they use require costly subscription fees), but game companies should look at the modding community as a form of resume if they're looking for more game developers. Like what happened with the fans that attempted to remake Resident Evil 2 using mods, until CAPCOM forcibly cancelled their project, then later asked for them to collaborate with them to make the RE2 Remake. 6. I got curious as to why Devil May Cry trended on Twitter for a bit. I didn't see anything except for people discussing things about the series, and showing off more fan art and such. 7. I really do wonder what Itsuno's next big project is. Dragon's Dogma 2? Devil May Cry 6? A completely new original title? That Pragmata game? Only one way to find out. 8. Having Pinnacle/Peak of Combat ported to PC would be a nice thing for fans to have that don't wanna play on mobile, and who want to experience playing it themselves. Well, another year of more Devil May Cry goodness. Looking forward to what more they bring us for the future. Hope you all have a happy, safe, smokin', sexy, and stylish new year.

#devil may cry #dmc #updates #the red devil's chronicles #trdc #news #capcom

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radioactivepeasant · 4 years

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Toshinko Week 2020, Day 5: Royalty

Suppose that once upon a time in a land similar to others you've heard of, there was a small boy with neither home nor family, determined to one day be a Knight defending his homeland. His staunchest supporter happened to be the young daughter of a mill hand who let him sleep in their attic during the summer.

Little Inko would listen to Toshinori tell stories about the brave queen of their land, who had sent her own child back to be raised and rule in her homeland when the king was assassinated. How she now ruled their kingdom alone, riding with her Knights each day to protect her people.

"Someday," Inko's friend would tell her, "I'm going to protect us all, just like the queen!"

"But you won't forget me when you're a Knight, right, Toshi?"

"Never ever!" Toshinori always reassured her, "Someday I'll come back and we'll go have adventures together."

Sooner than either child expected, they were separated. Young Toshinori found himself intervening on behalf of a man falsely accused of theft in the marketplace, even when the guards were called on the merchant's behalf. Toshinori's courage did not go unnoticed, and a pair of Knights on horseback approached.

"Boy," said the woman on the paint horse, "Why have you placed yourself in this dispute? Where are your parents?"

"I have none, Lady," answered Toshinori, "But I am sure they would have taught me to stand up for what is right. This man has done nothing wrong."

Smiling, the Knight threw back her hood, and the marketplace fell silent.

"Boy," said the queen, reaching out her hand, "What is your name?"

Toshinori bowed his head. "Toshinori, your majesty."

He felt a hand gently tousle his hair and looked up. The queen was still smiling at him.

"Well, Toshinori, such a brave soul is always needed in my kingdom. Have you thought of becoming a Knight?"

When she learned that the boy did, indeed, wish to be a Knight, but feared that an orphan would be turned away, she lifted Toshinori up into her saddle.

"Then we shall not enter you as an orphan," she said.

Toshinori looked back at the crowd as Nana turned her horse back towards the castle. His eyes met those of Inko, clinging to her father's hand and looking as though she wanted to run after them.

"Don't worry Inko," Toshinori shouted, "Don't forget! I promised!"

Years would pass before they saw each other again. For six winters Toshinori learned to fight, to debate, to strategize, even to dance and to play music. The less charitable of the court whispered -- sometimes in the range of his hearing -- that the queen must have gone mad with grief to take the boy off the streets and raise him as a second son. Some even insinuated that he was no more than a decoy for Prince Kotarou, perhaps meant to serve as his bodyguard. But Kotarou was intended to rule the kingdom of Shimura, not of Yuuei. For that, Nana had chosen Toshinori.

On his sixteenth birthday, the queen announced a festival, just as she had for Kotarou's sixteenth birthday. But at Toshinori's request, this celebration was not a ball held in the Shimura kingdom. Rather, it was a more informal event, open to everyone in Yuuei regardless of age or economic status. He hoped, more than anything else, to see his childhood friend again.

Fortune was on his side, for Inko had been steadfastly watching for an opportunity to enter the castle and see her friend for the last six years. The opportunities had been scarce, and what few times she'd made it in, she'd barely been able to glimpse Toshinori from a distance. But this was a chance to see him face to face, and to ask him if he remembered their promise to go on adventures together.

Inko grew self-conscious as she entered the wide courtyard with her family. Perhaps he wouldn't recognize her. Perhaps now that he was a prince, Toshinori wouldn't want to associate himself with a mill hand's daughter in a secondhand dress. Perhaps perhaps perhaps. She was so caught up in her worries that her father had to prod her twice to look up.

Standing to the right of Queen Nana's outdoor throne, Toshinori beamed at her. There could be no doubt that he knew exactly who she was. Raising a hand to his mouth, the prince called out, "Inko!" and waved.

Nana stifled a laugh at his decidedly informal behavior. "Go on," she said, "Say hello."

Toshinori nearly tripped over his feet halfway down the dais and stumbled to a halt in front of Inko. Suddenly shy, he raised his hand in greeting again.

"It...it's good to see you again," he said, "You received all my letters, didn't you?"

Inko shifted from foot to foot and wondered why her face felt so hot. Perhaps she needed some water.

"I received most of them," she answered, "Save for what you must have sent the winter we were fourteen. The postmen were under attack by-"

"-The Warg Bandits, oh yes, I'd forgotten that," Toshinori laughed sheepishly.

At the left of Nana's throne, her advisor and Knight Captain, Torino, scoffed. "Do you think he knows he looks like a lovestruck goose?" he asked.

"Oh shush," Nana laughed, "Let him have this."

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fictionalabyss · 4 years

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For Charity.

*header made by @sorenmarie87*

Pairing : Becky x Sam, F!Reader x OC, Dean x OC, Dean x F!Reader.

Word count : 2,890

Written for : @spnfluffbingo

Square : Date Auction for Charity.

Warnings : Becky is always a warning, unrequited love (Beck x Sam), a friendly bet, dates, jealousy, secret affections, confessions.

Masterlist • Patreon • Ko-fi.

SPN Fluff bingo 2020 Masterlist.

“You know she’s just doing this to score a date with Sammy, right?” Dean glanced over as he fixed his tie.

“I’m aware.” you answered from the bathroom where you were fixing your makeup while Sam brushed through his hair behind you.

“Why the hell are we agreeing to do this?”

“Because it’s for charity.” you answered.

“Probably to fund the damn books.” he grumbled.

“It’s not.” You joined him in the main room, and shook your head at him. “I checked, Dean. It’s for breakfasts for kids or something. The Supernatural fandom is actually very charitable, and-”

“ ‘The supernatural fandom’?” he questioned, giving you a look.

“Yes, that’s what they’re called, and they do a lot of good.” you pat him on his chest as you passed him, looking for your shoes. “Besides, we can save Sam. I took out a chunk of cash before I ditched the card, Sam’s gonna pool some in, so will you, and we’ll outbid whatever Becky throws our way, okay? Sam is safe, you get a date, kids get to eat. It’s win/win/win.”

“I hate this. I want it noted that I hate this.”

“It’s been noted, and ignored.” you teased, glancing up as you pulled on your heels.

“Dean’s just scared I’ll go for more than him.” Sam chuckled, coming out of the bathroom looking damn good in his suit, his long hair brushed neat.

“Fuck off, a date with me is worth twice as much as you.” he shot Sam a glare. “Why are you so eager to go along with her, anyways? You could get stuck with Becky again, remember last time? It ended in an annulment.” Dean deadpanned.

“Ah, but it’ll be fun to see who she ends up with.” Sam smiled.

“Who who ends up with?” you asked. “Becky’s not up for auction, is she?”

“No.” Sam answered, squaring his shoulders, his hands going into his pockets. “But you are.”

“No. No I’m not-”

“I called her back. You’re up.”

Your face fell and Dean burst out laughing. “You’re dead.” you pointed at Sam. “Have fun with Becky.”

“Oh, no, come on.” Sam groaned and you shrugged like you honestly couldn’t care less if she got her hooks in.

“Should have thought that one through, Sammy. Next time, don’t tell her. Let her find out during the auction and blame it on someone else.”

“Fuck you too, Dean. I’ll put all my money on you and give you to her, too.” Sam couldn’t help but laugh at the face Dean shot you at that.

It was pretty swanky looking, for a fandom charity event. You knew Becky had said a black tie kinda deal, but you hadn’t expected it to be this nice in here. You especially didn’t expect to see a few minor celebrities mingling around. How damn far did Supernatural reach!?

You grabbed a glass off a tray as it went past while Dean stuffed another hors d’oeuvre in his mouth as he made his way towards you. “Anyone interesting?” you asked.

“One or two.” he spoke with his mouth full and shrugged before swallowing. “Where’s Sammy?”

You shrugged. “But it's almost time for the auctions. Maybe he’s already over there?”

“Maybe.” Dean muttered, taking the glass from your hand and downing it despite the shocked look you gave him.

“Rude.”

As someone started approaching the stage, Dean motioned over towards it. “Come on, I’ve got money to make. Bet I feed more kids than you.” he grinned.

“Dream on, old man.” you nudged him as you fell in step with him, heading for the stage.

You and Dean were chatting and laughing as you made your way over and the host of the auction warmed up the crowd. You glanced around for Sam and found him off to your right, getting chatted up by Becky. He gave you a pleading look and you just responded with a shrug. “First up, we’ve got- Dean Winchester!” Dean cursed as he started towards the stage stairs, disappearing into the crowd before popping back into view as he made his way up. “Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is his real name. Word is, he is the subject that inspired the Dean Winchester we all know and love in the books!” Murmurs sound all around as Dean shot out his signature cocky grin and a wink. “Shall we start the bid at 100 dollars?”

You raised your hand, just getting it started, smiling at Dean as he shot you a wink.

“Okay, we have 100-”

“200!” someone behind you called out.

“250!” you glanced to the guy to your left, and when you looked back at Dean, Dean just shrugged and nodded. He wasn’t opposed to it, and that made you chuckle.

“We’ve got 250. Can I get 275?”

“275!” someone else called out.

A few more bids were called out, and then finally. “Sold! For the winning bid of 435$.” Dean sent a wink off towards the winning lady before making his way over to you.

“Like to see either of you beat that.” He huffed proudly, crossing his arms as he stopped next to you.

“Next up, we have Sam Winchester! Can we get Sam up here?” A moment later Sam made his way onto the stage, giving a shy wave. “Hey, Sam.”

“Hey.” he chuckled shyly.

“Okay, do we have-”

“250!” Becky called out instantly, hand shooting up.

“Okay, we’re starting with 250, do I hear-”

“350.” You called out.

“400!” Becky yelled.

“450” someone else called out and Dean’s face dropped.

“550!” Becky shot a glare across the room to the other person bidding. A few other bids came in before Becky yelled “700!”

“850!” your hand shot up and Sam looked relieved, Dean looked pissed. People around the room started murmuring.

“9-”

You cut Becky off with “950.”

Becky was fuming. You were positive if she had been a cartoon character you’d see steam rolling out of her ears and nose. “1200.” she growled out, her stare never leaving you as she dared you to one up her again.

You only broke eye contact to glance at Dean. “Everything?” Dean just rolled his eyes but nodded. “1300” you called out and everyone gasped and murmured.

“1500.” she responded, everyone looking between you and her.

You stared at her, watching her for a minute before you sighed and shrugged. “I’m out.”

“1500 going once! Twice? Sold!” You gave Sam an apologetic smile, but he just gave you an understanding smile back while Becky rushed the stage to get her hands on Sam.

“Bullshit.” Dean grumbled. “It doesn’t count.”

“Why?” you laughed at Dean being such a sore loser.

“Because his damn stalker and you drove up the price, it doesn’t fucking count. He’s out.” he practically pouted as the next guy was announced on the stage and actioning started. He didn’t say another word until this auction ended at 280. “See? Sammy was a damn fluke, this is between you and me, and I’m gonna win.”

“Okay there, sailor. We’ll see.” you pat him on the shoulder as you crossed in front of him and started away.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Need to freshen up.” you waved over your shoulder before disappearing into the crowd. “Excuse me, do you have a pair of scissors I can borrow?” you asked a bartender.

When your name was called, you made your way to the stage. Your long dress had a new slit to it to show a little leg, and yeah, maybe the neckline was slightly different. Thankfully, there had been a little sewing kit in the coat check for wardrobe emergencies and you had a bit of time to do some quick sewing. Everything was back to perfect by the time your heels hit that stage and all eyes were on you.

“Shall we start at 100?”

Dean’s hand shot up, his eyes locked on you. You gave him a small smile, a quiet thank you. He was just returning the favor, starting off the auctioning like you’d done for him. Your eyes scanned over the crowd as more people called out their bids, so you missed it. You missed how his eyes scanned over you.

“400!” came Sam, who got a glare and a smack on his chest from Becky.

Dean’s eyes shot across the room to his brother who was now probably explaining himself to her as she clung tighter to his arm. More bids were shot out, and before he knew it, you were beyond the money the three of you had brought. Dean just watched as you shifted how you stood, a touch of thigh poking out, a shy smile on your lips, and the guy next to him practically jumped on the spot before yelling out “2 grand!” Dean almost choked on the shock.

“Going once! Going twice! Sold for 2400.” the host pointed to the guy beside Dean. He hadn’t even heard the other bids making the number go higher, but he couldn’t believe it.

He’d lost.

“So what’s the excuse for that?” you teased, nudging him with your shoulder and pulling him out of his thoughts. “I didn’t have a stalker to drive up the price.”

“M’lady.” A man joined you and Dean, taking your hand and giving a slight bow. You recognized him from somewhere, but you couldn’t figure it out. “I look forward to our date.” he smiled, kissing the top of your hand before venturing off again.

“No, but you cheated in your own way.” Dean grumbled.

“You never said I couldn’t show skin, Dean.” you smirked at him. “You’re just mad you didn’t think of it first.”

You were smiling when you walked in sometime around almost 10 pm Saturday night. You weren’t paying much attention to what was going on around you until after the door shut and you looked up to see a person in the room and it made you jump. “Jesus fuck, Dean! You scared the shit out of me.” your hand was to your chest as you let out a shaky breath. “Didn’t expect you back so early.”

“Why are you back so early? Bad date?”

“No, actually, it- uh..” you smiled softly again with a soft chuckle. “It was pretty nice.”

“Oh, yeah?” Dean was watching you from where he sat with his back against the headboard with his arms crossed against his chest, the old tube TV showing some horror movie across the room.

You sat at the foot of the other bed and nodded. “Took me to this nice-ish place. Not 5 star, obviously, not in this town.” you laughed. “But nice. Chef came out and everything. A real chef, Dean. Not some grumpy cook in the back with a fryer, but an actual chef.” He watched how your face lit up at that. “Apparently, the dude was a bit of an actor? He did a few made for tv movies back in the day before he settled here doing the news.”

“Real hotshot, huh.” Dean mumbled, eyes lingering on you before shifting back to the tv. “Better have been nice to you.”

“He was.” you shifted so you could turn and look at him, the poise you’d been holding yourself with all night falling away now that you were in the comfort of your own space and around Dean. “He-” you froze looking at Dean for a second, his eyes were red and puffy and he looked miserable. Jumping up from your spot, you kneeled on the bed next to him, turning his face to look up at you. “What happened!? She seemed nice enough when I talked to her last night at the event, what the hell did she do to you?”

Dean could see anger and protectiveness in your eyes, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “She hurt me real bad.”

“What!? How!?”

“She was a crazy cat lady.”

You stared at him for a minute before sucking your teeth and giving him a shove, making him laugh again. “I thought you’d been crying, asshole.”

“I was! Do you know how allergic I am!?” you rolled your eyes at him and sat back down. “Girl has like eight goddamn cats! Who needs that many cats!? She was covered in hair!”

“So your date didn’t go as planned, huh?” you teased.

“I couldn’t breath.”

“So you’ve been home for a while?” your eyes were on the tv.

“Mhm.” he hummed. “She was nice, though. Super apologetic for the allergic reaction. I told her we could do a skype date or something some other time. Ya know, watch a movie together or something, so she’s not getting ripped off.”

“That’s good, at least. Maybe you’ve got a new friend.” you nudged him.

“Yeah, maybe. As much as a hunter can have a normal friend.”

“Sammy not back yet?”

Dean's lips curved into a smile when you glanced over at him. “No. And haven’t heard anything from him since he met up with her.”

“Should we be worried?” your smile matched his.

“Maybe tomorrow.” he shrugged, then glanced over at you. “So it was a good date, huh? You seeing him again?”

“I dunno.” Dean watched as you looked down at your hands on your lap. “He was nice and all..”

“But?”

You chewed your bottom lip for a moment before “You hungry?” you looked at him, changing the subject. “You said your date was cut short, did you eat?” Dean shook his head. “Let me change.” you made your way off the bed. “I’ll be back in a few.”

“What? But you ate… you said-”

“It was a date, Dean. At a swanky place and I’m a lady. I barely ate.” you chuckled. “I’d kill for a burger.”

“Burgers it is.” Dean watched as you smiled at him and headed out for your room next to theirs to change.

“Mmmm. So good.” you moaned around the bite of burger, making Dean chuckle next to you. You both sat in the Impala in a burger joints parking lot, eating in the comfort and semi privacy the car offered.

“Better than your.. 3 star dinner?” he guessed.

“Much.” you said before swallowing, making Dean smile and take a bite of his own. “Right?” you asked as he let out a moan of his own. “Why isn’t this place everywhere!”

“I dunno, but it should be.” Dean swallowed before he took another bite. You reached for your drink, taking a few sips from the straw before putting it back into the drink tray and going for another bite. He waited until you were about half way done your burger, putting a few fries into your mouth, before he finally asked what he’d been dying to ask for a while. “So, this out of work actor of yours-”

“He has a job, Dean.” you chuckled, glancing over at him. “You jealous?”

“But it’s not acting.” he pointed out. “Why don’t you want to see him again?”

“Who says I don’t?”

“You did. Not in words, but I wasn’t born yesterday, sweetheart. I know that look. That's the ‘thanks for a good time, but you ain’t gonna see me again’ look. I know that look, hell, I invented it.”

You sighed, rolling your eyes at him before looking out the window and eating another fry. “He's nice.” you muttered and swallowed. “And cute.. Okay, a little more than cute, but..” you shrugged. “He’s too normal. His life is too normal. It can’t work.”

“Maybe that’s exactly why you should give it a try. You deserve a good man in your life. Or woman, you know, whatever you want.” he was quick to add, making you smile.

“Maybe I don’t want that.”

“Sweetheart, everyone wants that. The apple pie life is what America was built on.”

You shook your head. “Maybe I just want someone who gets me. Someone I don’t have to try so hard for. Who doesn’t expect prim and proper and swanky places. Maybe I just want burgers in a car and old rock and roll. Maybe I want a guy like that.” Dean was staring at you when you glanced over at him. “Is that so much to ask for?”

“No.” his voice was low as he watched you, studying you as if trying to figure out if you were saying what he thought you were saying. “No, it’s not..”

“Then maybe one day I’ll find that.” you took a bite of your burger, eyes still on him.

“Maybe..”

Dean watched you chew your food, his eyes going from yours to your lips and back again. The second he saw you swallow, he surged forward, his lips pressing to yours. You melted against him, kissing him back as his hand came up to cup your face before the kiss broke and the two of you stared into each other's eyes.

“I wanted to win that date with you.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“It got away from me and I didn’t have enough.”

“You’re Dean fucking Winchester. You would have figured it out.” You smiled. “Besides, I like this better.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” you inched closer so your lips brushed his again, and opened your mouth for him. His tongue moved in and you giggled, making him pull back. “Extra pickles and sauce. I can taste them. It tastes good.”

*If you like this, please consider supporting my work*

Tagging : Dean - @akshi8278 @adoptdontshoppets @evyiione @karikatz12481 @idksupernatural

SPN - @sandlee44 @just-another-busy-fangirl @mrswhozeewhatsis @deanandsamsbitch @deans-baby-momma @thebescht @67-chevy-baby @supraveng @musiclovinchic93 @holyfuckloueh @ksgeekgirl @hobby27 @maddiepants @roxyspearing @onethirstyunicorn @fandom-princess-forevermore @kalesrebellion @deanwanddamons

All tags - @sorenmarie87 @artemisthebadger @winchesterprincessbride @iflostreturntosteverogers @akfonkin @rebelminxy @foxyjwls007 @onethirstyunicorn @shaelyn102 @supernaturalenchanted @kazkingdom @babypink224221 @emoryhemsworth @ilovefanfic86 @pie-with-hunters @deanmonandnegansbitch @lazinessisalliknow @feelmyroarrrr @letsdisneythings @cdwmtjb8 @notyourtypicalrose @xostephanie @marvelmenmusicandroses @ilovedeanspie @defenderrosetyler @amandamdiehl

#spnfluffbingo #date auction for charity #dean x reader #reader insert #dean winchester fic #dean #dean fic #dean winchester #sam winchester #spn #spnfic #supernatural #supernatural fic #sam x becky

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yejiroh · 4 years

Note

Hello! I love your Wake Up and See Me story! (not so secret slut for angst and character death) I'd like to request very angsty HCs for Obey me! charas x fem!reader who is still grieving for her family singing her mother's lullaby while spacing out somewhere public. The lullaby in question being Lullaby of Woe by Ashley Serena, The Hanging Tree from Hunger Games series or Come Little Children by Erutan. Wanna see their reactions so bad!!!

I- I really need to update that series. Thank you so much for the support of it anon!

And thank you for the request darling! I’m sorry it took so long, but the lullaby’s were beautiful! So yes, I decided to listen to them all and match them with who I think it’d get the best reaction from! I made a little scene as well before the reactions, so it may or may not be a bit of a long read.

Lullaby Reaction! Obey Me BROTHERS x Fem!MC (ANGST)

Couldn't add the Keep Reading link because Tumblr is a beeotch. Sorry not sorry to everyone because this is LONG!

***

TRIGGER WARNING: death, loss of parents, toxicity, mentions of cannibalism, more death, child abuse, traumatic stress, mentions of suicide, nightmare factors, unintentional murder, loss of siblings, and as the anon requested, A SHIT TON OF ANGST!

Side note: I really really liked Lullaby of Woe...may consider making a series based on the lyrics. Who knows?

***

This one is kind of long because I did get carried away, but I do hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

***

Lucifer, Mammon and Beezlebub: Come Little Children

As the cool Autumn breeze hit her face, MC took a sip from the hot cup between her clothed hands. Today would mark the 15th year since the orphanage- her orphanage, had burned down. All 23 children and her parents except she had burned to an ash- less than that truly. She, with her ill body and frail stature, she, with her poor value and level of importance, she, the one who had been trapped in the building longest of all.

Every time she had walked into the toy store around the corner, MC felt pulled towards the puzzle sets. Specifically, the 24 piece sets. MC was the 24th child. But she was also the first. Every day, she’d buy a set, just to lay it on their graves, sorry that she had been left behind.

“Come little children, I’ll take thee away, into a land of enchantment…oh momma, I’m so sorry I let you all down...I’m sorry I played with the fire, I’m sorry.” A tear had poured down, slid to her dry lips as she desperately held them back.

“I’m sorry momma...papa...I’m sorry I didn’t listen...I’m sorry I killed you all…”

And, as she walked away from the tombstones, a heart that was not hers broke.

{Reactions}

LUCIFER:

1.Never before had Lucifer been so...disturbed.

2.The song was stunning, and that was true….but somehow he could relate

3.He would definitely stay on the down low for a while, his pride showing when he has to come up with lies as to why he wasn’t talking to you

4.Okay, flashbacks for weeks. He was genuinely affected by the song.

5.In the end, he needs more comfort than you once he finally kicks pride out the window and sheds tears in front of you.

6.“I’m sorry, MC…”

MAMMON:

1.Okay...he wasn’t the best at spying on you-but he was worried! Your behavior was odd since last Sunday...actually, every Sunday.

2.He ran out to you, crying hard as he tackled you, saying how sorry he was for digging into your personal life.

3.The demon was holding fistfulls of little puzzle pieces, candy, and notes, claiming they were from the souls of the children, who wished you the best in life and to move on.

4.He, the avatar of greed, had done something of huge charitable value for these children as he held you close

5.Yes, he got flashbacks….but decided not to dwell on them, more so trying to comfort you.

6.“Stupid human...you can come to me always, ya know that?”

BEEZLEBUB:

1.Beezlebub doesn’t always show his feelings, sure. But he does, forever and always, come for those he cares about.

2.It’s like a magnetic pull as you cry. He’s there, wiping the large tear threatening to spill with his thumb, licking it off before wiping his hand off.

3.A kind smile with eyes pain ridden as his big hands engulf your own, for he too, had a tragic past and lost someone he considered blood.

4.“It’s okay, MC. They’re right here, and always will be. Please don’t cry.” He says as he points to your heart, right by your breast, but with no sexual intent. Only comfort.

5.“Come on, big girl, don’t cry, I’m here.” He says, holding you close and running his fingers through your hair with the gentlest of touches.

6. No one can harm you in your vulnerable state as the Avatar of Gluttony protects you.

Satan and Asmodeus: The Hanging Tree

It was in class- herbology. The lesson was on wisteria trees when MC bordly began to hum a tune.

“Are you, are you, coming to the tree? They strung up a man, they say who murdered three. Strange things did happen here no stranger would it be, if we met at midnight, in the hanging tree.”

“Miss L/n quiet down! I’m trying to teach!” The professor had called out, but MC was lost as tears began to bubble up. She continued her little song quietly as her desk mates huffed in annoyance. She’d done this every day of the week, only to end up crying. Nobody knew what was wrong with her, nor did they get a word out of her. Not until Amso took MC and Satan out for a spa treatment.

Filing her nails, Asmo blew off the dust, his brows furrowed.

“Say, MC?”

“Yeah?”

“Why is it you sing that depressing song every time someone brings up wisteria trees?”

Now Satan looked up, lifting a cucumber off his eye, his curiosity sparked. MC looked away, pulling her hand away from Asmo’s as she pulled her knees to her chest, a deep sigh escaping her lips. Asmo quickly waved his hands in front of him.

“Oh, sorry, sorry MC! I didn’t know it was a touchy subject-”

Satan interrupted. “Care to share?”

“Satan!”

“No, no, Asmo- it’s okay. It’s...it’s just not something I really talk about.” MC said, finishing off with a whisper.

The two leaned in, eyes big and expectant when MC looked to them.

“You know, my father passed away when I was really young. It was a selfish reason, really- to put it into his own words, it was, “To escape the responsibility of life.” , but that wasn’t the case.” MC raised her pant leg, revealing all the burn marks and scars covering the skin.

“It was really to escape the guilt of hurting me.”

The brothers went quiet for a moment before Satan put a hand up.

“So what does that have to do with that song you were singing?”

MC smiled bitterly. “Because he was the man in The Hanging Tree my mother always sang to me.”

“So what happened to your mother?”

“She too, joined him in death…and left me alone.”

{Reactions}

SATAN:

1.He was at a loss for words, to say the least.

2.Never, in the demon’s countless millennia had he come across such a pitiful soul

3.Taking a bite of the cucumber before tossing it aside, he took the other off, tracing his fingers across the burns that resembled his rage: Ugly, loved, and traumatizing

4.As the room was quiet, he just felt intrigued to know more, had to know more.

5.“You’re very strong, MC.”

6.The Hanging Tree did not leave his mind for quite some time as he tried to figure out the mystery MC had unknowingly left implanted in his brain.

ASMODEUS:

1.He has never ruined his makeup by crying in front of somewhere. Never ever.

2.But he sure as hell came close to it.

3.Asmo had nothing to say but grab MC’s hands and kiss them softly over and over again before continuing the manicure he had initially started.

4.A mental note to take MC’s mind off other things so as not to give her wrinkles from stress or depression.

Leviathan and Belphegor: Lullaby of Woe

She never had a peaceful night's rest. The dreams always came back to haunt her.Each night, she’d live through it, again, and again, and again. Oh, how the false man in white would come to her, a mischievous grin on his handsome face before cutting into her mind, showing her the deaths at her fault. Her mother, kind and beautiful, always coming in to protect her, reassure her that it wasn’t real, that she was seeing things.

“Momma, please! I’m scared! I don’t wanna see him again momma!” A little girl wailed, holding onto her mother’s waist, legs wrapped around in a firm hold, hands bundled in her clothes.

“My darling, please just sleep~ I’ll always be here love. Always.”

And always she was, for her remains laid in that rotting home to this day, not yet known. Still, no one would believe the late Mrs. L/n’s daughter.

MC shuffled more in her sleep before finally waking up, eyes puffy from the unconscious crying. Slowly she got up, getting ready for the school day as she washed her face, prepared, and left the room.

“Good morning.” Each of the brothers would greet her, to which she’d return a small nod. There was nothing to talk about. Not when these nightmares haunted her so.

A little girl sat by her mother’s corpse, a man beside her.

Drink, child. Feast in the blood of a sinner.

“...But….but mother wasn’t a sinner…”

“Ignorant child. You are but a bastard, for she was never married. Drink and cleanse yourself of the blood of a sinner. Repent and be saved.”

Truly, the false man in white was but a liar, wanting nothing more than a child’s innocence and fortune as he toyed with her.

Lost in her own fantasies, she began to sing, the tall Jubokko tree towering beneath her with the damned’s skulls by her feat.

“For the witcher, heartless, cold...Paid in coin of gold, He comes he’ll go leave naught behind, but heartache and woe…”

“Deep, deep woe, for the witcher, heartless, cold, Paid in coin of gold, he comes…”

MC’s voice broke into it, pathetic cracks of the voice clear but quiet as she stopped.

A small applause was heard behind her; Belphie and Levi had seen and listened patiently, attentive and concerned.

The Avatar of Sloth put his arms down, kicking a skull as he sat down.

“That was a beautiful song, MC. What has made you so upset?”

Levi too, had sat down, his eyes no longer focused on the forgotten D.D.D.

MC just smiled sheepishly, sitting down with the boys as she tucked back a loose strand away.

“It was nothing important. A story for another time.”

{Reactions}

BELPHEGOR:

1.Girl, honey, darling. You're lying. It’s okay! You can trust him!

2.If MC doesn’t end up telling him, then he can just slip into the dreams (I think?)

3.Honestly worried for you. He’s the Avatar of Sleep- he KNOWS you’ve been disturbed lately, and more so than others.

4.Can you imagine the pure look of hatred once he finds out about this man?

5.And ew, you drank your mother’s blood?

6.But that’s cannibalism, which is a major sin so…

7.I guess you really can stay with him forever!

8.Honestly, he’s like a flame; burns as long as there’s fuel, then will move on to another topic.

LEVIATHAN:

1.So yeah. He didn’t really say anything.

2.But he was listening.

3.Didn’t make an anime reference once because nothing he’s ever knew of had been that horrifying.

4. Didn’t wanna make you feel shy about it, but kind of hints about it later on.

5.No, he doesn’t care about the man, because as you sat down on the skull ridden dirt, you just seemed so...peaceful

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teechew · 4 years

Text

VESPINNA

- cw: mention or rape and underage rape (only the mention, not the description of the act itself) -

Name: Virginia Quispero Alias: Vespinna Age: around 40 Quirk: gorgon – hair is made of think black snakes. Can transforms into a giant gorgon creature when all head (snakes + hers) think the exact same thing Passives: slow regeneration, super strength, super stamina, hyper vigilance (because around 100 pairs of eyes) Snake head poison: causes hallucination, paralysis and intestinal disorders Human head poison: deadly muscle stimulant, kills in 7 seconds Gorgon form: no legs, snake tail, giant size, feathers among the scales, all bites are mortals, barely human-looking

Born in an isolated valley in Peru, her family was part of a cult to Vespinno, a pagan god of destruction. When her quirk appeared, her father was persuaded she was Vespinno’s chosen and tried to raise her in the rank of the cult. The heads were charmed by his words and how he was certain she'd give birth to Vespinno himself! Her mother, realizing the madness of the cult, and her daughter safety was at risk, ran away with the child. She found refuge in the bigger city and went into hiding. She found work and kept the child hidden inside her home at all times. Virginia was really bored, always asking to get out and play with the other children, but the mother kept refusing. After a year of this life, the mother was tired. Money was short, the cult and even the government were trying to get their hands on Virginia. Without exit, the mother gave her up for adoption on the condition that Virginia was adopted out of the country.

Vi was sent to a wannabe celebrity japanese couple when she was 5. They intend on using Vi as a "pity" child, showing how "good and charitable" they were by adopting a 3rd country child with a difficult quirk. The brain was definitely the mother, spending most of her time recording vlogs and cleaning videos for her channel. The father was mostly uninterested, too busy working to feed his wife’s luxury taste. The plan was foiled by Virginia's queen intellect. She realized quickly that once the camera was off, her "mother" wasn't as caring and nice, often sending her to her room and not wanting to have anything to do with "a freak". The couple had another child; Ishimaru, barely a toddler then. He and Virginia were close. He was too young and hadn’t learn the biased view on her quirk. Virginia decided to "enlist" his help to expose her mother.

One day, when the mother was having a livestreamed Q&A session, Virginia came into view. "Mother, I'm hungry, can I get a snack?" The mother, under the camera at this moment, told her "not yet" and sent her to her room, saying that she was busy but remaining sweet and caring. Virginia shook her head, making her snakes wave around and asked again to have a snack. The mother became more and more tense. With each refusal the child insisted, getting on her mother nerves. At one point the woman excused herself to the audience and shut the livestream. As the mother was scolding Virginia, Ishimaru, paid in candy by his sister, came closer to the computer and "pushed the red button" on his mother screen. Virginia had taught him how to use a mouse... And the livestream started. Virginia was still in the middle of a scolding. The mother, already mad, was pointing and now screaming at the gorgon. Virginia, following her plan, was especially good at being a brat that day and was promptly, under the eyes of the watchers, sent "to the basement without diner!" No need to say, child services were called and took Virginia and Ishimaru away from the couple. Virginia never saw her little brother again.

She was send to foster families, but because of this awful experience and her quirk that, you have to admit, is scary, Virginia was never adopted nor stayed long in the families, changing households every now and then. Because of this she was also changing schools often and never made long lasting friends. She was a loner and often though of as a bully due to her tallness, superior strength, bad grades, and attitude. Truth was she had a huge social skill delay and never learned how to make friends. When she reached 16, she was old enough to work a part-time job and the government wasn't ready to pay for her studies, especially seeing her bad grades. She was cut from the foster program and left to fend for herself. She was lucky enough that the current foster family didn't throw her out, but offered her to stay in her current room as long as she participated in the grocery bill.

Virginia tried. She really did. No front work wanted her - "not customer friendly" they said. Back work never lasted long as her colleagues often complained about her and how "scary" she was. She finally landed an ungrateful job but it was something; gutting fish in the early hours of the day. She smelled awful, slept through most of the day, but was able to pay for her room. And life threw her on the ground again.

At 17, one morning, after work, she was walking home when she was suddenly abducted. A man approached her and, of course, she was wary; a young girl walking alone, on the docks, in the early hours of morning... A scenario straight out of a cliché horror movie. She kept walking, thinking she was overreacting, her snakes on high alert and hissing. Suddenly the man dropped a wet sheet on her; he must have prepared his plan, the sheet was doused in chloroform. If he were to simply put it on her nose her snakes would have bite him everywhere, but the sheet was neutralizing the snakes, and not only her face but each snake was breathing the chloroform. Virginia fainted.

When she awoke, groggy, feeling dirty, and tied up, she knew; they didn't just watch her. She struggled to get in a better position, realizing the same sheet had been used to wrap her snakes and keep them enclosed. Her hands and feet were tightly tied together, but it was nothing her strength couldn't handle. She quickly broke them, freed her snakes, and inspected herself; bruised, raped, drugged, but alive. She picked herself up and went to the closest door. She could hear voices... and cries. She found kids, boys and girls, dirty and scared, some with bruised on their faces and limbs, most barely clothed, if clothed. All way younger than her, too young for whatever these men have done to them... to her. When she came in, some kids cried louder and Vi heard a booming voice behind her

"WHAT ARE YOU WHINNING FOR AGAIN YOU FUCKIN BRATS?!"

She turned around and faced a man coming from an other room. Easily in his late 50, ugly, and fat. He looked at her, surprised "hey, you're the new one. How did you get free?" He walked toward her, clenching his fists. "Not important, you're too old for my taste but we still got work for you." The children started crying even more, Vi could hear more men voices approaching, she was in danger, the kids were in danger. Something in Virginia's head snapped. Her snakes started screaming to kill, she wanted to protect the kids, but that'd mean killing the men. Kill them. KILL!

From there, her memory is hazy. She remembered feeling powerful and unstoppable. She remembered the taste of blood in her mouth, the screams of men, and the sounds of children’s feet running away. She also remembered the police sirens, the hero's orders to surrender, but she didn't listen. She wanted to go away. Away from everyone, from everything! But then the dream ended. She got punched. Hard. And she fell.

When she awoke again she was in an isolated cell, with a muzzle on her face. She tried moving but her entire body was held in a straightjacket. She tried moving her snakes and realized each of their heads were inside little locks, rendering them useless. In jail. Her trial came quickly. She was declared a Villain on an account of intentionally killing 10+ adults, and destroying a government-owned building as well as resisting hero arrest. She never heard about the children, about the fact she was kidnapped, drugged, and raped... The sentenced was 8 years in prison. She did the first one in a juvenile prison and then transferred into a high security prison for Class-S villains. Virginia often jokes that these years were like school; she never made friends, kept to herself, and waited for time to pass. She was left alone, mainly because people knew what she was capable of. The muzzle was never removed except for lunch time, were she was under strict surveillance. The rare time she wasn't left alone she knew quickly how to assert her dominance. She was strong and ruthless and at one point was asked what was her villain name. "Vespinna." Slowly the other inmates learned to not mess with her.

8 years later she was finally let out. Her foster family had gone silent, no family, no friends... She was truly alone and without a place to go home to. So she walked. After a full day of walking she reached the other side of the city. She was tired, hungry, and night was coming. Frustrated, she slipped in an alleyway, away from the public eyes, and sat down against a wall. Bringing her knees against her torso, she wrapped her snakes around her and closed her eyes. She was alone...

Later that night she was awoken by a repeated poking on her leg. She unwrapped her snakes, ready to fend of anything that was responsible for the poking, and was faced with a homeless man. He was dirty, with at least 3 layers of clothes. Looking tired, with huge bags under his eyes, he looked to be in his fifties, his hair and beard greying under the dirt and dust. He smelled horrible and Virginia had a hard time not frowning her nose. "Hey kid, you're new here?" Virginia frowned, wary. "So what?" The man shrugged "Just wondering if it's a one night situation or if you gon' be there for longer." Virginia stood up, towering over the man "And what about it?" The man didn't seem impressed. "Listen, honey, I'm the one usually sleepin' here. Just wanna know if I'm in danger or if you're chill." Virginia relaxed a little. "it's... your alley?" The man turned away and walked toward a panel a wood, pushing it to reveal a cardboard box fort of some sort. In it was a dirty old mattress and several garbage bags of junk. "It's not *mine*, but it's where I'm left alone." Virginia watched him dig into one of the bags, pull out an old blanket and throw it to her. "Nights are fresh kiddo, bundle up." Virginia looked at the blanket, several stains of food were scattered on it and it had some holes here and there. "You're... not scared I’ll rob you?" "Rob me of what? I have nothing to my name except my life. And even that ain't much," said the man, sounding tired and crawling in his little hideout. "Plus you're the one with questions so far. I don't think I'm in danger," He chuckled while taking off his shoes. Virginia stepped closer "You... don't have any? I mean, questions? About me?" The man sighted as he got ready to sleep "Girl, I bet you're not here because you chose to. And neither am I. That's all we need to know about each other." On this he turned away and laid down. Virginia returned to her little corner and bundled in the blanket. It was smelly. "But again, so will I... soon," she though while looking at the man one last time before falling asleep.

From then one this alley was her "home". The man's name was Akira, he had lost his own home after a villain and a hero fought a little too roughly and destroyed it. He taught Virginia all she needed while homeless: the soup kitchen days, the shops that were chill about homeless digging in their trash, the shops that weren't... Strangely, Virginia felt more and more comfortable next to Akira. He shared food and fabrics with her without asking questions. He also presented her to the homeless community; the most strange but tight-knit community. Everyone was helping you, all that was asked of you was to help in return for those who couldn't get by as easily as you could.

It's been 15 years, and she's the happiest she ever was. But not fully happy yet...

#bnha oc #bnha #rape cw #gorgon #snake #teeart #vespinna

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sheeple · 4 years

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Real thing | 5: An unexpected guest speaker

GIFS NOT MINE. THIS IS ALL FICTION. Genre(s): mafia!au / hacker!au Group(s): NCT Pairing(s): Qian Kun x fem!reader / Jung Jaehyun x fem!reader Summary: (Y/n), a college student who joined WayV ─ an international crime organization ─ for some extra cash as one of their hackers. But what happens when she gets mixed up in a lot more heavy stuff than only sitting behind a computer and disabling security cameras? Warning(s): A panic attack happens at the end, so be prepared if it triggers you [Masterlist] [Mini masterlist]

It’s been a month or so since the cafe incident and I haven’t heard or seen Qian since then. Thank God he keeps up his own anonymity policy.

Qian Kun has this rule that he shouldn’t know the faces of certain departments, IT in specific. It keeps him and his employees save. Once someone gets recruited they only know the people closest to them and someone from Qian’s inner circle.

YY and Lucas are the only faces I knew before I accidentally saw a photo of Qian on YY’s screen.

YY had to do a background check on someone and accidentally opened Qian’s file when he wanted to show me how he did it.

Of course, my first thought ─ like probably every other female he came across ─ is that he’s handsome. Not the big and buff way of handsome with a sixpack and a V line where you can cut fruit with.

But the timeless kind of handsome. He’s still young but has a mean stare, thick eyebrows, and an okay bone structure. Not like that makes sense, but for him it does.

So imagine my surprise when, the first thing I see when I walk in my first class of the day, I see Qian himself standing next to the teacher, talking to him.

I quickly take place in the back of the class next to Ah Ran, one of my girlfriends, to hide between the masses without him seeing me.

“Who’s that?”, I ask her in a whisper as we grab our laptops out of our bags.

“I don’t know”, she replies with a shrug, “isn’t that the guest speaker of today? The one about business strategies?”

I look back to the front and my eyes lock with Qian. I gulp before quickly looking away. This couldn’t be any worse.

“Settle down everyone.” Mr Li’s voice booms over everyone’s muffled chatter and the whole room grows quiet.

“Today we have a guest speaker. This is Qian Kun, he owns a small business in the economics field and will be telling you guys about the ins and outs of economics.”

I swallow thickly, what is he planning? Qian is lucky this isn’t my class with Jaehyun. Otherwise, it would have been a total disaster.

The hour passes slowly, with me not concentrating on any of Qian’s words. I feel his intense stares on my figure but I try my hardest to ignore it. The girls around me giggle, thinking he’s looking at them.

After the presentation Qian prepared finally turns black, Mr Li reminded us to finish our paper on business strategies with the newfound information of Qian, he dismisses us.

“Hey, can I take a look at your notes after school? I couldn’t keep my attention to the presentation”, I ask Ah Ran as I quickly put my laptop in it’s designated spot in my bag.

She rolls her eyes but complies. “Only if you buy me lunch.”

I laugh and push her hair away from her shoulder. “For you and your amazing notes, anything.” Ah Ran and I walk down towards the exit when Mr Li stops me.

“(Y/n), can you come here for a second.”

I stop in my tracks and look at Ah Ran. “Go to your class, I have a free period after this anyways.”

I turn around with a fake smile and walk towards Mr Li and Qian. “Yes, professor?”

“Can you accompany Mr Qian to his car. The building is such a maze for someone outside our organisation..” Mr Li laughs a charitable chuckle, Qian joining him with cold eyes and I nod, knowing that I have no choice but to see Qian out.

“Of course, sir. No problem.” I turn towards Qian and nod. “Ready to go, Mr Qian?”

He nods and holds up his briefcase. “Yes, shall we?”

I bow one last time to Mr Li before leading Qian out of the classroom, my fake smile falling.

“I got so lost on my way here that I didn’t want that a second time”, chuckles Qian as if he’s not some gangster with probably a .48 Glock in that briefcase of his.

As we enter a deserted corridor, I stop and turn towards him. “No offence sir, but why are you here? Do you know how risky it would be if one of the two suspects saw you?”, I hiss the last part while taking a step closer towards him, still keeping enough distance between us.

Qian coughs before looking around. “Hendery actually had to go but he has a... more important job right now. And I have the morning free so I thought why not? I didn’t even know this was your college.”

A humourless laugh leaves my lips. “Don’t tell lies, Sir. I know you did a background on me, YY told me.”

With a sight, Qian looks away and runs a hand through his hair. “No lying to you, I guess.”

I roll my eyes and start to walk towards the exit, almost jumping three steps at a time down the stone stairs. The faster Qian is away from school grounds, the earlier I can discuss this with YY and rage about it.

Qian follows me quickly, not wanting to be lost again in the school. “How are you? Did your neck heal?”

“Sir...”, I sigh, holding the doors open for him to walk out. “Just... let me handle this, okay? I can do this.” I scan the parking lot and walk towards the most expensive-looking car.

“Thank you for escorting me out. And I do trust you with this assignment, even though it’s not your field.” Qian opens the door on the drivers’ side and throws the briefcase on the backseat.

I nod shortly before turning around, quickly walking away.

“(Y/n)...”, he calls behind me and I stop, “I have to ask you something.”

‘Shit’ I think and turn around on my heels. “Yes?”, I smile uncomfortably.

“I need you to be my date for a gala this weekend.”

I look baffled at Qian. This has to be a joke. He can’t be serious right now. Doesn’t he have escorts or sugar babies for that?

“You’re kidding right?” But the blank look on his face makes me realize that he is serious.

I shake my head as Qian begins to talk, explaining his motive. “I am expected to bring a partner with me. I can’t bring Lucas with me. Rumours will start and that’s not good for the economy. Since you’re the only... female I know and trust─”

“So you decided that it has to be me who you take with you to that meeting-thingy. Like a piece of arm candy, a pawn to use.” I cut in with slight anger rising in my tone, the idea of just sitting there and being pretty going strongly against my moral.

“Do not cut me off! I am your boss, you have to comply with my order”, he urges angrily and takes a step closer to me, towering over my figure. Our eyes lock and I see those familiar cold eyes I saw back in the basement. My breathing hitches in my throat and I take another step back, the anger replacing with slight fear.

Qian notices my sudden change in behaviour and posture pulling him out his trance, his eyes softening slightly. He takes two steps back and exhales deeply, closing his eyes to calm himself.

“I apologize for my outburst.” He looks away and neatens his suit jacket and dress shirt.

“No, you are right, sir. You are my boss and that was an... order. Just call or text me what I have to wear and when to expect you. I’m sure you could get my number from Lucas. Now if you excuse me.”

I turn around and speed walk away from Qian Kun and his unnecessary expensive-looking car. As I turn around, I bump into a chest and stumble backwards. I land on the ground with an ‘oof’ escaping my lips.

“Oh, (Y/n)!”, calls out Jaehyun and helps me up by my arms. Great, just what I needed, more mafia men in the middle of me having a beginning panic attack.

My vision starts to blur and my knees give in, making me drop to the ground. A loud gasp leaves Jaehyun’s lips and he quickly catches me, pulling me towards one of the many benches in the hallway.

“Breathe”, he whispers and pushes my hair away from my face, his eyes falling on the light scar on my neck. “Focus on my voice and close your eyes. Breathe deeply in, hold for a second, and then breathe out. Breathe in... hold... breathe out.”

I concentrate on Jaehyun and lean against him, focussing on how deep his voice is and the way his thumbs rub circles on the top of my hands.

“When you feel ready, open your eyes and look into mine. Focus on them and, if you can do it, describe them for yourself.”

My eyes flutter open and I study his face first. How his bangs cover most of his forehead, his angular eyebrows, the small rings piercing his ears.

I finally look up, expecting to see cold eyes. The eyes I meet are everything except cold. They are warm and look at me with great worry.

“I see... warmth. And comfort. Little specs of lighter brown in them. I like them, they shine in the sunlight”, I mutter to myself, the words escaping my lips.

It seems like Jaehyun still heard it because his breath stops. He comes closer but stops just millimetres away from my face, quickly standing up from the bench and coughing.

“Let me take you home. You can’t continue your day like this.” Jaehyun takes off his jacket and places it over my shoulders, engulfing me in an earthy smell. Strong hints of sandalwood, patchouli, and rosewood.

I don’t ague and let him lead me outside, into his car and drive me home. As Jaehyun opens up the door of my apartment and placing me on the couch with a blanket and a glass of water before he leaves again with a sad smile on his face, a single thought crosses my mind.

How did he knew where I live?

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sorenthestoryteller · 4 years

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February 15th, 2020 – In Which Soren Writes About Practical Love as Worship and Quotes Page After Page of C.S. Lewis

Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? -Psalm 15:1 (NLT)

If there is something practical to take from this Psalm, it is that worship is beyond what takes place as a part of a service is more so a part of how we act.

Jesus said the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:35-40, Leviticus 19:9-18, Deuteronomy 6:4-5) is to Love God, Love Others, and to root that in how we actively love ourselves. If we are not able to Love, what is worship?

Worship is a state of being.

There are a variety of means and ways to worship, the most important being in how we demonstrate practical Love.

Individual and corporal worship as a sense of how we Love others makes the modern evangelical understanding of worship has more depth and value beyond an individual church service.

Growing up in the world of Evangelicals and the Southern Baptist Convention, the term worship was slapped onto so many things that it lost meaning. Instead of treating spiritual discipline as a core feature of worship, they were two concepts that were completely divorced.

Having spent several years helping with worship, acting as a frontman for a couple of Christian rock and worship bands, I learned how important preparation is for services. To serve you must be prepared in advance. In theory, hours of work get distilled down to an hour that hopefully convey a deeper meaning.

Hours of practice and research go into preparation for presenting songs and sermons.

Hours go into the act of learning how to pray in a different method.

So, goes to reason, learning how to act in kindness and love requires practice. Learning how to love those who upset and offend our sensibilities does not happen overnight. If I do not purposefully take time to listen to and see the needs of those who I instinctively want to shun, any attempts to pray for them are superficial noise.

Kindness and Love are not synonyms. I dare say they can be two sides of the same coin.

Kindness and Love are things that do not occur by accident. This is especially so when we are trying to show love towards those who annoy or offend or upset us. It takes practice and effort to be humble enough to show love when it’s the last thing we feel.

I could try to rephrase things but I’ll just do a huge quote from C.S. Lewis that words things better than me:

“But though natural likings should normally be encouraged, it would be quite wrong to think that the way to become charitable is to sit trying to manufacture affectionate feel-ings. Some people are “cold” by temperament; that may be a misfortune for them, but it is no more a sin than having bad digestion is a sin; and it does not cut them out from the chance, or excuse them from the duty, of learning charity.

The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less. There is, indeed, one exception. If you do him a good turn, not to please God and obey the law of charity, but to show him what a fine forgiving chap you are, and to put him in your debt, and then sit down to wait for his “gratitude” you will probably be disappointed. (People are not fools: they have a very quick eye for anything like showing off, or patronage.) But whenever we do good to another self, just because it is a self, made (like us) by God, and desiring its own happiness as we desire ours, we shall have learned to love it a little more, or, at least, to dislike it less.

Consequently, though Christian charity sounds a very cold thing to people whose heads are full of sentimentality, and though it is quite distinct from affection, yet it leads to affection. The difference between a Christian and a worldly man is not that the worldly man has only affections or “likings” and the Christian has only “charity.” The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he “likes” them: the Christian, trying to treat everyone kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on—including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning....

Some writers use the word charity to describe not only Christian love between human beings, but also God’s love for man and man’s love for God. About the second of these two, people are often worried. They are told they ought to love God. They cannot find any such feelings in themselves. What are they to do? The answer is the same as before. Act as if you did. Do not sit trying to manufacture feelings. Ask yourself, “If I were sure that I loved God, what would I do?” When you have found the answer, go and do it.”

-C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”

#Soren Speaks #Blog #A post of a textual nature #post of a textual nature #C.S. Lewis #Mere Christianity #Psalm 15 #Psalm 15:1 #2-15-2021 #Christianity #Jesus #love #faith #hope #worship #acts of service #practical love #wonder

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snkpolls · 5 years

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SnK Chapter 126 Poll Results

The chapter 126 poll closed with 1,647 responses. Thank you for your support! This month’s poll results were compiled by @shifter-lines , /u/alooulla, /u/_Puppet_, @manerein and @momtaku.

RATE THE CHAPTER 1,514 responses

“Rate the Chapter” is a genuine bell curve this month instead of having its more typical overwhelmingly positive skew. While not terrible by any means, the response to chapter 126 was the most lukewarm since chapter 107, and it was the second worse performing chapter since we started the poll.

(Kazoo Avengers theme)

By far, this was the chapter I enjoyed the least, I just hope that the ending feels realistic

Definitely fast paced, but definitely needed to finally kick things into high gear. The Calm Before The Storm…

it was pretty disappointing by aot standards, but the last 15 chapters were amazing, so what am i even complaining for.... i just hope that isayama can write a decent ending.

I feel like this is either one of those chapters that will be more rewarding in hindsight when we have more info or was just straight up moving forward so we can get to the good stuff faster and we will have to suck it up and move on. All in all I think it was a good chapter even if a little rushed.

Easily the worst chapter in years due to the fast pacing, convenient plot developments and cliche and very cheesy and cringey ending page quote.

In the anime they could make a whole episode out this single chapter instead of using two chapters to make a single episode

ISAYAMA GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!! THE SAUNA AINT RUNNING AWAY FROM YOU

Haha pie

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT? 1,519 responses

After nearly a year of absence Levi and Hange were finally back in the story so it’s no surprise that “Everything with Levi and Hange” topped the list of favorite moments with 22.1%. “Avengers Assemble” was a distant second with 10.6%. Confirmation that Levi was alive came in third (10.2%).

ONYANKOPON CALLYING JAEGERISTS A BUNCH OF CHAUVINISTS

Pieck and Hange teaming up? Eren better watch out because those two together are gonna KICK SOME ASS!

Hange needs so much more appreciation, she is such a good person. I hope she and Levi both survive this shit.

I loved everything that happened, it just desperately needs some more detail filled in.

I loved Levi and Hange interactions

Annie eating pie is just perfect

It was so good to see Levi and Hanji again and together. They suffered so much, i need an end where they both survive and can have a restful retirement

Glad to see that Connie is still a good guy. Also that he is trying his best becouse of his Mother.

But what Pieck Pieck? The greatest tragedy is that Isayama took that from us, y'know not that Eren is destroying the world or something...

I really loved to see Armin and Annie together!

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE MOMENT? 1,507 responses

Talk about polarity. “Avengers Assemble” may have been the second most popular “Favorite Moment” but it was also the landslide winner for “Least Favorite” with nearly 22% of the fandom selected it as the worst moment of the chapter. “Floch’s Speech” (13.8%) and “The Ragako Subplot” (13.5%) rounded out the top 3.

everyone called them the avengers but lets get real they are a fuckin Suicide Squad

Why are we wasting time on Louise

Avengers Lowcost version

Didn't understand Magath reasons to join forces with his enemys. It felt like some story in between was missing.

Can I just say I hate what Isayama did with Connie's character? I've never seen a character as bipolar in his development

Floch was the only good part....

WHO WAS THIS CHAPTER’S MVP? 1,503 responses

Hange (23%), Jean (16.2%) and Armin (13.4%) were our top three favorite characters this month. It needs to be said that “Pie” came in at number four with nearly 10% of the fandom selecting it.

it WAS nice to see characters choosing to be their best selves for the sake of others. For that reason, it was difficult to pick an MVP -- but I gave it to Onyankopon because he crystallized so eloquently exactly what I had been thinking since Eren started the Rumbling.

Levi and hange tho

So much Erwin nods! Yesss <333

Still love my boy Jean!

Some characters are still acting consistent: Jean, Magath, Levi (still not over killing the BT and that's good), Onyankopon and Floch.

Connies growth, Jean's motivation, I'm glad these boys are reclaiming their almost-lost humanity!

Levi. That is all.

Oh, also, I want pie.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE HANGE AND LEVI CAMPSITE MOMENT? 1,494 responses

“Hange suggesting that they live in the woods together” (27.2%) was the favorite campsite moment, followed by “Levi’s words upon waking up” (23.3%). “Hange sniping while shedding a tear” was third (19.6%))

I'm giving this 5/5 solely for Yams finally feeding the LeviHan shippers some good fucking food after so long.

I ship Levi and Hange. It's so cute when Hange realized that Levi was listening to her/him while pretending to sleep.

Shirtless Levi round two! Wit, you better do the job correctly this time!

We need a Historia chapter but it’s great to see Hange and Levi being back.

PIECK… FINGER? 1,492 responses

Pieck Finger. Pieck Finger everybody. You know how a common response to trauma or awkwardness is humor? Well 42.6% of you are primarily concerned with how “Pieck Finger” will be memed. 24.7% of you accept the trauma and say you wish she would’ve just stayed “Pieck”, and 20.6% of you are glad she has a last name, but did it really have to end like this? 6.5% of you think it’s a “cool and realistic last name”, and I think you guys scare me more than the people who vote “Snapchat” on the last question every month. More on that later.

"pekfinger" is swedish for "pointer finger" too. oh lord

Back when Pieck was supposed to be a dude, the working name was "Oliver Pieck", at least from what I read on the AoT wiki. I feel like Isayama could have just switched the first and last name around to make it "Pieck Oliver." That would've sounded far less weird.

I know a guy named Buck Ramming. Pieck Finger is fine by me lol

It's an instruction not a name.

Levi sure could use a couple of Piecks right about now heyoooooo

the fact that she got the worst titan and now also the worst name it’s so funny

What kind of a first name is Pieck?

AS PREDICTED, CONNIE’S ROADTRIP WITH FALCO ENDED AMICABLY. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT? 1,498 responses

The Ragako subplot did little for the readers with nearly one-third of the fandom calling it a complete waste of time. The majority (46.2%) were slightly more charitable selecting “It was ok. I’m glad it wrapped up quickly”. Only 17.5% loved the moment. The write-ins were pretty damning.

Good plotpoint, really bad execution

I cringed the whole time.

I liked the outcome, but it was handled too quickly

A complete waste of time: Connie's arc? Sharted over. The consequences about Falco? Sharted over. Possibility to exploit serumbowl or Ymir's memories? Glossed over.

All of this made no sense and it was solved so quickly it seemed unrealistic. YAMS WE NEED PROPER CLOSURE PLS DON'T WASTE MORE INK

Connie changed his mind a bit too quickly, but it was good nevertheless

Connie deserved better writing.

Felt too shallow for how quick it sprung up, needed more development. As it is now, it could've just not happened

I'm glad that Connie hasn't died yet because I appreciate him, but there's been wasted potential. Ymir's memories and Porco and Colt's deaths have been reduced to a single vignette where we can only speculate and write fics.

Missed opportunity to actually develop Connie's character. We didn't learn anything we didn't already know about Connie.

This feels like what the anime did to the Uprising Arc. It happened way too fast and honestly felt like Isayama was just checking it off a list, so to say. Which is honeslty a bit uncharactieristic of his writing. I really hope this doesn't start, or continue, a trend...

WHICH DENTAL HYGIENE MOMENT DID YOU ENJOY MORE? 1,494 responses

Before I talk about the numbers, I just want to shout out the one guy who responded “Other” and just said “why”. Anyway, a solid majority of you guys’ favorite dental hygiene moment was Hange asking Pieck rude lady questions, which frankly sounds much worse than it actually is. The next most common answer, getting just over 25% of the votes, was Connie’s Master Plan™, followed by “Both”, followed by “Neither!” I still like the guy who just said “why”.

I didn't mind it, but I heard that Isayama did this so he could get a toothbrush merch campaign going lol

Isayama has a teeth fetish confirmed

Holy Fuck what was Connies face doing when he was talking about titan teeth brushing.

Why, just why

Pie

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HOW MIKASA ACTED TOWARDS LOUISE? 1,457 responses

The fandom is almost evenly divided over Mikasa’s actions towards Louise. By the narrowest of margins, Mikasa’s compassionate nature took the majority (26.8%). The other extreme, “Mikasa should’ve sucked it up and let the girl be happy”, was second with 26.2%. A quarter of the fandom instead chose to focus on Louise. “Louise was crazy and deserves the cold shoulder” was third (23.9%).

It's not surprising that Mikasa ran out of f*cks to give. There are only so many lives she can value, and right now she doesn't have the time to spare, or room in her heart.

I don't think Mikasa had any responsibility there, and the scarf is hers. Given its significance, and that she owes Louise nothing, it seemed like the moment was morally neutral.

I really didn't care. Louise is barely a character, and Mikasa had no duty to be nice to a person who enabled and supported a bloody coup just because she saved her life once.

I don’t blame Mikasa. I don’t like and want to spend time with my stalkers either

I felt bad for Louise. She’s dying, let her think you care about her, Mikasa

I felt like Louise is completely obsessional but Mikasa is just as much. To me these kinds of moments show that Mikasa has completely lost it recently

I'm concerned about what this says for Mikasa's character development thus far, and I felt kind of bad for Louise

I'm sick of the scarf back and forth

It actually seems quite obvious to me that Mikasa pitied the poor girl, but there was nothing she could have done for her. Because she simply lacks the time necessary to care for Luise, or change her mind or make sure that she's ok.

That this is about Mikasa’s compassion or lack thereof I think says more about how we feel women should feel. I think it was fine, she barely knows Louise and there is a lot more going on. Louise is a grown woman that made her own decisions.

the most interesting part about it is that Eren asked Louise to throw the scarf away. that's it.

Mikasa already did a good gesture by visiting Louise, no one would ask Jean to do the same with Floch, so I don't see the big deal. Both cases are "protagonist sees themselves in antagonist, and realise how they mustn't become like them".

WHY DID MIKASA DECIDE TO TAKE HER SCARF BACK? 1,482 responses

“Mikasa wants it back for other reasons” was the selection of nearly half of respondents, since “wearing it” and vague malice towards Louise were the other two options.

Eren wants her to throw it away, so she's making her own decision and going against his wishes on purpose.

I don’t know if she’ll wear it again, but it’s always been her scarf and she’ll decide it’s fate when she’s ready

I think she wants to give it back to Eren.

It's still important to her. She may let go of Eren but the scarf is always gonna be there to remind her of what was and the family she once had.

It’s just simply that it’s hard to throw away a possession you held dear for most of your life. It’d be more out of character for her to throw it away. I don’t think she ever planned on abandoning the scarf—setting it aside was rather Isayama’s way of showing Mikasa’s conflicted thoughts on her relationship with Eren.

Ultimately, Mikasa's the authority on the scarf and it's emotional weight, while Louise was trying to squeeze her own meaning out of it. It wasn't Louise's place to do so, and it wasn't her scarf to take. Whatever is to be done with it, to see it used again, given to someone else, or see it thrown out or destroyed, is a choice only the scarf's real owner, Mikasa, should make.

THEY FOUND ANNIE BY SITTING NEXT TO HER WHILE SHE WAS EATING PIE, THOUGHTS? 1,497 responses

The reunion with Annie was another chapter moment that fell flat for the majority with only 21.8% expressing approval with it. The majority (31.8%) thought it would’ve been ok if there was more time for conversation and reaction and 22% were primarily bothered by the coincidence involved in the reunion. The remaining 20% found the lazy writing unforgivable.

*sigh*

There was way too much build up just to have it end in a gag. It was cute, but it... just doesn't work?

Are you telling me that every time you talk about Robert Downey Jr. he doesn't just appear right next to you?

Humor was not appropriate in this situation

I fucking loved it

I think it's lazy writing but it made me laugh pretty hard so I'll give it a pass

It was a funny moment but definitely not how I had imagined nor hoped Armin/Annie's reunion would happen

Sitting together like nothing happened before and eat and laugh… are you serious?!! It’s not funny

SNK has always had funny moments like this woven into it, especially when the 104th were still trainee's, and it's nice to see a tonal flashback to the past like this.

Stranger things have happened. Floch's hair, for example.

WHAT SORT OF PIES DO YOU THINK THEY WERE EATING? 1,469 responses

Fruit. Definitely fruit.

...

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What's the point of this question?? I'm confused

What the fuck is a meat pie?

We're missing PIEces of the puzzle still

WHAT PIE WOULD YOU SCARF DOWN THAT FAST IF YOU WERE ANNIE? 1,459 responses

Apple (23.9%), and chocolate (16.2%) are our favorite pies, with Meat and “I don’t like pie” tying for third (11.4%). Several respondents were rather vocal about this even being asked. To them I say Isayama is the one who started this :P

Apricot, you American heathens

Duh. Pineapple of course

I'd be more worried about getting home to my dad before he's crushed by a psycho

Marleyan organ pie made by the Usurper Chad himself!

nectarine pie.... you should try it

Rhubarb pie. Best Pie Ever.

Sweet Potato Pie!

There are so many interesting questions you could have asked in this poll yet didn't, but you're asking about pie? (A/N: There are so many interesting things Isayama could have drawn in this chapter yet didn't, but he's drawing about pie? )

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT HITCH BEING LEFT BEHIND? 1,479 responses

While the majority thought it was a good way to write her out (36.3%), there was plenty of disappointment (26.2%) and many who thought it could’ve been handled better (16.6%). A segment of the fandom (18.5%) thinks she’ll be back since there is more she has yet to do.

Perfect. She is always left behind throughout the series. The continuation of this makes sense.

Does the lack of Hitch means the lack of pies? Because this is unacceptable.

Glad that she'll survive probably, but she was such an interesting character

Annie and Hitch were my new otp, so just sad feels

Hitch is safe from now on. Ok for me.

I felt so sorry for her, because Annie's disappearance reminded me a bit of Hitch's relationship with Marlowe. Once more it seemed like the Survey Corps was taking someone precious away from her, off to an unknown and risky fate

I never had pie so Idk.

WERE YOU WORRIED THAT JEAN WOULD JOIN THE JAEGERISTS? 1,480 responses

For this question, 21.5% of you were a little nervous that Jean might join the Jaegerists, but a much more significant 69.2% understood the implied fact that the Jaegerists only accept humans, and Jean is a horse, and therefore there was never any threat of him allying with them. You’d think that with like four hundred years of this series being out, I’d think of a better way to make that joke, but here we are. Anyway, the last 9.3% of you think Jean would do more to help Paradis if he joined the Ab Church, which is an excellent parallel to the Wall Church in the beginning of the series, I might add.

I still wish more time was given to the subplots such as more time to stew on Jean joining the Yaegarists

LAST MONTH 75% OF THE FANDOM THOUGHT JEAN WOULD BE THE PERSON TO TAKE DOWN FLOCH. DO YOU STILL THINK THE HAIRBOWL WILL HAPPEN? 1,463 responses

Remaining in the strong majority, 72.6% of you guys think there will be some sort of confrontation between Jean and Floch, though whether that means you think Jean will be the person to “take down” Floch or not is beyond me. I don’t know. I didn’t write this question, I’m just writing the blurb for it.

I'm still betting on Floch shooting Jean in the head as a punishment for not going along with the flow

take down Floch please!!!! ..

FINAL WORDS. WHO DID IT BETTER? 1,479 responses

With 43% of the vote, Onyankopon’s... several... words? beat out Yelena’s strong and (mostly) silent type response (which got 33.1% of the vote, by the way) at their “execution''. 23.9% of respondents said “Both”, and while technically “both” couldn’t have done it “better”, I’ll let it slide, because they were both pretty cool, and semantics don’t matter.

Best boy was Onyankopon. We only used to get glimpses of him and finally he has rebelled, showing that he has more guts than some of our main characters.

JEAN AND HANGE’S PLAN TO ESCAPE SHIGANSHINA HAPPENED OFFSCREEN. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? 1,473 responses

Three-fourths of the fandom expressed some disapproval of how the offscreen planning of the escape from Shinganshina went down calling it sloppy(18.1%) and confusing (13.9%). Of those, the majority (39%) will be ok with it if a future chapter provides more details. Only a quarter of the fandom completely loved the handling of this.

Even if flashbacks fill the gaps later, they won't make 126 a better chapter.

How did they even communicate? I thought it was all planned between Jean and Mikasa

on the page with the titans marching at night, you can see a figure standing outside jean's window. could be hange coming to discuss plans

I liked it, but I think I like it even more if it's explained in the next chapter(s).

I think he did it that way to add surprise. I feel like lately he has been in general illustrating with a more cinematic eye and by writing the scene this way it will play better in visual media. Lately I feel like he has been thinking this way, it’s been a trend for a while now.

This is why you shouldn't cram up 3 chapters worth of content into one. I don't care if Isayama has to end his volume on some goddamn awful page. You don't mess with certain parts of the narrative.

It was fine, it wasn't necessarily a scene that needed to be included so I'm fine with it.

WHO WAS THE PERSON IN THE WINDOW? 1,456 responses

Who was the person in the window? Was Chapter 116 the last time we’ll ever see Eren transform into his Attack Titan? How to turn into a titan without alerting the military police??? When will I stop asking questions? Right now!

Just under two-thirds of the votes for this question went to Shadis. Following Shadis at a clean 10% is Zeke, trailed by Zombie Erwin at 9.6%. Given the theories about Eren’s body at the end of 117 being a Warhammer clone, I never thought I’d see the day when Zombie Erwin beats Eren in a “who is the mysterious character who is not inside Eren’s Titan” question, but here we are!

CHADIS

Keith Lurkdis

Erwin never died! What even is that option 'zombie Erwin'???

Farmer-kun

Idk but whomever it is I hope they're a good guy.

Male adult figure... Must be my man Shadis. There's no way Zeke would wear so many clothes.

Ugh I have no idea. I’m not going to pretend I can predict anything anymore.

2Pac

WHY DO YOU THINK MAGATH DEMANDED THEY CAPTURE YELENA? 1,465 responses

Why did Magath bring Yelena back with Jean and Onomatopoeia? ~20% of you thought it was because she’s need for a plan involving Zeke, ~17% think he wants the details of Zeke’s plan from her, just over 14% said he wants information about Eren, 4.4% of you think he wants her as a prisoner, and the overwhelming majority, at 44.6%, think it’s all of the above.

My theory is that Yelena is Magath's daughter

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE FINAL PANEL? 1,478 responses

Another close one. If we disregard those who selected “Avengers Assemble”, which even though we added it I have no idea if it’s meant “Hell yes, can’t wait to see the Hulk and Black Widow together again” or “Please let Tony Stark’s legacy RIP.”, The “I didn’t like it” beat out the “I liked it” by 0.3%. However you look at the data, it’s astonishing that essentially one-third of the fandom did not like this ending.

*sigh*

Get in loser, we're going to save the world

A nice cringe to start my day with :)

The old gangs back together but with ADDITIONAL TRAUMA

I think it was supposed to be satirical. A lot of us expected that the warriors and the 104th would unite again so I think Isayama made it as cliché as possible to 1)offer the readers some comic relief, 2)maybe mock his own plot and show that he's aware that this alliance is kind of cliché.

At what point did Annie and Reiner deserve to be forgiven and taken in by the SC? And why do they think they actually can (or even should) stop the Rumbling?

Marvel copied the last panel

It is a reference to Reiner’s long time ambition, and an indication to his next role. Helos perhap. But I don't think isayama would let him save the world happily. Maybe he will save the world in an ironic and tragic way.

Brilliant !!! Finally it's Connie's turn to shine.

Can't wait to see this optimism crushed. Great moment, though.

I don't understand why people think it's such a cheap cheesy ploy when it's honestly kinda obvious that they're being set up for a fall. Optimism almost always meets at the very least a bittersweet reality in this story.

It's cheesy, but people don't consider it's Connie who's saying this who is an idiot

REGARDING THE LAST PANEL, DO YOU THINK THEY HAVE A PLAN? 1,475 responses

Nearly 70% of you believe that Final Panel Gang have a plan, while just over 30% think they’re just gonna wing it. Get it? “Wing it”?

For more serious commentary, we’re normally used to seeing “Yes/No” questions a little more perfectly split, especially the ones that involve Eren. It’s interesting to see a more unified response, even if it means that SOMEBODY on Reddit is going to say “Nice.” about the Yes vote.

Isayama will probably do a flashback of the plan, he likes doing this sort of thing lol. It was fine.

It's fine IF the planning is shown in the following chapters, but if not then it'll feel like Isayama couldn't come up with solutions and did everything off screen just because of that.

Telling the plan to the reader only works, if the plan fails.

I feel like the pacing of the chapter was this fast so that Isayama could end with the "Avengers Assemble" scene as the big volume cliffhanger for the next one, so he tried to get through the events quickly to give it that poetic ending. In that case, it's possible Isayama might show how some of these events unfolded in the next chapter or two; he usually does that kind of thing when showing big events for the first time. If the next chapter fleshes some of the scenes from this chapter more like showing Jean discussing the Avengers' plan with Mikasa and Armin, I think that could make this chapter better when we look back on it.

WOULD YOU RATHER THIS CHAPTER HAVE BEEN SPLIT INTO TWO? 1,468 responses

Remember what I said about being accustomed to more split votes? Well, 39.5% of you said that you would prefer this chapter have been split into two, citing a lack of development, while 39.2% of you said that you’re glad Isayama is, *ahem*, moving forward with the plot. The near-perfect divisions breaks off a little bit when we consider that another ~12% said no, blaming the plots themselves for the problems with chapter, and 6% effectively voting yes, saying that the chapter should’ve been split into three.

Ask me again in a few months when we see how the whole plot wraps up and if Isayama adds any additional details via flashback.

Honestly all of these plot points could have been arcs within themselves and i wish it had been given enough time to become that

I like that the plot is progressing but i don't like the subplots being rushed

I'm happy it's going forward and not dragging on, but I would've loved more of an interaction between the scouts and annie/reiner.

One and a half

𝜋

There are various holes (lack of reaction during Annie's appearance, poor coherency of when Eren managed to speak with many people) but Isayama is giving us cool alliances, so it's half okay.

IF YOU COULD DROP A SUBPLOT, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE? 1,463 responses

A fairly close call here, with the trip to Ragako Village being out in front with 42.6 percent of you claiming this is the subplot you would drop; Louise and Mikasa’s plot about the scarf is close behind on 36.2 percent. Perhaps readers feel the time for small subplots is done, since there’s so much still to do with the main plot we do not understand? A lot of responses indicated Mikasa’s perceived ‘cruelty’ (you’re all wrong, just so you know!) towards Louise, so perhaps this is indicative of why so many people would choose this event to be the subplot to drop.

Mikasa is just dead inside atm, but i feel bad for Louise

Mikasa knew Louise wanted that scarf, but she knew she needed it more. Plus I can barely remember Louise lol

Mikasa's behavior isn't good, but it's understandable---there are numerous mentally taxing events occurring.

Ragako stuff kinda sucked.

Goddamnit, this chapter was smelly poo. Not only we spent 3 months for nothing with that stupid Ragako plot and now everybody is holding hands just like that. If you're bringing an alliance you're not gonna make it happen offscreen with no detail whatsoever?

Ah and the Ragako subplot missed addressing the serumbowl as well: all we got is Armin whining about not being like Erwin and that's it. No Bert, no Ymir being addressed.

IF YOU COULD HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ONE SUBPLOT IN THIS CHAPTER, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE? 1,466 responses

Another close one! “The Armin and Annie reunion” is the subplot the majority wished for more information about with nearly 30% selecting it. “The conversation with Hange and Magath” was second (25.2%) and “Escape from Shiganshina” (17.7%) was third.

I was just expecting Levi, Hange and the corps interaction would be more surprising. The same goes for Annie and Armin's convo.

The mikasa scarf submit definitely could’ve happened in another chapter. This was too rushed and I really hope no other chapters feel this way. This chapter should’ve just been the Tagalog subplot, and then Annie and armin reunion. Then another chapter with hange/levi, Jean/flock and how they all came together to join forces.

It's so obvious this mad lad Isayama wanted to break the tension from the Armin / Annie reunion scene. We never know where he's going to trick us, do we ?

I do think that many things were kind of glossed over to save time. I'd prefer that things slow down a bit, just so we can soak up all that context. For example, the conversation between Hange and Magath, Annie and Armin's reunion and others.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW EASILY THE ALLIANCES WERE FORMED? 1,474 responses

A mere 17.5% enjoyed how easily the alliances were formed. The majority (43%) called it “OK” while a more than a third of the fandom (36.2%) hated it. Some folks seem to indicate it was expected and just needed to happen quickly so the story could move along. However, the amount of people who hated it was too large to ignore; and largely for similar reasons, that it appeared too easy. Maybe the mistrust and emotion will come as the story moves along? Some of your responses indicate trouble ahead, if not behind.

Also Hanji sides too many times with "benefactors". I'm expecting the alliance to be shaky, with probably backstabbings and double-crossings. They seemed to make an agreement over killing Zeke (since no side likes him), and I doubt characters like Mikasa, Armin or Jean would be ok with killing Eren.

I don't get all the madness over the alliance, It was obvious it would happen. Also it's obvious all the things glossed this chapter will be shown in Flashback if important, like what lead Annie join them, on how Hanji contacted Jean (although i think a lot of people didn't notice the shadow in the window on that panel of Jean in the bed).

It was warm and fuzzy and I really needed that, but the actual details of the new alliance will absolutely need to be expounded upon soon.

it wouldve been better if connie's mom plot didn't exist we could've got a better build up to the alliance

Overall, things were way too rushed, as if Isayama just wanted to get to the last page. I'm expecting to see how this alliance was made in flashback form, as is typical for Isayama, but that won't fix the inherent issues of this specific chapter.

Hange getting so along with Pieck, who fought against them when Erwin was killed, was a complete joke.

I don't get all the madness over the alliance, It's was obvious it would happen. Also it's obvious all the things glossed this chapter will be shown in Flashback if important, like what lead Annie join them, on how Hanji contacted Jean (although i think a lot of people didn't noticed the shadow in the window on that panel of Jean in the bed).

I love seeing them all but oh heckin it was just a little too fast

WHICH THROWBACK DID YOU ENJOY MOST CHAPTER? 1,465 responses

“Jean remembering Marco” (31.9%) narrowly edged out “Annie kicking Reiner”(30.3%) as our favorite throwback. Levi remembering his promise was a distant third (16.2%).

That Marco’s throwback really hit me . *SOB*

I didn't like the Erwin reference when Armin tried to sacrafice himself for connies mother, instead of falco being eaten.

Armin recognized a very important thing to himself (he can't stay trying to Erwin, he suck on that, he needs to do what he is good on it, but as his own person and not shadow of Erwin)

Where was Jean at the end there? I want him to confront Annie over Marco. Poor guy had the worst death in the series. He was murder in cold blood and then it got covered up. Plus, the only person trying to solve the mystery is Jean. Bless Jean he is such a good friend

It makes sense that Connie would say that to Reiner of all people (that line come back to his childhood trauma). Fandom freaking out and fearing a cheesy happy ending is ridiculous.

I didn’t think it was cheesy at all. It circles back to Reiner’s declaration to Keith back during the training arc.

I'm kinda sick of Reiner's Kick The Dog treatment too. I know Annie hates him but still...

REGARDING HOW THE AVENGER'S MISSION AND THE ENDING WILL GO, WHICH OF THESE IS PREFERABLE/ACCEPTABLE TO YOU? 1,465 responses

Fans proving as ever, that they are a divisive bunch! However, it's clear that the smallest amount of responses favour the rumbling being stopped and world peace occuring (hippies!). Some responses indicate that this chapter made them nervous for the ending being overly optimistic, even with Eren as the apparent antagonist. Endings where Eren achieves an extreme form of Brexit (Paradexit?) with a victory over the armies of the world have a fairly even spread of positive responses, proving that he still has a lot of fans on his side. However, most of you responded in the vague sense of feeling like Isayama knows best and at this point, just seeing where this wild ride takes us.

I keep seeing this popular prediction on almost every platform: Eren destroys the world outside Paradise, goes back to Historia and her newborn kid (in this sort of prediction it is always assumed that he's the father), tells his kid (who is also thought to be reborn Ymir) "you're free" and goes on to be a good dad - End of story. Honestly the thought of this type of ending pisses me off so much. Not only because its reeks of typical shonen ending, but because it goes against all the themes and ideas that Isayama has written into the story over the years.

I would not be upset with a 'golden' ending. Some part of me wants that to happen.

It setup the shonen cliche route and can ruin the ending

It was very unusual for this manga. I hope that the author will come to the most logical ending and will not use the power of friendship.

Least exciting chapter I can remember; it has me apprehensive about the ending.

I hope Eren's conclusion will end with him winning, however I do not him accepting his morality and to be shocked at what he's done but to come to terms with what he's done.

While I'm more supportive of Eren, I'm fine with whichever side comes out on top of this as long as it doesn't involve Eren being stopped through Power of Friendship or Talk no Jutsu. That would feel too cheap.

WHICH RALLYING CRY DID YOU PREFER? 1,445 responses

While the Ragako subplot wasn’t exactly loved, Connie’s rallying cry was the fandom favorite (28.4%). Hange’s plea to Magath was a close second (26%) while Floch’s message of freedom was third (25%).

AT THIS POINT, AROUND WHICH CHAPTER DO YOU EXPECT THE MANGA WILL CONCLUDE? 1,472 responses

The pacing of this chapter and the way its implications relate to the entire manga was, if I may be so bold, one of the more talked about meta points this month, from what I’ve seen. Maybe that was the thought process behind this question. I don’t know. I didn’t write this one either. That’s a good thought process though.

Anyway, a borderline overwhelming majority of you said that the manga will end around Chapter 134 (48.4% of you). The next most common answer was Chapter 138, which would give us 12 more chapters. Chapter 130 got the least amount of votes, at 7.3%. The remaining votes went to Chapter 142+, and I appreciate that optimism, because I for one hate thinking about this question.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST HOPING TO SEE NEXT CHAPTER? 1,475 responses

“Historia when?” (26%) tops the list followed by the long awaited Eren POV (23.5%). “Details on things glossed over this chapter” was the third pick (22.7%) followed by “Zeke, Eren and OG Ymir” (11.6%).

I can't wait to see Zeke's reaction at seeing Levi AGAIN ready to fuck him up.

Historia when?? Also, Hange needs a hug, Levi needs sleep, Armin and Annie need to talk, Falco needs to deal with his brother's death some more, and we all need Erwin to come back :(

I hope we get flashbacks to explain all this off screen development.

Isayama please for the love of god remember that Historia exists.

Where is HISTORIA

where is zeke?

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 1,401 responses

Reddit continues to dominate this question, pulling 44.9% of the vote. “I don’t” actually takes second place this month, with Tumblr coming next, followed very closely by Twitter, which is in turn followed closely by Discord. In descending order from there, we have real life, 4chan, Youtube, a two-way tie between Instagram and Facebook, and everything else has less than 10 votes.

Before I move on though, it’s absolutely critical that I draw your attention to last month’s poll. Last month, I said, and I quote,

“Lastly, something ominous is going on in the Snapchat cult, because there were only two of you this month, down from five last month. That’s still enough to reproduce though and it makes me uneasy.“

“Why are you bringing that up?” you may be asking yourself. I’m bringing it up because Snapchat got SIX votes this time. “Why does that matter?” you ask yourself next. I’m glad you asked. That’s a 300% increase. If that rate continues, in just five month’s time, there will be more members of the Snapchat cult than the rest of you COMBINED.

That’s not to say anything more than it says, but I should add that I was totally vindicated on the Snapchat cult reproduction theory. Having done the math, you guys DEFINITELY scare me more than the people who liked “Pieck Finger”.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE CHAPTER? 375 responses

Remember kids, the world is currently supposed to be ending

I know most people hated how rushed it felt, but honestly, I'm glad this wasn't split into 2 months. This leaves more time for the conclusion, and would much rather the alliances be rushed rather than the ending.

While it's certainly sad that Louise may not be long for this world, I also don't think Mikasa owes her anything. Mikasa seems to see a lot of traits she dislikes about herself cranked up to 11 in Louise, and I think it's understandable to need to distance oneself from toxic ideas or people. Mikasa and Louise were never friends, they never really knew each other, and never really cared about each other. Sure, Louise idolized an idea of Mikasa, but she put herself as separate from the real Mikasa, lesser. These two strangers never had a real chance to truly know each other, and that's okay, sad but okay.

While the panel of Annie with a face stuffed with pie is a gem, I think it seemed almost too good a coincidence. Both parties (Armin, Connie and the kids and Hitch & Annie) happen to be taking a break from their travels at the same time in the same city at the same festival. Seemed a bit too lucky.

Isayama has a bias against the yeagerists too. Portraying them as mindless dumbasses that are evil for no reason. Look at Floch everytime he has a moment it gets cut short for a "oh look at this dumbass" type of conclusion like him missing the shot at Shadis and getting duped by Jean and the 104th.

my dumb shipper’s heart wants Pieck’s reaction to Porco’s death.

this chapter felt too 'super hero movie' to me, in the sense that it was way too optimistic and cheesy, nothing like the Attack on Titan I know and love. Isayama's been watching too much Marvel.

A rushed chapter, Isayama may have messed up some timelines (e.g. Louise's talk with Eren, the changes in day and night), maybe Isayama was too focused on SAUNA SAUNA SAUNA when he was drawing the chapter but anyway, if the chapter was rushed because he wants to move to next plots (eee....east...eeeek...Ki....), I'm fine with it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Chapter Would've been terrific if it weren't for the rushed forced alliance. Mikasa's character also seemed out of place this chapter.

is not a bad chapter but at the same time is not a godly chapter like others but i have faith on isayama that he will blow our minds

Felt very disappointed and it is as if this story is moving to black and white territory again.

Good fast development, optimistic that what was glossed over will be addressed. A bit antsy that this is a setup for some tragedy but I don’t expect total senseless ruin for the characters.

I don't really see where all the complaints are coming from, to me the chapter must be one of my all time favorites ever since I've started reading the manga at the regular monthly pace. I think the build up and the tension have been steadily increasing slowly enough up to this point, and now we've finally reached the top of the roller coaster tracks, and it's time for the ride to the conclusion. I loved the mysterious plan, it reminds me of the uprising arc (ah the good old times).

I hope the author just got a bit lost and had to put things back on track quickly. I want to feel for these characters, not find out that I followed their struggles for chapters to see them dissolve for the sake of the plot.

Eren has suffered a lot over the years and a lot of things have been TAKEN from him - but do you remember "In order to achieve something, you have to give up something important"? I don't think Eren has ever GIVEN up something of his. He's always been a little maniac intent on killing the enemy (which is what he is doing right now). There have been so many characters in the story that have given up their dreams and finally their lives, why is Eren the one that gets to have his cake and eat it too?

I love it cause we need some time of just relax and be happy before the sad ending

I’m hoping the next chapter will make this one better by fleshing things out. Also seeing Annie and Reiner reunite made me deeply miss Bertolt this month.

JE VEUX PAS QUE CE MANGA FINISSE OMG

Reiner getting kicked in the face to wake up and understanding nothing is all of us

The more things don't seem to add up, the more you have to pay attention, that's what I learnt reading this series. And a whole lot didn't seem to add up in this chapter so I'm super hyped!

This is easily one of the weakest chapters Isayama has ever written. After creating all of these subplots that we were expecting to go somewhere and hold emotional weight for the characters were written off into cheap one-liners, off screen reactions and discussion, and just overall completely weak subplots that left us with no emotional payoff.

Boii I'm glad the development on the characters matters only when its relevant to the plot, I almost forget that I used to like them. If Reiner of all people doesn't point out how creepy and disgusting it all is I don't know what to say, what a waste of time of a series.

Connie mentioning Sasha made me cry! Actually makes me wish Eren pulls some time travel shit so that we can have our girl back.

Can I just say I find it funny, and I really love Pieck regardless, it is just a last name after all.

Good, but the former-enemy to friendly-pie-eating turnover rate was wayyyyy too fast!

I thought this chapter was it for Connie, who has been one of my favorites since the beginning. It was a bit sudden but I'm glad him not feeding Falco to his mom is Canon AND that it strengthened his bond with Armin.

It feels like none of the Jeagerists really see clearly what the situation is, or at least don't have an ounce of understanding or sympathy why everyone else is scared and freaked out by what has happened. That in turn makes it harder for non-Jeagerists to act with sympathy, what a vicious cycle.

What bothers me the most is not the way Mikasa interacted with Louise, but the fact that she wanted the scarf back. On a symbolic level, she left it behind a few chapters ago, which meant that she no longer put Eren first and started thinking about herself. She recognized that her bond with Eren was severed. So why take that scarf back now, when it's not supposed to have that much importance anymore?

I can see either the next chapter or the one after showing a flashback of Jean, Armin, and Mikasa discussing that plan. Cutting some parts of a scene and showing it in the following chapter or two is usually an Isayama thing to do.

I don't know why everyone's expecting every single piece of exposition to be laid out for them like meeting minutes. This isn't the first time we've understood what's been going on behind the scenes after the fact.

At the start Connie struggles to hold his emotions, and suddenly he's a hero, cheesy and cliche

Excuse me but can we stop making Gabi involved in everything? Shes so OP at this point

I loved the mockery of the cliche superhero assemble bullshit

STARDUST CRUSADERS

The cringe made me develop a permanent seizure. Also both my eyeballs are still stuck in the back of my head because of the excessive force I used trying to roll my eyes.

The team-up should have been given more time to develop. It wasn’t all bad though.

X-Men on their way to stop Magneto (Eren)

The problem does not lie so much in the pace as in the script tension, which Isayama killed a little in this chapter but intentionally I think. I mean the guys are literally sleeping and eating like it was a party during the freaking end of the world, do you really think he would have let such a thing slip out of clumsiness?

I'm pretty sure that Levi will have the role of "Helos", and Hange his 'Tybur' collaborator, because she's holding a hammer like the guy/girl next to Helos during the play (ch99).

Not the usual quality.

8/10. I liked annie's reunion the best, but wish that hitch had more characterization and wasn't written out so quickly. Ragako subplot was fine but predictable. Louise subplot kinda boring. Avengers assemble at the end was very anime and I liked it.

A peaceful chapter before the storm

A thought: What if Ackermans are the only ones able to actually kill off the Nine Titans? We know they’re byproducts of titan science, maybe they were created to annihilate them? That’d be devastating to see Levi or Mikasa kill Eren and Armin. I’d love it. 😂

Annie is the best girl

Anyone pretending this chapter wasn't utter shit is in hardcore denial.

Did not like the assemble. Nobody can forget what happened in the recent past of Paradis and what the warriors did. But have hope in Isayama

Do Gabi and Falco know that Armin is the Collosal Titan? I thought Connie might let that slip to them and it might create tension between Gabi and Armin but.... No. Everything about that subplot was insanely rushed, there were a lot of ways it could have played out.

Aforementioned last page quote that is so unlike SnK up to this point. Cringey and straight out of an Avengers movie, I can't believe there are people who actually like this development.

I hope Isayama isn't overworking and rushing himself to finish the manga just for the sake of finishing it this year, but I still believe he will finish SnK in a satisfactory manner that will be memorable for decades. However, this chapter as well as 125 were very disappointing and lowered my expectations considering how good the entire final arc had been up to this point.

Errrwiiiiiiiinnnn!!!!!

game of thrones level of trash, i hope for god that the aot ending isn't as bad as final season game of thrones

I didn’t like the Ragako subplot, but I did like Connie saving Armin and their heart-to/heart afterwards.

I don’t think the chapter was rushed. Glad to see Armin finally doing SOMETHING, and I hope it was more a gamble than him wanting to die. Hange’s monologue was so out of character, everyone knows Hange would never want to live in the woods, yet it looks like Hange always gets discouraged and needs encouragement from somebody else. Seriously, that’s not the Hange we all know. Where’s the ‘defeat is all the Survey Corps ever knew, let’s kick asses!!’ Hange?? that interaction with Pieck brought some of it back thankfully

I don’t understand why everyone is complaining lol

I enjoyed how quickly it moved. We’ve been down in the doldrums since December, so I’m glad to see the characters & the pace picking back up again.

I hate how quickly Hanji becomes depressed. Armin, Jean - they overcame their doubts by themselves. Yet Hanji always needs someone else to tell them to stop being ridiculous. It’s like Levi is babysitting Hanji :/ I miss good, old, badass Hanji

I miss hitch already

I noticed that the way Floch gesticulates during his speech was very reminiscent of how Hitler gave his speeches

I really like Hanji and Levi’s friendship and how Levi always knows what to say to encourage his friends but can we please stop with Hanji being so emotionally weak? I love Hanji, but c’mon- Levi was seriously injured and still needs to treat Hanji like she’s a wounded kid. Jean came to his senses on his own, same for Armin and Mikasa. All they needed was to remember people who died, did Hanji not lose enough comrades to find her strength from? Hanji is one of two veterans left and the commander(!), it really hurts to see her so pathetic, that was hard to read. Glad she looks more like old Hanji at the end of the chapter

I wanted more Annie and Hitch adventures and feel deprived.

i wish there was more to the reunion of Annie & co, but whatever, let’s just move on with this plot.

I'm in the minority here, but I actually liked the chapter. Sure the pacing was a bit off, but this may be because we're getting a detailed explanation for it in an upcoming chapter. Other than that I find it somewhat amusing that so many people that a team-up wasn't happening. Like there was so much goddamned FORESHADOWING about it. Plus the fact that Isayama basically flat-out admitted that he was going to create a team-up a-la Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm not expecting roses and fluffiness at the end of the road, I see a lot of people dying. And I still don't know who's gonna be the victor at the end. It just seemed really clear to me where these character arcs were/are heading. I still have faith in Yams. He hasn't disappointed me yet, so let's just see what he has in store for us.

It feels like Isayama is rushing to finish it off just like Kishimoto did with Naruto Shippuuden and that makes me very sad. I'm worried he'll destroy everything he did until now.

It felt incredibly unrealistic. What I have appreciated most about SnK is its narrative integrity and ability to produce results proportional to the protagonists' abilities. Currently, this feels rather forced. When did they come up with these plans? How could they possibly have alerted Jean ahead of time without anything being shown? It feels like a cheat. Also, I don't like that its just them going after Eren. Realistically, in SnK, a small group of characters, even with their level of power, shouldn't consider going after him how they have. If anything they need to face reality and prepare for the world to come after the rumbling, since if I think anybody in their position would think it is utterly impossible to stop it.

It was warm and fuzzy and I really needed that, but the actual details of the new alliance will absolutely need to be expounded upon soon.

It was...fine.

It wasn’t so bad, the hate is really annoying.

It's clear SNK is ending soon so before we see Eren and what else is going on with the rumbling Hisayama wants to close plots with other characters BUT IMO the price of this is giving us less hyped chapters since the walls broke and we still have to see the new Eren titan form…

Just to clarify, "Which throwback did you enjoy most chapter" is intended to be an English sentence, yes? Quality work here as usual, tumblr/reddit big-shots. I hope no one lets you guys near an actual workplace where what you do matters. (A/N: Well you didn't capitalise Tumblr or Reddit so who is the real villain here?)

Let Levi kill that ape. Please. He’s gone through so much and lost everything. Give him just this one little thing

Let's say we generally agreed that this chapter is bad.

Not nearly as bad as people say it was like Jesus heck calm down. I mostly feel bad for isayama tbh he’s probably being pressured to wrap it up and he’s not usually one to not give moments like this chapter proper time.

It's hard to say why Isayama decided to wrap up things fairly quickly, whether he has later flashbacks planned or whether he was overwhelmed with time pressure/suffered a writer's block of whatever. I think, in the end, if the rest of the story wraps up strong, it doesn't matter much.

I'm happy with what happened in this chapter, except the fact that it was rushed and Levi's plot armor, I mean Ackermann blood. He should have lost at least a leg...

The only solace I take in all of this is that the plot can finally move forward. This has been an entire volume of seemingly pointless side quests and I'm ready to focus again on the main story. Frankly, I'm exhausted. I just want answers and I want to know how the story finds resolution.

We had several excellent chapters recently, a subpar one is understandable. Hopefully the Anime will expand on it a bit

#snk poll #snk polls #snk 126 #snk chapter 126 #snk poll results

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the-roadkill-cafe · 5 years

Text

The Company of Trees Part 6

Title: The Company of Trees Fandom: Naruto

Summary: Sakura is bullied, a dead kekkei genkai is reborn, and things go a little bit…differently. Mokuton!Sakura

Rating: T

Warnings: None for this chapter

Author’s Notes: So this was growing out of my control, and I was impatient to update, so I cut the chapter in half. Which means hopefully it won’t take me anywhere near as long to update the next chapter, because it’s already partially written. That said, this chapter is unbeta’ed right now, so there are definitely errors. I hope you enjoy in any case.

ETA: Don’t forget to check out the accompanying side story collection, Tree Branches!

Previous Part: Part 5

If Sakura were honest, she had contemplated trying to dodge Retsuma in the mornings before school, the way she had tried to escape Tatema. But, she figured that Retsuma would be just as capable as Tatema at finding her. Sakura waited nervously for him instead, wondering if Tatema’s threat was enough to keep Retsuma from laying another genjutsu on her again, if he really had just been in a bad mood and not prone to tricking people.

She glanced out of the curtains again. This time, Retsuma was at the end of the walk to the road. He looked just as pretty as he had before. His hair was still in a low ponytail and drawn over his shoulder. It served to soften the sharp line of his jaw. He was in another floral printed yukata with wood sandals. He didn’t look anything like a shinobi at all, or even dangerous, really. Sakura narrowed her eyes. Maybe that was the point.

Sakura slipped out the front door and cautiously approached Retsuma. He turned and smiled at her, face as pleasant as Tatema’s ever was. There was the family resemblance that she had been looking for. Both pleasant looking and both just as dangerous in some inexplicable fashion. Sakura waited for that light, airy sensation of Retsuma’s genjutsu to come over her again. When it didn’t, she stepped closer.

“I’m ready to go now,” she said.

Retsuma tucked his hands into his sleeves and turned away. His gait was a smooth glide and his sandals made no noise on the ground. Sakura stared with jealousy. He was prettier than Ino and even more graceful.

“Are you coming?”

Sakura shook herself out of her thoughts. “Yes!” She dashed forward to catch up to him. Standing next to him was even worse for her self esteem than just watching him. It wasn’t fair how effortless he made everything seem. He wasn’t even wearing make up.

They walked together in silence for awhile. When she wasn’t looking at Retsuma, she was able to drag her mind away from him. The problem was she wanted to know about her temporary keeper. Every time she so much as glanced at him, she was struck again by his beauty.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. “How do you look like that?” she asked in frustration.

Retsuma didn’t even pause as he glanced down at her. The sun glinted off his light brown hair until it was the color of honey. His eyes seemed soft at first glance, but Sakura knew there was a sharpness to Retsuma that lay under the surface. The yukata emphasized that he didn’t seem armed in any fashion, and turned his broad shoulders into a frame that seemed slight and willowy. Fragile. If Sakura passed him on the street, she would never guess that he was a shinobi.

“Like what?”

Sakura flushed. There was no way he didn’t know what she was talking about, which means he was going to make her say it again. “So pretty,” she grumbled. She kicked a stray stone out of her path. Was it better or worse to have a cousin prettier than even Ino?

Retsuma surprised her by laughing. It was light and airy. It made Sakura want to write some ridiculous poetry about it. It also made her want to punch him in the face a bit. He was so perfect, it just wasn’t fair!

“The feelings I invoke in other people are through a genjutsu,” Retsuma said.

Sakura stopped along the path, dread and panic sliding down her spine. Tatema had broken the genjutsu on her last time, but he wasn’t here, which meant that Retsuma could cast any genjutsu he liked on Sakura.

She swallowed. “Tate-Tatema said you weren’t allowed to cast genjutsu on me. He said he would tell your mom.” Sakura cringed. It seemed silly to threaten a grown man with his mother of all people, but it seemed to work yesterday. But Sakura knew she didn’t like it when people did it to her and she doubted Retsuma would be amused.

And yet, against all expectations, Retsuma didn’t become annoyed.

“Yes, in the way of youngest siblings everywhere, Tatema does know how to get his way, usually by tattling to mom. But I’m not using a genjutsu on you. The genjutsu has been laid on myself,” Retsuma explained.

“What?” Sakura gaped at him. Who would put a genjutsu on themselves?

“Keep walking or you’ll be late to class,” Retsuma said. He resumed his glide down the street and Sakura had to scramble after him.

“There are different ways to categorize genjutsu, and one of them is if the genjutsu directly affects the target or if it is an environmental genjutsu. The one I used on you yesterday was direct. Likely you’ve learned from the Academy already that genjutsu works by manipulating someone else’s chakra flow. In an environmental genjutsu, the jutsu is layered on the environment or an object within it. It then passively affects people who are within range. Usually this is to direct them elsewhere or keep them walking in circles,” he told her.

Sakura thought about his explanation. “So...you have a passive genjusu on you to make you pretty?” Was he really not pretty at all? Was his face a fake? Sakura squinted at him suspiciously.

“Not quite. The genjutsu I am using amplifies feelings people feel when they see me, to the point of distraction. It also directs their attention towards me instead of away, until all they can think about is me.”

“That sounds silly. Why would you want everyone to know where you are in a fight?” Sakura asked.

Retsuma smiled his not nice smile. “To keep their attention off my teammates while they are eliminating the enemy.” He paused. “The distraction element also prevents people from thinking more logically, unless they have a stronger will power. For some, they become jealous. Others are charmed by my aesthetics. And there are others who...well, you’re six, at the moment, aren’t you? Your parents will explain what adults do behind closed doors when you’re older.”

Retsuma flicked his hand, and suddenly, the gloom that had fallen over Sakura when faced with just how pretty Retsuma was disappeared. She blinked in confusion. Retsuma was still pretty. His hair was still the color of honey, his eyes were still a crystalline gray color, and his walk was still better classified as a glide. But he was no longer unnaturally pretty. Her thoughts weren’t consumed with how inferior she was in his presence, and she could recognize that they had nearly arrived at the Academy while she had been thinking about how pretty Retsuma was. Sakura swallowed again. That had to be a deadly technique in battle.

“I’m surprised you noticed something was strange. Your aptitude for genjutsu is higher than I thought, but then, I wasn’t in a charitable mood yesterday.” Retsuma tilted his head in an avian fashion. “I won’t be using genjutsu on you again, little cousin, unless it is in a spar. It is not my intention to hurt you or scare you. We are kin.” Retsuma reached out and patted her on the head.

She blinked owlishly at him before her thoughts kicked in. If he hadn’t wanted to scare her, maybe he shouldn’t have used genjutsu on her. And she wasn’t stupid. Tatema told her Retsuma was both a genjutsu and a poison specialist. He could stay true to his word and not cast an illusion on her, but he never said anything about not poisoning her. She absolutely would not trust Retsuma.

The rest of the walk went on in silence. Sakura was no longer consumed by Retsuma’s appearance and instead could look forward to her day at the Academy. If there was one thing that being made to join the Senju clan had done for her, it was improve her physical scores. Sakura had always scored perfectly on every theoretical exam, but practicals were different. She had been weak and slower than the rest of her classmates until now. Now she was average and if she continued this rate of improvement, would be above average even.

But that didn’t compare to having two friends, Ino and Hinata. Sakura bounced slightly as she walked. She wondered if she could convince them both to have a sleepover with her. Ino and Sakura had done it before, but Sakura had a feeling that Hinata’s father was stricter than Inoichi. And this time, Sakura thought gleefully, they could have it at her house. Sakura and her parents had been forced to leave their little house in the civilian district behind, so she might as well get some use out of the big house the Senju had made them move into.

Satisfied with her plan, Sakura gripped her school bag tighter. She would be at school soon, and once she was there, she could set everything up with Ino and Hinata. She couldn’t wait.

Sakura may have hated her training with Tenjouma, but that wasn’t the case when it came to taijutsu training with Enchuuma. That wasn’t to say that Enchuuma didn’t push her hard; Sakura’s taijutsu barely passed muster at the Academy, to say nothing of what the Senju wanted out of her. But Enchuuma never made Sakura feel stupid for her failings. Instead he encouraged her successes and was unfailingly patient and jovial. It certainly helped that he was also a man that genuinely enjoyed taijutsu not just as a tool in a shinobi’s arsenal but for its own sake. It made it hard for Sakura to decide if she liked him better or Tatema. They were probably the only Senju that she liked.

It was for that reason that Sakura looked forward to training with Enchuuma. Taijutsu was an excellent way for her to vent all of the emotion she was suppressing in order to stop the Mokuton from going out of control. There was no emotion in taijutsu nor chakra use that would accidentally disturb her latent bloodline ability. There was only Sakura’s fists and her burning to desire to land just a single hit on Enchuuma.

He dumped her in the dirt again.

Sakura wheezed into the ground. She knew logically that he had to be pulling his punches; she had seen him break trees after all. But it certainly didn’t feel like he was holding back. She pushed herself upright but stayed sitting on the ground.

Enchuuma smiled. “Is it time for a water break?” He didn’t wait for her to respond, but instead retrieved their water bottles from a few yards away. Sakura drank from hers gratefully.

“How are you so strong?” Sakura asked when she was finished. “Is there a special technique or something?”

“Training and experience is the key to all shinobi arts, but none more so than taijutsu. With genjutsu and ninjutsu, you can learn more jutsu, more techniques. But in taijutsu, all you will ever need is your body,” Enchuuma said. “However, in more advanced taijutsu users, chakra is used to augment the body’s physical abilities.”

Sakura contemplated what little she knew of Enchuuma’s abilities so far. If all it took was a little chakra, then the next logical step was for some kind of insane strength technique.

“So...you could probably do something like destroy the whole Hokage Tower then, right?”

The Senju elder chortled. He sat down across from Sakura, prepared for a long conversation.

“That is the obvious conclusion, isn’t it? You aren’t the first to think so. Yes, it is true that all shinobi to some degree or another boost their physical abilities with chakra. The only limit is your body’s tolerance and your creativity. Your body’s senses, it’s resiliency, its strength, speed...all of these can be increased through yang chakra. Many taijutsu users concluded that even monstrous physical strength was possible, and what an idea! It could change the tide of war if people could end their enemies with a single blow.” He smiled at her again, his expression turning sly. “But there is only one shinobi ever known to have done it. Can you think of why?”

Sakura frowned. The teachers at the Academy had stressed the importance of monitoring internal chakra activity, as it could be an indicator of several things about oneself. The most important, they had said, was making sure chakra levels did not dip too low, or else chakra exhaustion would set in. It was why they were cautioned never to practice the leaf exercise without a shinobi adult.

“Chakra exhaustion?”

“A good guess, but no,” Enchuuma said. “The reason why such extremes of physical strength are not possible is because of the recoil. The energy in such a blow would destroy your limbs.”

She leaned forward, invested in this explanation. “But you said that there was someone who figured out how to do it. How?”

“The theory is simple enough. I thought of it myself when I was a youth. The trick is to create two layers of chakra. The first, outer layer is for impact. It needs to be precisely released to cause maximum effect. The second layer is to cushion the user from the sheer force they generate and prevent their bones from disintegrating. At a more advanced level, this technique can be used not just at point of impact, but throughout the user’s entire body to increase their overall strength. Not only could they destroy an entire building, but they could lift one as well. Of course, by maintaining two layers of chakra to protect the body, it means the concentration of chakra in the coils is higher, which increases the rate at which you approach chakra network burnout or chakra exhaustion,” Enchuuma finished.

“So…” Sakura started. “So a person would need both absolute chakra control and large reserves to make this their primary fighting style.”

“Exactly.” Enchuuma smiled again. His pride in her prompted Sakura to smile back.

“There have been plenty of shinobi with the reserves for this technique, but it is rare to find someone with the necessary control. I myself lacked it, and so I am unable to destroy the Hokage Tower.” He winked at Sakura.

“Who was the person who did it before?” Sakura asked.

At this, Enchuuma seemed to freeze. “Ah. Yes, of course you would want to know.” His smile became sad. “It was our own Senju Tsunade.”

“Tsunade?” Sakura prompted. No one in the Senju clan talked about her, for all that she was a famous figure in the Second War. All Sakura knew was what Tenjouma had told her. An heir who had run away from the clan. Sakura wondered how she did it.

“Yes. Tsunade was a genius. She didn’t have Hashirama-sama’s Mokuton or even Tobirama-sama’s mastery over Suiton, but she did inherit their drive and ferocity. In many ways she was the best of both of them...and perhaps the worst. As a child, she worked out the theory for the strength technique, and with her precise control, was able to use it in battle before she was a teenager. Total mastery of it was not long in coming for her after that,” Enchuuma said. “She was a hero, the pride of the Senju. And then she left.”

Sakura nibbled on her lip. The history books never mentioned Tsunade after the Second War, only that the medical jutsu she invented were fully implemented during the Third War, giving them an advantage over the other shinobi nations. And Tenjouma had never explained why she left either. If everyone thought she was so great, why leave?

Her thoughts must’ve shown on her face, for Enchuuma continued. “War takes someone from everyone, and Tsunade lost more than most. She felt too deeply, a trait from her late grandfather. I believe she was unable to stay in a place that only reminded her of what she had lost.”

“So she left,” Sakura finished. That was different from the defiant rebellion that she had been picturing. Sakura imagined that Tsunade had been stifled by the expectations of the Senju clan just as Sakura was, but instead, there was a possibility that Tsunade was just like them. But, Sakura supposed, leaving was still leaving. It was more than what Sakura was doing.

“Indeed she did. I hope she will return someday, but the clan needs practicality, not hope. Before, it looked like our next heir was going to be Chikama after Tenjouma. But now we have you.” Enchuuma ruffled Sakura’s hair as he stood.

“Now, I think that’s enough rest for right now. Let’s get back to training.”

Sakura made a face at his words. He laughed at her expression.

“Don’t make that face Sakura,” he said. “You’ve improved by leaps and bounds since we first started. You still have a ways to go, but when it comes to taijutsu, you’re a natural. Come on now, up you get.”

Her heart lifted. “Yes, Enchuuma-ojiisama!”

Sakura was beginning to wonder when Tatema would return. It had already been a week. Retsuma wasn’t bad, she supposed, but she was just getting used to Tatema when she got stuck with his older brother. Retsuma was like Tatema in that he didn’t push her to speak unless she felt like it. Unlike Tatema, Retsuma gave off an air of poise and grace even without his genjutsu, which made Sakura feel like she had dribbled all over her shirt like she was four. Hardly the kind of person who made her want to chatter about her school day and her friends.

But the fact was, there was no one else she could ask about the Senju besides Retsuma, at least until Tatema came back. Tenjouma would either brush aside Sakura’s questions, or tell her all about the glory and strength of the clan. Sakura didn’t care about that. She didn’t care about how strong the Shodai was. Everyone already knew he was the God of Shinobi, that’s why he had been the Shodai.

She wanted to know about Senju Hashirama the person, and how he managed the Mokuton. While the strange elder, Danzou, had encouraged her to look up to the Nidaime, Sakura still felt a strange kinship with the Shodai. She was his descendant, wasn’t she? Both of them had a powerful ability that no one else in their lifetime had. The Shodai had had to master it all alone. Maybe Sakura could draw guidance from the Shodai’s experience. Which meant she didn’t need glory stories. She needed the truth.

Sakura peeked up at Retsuma from the corner of her eye. Could she stand to wait for Tatema to come back home…?

“What is it?” Retsuma asked. Sakura startled, then flushed. He wasn’t supposed to realize that she had been staring.

“I just…” she trailed off in a mumble. Where to even start? Sakura didn’t know how to say the feelings that bubbled in her chest. She wanted to know about the Shodai and yet she didn’t. She wanted help with the Mokuton and she wanted to pretend it didn’t exist.

“How does anyone know I’m really like the Shodai-sama?” A person was more than just their jutsu abilities, surely. Sakura was more than just her shinobi training.

“You are whatever the clan wants you to be,” Retsuma said simply. “And if you are not, the clan will make you what they want you to be.”

‘But what if that’s not what I want?’ Sakura wanted to ask. There was no use; she already knew that her complaints would be ignored, just as they had been so far.

Instead, she said, “Did the Senju really want Shodai-sama to create peace with the Uchiha?”

“Hashirama-sama was very wise, and saw that if things continued the way they were, it would mean doom for the clan. For our betterment, he reached out in peace towards the Uchiha,” Retsuma replied.

“But is that what the clan wanted?” Sakura pressed.

He hesitated. “I don’t know what the internal politics of the clan were during that time. However, given Hashirama-sama’s power, and the support of Tobirama-sama, it is unlikely he was opposed.”

In other words, the Shodai and Nidaime were too powerful for anyone to say no to. That was how they accomplished what they desired. And Tsunade had too, Sakura recalled. It was her power that let her leave the clan with no consequences and remain unfound. So if Sakura gained enough power, then she could also defy the clan.

“What was Hashirama-sama like?” Sakura asked Retsuma.

“Well, he was very wise, as I said. He was the pinnacle of shinobi. His strength was nigh unmatchable, and he used it to lead the Senju to many victories, and eventually to peace,” he said. “But I’m afraid if you want to know more, you would need to ask Tenjouma-ojiisama. Shodai-sama was far before my time, but Tenjouma-ojiisama knew him.”

That didn’t really tell Sakura anything about what the man was actually like. But Retsuma’s reason was fair enough, she guessed. The Shodai had lived a very long time ago, after all.

“How did he learn about his Mokuton? How did he master it?” she continued, warming up to this topic.

Retsuma looked amused by Sakura’s curiosity. “I don’t know how he found out he had it, precisely. There are some journals of his that have survived that perhaps you’ll be allowed to read. But I do know that it was due to his genius that he was able to master the Mokuton so effectively. In his prime, he could grow entire forests with barely a thought. The village infrastructure was almost entirely his doing.”

“He left journals?”

“Yes, he and Nidaime-sama both left journals behind, among other things. But the journals are considered clan secrets; you probably won’t be allowed to read them until you’re older, and when you are, it’ll only be in a safe, secure location,” Retsuma explained.

The idea of journals sounded promising to Sakura. Those would be words straight from the Shodai and Nidaime, with no room for other people’s interpretations. And, if anyone had a right to them, Sakura did.

“Is there anything else you can tell me?” she pressed. Maybe she wouldn’t have to wait for these journals, if Retsuma would just tell her.

“Like what?”

“Like...like, a mistake Shodai-sama made, or something. Tenjouma-sama told me Tsunade left the village,” Sakura clarified.

Retsuma paused in his stride. Sakura might not have noticed if it weren’t for how gracefully and smoothly he normally glided across the ground. Sakura looked up at him, but from her vantage point so much closer to the ground, she could really only see his jaw and the curve of his cheek.

“Retsuma?” she prodded.

He smiled blandly at her. “A mistake? He never made one.”

Sakura stared at him dubiously. “Never ever? Are you sure? Because Mama told me that everyone makes mistakes sometime.”

“Sakura-chan, he was the God of Shinobi. Of course he didn’t make mistakes, or no one would call him that. He was too strong and too wise,” Retsuma shook his head, as if Sakura was silly for thinking such a thing. She scowled at Retsuma. It was a perfectly reasonable thing to ask!

“Not even a little mistake?” Surely he had to have. Maybe he forgot someone’s birthday, or called an important person by the wrong name.

“I said he didn’t,” Retsuma said sharply. Sakura recoiled from the edge in his voice. She was used to Tenjouma being curt with her, but not the other Senju. They did things she didn’t like but they never sounded mean. Not like this.

“Okay,” Sakura mumbled. She had only wanted to know more. Mama said it was never bad to ask questions. Even the Academy instructors encouraged it! An inquisitive, curious shinobi made for excellent intelligence gathering.

Retsuma sighed. “I’m not angry at you. It’s just that it’s silly to think of Hashirama-sama making a mistake, no? He did many things, all of them great.”

Sakura nodded along while a kernel of resentment grew in her chest. The Shodai had made a mistake, she knew it. And Retsuma didn’t want to talk about it. Sakura would prove the Shodai was no god, but a human, just like her. She would rub that knowledge in the Senju clan’s face, and then she would leave, just like Tsunade. No one could stop her if she was strong enough.

After all, no one had been able to stop Hashirama from making the village.

Sakura came home from the Academy one day to hear her mother and father arguing with Tenjouma. Her heart thudded in her chest. Some unspeakable fear gripped her as she hovered in the entrance of the house. She crept closer to hear the argument. Her parents hadn’t seemed so unhappy about moving across the village. It didn’t make sense that they would be having an argument with Tenjouma now, instead of at the start of this whole mess.

“-you have inserted yourself into nearly every part of our daughter’s life! She is more than just a shinobi, she is just a little girl, and she deserves to see her family!” her mother shouted.

“She is a little girl now but she is destined to be the head of this clan. She is already behind her peers; she needs to become the best shinobi as possible and to become an effective leader. There is no time for her to spend gallivanting with civilian children that can offer her no future advantages,” Tenjouma replied. His tone was annoyed, making Sakura wonder just how long they had been at this. It took a lot for Tenjouma to start to lose his calm.

“Has it ever occurred to you that this is too much pressure to put on a child? She’s supposed to be enjoying herself and playing with friends, not spending every afternoon training so hard that she comes home exhausted!” A chair scraped along the floor.

Tenjouma’s voice sounded like Ino’s when she thought someone was being remarkably stupid. “Generations of Senju have endured the same training. Harsher, even, during the days of the clan wars. Sakura need not to train as hard as that; she won’t be seeing combat until she is twelve at the earliest, later if I can prolong the length of time she does D-ranks. But we have already lost six years of time that she could be learning about the clan and her duties. We cannot afford to lose anymore.”

“And what, exactly, is so important that she needs to do, that she has to miss seeing her cousins?”

“She will be meeting with the Uchiha. They have extended a formal invitation to treat with us, in order to meet the Senju heir,” Tenjouma replied.

“What? You want her to miss her family to meet a shinobi clan that lives here in the village that she could meet with any time?” Mebuki’s voice was at a level of outrage that Sakura had never heard before from her, or even thought she was capable of. Her mother had always been more quick tempered than her easy going father, but Mebuki also calmed down quickly and forgave easily. Sakura cringed just at hearing her voice. Her eyes stung with tears. If only, Sakura thought, she had never awakened the Mokuton.

“These sorts of meetings are more important than you could know,” Tenjouma said with censure. “In place of open warfare, we have politics. Meeting with each other and establishing alliances within the village is how we pass policies and create village infrastructures. The Uchiha remain one of the most prominent clans in the village, and the Shodai’s and Nidaime’s names mean less and less every year. The Uchiha are our greatest rivals, yes, but they could also be our greatest ally within the village. I will not snub them by refusing them the chance to be the first to formally meet Sakura.”

“So we’re just supposed to tell our family that Sakura can’t meet them because of politics?” Mebuki asked snidely.

“Yes.”

“How dare you!”

“Tenjouma-san, it is unreasonable for Sakura to cut off contact with her extended family just because she is a part of a shinobi clan now,” Kizashi started. Sakura pressed herself a little closer to hear her father’s quieter voice. “And I also find myself curious where you expect us to be while you take our daughter off to visit strangers.”

“If it pleases you, you are free to go on this excursion. I will make sure someone is available to accompany you. But Sakura will be with myself. If it is her safety you fear for, that is unnecessary. The Uchiha are an onerous, prideful lot, but they’re Konoha shinobi; they’re hardly a threat to her,” Tenjouma said.

“That’s not my point at all,” Kizashi replied patiently. “I have no doubt that you will keep Sakura safe. My point is that Sakura has a right to see the rest of her family, especially during one of our most important family gatherings, and that you shouldn’t be making decisions about her future without input from us.”

Sakura shrank back as Tenjouma responded, and then her mother started snapping in anger once more. Tenjouma didn’t want her to see her family anymore. She clenched her fists. Every summer Sakura traveled with her parents to outside of the village to a town nearby to celebrate its founding. Family legend had it that Mebuki’s ancestor had helped to found the town, and so her family from all across Fire Country came together to celebrate. Her mother’s family had no political power, nor did the small town, but it was a grand party nonetheless. This would be the first time Sakura had never gone.

She knew Tenjouma barely tolerated her parents. She knew he wanted her to forget anything about being a civilian. Tears pricked at her eyes. She just hadn’t realized how far he was willing to go. Sakura couldn’t imagine never seeing the rest of her family again. By the sound of the argument though, she had no choice. Ino’s dad had said Tenjouma could take Sakura with no consequence. The Hokage had agreed. Retsuma told her that Tenjouma would mold her into whatever the clan needed.

Sakura slipped away upstairs. She was going to find a way to get away from the Senju if it was the last thing she did.

#roadkill writes #the company of trees #mokuton!sakura #haruno sakura

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