#yeah sena's route was good

[wildflower-otome]

Misa Isshiki: '——In other words. You were watching me?' Sena: '————' Sena stopped moving. Clearly trying not to meet my eyes, his fingers fidgeted nervously. At last, he smiled. Sena: 'So, about the current state of the economy——' Misa Isshiki: 'Please don't try and change the subject.' ... Sena: 'O-Only sometimes.....! Whenever I got worried about you, I just came to check in on you sometimes.' Misa Isshiki: 'And by "sometimes", you mean?' Sena: 'Each day.......for about eight hours?' Misa Isshiki: '..............'

[felikatze]

KOZUE ROUTE WAS SO GOOD.... KOZUE ORIHARA I LOVE YOU

it was such a fun ride tbh <3 going into it knowing it's all deliberate psychological warfare against takumi. watching him speedrun a breakdown and understand kozupii. AND KOZUPIII... SO MANY GOOD MOMENTS.... her torment is so fucking insane man. she has no sense of self. she's in this childish state because if she contemplates herself she fucking explodes. the paralleling of "who am i? / don't look at me!" was REALLY fucking cool i loved that a whole lot. the two really are very similar and this route was all about exploring that and showing how they could be pushed closer together

it was less Dread more mute shock just watching kozupii go on a rampage. the catharsis of her just fucking mowing everyone down vs the horror knowing that kozue WAS for real getting better thanks to her friendship with sena, and even moreso finding actual kinship with takumi over their similar issues, so going off the deep end like this because suwa is a fuckhead is jsut. man. man.

suwa IS a for real primetime fuckhead in this route (as in every route). he probably just spotted kozue and takumi together and thought. hm well since kozue's psychological warfare is so effective let's do the same thing with takumi. and it worked. to his credit.

but also yeah again the catharsis of kozupii slicing him in half vs the regret of NO NOT SENA SHIT FUCK

that scene w sena and kozupii was soooo fucking good also. they love each other!!! so much!!! they're best friends!! they're each other's FIRST true friend!!! waaa!!!! i know in common route we get them hanging out and being silly but seeing on screen how much they mean to each other warugrhh. historians will say they were just like sisters.

romance wise i do still think rimi/takumi is the obvious option (narrative pushing it lol + the parallels + THE FUCKING THEMES + what if. what if we were both delusional existences.) but "Can Kozupii fall in love with you?" / "I don't mind." is also. so good. waurgh.

these two speedran that shit in like 3 days. going "woah! same issues!" to making each other worse to dying together romantically. GOOD FOR THEM FOR REAL.

I ENJOYED THIS ROUTE. A LOT. PHENOMENAL ON ALL FRONTS.

[villapaitapeli]

With Rimi's route done here's my ranking of the character routes (relative, since I don't think any of them was exceptionally good or the worst thing I've ever read). Messy notes under readmore.

Nanami

morality issues aside (wow, nitro+ title having a disturbed route, no way), didn't like the way the route was handled

because no actual Nanami screentime :( t. Nanami liker

why does the fake Nanami know things Takumi shouldn't know?

would've been better if it had been a shared delusion/dream between the two (yeah I'm aware of the implications here). Or if fake Nanami was feeding the real Nanami's hand to Taku idk

Yua

a bold move to "add" this lore, although it might've been planned to be in the original?

the execution however was kinda ehh, the inprisonment part drags on for a bit

still adds to Yua's character and is a pretty solid route, with not only expanding her character but also giving her a decent character arc

Ayase

Ayase is a fun chuuni and the route is ok. Nothing amazing but not the worst one

She always kinda just. was there, so maybe that's why her route is kinda. just there

Kozupii

Started out alright but the entire latter half is an excessive gorefest heading towards the bad end you knew was coming

The scene with Sena was the most moving thing so far in the game so that's a plus

Still feels like a pointless feel-bad route when compared with everyone elses', aside from Nanami

Sena

The fate of this route (it's ass) was sealed in that scene where Taku gets a stiffy while him and Sena are stuck under rubble

The characters feel so cartoonishly singleminded and exaggerated in the second half which is a lot said about Taku who's nearly always on clown mode

There were some neat crumbs of lore (and that's why I'd rank it a little higher than Kozue's) but god Sena you deserved so much better

Rimi

tasukete rimi

the best out of the character routes, for reasons similar to Yua's but this one having better pacing

had my doubts when the age regression stuff began but my girl Rimi pulled through, sasuga main heroine

As for the actual best girl ranking, this might be controversial but... They're all pretty nice. I like Nanami the most because she's cute :)

[tzarounderscorech]

Finished in 2023 - CHAOS;HEAD NOAH

The strongest "it has its moments" novel I've read in a bit. Many good parts, like the unbearable MC, the viscera, all the horrible stuff happening to the characters, the early denpa horror, the later action segments being actually immersive, etc., etc....

But, so much of it just doesn't blend that well and just becomes awkward? The way the story suddenly switches from a denpa horror to a power fantasy is kinda jarring. The whole murder mystey isn't much of a mystery the whole conspiracy part - which, you know, is kinda one of the most important parts of conspiracy fiction - is so explained and telegraphed that the twists just don't work here.

And, most of the character routes were just... not interesting, for the most part? They fit the role of exploring the characters more, sure, and they had their moments, sure, but, for one of the main selling points of Noah as a Director's Cut, it feels like most of them should have stayed cut out. There WERE some interesting routes, both for the novel itself - like Ayane's - and the setting in general - like Sena's - but, most of them were "let's get through it to get to slightly better stuff"-tier.

This might be just a personal grievance, but, I honestly believe that the character routes should have came before the "normal" ending. Sure, it would take some rewriting, but, completing the main route beforehand just takes away a lot of the cool stuff character routes could have done. The common route serves you the explanation to everything on a platter, so, when you see slightly different event from different perspectives in different routes, you're not that interested in them. You know how the world works, there's no mystery, this is just some alternative timeline with no weight to it. If, instead, you had to go through the character routes first, you wouldn't see the full picture until way later. You'd have to try to combine, rotate, and recombine different elements of this puzzle in your head, trying to come up with some sort of explanation for what is happening - since the routes themselves give you very different accounts of what's happening! Then, you'd go through the common (or, maybe even true) route, where you can check your ideas! In the end, current way the game works makes for a less engaging experience for the reader.

Science Adventure VNs do try using more unusual approaches to controlling the story, but, here, it just feels more like a gimmick that doesn't have that much influence on the plot (it doesn't matter in the common route, and, in the "main" part of the game, only one choice per route even matters?).

So, yeah, anyway, it has its moments. Looking forwards to Chaos;Child, though.

[epicspheal]

If I can continue the pokemon champions/ adults discussion, I had the sudden realization that Diantha ( and the E4) could have easily taken up Sena and Dexio's thing of disguising themselves to investigate Team Flare.

First of all, Diantha is an actress. She would easily disguise herself into a entire new character. It's literally her job.

Secondly, her and the E4 going undercover would be great plot point. Like, say, the reason they're going undercover is due to Team Flare using Holo Caster to spy on people, hence they need to get up and personal with everything. Or because they don't want the public to panic, so they kept everything underraps( which could be used as a double edged sword as the public might think they're doing nothing)

Thirdly, what good did Sena and Dexio ever contribute to the entirety of XY. I forgot they existed until I replayed USUM recently ( which I still haven't finished). Like they're cool and all, but they also felt forced? Maybe that's just me.

Idk man. I used to hate Diantha so much, but recently I just felt bad for her. She got done so dirty, and from her dialogue in Masters she sounds super interesting. That's mostly apart of Pokemon's not so great writing in general ( especially towards female characters).

Anyway that's my take for making some if the Kalos adults more proactive. Hope you have a nice day/night!

Hi there @ihopethisendswell Listen, you’re right and you should say it. I love your ideas for this seriously. *steps on my soapbox* See my problem with Gamefreak’s writing is that the writers can be staring at a very obvious solution and refuse to even go down that route making the characters we’re supposed to view one way look completely incompetent or flat or whatever the writing issue. Like I don’t think their intention was to have a good portion of the fandom find her incompetent, but by not either giving her a way to help the story or a solid excuse why she wasn’t there it just makes her look sso bad and the prime example of “these adults are useless” How you described Diantha using her acting skills as a way to disguise herself is perfect. It takes a known trait of hers (acting) and allows it to affect the plot in a meaningful way instead of just being a cool quirk. Not that there’s anything wrong with something just being a cool quirk with no plot relevance, but I personally feel you can really elevate the writing when having a certain skill actually be useful. I’m also just imagining Wikstrom and Drasna dressing up in like regular outfits and no one recognizing them. Absolutely perfect! I’m also thinking about maybe instead of Siebold dressing up let him create a spy network with the people who work at his restaurant. A lot of...interesting details get shared over a meal and him having his waitstaff (if not him himself) be a set of eyes and ears on the ground in the attempts to thwart Team Flare

And then we have Malva who we all know is part of the Team Flare. Honestly if they really wanted to make it so Diantha and the rest of the Elite Four weren’t involved...they could’ve had Malva actively manipulating the information the League is getting to throw them off. It would’ve been a really nice story point to show that even adults that are as powerful as the elite 4 and champion can be duped. So many ways this could’ve actually worked to make Diantha and the rest of the Elite four not seem incompetent but for some reason the writers were like “Nah let’s just not have them involved and not give any explanation why”. Like what were you doing Diantha? Did you have an acting gig you were doing at Pokestar Studios in Unova?

Yeah Sina and Dexio they honestly just weren’t that useful. I honestly forget they exist most of the time.

And I feel you on hating Diantha (well game!Diantha, I actually liked her anime adaptation because they allowed her a chance to help out). I was the same way for a long time. I mean granted she’s still not my favorite of the champions but I’ve mellowed out on my feelings because like you said she was done extremely dirty. Yeah she really falls hard in the “Gamefreak can’t write girls well” trap which is such a shame because she (like so many character in the franchise) had so much potential.

[akimmito]

Heroes are made by the path they choose

Previous | AO3 | Next

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Chapter 8

Marinette is sitting on a bench, phone in hand, dark glasses and a black coat; she remembers several years ago when she was in this same place meeting with Marianne. Now she's back, but not to recall memories of her embarrassing adolescence. No, she's in that place for business, the place is solitary enough for a meeting without attracting too much attention, especially if it's information that she doesn't want anyone to hear.

"What's so important?" She speaks when a person sits next to her, she doesn't need to see him to know who he's, after all, there is only someone who should be there at that moment and in that place. She made sure that it was, a little magic to persuade people not to pass.

"I heard that a demon wants to get one of your jewels in Turkey, I'm not sure of his motives, but an angel was bothering me to do something. You should talk more to them. "

"Yeah, because it's very normal to befriend angels. The casual Friday of every human. "

"You would be surprised, they're a lot of fun… until they harass you relentlessly, they can be very annoying when they want. "

"That's my point." She smiles and takes off her dark glasses at the same time as he does. "What else do you know? You wouldn't ask for a meeting just to tell me that, knowing how much you run away from relationships and human interaction in general. "

"Well, darling, it's always a pleasure to see you. Any gathering is worth enjoying your figure. ”Marinette laughs and prepares for whatever she will say next. "The Shadow League searches for their heir. They called hell and found out that the boy was not there, Ra’s was willing to make a deal to retrieve his body and bring him back to the Lazarus Pits. It's only a matter of time for they to locate him, you must be careful. "

"Ra’s doesn't like to be betrayed." she murmurs. "How did you get the information?"

"A lovely encounter with a demon and one of those assassins, the poor man I was trying to protect, all wanted him very dead. The demon didn't kill him, but there was nothing I could do against a murderer like that, I barely made it out alive and now I have a new beautiful scar on my leg. "

"One day like any other, you're a lucky man."

"Since that night it only increased, I must thank you." He leans toward her with a smile.

"Do you want to go for a drink? To thanks for the information. ”She smiles back. The two get up immediately and begin to walk the streets of Paris, Marinette makes sure that a glamor covers them both to avoid being bothered. She grabs his left arm and he leans into her to whisper in her ear, tickling her skin where his breath hits.She laughs "Now, what has become of your life, John Constantine?"

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

Cooper @ KCoopL98

It is a wonderful day, nothing can ruin it. Not even you, damn butterfly!

Alix @LostHeroBunnix

The more mysterious you are @MariLenoir, the more curiosity you generate in us.

Chloe B. @BourgeoisQueen

@LostHeroBunnix, right?!

Adrien A. @AdrienAgreste

@LostHeroBunnix @BourgeoisQueen I saw her walking to the Sena, wearing a black coat and putting on sunglasses. Very suspicious.

Epic Kim @Epic_OrginalChampions

@LostHeroBunnix @BourgeoisQueen @AdrienAgtreste What if she has a secret lover? With the demon boy she has for a son, I would sneak out too.

Damian @DamianLenoir

@LostHeroBunnix @BourgeoisQueen @AdrienAgreste @Epic_OriginalChampions Mother has no secret boyfriend or lover. Imagination must be a nice place, but get out of there.

Epic Kim @Epic_OriginalChampions

@LostHeroBunnix @BourgeoisQueen @AdrienAgreste @DamianLenoir Look at him, poor baby, he's in denial.

Damian @DamianLenoir

@LostHeroBunnix @BourgeoisQueen @AdrienAgreste @Epic_OriginalChampions Denial is what you'll feel when they tell you that you'll not be able to swim in a year.

Alix @LostHeroBunnix

@BourgeoisQueen @AdrienAgreste @Epic_OriginalChampions @DamianLenoir How much violence, please, I want to be present when it happens

Felix @GarahamV_Felix

@LostHeroBunnix @BourgeoisQueen @AdrienAgreste @Epic_OriginalChampions Why do we need tabloid newspapers? You do a great job, guys. If you're going to speculate nonsense, do it via text message. Uselesses.

----------

Marinette returns to the country house when dinner is over, only to be greeted by Damian as soon as she opens the door. The boy looks incredibly threatening with his arms crossed and a suspicious look, she has returned too late.

"Where did you go, mother? I can smell the smell of alcohol and it's barely 9 pm, you must have left Paris two hours ago, too early to be drinking. ”He frowns more, looking her up and down, noting the differences in her outfit since he saw her leave, realizing that the black stockings are missing.

"I just went for a walk and stopped at a bar." All right, she shouldn't be so intimidated by her son, but Damian does it very successfully. In her defense, he was trained to be a killing machine, he knows very well how to stand and look to achieve that effect.

"Alone?"

"Uh, well..."Marinette is just a little drunk, so that helps the questioning go so well for the boy.

"Because you don't bring your stockings, I can also smell a cigar aroma and I know that you don't like nicotine, you are disheveled and you have a mark on your neck. "Damian is hurt to list everything he can notice, he didn't even try to further hide the evidence. He really hates Kim, especially because he was right.

"He's a... friend..." She doubts, actually, she doesn't have the slightest idea of her relationship with him. Adventure of one... two, no, three... yes, three nights, maybe?

Is he so bad that his mother must hide her partner from him? He's not going to bite him, just a subtle threat with a knife, nothing too so bad.

"Mother, you don't have to while. If he hurts you, I will mutilate it, but if you agree… ”The rest is not understood because he's said in grunts and, for less understanding, in Arabic.

"He's a friend, Damian. I met him four years ago while investigating a series of murders that ended up being the victims of sacrifice for a cult that spread to various regions of Europe. "The boy heeds his words, he did not think she was going to tell him about his friend, like if I really believed it was just that. When she passes him, the smell of cigarettes is much stronger, reinforcing the idea that it was not quality time for friends. "We started investigating it and he took us to Liverpool, where I met him. I was investigating the case with Felix, but seeing the circles and rituals performed, I diverted it in another direction while I followed the correct leads, I had the feeling that I would end up facing something darker than just a cult."

"And you met him." He sits down on the couch across from her, Marinette takes off her slippers and sets them aside. She thinks for a moment before continuing.

"Yeah, he was also investigating. These people seemed to want to carry out a demonic summoning ritual, I didn't know their real motives for this, but I wasn't going to wait for them to succeed… unfortunately they were successful the night we faced them, Azrael, nice meeting. "Damian barely flinches at his sarcasm. "You can't imagine the problems we had in sending him back to hell, all while Plagg was laughing at us. "

"In my defense, I knew you would win." The little god comes out of Marinette's coat. "And next time you meet the alcoholic guy, don't take me. Unless you want to face another demon or angel, you are fun when you do. "

Marinette sighs, of course the Kwami of Destruction would love the amount of chaos those beings generate.

"Whatever, we met several times later. He seemed intrigued by Plagg and the fact of my magic is very different from anything he had seen."

"Tell him when a possessed woman attacked you in a bar! It was fun. ”Plagg laughs as he remembers it, all the chaos it caused in the few minutes she was there. He loved it, it was a great day.

"I didn't know you were involved in that kind of thing." He admits, it's something he never thought would be related to his mother, as kind as she's, no one would ever imagine.

"Sometimes, but they are only favors for him. I prefer not to get into such situations, they are always prone to end in a real disaster. "She sighs looking at his hands.

"It's so much fun." Plagg laughs as Marinette shakes her head.

"Yeah, we know chaos amuses you." She smiles wearily and gets up. "I'll go to sleep... Damian, I love you so much."

Damian just watches her go after saying those words to him, he didn't expect her to say that to him. He knows that she loves him and he wants her back, that's why he tries so hard to always look presentable when they go out and not cause any problems, he doesn't want his reputation to be ruined because of him and for that reason she'll no longer wants him by his side. It would be terrible.

And that's why he doesn't like the people who approach her, what if they don't like him? What if they demand that his mother get rid of him? What if she gets a partner who doesn't want him around? He will couldn't accept it.

Seeing Talia three nights ago still haunts him, even though it was just an illusion created by the Akuma. When he thinks about the League he only feels two things, fear that he will be taken away from his mother and fury at what they did to him.

If he ever returns to the League of Assassins, it will be to exterminate them all.

-----------

Tim Drake @TimDrakeW_

The only good thing about going to Paris is that I already have an appointment with Marie Lenoir for a suit. Thanks @OliverQueen!

Roy @RoyHarperQ

@TimDrakeW_ You failed to thank me? I was the one who felt sorry for you because Dick is dragging you to Paris with him.

Jason @IAmYisus_XD

@TimDrakeW_ @RoyHarperQ He turns off notifications for his posts, he won't tell you anything.

Dick Grayson @TheFlyingGrayson

Tomorrow we arrived in Paris, the last time I visited the city I was six years old and still in the Circus. I have a whole tourist route to follow!

[mychemicalficrecs]

do you have any longer frikey fics, preferably bottom frank if theres smut

I do have some longer Frank/Mikey stuff, but no guarantee on bottom Frank!

Longer Frank/Mikey

Emotional Brilliance by kopperblaze, 21k, Mature. Toro and Mikey are a good team, Mikey doesn’t get why Brian had to hire someone else. In particular he doesn’t get why Brian had to hire Frank, who knows nothing about Lush products and who's incapable of keeping his mouth shut. Lush!AU. The one where Ray is a skin care expert, Frank is obnoxious, Mikey is annoyed and Pete leaves glittery handprints all over everything.

Gross roomies by turps, 36k, Explicit. Frank loves living with Mikey. Sure, the apartment is a mess, the kitchen's a toxic wasteland, and there's something growing in the refrigerator that's just a day or two away from becoming sentient, but other than those minor inconveniences, it's all cool. Or it is until Mikey decides to embark on a journey of sexual discovery and adventure and Frank's left at home with nothing but the fridge monster for company. To make matters worse, Mikey insists on telling Frank everything he does with his new kinky friends, right down to the tiniest detail. And now suddenly Frank is best friends with his right hand and he can't stop thinking about Mikey in ways he never has before. The really big problem, other than suddenly being in lust with his best friend, is that Frank isn't sure why.

Won't Know 'til You Begin by knight_tracer, Sena, 24k, Explicit. In which Frank is an accidental pervert, Mikey sleeps with Fabio, Gerard is much too sincere when talking about pain sluts, Ray is terrible with women and great with guitars, and Otter's got really bad taste in music. Alternately, the one where Frank realizes he has a thing for Mikey, Mikey realizes he has a thing for guys, and they're both adorably stupid failboats.

On Air by ladyfoxxx, 15k, Teen And Up Audiences. Frank's a radio DJ at an alternative station, spinning punk tracks and talking shit. When he gets handed the most popular show at the station to host, his first guests are independent horror filmmakers Gerard and Mikey Way.

Standing on a Planet that's Evolving and Revolving by Green, 13k, Explicit. The evolution of Frank Iero, age 15.

Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room by Femme (femmequixotic), 15k, Explicit. Frank wants to touch Mikey, to slide his fingers across the sharp angle of his cheek just below his glasses, to drag his thumb along the curve of his bottom lip, to smooth his palm down Mikey's long throat.

What Dreams May Come by sperrywink, 15k, Explicit. His career in music derailed, Frank never met the other guys in My Chemical Romance. A silly tale of teleportation.

a scent and a sound by mwestbelle, 15k, Explicit. In an urban fantasy world where werewolves can't hold a decent job and no roommate wants them, werewolf Frank is looking for an apartment. He finds one with Mikey Way.

Heart Wrapped in Clover by Sena, 19k, Explicit. Everbody's got their not-so-secret secrets on tour. When you live out of a van, you just can't help but notice things that you shouldn't talk about if you don't want to embarrass your friends or start a fight. Frank wishes sometimes they talked about things, though, because he's dying to ask if anybody else has noticed that sometimes, Mikey wears panties.

Tints Verse by turps, 65k, Mature. A MCR AU where Ray has his own gardening firm, and one day he does a job for the Ways.

We Used To Be Friends by ladyfoxxx, 50k, Explicit. "You and me, right Mikes?" "Yeah, fuck everybody else." Best friends since high school, if Frank could've chosen a brother, he'd pick Mikey. Then Mikey became a rock star and Frank... didn't. After years of radio silence, Mikey steps onto a stage in Jersey and back into Frank's life. (Or, the one where Frank is a school teacher and Mikey plays rhythm in The Used.)

And the Painted Ponies by turps, 35k, Mature. After years of struggling to be taken seriously as a bodyguard, Frank Iero is finally well established. He loves his boss, Ray, he loves his job, and he prides himself on his professionalism. But then he's assigned to be the personal bodyguard of Mikey Way. Mikey Way, aka Roboboy, is a successful high fashion model. Loved by designers and the public alike for his trademark lack of emotion, but mocked by the tabloid press for the exact same reason. Mikey is someone that Frank's sure he'll hate. Except it doesn't work out that way. In fact, it doesn't take long before Frank discovers he really likes Mikey. Maybe too much.

Better Than A Paid Life by gala_apples, 15k, Explicit. Gerard and Mikey Way are the Killjoys, a motorbaby duo. That is, until their car gets wrecked in a battle and the dashboard accessory of their new Trans Am is an ex-Companion with a mission.

Crash by Gorgeous Nerd (gorgeousnerd), 26k, Explicit. In a future version of Seattle, Frank Iero's a lot of things: bike messenger, cage fighter, sometimes thief, Ray Toro's roommate. Mikey Way's also a lot of things: record label owner, co-heir to his grandmother's fortune, younger brother. Neither are normal. But they don't know just how far each other's abnormalities go until Frank's past and a secret of Mikey's unexpectedly shove together. (Dark Angel AU.)

Sound Tracking by turps, 46k, Mature. The beat is muted, almost non-existent, and the loss hits Bob hard. He's used to living his life in a constant thrum of sound, sensing those around him, the rhythm of the universe a constant companion, but here there's almost nothing. He can feel the sound that's been pulling him for weeks now, but little else. This place is dead, almost silent, and Bob aches with the feeling of being cast into nothingness. A MCR - Bob and Gerard centric space AU where Gerard's band has been taken from him and Bob helps find them. Also features FOB, especially Pete.

Drink Cider From a Lemon by turps, 20k, General Audiences. A story about friendship, love and building your own kind of home.

Mikey Way and the Quest for the Stone by Roxy_palace, 29k, Explicit. “I’m in Colombia!” Mikey said, raising his voice over the crackle of a poor connection. “No. no, no, no, no,” James wailed. Mikey could really relate to his disbelief. He couldn't believe he was in mother fucking Colombia either.

Below the Trees, Which Are Below the Stars by alpheratz, 38k, Explicit. In the mid-1920s, Gerard and Mikey moved to France - Gerard to pursue art, Mikey because he couldn't stay behind. Now, it's 1930, and Mikey's become an airmail pilot, flying the mail route to Dakar with his navigator Frank. For a long time, the only rough thing about Mikey's life was the strain on his and Gerard's soulbond when Mikey was away, but his growing feelings for Frank and the arrival of Frank's old friend Ray could change everything.

Food of Love by Lucifuge5, 12k, Teen And Up Audiences. Ever since it re-opened, Frank's been "Sweet Nothings"'s number one customer. That he harbors a gigantic crush on one of the owners is something that he's kept to himself for the most part (Ray will never tell a soul.) It's not until he strikes a friendship with the older brother of the object of his affection that he 'fesses up. Moved by Frank's pining, Gerard promises to help Frank woo Mikey. Complications arise when Gerard's "helpful advice" is anything but. Will Frank be successful in his courtship or are his chances to win Mikey's heart as ruined as a burnt cupcake?

You Only Hear The Music (When Your Heart Begins To Break) by Acadjonne, 28k, Mature. Mikey and Frank have known each other for years. They're roommates, and best friends. They're also friends with benefits. The arrangement is casual, and it suits them both. Somewhere along the way, Mikey develops feelings for Frank, but he pushes them aside. They aren't important, he'll be fine. Or, Mikey is fine, until he somehow ends up pregnant a year into this thing with Frank, and all of a sudden, he's got more to deal with than just how long he'll be able to hide his feelings for Frank or how the hell he's supposed to afford his transition.

Give Me A Reason To Believe (Failboats In Love) by Acadjonne, 14k, Teen And Up Audiences. On the night of October 31st, Linda and Frank Iero welcome a baby boy into their family. He weighs six pounds, four ounces, and is nineteen inches long. They give him a family name, and he becomes the third Iero man to bear the name of Frank. A year later, on All Hallow's Eve, a sleeping baby is taken from his crib and replaced with a fake. The babe will later be taken from the hands of the goblin that stole him, and he will be raised by two rowan treefolk, a house brownie, and some pixies. ----- When Ray walks down the stairs to the Way family basement, the last thing Mikey expects to see is a scrappy and long-haired form following behind him. But as he later finds out, Frank is almost always unexpected in the best of ways, the rest of the world be damned.

Death's Muse by TheFratelliEffect, 53k [WIP], Mature. Lonely and depressed, Mikey Way is battling through the drab years that immediately follow college. Struggling to make a living as an artist, Mikey has became a battered down, quiet introvert whom wants nothing to do with the abusive romance he is unwillingly involved in. On a cold winter morning, the starving artist is confronted with the opportunity to paint Frank Iero, the Midnight Falls' elusive, young doctor, which he takes up immediately. Love and lust ensure as the story opens on the painter as he meets his muse.

Gallons Of The Stuff by MCRmyGeneral, 20k, Explicit. Frank has been amused by blood for as long as he can remember. When he was a child, it was a simple fascination; the way it felt on his hands, the way it looked dripping to the floor, the way it smelled. But as he grew older, that simple fascination morphed into a daring lust. Blood no longer amused him, now it turned him on. Frank has never intentionally hurt someone just to see their blood. He just takes what he can get whenever an accident happens. But when Mikey is hurt bad, Frank discovers how hard it is to keep his hands, and thoughts, to himself. He loves Mikey, he has for a long time. But now, he finds his silence so much harder to keep. He has two choices: either tell Mikey how he feels, about him and his blood, and risk scaring him away, or keep quiet, and never let the man know how much he means to him. Whatever he chooses, he knows that someone will get hurt.

[rosegrl18]

Day Twenty-Five - Fresh Breath

@fatethreads, @iris-14cheonsa, @zarahjoyce, @quatresnuku, @princess-sas, @nopedontknow

Day Twenty-Five: Fresh Breath

Fandom: Mashin Sentai Kiramager

Characters: Tametomo Imizu, Sena Hayami

Pairings: Sena Hayami x Tametomo Imizu

           It was early in the morning, around 9 AM, during the week. Juru was in school, Shiguru was shooting some scenes for a movie he was starring in, and Sayo was at home, catching up on some sleep, as her shift had only ended a couple hours earlier. Sena was outside, jogging along her normal route, taking in several breaths of fresh air. The air was crisp and clean, with no foul odors. No foul odors meant a lack of Bechats, who emitted a foul stench. Sena never wanted to relive that experience again. They were disgusting creatures and no one knew for sure exactly where they came from. Were they mass produced by Yodonheim? Were they even organic in nature? Were they robots? No one knew. All that was known about them was no one would be getting any breaths of fresh air around the Bechats.

           When she was about five minutes, or so, into her route, she felt as though there was someone near her. It didn’t feel like he or she was watching her, but it still made her uncomfortable. When she turned around, she was greeted by the familiar sight of sandy blond-brown hair, a neon yellow hoodie, black shorts over black leggings, with neon yellow lines, and white tennis shoes.

           “Tame-kun! Don’t scare me like that. I felt someone near me and every instinct inside my body was screaming to either run or fight.”

           “Well, it’s me, so you don’t have to run or fight. What are you doing out here?”

           “Isn’t it obvious? I’m jogging and getting a fresh breath of air. Sometimes it gets a bit stuffy inside my apartment and Kiramai Base, so I thought some fresh air would do me some good.”

           “Muryo and Princess are the only two at Base, so I don’t think you have to worry about fresh air running out there.”

           “Yeah, but there’s nothing to do at Base other than sit around and read, sit at the bar, or lounge around the rec area. I’m an athlete! I was born to run!”

           “We could always find somewhere to have a late breakfast, or you could come back to my apartment and we could try to make ourselves something resembling a meal? I don’t even know what I have at home…”

           “We could always go to the store and get some stuff, then go back home and cook. That way, we can get what we want and not have to worry if we don’t have something!”

           “Between the two of us, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

           “Of course! I’ll even let you make the list, the shopping plan, and the cooking plan.”

           “Well, I am the best strategist.”

           “Yes, in battle and work. Not in life.”

           “Hey! I’ll get you back for that, just watch!”

           “I’d like to see you try, Tame-kun!”

           He’d never get tired of hearing her giggle. She was like a fresh breath of air herself and he never wanted to stop breathing her in.

[roswellroamer]

Day 15. February 13, 2020. Franz Josef to Rangiora via Arthur's Pass. 420km.

Woke up a little foggy. Oh yeah, the weather was too. The open mike singers at Snakebite brewery had one or two excellent voices I really enjoyed and I may have had too much beer... 🍻 But at least the motel was just around the corner and morning came too quickly. One item I am not sure I have mentioned regards the usage of the maps.me app. This app allows for an easy way to use your phone GPS anywhere. The phone always known where it is, but if in an area where there is no cell signal/data or if I am not using my cellular data due to cost/choice the phone is unable to draw/show maps on Waze, Google, etc. Maps.me allows you to download countries or regions so that you can always navigate and see where you are. I utilize the red pin drop and save features to create a track of the places I have ridden on longer journeys such as these. It is helpful to have this data to assist in retracing steps (combined with the metadata embedded in the iPhone pictures). Since I'm waxing technically, how about the freaky similarity in the land area of both Georgia and NZ's South Island. The state of Georgia exceeds the size of the South Island by about 1,000 sq. miles at over 59,000 but basically they're the same size. I couldn't really have imagined spending 3 weeks + exploring Georgia but the terrain here is almost nauseatingly scenic. Most of South and central GA isn't that exciting to ride. North Georgia would certainly provide a visitor interesting riding for a week or maybe a bit longer. Enough stuff unrelated to this day. The forecast had used the word dreary and there was a low shroud of clouds hugging the mountain ridges. A few stray drops dotted the visor as I aimed again northward toward Arthur's Pass. Shaking out the cobwebs I commented to Ted via our Sena Bluetooth communicators that even in the low shroud hiding most of the dramatic peaks, the riding has been pretty much nonstop scenic. Fern forests and sheer rocks where the road has been cut that are covered in ferns. Growing in everything crack and crevice. In fact, saw one of those mowers attached to a tractor on a hydraulic arm that was trimming the ferns today. When the scenery then changed as you wind in between scenic preserves (all named) the transition to farmland is met with seeded flowers creating a welcome mat to the berm of the road most places. Kind of like how North Carolina and zone places in Georgia plant areas of wildflowers in the median strips but this is done on both sides of the road creating a natural orange beauty line highlighting the roads. Came upon a Yamaha and a new Triumph Rocket 3 R at a construction stop light where we crammed our way to the front of the line. We followed them for a while as we wound up some tight turns. That R3 looks great! He had a nice looking Triumph bag strapped on the pillion. We actually passed them after a while. 🤷‍♂️ After meandering for a bit we opted to pull in to Ross (gold mining town) for some needed sustenance. A cappuccino and French toast garnished with grilled banana and bacon hit the spot. We were about 2' too late as a crowd of Aussie bikers from outside Brisbane was just loading in ahead of us. No spring chickens they, yet they were largely off road and headed on the fantastic network of NZ biking and hiking trails all the way to Greymouth. (Which was 66 km on the road so more for them). Good on you, bikers! 🇦🇺

Next we headed inland to cross the Southern Alps again as we had done yesterday this time back to the east via Arthur's Pass. First a 40km detour north to Greymouth since the GPS showed no fuel ahead on the pass. We headed up the pass and as is usual the windiness and elevation both increase significantly. This isn't a terribly high pass at just over 3,000 feet but snow fields and lots of runoff debris fields are revealed as we ascend. We see an unusual hotel and pull into "New Zealand's most interesting hotel", the Otira hotel. You can zoom in on the pic and see some of the depths the proprietors have gone to in order to make this place unique. There are so many curios and antiques strewn about the rooms, it oozes history. See Gollum dangling his "precious" perched on the roof's edge? Fed a couple leftover chips to the pig penned up down by Gandolph's garage. 🐖 Had the "famous" whitebait fish sandwich. Some sort of pressed pan fried whitefish on toasted bread. Pretty good! The Kiwi train rolls all along the pass somehow disappearing under the peak in a feat of underground tunneling. It came by configured for freight and stopped by the hotel for a while. Ted was supposed to ride the passenger version on the same line a year ago however the western highway we had just ridden was washed out so they couldn't make it. Imagine that! 🌧 🌧 After lunch we passed by an Italian style viaduct, open on the side away from the hill immediately followed by a waterfall which had been diverted to flow over the road on the concrete roof constructed as a water slide to launch the flow harmlessly away from the road. One last very long bridge brings you to a corner just shy of the peak which is scarily named Deaths Corner but offers a road up to a dramatic lookout. Seen there was a blacked out Road Glide with those angled mini apes that looks good. The guy is in full leathers, I think some sort of group (OK maybe gang) and he asked about my Klim gear. If I had brought it from home? He said it was good stuff and I agree! We came down the pass and there were plenty of sharp turns. 35 and 25kph suggested limits for hairpins and came by a number of ski resorts. Being on the Christchurch side of the pass these are more accessible to the population center of the South Island. As the descent continues we turn on the scenic inland route not far from where we started on our ride out of CHC two weeks ago. In fact our resting place this evening is really a suburb of CHC. We pass the now familiar trimmed hedge walls, checkered farmland and sheep. We zig zagged a couple of times thinking the GPS had it wrong but soon we pull into the well kept Riverstone Motel. First place the whole trip that had A/C (air con here) and oh my I sure enjoyed that. Mike the proprietor was helpful and off we went to town about 2.5 clicks away after a shower and change. Most of the restaurants were closed for some unknown reason. We opted for a Chinese place that was good and notable in that fried rice was ordered because no rice came with the dishes ordered, but the fried rice was so loaded with meat and chicken that there wasn't much rice! Back to the bar adjacent to the motel for a nightcap and then a much needed rest. Trip is going off without a hitch really, good fortune has smiled on us to date. 😴

[canvaswolfdoll]

CanvasWatches: The Dragon Prince

Netflix is making a live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series.

Just… no? I realize time and development has been put into this. People are employed. But… the first series was magic, stop trying to recapture it.

Netflix has this problem where they want to propel themselves forward with original content, but that content is very mediocre. They try reviving old series and produce productions that disappoint.[1] The original concepts mostly fade into obscurity, are Stranger Things (which had one pretty good season, and then a mediocre second season), or is BoJack Horseman which I haven’t watched but haven’t heard a bad word about.

Then there’s their irritating handling of Anime.[2]

Netflix is willing to experiment and let creators do what they want. I admire that. But (and trust me, I hate to say this), they need focus testing. They need a stricter format. Edges for creators to bump up against and work around.

A standard season length, for one. An allotted time per episode maybe. Make production a puzzle to solve.

Instead they say ‘Let’s do the live-action Avatar series no one asked for, and is a passive insult to the original!’[3]

Which drags us into The Dragon Prince.

Spoilers! You might want to watch it for yourself (it’s nine episodes), but if you don’t mind spoilers, go ahead. I’m not the City Watch.

So, I think we’ve finally figured it out. We had Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was great. Then we distilled the creative staff, ran experiments and isolated elements.

Legend of Korra was good. Had the creators produce it, but not the head writer. The world was the same, but evolved in interesting ways. Good character concepts and real heart, but still missing the magic and character relationships that resonated so well in the first series.

Now, with The Dragon Prince, we get to see what happens when you isolate AtLA’s head writer, Aaron Ehasz.

You get a cliche fantasy setting, weak main plot, and a lot of cheap AtLA mimicry. But you also get some super charming child characters, intriguing (if not currently complex) villains, and small details that could build up to something great.

Which is to say: go to Bryke for the world and myth arc, go to Ehasz for the character interactions.

There it is! The ultimate break down! Let’s pack this up and…

Okay, fine. You want to hear my opinions on The Dragon Prince. That’s… fair, I guess.

So, in this setting, magic comes from six source: The sun! The moon! The Stars! The Ocean! The Earth! I think the sky?[4]

However, then humanity created a seventh magic! Dark Magic! Ooo, so evil, so dastardly!

Sigh.

Just once, I’d like dark magic to just be misunderstood. If they called it Life Magic, they’d probably have better PR.

Anyways, humanity went to war with the elves, but the Dragon King got sick of the fighting, so he sent the humans west, elves to the east, and divided the continent in half with a lava river.

Humanity didn’t really like this, so they killed the dragon king and his egg. So that’s vengeance.

Except this upset the elves because, y’know, murder’s bad. So they send a party from the assassin elf faction: The Moon Shadow Elves! They turn invisible under moonlight![5]

They’re gonna kill the Human king and his son to make things even. Because suddenly murder’s not so bad?

However, a member of the group is a child who couldn’t will herself to kill.

Basically, that cool and exciting setting you created when you were fourteen? Good news, it’s a Netflix Show now! Yay!

Also, the first season is Book 1: Moon.

And the title card is formatted exactly like Avatar, but with white text on a black background.

So the world isn’t special, and they’re deliberately aping some Avatar trappings. But that’s fine, there’s still the characters and plot. We could bicycle this!

So, what do we have with the humans? A beloved king with a dead wife and two children? Okay… both are sons,[6] so at least it’s not the usual nuclear structure. And, hey, the eldest prince is the king’s step son! Nice change.

Who else? King has an advisor that uses dark magic, suggested killing the dragon king and the egg, and talks above his station. But, hey, Lord Viren has two charming children, and he seems genuinely concerned about his king’s survival and the good of…

Oh, he gets a magic makeover in the final episode to make him look more inhuman, and spends the season plotting to take the throne.

Ugh. Of course.

Well, what about Viren’s children? Claudia is a mage like her dad, and is a cloudcuckoolander. Good choice. And she doesn’t do much that’s actively evil. We’ve got Ty Lee in Zuko’s role. I’m game.

Soren is… well, he’s going to be Azula. He doesn’t have her sadistic streak, but he’s been given the job of eliminating claims to the throne, is a competent combatant, and Viren motivates him with being in line for the throne.

He could turn, but my money’s on just being Azula.

Now, to be clear, Viren wasn’t obviously evil. There were plenty of early moments that hinted that he could be sympathetic and non-evil. However, he does spiral into torture and deceit, so once the season is over, there’s no ambiguity. Sorry.

Hey, what about the main cast?

Prince Callum is voiced by Sokka! Awesome! Jack De Sena needs more work. This time, he gets magic and impressive artistic skills! But he had to give up his sword abilities, and kept the daddy issues. But there’s still that snarky edge and loving brother personality, though the weight of them have been swapped.

He’s the half brother of Prince Ezran, who is the heir apparent of the kingdom. He’s… a goofy young boy. I dunno. Aang light. No overt talents. He’s fine.

So those two are hanging out at the castle, when suddenly their father tries to send them off to the winter cabin, despite it being not winter. He suggests made making a dirt man or going mud sledding.

Callum finds this suspect, and eventually logics out that King Harrow expects to be assassinated and wants to get his sons a safe distance away.

Meanwhile, the Moon Shadow Elves are planning their assassination, making a vow on a magic ribbon that will amputate a limb if they fail. Two targets: King Harrow and Prince Ezran to make up for killing the Dragon King and his egg. Even, you know?

Of course, they dragged a literal child along and had her make the same oath with the same ribbon, so screw ‘em. Child soldiers are bad.

This girl is Rayla. She’ll be the rogue of the main cast! Yay![7]

However, after making this promise, they find out she let a guard go so the humans know they’re coming. You’re off the mission Rayla! Turn in your fancy switchblades and ribbon!

Except the ribbon is magic and won’t come off until the job is done, so keep that I guess. And it’d be mean to take away your knives, so… look, stay at camp while the five adults go murder a dude and an actual kid.

Please remember, these jerks wanted to murder an innocent child.

Rayla decides to redeem herself, and sneaks into the castle. She finds the two princes, Callum attempts to martyr himself for Ezran, shenanigans occur in secret tunnels, and… oh, look, it’s the Dragon King’s Egg. Guess they didn’t actually kill that?

Well, let’s call the whole thing off!

Oh, nevermind. Rayla’s Uncle still wants to kill the king and prince. What a jerk.

So our three heroes escape the castle with the egg, planning on returning to the Dragon Queen. We got our mission!

Oh, and the elves killed King Harrow. So… that’s fun.

To be honest, I wouldn’t discount Lord Viren using dark magic to sidestep this. But he’s also trying to claim the throne, so maybe the king is actually dead.

Could go either way.

The kids head off to the royal cottage, where they stumble onto Callum’s aunt. She’s mute! (Maybe deaf, not one hundred percent on that, since lip reading was referenced but also some ambiguity…)

She’s a military General, fights with a shield, is super awesome, and I’m sad how Callum didn’t bring her into the scheme.

Like, yes, for the plot to work, Lord Viren needs to know the princes are alive and the boys have to be careful and having General Amaya know and supporting the boys would’ve caused other troubles.

But… c’mon Callum, literally signing to Amaya that Rayla is a monster and forcing the elf to do a Blue Spirit act is terrible. Like… they’ve established a sweet way for Callum to communicate a secret past her soldiers, and they didn’t use it for a sweet twist?

Ugh. Intentional miscommunication and unnecessary secrets. They are hitting a bunch of my hated tropes.[8]

The children run off and… don’t really do anything very interesting for a couple episodes.

The villain side of things is where the real fun is! General Amaya goes to the castle to report on the survival of the princes and stop Lord Viren from taking the throne.

However, Lord Viren offers her the throne. Again, how the scene is written and acted, I still found myself doubting what role Viren’s supposed to take. He seems genuinely concerned for the general populace, and offers compromises at every turn, and communicates honestly and…

I want Lord Viren to be a misunderstood good guy. I really want Dark Magic to not be an irredeemable evil. A story without a Big Bad, just factions with cross purposes would be great. There’s so many good escape routes for a more interesting story.

Then Lord Viren throws the man Amaya chose (her interpreter, Gren. He’s neat! I like him!) to lead the Prince Recovery Team into a dungeon, where he can watch Viren torture Rayla’s uncle for information.

Yeah… this is who our villain is.

In Gren’s place, Viren sends his children. Soren is given secret instructions to insure the princes don’t make it home alive, and Claudia is given secret instructions to prioritize the safety of the egg. So that’s our Zuko and Azula doing the Avatar hunt.

They have a fun dynamic as Soren doesn’t put much stock in magic and Claudia is an adorable dark magician girl![10] I look forward to more of them.

Now, back to the D&D campaign of the kids: Callum is trying to learn magic after stealing Claudia’s storm magic orb, and he’s pretty good at it. Rayla is worried about the ribbon cutting off her circulation and is an awesome rogue. Ezran… needs to learn healing magic so we can have a Cleric.

They accidentally drop the egg into a frozen lake and are afraid the baby dragon within is dying, so they head off to get help at a town. There’s a fun kid moment with Rayla turning a snowman into a snow-elf (it was a cute moment and Rayla needs more).

Then the group picks up a girl, Ellis, so abruptly that she might as well have been a player that joined between sessions. Ellis rides a giant puppy named Ava, so we’ve got a beast-master fighter!

Ellis tells the boys about a magic healer on the top of a scary mountain filled with scary monsters. With no options, the four go to the mountain.

They fight one monster, have some self reflection, get to the mountain, learn Ezran can talk to animals,[11] and the monsters there are illusions.

They get to where to where the healer is, only to learn that, nah, she’s just a powerful illusionist and Ava only has three legs.

The only way to save the egg is to hatch it. But they need a storm to do so.

Thus, Callum shatters his magic orb to release a storm, the egg hatches, and the titular Dragon Prince is able to gently bite off the magic ribbon Rayla couldn’t cut off with a magic sun knife.

(Either the dragon is magic enough, or saving the baby dragon was considered equal to assassinating Ezran).

Soren and Claudia use a spell to pinpoint the group!

Lord Viren inprisons Rayla’s uncle in a coin and transforms into an eviller looking form!

Also, there’s some mystery with a magic mirror? Cliffhanger stuff.

So… The Dragon Prince is not amazing. The dialogue and character interactions and relationships are great, but the story and world is paint by numbers.

The next season has plenty of room for subversions and interesting experiments, but… until I see it, I honestly think the show’s skippable in its current form. Filler episodes to build the world and characters would do a lot to help, and committing to nuances hinted at for Lord Viren would be great.

Also, hopefully they improve the animation. I’m not normally one to care about frame rates, but boy did the animation stutter a lot for a finished product.

It’s average.

Thanks for reading this review! Consider checking out my other writings, sending me comments and questions, check out my webcomic or RPG Blog, or whatever. Next time, Netflix is releasing an Anime I’ve been excited for nearer the end of the month. Keep an eye out for that, which will post to my Patreon first. I’m also slowly rolling out a Review of Digimon there!

Until we go flying with dragons,

Kataal kataal.

[1] Admittedly, modern fandom is filled with loud obnoxious people, but I haven’t heard anything good about Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, even from my less frothy-mouthed sisters. [2] If you’re gonna simuldub series in Canada, you can do it in the US, you jerks! [3] Everything can be improved. But actually remaking something just says the original wasn’t good enough. That’s why people hate reboots. [4] Can’t remember if that’s under the purview of the stars or not… [5] Which is Warcraft, Ehasz. [6] Unless there’s a spoiler with Ezran’s voice cast. [7] Canvas likes playing rogues. [8] Let’s see if season two can get inappropriate student-teacher relationship![9] Then they can get a free sandwich. And my eternal ire. [9] For the record: when Claudia inevitably defects and starts teaching Callum magic, that’s not going to count. The two are close in age and it’s not an institutional power imbalance. [10] I want a show about Claudia, Rayla, and Amaya on awesome adventures. [11] He’s a druid! Learn to heal, nerd.

[textsacc]

prompt: bro, i noticed you weren't wearing our friendship bracelets while you were giving me head. is everything okay?

A friendship bracelet? Yozora turned over the multi-coloured trinket in her hand. It beamed a bright mixture of yellow, pink and green, with its beads the shape of tiny rounded stars, and protrusions that prodded at her skin when dragged it along her palms. That's so childish, she thought. Even Kodaka and I didn't have them when we were kids.

Object as she might inside her own head, she couldn't find the bravery to do so in front of her friend's face when she lifted her gaze from her gift. A curious doe-eyed face stared expectantly back at her, sapphire pools wide open, judging Yozora's studied expression. Presents were Sena's key way of showing affection, Yozora knew this to be true. And gift giving was a thing that friends did on occasion; a vulnerable, sacred act in specific, when it came to the two girls. There would be time to lob insults at her, when the blonde deserved it better. Now?

Now all Yozora felt right to do was to grin back at her benefactor, sliding the bracelet onto her own wrist. On her right, her dominant hand, and the most prominent place to see it during her daily rituals. Sena's lips curled into a smile at the spectacle, bright eyes lighting up with sparkles, akin to a clear night sky. In response, she brought her own wrist over to Yozora's, a similarly coloured bangle matching the one the dark-haired girl just donned. “See now?” She began, her friend letting her explain. “Isn’t it cool? We totally match -- we’re exclusive!”

Exclusive was one way to put it.

“This is what you mean by making me special?“ A jest, thrown by Yozora, accompanied with a chiding smile. It was cute, she’d thought, the moment spurring up memories from the Christmas party not too long ago they’d both attended. Except now, instead of being huddled over by each other’s side in the club room, they were face to face sitting on Sena’s plush mattress, dressed up casually in their pajamas.

“Not really. Well, maybe?” The blonde pouted, cocking her head to the side for the moment. “I mean, it’s true that trading and wearing these is a sign of our friendship. And I guess,” her eyes darted over their colours, the plastic bits clattering against each other with a slight shift of her hand, “if we have them on all the time outside, people will know of our bond, and how strong it is between us, won’t they?”

“You wanna tell everyone I’m special?“ And... and yours?

Blue eyes searched her face once again for hesitation and doubt. “Why, do you have a problem with that?”

“No,“ Yozora replied. Her feelings were honest about Sena’s embellishment of her status. Though, she couldn’t help but imagine the gift was much more intimate than it really should’ve been. The hair clip she’d received from her friend on her birthday had been a symbol for her and her alone, even though it was a gift from someone else. So it was subtle, in its own way. It already matched the rest of her wardrobe, too. But this one? The girl would need to check twice before it looked more like a cry for help, paired with stuff from her own closet.

Sena’s smile put her worries to rest for the time being. “Good. I mean, of course you wouldn’t!” There was her eccentric bravery and pride once again, Yozora thought, as she leaned back into the pillow behind her, stretching out her legs as she watched her friend sit up straight. “It’s not every day that someone gets to be endorsed by a goddess like me. And now, with these bracelets, everyone at school’s going to know!” Confidence exuding through her form, pure and unbridled. “Just watch,” the Kashiwazaki continued, determination pouring through her essence. “Your reputation at school’s bound to sky rocket again!”

“Yeah, if you mean for getting in trouble.” One snide remark wouldn’t hurt, would it? “We’re not supposed to wear accessories like these around campus.” her friend corrected, getting cozy with the bedding. “Though, I don’t think I need to do anything about my reputation. School Council’s unnecessary work, anyway. With Hidaka--”

“Hinata.“

“Hidaka,“ Yozora corrected, shooting Sena a glare, “off the chairman position now, it’s safe to say my representative days are over. Good riddance.”

Sena laid herself beside her friend, trapping a pillow between her and her arm, slipped underneath it. Against the pink, her friend’s nearly bursting purple velveteen top paired with tight white shorts made it clear that her graciousness wasn’t lost, even between two girls. “Don’t you ever want to go back?” She questioned, and Yozora reasoned it to Sena’s growing friendship with her sister that was growing ever the more suspicious, even for her.

“I don’t need to,“ she returned, setting her arms together, fingers playing with the beads on her wrist. At the risk of being cheesy, Yozora pressed herself forward, taking in a breath before expelling the words, “All I ever wanted is right here.”

She swore Sena’s heart jumped at those words. Her own mirrored in turn, beating hard against her chest. “Don’t get too excited,” she started, urging herself to continue in haste, “You, Rika, Kodaka, our Neighbours’ Club -- I never needed anything else like status and reputation to be happy.”

They made eye contact. It almost felt like a challenge, Yozora felt, a beckoning for her friend to take the reigns and come back at her with questions. She knew if anything her friend had copious amounts of affection for her, though what kind and exactly how intense her feelings were, the dark-haired beauty couldn’t place her bets (and a part of her was still debating if she ever wanted to know). Eventually, Sena closed her eyes, humming as she put herself in thought, and Yozora let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding onto. 

“But the bracelets are still fine, right?” Sena eventually mentioned, withdrawing her hand from underneath her cover, examining the konpeito-like mess that had begun to shift, moving up towards her arm. Yozora agreed, looking over her own duplicate, before the blonde waved off her own concerns and started prepping her side of the bed for rest. This left her friend, her servant to rise, turning off the lights for both of them, before heading back to bed to sleep.

Yozora hated how the stars dug into her skin, after experiencing its use for only so long.

. . .

It had only been a day and the bracelets were already noticed. Whether it be an organic catch of the eye due to its bright colours or if Sena just off-handedly mentioned it to everyone Rika in the club room, Yozora wasn’t one to know.

All the blonde did was glance behind her for a moment to check who’d entered their space, before setting her eyes back to the television screen behind her, more focused on completing the route she’d set her sim character on. Meanwhile, she let Rika start off greeting the girl and her childhood friend, Kodaka trailing behind their club leader and giving his junior a wave.

“Yozora! Ah, Kodaka, did you see it?“

“See? See what?“

Silence from the dark-haired beauty, as she brushed past the scientist and made her way over to the end of the table, eyes glancing over at Sena’s eroge for a minute.

“The friendship bracelets! It’s such a cute idea, isn’t it?“

Yozora squirmed.

“What friendship bracelets? Do you want one between us to share? Or is this for the Neighbours’ Club in general?“

Please, no.

The club leader and the present gamer shared a quick glance between them -- in an instant their feelings of irritation and embarrassment became clear. Yozora’s glare was harsher, and her friend pulled away first, gluing her eyes back to the screen for safety.

“No, no! It’s Yozora and Sena; they got a pair together!“ The tips of the blonde’s ears started to glow red. Meanwhile, her servant quickly fished out her phone from her pocket, tapping into it with rapid speed. “Wait, did Yozora not tell you about it in class?”

Why would I? A thought that the mentioned girl hadn’t bothered to consider, too focused on sending a discrete message off to her air-headed friend. So much for being covert, though, as Sena let out a quick exclamation as the phone in her lap began to buzz, the gamer instinctually setting her game on pause before placing her controller on the carpet, looking over the received message.

From: Yozora Subject: did you tell hera bout the bracelt Message:

She punched in a handful of buttons back as Kodaka and Rika continued their banter. “No, she hasn’t,” the male replied, glancing up from his junior for a moment and over towards their leader. Yozora shot back a scowl, half wanting to check that her sleeves had covered the embarrassing artifact up, but knew that the movement of her eyes would’ve given it away. “Well, is it true? Did you bring it today?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” A quick play -- one that caused Sena to hiccup on her typing. Pushing the initiative, Yozora set her elbow on the table, hand resting against her cheek, pretending to be nonchalant about it. “Things like those shouldn’t be brought to class, y’know. The teachers would just confiscate them.” 

“So you’re saying only Sena’s got the bracelet on?“ Rika was nitpicking, now. And between the girl’s astute observations (or informed debating), Yozora seemed to be running out of options to hide it. “So much for friendship. Wouldn’t you agree, senpai?“

Rika turned her head up towards Kodaka, who everyone knew was probably racking his brain in an attempt to play it diplomatically. “I mean, it’s true you shouldn’t be bringing it to class -- it’s against school rules to keep something like that on you that’s colourful and eye-catching. It’d be pretty obvious to spot in the middle of lessons if you had it donned on you.”

Yozora nodded vigorously. On her lap, her phone buzzed for a spell.

“But--“

“But it’d be pretty sad to leave an accessory in the name of friendship behind.“ Violet orbs went to check a tiny screen. “Isn’t that right, Yozora?”

From: Meat Subject: Bracelet Message: Yeah, why wouldn’t I? I didn’t have it out in class but it should be totally fine to wear it during club hours

do you not have yours

Totally fine to wear it during club hours...? 

The girl tilted her head sideways as she looked over in Sena’s direction, pushing herself back in her chair to catch a glimpse of her friend’s wrist. There it was, the tiniest bit of it peaking underneath a newly unraveled cuff. Yozora gulped. At least it wouldn’t bite at her skin and leave marks against it any more. That’s how layering it over her school shirt would’ve been, right?

“Yozora?“

“H-huh?!” Had she been called for? She shot back into her original position, minus the elbow-on-table, looking over at her club members with a look of feigned indifference. “Yeah! Of course-- what’s up?“

“You didn’t hear us, did you?“

“No, I-- definitely did.” Yozora was wrangling with her sleeve now, trying to pry her own accessory out. The candy-like colours revealed themselves slowly, though each yank of it forward hurt, and under the club members’ gaze did their translucency shine, catching the light of the rays flooding into the room through open windows. The beads went over on top of her blazer’s greens, and there it remained, Yozora heaving a sigh, her skin now spared from its wretched contempt.

“There,“ she held her wrist out, glancing away from Rika’s look of awe and Kodaka’s impressed expression. “Are you two happy now? It’s just some dumb bracelet, no big deal.“

“For a dumb bracelet,“ Sena retorted, finally looking up from her game with a frown mixed with a smile. “It looks good on you.“

Really? Yozora knew her friend was just happy to know she wasn’t alone in holding onto the item. But she shot back a questioning look at her added comment, before examining the accessory over her wrist once again. Its colours were pretty, with how they reflected the sun shimmering down upon it, but to say it matched well with their school’s uniform was one hell of a statement. Well, I for one don’t see it. “If you say so.”

“I know so,“ came a whisper loud enough for only the two of them to hear, before the two girls carried on with their day, only half listening into their club members’ conversation. Rika was busy fawning over the appearance of their friendship item, and complimented on how they were matching, and oh-- did you know? Some come in the form of lockets, and they even had the extra sense to match up physically once you put them together! Like the ones with the faces of the sun and moon, or those black and white cats she’s seen in advertisements...

Most of what followed were research statements from Sena (she went through all that work just for this thing?) and Rika trying to convince a half-hearted Kodaka into getting one for each other to represent their bond instead. Yozora barely followed, but she took an appreciation with having the accessory be idolized at all.

This way, it really did make her feel special. Even if the exchange was just between her and her club.

. . .

If only the bracelet went unnoticed by everyone else. Unfortunately for Yozora, meeting a few other people on the odd occasion around school meant that word would travel around fast.

It was Yukimura (club traitor #2) who’d revealed her knowledge of the accessory first and foremost, accompanied side by side with Yusa (club traitor #1). The dishonorable kin had pointed it out upon their crossing, as the dark knight and her mistress were making their way out towards home, just getting off time from club activities.

“Ah,“ she’d started, a stack of boxes in her hands. “You two. You’re not allowed to wear those on campus, you know.“

Had the warning been coming from Yusa, the two celestial girls would’ve shunned it off by now, teaching the red-head a lesson in futility. Instead, the hound was yipping by her master’s side, box trembling in her hands, chiding her friend about picking a fight with forces beyond their control (though in truth, their war had started ages ago; it was just better not to stir the pot whilst they were in school).

“We were only on our way home,” Yozora defended, knowing that while both of them had bones to pick with the challenger, she would be the primary actor coming in hot to defend her queen. “School hours are over and we’ve just come from after school activities. Surely this falls under the clause of a change in appearance during club.“

Yukimura clicked her tongue, glancing over to the mongrel for a second. It was to no one’s surprise that the two girls would want to keep moving, Sena butting in with an exit in response. “If you’ll excuse us.”

[traveljaunts]

This time I touched upon a few parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. My route was Bangalore to Nagpur, Nagpur to Katni, Katni to Bandhavgarh, Bandhavgarh to Ajmer, Ajmer to Pushkar, Pushkar to Kumbhalgarh , Kumbhalgarh to Udaipur, and Udaipur to Kota. 15 days long tour and Mishra ji descended into our lives as our driver who picked us up from Ajmer.

As soon as I reached Ajmer, I asked Mishra Ji to take me to Ajmer Shareef Dargah without realizing that Mishra ji belonged to Allahabad (or is it Prayag Raj now?) and his Brahmin soul coupled with a Shiv Sena heart would be disappointed at my act.

Mishraji said, ‘We might get late, you really want to visit dargah’? I said, ‘Yes I want to visit Ajmer Dargah and Pushkar Brahma temple before we reach Kumbhalgarh.’

Mishraji, ’It’s difficult to take car near Dargah so will arrange for an auto (a 3-wheeler / tuk-tuk).’ I said, ‘fine’.

Now the Autowala enters the story. He too is a strict vegan but did take us till the Dargah entrance gate. That, is a confluence of narrow lanes with drainage on both sides leading to a comparatively thicker road, called the Dargah road. Definitely not a comfortable experience but the auto drivers sure have great skills.

It was a Friday (aka Jumme ka din) and I hadn’t realized what I was getting into. The road was overly crowded; everyone trying to jostle his/her way around to reach to the entrance. And in addition, there were plentiful beggars occupying their designated territories on the road.

Somehow and anyhow we entered. I bought a Chadar and some flowers. It was 3 pm and the main door was to open at 3.30pm so we waited as I wanted to really visit the main shrine that my hubby has often spoken to me about. Ajmer Shareef is the resting place of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, a Persian Sufi who had come to India in the early 13th century from Herat and stayed here forever.

  Like temples, here too we found some souls who consider themselves direct messengers of God. They usually position themselves near main gates, ready to bless you in return for the money you pay them. Below Rs 100 is not really respected, mind that.

My experience at the Dargah on a Jumma wasn’t great. I wasn’t able to pray peacefully for the same God send souls and my son had started crying inside due to the crowd almost at the verge of a stampede.

After we came out of Dargah, we called the Autowala to the same spot where he had left. We narrated our pain and spoke about the management in Dargah.

Autowala said, ’Madam even Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India didn’t go to the Dargah when he came to Ajmer, why did you go? You are a Brahmin. We Hindus bow down before everyone but others don’t. They don’t even take our prasad (religious offering). I am staying in Ajmer since long but not even once I have entered the Dargah.’

Hmmm…

Anyway, we shifted ourselves back to the waiting car. Our conversation also shifted from religion to politics.

I asked Mishraji, ‘Have you visited this Dargah? ‘

Mishraji ‘Yes, just once when one of my clients from Hyderabad insisted on it. I don’t like the energy. People are different.’

‘Energy is not dependent on religion. It is the person’, I said.

Mishraji to me ‘Madam, have you seen the communal riots in India?’

I, drawing into the conversation, egged on, ‘on TV but never been part of the scene.’

Mishraji ‘I have and I know how people are. Problem is we Hindus are not united. When something happens to us, we don’t take revenge the way others join hands and come out on roads to kill us.  We, on the other hand, visit their Dargahs and Pir Babas.’

I was quiet. Thought, let’s do Pushkar now to cool Mishra Ji down.

At Pushkar, life was peaceful, the crowd being less and manageable; however, we took more than the expected time and it was 6.30 pm already. By the time we came out, Mishraji said, ’I called many drivers and everyone suggested not to drive to Kumbhalgarh at this hour.

Mishraji suggested that we should halt for the night and drive in the morning. ‘It would take 6-7 hrs to reach Kumbhalgarh and roads are not good. There are wild animals. By the time we get out of Pushkar and then Ajmer to get to the highway, it would be 8-8.30 pm. Which means reaching Kumbhalgarh by 1.30 – 2 am. Very dangerous.’

I said, ‘It’s ok. We in fact keep visiting jungles to see wild animals but don’t get to find enough of them. If we have to go through the jungle road full of wild animals, it’s even better. And I checked google, it won’t take that long.’

‘One should be scared of humans these days and not animals. Other than animals, is there anything else that worries you Mishraji?’

Madam, ‘have you stayed in jungles? Not in hotels as in but in the interiors of jungles.’

‘In Bori jungle in Satpura with a family and friends group including a forest officer. But there were four walls to sleep in.’

‘Madamji, I have stayed in jungles and slept on top of my car. This was in jungles of Chhattisgarh. I was the driver who would take tribal workers in the jungle to collect stuff like Rubber, Mahua, wood etc. Everyday, at the gate they used to count people as not all were expected to come back.’

Mishra Ji continued, unabated, ‘Jungles has many things…’

‘You mean ghosts?’

‘Yeah…they are there on highways too. Have you experienced it madamji?’

‘Nope…’

‘I have many times.’ Thereafter, Mishraji proceeded to explain the difference between a Chudail (Witch) and Pretatma (Ghost). In between, Mishraji kept asking my mum questions on Geeta, Hindu Dharma, meditation, our purpose and about mythological characters assuming that she was an authentic Dadi Nani (Indian Granny) character straight from an ideal Hindu household.

As a result, both my mum and my son slept as soon as we hit the highway after Beawar leaving me and Mishraji to do the driving, navigation & figuring out part. My son was tired and my mom chose to snore rather than answering Mishraji’s mythological missiles.

It was getting late and Mishraji didn’t seem confident in the dark given his age (55+) so we both requested Sir Google to show us the route.  I was on the back seat with my son in my lap. Since my phone battery was low I needed to use Mishraji’s charger which only worked when I would bend a little as the wire was short. You can imagine my plight!

By God’s grace, my phone didn’t ditch me for the first time. We drove past the highway, then couple of small villages and then Mishra Ji’s dreaded Jungle all in the dark with just one headlight in the car as the other one had stopped working since Beawar.

A little tension, a little discomfort, a little belief and a little prayer made this ordinary journey thrilling. We finally reached Kumbhalgarh at 12.30 midnight having learnt about all sorts of ghosts and how to identify them apart from seminal discourses on religion, Moksha and meditation, courtesy Mishra Ji from Allahabad. My two partners woke up only when we reached the hotel in Kumbhalgarh. They were oblivious of what they had missed.

Here are next day’s pictures on a bright sunny day, but obviously without Mishra Ji.

Ajmer to Kumbhalgarh in conversation with Mishra ji from Allahabad This time I touched upon a few parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. My route was Bangalore to Nagpur, Nagpur to Katni, Katni to Bandhavgarh, Bandhavgarh to Ajmer, Ajmer to Pushkar, Pushkar to Kumbhalgarh , Kumbhalgarh to Udaipur, and Udaipur to Kota.