#yet even so .. when I don't get it or they change things in a bad way ... I can't fully hate them and respect them for that I guess

[written-in-knife]

Hello! Love your Floyd fic and may I ask a request about Reader/Yuu having a crush on Floyd, but Floyd is not ready to commit yet/doesnt see the point of it so reader keeps getting lead on and reader realizes that it would go to nowhere so they stopped pursuing. Floyd was supposed to be happy that the courting stopped but found out that he can't stop looking at reader interacting with someone else other than him.

Basically like the Flipped movie, just wholesome/hurt/comfort with the main theme of figuring out ones feelings. Reader and Floyd don't require to be together in the end just like in the Flipped movie but Im fine if they get together too! Im torn between the two. Please disregard this if you don't feel comfy creating it ^^

Disappointed

Floyd Leech x gn!reader one-sided both ways, background Ace Trappola x gn!reader, not explicit, could easily be read as platonic and/or fake dating

they/them pronouns, is THIS angst? I think this is angst, background hurt/comfort for reader but not Floyd :)

Word Count: 1098

I've never seen Flipped, but I love this premise and I'm going to make it Worse :) pretty short but this is what we call a tasty little morsel lmaoo

Floyd knew you were interested in him, how could he not? You made it so obvious. He thought it was funny at first, how you kept handing him little trinkets and rushing away, eventually getting brave enough to hang around him. But you kept coming, even on his bad days. For months, you kept stopping by the Mostro Lounge or catching him in the hallways or showing up to basketball games. It stopped being so fun after awhile. He'd thrown most of the trinkets that you'd given him away, not really interested in your courting attempts in the first place. It was just fun for him to watch you flit around like the little shrimp you were. He never stopped you, even if he knew this would never go further than your silly little attempts.

You'd brought him a tiny blown glass eel you'd found in town after a basketball game, catching him before he went into the locker room. You handed it to him with that same hopeful smile you always had on your face, and he took it from you with the same minimal acknowledgement that he always did. The second the door closed behind him in the locker room, he tossed the little eel into the trash with as much acknowledgement as he'd given you before moving to change out of his uniform.

"What was that?" Ace scoffed as he pulled off his jersey, tossing it into his locker haphazardly.

"Shrimpy keeps givin' me crap I don't want." Floyd shrugged, moving over to his locker as Ace gave him a confused look. "I've just been throwin' it away."

He didn't pay any attention as Ace moved over to the garbage, pulling the little glass figure out of the bin with a loud huff.

"You could just tell 'em you don't want it, you know." Ace snapped at him, taking the figure back to his locker. "They spent money on this crap trying to get you to notice them! Quit leading 'em on!"

Floyd rolled his eyes dramatically as he turned to Ace, glaring him down. "And hafta see 'em cry or somethin'? Hard pass."

You knew you were being blatantly obvious about your attraction to Floyd, you thought he might've been flirting back whenever he teased you about it. What you perceived as flirting was the only thing keeping you from getting discouraged after so long trying to court him. You didn't realize exactly how wrong you were until Ace came to find you when he was done in the locker room, the glass blown figure you'd given Floyd in his hands. Your heart sank as he apologized, telling you that he'd watched Floyd throw it away the second you wouldn't see, that apparently that's where all your gifts had gone. In the trash. You were embarrassed and disappointed, a lot of Floyd's actions making much more sense to you now. You took the figure back with trembling fingers, trying to put on a brave face for your friend, but you were devastated. You'd tried really hard to pick out things you thought Floyd would like, you thought you might've been getting somewhere. It hurt to find out where all that effort was really going.

Floyd noticed before the end of the week that you hadn't come by. You'd become a regular presence in his life, not necessarily daily, but often enough that your absence was notable. At first, he really didn't care much, it was one less thing he had to deal with. But something nagged at the back of his head about it. He tried to ignore it, but it was making his mood significantly worse. He didn't even know what it was, he was supposed to be happy that you weren't hanging around him all the time... wasn't he?

He didn't start to realize what the feeling was until he saw you weeks later. Basketball practice had just let out and he spotted you in the hall outside the locker room. Before he could go over and ask where you'd been, Ace pushed past him to you, throwing an arm around your shoulders and poking at your cheek. He watched you laugh at whatever Ace had said as the two of you turned away from him to leave. The nagging feeling in the back of his head returned tenfold, surprising him as he watched you disappear around a corner. Why was he jealous of Ace? He hadn't been interested before, why would he be jealous of something he didn't want? It wasn't even on purpose, it felt more like karma that Floyd kept seeing you in the halls every day now. Always with Ace. He saw the delighted smiles on your face, the way you would blush and smack his chest when he whispered in your ear, the damn arm that was always around your shoulders. You'd sure moved on quick, if you could call multiple weeks quick. And why wouldn't you? Ace had likely told you what Floyd had been doing after he found out, he was probably there to comfort you in the aftermath, he was one of your best friends after all. Rationalizing it in his head didn't help, he still had an awful pit in his gut whenever he saw the two of you. You leaving him alone was what he wanted anyways, wasn't it?

Floyd let it go on for a few more weeks, even Jade tried to figure out what had him so upset. But how could Jade help when Floyd couldn't figure out his own feelings about it? It came to a head after another basketball practice, back in the locker room. Floyd was slow to get changed, waiting until Ace had gotten dressed and was about to leave.

"So you and Shrimpy, huh?" He asked as Ace walked past, trying to keep his tone casual.

"You snooze you lose?" Ace offered with a shrug, shooting him a smirk before walking out of the locker room.

"Yeah..." Floyd muttered to himself.

He sat in the feeling for a moment, finally able to see it for what it was. He was disappointed. Disappointed he hadn't realized sooner, disappointed he hadn't just turned you down so he could maybe try himself later. Disappointed it wasn't him. You had become such a regular presence in his life, he hadn't realized he was taking it for granted. Hadn't realized that when he stopped finding your courting fun, it wasn't because he didn't like it, it had just stopped being surprising. And he had no one to blame but himself.

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO USE MY WORK TO TRAIN AI

MASTERLIST

[lostcatinthedark]

I actually liked Namjoon. I liked Indigo (not RPWP though) and thought it was a shame that it didn’t receive the support it deserved. I also felt bad for him because I knew that he received almost (emphasis on almost) the same amount of hate that Jimin got.

That IG post though, and the fact that he probably knew the entire ugly discourse that went down the weeks before the announcement of the winner and still decided to post that 💀

Some people are saying it’s probably not intentionally malicious but I don’t know man…

Needless to say, I’m disappointed in him. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Jimin was too, although he probably would never admit it.

His posts were shady. And I'm tired of people expecting us to always give some members the benefit of the doubt for their comments about Jimin. "He didn't mean that" "it's just a joke" "they're family you don't get their bond". That's bullshit. He wasn't just happy because he won, he was happy because he beat Jimin (cue article he posted) And then he added that bts reunion article to ground things again lol. I'm sorry, but how people can't see through what they do is crazy to me. And just as armys see solos as an extention of JM, the members do too. Do people seriously think that the members (especially the chronically online ones) don't know what happens in the fandom? That they don't know what people are saying about them? That they don't see some members out charting them and know that their solos are carrying the releases? And this is not me saying that he hates Jimin or something, but I don't know how long we have to pretend that the members don't see each others as rivals and are not resentful of their support as well. That "I did some lyrics" story was also weird, and we let it pass. That "I see everyone winning and I feel like I should be doing the same" right after Jimin won a Korean show. That "My album didn't get a BB entry but..." right after Who charted in BB. Like it's obvious. I've talked before about fandom narratives and that the reason why they are so strong is because the members and the company always reinforce them with their actions. This narrative that he's the leader and deserves more for that, or that JM is a selfless cheerleader who needs someone else, the members themselves also believe that. And that's why their shadiness also comes through with their comments everytime a member steps out of their assigned box. So yes, for me it was shady and bitter, it's not the first time and it won't be the last. I think he's the best rapper in the group and a good lyricist, I liked Indigo a lot even though I didn't enjoy his last album that much for some reasons. But honestly, he needs to stop being bitter about life. This is just my opinion and I always repeat it but he always seems lost and resentful about what he has. Maybe he expected something different, but he's still a very successful artist. He just needs to find his audience and stop getting jealous (his words) about what someone else gets or doesn't get. His own mind is not letting him appreciate the blessings he has. I don't like that attitude because it's fueled by ego and that will only continue to escalate if he doesn't work through it.

And about JM, I can't really speak for him in that regard. But I think he's perceptive and also empathetic enough to at least notice and understand things when he's aware of them. I think it's not a common relationship overall because they are bandmembers, but also competition now, and also friends but also business men. So his words and actions publically have to balance all that, and I don't want to victimize him because he's an adult and knows how to handle that (or will learn if he doesn't know yet). But my perception about these attitudes doesn't change even if he's fine with that. I still think these actions are shitty and no one will convince me otherwise.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

THE HUNDRED LINE: LAST DEFENSE ACADEMY - Journal #8: Route 0 (Ending) Days 91-100. [MASSIVE SPOILERS]

//Man...what a ride this was.

//But all good things must come to an...end? Well, at least it's ONE end. We still have what is probably 100 more to go at this rate.

//Before I start, I have to be completely honest about something.

//After I got to day 100 of the first route (Route 0) I kind of started binge playing through my second playthrough. Truth me told, I wasn't feeling very well last weekend, and was stuck in bed for most of the day, so I spent pretty much the whole time playing Hundred Line.

//The way I've decided to do things is I'm going to change up the format of the journal's a little bit. From here on out, after this one, I will be covering the routes in full, and my highlights from each.

//I know that feels like a bit of a dramatic change, but the truth is after all this time, I don't want to write about my experiences with this game regularly. I just kinda want to play it.

//The reason I bring this up is because there's one or two things I learn in my second playthrough that reflect back on here. Meaning I might use terminology that people who are following along with me haven't experienced yet. It won't be much, just one or two names.

//But once again...

DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED/SEEN THE HUNDRED LINE: LAST DEFENSE ACADEMY. I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT VERY SPECIFIC PLOT POINTS AND MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE GAME.

//So let's get started:

DAY 91:

//So this day starts off really shit. Which is super on point for just how bad these last couple days get.

//These days are also very long and there's a lot to cover in each of them, just so you all know. I remember being super scared of what might happen during them, and as it turns out, I had a right to.

//Eito shows up first thing in the morning acting shifty. He has been for the last few days ever since the Supreme Commander showed up with the negotiation offer to surrender. He's clearly been mulling it over for a few days now, and gets everyone to gether in the War Room to deliver his take on the matter.

//Eito suggests that there's truth in what both sides told us, and that the thing inside the Defense Room is indeed, as the Supreme Commander said, a weapon that will wipe out all the Invaders on Earth. While also taking us with it.

//And everyone just...believes that.

//Okay?

//So ultimately, Eito says that the best course of action would be to surrender after all, and submit to our enemy. This sneaky bitch really started getting on my nerves at this point, but the worse part is that everyone believes him.

//But what really gave me the chills about this whole scene is that when Nozomi gives an impassioned speech about it, it gets turned around on her SO quick.

//Because, somehow, everyone found out that Nozomi was connected to Kamukura General Hospital. They now all know the full story, in that Nozomi was part of whatever project it was that caused us to be sent here.

//Even though the only person who knew about any of that stuff was Takumi. When she told him privately in her room.

//But of course, Takumi never told anyone. We would have seen it if he did. And he never let anything slip either that someone could have caught attention to.

//Now, obviously, the would-be traitor of the school; the one who's been causing all of this shit to happen in the first place, has to be behind this. But of all the sneaky, shitty things they've done, even comparing it to killing Hiruko and the prisoner, burning all our food, and everything else, this takes the absolute cake.

//If there was ever an obvious sign that Eito was the bastard behind this, it's now. It's been a long time since Nozomi told us that info, which means he's been HOLDING ONTO THAT for a WHILE. Why else would the truth come out right when it's most convinient for him? Ammunition against the would-be voice of reason in this situation.

//I have grown to absolutely adore Nozomi over this playthrough and a half. She is one of my favourite characters in this game because she's pretty much the perfect person. Every time something bad happens to her like this, it just crushes my soul.

//What makes it especially bad is she blames Takumi for blabbing about it; not that I blame her. Again, Takumi is innocent, but he's also the only possible person who could have done it.

//And what I hate about this part of the story is the more he tries to get to the bottom of it, the more everyone insists that he's the one who tattled.

//Like...okay, genuine thing here. As much as I do love this game, and as much as I do love this cast, there is one thing that I REALLY don't like about them, at least in this route.

//Collectively, they are all SO...FUCKING...STUPID!!!

//I get that Eito has presented himself as a swell guy so far, but the reason why we're all on edge is because the Supreme Commander told us that by the end of these 100 days, we'd all be dead anyway. That's genuinely all she said, and yet, immediately, we jump to the conclusion that humanity are going to wipe us out along with the rest of the Invaders once we're done.

//We have...NO! PROOF! that this is actually the case. It was literally a SUGGESTION, and threat from one of our WORST ENEMIES!

//And yeah, I get that there's not an awful lot of reason to trust the people on the Satellite, because we haven't heard from them, but...that then automatically means that the Invaders are RIGHT!?

//What really pissed me off is how this same mindset almost immediately turned everyone against Nozomi. Nozomi, who has been a voice of reason, a team player, the LITERAL HEALER, and NOTHING but NICE to EVERYONE since the very start!

//Meanwhile, the Invaders have mutilated, absorbed, and done unspeakable things to some of our friends, to the point where Moko is dead, and Ima is stuck in Sirei's body, and yet, when things hit the fan, we believe THEM!?

//The fact that Nozomi is connected to Kamukura Hospital simply SUGGESTS she's a traitor. The Invaders are EVIL!

//It doesn't make ANY sense that EVERYBODY turns on Nozomi like this. Especially Kurara, who is not only against her now, but is basically the RINGLEADER of the opposition! And when Nozomi starts struggling with her rejection symptoms, Kurara tells everyone to just sit back and let her suffer!

//Like, I love Kurara, but this was LOW! Even for HER.

//Maybe there's some explanation to how it works, but I find no logic in it. It makes me SO ANGRY.

//Especially because this is just a rumor, and not only IS it a rumor, but Takumi can't even find out where it started from. Everyone seems to have heard the truth from a completely different person, until it loops back around.

//Takumi even points it out to everyone, and yet NOBODY finds it even remotely suspicious. NO! It HAS to be Takumi! HE has to be the one who did it.

//So this is an absolutely shitty situation to start this final arc off with. Everyone is going to surrender to the Invaders, Nozomi has been seperated from the group, and her relationship with Takumi has been compromised, in one swift motion.

//Everything went to shit just like that.

DAY 92:

//Day 92 is the last day of Route 0 where you get Free Time.

//I don't know if this was intentional, but the only person I can hang out with in the morning is Darumi. I.e. the one person who doesn't really give much of a damn what's going on about all this. Everyone else is just very against Nozomi, and Takumi too to an extent.

//The day ends with another dream of Karua; our first one in a while. But strangely enough, we've already seen this dream.

//In fact, unless I'm misremembering, this is the first flashback to Karua we ever got in the game. It's the same flashback where we first see Karua's scar, and Takumi originally making the promise to protect her no matter what happens.

//Yeah, I think I know what this is leading up to...

DAY 93:

//Today starts off very interestingly, as the Tsukumo Twins show up to Takumi's door, and give him some very important information.

//To recall, during the earlier incident when Ima was captured by the Invaders and forcibly merged with one of them, his DNA was altered, allowing him to comprehend the Invaders’ language and, more significantly, their internal culture.

//Ima ended up using this ability to feed information to us from the other side, but he has kept a crucial secret that he's only now shared with Takumi.

//It turns out the Invader Commanders adhere to a deeply rooted religious code. This belief system governs their actions with unwavering rigidity.

//Among their most sacred doctrines is a strict prohibition: absorbing the Cryptoglobin of another life form is considered an unforgivable transgression, a taboo of the highest magnitude.

//This revelation casts recent events in a new and disturbing light.

//If the Invaders truly abide by their religious code, as Ima’s understanding suggests they do, then the deaths of the captured prisoner and Hiruko, whose bodies were found drained and mummified from Cryptoglobin extraction, could not have been caused by the Invaders.

//With this, Kako pieces together a chilling deduction: the perpetrator must be someone on the inside. Someone with access, knowledge, and the willingness to betray their own kind.

//In other words, there’s a traitor among us.

//COOL, IT ONLY TOOK IS 93 FUCKING DAYS!

//Again, the sheer stupidity of this cast to not think for a moment that there might be a troublemaker in the group really gets under my skin for no reason.

//At the very least, the twins don't think it's Takumi, which is why they confide in him.

//Shortly afterwards, Eito shows up at Takumi's door, and let me tell you, I was NOT happy to see him.

//But he shows up in the afternoon telling Takumi that they'll all be celebrating their "last night" since all of them have given up on fighting, and hope to end the war tomorrow.

//Kyoshika is somehow drunk off of soft drinks...

//And DARUMI IS DOING DRUGS!

//Amidst the, ahem..."celebrations," Nozomi enters the cafeteria to very grim reactions. She tries one more time to get everyone to snap out of it and remember what we're supposed to be fighting for. But nope. Everyone's already given up. They're just completely checked out.

//Eventually, Nozomi realizes there's no getting through to them, and accepts it. Not because she agrees, but because she knows she can't force people to care.

//Still, she makes it clear she's not backing down. She's going to keep fighting the Invaders, even if it means doing it alone. Despite being sick with her rejection symptoms all by herself, she's fine dying so long as she's dying for what she believes in.

//At the same time, she says she won’t mess with whatever deal the rest of us want to make with the Invaders. If we’re going for peace or trying to find a way home, she’s not going to get in the way.

//Nozomi is such an angel, honestly. This last part of the story, as well as what I've seen from her in my first route so far, has solidified her as the absolute best girl. I think she might even beat out Hiruko and Kurara for me now.

//I said it already, but in general, she is just incredibly admirable, and I don’t think I’ve ever been this frustrated with the main cast. They’ve been treating her like garbage lately, and she doesn’t deserve any of it.

//I love Nozomi. I know that the rest of the cast is scared and never really wanted this in the first place, but it somehow feels like she’s the only one actually acting like a reasonable human being.

//The day ends with Takumi going to bed, and the UFB shows up again. Unfortunately, it seems that time when he rescued us was a one and done, because I can't hear him anymore.

DAY 94:

//...Today is the day. Where ALL of it goes to shit.

//Before all that though, it took me a little while, but I finally noticed something about this. In the last few days, Sirei has been introducing himself with this screen of puppets of all of us. And even though I've seen it a few times at this point, for some reason, I only just now noticed that Nozomi isn't included in it.

//I mean, makes sense, but still, I'm ashamed of my own narrow-mindedness. You'd think I was a member of this game's cast.

//So the school alarm goes off, and we all meet up in the War Room, everyone except Nozomi. Eito claims he tried to talk her into joining us, but honestly, I’m not convinced. It feels like he didn’t even make the effort and just said he did to save face.

//Then we all suit up in our Class Armor just in case, and head outside to meet the Supreme Commander of the Invaders. Who begins her speech by removing her mask.

I didn’t catch it on my first run, but on my second playthrough after finishing the main game, I found out her name is V’ehxness (pronounced vesh-ness). By the way, that is not an easy name to spell, and it kills me every time.

//Also, the rest of the Invaders have similar names that are either difficult to spell, or they are pronounced a way that they reasonably shouldn't be. For example, the blimp commander that was dropping eggs is called Quenzelle, but his name is pronounced "quen-zel-uh."

//The only one who has a normal name is the character who the group took prisoner, who's real name is apparently Eva.

//This exchange made me laugh more than it should have. Even at her worst, Kurara contnues to be so entertaining and unhinged.

//And yeah, I do agree with Gaku. She would be hot if she wasn't so hopelessly evil, as we'll soon see.

//Ima mentions that taking off their masks is a huge deal for the Invaders. Much like the whole thing about not absorbing Hemoanima, it's a sacred taboo, and they only do it when they are surrendering. We saw Eva do the same thing earlier in the story.

//V’ehxness starts speaking, and Ima translates most of what she says. Then she pulls out what looks like an escape pod for us, basically offering a way off the planet and back to the Artificial Satellite.

//I feel like Takumi’s not falling for it. He’s finally using that one brain cell. That, or he's still just too worried about Nozomi.

//And hey? Guess what? IT WAS A FUCKING TRAP! BECAUSE OF COURSE IT WAS!

//The "escape pod" is actually a dome-shaped cage that neutralizes our Hemoanima powers, just like the ones they used in the school courtyard. It traps everyone inside, except Takumi. And just to make things worse, V’ehxness grabs Ima and takes him hostage.

//What makes all this even more shocking is that it completely goes against the Invaders’ taboos, so it's strange that V’ehxness would do this and break the sacred rules of her people...EXCEPT there's ONE thing that we never considered.

//V’ehxness sees herself ABOVE GOD. Or rather, her ultimate goal is to become the "new God of this world."

//Which, honestly? That’s such a bold character move, and a really clever way to go about this scene, as obvious as the trap was. Just setting up all these expectations for how the Invaders behave, then having their supreme leader break them out of a lust for power.

//And then, in true no turning back fashion, she kills Ima right after she’s done talking.

//I haven't seen enough of V’ehxness to call her a top-tier antagonist yet, obviously. Honestly, I'm not too crazy about her, but...that could very well change in the future.

//As much as I hate to admit it, I was pretty gutted that Ima ended up getting squashed. I finally started to like him a lot.

//But Ima's death, as sad as it made me, does not COMPARE to the next segment and the next character to fall.

//Even though she’s in no shape to fight, Nozomi shows up to save the rest of us from the trap. Everyone’s caught inside the pod, and here she is, charging in like a total badass, despite barely being able to stand.

//Deadass, Nozomi is the only person here who deserves to make it out of this alive…and of course, she’s probably not going to.

//Then comes the cutscene, and after that, the first round of the final battle kicks off, with just Takumi and Nozomi on the field. I figured out pretty quickly that I had to destroy the cage to free the others. That part was fine. But then I…kind of accidentally got Nozomi killed.

//Yeah...

//See, in every battle before this, when Nozomi "dies," she just retreats. Obviously, she can't be brought back with the Revive-O'-Matic, and it's always been more of a story thing than a gameplay thing. So I had her self-destruct, to heal both herself and Takumi, thinking she’d be fine.

//But...she died. And I lost the battle in the one round where you're not supposed to lose it.

//Whoops!

//Weirdly, it worked out in a way, though. On the redo, I got the 300% Voltage bonus, which let Takumi go nuclear with his ultimate moves and end the round super fast. So…silver lining?

//And then it happens. Exactly what I KNEW would happen, but I hate it all the same.

//Once the pod is finally destroyed, we get a brutal cutscene. V’ehxness appears behind Nozomi in a blink, full-on "nothing personal, kid" mode, and stabs her right through the back with that monstrous sword.

//I KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO DIE AND I’M STILL SO ANGRY.

//Side note, I want to give an MASSIVE shoutout to Jay Rincon; Takumi's English Voice Actor here. He's been consistently great throughout this game, but he went to TOWN with this scene, and he nails the emotion here. Raw, frantic, and completely believable.

//Seriously, give this guy more roles. He, Christopher Ragland (Shouma), and obviously Elsie Lovelock (Kurara), are my absolute highlights of this game.

//While holding her, desperate to save her, Takumi lifts Nozomi’s shirt to stop the bleeding///only to freeze...

//Because there it is. A surgical scar across her midsection. One that looks EXACTLY like Karua’s.

//I KNEW it! I CALLED it! I FUCKING KNEW that the scar was gonna be what gave it away!

//So...yeah! Looks like Nozomi was Karua after all!

//But it’s not a triumphant reveal. It’s devastating. Because on the one hand, we still don’t know why she forgot him, or how Karua became Nozomi in the first place. And we don’t get answers, because Nozomi dies in Takumi's arms before she can explain anything.

//Other playthroughs I guess.

//But the real issue is that the one person Takumi has been fighting for since day one, the reason he endured all of this...just dies in his arms.

//And now she’s gone.

//The aftermath is just…rage. Pure, burning grief and RAGE. And it's EPIC!

//Takumi pulls himself together just enough to rally the others. And for the first time in 94 days, the Special Defense Unit is finally FULLY united. Not by hope, not by duty, but by shared loss and fury.

//Ima and Nozomi died right in front of us, and we couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it. At this point, our fears, doubts, and personal agendas don’t matter anymore.

//All that’s left is REVENGE. The only thing we care about now is KILLING the FUCK out of these Invaders! Every last one of them!

//...But it ends up being weirdly more complicated than it should be.

//Out of nowhere, the smaller enemies that we have been battling throughout the game, suddenly begin to speak in fluent English. In real human words, not in twisted alien growls or screeches.

//Furthermore, they are not yelling threats. They're in tears. begging and pleading to be spared for combat. Some cry out for help like frightened kids. They should things like, "Where is my daughter?" and “Mommy!”

//This threw me off. I wasn't expecting it; I'm not sure how anyone could.

//Like Ima hinted earlier, the Commanders, like V’ehxness, are a separate species entirely from the grunts we’ve been mowing down. They're lab-grown and synthetic. But if that’s true…does this mean the foot soldiers aren’t aliens at all? Are they people? Humans, or something close, transformed into monsters and thrown into war as disposable weapons?

//Wouldn't put it past this game honestly.

//I actually don't like this. Like, in a meta way, I get what the game’s doing, but gameplay-wise, hearing them scream and cry like that while I’m trying to fight is more than a little distracting.

//Is there a setting to turn off the human voice lines? Because…yeesh. I mean I DOUBT it, but I'm telling you, that part sucked the enjoyment out of the final fight for me like a straw.

//The fight itself isn’t full of gimmicks or puzzles, it’s just brutal. I can’t even put my finger on what made it so hard. The enemies hit way harder than usual, and the pressure never lets up.

//It didn’t help that, mid-cutscene, the game decides to kill off my healer! Thanks for that!

//But that final cutscene? Worth it! Takumi loses it completely, and rushes the final boss, screaming like a FUCKING ANIMAL! He just snaps. The pain, the rage, everything comes pouring out as he drives his blade straight through V’ehxness!

//But then, something weird happens. By absorbing V’ehxness’s Cryptoglobin, which...he somehow was able to do through his sword instead of his Infuser, Takumi somehow gains the ability to understand the Invaders’ language.

//So for him, V’ehxness's dying words are in his own language.

//With this new power, he tries to get answers. But even on death’s doorstep, V’ehxness won’t give him much. She kind of just laughs at him and taunts him. Tells the group that killing her means nothing. That their fate is sealed, and what’s coming is worse than death.

//You know, that cliche villain bullshit.

//Also that we were pawns too, forced to fight in a war none of us wanted, and turned into weapons just to die meaninglessly, just like the monsters we've been fighting all along.

//And then… Kako absolutely snaps.

//She just watched her brother, someone she barely got back, get murdered right in front of her. There’s no mercy left in her. Once V’ehxness finishes talking, Kako goes full-on berserker and tears into her. She stabs her again, and again, and again, until there’s barely anything left.

//Yeah, you go girl!

//Again, of all the characters in this game that I felt bad for, because their life just SUCKED because of this war, it's Nozomi and Kako. And even to the end, those two were done the dirtiest by this game, no question.

//This final fight is also the first fight in the game where I didn't get an S-Rank finish.

//Not surprising, though. I was barely keeping my shit together, trying to plan everything out and figuring out who needed to go where. And again, when Nozomi is straight up taken out of the fight by being killed in the cutscene, the fights in this game just get that much harder.

DAY 95:

//It's a lie!

//That WASN'T the final boss! It's time for the ACTUAL final boss! God help me!

//The next day, after holding a quiet funeral for Nozomi and Ima, we all come to a conclusion, largely led by Eito, but we all ultimately agree to it. If we’re going to die here, we’re not doing it without answers.

//We’ve spent this whole time defending something in the Defense Room, this supposed weapon of mass destruction, without even knowing what it really is. So we decide it’s time to find out what’s behind the Defense Room door once and for all. Eito steps up to lead the charge, and we head to the Defense Room door, ready to smash it down with our Class Weapons.

//I took a moment to talk to everyone before I started the final assault. The mood’s heavy, as you very well might expect. Funny that losing Nozomi basically makes everything feel pointless and lonely. That's the true power of a heroine right there.

//Everyone also kind of admits that the trap WAS obvious; just that they didn’t want to see it. We were scared and clinging to any chance of peace, even if it meant ignoring Nozomi.

//In hindsight, it’s clear that if her secret hadn’t been leaked, we probably would’ve listened. But someone made sure that didn’t happen. It's a clever mood that makes my teeth itch.

//Just as we’re about to break into the Defense Room, the Undying Flames Boy appears, not just speaking to Takumi anymore, but in front of the whole group.

//And now Takumi can actually hear him clearly for the first time.

//Honestly, why was it that only Takumi was the one who saw the boy? I know that he appeared in front of Tsubasa that one time, but why was every other time him seeking out Takumi? Because Takumi was the only one up at night? I doubt that.

//But we learn that apparently, the boy’s been inside the Defense Room the whole time. And now, thanks to the Cryptoglobin Takumi absorbed from V’ehxness, he’s able to "tune in" to the boy’s voice. No one else can hear him though, so Takumi has to translate.

//We start getting real answers.

//First off, the way the flame boy looks is not his actual appearance. It’s an avatar made from Cryptoglobin, same as his voice. His true body is what’s locked away behind the Defense Room door.

//On top of that, according to what he says, like the rest of the Special Defense Unit, he was brought to the school under the pretense of protecting humanity. But he was different. Due to some sort of genetic anomaly, he ended up with an incredibly rare and powerful form of Cryptoglobin. So powerful, in fact, that he can generate and control the Undying Flames. All of them, including the massive wall of fire surrounding the school.

//He’s been in the Defense Room this entire time, gathering and charging that power, stockpiling it for 100 days. According to him, when fully charged, the Undying Flames have enough destructive force to wipe out all life on Earth. Specifically the Invaders.

//Neither Sirei, nor anyone else, ever told him the real reason he was doing this. Like us, he was just following orders.

//Eito steps forward. Calm but serious, he asks the boy to open the door and let us see what’s inside. And the boy agrees.

//Looking back, it's really clever how this bit of dialogue managed to slip by me. Eito claims that he can't hear the boy, yet he still somehow knew that the boy's apparition wasn't his real body. Takumi even hesitates upon hearing it. But I didn't catch it. Takumi himself didn't really mention that part, at least, he didn't vocalise it.

//Inside, the air is dense with heat and silence. At the center of the chamber stands the so-called "superweapon." It’s a series of missiles lined up in a circular array, each one charged with the Undying Flames.

//The plan is to launch them across the globe to completely purge the planet of Invader life. It's a scorched-earth solution, the kind you don’t come back from.

//The boy, his avatar gone and speaking to Takumi purely through the cryptoglobin, explains everything. He’s been here for nearly 100 days, trapped inside a capsule at the heart of the room. Unable to move. Unable to speak. His body’s been hooked up to the system, and all it’s done is drain him. Every drop of his Cryptoglobin is siphoned away to power the missiles.

//It’s a fully automated process. Whatever he really is, he was manufactured to be a living fuel source. A weapon. Not even given a name.

//He tells us that the avatar he projected was the only way he could ever reach out, to try to be part of the Special Defense Unit. But until now, even that was limited. He couldn’t speak to anyone, not until Takumi absorbed V’ehxness’s Cryptoglobin and could finally resonate with his voice.

//He laments that he couldn't have talked to us all earlier. And it’s true. Looking back, he was trying to warn us. I mean, we knew that the whole time, but it's still kind of gutting to hear it.

//The real surprise here comes from when Takumi walks closer to the capsule, and peers in to see the boy's real body...

//Viva Reverie Voice: It was a BABY??

//Yeah, so, this is the real body of the Flame Boy. Barely more than a newborn, yet burdened with enough power to destroy the world, lmao.

//Shocking revelation, but before Takumi can even react, or even process the horror, everything explodes into chaos. A scythe whips through the air and slams into the side of the capsule.

//Takumi barely dodges it, then gets shoved down the steps by this unknown assailant. Who is it?

//Bro, who the fuck else?

//Congratulations Hundred Line. You have officially gained the Kodaka Krown for worst kept secret in any of these types of games.

//Eito walks up to the capsule like it’s nothing, slices it open, and straight-up kills the baby. Then he absorbs all of the Cryptoglobin for himself, making him superpowered.

//Now...I...Well...*sigh*...

//Okay...I'm just gonna level with you guys on something.

//When this game came out, I was trying to dodge spoilers like the matrix. But I admit that I knew this whole time that Eito would eventually betray everyone because I got spoiled on that very early on.

//Again, worst kept secret. Even among the fandom.

//So every time something happened in this game that actively went against what we were trying to do, I knew that Eito had to be somehow responsible for it. This was something I was made aware of accidentally very early on.

//HOWEVER!

//I think of all secrets in this game that I could have gotten spoiled on in advance, I'm glad it was this one. Because this game has so many secrets and plotpoints, that I can't be hit with ALL of them. The reason I'm glad that I figured this one out is because one: even though I knew Eito was evil, I didn't know how it was going to be revealed. I never saw the cutscene, I just got given that information.

//As long as the reveal was performed well, I think I would have been okay with it. And thankfully, the scene itself, and the way this final fight happens, is pretty damn masterful.

Two: Once again, Eito being a villain was as obvious to me BEFORE the game even came out. When you take the basic premise of Nagito Komaeda, and recreate his mannerisms into another character, Eito in this case, you can't expect me to NOT be sus of him. So even though I got spoiled, it was more of a confirmation of something that I had already figured out a long long time ago.

//The moment that shit started to happen internally, I knew that someone was up to shit, and he was the easiest person to point the finger at.

//And three: even though I knew that Eito was doing so much awful stuff, I never found out WHY. And now, I know. It's far from what I expected, but you know what? I fuck with it.

//He looks full-on evil now, holy hell.

//What I really love about this ensuing scene is that Eito is clearly tired of having to put up this friendly front for 95 days straight. So now that the full scope of his deviousness is revealed, he's just out confessing to EVERYTHING he did, in complete, total detail, even if it's unnecessary. For example, he explains that he was able to kill Sirei by taking him out in one hit, so even if Sirei blew him, he could be revived with the Revive-O'-Matic, while Sirei himself wouldn't be able to come back.

//Then he finally lays out his motive, and...yeah, it’s not what you’d expect. He’s not working for the Invaders, and he’s not trying to win the war for either side.

//He doesn't care if the Invader's win so long as humanity LOSES. For he wants humans to go extinct!

//Eito’s whole philosophy is based on this really dark, nihilistic worldview. He believes human beings are inherently cruel, selfish, and broken. That all of our conflicts, wars, and destruction, especially what we did to the Earth, prove we’re not worth existing. In his mind, the only moral thing left to do is wipe us out before we ruin anything else.

//It turns out Eito was born with some sort of rare cognitive disorder. The game doesn’t name it, but the way he describes it is messed up. He literally sees other people as monstrous, twisted things. He can’t stand the way humans look, nor can he bear the sound of human voices, and he’s hypersensitive to their scent. He’s been physically and mentally disgusted by everyone since birth.

//As a kid, he isolated himself and spent most of his time in the library, which he actually does mention earlier in the game. While hiding away, he read up on humanity’s history. But instead of finding hope or inspiration, all he saw was an endless cycle of violence, war, and suffering.

//It made him believe that his view of humans was the correct one, and that it was the world that was broken, not him.

//So by the time he arrived at Last Defense Academy, he saw it as the perfect chance. If he could stop the Special Defense Unit from winning, he could finally make sure humanity disappeared for good.

//He admits to everything. Most of it during the ensuing boss fight actually. Some people might not like it, but I am actually all for Eito going on a yap spree in his fight, because again, he’s just done pretending. He starts monologuing, going into full detail about everything he’s done, whether we need to hear it or not. It honestly feels like he’s relieved to finally be himself, as am I.

//He killed Sirei and Hiruko to cut us off from our guiding hands, sabotaged our food supply so we almost starved, knocked out Takumi and left him to die, freed Eva so she could kidnap Ima, then killed Eva once she’d done it, and most importantly of all, he started the rumor about Nozomi being an outsider to turn everyone against her.

//Turns out he was literally hiding under Takumi’s bed during the private convo with Nozomi and overheard the whole thing. That’s how he knew about her being from outside the group.

//I actually got the heebie jeebies by the way, from seeing this scene. This is the creepiest thing he does and it makes my skin crawl.

//And while Kurara and the others are understandably furious, Eito throws it back at them. He says all he did was spread the info. THEY were the ones who decided to stop trusting her and belittled her like they did. In his eyes, that just proves his point even more.

//And I do actually agree with him on this one. Eito just took advantage of what he believed humans were like, and these dumb motherfuckers proved him right.

//Also, all those scenes earlier in the game where Eito looked sick or had chest pain was just him having a full-blown visceral reaction to watching the others succeed. He was literally getting physically ill from seeing everyone work together and make progress.

//Now that he’s got the Undying Flame boy's Cryptoglobin inside of him, he’s done pretending. He’s sick of holding back. He wants to finish the job and kill every single one of us, just because he genuinely believes the world will be better off without people in it.

//And honestly, for how unhinged it is, the game does a pretty solid job making his logic feel internally consistent. He’s not a mustache-twirling villain. He’s just a guy who looked at humanity, didn’t like what he saw, and decided to end it.

//Much like Ultron, to be completely honest. At least Ultron from the MCU.

//So the boss fight...First of all, we can't talk about this final FINAL boss without talking about...the music...

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?

//What the hell kinda drugs was Takada on when he decided to pick this as the boss theme!?

//Eito’s boss theme is this insane track called “RUMBLE” by Paledusk, a pretty huge Japanese band. Apparently, they’re big enough now that they actually overtook Babymetal on the Apple Music metal charts, which is kind of wild considering how long Babymetal held that top spot.

//So yeah, pretty bold move by Kodaka and Takeda to use a song that current and chaotic for the final fight. But it weirdly fits.

//The song itself is all over the place, like genre whiplash in the best (and most confusing) way. It really hammers in the feeling that everything has gone off the rails.

//And honestly, that matches the fight itself perfectly, because the Eito boss battle is FUCKING BRUTAL! Like, GENUINELY hard.

//My ENTIRE party got wiped out except for Kurara, Yugamu, and Gaku. And Gaku basically kamikaze'd himself just to land the final hit. I’ve played a lot of tough fights in this game, but this one actually made me sweat bullets.

//Eito has total movement freedom on the battlefield; he just flies wherever he wants, no terrain restrictions at all. He hits a massive area, counterattacks every time you land a hit, and occasionally summons reinforcements to keep the pressure on. Plus, he can set parts of the map on fire, so stepping on those tiles deals constant damage.

//And since he absorbed the baby’s Cryptoglobin, his Specialist Skill has been powered up. A bunch of his attacks randomly inflict debuffs, which makes it harder to avoid damage or move out of dangerous areas. Basically, if you’re not planning carefully, he’ll grind your team down fast.

//The fight strategy is kind of the same as always. Take out the adds, whittle down the boss, keep your healer alive. But actually pulling that off is way harder here. He just has way more health and does a ton more damage. You’re basically in survival mode the whole time.

//Eventually, I did manage to take Eito down, but it doesn’t feel like a win.

//The moment he killed the baby powering the superweapon, the whole thing shut down permanently.

//What that basically means is that everything we've done, and everything we fought for, as well as Nozomi and the others' deaths have been completely, wholly meaningless. Right at the last hurdle, Eito screwed us all over, which means this pointless war has become just that. So much bloodshed, no longer for a reason.

//And to top it all off, Eito’s last words set up for something else, would you believe it. Apparently, once he absorbed the Prisoner’s Cryptoglobin earlier, like Takumi, he also gained the ability to understand the Invaders’ language. And he found something major out. But instead of telling us what he learned, he just dies with that knowledge, leaving us in the dark.

//So Takumi has no choice. He kills the guy who used to be his friend, absorbs Eito’s souped-up Cryptoglobin, and now carries the burden of everything that’s happened—along with whatever horrible truths still haven’t been revealed.

//Rest in piss, Yaoi Fangirls.

DAY 96:

//So yeah, these last 5 days are basically the wind down after all the shit. After Eito kills the baby powering the whole system, pretty much everything in the school shuts down. The Defense Room loses power, all of the O'-Matics shut off, and even the Undying Flames that were keeping the school sealed off just vanish.

//The entire facility basically goes dark, like all the tech and security stuff we relied on for 95 days is just offline now. So even if the Invaders don't kill us, our limited resources will.

DAY 97:

//Takumi is completely wrecked at this point. Nozomi, who he finally realized was actually Karua, the person he’s been trying to protect and reconnect with this whole time, is dead. Eito, one of the only people he thought he could rely on, also turned out to be manipulating everything and is now dead too.

//Basically, the two people who mattered most to Takumi are gone, and with them, so is any clear purpose or direction.

//His whole reason for fighting, surviving, and pushing forward was all tied to Nozomi/Karua. Now that she’s gone, and with Eito’s betrayal still fresh, Takumi is left standing in the ruins of everything, completely empty.

//It's like everything that gave his life meaning just got pulled out from under him, and all that’s left is this huge, aching void.

//This is really difficult to watch for someone who has grown to just love Takumi. I think he's a brilliant protagonist, despite what people say. Fundamentally flawed in all the places it matters, but someone strong enough to bear them.

//More on that in a bit though. Point is this sucks for him and I feel miserable.

DAY 98:

/FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK-!

//Okay, yeah, not gonna lie, this was a literal jumpscare for me. Just came out of nowhere and sent my nerves into hyperspace.

//When the scene happened, Takumi described his body getting really hot, and then all of a sudden, the undying flames appeared in his room, and I deadass thought that what was happening is Takumi was becoming the Undying Flames boy.

//In one of two ways. Either because he absorbed Eito who absorbed the baby, the power of the Undying Flames is now within him, which...is not TOO far off from what happened. But the other alternative was something I'd thought of for a while.

// @rpganon had a theory a while back that the UFB was an alternate version of Takumi. Takumi possesses a special ability that allows him to send his memories back to his past self, which explains the in-game retries and redos. He suspected that the UFB might be an iteration of Takumi who has experienced multiple time loops, returning to the past to warn the current Takumi about his future.

//I did think this was legit, but it seems like they're entirely seperate characters at this point. However, I really did think that maybe, this was where Takumi would transform into the UFB, and the timeline reset with HIM in the pod, and a NEW Takumi Sumino taking the place of the character.

//Ultimately, that's not what happens. But I will give them credit for coming up with something that interesting.

//Speaking of the UFB, he actually shows up again!

//Turns out, because Eito absorbed the baby’s Cryptoglobin and then Takumi absorbed EITO, that power is now inside TAKUMI. So now Takumi basically has all, or at least most, of the power the UFB had.

//This gives UFB just enough presence left to speak to Takumi one final time. And even though his real body was that of a baby, he says he’s actually the same age as the rest of the SDU. He just never physically aged because his body wasn’t strong enough to handle the insane amount of power he was born with. It’s like his body stopped growing to keep from being torn apart by his Cryptoglobin. A huge tradeoff for being born with that kind of power.

//Even with all his strength, he admits that he doesn’t really understand what Cryptoglobin or Hemoanima truly are. He just knows that he’s been stuck in the Defense Room his whole life, treated as more of a weapon than a person. He was mostly raised by Sirei, but even that was more like being managed than parented.

//Because of how unstable his power is, he couldn’t let anyone get close to him. He never had the chance to make friends or live like a normal kid. But then, he heard that a group of students, Takumi and the rest of the SDU, were brought to the school, and for the first time, he felt genuinely happy. He wanted to meet them. That’s why he created the flame avatar. He just wanted to be part of the group.

//So wait...You mean to tell me...

//That this guy was THE 16TH STUDENT HIDDEN SOMEWHERE IN THIS SCHOOL WATCH OUT FOR HIM!!!???

//Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

//Of course, Takumi didn’t know any of this and thought the flame avatar was some kind of enemy, so he was always wary. Takumi apologizes for that now.

//The UFB explains that, even though he couldn’t interact directly, he kept showing up to try and warn everyone of the danger. He wanted to help protect them. And even though the group had its share of drama and conflict, the way they still fought together to protect each other and push forward was something he envied. He thought it was beautiful.

//UFB is baby. Metaphorically as well as literally. I will burn my hand patting his head.

//At this point, Takumi completely breaks down, apologizing for everything—for the misunderstanding, for failing to protect the people who died, for all the loss they’ve endured. Classic Kodaka moment of the main character shouldering all the guilt at the end.

//But then UFB drops something heavy: he asks Takumi, if he had the chance to go back and redo all 100 days from the beginning, knowing what he knows now, would he take that opportunity?

//And that’s not just a hypothetical. Because now, with all the power he’s absorbed, Takumi CAN actually go back. The option to reset everything and try again is REAL.

//I have to give a MASSIVE kudos to Kodaka, because the way that he sets this up is REALLY CLEVER!

//Eito’s Specialist Skill is called Special Fortunetelling. Basically, every time he takes an action in combat, he gets a random effect. Most of the time, it's something like an attack boost, a shield, or, sometimes. he just gets fatigued instead. It’s a gamble-type ability, which is another Nagito connection I spotted early on.

//But once he absorbed the baby’s Cryptoglobin, that ability got a serious upgrade. Instead of giving him random buffs, it instead gave the party random debuffs during his boss fight.

//Now that Takumi has absorbed Eito, and by extension, the baby too, that power has carried over and changed his own Specialist Skill as well.

//Takumi’s original Specialist Skill is called Special Redo. It’s got two main functions in the game: "Retry," which lets you start a whole battle over from the beginning, and "Wave Reset," which lets you restart the current enemy wave if things are going badly. It’s basically a second-chance mechanic built into the story.

//But now that Takumi’s Cryptoglobin has been supercharged with all that insane power, the UFB suggests that he might actually be able to push that ability way further. Like, not just restarting a fight, but rewinding everything. All 100 days. A full reset.

//In other words, Takumi could potentially start the whole story over from Day 1, only this time with all the knowledge and power he has now. That means he might be able to prevent everything that went wrong, stop Eito before he betrays everyone, save Nozomi, Ima, and all the others, and maybe even avoid the war turning into such a pointless bloodbath.

//So yeah, Takumi’s "redo" ability has gone from a gameplay mechanic to a major story decision, giving him one last shot to fix everything.

//Absolute genius move when gameplay meets story like that. Although I will say, it's a bit awkward that the Specialist Skills haven't been mentioned to be canon to the story so far for this exact purpose. Or...maybe I missed it.

//But those are the final words of the UFB, as he disappears for good. Just when we were getting to know him too...

DAY 99:

//Takumi starts checking in with everyone who survived to see how they feel about the idea of resetting everything and starting the 100 days over.

//Takemaru, Kurara, Kyoshika, and Kako are all for it. They say if there’s even a chance of reaching a happier outcome, they’d be willing to go through it all again. They want to try and fix what was broken.

//On the other hand, Darumi, Tsubasa, Gaku, and Yugamu are just over it. They’ve been through so much trauma and loss that the idea of reliving any of it sounds exhausting. To them, it’s not worth it.

//Shouma’s kind of stuck in the middle, not really sure if it’s the right move or not. So in the end, it’s an even split.

//That alone makes the decision hard, but honestly, there are still so many unanswered questions. We never really found out what happened with Karua, or how exactly she became Nozomi. And we still don’t know what truth Eito discovered after understanding the Invaders’ language, since he died without ever telling us. That mystery alone feels like a good enough reason to try again.

//Personally, I’d want to redo everything, not just to save people, but to finally get some answers.

DAY 100:

//It's time...

//So, weirdly enough, even though the school's power was supposed to be down after the Undying Flame Boy died, the War Room randomly boots back up, and it looks like the “Omni-Directional Attack” is being activated.

//Which makes zero sense, because the weapon shouldn't even work anymore after Eito killed the baby. Graduation music starts playing over the speakers again, which I think is a great thematic touch.

//But OH MY GOD, did I get so pissed here!

//There’s been a freaking escape pod this whole time!

//An actual, functional escape pod!

//One more time...

//There...

//WAS

//A!

//FUCKING!!

//ESCAPE POD!!!

//NOZOMI got absolutely DRAGGED for wanting to escape, and turns out she was completely right! We all called her a traitor and she literally died over it! WE DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING BOTHER LOOKING FOR ANOTHER WAY OUT!

//At the very least, everyone looks SO guilt ridden over it, and they FUCKING SHOULD BE!

//Naturally, Takumi blames himself, but honestly, that’s not fair. He was the only one who believed in Nozomi from the beginning. The rest failed her—not the other way around.

//It’s actually kind of hard to accept how much everyone fought and suffered, only to realize they were their own worst enemy the whole time.

//But Takumi thinks back to what the UFB told him about jumping back to fix everything. To start anew and give everyone a happy ending they deserve.

//Then suddenly, I get to make a CHOICE!

//Except NO I DON'T LOOOOOOLL!

//Clearly it's setting up to my decision making in the future of this game, but this hasn’t happened since Day 0 at the very start of the game.

//Unfortunately, saying "no" does nothing. You can technically choose it, but the story doesn’t move forward unless you agree. You don't even get a funny bonus scene like the one with Sirei at the beginning of the game.

//So much for agency, but hey, at least I tried.

//It’s still really unclear what happens to everyone if we do go back in time. The current timeline could vanish, or it could split off and continue existing separately. The game doesn't really give a definitive answer, so I guess it's up to everyone who's playing.

Takumi ends up deciding not to go back to the satellite with the others. His reason for fighting is gone, and without her, he just can’t find a reason to keep going forward in this timeline.

//It’s honestly pretty heartbreaking. I had my moments of frustration with Takumi throughout the game, but seeing him come to terms with everything and still want to fix it...

//That hit hard.

//He watches the escape pod launch toward Earth with a little smile, knowing at least his friends are going to be okay.

//Then, he walks back to the courtyard and uses his Specialist Skill to jump back in time, ready to relive the 100 days and try again.

//But right after he disappears, the escape pod that left… comes back. There's just a walkie talkie inside. Takemaru and Tsubasa are calling in, saying there’s something wrong with the satellite. Something they didn’t expect.

//But Takumi’s already gone.

//That last moment is so ominous. Gave me chills, and is a GREAT setup for the future of this game.

CONCLUSION:

//And then the credits roll. I caught a few names I recognized, and apparently, the voice of the Undying Flame boy in Japanese is Daiki Yamashita. That’s Deku’s voice actor from My Hero Academia!

//I obviously don't play this game in Japanese, but I do like Daiki-kun. He's a very entertaining and enjoyable person.

//Also, a lot of the credits are blacked out, probably to keep major spoilers hidden.

//But...Yeah! That's the first of many endings of the Hundred Line!

//Such a wild ending. So many loose threads. I’m gonna be thinking about this one for a while.

//Like I said already, the way that these journal's are going to be structured will be different from here on out. Up until now, I've been breaking down my gamplay throughout the days. But since we have so much to get through, I've decided that my posts about Hundred Line going forward will be about the routes themselves.

//I.e. instea of documenting things day by day, I'm going to keep a record of the highlights of each route and ending I get, and then talk about them in each post.

//I get that that's a pretty big switch up, and it means the endings will be posted more spaced out, but the thing is I really like this game. And I want to play it as much as possible. And the more I write about it, the less I play it.

//I'll make it work somehow, promise. But in the meantime, Route #0.

//I have a feeling that even with the 100 different endings, THIS ONE has the potential to be up there, because this first route was TOP NOTCH!

//The character development for everyone in this route alone was brilliant, the characterization was on point, the story was full of awesome twists and turns, and the ending was masterfully crafted and so bittersweet.

//I didn't feel this way about Rain Code when it first came out. I do like Rain Code, but I don't like it as much as I like Danganronpa. This game on the other hand has the potential to shoot beyond those stars from this one route alone, especially because it gets me excited for all the other outcomes on this game.

//But that is the end of our first playthrough. My takeaways:

I love this game.

-Mod

[anadrym]

Extended Author's Notes for Left Behind Ch20.

Spoilers!

Chapter title is from "Fake It" by Bastille. I don't even know what I'm doing with these anymore. It's so hard to pick out songs, I'm so bad at playlists.

Oh, we're just starting out with Vi feeling unclean because of what the Baroness did to her and forced her to do. Cool, cool.

Sorry, Petra, I love you, but get out of here. The girls need some time. (This is going to happen again.)

Vi is doing okay in terms of Maintenance aftermath; the blood transfusions got rid of most of the serum, and her body is slowly eliminating the rest. Most of her weakness now is the result of malnutrition and fever. It doesn't help that all of her joints ache. That's why she's having trouble moving around.

Ugh, there's just something about characters holding each other up both figuratively and literally. It's about the love and support and being each other's strength.

One day, I'm gonna write a story where someone's feet get all cut up like in Die Hard.

Vi's exhausted, but she just wants to stay awake and be with Caitlyn. She's been alone for so long, she just wants to bask in the presence of someone she loves and who loves her too. :')

Obviously, Vi is not the only character who devotes herself to taking care of the people she cares about, but it is so fun to reverse the roles and put Caitlyn in the position of serving. Caitlyn draws the bath, helps her undress, washes her off. Especially with the differences in their upbringings.

Yes, Caitlyn is spending all of her time with Vi and clearly still loves her. But understand where Vi is coming from: if you found out a loved one was still alive, you would try to save them and you would stay at their side while they recovered. But that doesn't necessarily prove that Caitlyn isn't in another relationship. There's also the possibility that she hasn't mentioned it because she doesn't want to break the bad news while Vi is still in such bad shape. (Obviously none of that is the case, but Vi doesn't know that yet.)

"She always will be, in the same way that Vi will always be Caitlyn's" - something about the love persisting, even if they move on. If Vi had died and Caitlyn had moved on, they still would've been each other's. The love still would've mattered.

Also, remember that Caitlyn thinks the Baroness repeatedly allowed Vi to be raped. That's why she's trying so hard not to touch her in certain ways, why she hesitates to help Vi undress, why she won't let herself kiss Vi.

And Vi doesn't have any idea that Caitlyn thinks that. She was never sexually assaulted; the Baroness only ever sent her to Caitlyn's room. So she doesn't understand Caitlyn's hesitation and guesses it must be for some other reason.

Speaking of which, Caitlyn is absolutely not disgusted by Vi's body, but by what happened to make it that way. The level of cruelty necessary to know (and Renata did) that Vi was aware of the situation and still keep her that malnourished and mistreated... Caitlyn is desperately trying to keep her absolute fury in check so she can take care of Vi (because it would definitely not be good if she let that rage show when Vi is still so traumatized that she's having multiple panic attacks per day).

Vi's kinda projecting her own feelings about her body onto Cait right now. She sees Cait's reaction as not-quite-disgust because that's how she feels. After all, she's always been very physically capable, to the point where she's not afraid to put herself between others and danger - not because she's self-sacrificing, but because she knows she can take it. And now she can't, so she's got to grapple with that sense of 'this thing that defined me is gone, so what am I now?'

Vi's reaction to the warm water... We should put her in a hot tub. She deserves it.

The idea of being a stranger to the person who knows you best keeps coming up. I think there's a special type of sorrow in the reality that you can't just come back. Too many things have changed. You've changed, your loved one has changed, the entire world has changed. And you have to grapple with the fact that the person they love is gone; they love you still but they don't even know you anymore.

Caitlyn offers the washcloth to Vi just in case Vi doesn't want to be touched when she's this exposed/vulnerable. But she sees Vi's hesitation, understands it, and backtracks. And when Vi instantly gives permission, Cait knows she read the reaction correctly.

I don't know if I'm doing a good job of conveying this, but Vi both knows she was a victim and still feels guilty about what she was forced to do. She knows that all the blood on her hands isn't her fault, but it's still there. (There's also the whole... Well, I managed to break free eventually. Why couldn't I do that earlier, to save those other people? But that's a problem for later.)

I don't even know when I decided that Vi didn't know how long it'd been since the Purge. It makes sense - her sense of time is fucked (see the commemoration), she spent most of her time locked inside, she has periods that are just blacked-out due to trauma. And she doesn't have any idea how long the Baroness had her before she actually started to remember anything (an injury to the frontal lobe can affect the ability to form new memories, so she has nothing between the gunshot and when it finally healed).

I do really like the parallel structure of the repeating "five years of ___." My AP English teacher would be so proud if he could see me now.

Something about Vi wanting "to curl up and die" and Cait having wanted to "not wake up again".

Mmm, the idea that cruelty still seems wrong to Vi even after enduring it for so long (she's been held captive for... 12 years of her life, holy shit. She's only 31) and that being loved doesn't. She knows, subconsciously, that she doesn't deserve the mistreatment. She knows, deep down, that she deserves to be loved. :'(

Ooh, what if part of Cait's hesitation to touch is also that she doesn't want to accidentally trigger Vi to lash out because she knows that just would make Vi feel so guilty and would set her recovery back even further???

Ohhh, and we come to Caitlyn's guilt. This part has been written for so long. The worst part is that they both know that it wasn't Cait's fault. There was no reason for her to suspect that Vi was alive, there was no reason for her to return and learn otherwise. But that doesn't change anything. In the end, Cait wasn't there and Vi suffered for it.

Vi doesn't remember pushing Caitlyn into the river. She doesn't remember that she robbed Caitlyn of that choice, and I'm sure that won't ever come up again. ;)

Oh, and of course, the "I'm glad I came back," even though it was for selfish and self-destructive reasons. "I'm glad you did too," even though it was selfish to want someone to risk their life to save her.

How much longer do we think Vi would've survived under Renata Glasc? How long before she would've finally just... given out? And which would've failed first, her body or her will?

"There is nothing in the world that she believes in quite as fiercely as she believes in Caitlyn Kiramman." God. Fuck. I'm gonna cry.

Caitlyn's impatience to have Vi in her arms is so fucking cute.

She doesn't make the connection, but Caitlyn uncomfortable from kneeling on a hard floor for too long???

Originally, Cait was going to get her sleeve wet in the cold water and take her shirt off, but there's a reason she can't take her top off yet. There'll be a reveal later. ;)

Vi's been cleaning herself off with cold water from a hose for years now, of course she doesn't notice the bathwater going lukewarm.

The reason Vi is still so tired is because of the fever. The fatigue is going to take a while to shake off. (Write what you know, etc.)

Originally, Cait was going to take care of Vi's hair in this chapter, but it ended up being so long that I just moved it entirely. Vi would've been a raisin otherwise.

The bit about Cait trying to remember Vi's tattoo was a last minute addition that will tie into something later. There's something horrifically devastating about forgetting the people you love the most. It's the slow inevitability of it. The fact that no one else will remember the things you've forgotten. That when that person is gone, they really truly are gone.

When Caitlyn thinks of "her family" here, she is absolutely including Vi.

Something about the idea of fate. Yeah, you wanted to die, but you couldn't. You were still needed.

And Caitlyn noticing the scars, putting together exactly what happened to put them there. Immediately abandoning her vengeful fury the second she suspects Vi might be hurt (looking at you, S2 E6).

I do love a character flat out lying about being awake while obviously dozing off.

In Cait's defense, they really should talk before they kiss. Just to get on the same page.

The bit about Vi's nails was originally in the scene where she first woke up, but that scene was long enough already. And it's such a minor thing that Vi probably wouldn't notice yet anyway.

Also the intimacy of someone trimming your nails.

Caitlyn is so worried about changing anything about Vi without her knowledge or consent because that's all that's been happening to her for years. Yeah, it's minor, but it's still just one more thing she didn't get a say in.

Meanwhile, Vi is just in absolute awe that Cait remembers her preferences and is taking care of her without even needing to be asked.

What if you kissed me on the forehead and I kissed you on the hand and neither of us was brave enough to kiss the other on the mouth? What then?

I swear, I will never get enough of the image of one character kneeling at their partner's feet. Wash It Away, Lamb To The Slaughter, Chapter 9 of this fic... It makes me think of a knight swearing fealty. It's about the devotion.

The second Caitlyn calls her "my love," Vi starts to really suspect that she hasn't moved on. She's going to get confirmation of that soon. :)

Ah, and the parallel between this last embrace and the interaction in the cell in S2. One character careful not to risk hurting the other's injury, and the other character pulling them in anyway, because the potential pain is worth the closeness.

Teaser for the next chapter:

"Cait," Vi says, voice quiet but surprisingly firm. "Eat."

Caitlyn blinks a few times. "Vi, I..." She trails off, strangely nervous. It doesn't feel right to eat in front of her partner, who so badly needs to but can't, but she can't find a way to say that without making the situation more uncomfortable.

She doesn't seem to need to. Vi's gaze is heavy and knowing as it meets Caitlyn's, because of course she can see right through her reluctance.

"Cait," she says again, much more softly. "Please?"

[v3lvet-midnight]

𝖓𝖔 𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙, 𝖒𝖞 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖞𝖔𝖚

𝔟𝔲𝔠𝔨𝔶 𝔟𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔢𝔰 𝔵 𝔤𝔫! 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯

The boy you've loved since you were children suddenly leaves without a word, but what happened to forever? notes: I didn't write this sober I'm not going to lie. angst just angst, slight timeline changes for bucky. based on the song Hoja en Blanco- Monchy y Alexandra

It’s been years since he left. So why do you keep the photos of the both of you up?

 You have no idea truthfully you couldn't explain it if you tried. Maybe it was the memories you had with him. Or maybe it was the unspoken feelings you had towards him, unspoken feelings that were still there even after so many years. 

You can tell they were still there despite his disappearance. Even when he left you behind to do God knows what. Bucky still lives in your mind rent free.  

You remembered how you'd look around for him how completely lovestruck you were, how you wouldn't even try to hide it around him. 

"Easy doll, don't go worrying that I left ya behind now you're stuck with me doll face. Forever" 

you remembered how he'd say those words one time you thought he left you alone while you were at a fair once. There was something in the way he said those words, his voice was so tender yet firm like a they were a promise.

The way he eased the worry with an arm around you flashing you that charming boyish grin that made so many swoon for him, but in that moment, it was just for you, the one he was holding tightly in his arms.

 Back when you thought that this unspoken love between you both wasn't some fantasy novel you read, No. That love was strong, and it was there to stay you felt it both in your heart, soul, and you could swear you felt it running through your veins.  

Looking back, you were probably the only one that felt it. The day he left Is a day you remember so clearly. Why? you don't know. maybe it Was the way he held you tightly in his arms? Or was it the way his voice broke when he said just how much you meant to him?  No. it's because it was the first and last time bucky Barnes told you he loved you.  "i love you doll, you mean the world to me, ok? never forget that please" Such a vivid memory felt so far now. That night you cried yourself in your sleep, and it was that night you learned just how painful goodbyes can be. He didn't say where he was going or what he was going to do, he refused to tell you anything. Though deep down you knew it was the war that was taking you from him.

Bucky wasn't trying to get rid of you, leaving you was the second hardest thing he's ever done in his life. The first was getting the courage to say goodbye to you. That sad dejected look on your face would haunt him for years. He hated seeing you upset, and he hated being the reason behind it even more. 

Bucky would never forget how you struggled to let him go and break the hug, nor would he forget the small, choked sob you let out when you finally did. 

He didn't want to tell you the exact reason, because he knew that i you had asked him to stay he would. If you had just said the word he would have left behind the dream of wanting to help and just stay with you.

He loved you enough that he would drop it all and be with you. and you loved him enough not to ask that of him.

He couldn't even ask you to go with him. Bucky knew that you would have dropped everything to go with him, all your dreams and goals, he didn’t want that for you he would rather you hate him and see him as the bad guy than have that on his conscience. He loved you more than words can express; hell more than he can express.

It wasn’t easy to get over it either, how can someone’s absence be the reason you feel your heart being pulled further out your chest by the minute. You hated it, you hated him. Why’d he leave so suddenly and why couldn’t he take you with him why didnt he ask? Did he not want you around?

the thought of you following him for something so dangerous frightened him. He couldn’t achieve anything if he was so worried about you and your safety the entire time, so it was better for him to leave you in Brooklyn, where he knew you’d be safe.

days passed, then months, and eventually 3 years passed. He never wrote to you. Truthfully, he was too scared too. Because deep down bucky knew that if you so much wrote about missing him, he would fight heaven and earth to get back to you. As much as it hurt him and as selfish as it was, he couldn't do that. As much as he wish he could.

People around Brooklyn were always asking you about him, after all you both were always together, yet all you could do was tell them you had no idea. Sometimes you'd even play deaf like you didn't hear them just to avoid that question since all it did was remind you of how he left and how you hadn't heard from him in years.

It’s been years, he was finally back but when he was, he saw you. But not alone no, it was with but with someone else.

Hugging him the way you used to hug him.

Yes he was the one who left buy. Why? Why were you with somebody else now? It was tearing him apart he couldn’t bear it, seeing the person he dreamed with every night, the person who the thought of getting back to was what kept him going even when he wanted to just give up.

But in a way he had it coming so he decided to leave not saying another word. You were the light in his life; the entire time he was gone the only thing on his mind was getting back too you once he finished.

He’d pray so many times for a day where he’d finally tell you how much he loved you. Where he’d get to treat you like a lover like the person, he’d want to spend the rest of his life with. But that was all gone.

.

You will never forget the day he left, the way one of his arms was around your waist, and the way his hand brushed your hair out your face. His gaze was like no other it was adoring and full of love and admiration for you. You will never forget the feeling of pain as you watched him walk away from you.

Your thoughts go back to the kiss he ever so gently planted on your lips before he said he loved you more than anything.

You sighed sadly as you thought about it. Why'd he leave for so long and come back like nothing? Why'd he wait for you to move on? You find yourself questioning it all more often than you should.

Bucky had tried to move on as you did, but he couldn't because he hated his current situation. He couldn't hold his new girlfriend without wishing he was holding you. The one he's loved since childhood, the girl he's loved for as long as he can remember.

You were going through the same situation as he was. Each time you're with him you can't help but think of wonderful memories with miguel. You've known him for so long its like a part of you is missing without him, and that made you sick a main part of you resented him for not taking you for leaving you for so long without not even a call or a clue where he went.

You both were driving yourselves into a spiral of negative emotions, you wanted nothing more than to be with him and he wanted nothing more than to be with you. You both see eachother out in the street with someone else and you both freeze up. Tension as if you both knew you cant be without eahother and for some reason that makes you both want to show off to eachother that thats not the case. But deep down you both know it isnt the case.

Its too late for the both of you. Now there you both were, still madly In love with each other. BUt both with someone new.

[silverynight]

The heart of the barbarian King

<--Previous

Chapter 17

When Izuku wakes up, there's a delicious smell coming from the kitchen; the omega was already thinking of making lunch for them, but it seems All Might thought about the same thing while Izuku was asleep.

To his surprise, he's the only one curled up on the couch; Eri is already up helping the retired hero make lunch for everyone.

The omega purrs at the sight of it; they're a family now and nothing can change that, although the only thing that's missing is Katsuki.

Sometimes, when he thinks about it, he can't believe he went from being lonely and feeling rejected by everyone to having so many amazing people who care about him.

It's like a dream come true.

He moves a bit and notices a sharp pain in his abdomen, which means he slept in a very bad position, and the wound is probably bleeding again.

Without making too much noise, so Toshinori and Eri don't notice him getting up, he removes the blankets and glances at his bandages, there's in fact, a little bit of red on them.

He gets up, trying not to groan and rushes upstairs towards the bathroom; knowing Ashido, she probably left more bandages and something to clean his wounds in case something happened.

The omega works as careful as he can, making sure the injury is not infected, cleans it again, even though it hurts, and he finally uses new bandages to patch himself up.

He remembers the healers telling him a couple of times that the wound won't affect him in case he wants to have pups, and he's immensely glad for it because he wants to have a couple.

When he comes back downstairs, both Eri and Yagi are looking at him with concern in their eyes, especially All Might's blue ones.

"I'm fine!" He assures them both. "I just had to change my bandages!"

The girl smiles in relief at him, but Toshinori knows him better, and the worry on his face doesn't disappear completely.

The alpha doesn't make any comments about it though, especially around the happy pup who's already setting the table for the three of them, but keeps his eyes on the omega for a while before sighing.

"Come here. You have to eat."

Izuku nods, knowing All Might will find an opportunity to ask him all about his wounds when Eri is not around to listen.

"Do you know anything about Kacchan?" Izuku is not sure how long he slept, and he's a bit worried about the barbarian King losing control around Chisaki while trying to interrogate him.

"Not yet," All Might says; his tone is calm and relaxed, but the omega knows him well, he's aware that his mentor is worried about Katsuki too. He probably wants to see Chisaki as well.

Then, as he walks towards the sink, he turns his head and smiles when he notices something through the window.

"I see two of your friends coming over here, maybe they have more information than we do." As he says that, there's a knock at the door that prompts Izuku to stand quickly and yelp when he feels a slight pain in his torso.

"Careful," Toshinori scolds him gently. "Don't forget you're still hurt."

"Sorry," the omega says, still not used to hear that much affection and worry in his mentor's voice when it comes to him. He did it before too, Izuku remembers now, but he didn't realize it was because he considered him family back then too.

"Are you okay, Zuku?" Eri rushes to his side, and the omega has to resist the temptation of carrying her in his arms because, as Yagi pointed out, he still has a wound on his abdomen.

"I'm fine, Eri, don't worry about me," he mumbles before leaning a bit to nuzzle her hair, making her chuckle.

He opens the door and greets both Kaminari and Jiro at the same time; the female omega gives him a hug, but she's careful, she makes sure not to squeeze him, even though she wants to.

"We were worried about you," Kaminari says, although it's not actually necessary; Izuku can see it on their faces.

After getting inside, they say "Hi" to All Might and immediately introduce themselves to the pup behind Izuku. Someone must've told them about Eri because none of them seem surprised to see a child holding onto the green haired omega's clothes.

She seems to like them because, after a couple of minutes, she relaxes in their presence.

"Do you know where Kacchan is?"

"He's with the family who lost their house to the fire," the male beta says, after stealing a bit of bread that's left from the meal All Might prepared. "And checking all the damage that caused around too."

"He hasn't seen the asshole alpha yet," Jiro adds, answering Izuku's unspoken question. She apologizes when she notices the male omega is covering the pup's ears. "Sorry! I meant the idiot alpha."

Eri chuckles.

"Why hasn't young Bakugo seen Chisaki? He seemed very determined when I last saw him."

"Ashido didn't think it was a good idea," Kaminari replies.

"Kirishima and her told him it was better for him to see the injured and check out the damage first," Jiro continues when she notices the beta's mouth busy munching bread; she rolls her eyes. "They just want him to calm down a bit before he sees Chisaki because he's very pissed about what he did to Midoriya. If our gremlin King murdered him, a couple of clan leaders would be very angry."

"There are still people here who support Chisaki?" Toshinori asks, not only surprised, but visibly irritated as well.

Jiro just shrugs in response before adding: "I don't like those ass-idiots either."

"What about Todoroki?" Izuku asks; he's been wondering about the prince too, but he also wants to change the topic a bit.

"His knights are guarding the entrance to the cells," the female omega says after a few seconds, Kaminari wiggles his brows at her with amusement.

"Of course you only care about his knights, well... only one of them-ouch! Why did you punch me?"

"You deserved it," Jiro says without remorse as Kaminari rubs his own arm up and down with a pout on his face. She smiles when she notices Eri giggling next to Izuku. "The prince is with Ashido and our grumpy King, offering gold to help rebuild what was lost in the fire."

"That's very sweet of him!" Izuku says sincerely, with a wide grin on his face. His friend has such a kind heart.

"Don't let Bakugo hear you say that," Kaminari blurts out, confusing the male omega. "Although I'm sure he won't accept his money."

"You'll probably see the prince soon though," Jiro says after a while. "He's worried about you."

"Of course he is," the beta adds with amusement, making Izuku wonder if he's missing something.

***

Izuku is back on the couch, curled up with a blanket over him because Toshinori insisted a couple of times that he needed to rest.

Jiro and Kaminari stay for a while, telling funny stories about their multiple trips to the nearby city to Eri, mostly to make her laugh, and eventually leave.

All Might asks the little girl if she'd like to rest too while he makes tea for his son, but Eri says she's not tired and she wants to help.

As Jiro predicted, Prince Todoroki knocks at the door a couple of hours later.

Since Yagi doesn't want the omega to move from his spot on the couch, he opens the door himself. To the sight of someone new, Eri rushes towards Izuku and curls up next to him.

Maybe it's because Todoroki clearly looks different from the rest of them, since he's not a barbarian, and is wearing clothes that look clearly expensive and unfamiliar to the little girl, but she seems rather shy around him at first.

"I'm Prince Todoroki Shoto from the Todoroki kingdom. It's a pleasure to meet you," he addresses the pup first, even though it's obvious he came here for Izuku.

"I'm Eri," she says, going from shy to curious as she notices the gems on Todoroki's clothes.

The Prince nods, clearly not used to being around children, and immediately shifts his attention to the omega on the couch. He kneels in front of Izuku.

"They told me what Chisaki did to you," Todoroki's voice is calm, but his rage shows in his mismatched eyes; contrary to Katsuki, whose temper is explosive, the Prince shows rage in a cold way, but it's equally concerning. "Are you alright?"

"I'm getting better," the omega answers sincerely, but not directly. The truth is that his body still hurts, but not as much as yesterday.

Expression turning really soft, Todoroki runs his fingers through Izuku's curls, at least until All Might clears his throat.

"Where is young Bakugo at the moment?"

Finally, the Prince rises from the floor and turns around to face the former symbol of peace.

"He hasn't had the opportunity to interrogate Chisaki," Todoroki informs. "After assessing the damage the fire caused; the leaders of all clans demanded a meeting. He's with them now, although he's not that happy about it."

Knowing Katsuki, that is an understatement; Izuku knows he must be so pissed and desperate at the moment. Although, part of him is glad he hasn't confronted Chisaki yet.

"How long do you think will last that meeting?" Toshinori asks, already making an expression Izuku knows so well; he's seriously considering something.

"I'm not sure," Todoroki shakes his head. "But he'll probably come back here before meeting Chisaki because he's getting desperate to see Midoriya again."

The prince grimaces at the last bit, but Izuku doesn't quite notice because he misses Katsuki already.

"That's good," All Might nods. "Because I want to discuss a couple of things with him before he sees Chisaki. Maybe I'll even join him."

"I'll wait here until he arrives," Todoroki says then, sitting next to the omega on the couch, his own alpha scent turns a bit sweeter out of the sudden.

Yagi narrows his eyes and looks like he's about to say something, but he just sighs and shakes his head.

"You're such a good friend, Todoroki!" Izuku beams, prompting the Prince to turn slightly pink.

"I want to be here for you, Midoriya."

***

Katsuki arrives late at night, after Izuku and Eri took a nap in the omega's bedroom while All Might and Prince Todoroki talked downstairs.

Toshinori helped him change his bandages a couple of times too, while Eri waited outside the bathroom, with teary eyes and ready to ask if "Zuku" was getting better.

As promised, Todoroki hasn't left the house, and offers to help Izuku get downstairs, even though the omega assures him it's not necessary.

This time, Izuku is the one closest to the door when they hear a very urgent knock; he opens it to see a very tired King, but all clean and wearing new clothes (he must've gone to his own house first).

"How are you feeling, Izuku?" The alpha asks in a whisper, cradling his intended's face like he's afraid to break him; Katsuki loves to hug him a pull him close, he likes to put his hands on his waist, but he's being careful not to do any of that at the moment because of the wounds on the omega's torso.

He doesn't bother lying, the King would be able to tell if Izuku is only trying to calm him down, just like Toshinori can do the same.

"It hurts less now," he sighs sincerely.

Obviously that's something Katsuki doesn't like to hear, but at least he doesn't seem as worried as the first time he saw him.

Still in the entrance, the alpha makes sure to scent Izuku and give him a couple of kisses that make his omega purr. However, a little voice behind Izuku makes them both stop.

"Kacchan, you're back!"

It's so cute to see Eri uttering the same nickname Izuku uses for the barbarian King that it makes him giggle; the girl must've heard it from him and thought it was Katsuki's favorite name, even though he introduced himself as Bakugo Katsuki.

To the omega's surprise, the King doesn't bat an eye, he even smiles and squats in front of her.

"That's right, Eri. I see you've taken good care of Izuku. I'm really grateful for that." Katsuki says, before ruffling her hair affectionately.

Not only Eri chuckles, she looks very proud of herself.

Finally, they get completely inside the house, and as soon as Katsuki notices Todoroki his demeanor changes.

"What the f-hell is half and half doing here?" He growls, clearly irritated.

"Kacchan, be nice!"

"I was taking care of Midoriya."

"I didn't ask you to take care of my mate!"

"He's not your mate yet."

As Izuku leads Eri to the kitchen to make tea for everyone, All Might sighs, and pinches the bridge of his nose.

***

You can read Chapter 18, Chapter 19 and Chapter 20 on my patreon already!

Patreon

[beef-brisket]

Adam froze as he looked at the other Adam, who looked ready to murder him. And he didn't blame him.

Adam: I- shit- I know this is fucking weird- but I swear- none of this was on purpose!

Other Adam: And you expect me to believe that? You take over my body, sleep with my husband- you're going to be seeing MY daughter tomorrow, and you want me to believe that this wasn't on purpose?

Wow. He really was annoying to talk to. Good to know.

Adam: Uh... that doesn't sound good, huh? Look- I died- and woke up here- I don't know how this happened! If I did, I'd bring you back! Please, I... I don't know what I can do.

Other Adam: ...You died? How? Why didn't Lucifer protect you?

Adam tensed up, the reality that this wasn't his life quickly crashed around him: We uh... he doesn't... we're not like you two.

Other Adam: Where did you go wrong?

He wanted to curl up and die. All over again. That was a question he's asked himself so, so many times over the years, and each time, the answer changes.

Adam: ...A lot of things... w-wasn't good enough... he believed Lilith- didn't even check on me when she really hurt me... I listened to Heaven, trusted them. I may have been too much- I wasn't like Lilith, I couldn't sit still, I just... fuck, I don't know...

The other Adam was quiet, like he was studying Adam. And maybe he was. Adam could feel his eyes on him, and it made him was to sink even more into himself.

Adam: ...I want to get you back- I just don't know how I got here... I shouldn't have slept with your Lucifer. It just... felt so nice being loved by him- I got kinda lost in it.

The other Adam sighed and walked over to Adam, who automatically started backing away: I'm not going to hurt you. I should, but I won't... sounds like you've been through enough shit... look. I don't know how this is happened... but I can use some of Lucifer's magic... and at least here, my sickness doesn't affect me... I don't want you to see my daughter. It's bad enough that you're carrying my baby, something I'm sure you've done more than me.

Adam: Uh- no, I... this is kinda my first time.

Other Adam: You are... the first man, right? You've never carried?

Adam looked away, ashamed: I can't carry...

Other Adam: Wow. That's... Heaven really fucked up your design, huh?

Adam: Couldn't tell that by just looking at me?

The other Adam chuckled: Well, I didn't want to state the obvious~.

When Adam only looked away, hurt instead of laughing, the other man sighed and motioned for him to sit down, which he did.

Other Adam: You don't seem like a bad guy.

If only he knew. He'd know why Lucifer didn't want this Adam.

Other Adam: You're probably scared. But... I'm scared to, and I'm not dead. Not yet, anyway. So... sorry, bud, but I'm going to kick you out of my body. Tonight.

Those were the words Adam was terrified to hear. He didn't know what would happen to him, maybe nothing. He'd just be floating in nothingness. Or, maybe he'd return to his body, either being eaten by sinners or rotting in the ground, if they even gave him the curiosity to bury him. Maybe he's just a bloated, rotting corpse in Hell's heat.

His heart already ached for his baby- for Lucifer and this Adam's baby. He already misses not feeling her move. He wants it so badly.

That's when the other Adam reached over and placed a hand on his stomach. It was then he felt the little girl move. It was much stronger than before, like she knew he was leaving.

Other Adam: I can tell you needed that.

Adam teared up and looked away: Y-Yeah... y-you deserve her. Both her and Charlie- in m-my timeline- she's a good kid... she would like you.

The other Adam smiled: I'm sure I'd like her to.

Adam: I know this is probably stupid, but c-could you stay with me? I don't want t-to die a-alone... not again.

The other man pulled Adam in for a hug, which was something he hadn't had in a long time. Sure, that other Lucifer hugged him, but in the kings mind, he was his husband. This one was for him.

Other Adam: I'll stay with you. You're not alone. I promise.

He cried when he felt the fading kicks and movement from the princess. Even the warmth from the hug was getting colder and colder. This was it. He wasn't ready for what was to come, but he wasn't ready to live this other Adam's life. He could barely even live his own.

Oh well, at least it's over now.

Adam Swap Au

@beef-brisket

-

Adam died, he laid there on Hell's dirt and bled to death in pain. As he did, all he could think about was the life that he could have had, should have had, regrets along the way and everything he wished he could have had.

The life he could have had with Lucifer.

It felt like he was falling and that it was going on forever. It wasn't until Adam felt himself start to wake up that he actually felt calm.

Not only calm, but safe, warm, and comfortable.

Adam groaned, opening his eyes he was confused as a pillow the color of a dark forest green greeted his sight.

Adam: The fuck....?

Glancing down, he was on what was probably the most comfortable bed he had ever felt in his life and he had been on one made of clouds in Heaven. Looking around the room, it was modern and lavish but not flashy. With warm greens, gold's and a little black to off set everything it looked really nice.

Getting up, Adam noticed two things, the first being how heavy his head was and the second being how heavy his middle was. And not fat heavy either.....

Looking down, he was in a beautiful sheer purple and gold nightgown that showed off his belly and accented his chest and thighs.

The fuck is this?

Don't get him wrong he looks fucking hot but..... Adam was just so confused, where the fuck was he?

He sat up in bed trying to gather his thoughts when he felt a little kick inside of himself.

Was that....... What he thinks it is?

He didn't have time to dwell on anything because he froze when he saw who was coming in with a tray of food.

Lucifer smiled brightly at him and came right over.

Lucifer: Oh good you're awake! Just in time too, I have to leave soon and I didn't want to miss you, hopefully the baby didn't wake you.

Adam: ..... No.

Lucifer set down the tray: Good good, you're not having morning sickness are you?

Adam: I..... What is all this?

Lucifer blinked and tilted his head: Uh, it's breakfast silly. Better eat before it's cold.

Adam looked down, it was a nice spread with pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fruit with a glass of water and some green tea.

Lucifer looked down at his: Shit! Is that the time? I better go better Satan has an aneurysm hehehe, not that it matters.~ I promise, the rest of the day will just be you and me my love.

Adam: L-love?

Luicfer's face softened, his eyes trailing over Adam like he's something precious to be admired: I love you so much Addie.

Before Adam could react, Lucifer cupped his check and gave him a kiss on the lips, his other hand smoothing over the soft flesh of his apparently pregnant belly. When they parted he was breathless.

Lucifer: I'll see you after lunch okay?

And soon he was gone and that kiss burned on Adam's lips in the best way.

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

Wang LingJiao used the chance to scramble out. She took out a cylinder of fire-light from her lapels and shook it a few times. A light shot out of the cylinder. Along with a sharp whistle, it rushed out of the wooden window and exploded in the sky outside. Then, she fumbled out a second one, a third one. Hair tangled, she mumbled, “Come… Come… Come here… Everyone, come here!” Through the pain, Wei WuXian pushed Jiang Cheng, “Stop her from sending any more signals!” Jiang Cheng let go of Wei WuXian and lunged in the direction of Wang LingJiao. Yet, at the same time, Wen ZhuLiu was closing in on Madam Yu. He looked as if he was about to knock her down. Jiang Cheng hurried, “Mom!” He immediately gave up on Wang LingJiao and threw himself over. Wen ZhuLiu didn’t even turn his head as he struck, “Not even close!” Jiang Cheng’s shoulder suffered the attack. Blood immediately burst from his mouth. Wang LingJiao had already let out all of the signal fire-lights. Sharp whistles and bright sparks filled the entire grey-blue sky. - Chapter 58, EXR

It's quite interesting how, in this moment, Jiang Cheng does exactly what he's always criticised Wei Wuxian of doing: endangering the Yunmeng Jiang sect by 'playing the hero'. That's not what either of them are doing, of course – it isn't a motivation for Jiang Cheng here, it's not a motivation for Wei Wuxian anytime else, and the motivations they have definitely make sense – but it's exactly the sort of behaviour Jiang Cheng would criticise Wei Wuxian for, with those exact words.

Yet, no character ever criticises him for this – Wei Wuxian doesn't, even when it was his (necessary) advice that was disregarded; Madam Yu doesn't, even when her sect suffered as a consequence. Even when it very likely played a role in Lotus Pier's downfall (at least in getting a lot of Wen sect cultivators to get there very fast), it's never brought up by any character ever again... whereas Wei Wuxian's action of saving Lan Wangji, Jin Zixuan and Mianmian in the Xuanwu cave constantly is, even when the Wen sect was pretty certainly going to attack Lotus Pier anyway*. That's not to say Jiang Cheng should be blamed for the fall of Lotus Pier, either – that's on the Wen sect, and regardless of both of their actions, the attack was probably going to be a success. And can we blame someone for making a panicked decision protect his mother? – but one's action is definitely more direct than the other, and it's not the one that's constantly blamed.

The aim, though, isn't to compare the actions so much as the attitudes of the people involved, and this is another little detail that shows the imbalance in Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's dynamic. Again, Wei Wuxian doesn't say anything about this afterwards, and doesn't seem to blame him, even when it's his words that were disregarded, and when the Jiang sect and Lotus Pier were undoubtedly very important to him as well. Which is good! That's a good thing and definitely the healthier option for both of them! If the roles were flipped, and Wei Wuxian saved a(n admittedly non-Yu Ziyuan) person, disregarding Jiang Cheng's orders while leading to more danger falling on Lotus Pier? Jiang Cheng would never stop blaming him or bringing it up. Even after the many years that passed between then and Wei Wuxian's resurrection, he still blames Wei Wuxian for the fall of Lotus Pier due to his actions in the Xuanwu cave** – once again, a much less direct scenario.

--

*Very strategic location (trade hub etc), they attacked the Cloud Recesses already, Jiang Cheng's internal narration literally admits this:

In his heart, Jiang Cheng knew clearly that back in the cave of the Xuanwu of Slaughter at Dusk-Creek Mountain, even if Wei WuXian hadn’t saved Lan WangJi, the Wen Sect would have found some reason to come over sooner or later. But he had always felt that, if the whole thing with Wei WuXian didn’t happen, maybe it wouldn’t have been so soon, maybe there would’ve been some way to turn things around - Chapter 59, EXR

Yet there was some time between the end of the Wen indoctrination and the Fall of Lotus Pier, and we never even saw attempts at security adjustments!

**As we see in the Ancestral Hall:

Jiang Cheng mocked, “Look how forgetful you are. What does unwelcome people mean? Then let me remind you. It was because you played the hero and saved Second Young Master Lan, who’s standing beside you right now, that the entire Lotus Pier and my parents went down with you." - Chapter 87, EXR

[haru-chi]

Now that Miharu's arc is done and I gathered my thoughts and my strength, I feel like talking now for a bit ...

-contain manga spoilers-

Firstly, what the anime has done wasn't so bad at all, in fact I think they did the best they can without changing much which's I'm kinda surprised with for this season overall, it has the least changes out of all seasons so far (?), even the production value is far better than the last two season which was something I worried about tbh yet was pleased in general despite few little things 👀

With that being said and out of the way .. what come next isn't "hate" at all, so don't mistake it so :)

I found the anime version just lacking something .... it just didn't feel the same for some reason ... maybe the perfect word I find to describe what I feel is "detachment" ?

I don't know, was it because they simplify things which made things lose its gravity? Was it because they omit certain lines which had moved me the most in the manga ? Or was it that their interpretation of certain scenes was different than the manga vibe I got ? or they put emphasize on not what I thought they should've been ?

It's like, I felt Seiji/Miharu's burden, longing, wishes didn't hit that heavily ? Even Natori's inner struggle and action ... It's like I'm detached in certain way from their emotions which I don't even know if that's the perfect word to use but can't find a better word for what I felt ...

Hmmmmm, it's like, in the anime you feel like an outsider watching those people's story and struggles while in the manga you're an insider seeing all of this firsthand because of those little details etc thus you'd feel/understand it all better >>> don't know if this is a perfect example ><

I wondered if this was because they didn't do an extended hand before it, but as a manga reader this doesn't matter much for me so that's not it ...

But then I realized that this actually an on-going anime issue I always noticed and felt ... I even experience it firsthand being an anime-only way back then in the distant past ....

I feel the anime treat Natsuyuu's stories as standalone more than they should .. like aside from big arcs (mostly exorcist) then it doesn't matter what order everything else goes to ..maybe most fans think so too .. they don't realize that there IS a seamless story-flow under it all .. not all story follows it yet most stories can rely on it for building up be it on-going issues or questions and answers around it be it indirectly or directly (take an extended hand and Miharu's stories for example)

I was under this same misconception too back then, which's why when I jumped to the manga I was shocked by its depth and way of storytelling that genteelly indirectly connect most of its stories, which's why it resulted in Natsume's growth ...

His growth wasn't because of that certain story you just noticed it in it but was a result of the small ones before it which you thought was unrelated yet in fact it was a build-up and added depth to his character (maybe I'll talk in depth about it in different post?)

What I'm trying to say is, most story's order is important than some people think, and Midorikawa pay close attention to that and it's part of her storytelling and style which I really admire and love ... how there is an unspoken rule or something that put into attention few details or add more depth to the world/characters without directly saying so and that easily to miss ....

Do you remember how Homura's arc was something she wanted to do from early on yet because Natsume wasn't ready so she withhold for a very long time ... or how she didn't reveal Seiji had a sister before revealing that Taki had a brother (Seiji's sister arc was the next vol from Taki's brother reveal if no one noticed btw which's something I love and always wanted to mention and talk about)

That's why I said the anime treat Natsuyuu's stories as standalone more than they should and alot of things can gets lost ....

Miharu's arc didn't happen until an extended hand story happened before it .... and those stories are too important to each other ...but since I talked about this in a different post, I won't go about why that is here...

But this anime mindset results in Miharu going first which even after watching it I still find it a weird decision since there was room to do an extend hand then finish the season with Miharu's arc ....

I'm here thinking how such a simple thing can change your perception of things greatly or how can omitting or putting emphases on certain thing can change your view of them... I find that interesting but in the end that's why because of this the anime can never reach that same depth, that same unspoken indirect beauty ....

I really wonder why ? I feel like they had an idea or certain view about Natsuyuu which isn't wrong per say but can be harmful or a hindrance in the long run ?

Miharu's arc in the anime had me just setting here thinking and trying to understand why I find it lacking or feel this detachment and absent of gravity or weight from it that I felt in the manga ....

I'll stop here, it just I don't get it and kinda feel disappointed ? Sad ? Tbh I really don't know what I should be feeling other than I wanted something more for one of my best arc, it wasn't the worst yet wasn't that great either :)

[taegularities]

some men are textbook villains fr

[tsuncda]

so am i right or am i right in my assertion that bridgerton doesn't actually do character work, it just rebrands it's main characters before their season begins and tries to recontextualize them as poor little meow meows.

[anonyanonymouse]

🙈

[anotheruntitledsong]

i did like the hidden palace but (SPOILER if anyone hasn't read it?) i'm genuinely so annoyed at how Arbeely is handled like... I wish i could be sad but i'm just fucking irritated. I was overly invested in him and that's def why but i just feel like they did him dirty

[cuntwrap--supreme]

Important life lesson I've learned recently: Never fall in love with an anarchist.

[luulapants]

If anyone has taken their eyes off what's happening to federal workers in the US right now, here's some highlights that we're hearing from our comrades across the government who have not yet been fired:

In one building (hosting multiple agencies), the locks on the bathroom were changed so employees no longer have any access to a bathroom during the workday. People are peeing in trash cans.

Elsewhere, multiple agencies have reported that hand soap is no longer being supplied in the bathrooms.

Toilet paper supplies have not been adjusted to meet the needs of a vastly increased number of in-office employees.

Employee-owned coffee and coffee makers have been stolen or thrown away without notice (it was already illegal for taxpayer dollars to be spent on supplying federal employees with amenities like coffee, so many offices have coffee supplied by pooled employee funds).

Meanwhile, many offices don't even have potable drinking water (recurrent legionella outbreaks), so employees have to bring their own water from home.

Despite an explosion in the number of workers in offices, cleaning budgets have been slashed and many offices are not being cleaned regularly enough to remain sanitary. Pests like roaches and rats are a problem.

The firings continue, legal and illegal. Entire programs are being cut. Managers have no idea when they might lose staff. Employees are getting fired at 6pm on a weekend or finding out when they're unable to log into their computer or when they receive a shipping label in the mail to return their equipment.

Through all of this, the DOGE employees in federal workplaces are enjoying incredible and expensive luxury: AI-powered sleep pods, entire dormitories so they can live in federal buildings, nurseries for their children on site, free food and beverages, laundry services, and who knows what else. They have special security to restrict access to their areas of the buildings, including armed guards.

And I'm not just saying this to lament how bad it is for federal workers. I'm saying this because, as workers are reporting this to one another, the response is, inevitably: "This is illegal." "Yes, but who would I report it to? OPM? They're a DOGE puppet. OSHA? They've cut OSHA. The Inspectors General? Cut. The NLRB? Cut. My union? No longer recognized."

There is no one left to enforce these laws, so taking away access to basic sanitation is now effectively legal. They are doing this to federal workers, who historically have been some of the best-protected workers in the country. They are doing this specifically because it demonstrates to the public sector that it is now legal to do these things to their own workers.