#I was so prepared to dislike Alan

[pdrrook]

Hey Rook~ hru hope you're great ^-^

Ok listen, I have a HUGE crush on Alan. So what could be some little headcanons of him and or with his partner (aka us ahah, love you <3)

(I swear I'm sane I just need this man in my life skdhsirbrk)

I'll give you some random ones, let's go:

if MC is super against him smoking and opts for just yanking a cigarette out of his mouth, he'll purposefully put new (unlit) one to give MC an excuse to get closer to him again (and again lol)

he generally doesn't like sharing food with ppl like eating from the same plate, taking bites etc, but he'll be the one to initiate that with MC without even thinking, and then be very confused with himself at first

he gets very used to MC's presence and likes/dislikes so if you i.e. always drink a particular drink when coming to visit him at the bar he'll eventually have it prepared for you in advance and it'll quickly become a habit for him

he's very into romance stories, but he never realistically sees himself as having a 'television romance' himself, it's 'unrealistic,' like he'd love to, but it doesn't seem feasible for him, so if your MC is a romantic person too and does smth cute for him, he'd die on the spot lmao

#pfm #alan

[maboroshi-no]

Hamefura Movie Novel Chapter 5 Summary

I am currently reading the light of the novel of the upcoming Hamefura movie and will write summaries as I read.

(The translation is a bit rushed because I am in a hurry).

Previous Chapters:

Chapter 1: The Foreign Merchant Caravan

Chapter 2: The Emissaries From Mutlaq

Chapter 3: Food Supplies

Chapter 4: Encounter

Chapter 5: Sacred Beast

Aaqil's POV

Aaqil is preparing his luggage for their return home.

Qumiit is surprised that Aaqil didn't go with the Sorcier noble. Aaqil explains that there is no need for him to go personally since the Sorcier noble will just take the box out of the castle. He has asked someone unfamiliar to the guards to escort the noble. Qumiit still feels uneasy. He thinks it is an unusual move coming from Aaqil since he is always so cautious. Aaqil explains that it is because his face is known. Qumiit remembers that "the noble ladies"  recognized Aaqil.

Aaqil is currently trying to have Viscount Mallet carry the sealed sacred beast's box out of the castle. 

Viscount Mallet is someone Mutlaq bribed after learning that the sacred beast was in Sorcier. He strived under the former King of Sorcier's rule because the King liked him. However, the current King dislikes him, so he is presently living in a remote region, buried in debt. Thanks to this, negotiation went smoothly with him.

After interacting with the viscount, Aaqil could tell that he was an easy-to-understand petty villain. After danging in front of his eyes the money and the prestige of being the first to create relations with Mutlaq, he accepted to do whatever they liked. Aaqil didn't even need to tell him in detail about the box. He just told him that it was something precious that Sorcier had stolen from them and that if they retrieved it, the King of Mulaq would reward him. After whispering to him that the King would make him a Mutlaq noble, the viscount readily accepted to carry the box out of the castle.

Aaqil thinks back about the plan. Now that the box is out of the castle, his comrade outside just needs to retrieve it. There should be no problem since their face is not known by the guards.

Normally, if he were the same as yesterday, Aaqil would have put on a disguise and gone with the viscount. This was what he had originally planned, but then he remembered Katarina's words.

Katarina: "...Aaqil. Aaqil, don't get involved with the sacred beast. Stay away from it as much as possible."

Aaqil couldn't help feeling uneasy because of Katarina's words. Then he thought that he didn't need to be the one accompanying the viscount. After all, the viscount would just carry the box out of the castle.

But he will regret his decision several minutes later.

Aaqil thought Viscount Mallet was someone blinded by money and desires, someone who didn't think for himself and just did whatever he was told. But Aaqil ignored that the viscount was also extremely curious.

Aaqil and Qumiit suddenly hear a huge explosion and hurriedly get out of the room. When they look in the direction of the noise, they see a gigantic bird.

Katarina's POV

Everyone See the Sacred Beast

After hearing a huge explosion, everyone gets out of the room. When they look in the direction of the noise, there is a gigantic bird. It is not only gigantic, it has more wings than normal birds.

Katarina: The sacred beast of Mutlaq?!

Geordo: That's the sacred beast?! So it really existed?!

Alan: It seems like we don't need to search for the memento anymore.

Nicol: It seems advisable to postpone our talk with the Mutlaq prince.

Geordo suggests they get closer to the bird to confirm the situation. 

Katarina agrees and is about to march on, but Keith stops her. He tells her to stay here since it will be dangerous. Katarina tells him she can't stay behind: she wants to confirm with her own eyes how Aaqil is doing. She begs Keith to let her go.

Geordo: It can't be helped then. When Katarina is like this, no one can stop her. Please stay close to us so you won't be in danger.

Since Geordo has allowed Katarina to come, Keith gives in.

Since Katarina is going, the girls will go too.

Everyone has arrived at the scene and look at the situation. Luckily, the gigantic bird has been unsealed in an open space, so there is limited damage to the buildings, but it will be troublesome if the bird keeps rampaging. Raphael decides to return to the ministry to get support. 

Viscount Mallet Is on the Scene

Katarina looks at the bird. It is bigger than she thought, about the height of a house. She is also surprised by its color. She imagined a beautiful bird but it is black like a crow.

Katarina looks around the area in search of Aaqil, but she doesn't find him. Instead, she sees a plump old man crawling on the ground, desperately trying to run away. Next to him, there is some kind of jewel box which is wide open.

Katarina wonders who the plump old man is. Geordo replies he is Viscount Mallet. The viscount has been coming to the palace recently to curry favor with the Mutlaq emissaries. Geordo wonders what he is doing here.

Geordo is looking at the viscount with chilly eyes. 

Geordo adds that, while the viscount is worthless both in terms of work and magic, he is very eloquent. He buttered up the former king and made him use his position to do whatever he liked. Once the current king was enthroned, he threw him into a remote region.

Katarina is thrown off by Geordo's bitter tone.

Katarina asks Geordo what the viscount is doing here. Geordo replies he probably came with the Mutlaq emissaries. He thought the viscount came of his own but based on the situation, he may be connected to the Mutlaq emissaries. 

Katarina didn't hear Aaqil mention the viscount, but now that she thinks about it, it would have been difficult for the Multaq emissaries to carry out their plan without any helpers.

Katarina asks Geordo if they shouldn't help the viscount. Viscount Mallet is so scared that he can't stand up. He is desperately trying to run away by crawling on the ground. At this rate, the bird might prey on him. His servants are running away while leaving him behind.

Geordo reluctantly decides to save the viscount since it would be troublesome if he were to die here. He asks Katarina to stay behind and calls Alan, Nicol, and Keith to help him.

Nicol tells Geordo he can't let royals face danger. Geordo tells him he is not thinking of defeating the bird. He just wants to put Viscount Mallet in a safe place for the time being, and he needs their help for that. Looking at Geordo's determined eyes, Nicol consents to it.

The boys start Viscount Mallet's rescue mission. Keith creates a big earth golem to distract the bird and Nicol uses his wind magic to shake the bird. Using this opening, Geordo and Alan take Viscount Mallet and run back. Katarina is amazed by the boys' collaborative work.

The Mutlaq People Arrive on the Scene

Mutlaq people arrive. Katarina is surprised to see Sora with them. Geordo explains he must have also been working on the monitoring of the Mutlaq emissaries as well. 

The Multaq people look at the gigantic bird. Aaqil is speechless. Qumiit is holding his head. The twins are looking at it with mouths wide open. Everyone has various reactions but it seems like no one expected this situation. Even Sora who doesn't know anything is wide-eyed and astonished.

Katarina feels like someone should explain the situation to Sora, but first, she wants to confirm things with Aaqil.

Katarina calls out Aaqil. Hearing his name, Aaqil looks back at her. He awkwardly apologizes: he didn't mean for things to turn out this way. It seems like Aaqil didn't expect this development. After all, he was supposed to just retrieve the sealed sacred beast and leave.

Qumiit and the twins seem confused to see Katarina here. Aaqil tells them about Katarina. After hearing it, they all look at Katarina with shocked faces. Katarina doesn't know what they are shocked about since they don't make any comment.

Aaqil is confused to see the sacred beast rampaging. Looking at him, Katarina guesses that Aaqil probably expected the unsealed sacred beast to be a bigger-than-normal bird with a wondrous power. He probably intended to interact with it by asking it to fulfill his wish like he did with other animals. After all, he told her he would never force animals to do what he says. But in this situation, he can't talk to the sacred beast.

Aaqil turns pale and mutters "What should we do...?". Katarina tells him that the sacred beast is actually cursed with magic and that they can probably lift the curse with light magic. They have a light magic user with them and they are trying to lift the curse on the sacred beast. She asks him to help them.

Aaqil is amazed by Katarina's ability to see the future in her dreams. Katarina puts a finger on her lips and reminds him that her power is a secret.

Katarina asks Aaqil again if he will help them. Aaqil replies that they will help however they can since they are the ones who caused this situation. He is determined to do all he can to settle the situation.

The Viscount Have Been Brought Back

Geordo and Alan have brought back Viscount Mallet. The viscount shrieks upon seeing Aaqil and starts apologizing.

Katarina listens to the viscount explaining the situation.

Viscount Mallet was asked by the Multaq people to carry outside of the castle the box containing the sacred beast. He would get a large sum of money just for this, and after traveling to Mutlaq and breaking the seal there, he would get even more money and be bestowed a noble position there. Katarina inwardly doubts the Multaq King would have kept his words.

Viscount Mallet is extremely curious, so when Aaqil told him the box was "something precious stolen by Sorcier", he couldn't help wondering what it was. He wanted to take just a little peek. He tried to open the box, but it wouldn't open. He got irritated and then tried to hit it with his magic. An explosion came from the box, he threw it away, and a gigantic bird appeared.

Katarina is in no position to say this, but she thinks Viscount Mallet is thoughtless.

Geordo and Alan have also brought back the jewel box that contained the sacred beast. It looks like a normal box to Katarina. The sacred beast was supposedly sealed by amazing magicians long ago but the seal broke off just with Viscount Mallet's weak wind magic. Maybe the seal was already broken?

Viscount Mallet shouts in a panicked voice that he has never meant for things to turn out this way. Katarina can't hold it against him to have been curious. The viscount insists that he was deceived by the Multaq people.

Sora takes away the viscount for questioning since he was the crucial magic wielder in this case.

The Subjugation of the Sacred Beast

With his plan exposed by Viscount Mallet, Aaqil starts apologizing to Geordo.

Aaqil: Umm... I am deeply sorry. We...

Geordo stops him.

Geordo: I have already heard the gist of your circumstances from Katarina. I understand your position, so let me hear the details later. For now, stopping that bird comes first. At this rate, it will indiscriminately rampage and possibly destroy not only the castle but also the royal capital. Can I ask for your cooperation?

Aaqil (with a strong nod): Of course. I will do anything if I can.

Geordo (pointing to Maria): To calm down that bird, we will need for her to cast her light magic on it.

Maria steps forward.

Maria (apologetically): I feel a faint presence, but... I don't know exactly where.

From Maria's words, it appears that dark magic is really at work. Katarina feels relieved that her guess was correct but she finds it problematic that Maria can't pinpoint where the presence comes from. 

Geordo: I see. In that case, it will be necessary to cast your magic on the whole creature. Still... given its size, I guess this would be impossible.

Maria: I can't cast a spell on the whole creature at once but I think I can manage if it is part by part.

Geordo: Can you do it?

Maria (with a straightforward gaze): Yes. I healed a wound part by part using light magic before. I can do it.

Geordo: Maria, thank you.

Katarina takes Maria into a hug because she is so kind and reliable.

Maria (embarrassed): ...Please don't mention it. Still, I can't cast my magic on a creature that moves around like this, so if you can do something...

Geordo: It may indeed prove to be difficult if it is moving around. I understand. In that case, let us do all we can to make that bird stay still one way or another.

Geordo has readily said this but Katarina still thinks that it will be difficult to make such a rampaging bird stay still. Right now, Keith and Nicol are desperately dealing with it and it doesn't keep still at all.

Geordo and the others are discussing whether they can use fire, water, wind, or earth to keep it in place. Katarina is not good with thinking so she just watches them. Aaqil has heard their talk and tells them...

Aaqil: I will make it behave.

Katarina remembers that Aaqil has the power to control animals.

Geordo: Ah, that's right. You have this kind of power. But can you use it on a cursed gigantic creature?

Aaqil (decisively): I may be difficult but I think I can. Please let me do it.

Geordo: In that case, please do. We will do all we can to support you with magic.

Everyone's actions have been decided. 

Ian arrives just before they start the operation.

Ian: What is this situation?

Geordo: Big Brother Ian, we are in a state of emergency. If we leave that bird alone, at this rate, it will cause damage to the castle and the royal capital. To make that bird behave, the Wielder of Light, Maria Campbell, will use her magic. And for her to do so, we will need to stop the movements of that bird. Please give Alan and me permission to use our magic.

Katarina wonders if Ian will accept despite the lack of explanation.

Ian: It will be bad if it causes damage to the royal capital! Alright, I will hear the circumstances later. As the current representative of the royal family, I give you permission to use magic. If you can stop that rampaging gigantic bird, then it's fine.

Everyone runs at full speed towards Keith and Nicol and starts casting magic.

Katarina is surprised that the serious and cautious Ian has allowed this.

Geordo: Big Brother Ian is indeed serious and straight-laced but he is bad at thinking things deeply. Right now, he must have his head full about something possibly happening to his dear Lady Selena if the bird causes damage to the royal capital. Actually, inside, he is not so different from Alan.

Geordo said this while looking at Alan running behind Ian.

Katarina muses that Ian is different from what she imagined. She pulls herself together: it is not the moment for this.

Katarina is running towards the sacred beast, but there's nothing she can concretely do. Everyone is using their magic to immobilize the sacred beast. Katarina can't help in any way since she can only use Earth Bump. She decides to keep her eyes on everyone to make sure they won't collapse.

Aaqil steps forward and moves close to the bird.

Katarina: Aaqil, it's dangerous!

Aaqil: I need to get close to it and look at its eyes.

Aaqil moves forward.

Geordo: We can't possibly let a Mutlaq royal get injured. Nicol, Sophia, if you may.

Nicol and Sophia use their wind magic to create a wind layer between the bird and Aaqil.

Aaqil gets close to the bird. After a while, the bird looks at Aaqil. Then looks as if it is fighting something. Then its movements completely stop.

Katarina is amazed by Aaqil's power. Everyone seems astonished too.

Geordo: Maria.

Maria: Yes!

Upon hearing Geordo's call, Maria casts her light magic. She starts with the bird's head.

Nicol and Sophia cancel their spell since the bird has stopped moving. Everyone watches on tenterhooks as Maria casts her magic.

Aaqil and Qumiit's Heart to Heart

While Maria is casting her magic, Katarina feels anxious about Aaqil. In the game, controlling the sacred beast drained his life. Aaqil hasn't said it himself, but he seems like the type who is fine with being the only one suffering for everyone's sake. It must be why he hasn't mentioned it. Aaqil may not be controlling the sacred beast full-time like in the game, but this one time may still strain his body. 

Katarina looks at Aaqil. Just as she thought, he clearly looks pale and has a pained expression on his face. She feels frustrated that Aaqil hasn't said anything despite being clearly in pain.

Katarina can't take it and rushes over to Aaqil. Just before she reaches him, Aaqil's body shakes violently. 

Katarina: Aaqil?!

Katarina hurriedly supports Aaqil's body but his body is heavier than she thought. She is about to collapse with him, but...

Qumiit: Hey, are you okay? Hang in there.

Qumiit and the twins are supporting Katarina and Aaqil's bodies.

Katarina: Qumitt, thank you.

Qumiit: No, it's me. Thank you for looking after Aaqil. By the way, Aaqil, are you sick?

Katarina realizes that Qumiit doesn't know about Aaqil's condition.

Aaqil: No, It's noth...

Aaqil is trying to dodge the question again.

Katarina: When Aaqil uses his power significantly, it takes a toll on his body. In the worst case, it drains his life.

Aaqil: W-Why do you know this too?!

Aaqil is shocked. His reaction is proof that Katarina is right.

Qumiit and the twins frown.

Qumiit: Aaqil, why didn't you tell us such an important thing? You told us you were fine, so we kept quiet and watched over you. What will we do if something happens to you?

Qumiit has said this with a voice full of anger. Katarina can tell that Qumiits sincerely cares about Aaqil and cherishes him. Because of this, Katarina adds one more thing.

Katarina: That's not all. Aaqil knows that once he brings back the sacred beast, the King will use him as a tool to control it. Even so, he told me it was fine as long as you are all free. He didn't listen to me.

Aaqil: Wha... Hey, what are you telling them?! / Qumiit: Whaaat?!

Qumiit: Aaqil, what are you thinking?! Because you said we would all be free once you brought back the sacred beast, we worked our fingers to the bone and I even wore these female clothes. What do you mean, only you won't be free and will be used as a tool?!!

Aaqil: There was no other way! It was the only choice I had! I wanted to repay my debt to all of you who took in a problematic child like me...Urgh!

Aaqil grimaces and holds his stomach. Holding back the sacred beast is taking a toll on his body.

Katarina checks on Maria and the bird. Maria is now casting light magic on the stomach area. It will still take some time. Katarina knows Maria is working as fast as she can. Katarina can't do anything but pray for things to be over soon.

Qumiit is supporting Aaqil's body.

Qumiit: How can you say you had no other choice when you didn't discuss anything with us? What do you mean by "debt"? You think you were the only one who received things, right?

Aaqil: ...

Qumiit: We didn't know how to read and you carefully taught us. You taught us about the language used throughout the world. Even etiquette. You freely taught us anything we know. Everyone knows that the reason the caravan's performance rose is because you taught us all kinds of things. We were persecuted orphans and you naturally recognized and praised us. That's why everyone could face forward and work hard. We too, we have so many debts to pay back to you.

Aaqil: ...Qumiit.

Aaqil is lost for words. The twins agree with Qumiit. Katarina guesses that Aaqil must have realized that he didn't only receive from the caravan people, he also gave them plenty.

Katarina has been deeply moved by the scene. She wants them to have a happy ending so badly. But they still haven't lifted the curse.

The Lifting of the Curse

Katarina looks back towards Maria. She has a painful expression on her face. She must be exhausted after continuously casting her magic. Both Maria and Aaqil are at their limit. Katarina wonders what they should do.

Something hops on her shoulder. Katarina is startled to see a black Piyo.

Katarina hears a voice she doesn't recognize.

???: My leg... My right leg hurts.

Katarina: Eh?!

Katarina looks around but there are only Aaqil and the others.

???: The chain on my right leg... It hurts so much that it eats into my body.

Aaqil: What's this voice?

Katarina: Aaqil, do you hear it too?

Aaqil: Yes, so you too?

Katarina: Yes.

Qumiit: You two, what are you talking about?

Qumiit makes a puzzled face. He doesn't seem to hear the voice.

???: Break the chain on my right leg.

Katarina wonders if it is the voice of the sacred beast.

Katarina: Aaqil, maybe it is the voice of the sacred beast?

Aaqil: ...Maybe.

Katarina is confused about the voice's words. It said "break" not "heal", so it isn't something that requires light magic.

Katarina: Pochi.

Katarina has summoned Pochi. Aaqil and the others are surprised to see a black dog suddenly coming out of her shadow.

Katarina: That bird seems to have a chain on its right leg. See if you can break it.

Pochi: Woof!

Pochi dashes towards the bird. After reaching the right leg, he sniffs around, and then bites it. The bird shouts in pain.

Katarina: Eh?! Wait, Pochi!

Katarina can't believe Pochi bit the bird. People might think she is a bad dog owner.

An explosion comes from the bird. It is so violent that Katarina closes her eyes.

When the wind calms down and she opens her eyes, a different bird is standing on the ground.

The Sacred Beast

The bird is not black anymore but has a dazzling golden color. It looks divine. Unlike earlier, it seems to have intelligence in his eyes.

Aaqil: A golden bird... Just as it was said.

It seems like the bird was originally golden-colored. It was black earlier because of the curse.

Sacred Beast: You have my gratitude for releasing me from my pain.

It is the same voice that Katarina heard earlier. So it really was the sacred beast. But this time, everyone can hear it. Everyone looks at the bird with shocked faces. Katarina and Aaqil heard him earlier, so they are calmer about it.

Katarina: If you are released from the pain, does it mean the curse has been lifted?

Sacred Beast: Yes. If that pain was a curse, then I was released from it.

The sacred beast's voice is gentle, so Katarina feels relieved. 

Sacred Beast: You are a Prince from Mutlaq, right?

The sacred beast has said this while looking at Aaqil. It seems like he can tell just by looking at him.

Aaqil (lowering his head): Yes. I am deeply sorry for trying to control You.

Sacred Beast (gently): I don't mind. Because of the pain, I forgot myself.

Katarina: Umm, Mister Sacred Beast. How did you end up in that state?

Katarina has asked this question since everyone is still in shock. The sacred beast chuckles.

Sacred Beast: You really are an unshy and interesting person.

Even though it is their first meeting, Katarina feels like she actually knows the sacred beast.

Sacred Beast: The moment I put on my right ankle the ornament offered to me by a royal of Mutlaq, I was assailed by terrible pain. I was suffering from pain as if I was burned. Then while in agony, before I knew it, I was put inside a dark place and remained unconscious all this time.

It seems like what Pochi bit was a cursed tool. Katarina wonders if it is a similar case to when she found a dark magic tool. But there's no way the royal happened to find a dark magic tool and happened to put it on the sacred beast. Dark magic enables one to control people, so the royal probably wanted to control the sacred beast.

Pochi has come back and seems to be asking for praise. He is holding something in his mouth: a small chain. It might be a dark magic tool, so Katarina doesn't take it and just pets Pochi's head.

Aaqil: For a royal of Mutlaq to do such a thing... As a current royal of Multaq, I am offering you my deepest apologies. I am sincerely sorry.

Aaqil was wide-eyed while listening to the sacred beast's story. As a descendent of this royal, he deeply lowers his head. He heard that the sacred beast was stolen by Sorcier and didn't expect that the royals of his country caused the sacred beast to rampage and forget himself. The Mutlaq royals just reaped what they sowed.

Sacred Beast: Be at ease. The pain only lasted for a little while. Now I am released from it. Besides, it is not your sin.

Katarina feels moved that the sacred beast is such a forgiving creature.

Sacred Beast: To be honest, since I forgot myself, I don't remember most of it, hahaha!

Katarina takes back what she thought about the forgiveness of the sacred beast. Still, the sacred beast seems to be the easygoing type. Despite his appearance, he doesn't seem so sacred to her anymore. 

Geordo: Sacred Beast of Mutlaq, we, too, would like to ask for some answers, if it is alright.

Geordo seems to have recovered from the shock.

Sacred Beast: Who are you?

It seems like the sacred beast can't tell who Geordo is just by looking at him.

Geordo: I am the third prince of the Kingdom of Sorcier, Geordo Stuart.

Sacred Beast: Oh, so you're a prince? What does this prince want from me?

The way the sacred beast speaks feels familiar to Katarina. Geordo may feel bothered but he doesn't show it.

Geordo: It is about your plans for hereafter. Based on what I heard, you didn't go to this country of Sorcier of your own will, so what will you do afterward? Will you return to Mutlaq?

Aaqil is shaken after Geordo's question.

Sacred Beast: No, I have no intention to return to Mutlaq.

The sacred beast has said it clearly. Aaqil and the others make severe faces.

Aaqil: May I ask why?

Sacred Beast: To begin with, it was for the sake of a friend that I protected Mutlaq.

The sacred beast starts telling a story from long ago.

In the beginning, he was a small creature without any place to go. He met a boy and they became friends. The boy cherished him, and before he knew it, he had changed into a large creature. The boy had become a young man and inherited the country linked to his fate. It was the country of "Mutlaq". The boy, who had suddenly become king, didn't have any reliable guardians and was going through terrible hardships. Following this, the sacred beast helped his friend.  

To help the new king, he made strenuous efforts and before he knew it, he had gained tremendous power. Before long, he was called the sacred beast of Mutlaq. The sacred beast shared his strength with the King and his family to help them lead the country.

But everyone has a limited lifespan. His friend grew old, became an old man, and died. After losing his friend, the sacred beast cried for 3 days and 3 nights. After grieving for his friend, he decided to leave Mutlaq. 

It was painful to be in the places where he spent time with his friend. He had no attachment to this country where his friend wasn't anymore. Some royals knew he was trying to leave, so he tried to act fast. But then, "the ornament given by a foreign country" was fastened on his right ankle.

The sacred beast had heard the royals of that time say: "With this, we will be able to control the sacred beast to do as we say", so it must have been that item. But it didn't turn up as they expected: he suffered and forgot himself.

From the sacred beast's story, Katarina realizes that the sacred beast wasn't protecting Mutlaq but just helping his precious friend who had become king. She can understand that the sacred beast doesn't want to return to Mutlaq but it means that Aaqil and the others will suffer.

Katarina: Umm, Mister Sacred Beast, I understand, but actually, the Multaq people here have some circumstances...

Sacred Beast: Yes. Katarina, I know their circumstances.

Katarina: Eh?! How come you know my name?!

Katarina is confused since she has never introduced herself. She wonders if the sacred beast can read in the hearts of people.

Sacred Beast: Well, that's because we have always been together.

Something stops on Katarina's shoulder. It is a golden little bird. Aside from the color, it looks just like Piyo. 

Katarina: Piyo?

Piyo: Piyo!

Katarina wonders why Piyo has changed colors.

Sacred Beast: He is a part of me.

Katarina: A part of you, Mr. Sacred Beast?!

Sacred Beast: Yes, that's right. On that day, a beam of light shone in that dark place, and I desperately followed it. Doing so, only a part of me could go out. Someone must have unknowingly broken the seal a little. Then guided by the light, I went out and you were there.

From this, Katarina realizes the seal was broken even before Viscount Mallet tried to open the box. And the other one who was there when she found Piyo was...

Pochi: Woof!

Pochi is looking at Katarina happily while wagging his tail as if asking for praise.

Katarina: Umm~ Was it you Pochi who broke the seal of Mr. Sacred Beast here who is actually Piyo?

Pochi: Woof!

Katarina feels somewhat exhausted. Pochi appears to be the origin of all that happened. And by extension, it is her, Pochi's master.

Sacred Beast: Like this, the part of me who could get out didn't have pain gnawing at him for some reason and could leisurely spend time in the outside world. This little part of me couldn't use any ability nor speak but he spent meaningful days. Katarina, thank you.

The golden Piyo snuggles up to her face. His narrow eyes look like he is saying "thank you". Katarina softly pets his little fluffy head and he snuggles his head even more. When she tries to pet him again, Piyo jumps down her feet. Her hand awkwardly hangs in the air. Piyo jumps towards the sacred beast and he gets absorbed back inside it.

Katarina realizes again that Piyo really was a part of the sacred beast. She remembers the short time she spent with the cute Piyo. The lingering feel of his fluffy feathers in her hand makes her chest hurt.

Sacred Beast: Because I have taken over Piyo's memory, I know all of your circumstances. Mutlaq has greatly changed.

The sacred beast has said this with sad eyes.

Sacred Beast: But thanks to all of you, I was released from the pain and could return to the outside world. I will do something.

The sacred beast grunts and summons strength. Pale lights coming from some places gather towards the sacred beast and get absorbed inside him like Piyo was.

Katarina wonders if she is looking at a mysterious phenomenon. Everyone is shocked.

Sacred Beast (easygoing): Alright! Like this, there'll be no problem. Now the Mutlaq people can't control animals anymore.

Aaqil: ...What do you mean?

The sacred beast laughs.

Sacred Beast: Mutlaq people's ability to control animals is something they originally received from me. When my friend told me he wanted the power to govern Mutlaq, I gave it to him and his family. I did it so that, even if he were to die, he would still be a strength for his beloved Mutlaq. But if it is used maliciously and causes pain, then it is meaningless to leave it. So I retrieved it.

Qumiit: ...In other words, we are not monitored by the royals anymore?

Qumiit looks around.

Aaqil: No, I should test if I really can't use it.

Aaqil fixedly stares at a bird that has fallen down the tree in the garden.

Aaqil: I really can't use it.

Hearing this, the Mutlaq group raises their hands and shouts "We're freeee!!!"

Aaqil weakly sits on the ground.

Katarina: Are you okay?

Aaqil: I feel somewhat exhausted.

Aaqil's lips are undoubtedly smiling.

Sacred Beast: *nod* *nod*

Katarina feels like they have reached a happy end. 

Geordo: Umm... Sacred Beast of Mutlaq, I feel sorry for putting a damper on all these good feelings, but with your power, can you do something regarding the devastated areas? 

While saying this, Geordo points to the trees and other things that the sacred beast damaged while rampaging. There is significant damage but luckily mostly no damage to buildings. Katarina guesses that Geordo felt like he needed to mention the damages as a royal of Sorcier.

The sacred beast looks at the traces of his rampaging.

Sacred Beast: I am deeply sorry for what I have done. Unfortunately, I don't possess any ability to fix these. Sorry.

Katarina realizes that there are things that the sacred beast can't do after all.

Geordo: ...I see. In that case, we'll manage by ourselves.

Geordo looks a little dejected.

Aaqil: Umm... We will all help.

Geordo: I am thankful for your offer. In that case, I will ask you to join us.

Sacred Beast: I thank you, Prince of Mutlaq.

Aaqil: No, it is our fault in the first place. Besides, it is thanks to you that we have become free. I am thankful to you as well.

Sacred Beast: Free, huh? Prince of Mutlaq, what will do you from now on?

Aaqil and his friends all look at each other.

Aaqil: Since we are not bound to Mutlaq anymore, I think we will travel around the world freely, with our own strength. This has always been our dream.

Aaqil's friends all smile happily.

Sacred Beast: Travel all around the world freely, huh? Alright, I will accompany you. I am fond of you after all.

The sacred beast has said this as if he had just hit upon a great idea. Everyone is shocked.

Katarina thinks back on how Piyo was attached to Aaqil and guesses it is no wonder the sacred beast likes Aaqil too.

Aaqil: ... So you... with us...? But with your body, going to places...

Katarina agrees that it will be difficult to travel with such a big bird. 

The sacred beast realizes Aaqil's point.

Sacred Beast: Ah, that's right. In this form, I would be too big. In that case...

The sacred bird's body shines again with a pale light.

Sacred Beast: Like this, there should be no problem, right?

A little brown bird is sitting on Aaqil's shoulder. Aside from the color and the size, it looks the same as the sacred beast.

Aaqil: ...Sacred Beast?

Sacred Beast: Ah, come to think of it, I haven't told you my name. The name my old friend gave me is Masrur. Though, "Piyo" is also quite lovely, so I guess I love it too.

After saying this, the sacred beast looks at Katarina and winks at her. Aaqil makes an awkward smile.

Aaqil: Lord Masrur, my name is Aaqil. Let's get along.

Masrur: Yes, Aaqil. Let's get along from now on.

Like this, the Mutlaq Prince, the caravan people, and the sacred beast have become a group traveling the world. Katarina is glad to see this happy ending.

The Conclusion of the Incident

Jeffrey: Eh~ What is this situation?

Jeffrey and Susanna have arrived.

Geordo: Big Brother Jeffrey, so you have returned?

Jeffrey: Yes. I have received a letter from Ian where he told me that you were in trouble because the Mutlaq emissaries came a lot earlier than expected and thus asked me to come back early. So I finished work in a hurry and came back, but... Can you explain the situation?

Jeffrey looks puzzled. Looking at the devastated area, the Mutlaq people, and the exhausted Sorcier people because they used too much magic, he can't tell what happened.

The exhausted Ian approaches Jeffrey.

Ian: Jeffrey, you have come at the right time. I'll explain things to you later but please take care of the aftermath. I am incredibly exhausted. Just a little bit is fine, but I'll go see Selena and get healed by her.

Ian turns to Katarina and the others.

Ian: All of you too. Please rest a little, then go make your report to Jeffrey. 

Ian leaves while dragging Jeffrey with him.

Geordo suggests to everyone that they arrange their worn-out clothes and take some rest. The Multaq emissaries return to their assigned rooms. Before going back, Aaqil looks at Katarina and grins. Katarina returns his smile. Aaqil's doom has safely been avoided.

Katarina and her friends are resting in the same room.

Geordo (black smile): And so, why did you do something so rash as going to the Mutlaq prince in such a dangerous situation?

Katarina can tell Geordo is angry.

Now that they had safely settled the incident, Katarina thought there would be things like "Good job", "We did it!" and the like but instead, she was lectured from the very start.

Katarina: ...Umm, well...

Katarina wants to tell them it was because she knew Aaqil's circumstances, but no matter how she says it, it will sound like an excuse.

Nicol (matter-of-fact): At that time, we were exhausted because we were low on magic and we couldn't move as we wanted. It is good that nothing happened but it really was dangerous.

Mary (teary-eyed): When I think of something happening to you, I truly feel like my chest would get crushed.

Mary's words are stabbing Katarina. Maria and Sophia nod with similar teary faces.

Katarina (sincerely): ...I am sorry for having caused you worry.

Alan: You, reckless dumb lady.

Since even Alan scolds her, Katarina feels like reflecting deeply on what she did.

Keith: Even though I told you to be very careful.

Keith sighs deeply.

The lecture phase is over and everyone turns their attention to the chain that Pochi is holding in his mouth. But when Katarina tries to pick it up, it crumbles and turns into dust.

Nicol shares his opinion about the chain.

Nicol: I think it was most like likely something similar to the dark magic tool that you obtained before. Assuming it was something obtained in another country to control humans, or rather the sacred beast, the Mutlaq royal from that time got hold of some dark magic tool from Sorcier, used it, and as a result, the sacred beast rampaged because of the pain. Sorcier may have expressly come there to seal the sacred beast after they noticed that this incident was caused by a tool from their country.

Katarina shudders while thinking about dark magic tools going around and even reaching a faraway country.

After that, Katarina went to see Jeffrey for her hearing. She went home late, went to bed, and fell asleep right after because she was exhausted. She had a dream about the Mutlaq people traveling the world happily.

Aaqil's POV

Every day since the incident, Aaqil has been going through his hearing regarding the incident and helping repair the places devastated by the sacred beast. Aaqil is exhausted and is resting in his tent.

Masrur comes to visit him at his place.

Masrur: Aaqil, can I talk to you for a bit about something important?

Aaqil: What's the matter?

Aaqil is puzzled since Masrur has unusually come to him with a serious talk. Normally he would happily talk about the places he visited while flying around.

Aaqil prepares himself and invites him to continue.

Masrur: It is about Sorcier.

Aaqil: Did something happen with Sorcier?

Masrur: They are treating us kindly but I don't want to leave such a big trace of my existence there. After all, an existence such as mine would become the cause of strife.

Aaqil: Well…

Aaqil agrees that there are a lot of people who would like to obtain a creature with such power. But after the incident, it would be difficult not to leave traces.

Masrur: Many people in Sorcier are honest at heart but there are, of course, some who are not. The noble you were involved with at the beginning was like that, right?

Aaqil: That's right.

Aaqil remembers that Viscount Mallet is indeed someone with a strong desire to rise in status. There are many people like him among the nobles.

Masrur: That's why I have taken the initiative to ensure I won't remain in Sorcier's records and people's memories.

Aaqil: Huh?!

Aaqil is surprised that Masrur said something so unbelievable so readily. He wonders how he even did that.

Masrur: I can control anything as long as they are living creatures. It was a piece of cake to control the records keeper.

Aaqil: S-So, does it mean that you can also control humans?

Masrur: Yes. My old friend was human so I didn't thoughtlessly control them. I can do what I can. Still, this is a secret between you and me. If it was known, it would create even more strife.

Aaqil: ...Yes.

Aaqil shudders thinking that Masrur can control not only animals but also humans. His power is just too great.

Masrur: And so, here is the main point.

Aaqil: ...Yes.

Aaqil gulps. What kind of thing Masrur will utter next if this wasn't the main point?

Masrur: I could successfully tamper with the records but the people still have their memory. So I am thinking of altering their memories as well.

Aaqil: ?!

Aaqil is speechless. He can't believe the sacred beast can even alter memories.

Masrur: I will ask you to keep this a secret too.

Aaqil: ...Okay. But why are you going so far as telling me this, Lord Masrur?

Masrur: Hahaha! It is because you are very similar to my old friend. So I feel like I have to tell you.

Aaqil: Is that so? I am honored.

Aaqil feels his chest getting warm after hearing that he is similar to the person who means the most to the sacred beast.

Aaqil: And so, in what way will you alter their memories?

Masrur: Well, you are leaving this country tomorrow, right? At that moment, I will rewrite their memories to seem like you are leaving as normal emissaries who have normally built friendships with this country.

Aaqil: So in other words, it will be as if all that happened in Sorcier never did?

Aaqil's chest feels heavy after realizing that all the memories of his meeting with Katarina and their many interactions afterward will disappear.

Masrur: It must be such a sad thing for you. But to prevent strife from arising, they need to forget about me. I'm sorry.

Aaqil: No, it can't be helped.

Masrur: And I will also alter a bit the memories of the caravan people.

Aaqil: Everyone's too? Why?

Aaqil is surprised that Masrur feels the need to alter the memories of the caravan people.

Masrur: In order not to burden them from now on, I think it is best if they consider me as a simple bird. There is no need for superfluous shackles when you start a new life.

Aaqil: Shackles...

Aaqil would like to comfort Masrur by telling him it is not the case, but he can't. After learning about the extent of the sacred beast's power and remembering his exchanges with the other royals before, he understands that people will be in danger just by knowing about the sacred beast. 

Masrur: At that time, I can also alter your memory and make you think that I am just a bird following you around. What should I do? Would you like to forget everything and live freely?

Masrur's offer is what Aaqil used to wish for. The him from before would have jumped on it. But he has changed after coming to Sorcier. Meeting Katarina, the words she told him, how he could honestly talk about his family with her, they are all precious memories. Besides, he can't leave the lonely Masrur alone.

Aaqil: Please keep my memories as they are. I will absolutely not tell anyone. Lord Masrur, please let me stay by your side all while knowing about you.

Masrur feels extremely happy after hearing Aaqil's answer.

Masrur: I see.

Katarina's POV

A while has passed since the sacred beast's rampaging incident. 

Aaqil properly kept Katarina's "premonitory dreams" ability secret and only confirmed facts during his hearing. Katarina feels relieved.

It seemed like it would be difficult to deal with the aftermath of the incident, but Jeffrey readily took charge just after his return, so things went smoothly.

The areas devastated by the sacred beast were fixed in the blink of an eye.

Jeffrey looks like the type who fools around, but he seems to be actually competent. 

It is finally the day when Aaqil and the other caravan people are leaving Sorcier. Katarina and her friends have come to see them off.

Aaqil and the others have already loaded their luggage in their cart. 

Katarina: Hey, that cart... Didn't it become more splendid?

Aaqil: Yes. Actually, we got a lot of extra income, so we purchased a new one in Sorcier.

Katarina: Extra income?

Aaqil: Yes. Actually...

Aaqil explains that he and the others decided they would compensate for the damages caused by the sacred beast with their secret savings. But the money wasn't enough.

Then Nicol conveyed to them a message from the prime minister: he offered to buy information about Mutlaq. The prime minister was willing to buy any information about the unique technology developed in Mutlaq, and also the unique pieces of knowledge that Sorcier didn't have.

Aaqil had no intention of returning to Mutlaq, besides he was disgusted with them, so he sold to Sorcier all the applicable knowledge he knew, like refining techniques for medicinal plants. Since it was quite valuable knowledge, Aaqil and the others were paid a higher price than they expected. 

Like this, Aaqil and the others used the money to buy a brand new cart and still had a lot of money to spare.

Aaqil: With this, we won't be cramped and we will be able to go around the next region. I am sincerely grateful to the Kingdom of Sorcier.

Nicol: No, on the contrary, we appreciate that you supplied us with so much new knowledge. The next time you return around here, it would be good if you come to Sorcier.

Nicol looks expressionless as usual, but he seems somewhat happy. Aaqil must have given them great information.

Katarina: Will it be okay in regard to the King?

Katarina is worried they might still get chased even if the Multaq royals can't watch them anymore.

Aaqil: Yes. Lord Masrur used his power to confirm it for us. Because they have suddenly become unable to control animals, there seems to be great chaos there. After all, they have also been watching the other caravans, stealing their earnings, and using them to do all kinds of vicious things. Now that they are unable to control animals, they have no time to think about us.

Katarina: I see. Then it's great.

Aaqil: Though, even on the off-chance they come to do something to us, we would know right away thanks to Lord Masrur. Lord Masrur also told us he would do something if that happened.

Katarina thinks to herself that Masrur now completely fits in with the caravan. He flies towards Alqus and makes a pass at Qumiit and the twins. He looks happy.

Then Masrur discreetly flies to Katarina. He tells her that Aaqil is very similar to his old friend and that the caravan people are also similar to his friend's family. Masrur looks happy as he says this and Katarina also feels happy to hear this.

A lot happened but Katarina is so happy that she and her friends can see Aaqil and the caravan people off with a smile.

Caravan Leader: Alright, time to depart.

Everyone returns to the cart.

Qumiit: Thanks, Katarina. Thanks to you, I could have a heart-to-heart with Aaqil.

Qumiit grins after saying this.

Nashiit and Haati: Thanks for your care.

The twins wave their hands at her.

Alqus: Thank you very much.

Alqus lowers her head with a shy smile.

Now, only Aaqil is left. Katarina secretly tells him one thing she still hasn't told him.

Katarina: Umm, Aaqil. I saw it in a dream, but your destined person seems to be on another continent. If you go there, try searching for her. This girl is...

Katarina thinks it is fine and all to break Aaqil's doom flag, but because of this, he might not meet his destined person, the heroine. Katarina thought it would be sad, so she decided to give him advice.

Aaqil doesn't let her finish.

Aaqil: It is fine since I have already met my destined person.

Katarina freezes in shock.

Katarina: Eh?!

Katarina wonders if Aaqil has already met the heroine. But it shouldn't be possible since she is not supposed to be on this continent.

While Katarina is confused, Aaqil kneels in front of her and holds out his hand. Katarina reflexively holds out her hand to him. Aaqil takes her hand.

Aaqil: I hope to see you again... My Ranyamu.

Aaqil kisses the back of Katarina's hand.

Katarina remembers that Aaqil told her that "Ranyamu" means "head over heels".

Aaqil: In Multlaq, it means "I love you" or "You are dear to me".

Katarina's face suddenly turns hot.

Katarina is highly confused since Aaqil's words sound like a love confession.

Aaqil: See you.

Aaqil smiles as if he has successfully pulled a prank on her. He waves his hand and leaves.

Katarina wonders if Aaqil was just making fun of her. She vigorously waves goodbye to the departing cart.

Katarina: See you!

After the cart has departed, some kind of sparkling lights fall from the sky. The lights are falling as far as the eyes can see.

Katarina: Wow, so pretty! Maybe it is Lord Masrur's farewell gift?

Katarina has the feeling that the lights falling near her are special since they are rainbow-colored. She is fascinated by them.

Katarina: Huh? What was I doing?

Katarina has frozen.

Geordo: What are you saying, Katarina? We have come to see off the Multlaq emissaries who came several days ago.

Katarina: Eh?! Ah, yes. Right.

Katarina remembers that she indeed came to see off the Mutlaq emissaries she interacted with as Geordo's fiancée and a noble. But she has the strange feeling it doesn't fit.

Keith: Come on, Big Sister. We're going home.

Katarina: Yes, coming!

Katarina hurries to the carriage.

Aaqil's POV

Aaqil has properly said goodbye to Katarina with a smile, and now she has probably forgotten all the time they spent together. Thinking about this, Aaqil feels tears well up in his eyes. He feels ashamed since he was the one who decided not to forget his memories.

Aaqil has isolated himself on the back so the others wouldn't see his pitiful face.

Masrur flies towards him and whispers in his ear.

Masrur: Don't be so sad, Aaqil. Exceptionally, only in Katarina's case, I left a device so that if she meets you again and talks to you, she will regain her memories. Eventually, once you are more grown up, you will be able to meet her.

Aaqil suddenly turns his head towards Masrur.

Masrur: Hahaha! It is a special service for a friend!

Masrur laughs happily.

Aaqil's overflowing tears stop at once.

Aaqil gazes at Sorcier and the carriage that Katarina is riding.

Aaqil: I will definitely come to meet you again.

#hamefura movie #hamefura light novel #hamefura #my next life as a villainess: all routes leads to doom #katarina claes #aaqil #geordo stuart #keith claes #alan stuart #nicol ascart #mary hunt #sophia ascart #maria campbell #piyo hamefura #pochi hamefura #raphael wolt #sora smith #ian stuart #jeffrey stuart #qumiit #alqus #haati #nashiit

[zoe4math]

Today is Christmas! 🎄

I think the picture I found is not really related to Christmas, but since today is Christmas, let's pretend it is. 😎

The source of the picture:https://home.gamer.com.tw/artwork.php?sn=5390662

【Geordo】

Catarina, you want to give this to me…? Thank you very much, I am really happy. By the way, is this…an amulet for keeping away from the snakes? Haha…I don't expect that you who threw toy snakes at me in my childhood will give me this…ah, nothing. I feel very happy. Since you prepared this just for me, I will treasure it well.

But if I really have to say, I would like gifts more like lovers may send, such as a kiss from you…can't I have it?

【Keith】

Is this given to me? Thank you, I'm happy to receive it. Umm, is it…the tickets for shoulder massage? Hehe, how do you plan to do the shoulder massage? Eh, “not to move…” …Woah!? W-wait, Catarina!? What are you…what? Relieve the stiffness in my shoulders... Where did you hear that!? Wait, it'll be embarrassing if you are too close to me…B-but, your feelings make me happy, thank you. “...Instead of this, do I want something else?” You don't need to worry too much. My greatest wish is for you to be healthy and smile every day.

【Alan】

Mmm? What's that flower pot you hold in your hand? Cherry tomato seedlings… Why are you holding it while walking around…to me? “I can grow vegetables very well if I play some music to them”…you are talking about something weird again… Well, it's not a big problem, so that's okay. I'll let vegetables hear it when I play the piano. Although I have never grown the vegetables you gave, I don't know if it is odd…but I will try.

…“I can definitely do it.” Why are you so confident about me…but I don't dislike. Thank you.

【Nicol】

Is this…a bookmark? Thank you, Catarina. I will definitely use it while reading books. But…what kind of flower is it? I don't think it is common to be seen…Eh? Pumpkin flowers? The flowers used in this bookmark are…could it be pumpkin flowers grown in your field? …I see, thus, these really are. So you specially made the pressed flowers bookmark for me… In that case, I have to use it even more carefully. Thank you again, Catarina. I will treasure it.

【Rozy】

? You choose some new tools for me? Wow…thank you! But I don't think I'll use it because it is too precious to use. Ah, then how about putting it in a glass case and displaying it in my study? That's it! Let’s make sure the lighting is perfect, and I can also make a pedestal that will rise up from the bottom…

Eh? Do you want me to use it? I see…

But I certainly want to always have the tools you gave me, so I think I'll keep them.

Thank you, I'm really happy!

【Silva】

Catarina, you…What's the matter with that huge amount of vegetables? Can't it be…(sigh), it sure is. Well, it's just like you. Wasn't it difficult to harvest this much? Thanks. Oh, it's just around noon. How about hanging out for a while? Let's have lunch together anyway. If you have any requests, I'll fulfill them for the thanks of this vegetable. Haha, don't hold back.

But you come again only for this. Well, I do like that...what do you think? Since you came all the way, would you like to receive a kiss or two?

You don't have to be shy about that, right?

#hamefura #my next life as a villainess #hamefura pirates #geordo stuart #keith claes #alan stuart #nicol ascart #rozy lind #silva #christmas

[saintsenara]

If your still doing snape asks

50 35 41 40 🕺

thank you for the ask, @notsosecrettunnel

35. do you have a snape brotp?

snape and lucius malfoy.

i don’t subscribe to all the fanon which surrounds these two (i don’t - for example - accept the headcanon that snape is draco’s godfather) but i see no reason why we should doubt that narcissa’s description of snape as ‘lucius’ old friend’ is sincere.

something i see a lot - especially from writers whose interest is in the characters aligned with the order - is the idea that the death eaters are all out for themselves and (outside of some fanatical outliers, such as bellatrix) that they have no genuine loyalty either to voldemort or to each other.

not so, i fear. i really dislike the idea that the death eaters all turn on each other after voldemort’s death (i prefer to think that they frustrate the shacklebolt government profoundly by refusing to talk) and i really dislike the idea that they didn’t have profound, real friendships among themselves.

it’s obvious in canon that becoming a death eater offered snape a community he truly felt welcomed by for the first time (and i think it speaks highly of him that he was nonetheless prepared to lose that when he turned against voldemort) and, part of that, is that i think it’s important to believe that his friendship with lucius was real.

after all, he’s upset when harry names him as having been present at voldemort’s resurrection in goblet of fire…

40. other than lily, who do you think impacted snape's life the most?

lord voldemort.

i don’t just mean in that voldemort’s decision to go after lily is the trigger for snape upending his entire life, but also that voldemort is evidently the first person snape ever meets who takes him seriously. it’s clear from canon that voldemort is the only person the teenage snape knows who takes an active interest in improving his life - snape must become a death eater because voldemort offers him a chance to transcend the restrictive class structure which rips opportunities away from poor half-bloods unless they have a slughorn-esque patron, and also because voldemort understands and validates snape’s attitude towards and interest in magic and experimentation [and, indeed, that he shares this].

voldemort is obviously fond of snape (he must recognise so much of himself in him - feral working-class children with muggle names and disappointing dads need to stick together, after all) and he appears to have offered him intensive training - in the dark arts, obviously, but given that voldemort describes himself in goblet of fire as someone who dabbles with inventing potions, why not that discipline too - which the adult snape makes use of throughout his teaching career.

plus - the adult snape clearly models how he speaks and comports himself (so, all the things about his demeanour which we most enjoy) on voldemort.

[seriously, they have near-identical speech patterns and they get a lot of the same movement and dialogue descriptors, which is cute.]

41. do you think that there is a side to snape that he doesn't let anyone see? what do you headcanon this "secret personality" to be like?

my hottest take?

what you see with snape is - generally - what you get.

i really dislike the preternaturally emotionally-repressed snape of fanon (and of the films - as i’ve written elsewhere, i think alan rickman played the character terribly…). the canonical snape is emotionally expressive, disinclined to pretend he likes or agrees with things he doesn’t, and someone whose feelings can often be read on his face. he keeps some things bottled up - of course - but i don’t think that, for example, his romantic partner is going to discover that he has a secret soft side (or, indeed, a secret capacity to be utterly horrible) which would sound completely, incomprehensibly out of character to anyone else they mentioned it to.

50. had snape lived, would he continue teaching at hogwarts?

ok so my other hot take… yes.

the standard wisdom in the fandom seems to be that snape loathes teaching, that he only stays in the job because he is compelled to by dumbledore as part of his spy duties, and that he feels imprisoned by hogwarts. and, obviously, the fact that he’s someone whose adult life is so relentlessly miserable in all other aspects supports the idea that he’d be miserable because of his professional circumstances too.

but…

the idea that snape hates teaching seems, to me, to stem from a misunderstanding about the narrative purpose he serves as a teacher in the series. because, while he’s certainly a cruel teacher - in keeping with his children’s literature archetype, the mean schoolmaster that the child reader can delight in seeing undermined - he’s also a good and committed one. his classes achieve extremely high results (he is able to insist on a pass rate from every pupil; he can fill his newt classes to capacity without having to lower his grade requirements), he is interested in improving the standard curriculum by modifying the potions he teaches, he clearly does take care to lead his classes through the theory of the subject (harry and ron just don’t listen to him), and he seems to take pride in his job (he’s pissed off when lockhart tries to muscle in on his turf; he delights in lording his professional expertise over umbridge).

all of which is to say… he’s back to sweeping around that dungeon the second the venom’s out of his bloodstream. slughorn’s delighted - he can retire for a second time and try and get a pineapple endorsement deal on the strength of having fought in the battle of hogwarts.

#snape ask game #asks answered

[meghantheduchyofpitstains]

The late actor Christopher Plummer once likened working with Julie Andrews on The Sound of Music to ‘being hit over the head with a big Valentine's Day card'. Reading the latest bulletin from the Duchess of Sussex, the image returned unbidden; having to listen to the ceaseless stream of platitudes that this bad actress expels verbally into the world is like being hit over the head with an inspirational poster – LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE – until one loses the will to live, let alone laugh and love.

But whereas we might once have loathed her, so shameless is the ageing starlet in pursuit of income – sorry, insight – that her performance now verges on the admirable. Reading her interview with Variety (such an obvious choice for someone who categorically claims that they are ‘done’ with a showbiz career) it was hard not to feel that one was expiring in one of those grotesque Willy Wonka-esque American sweetshops which plague our nation – stifled with marshmallows, drowned in caramel and beaten around the head with candy canes for good measure.

Meghan doesn’t ‘gush’ – her level of smarming is far beyond that. She oozes. The ’bombshell’ interview with Variety is actually a love-bombing. Laughing, apparently kicking her legs with childlike excitement, and claiming that her and Harry’s 'love story' had inspired the world because 'people love love’ she resembles nothing more than a travelling salesperson talking up snake oil to a sceptical crowd.Claiming that her and Harry’s 'love story' had inspired the world because 'people love love’ she resembles nothing more than a travelling salesperson talking up snake oil to a sceptical crowd

She must know by now how much people dislike her – in particular for making the Queen’s final years so troubled. But even that relationship is now refracted through the lens of Insta-inspo – ‘What's so beautiful is to look at the legacy that his grandmother was able to leave on so many fronts. Certainly, in terms of female leadership, she is the most shining example of what that looks like. I feel deep gratitude to have been able to spend time with her and get to know her… I’ve reflected on that first official engagement that I had with her, how special that felt. I feel fortunate. And I continue to be proud to have had a nice warmth with the matriarch of the family.'

Of her friends: ‘The power of sisterhood and female support can never be underestimated.’

Of herself: ‘Part of me is just really trusting, really open.’

Of any actress who plays her in a drama: ’I hope that in preparing for that role, she finds the softness and the playfulness and the laughter. The silliness.’

I fully expected her to add: ‘I’m just a hippy at heart.'

And, of course, no modern Marie Antoinette’s crib-sheet is complete without the obligatory reference to how much she enjoys fast food. In this case it’s In-N-Out burgers and 'chocolate chip cookies the size of my toddler's head’.

If Meghan can provide ‘content’ on this level – creating a character we love to hate on a level with an Alan Partridge or a David Brent, or a deluded showbusiness buffoon comparable with Count Arthur Strong – throughout the coming winter of discontent, maybe we should at last just cave in and award her the applause she craves. Because comedy gold such as this does not come knocking every day.

[skymaiden32]

Trick or Treat

Thundertober/Inktober Day 31: Costumes

The Tracy family prepares for Halloween. Wee!Tracy’s

Continuity: TOS

Tagging: @dragonoffantasyandreality @thundergeek59 @janetm74 @katblu42 @liseylou @amistrio @uniwolfcorn (Please ask if you would like to be alerted when I update or write new stories)

Prompt list

Happy Halloween! >:3

This is the last Thundertober prompt, but be sure to keep an eye out for more chapters from the day 29 story.

------

“So, who are you going as?” Alan bounced up and down as his brother revealed his costume with a flourish.

“Aquaman!” 

John rolled his eyes fondly. “Of course you are…”

“What are you going as John?” Gordon asked, already pulling his outfit on.

“No character; just a regular old astronaut.” John smirked. “How about you, Allie?”

Alan grinned, pulling out his handmade costume. Despite their father’s numerous offers to buy their Halloween outfits this year, Alan had insisted on making his own. If John was completely honest, it looked like it was on the verge of falling apart…

“Well, despite John’s obvious dislike of it,” Gordon ignored John’s protests, “I think it looks great!” He scratched his head. “What is it?”

“It’s a star!” Alan beamed. John tried to hide his grimace as one of the points drooped. Gordon somehow managed to get stuck in his costume behind them.

“Gordon’s right, Alan.” Virgil’s voice drifted through the hallway as he approached. He was already in his knight costume. “You guys have a fun knight, okay?” He smirked, putting emphasis on the pun.

“You too, Virgil…” John smiled at his brother, getting his own outfit on. “And please, never make a joke like that again…”

The family artist just shrugged. “Fair enough.”

“Guys, you ready to go?” Scott poked his head round the door. He was dressed as a wizard this year. He grinned when he saw Alan’s costume. “Looks great!” He gave his brother a thumbs up. Alan smiled back. “Dad’s ready with the car to take us to where we need to be tonight.”

Virgil laughed. “How’s his vampire costume looking?”

“Blood-sucking.” Scott smirked, folding his arms. “And Grandma has a fierce witch look…”

“Um, guys?” Gordon’s muffled voice made everyone look in his direction. He was still struggling with his costume. “A little help here?”

------

“Okay gang, here’s the drop-off for trick or treating!” Jeff swung the family van into a parking space. “Mother, you’re taking these three little rascals,” he poked his three younger sons on their noses, causing each of them to giggle at varying volumes, “round all the houses.” 

Their grandmother nodded, but raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re okay to handle the trick or treaters alone, Jeff?”

Jeff nodded. “I’m sure, Mother. This has all already been decided. I’ll drop Scott and Virgil off at their Halloween party and then head back home for a few hours. Then I can come and pick everyone up when they want to come home.”

Ruth smiled, satisfied, before herding the younger ones out the car and towards the houses, closing the door behind them. “Let’s go get some sweet treats, my pretties!” She shifted to her witch voice, and Gordon and Alan squealed in delight as they ran ahead. John was a bit more reserved, but he was clearly just as excited.

Jeff drove on to where he would drop off his two eldest boys, who were chatting about what might happen at the party. Once they pulled up, he turned round. “Remember to keep your phones on. Stay close to each other; within sight if you do split up. If anything happens, keep each other safe, you hear?”

“Don’t worry Dad, nothing’s gonna happen…” Scott smiled sympathetically at his father. 

“But we will be careful.” Virgil finished. They got out of the van, and were about to go in when their father said something else.

“One more thing, boys…” They gave him matching looks. “Have fun!”

“We will, Dad!”

------

The moon was high in the sky by the time Jeff picked everyone up. His mother yawned as she guided his younger boys into the car, all barely standing. By the looks of it, they’d gotten plenty of sweets. Scott and Virgil could hardly keep their eyes open either, but were a bit better at hiding it than the others. Once they were on the road again, half of them asleep and the other half ready to, Jeff whispered. “Did you all have a great time?”

“The best.” Virgil whispered back, before he fell asleep on Scott’s shoulder. Scott smiled softly at his brother, making sure he had a tight hold of him before he leaned back into his seat, also drifting off.

His mother grinned at him, her voice extra soft so she didn’t wake any of her grandchildren up. “If they’re sleeping, it must’ve been fun. I know John, Gordon and Alan had a blast…”

“That’s good…” Jeff yawned, but kept his eyes wide open as he focussed all his energy on the road. “Happy Halloween, Mother.”

“Happy Halloween, Jeff.”

#thunderbirds #thunderbirds 1965 #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderfam #alan tracy #gordon tracy #john tracy #virgil tracy #scott tracy #jeff tracy #grandma tracy #thundertober 2022 #wee!tracy's

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

My thoughts on the first Long-Running Panel Show Friday of 2023.

Would I Lie to You: Obviously, the most important thing about this episode is I went 4-1 in guessing the answers before they were announced, which is a strong start to a new season. The only one I got wrong is the This Is My round... sorry I didn’t guess that Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith play pranks on each other by mimicking autoerotic asphyxiation and urinating in offices.

Anyway, the episode was good. I’m impressed that I don’t feel like this one’s sagged even into its sixteenth season; David and Lee both still appear to be enjoying themselves. They both ran out of stories years ago, but not out of enthusiasm. Also, why is this the first time I’ve ever heard someone on a panel show tell the audience that if anyone on the other team is your friend, get some new friends? That seems like the sort of thing people should be saying all time.

QI: That was a good time. Not a standout episode, but a solid one. Lou Saunders made me laugh almost every time she opened her mouth. Classic play from Alan Davies, getting excited about blue whales and talking shit about Top Gear. He and Ross Noble play off each other well. And I think Rose Matafeo made me laugh literally every time she opened her mouth. I love her style on panel shows, of sort of sitting back (often literally leaning backward a bit) and sounding vaguely apologetic for interrupting every time she interjects, and it’s always funny.

The News Quiz: “We are barely a week into 2024, and I have already broken my two New Year’s resolutions: not to add one to all numbers.” – Andy Zaltzman

I mean, what more can we ask for from a radio panel show than that as the first line? That was so entertaining that I barely noticed anything else that happened. Chris McCausland and Lucy Porter are always good on this show, and they both came well prepared for this one. Had quite a bit of pre-written material on very recent stuff, I guess they were busy over Christmas. And of all the journalists they cycle through on this show, Samira Ahmed has become one of my favourites.

Andy Zaltzman referring to Rishi Sunak as “the first Prime Minister of 2023″ was good too. He had a number of nice lines. I love the little ways he commits to bits; anyone else would have dropped the thing about not giving out points after the first couple of times. I’ll be honest, it was just nice to hear from him. Missed you, Andy. Glad you’re back for another year.

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown: You know what? After I’ve made two posts in the last few weeks about how this show’s gone stale and they need to respectfully lay it to rest, I thought this episode was good. It wasn’t the lineup I saw announced earlier, and I was immediately annoyed when I saw Jonathan Ross, but actually, it worked well. My favourite part of the episode was Ahir Shah, in his Catsdown debut. He was some of the things that used to make it so much fun to watch Jon Richardson on this show - a genuine Countdown fan who was excited to be there and got really into trying to do well. He paired nicely with Roisin, who’s always good on this show (I mean, bad at the actual puzzles, but her type of humour fits well with the format). Even Jonathan Ross, whom I normally dislike, was funny a few times. And I thought Joe Wilkinson was on good form; he made me laugh several times.

I also liked the stand-in for Rachel Riley. I’d be very happy to have her on all the time instead of Rachel. The dictionary corner guest annoyed me at the beginning - I tend to cringe at too much of a millennial/gen Z self-parody schtick - by the end she’d completely won me around and I though she was fantastic.

I hate saying that I think this episode was so good because Jon Richardson wasn’t there, as my favourite versions of Jon Richardson are pretty much my favourite comedy out there. I absolutely love Jon Richardson, when he’s good. He and Sean Lock had something perfect going for a while, on this and 8 Out of 10 Cats. Channel 4 struck gold with that chemistry, and they were right to get as much mileage as possible out of it. But that’s gone now.

Jon had something very good going before Sean Lock too, of course, the radio show with Russell Howard being much, much better than something like that had any right to be. So one of his partnerships ended in the most dramatic breakup of the twenty-first century, and one ended in a premature death. No wonder he’s tired. Anyway, I think Jon needs to find a new challenge if he’s going to be as entertaining as he used to be again. Maybe if he got paired with Ahir Shah sometime it would bring some of the spark back, get him competitive about something.

[motziedapul]

Whenever I'm writing something that takes place in what is ostensibly the real world or some approximation of it, I dislike the concept of ahistoric queerness, and somewhat relatedly, an ahistorical BIPOC experience.

I don't mind reading it in fluffy, happy media, where everything is good and nothing hurts, but it's never really very interesting to me as a writer. I don't ever go for suffering or torture porn, but it feels dishonest to just pretend the world I'm writing doesn't have racism or queerphobic behaviour of any kind, especially such that matches the historical context.

In Hi Nay I've made it so that most if not all the main characters and a number of the side characters are queer, in a way that I consider to be *realistic*, which becomes a much more fun exercise when I go into historical context.

The further back I go, queer people still absolutely exist, but you have characters like Mary-Anne and Claudette-Jean who were plotting a marriage between CJ and Mary-Anne's brother so that they could live together. Characters like George being taken into the Langford family as a "brother" so that he could live with his secret husband Friedrich. You have characters like the Journalist's fathers who lived together in secret, and he had to keep that secret growing up to protect their family. And then you have the Doctor, who's a non-binary masc neurosurgeon that I tried partly to base on transmen like Alan L. Hart. I try to figure out what the general landscape is around queer people and how willing the characters are to deal with the bullshit or find ways to shield themselves - mostly with money and influence, though sometimes just with hiding.

I also try to do as much research as I can about racist attitudes in Toronto, such that I can see what obstacles the Journalist has to deal with in the 1960s-1980s as a Black man trying to deal with supernatural cases while dodging police interference. It was this sort of research that helped me figure out that there's historical precedent for Mary-Anne to come from an uber-rich Black family in the early 1900s and have a lot of privilege, but possibly still be barred entry from certain White-only establishments.

I ultimately think that people who try to write 0 bigotry utopias in ostensibly real world or real world adjacent stories want to wash their hands of the research required to try and portray what that bigotry looks like in action, but only when they refuse to acknowledge it exists or ever existed. And for certain stories, that's fine. But for others, I feel like more people need to put in the effort.

I also understand that a lot of the criticism is not based on the existence of bigotry in the universe, but the obsession with it and with queer / BIPOC suffering. I feel that, so even when I write the historical context and obstacles these characters have to deal with, I tend to focus on the joy or the intrigues of the story, having these characters live their lives in spite of the hardships, not absent of them.

I know there's fear in getting it wrong, and I have definitely gotten some things wrong. But you have to be prepared to be wrong, apologise, learn and move on, or else you trap yourself in writing ONLY what you know, which, while a good stepping off point, will hurt you in the long run.

#on writing #queer representation #bipoc representation #hi nay podcast #hinaypod

[firstaidspray]

What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?I

f they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

for the Alan Wake girlies <3

What's something they're expected to enjoy based on their hobbies/profession that they actually dislike/hate?

Navy: Probably the expectations that all musicians love "the classics" like the Beatles and shit bc Navy HATES the Beatles.

Jillian: When it comes to her job working on the docks, there's not really anything that comes to mind, but as a musician, if someone sees her with a guitar and asks her to play a song, especially Wonderwall, she will lose her mind.

Josephine: As a CNA there are obvious things that everyone working in that type of medical setting hates (like. The gross stuff. Cleaning). Otherwise I can't really think of much else, even as a musician.

Lilith: Lilith is a murderer and tormentor like Scratch, so I guess the preparation to cause terror and violence and such.

If they're scared, who do they want comfort from? Does the answer change depending on the type of fear?

Navy: Before his death, TJ, and of course Josephine and Jillian. In the Dark Place, she always finds comfort in Tim and Alan. Even Tom if she's really distressed (but sometimes he makes it worse). If she's scared like, in general, it could be any of the above, but if it's some specific Dark Place shit she wants Alan.

Jillian: Ilmo of course, and Jaakko too. She'll seek out a twin brother hug sandwich from them when she's upset and scared, and she's only really scared of Taken so she also trusts they'll take care of that real quick.

Josephine: Rose!! Rose always knows what to do for Josephine. She'll reassure her in weird ways, but reassure her regardless. In some circumstances, like her irrational fears of losing Rose or something, she'll confide in Saga.

Lilith: Well the only person she has is Scratch, and since she is technically part of him, her instinct would be to cling to him if she were to feel fear. But she doesn't really feel fear.

Thank you for asking!!! 🩷🩷🩷🩷

#my ocs #ask game #navy young #jillian vivaldi #josephine young #lilith scratch

[katblu42]

Bandit

Remember the whump generator wheel?  I decided I would spin it 5 times to give myself a prompt pairing for each brother.  Some of the pairings have prompted rather un-whumpy ideas!  This is the first result.

I need to say that I have no experience with these creatures, and no knowledge of housing construction (and a tendency to get very frustrated with researching stuff very quickly), so I apologise for any inaccuracies in those departments.

Gordon, Help Eating and Vent

It turns out to be fluff instead of whump, and I realise it may not exactly address the intended idea of help eating, but . . . here it is anyway!

At first he thought he was imagining it, but over the course of the last hour the little scratching noises had increased.  It was distracting him from his homework.  Something was inside his bedroom wall, he was sure of it.  Gordon wondered whether he should tell one of his brothers.  More specifically one of his older brothers.  Telling Alan would only get the kid excited and make rescuing whatever animal was stuck in the wall more difficult.

Scratch.  Scuffle, scratch, scrabble, scratch.

As quietly as he could, he slid the chair back from his desk, tip-toed to the wall and pressed his ear against it.  Nothing. He almost gave up, thinking perhaps whatever it was had gone somewhere else, or fallen asleep, then he heard a quiet swooshy movement – the kind his hand might make if he brushed it against the wall.  Scratch, scratch.  It was close now.  Low down, near the floor.  His eyes swept along the skirting board until he spotted the vent on the other side of his desk.

Hmm.  If he could get the vent open maybe he could spot the animal stuck in the wall and maybe even get it out.  On close inspection of the 8” by 6” vent cover he could see it was attached to the wall with 4 small screws.  He’d need tools.  And maybe snacks to encourage the animal to come out.  And maybe a box or something to put the creature in until he could relocate it outside.  Yep, he had a plan.  He darted out of the room to collect the items he needed.

Wham!  He darted straight into Virgil.

“Whoa!  Where’s the fire?”  Virgil caught hold of him by the shoulders, steadying him and making sure he was not about to hurt himself after bouncing off his bigger brother’s chest.

“Ooof!  Sorry, Virg.”  Gordon spoke almost at the same time, made sure his feet were solidly planted again and shrugged away from Virgil’s grip.  Curiosity and concern burned down at him from beneath raised eyebrows. He felt his own eyes betray him as he glanced back towards his room and back up to meet his brother’s gaze.

“What are you hiding in there?”

“Nothing, I swear!” Gordon put his hand over his heart. “It’s just . . . there’s a . . . I was just going to . . .”  He sighed – a physical thing involving his whole body – and his gaze fixed firmly on the floor for a moment.  When he finally looked back up at Virgil the familiar expression of patient calm he found there gave him the encouragement he needed.  “I think there’s an animal stuck in my wall and I need to get some stuff so I can see if I can rescue it.”

Virgil quirked an eyebrow. That was all it took.  Gordon knew he had an ally.  He showed Virgil the vent he wanted to open, described the noises he’d heard and waited impatiently with his bigger brother until they both heard the noises again.  Virgil agreed to help him open the vent, suggesting a box to catch the animal in was a must, but perhaps they should hold off on the snacks until they discovered what type of animal it was and therefore what it might eat, and whether it needed coaxing out of the wall space.

While Virgil went to collect the right type of screwdriver and a couple of other tools (just in case), Gordon prepared a makeshift animal carry box.  He dumped the dirty laundry out of the plastic laundry bin from the corner of his room.  Its sides were a kind of latticework that would ensure the animal could still breath when he placed the lid on top.  He lined the bottom of the bin with a few towels so the creature would be comfy.

Virgil returned with the tools and a flashlight.  Together they moved Gordon’s desk so they had more room to work around the vent. Virgil made short work of the removal of the first 2 screws.

“Get ready with that nest of yours, Gordon,” he said as he lined up the screwdriver on the third screw. “Hold it close to the wall, below the vent, just in case the cover swings loose and the animal makes a run for it.”

It was at that moment Gordon remembered Virgil had a fairly strong dislike of rats and mice.  The expression of grim determination on his brother’s face suggesting he was forcing himself to continue his task despite the fear made Gordon feel kind of proud of him.

The third screw was removed, but the vent cover stayed firmly in place.  Virgil moved on to the last screw and Gordon kept the re-purposed laundry bin in place. This last one proved difficult to remove, rusted in place. With a grunt from Virgil and a slight cracking sound the screw finally began to move, and within a few turns of the screwdriver was moving more freely.  Once all the screws were out Virgil had to use a flat bladed driver to prise the top of the vent cover free from the wall.  Before removing it all the way he glanced at his younger brother, who nodded in confirmation that he was ready.  The cover came off the vent and . . . nothing happened.

Gordon let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding, and put the laundry basket nest down. The sudden release of tension in Virgil’s shoulders indicated his brother probably felt much the same way as he put the vent cover down, resting it against the wall.

“Let’s take a look,” Virgil suggested as he reached for the flashlight.  “See if we can see who’s in here, or something to show us what we might be dealing with.”

Gordon inched himself closer so he could see inside the vent as Virgil clicked on the flashlight and aimed it into the darkness.  The beam of light illuminated a small section of flexible ducting before it curved upward. Both brothers felt a little deflated at this result until they heard the scuffling noise close by.  Remaining silent and keeping the flashlight beam steady, they waited and were rewarded by the sudden appearance of a pair of eyes glowing back at them from a black, white and grey banded furry face.

“It’s a racoon,” Virgil stated with an audible sigh of relief.  “It must have made a hole in the ducting there near the bend, look.”

As the little furry head disappeared again Gordon could just make out the ragged edges of the hole Virgil was trying to catch in the flashlight beam.  A frown creased his forehead as his attention turned to how they were going to get the little guy out.

“What are you thinking, Gordon?”

“Do you think Alan’s small enough to crawl in there and rescue Bandit?”

The look of horrified surprise on his big brother’s face, which quickly flickered through a glare in response to Gordon’s mischievous smile, before settling on mild confusion greatly amused the younger boy.

“You named the racoon Bandit?”

“Yep.”

“And you know Alan wouldn’t fit in there, and even if he did we would not be sending him in there after a wild animal.”  Virgil’s eye roll and head shake just amused Gordon more.

“I know, but it’s fun to see the faces you make when you think I’m being serious.”

“Ha ha.”  Virgil turned off the flashlight and shifted to a slightly more comfortable position, sitting back on his heels.  “We’re gonna need to figure out how to get this little guy – Bandit – out of there, and we’re gonna need to tell Dad about this.”

“We do?  Why?”

“Because Bandit is only a kit and that means his mom and the rest of his family could be in the house somewhere, probably in the attic.”

“Awww.”  Gordon’s features scrunched into his that’s-so-cute face.  “Mumma racoon’s missing one of her babies.  We gotta get Bandit back to his family.”

“We have to get him out here first, Squid.”

“Snack time!”  Gordon stood up and was two steps towards the door faster than Virgil could react, then he suddenly stopped and turned back. “What do baby racoons eat?”

Neither brother knew the answer to that question, so a quick internet search was carried out.  A trip to the kitchen was made and Gordon returned with two pairs of rubber gloves – because racoons can carry rabies and it’s best to be as safe as possible – an old baby bottle with a little milk in it and a few different fruits and nuts.  They didn’t know whether Bandit had teeth yet or not, so the kit might not be ready for solid foods, but they also weren’t sure if cow’s milk would be suitable for a baby racoon.

The first attempt at coaxing Bandit out of the vent involved placing a few berries and nuts as far into the ducting as Virgil could reach with the aim of attracting the little racoon and then luring it out with a trail of food.  After a few minutes of waiting the scratching, scuffling noises were heard, a little black nose appeared through the hole in the ducting . . . then disappeared again.

Ten more minutes of waiting and no further activity passed before Gordon decided they should try some banana. He took prime position kneeling on the floor in front of the vent. Virgil moved over beside him aiming the flashlight, and holding the laundry bin nest at the ready.  Gordon held a few pieces of smooshy banana in his gloved fingertips and slowly stretched his arm as far into the vent as he could reach.  With his arm and the flashlight taking up most of the available opening he had to press his face up near the vent and look through one eye in order to see inside.

The two boys waited silently, listening for the tell-tale noises of movement within the wall cavity. It wasn’t long before Bandit made another appearance, the little black nose twitching as the kit cautiously emerged through the hole and tentatively advanced toward Gordon’s hand.  Gordon spoke words of encouragement to Bandit and tried to make coaxing “racoon noises”.

“Come on, that’s it.” He made a few squeaky sucking noises through his teeth.  “Come get some yummy banana.”

The coaxing noises gave way to sounds Virgil recognised as Gordon’s too-excited-by-the-cute-animal-for-real-words vocalisations as Bandit began licking at Gordon’s gloved fingertips and making vocalisations of its own.  Each time the kit stopped licking Gordon inched his hand a little nearer to the exit of the vent and Bandit followed, drawn by the tantalising promise of more of the tasty fruit.  Bandit’s little paws tried to grab onto Gordon’s fingers, perhaps to stop them moving away, but the gradual progress towards the vent continued.

When Gordon had withdrawn his arm far enough for them to be able to see without the flashlight Virgil turned his attention to the prospect of containing the little critter.  He broke off a little more of the banana and placed it on the towels inside the laundry bin to encourage the kit inside.  Gordon was talking to Bandit again, softly, soothing, encouraging the kit to keep edging closer to the edge.  His hand was all the way out now, held just in front of the opening and Bandit’s head was tentatively peeking out into the room. The little nose still twitched, the tiny paws kept reaching out to hold fingers or bits of mushy banana.  Ever so slowly Gordon moved his other hand into position above the vent and while Bandit was busily focusing on the banana smeared hand he gently took hold of the kit and lifted him out.  Moving both hands in tandem, and with Virgil bringing the laundry bin close, Bandit was quickly transferred into the little nest. Gordon kept the hand with the food close to Bandit, moving it towards the banana pieces Virgil had placed in there. Soon Bandit was holding a piece of fruit in tiny paws and Gordon withdrew his hand altogether.

Making sure Bandit was as comfortable as possible the boys placed the lid firmly on the laundry bin, and shared a high five.  Now they just had to remove the fruit and nuts from the ducting, replace the vent cover, clean up the mess they’d made in Gordon’s room, tell their Dad about Bandit and the potential family of racoons somewhere in the house, reunite Bandit with the rest of the family and safely re-home all the racoons.  Should be easy, right?

#thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds are go #gordon tracy #virgil tracy #fluff #thunderbirds fandom #thunderbirds #I spin the wheel of whump and end up writing fluff

[terrm9]

Jupiter (Ethan X MC)

Words count: 3 000

Warnings: angst & fluff 

Set in Chapter 19, after MC leaves Ethan in the atrium and meets her friends

Truth to be told, I was planning to take a little break from writing, as I am extremely self-conscious and I kind of dislike everything I create (well except my kid, she turned out pretty great) but then I’ve read Chapter 19 and was like ‘okay if PB can write shit, so can I’

This was written at the night while I was super angry with the chapter (and also have had two glasses of wine) and I never thought it would be shared but here I am sharing it and probably deleting when I am not so pissed at PB lol

As much as Chiara wanted to get drunk and have fun with her friends, there was a huge part of her that was still standing in the Edenbrook’s atrium next to Ethan. And without that part, she would never be able to properly enjoy her night out.

With that, she parted her way with her friends, encouraging them to drink for her too and after a while she was alone.

Ethan was clutching the handle of his leather briefcase so hard his knuckles have gone white. He had a reputation, a face to maintain, but the storm inside him was something utterly different than the indifferent expression he has been wearing on his face.

He wanted to follow Chiara, he wanted to spend this evening with her and her only, as she was the only person that could calm the tempestuous waters the storm has been causing.

As she stepped outside, he knew he has hurt her with the uncertainty of his statement and hearing her friends’ cheering and laughing when she joined them stopped him from following her. She needed to be in the company of people who could make her laugh, she deserved to forget about her worries for a while and who was he to take that chance from her?

Who was he to take any chance from her, after all?

The sound of footsteps startled him and his shock has been multiplied as he noticed the person they belonged to.

“I thought you left with your friends,” he spoke after the initial surprise was gone.

Chiara shrugged, stopping in her tracks when she reached him, standing right in front of him. She crossed her arms and even in the darkness of the atrium, Ethan could see the fire blazing in her eyes.

“We need to talk, Ethan.”

She didn’t surprise him, not really. She was brilliant and she could see right through him – he  was

more surprised that she waited so long before demanding a proper conversation.

“We do,” he nodded. “Are you sure you want to talk now? You should be having fun with your friends while you are all in Boston. We can talk tomorrow.”

“We need to talk now. Can we take a walk?”

Knowing that there was no space to refuse, he nodded again and followed her into the night. The  air was chilly, however it smelled like spring and a promise of warmer months to come. Better months to come.

How ironic.

Chiara couldn’t ignore the growing distance between them any longer. Even now, walking next to each other, they didn’t do as much as hold their hands. Ethan’s hand didn’t linger on the small of her back like it used to. There was no random kiss on the top of her head in the middle of their walk. Her arms remained crossed over her chest and Ethan’s hand – the one that wasn’t holding his briefcase – was safely hidden in the pocket of his jacket.

Their walk was silent – both of them expecting the other one to speak first. It was when they reached a park when Chiara couldn’t hold it any longer. Without preparing Ethan – or herself for that matter – for what was about to come, she just spoke before the courage could leave her.

“What is this, Ethan? Because I actually, and probably naively, believed that there was something going on between us. You kissing me at gala like that, you attending the brunch with my friends and referring yourself as my boyfriend? You asking me to spend a weekend with your dad in Providence? I am sorry but all of those things made me believe that what we have is more than just great sex and a dinner from time to time.”

Ethan was standing in the middle of the park, his mouth agape as he stared at the woman he adored so much speaking with such pained tone in her voice. He deserved her words, he knew he deserved them, but it didn’t made it hurt any less.

“Of course there is more that just that between us,” he finally replied, not knowing what else to say. He needed her to understand and he wished she could do it without him having to tell her all those horrible things on his mind.

Chiara found herself repeating Alan’s words from all those weeks ago in her head, reminding her that she needed to be patient.

‘Ethan can be difficult. I beg you to be patient with him when things get difficult. You are the only person I have ever believed could make Ethan truly and unconditionally happy.’

“Then why are you so cold, Ethan? Why have you been so fucking distant?” she asked, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “I have tried my best to be patient Ethan. I have tried so damn hard, because I realize that Edenbrook’s closing and all the changes in your life are just too much now, but you are not the only one whose life has been too much lately. I have given you time and space and all the empathy I could and I geniuely believed that we would make things work in the end, but after today, I stopped believing. How could you say that? After everything we’ve been through, how dare you to say that you can’t say what the future brings? I am asking you, how fucking dare you Ramsey?”

That was it. All the air left Ethan’s lungs at her words and he found the world spinning around him, unable to stop the feeling of losing the ground under his feet. He stumbled to the nearest bench and sat down, taking deep breaths to steady himself. He knew he owed

Chiara a lot of explaining, that she deserved to know, to understand, but hell, he was scared.

He has become a person that resembled nothing of the great Ethan Ramsey.

When she finds what a mess I am, she will leave. As she should.

“There are things I haven’t been telling you. About myself. I… I am a mess, Chiara. With my mother back and Edenbrook closing and needing to find another job and you needing to find another job… It’s too much for me. But as you said, life has been rough for all of us, not only for me and I couldn’t drag you into my issues when you are fighting your own.”

Chiara sighed and took her seat next to Ethan, taking his cold hand into hers as she whispered: “Tell me everything, please. I need your honesty more than anything, Ethan.”

Ethan closed his eyes, allowing himself the mercy of not seeing the disappointment in Chiara’s face as he spoke.

“Ever since I left my mother at the rehab center, I come to visit her there every week. And every time I am with her, there are two sides of me, two sets of feelings fighting each other. There is Ethan, even after everything that has been done, is happy to have his mother back in his life, the one that is able to laugh with her, to bring her a damn photo. And there is another Ethan, the one that still hates her for leaving him and leaving his father, the one that hates her for taking away his chance to grow up without a fear of being left alone.”

He fell silent for a while and even though he felt Chiara’s gentle squeeze on his hand, encouraging him to continue, he didn’t dare to open his eyes and look into Chiara’s ones.

“And it’s confusing, you know? I hate being confused and I often wonder if giving her a second chance was a good thing, if it wouldn’t be easier to leave her in the past and just hate her for the rest of my life. And Edenbrook’s closing… I never thought that it would affect me so much. It’s not really about the hospital, damn it’s not even about moving away from Boston, it’s about you, Chiara. I’ve got some offers and some of them are really tempting, but I couldn’t bring myself to accept any of them, because I can’t leave Boston if you stay here. And I can’t ask you to go with me to New York or Los Angeles, if you wish to stay here. You are going to be the best doctor, the best diagnostician of your generation Chiara and nobody can doubt that. So who am I to take your chances away from you? Finishing your residency in a hospital of your choice, in a hospital that could provide the best learning environment for you is the most important thing for you and I would never forgive myself if you wasted your potential because I selfishly dragged you to the hospital I chose. And if you found your dream hospital, I would go with you, of course I would, but why would you want me to follow you? You are capable of making a change in medicine without me and you deserve to own your success.”

He gulped visibly, the lump forming in his throat making it hard to continue. What he said was true – he couldn’t see Chiara needing him, wherever she decides to go. The fact that it was true didn’t mean it didn’t hurt him to say it out loud.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear Chiara mutter: “This is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard.”

“And of course, there’s the thing… Every time I imagine you moving away, my mind starts spiraling down the memory lane until it crashes with the memory of the attack. And that’s when things start to get ugly for me. Do you remember what I told you after the funeral? About my fear of leaving you alone?”

He opened his eyes at last to see her reaction and as she nodded quietly, he continued.

“The fear is still there, Chiara. I still feel it every day, from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep and some nights, that fear wakes me up. And ever since I’ve known that we wouldn’t be able to work together anymore, it has gotten worse. Sometimes I can’t catch my breath. Sometimes, my hands start to shake. Sometimes, my vision gets blurry. I just sit on the couch in my dark living room and replay every possible scenario in my head, every possibility of what could happen if we don’t work together. Few days ago, I have gotten to this point too and I imagined that you would work in a different state and there would be another attack and I wouldn’t be there to help you, to save you. To hold your hand. That I would receive a call from your mother telling me that you were gone, that you died while I worked thousand miles away from you. The next thing I know, I’m bent over my toilet, throwing up.”

His voice cracked and Chiara could see fresh tears falling down from his still closed eyes. He was clutching on her hand now, as if it was to make sure that she was still there, that she was alive and next to him.

“I’m a mess, Chiara, you know? I am a fucking mess and you deserve to be with someone who can make you feel safe, who can take your worries away from you. You deserve to laugh and dance and joke around, you deserve to hear all those sweet things I haven’t said until now, you deserve to be with someone who doesn’t go crazy every time you don’t pick up your phone, imagining the worst scenarios. You deserve to be with someone who agrees to do every stupid dangerous thing with you, someone who is easy to be around, someone without so much issues, someone young and happy. I am old and broken and difficult. And I thought, I hoped that maybe if I put some distance between us, that maybe it would be easier. That my fear would diminish, that it would be easier for you to leave and for me to be left.”

He finally opened his eyes fully, looking at the signs of disgust and disappointment he expected to see on Chiara’s face.

Instead, he found her staring at him with expression so gentle, so full of affection and pain and understanding.

“First of all, you are not that old,” she chuckled, not being able to keep the remark to herself. “You are practically a millennial!”

Ethan shook his head, but there were signs of amusement on the corners of his lips and Chiara decided to take that as her personal win.

“Have you ever considered that maybe I want to be part of your mess, Ethan?” she asked quietly, all traces of joking gone. “That I don’t want to be with anyone else, no matter how difficult it gets between us? Have you ever thought that maybe I have chosen you as you are, the difficult, broken Ethan?”

There was a long silence. Chiara didn’t quite expect him to answer and Ethan had no idea how to answer that.

Of course it never occurred to him. He never believed that she would want to be with him if she knew what an anxious chaos he was.

“I need you to answer my next question and I need you to be honest.”

“Of course,” he answered immediately.

“Do you care about my career or about my happiness?”

The question took Ethan by surprise. Was that some kind of trick? A test he was supposed to pass? Those two things appeared strongly correlated to Ethan.

“What are you asking, Chiara?”

“My career or my happiness, Ethan?”

“Your happiness,” he answered at last.

“Then we are stuck together. Because my happiness is with you, Ethan. I can pursue an amazing career and still be terribly unhappy if you are not part of my life.”

Ethan shook his head again, his whole body tensing at those words. He hated himself for putting her into such position.

“That’s the problem Chiara, don’t you understand? You shouldn’t have to decide between me and your career. You are young, your whole life, your whole career ahead of you. I can’t be the one to cut your opportunities short because I am selfish and want to be with you.”

She laughed softly to herself, tracing his knuckles with her thumb, the gesture that usually worked the other way around for them.

“Life is not a fairytale, Ethan. I am not a princess that can have it all. Right now I have to choose and I am choosing you. And that doesn’t mean I am giving up on my career, for God’s sake. Of all the people, you are the one to know why I became a doctor. I never did it because I dreamed of being famous or rich or speak on conferences. I became a doctor to help people, to make a change in their lives and I can do that in any hospital, any. Hell, if we decide to move to Cambodia tomorrow and help people there, I am in. I don’t care about being the best diagnostician of my generation, I don’t care about awards and people praising me. I thought you knew that.”

There was a sadness in her voice as she said the last sentence. It hurt her that after two years, Ethan believed that she would want the career of a famous doctor over anything else.

“I love you,” she whispered, not looking into his eyes. “And I have loved you for a long time. I was afraid to tell you because I believed that it would scare you off and you would distance yourself, but look at us, distancing anyway. So here it is. I love you and it makes me staggeringly sad that you don’t allow yourself to believe that. That you expect me to leave.”

Taking a deep breath, she played with her options. She could just stop now, with her heart already on her sleeve. Or she could push him even more, pouring her everything out.

“I can’t force you to want to be with me, obviously. So trust me, if you decide that whatever it is between us, is over, I will let you go and I will move on. Because my life wouldn’t end, because I would have to move on. But I am not your kid Ethan, I am not even your intern anymore. I am an adult, a woman capable of deciding what I want. And I want you, Ethan. With every difficulty ahead of us, I want you.”

Unable to contain himself any longer, Ethan wrapped Chiara’s whole frame into his arms, hugging her with a force he has never hugged her before.

They were both messy now, a tangle of arms and kisses, Ethan’s tears falling into Chiara’s hair, Chiara’s hands clutching the back of Ethan’s jacket.

They hugged and kissed and smiled shyly at one another and then kissed again, not caring about anyone seeing them, about anyone being resentful of such public declaration of their love.

“What if you hate me? When you find out you could have had a better life with someone else, somewhere else but stayed stuck with me instead? What if you hate me then?” Ethan whispered as their lips parted, the terrible feeling of dread in his gut not completely gone.

Chiara cupped his cheeks with both her hands, pulling him closer to her so that she could kiss his forehead with a gentleness only Chiara Ray could ever provide.

“I could never hate you. And you need to stop hating yourself too, Ethan. I chose you and I’ll keep choosing you for as long as you allow me to.”

New tears damped Ethan’s cheeks at her words and even though he always made sure to not to cry when anyone could see him, he didn’t give a single damn now. He was pretty sure she could see his bare soul, so what would be the point of hiding his tears?

“Can I take you home with me?” he whispered and it was when Chiara nodded that the first sincere smile formed on his lips.

*******

Last note: okay I know my MC is terribly in love and willing to stop being the future of medicine for Ethan, I am sorry okay I just can’t make her so career oriented. Also I didn’t want Ethan to say I love you because I hope (I BEG YOU PIXELBERRY) we can get it in next chapter canonically

Taglist: @takemyopenheart @maurine07 @senseofduties @mercury84choices @flightlessbirdiee @udishaman @honeyandsunfl0wers @ohchoices @adrex04 @queencarb @archxxronrookie @choicesfan10 @whatchique @drariellevalentine @gryffindordaughterofathena

#open heart #open heart choices #open heart fanfiction #chapter 19 #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc

[maboroshi-no]

Hamefura LN11 Outline

After reading Hamefura LN11, I have tried to list out all the events happening in it.  I have also made a quick translation of some of the parts, which is accessible by clicking on the links.

Previously on LN10

Katarina is taking dark magic lessons with Raphael so that she could use the spells in the Dark Covenant once she deciphers them

Katarina can use dark magic by using a skull stick she summons from her shadow

When the whole harem accompanied Katarina to an outing to an orphanage, Nicol had prepared boxed lunch for everyone. As Keith kinda acted like a mother when Alan dropped food, Nicol told him he would be a good mother. To which Keith replied he is a man.

Katarina met Liam, an orphan who kept trying to run away from the orphanage to return to the slums. She couldn’t understand why, so she asked advice to Raphael. Following Raphael’s advice, she could have a proper talk with the boy and persuaded him to stop running away.

When Katarina told the boy she would be there for him, Sarah, who overheard it, started to feel emotions, which highly upset her.

Sarah attacked Katarina by wrapping her into a black mist. Geordo and Keith also got caught in it. In the darkness, the three of them couldn’t see anything, and they could only hear their own voices. Since she felt relaxed to have Geordo and Keith with her, Katarina was able to break the spell by sucking the black mist with her skull stick.

Chapter 1: The King's summon

Discussion between Luigi and Katarina

Luigi asks Katarina about her plans regarding her engagement with Prince Geordo.

Luigi tells Katarina she is free to break off her engagement if that's what she wants, because he would like her to marry the one she loves.

He advises her to figure out her feelings sooner rather than later so that she won't realize one day that she has already lost the one she loves because he married another person in the meanwhile.

During the discussion, Luigi told Katarina he sincerely thinks she could be a wonderful queen because she is not wrong for things that matters, she has an eye for people and has a talent to fascinate them.

Katarina asks Sora how to pick locks (Raphael x Katarina 1):

Katarina would like to learn how to pick locks to deal with her jail ending.

Katarina asks Sora to teach her, telling him she would like to be able to get out of jail, just in case. Sora refuses, saying she doesn't need to. Raphael unexpectedly comes to Katarina's help and convinces Sora to teach her. Sora explains that given Sorcier's locks, her best bet would be to create a key by molding a lock, but she can't use this technique if she is arrested on the spot. Raphael suggests she molds the lock by manipulating darkness. Katarina is excited since this could work. After Sora leaves, Raphael discreetly tells Katarina that he knows she is hiding something. He decided to help her since she seemed desperate. He won't ask her the reason, but he just wants her to promise she won't put herself in danger. If she breaks her word, he will “punish her” *dark smile*.

Dark Magic Practice: Katarina molds darkness into a key.

Katarina succeeds on her first try

Katarina and Maria are summoned by the King (Maria x Katarina 1)

The King has summoned Katarina and Maria to talk about the covenants. On the way, Maria is highly nervous thinking she will meet the King, so Katarina tries to help her relax

Katarina meets a young man at the shut-in uncle's place

When Katarina went to the bathroom before meeting the King, Pochi jumped out of her shadow and led her to the shut-in uncle's quarters. There she meets a gorgeous blond young man who seems to highly dislike her, calling her " Villainess Katarina Claes" for toying with Prince Geordo's feelings. This shocks Katarina to the core.

Katarina and Maria meet the King

The King summoned Katarina and Maria to tell them about the succession struggle which happened when the previous king died, which resulted in dark magic being leaked. He then apologizes for it as a royal. Katarina and Maria accept his apology. He concludes by asking for their help in catching dark magicians.

Note: during the meeting, Katarina talks very formally, as she thinks it is an opportunity to put to use all she learned about manners. She also takes the lead in the discussion as Maria is nervous.

Geordo and Alan meet up with Katarina and Maria

Geordo and Alan were worried Katarina and Maria would despise them after hearing about what their relatives did. They also wanted to apologize to them as royals. They were deeply relieved when Katarina and Maria told them they don't think of them differently

Geordo and Alan escort Katarina and Maria back to their carriage. On the way, Geordo notifies Katarina she has forgotten her bag so the two of them go back to the parlor to retrieve it.

Geordo's post-confession talk (Geordo x Katarina 1)

When Katarina stiffens after Geordo makes a move on her, he asked her whether she is scared of his approaches. It is then that Katarina realizes that all this time she was scared of love. Upon realizing this, she decides to face her feelings and Geordo's.

Katarina asks Sora about his past love experiences (Sora x Katarina 1)

Katarina has decided to "study love" and so asks Sora about his past experiences, for reference.

Keith's post-confession talk (Keith x Katarina 1)

since Keith confessed to her before, like Geordo, she wants to tell him she is scared of love but has decided to face her feelings and his.

Chapter 2: Let's go to the castle's library

During her day off, Katarina decides to search for a memo at the castle's library

Since she found the memo in the romance novel she forgot at the castle, Katarina thinks (for a reason I don't really understand) that she might find one in old folktales books in the castle's library

Katarina meets Alan at the library (Alan x Katarina)

Alan makes fun of her which leads to them going on a banter

Once they finishes, Katarina asks Alan if he has ever been in love

Katarina meets Nicol at the library (Nicol x Katarina)

Katarina meets Nicol at the library and he helps her searching for old folktales

Afterwards Katarina invites Nicol to join her for lunch

She asks Nicol about his "forbidden love" he mentioned to her once at her 15th birthday.

FL2 Dream sequence

After collapsing because of Nicol's passionate confession, Katarina has a Acchan playing FL2 dream

She saw Geordo's good ending when he proposes to and marries Maria

She learns the game ends one year after Maria enrolls into the Ministry

Katarina curses each name in the credits roll

She wakes up and talks a bit with Sophia

Misc events

Katarina goes back to the library and doesn't find a memo even after searching all afternoon. She calls it a day.

Katarina remembers her meeting with the young man she met at the shut-in uncle's quarters and notes that he really seemed to hate her for some reason

Katarina meets Geordo before going back home (Geordo x Katarina 2)

Katarina notes that Geordo seems normal despite their talk yesterday and feels a bit let down that she is the only one feeling awkward

Geordo escorts her back to her carriage while telling she has grown a lot during the *6 months* since she joined the Ministry

he reminded her he is waiting eagerly for her to sort her issues, hinting he remembers their talk from yesterday

Keith's unleashed sexiness (Keith x Katarina 2)

Once back home, Katarina realizes Keith has become extremely sexy and she has trouble withstanding it

Despite Keith growing into a fine young man, his sexiness factor was still inside him.

Katarina now nicknames him "The Devilish Count No 2".

Mental Meeting

After going to sleep, Katarina feels like she is forgetting something and thus launches a mental meeting to review all that happened during the day.

Based on what FL2!Geordo said in her dream and what Geordo told her before she went home, she has 6 months left before reaching the end of FL2

Chapter 3: The town where Maria and Dewey grew up

Dewey is down

Katarina meets Dewey when she arrives at the Ministry

Dewey is feeling down looking at Cyrus and Maria walking together

Dewey feels like Maria is out of his reach

Katarina notes that despite being incredibly smart, Dewey seems to lack self-confidence

Katarina wonders if she should ask Sora advice about Dewey (Sora x Katarina 2)

Katarina wonders if Sora knows about feelings of love, and Sora feels insulted she considers he doesn't

They end up wrestling to mess each other's hair

Katarina asks Raphael advice about Dewey (Raphael x Katarina 2)

Katarina notes that Raphael has become for her a reliable teacher she fully trusts

After listening to Katarina, Raphael advises Katarina to let Dewey handle his issue himself

He also adds that Dewey's self-confidence issues might be due to his poor upbringing. It is also possible that he has been continuously rejected by the people close to him.

Katarina tells Raphael he really is amazing, which makes him blush

Katarina asks Maria about Dewey's family

Maria tells her Dewey has a lot of siblings who work to support their home while their parents play around. He also had to continue working while attending school.

Maria wonders if Dewey's parents said something to him for him to be so dejected lately

Katarina knows the real reason why Dewey is dejected, but she simply tells Maria they should just watch over him without doing anything

Katarina and Maria agrees to go out together in town during their next day off

As Katarina has trouble staying awake, Maria tells her about a tea which takes away drowsiness. They agree on buying it together on their next day off

Katarina has tea with Laura, Nathan, Nix and Lisa before going home

Her Senpai invites Katarina to join them for tea

They consider Larna is a good superior despite the overtime they get

Nix and Lisa are childhood friends and they enrolled in the Ministry through a recommendation

Laura could have been recommended but she chose to pass the exam.

Nathan also passed the exam since he doesn't have any magic. He was raised by peddlers traveling the country who taught him a lot, and thanks to that he could successfully pass the exam. He chose to work at the ministry instead of staying with the peddlers because it was troublesome for them that he kept getting lost.

Nathan adds that despite all the help he got, he found the exam extremely difficult. He can't imagine the efforts of someone who could pass it by their strength alone (like Dewey).

The Claes' maids can't work because of Keith's sexiness

Upon returning home, Katarina realizes that the maid can't work because they are distracted by Keith's sexiness

Katarina has somehow gotten used to it, but she feels like she should fix the issue

She tried to decrease Keith's sexiness by messing up his hair and tearing down his clothes. It had the opposite effect.

Katarina takes a mental note to ask the Ascart's maids how they can work around Nicol without losing their minds

Katarina and Maria's day off

On their day off, Katarina go fetch Maria at the Ministry

When she arrives, Dewey is with Maria. She considers inviting him to join them

Dewey must return home

Larna arrives to deliver an urgent letter to Dewey

Dewey's younger sister, Bell, seems to be seriously ill. Panicked, Dewey requests permission to go home right away

Katarina offers to take him home with her carriage. Maria and Larna will also tag along.

Sarah's day off

Meanwhile, Sarah's master allowed her to do whatever she wanted today.

She still resents Katarina for throwing her heart in disarray

She knows Katarina will go out today, so she decides to go mess with her.

This is the first time she decides something of her own free will.

Reaching Dewey's house

Dewey's house is a shack at the outskirts of the town.

upon arriving, Dewey receives an angry welcome from his older brother Ronnie who asks him what he is doing here

Dewey tells him he has received a letter saying their sister Bell is gravely ill. Ronnie is confused since Bell is fine

It was Dewey's father who sent the letter so that Dewey would come home and give him money for drinks.

Dewey has been sending money to his siblings to support them, but it seems like his father has been using all of it for his drinks instead.

Hearing this, Ronnie drags his father to the house and they are apparently fighting. He yells at Dewey to go home since their family issues are not his business anymore.

Dewey is upset and asks Katarina and the others to go home ahead. Maria chases after him while Larna and Katarina will go "greet" Dewey's family

How Mr. Percy treats his children

When Larna and Katarina enters the house, Dewey's father is violently beating Ronnie

Larna uses her wind magic to blow the father far off the back. He faints.

Katarina rushes to Ronnie. He is badly injured with lots of blood on his mouth. He refuses to use Katarina's handkerchief saying "it is too beautiful to be stained by 'someone like him'"

Ronnie departs to work despite Katarina protesting he needs medical care. Before leaving, he tells his younger siblings to go hide so that their father won't pick on them when he wakes up. He also asks Katarina and Larna not to come back here and to tell Dewey not to send money anymore.

Dewey's father wakes up. Katarina asks him how he can do this to his children, to which he replies it is none of her business how he treats his children.

He shouts at his children to come out of hiding else he'll hit them

A little girl comes out, resigned. As he was about to hit her, Larna uses her wind magic to stop him. "Let me tell you one thing, scum. Your children are not your tools. They are human beings. They are not convenient things you can use as you please!". Then she blows a violent gust of wind and the father is KO.

Katarina asks Larna if it is okay to use magic on civilians. Larna will go contact the Ministry regarding that.

The siblings can’t see Dewey because Ronnie forbade it

Katarina rushes to the little girls and asks if she is alright. After comforting her, she learns that in fact all the siblings want to see Dewey but their old brother Ronnie forbade it, saying Dewey is different from them now.

Katarina decides to go talk to Ronnie and heads to his workplace

Chapter 4: The brothers' feelings

Dewey's past

Ever since he can remember, Dewey had to work while his parents used all their money to play around. He was called worthless and beaten up when he couldn't do anything, and he was not even allowed to go to school

He admired his brother Ronnie who was always taking care of their siblings. He wanted to help him and decided that he needed to study to get a good job and ultimately escape poverty

He put his all into studying, putting up with all the hardships, and it paid off.

When he enrolled into the Ministry of Magic, he was finally able to move out of his house.

He has been sending money to improve the life of his siblings, but this was in vain since it had all been spent by their parents.

He never came home during days off because life was more comfortable at the dorms. So in the end, he threw away his siblings.

Maria comforts Dewey (Dewey x Maria 1)

Dewey and Maria both had hardships. But unlike him, she goes back to their hometown whenever she has a day off. Maria has overcome her hardships while he threw away his siblings for a better life.

Dewey tells Maria he is alright and that it is natural his brother would reject him.

Maria can tell Dewey is putting on a brave front and tells him it is okay to cry.

Dewey can't hold back his tears. Once he calms down, he realizes Maria is holding him against her chest. He gets off her, all flustered.

Maria convinces Dewey to have a proper talk with his brother

Katarina talks with Ronnie

After a while, Katarina catches up with Ronnie

She tells him she wants to talk but Ronnie replies he doesn't have the time since he has to go to work

Katarina tries to dissuade him from working with his injuries. As Ronnie replies he doesn't have a choice since he needs money to feed his siblings, Katarina suggests he asks Dewey for help.

Katarina confronts Ronnie about the reason he asked Dewey not to come back. From where she stands, Ronnie seems to care a lot for Dewey.

Ronnie explains Dewey is his pride and that's why he doesn't want him to be burdened with "scums" like them who are uneducated.

Katarina replies she sincerely thinks that Ronnie is a wonderful person since he works hard for his siblings.

Sarah attacks Katarina and Ronnie

Sarah arrives and tells Katarina she has come to mess with her because she feels pain in her heart because of her. As she said so, Sarah looks like a child on the brink of tears for a split second, before recovering her usual smile.

She attacks Katarina by throwing black snakes towards her. Katarina gets distracted comparing them to her snake toys, so Ronnie ends up shielding her and is hit on the arm.

There is a black mark where the snakes hit and Ronnie is trying hard to withstand the pain.

Katarina asks Ronnie to run away but he refuses to leave her alone in face of danger. However, he changed his mind when Katarina assured him she can defend herself and that she needs him to get help.

After Ronnie left, Sarah tells Katarina she hates how kind she is.

She then summons black mist and wraps Katarina in it. Katarina easily breaks the spell by sucking the mist using her stick.

Before Sarah casts another spell, Katarina rushes towards her and seizes her arm.

She tells her she wants to have a proper talk with her since, unlike her, she doesn't hate her and wants to know more about her.

Once again, Sarah looks like a little child. Sarah brushes Katarina away and runs away.

Sarah remembers her past

Katarina's smile reminded Sarah of the smiles her mother used to give her when her father still came home, and the ones the little boy gave her.

And then she remembered the night when she found her mother dead, killed by some men she didn't know.

At that moment Sarah awakened fire magic. She was then taken away by the men. As her consciousness faded, she saw the smiles of her mother and the little redhead boy.

After remembering, Sarah's emotions are in complete disarray

Katarina heals Ronnie's arm

Now that the incident is over, Katarina rushes to catch up with Ronnie so that he won't overdo it with his injuries.

Once she catches up, she thanked him and thinks to herself how amazing Ronnie is for frantically running in this state and protecting a complete stranger

The black mark is still on Ronnie's arm. She decides to try sucking up the mark by discreetly using her stick. She succeeds and Ronnie is alright now.

The Percy brothers’ talk

Katarina keeps trying to convince Ronnie to see Dewey again. She insists Dewey is probably proud of him and doesn't see him as a burden but Ronnie remains stubborn

Dewey arrives and confirms what Katarina said. He really admires Ronnie and feels mad that Ronnie thinks of himself as a burden to him. After all, it is thanks to Ronnie that Dewey could enroll into the Ministry, since all this time, he had carried out both his work and Dewey's so that he could study. Besides, even if Dewey started studying because he wanted to leave their house, the reason he kept making efforts is because they wanted all of them to leave their house. That's why he would like Ronnie to stop keeping him away so that they could all go out together. Ronnie finally gives in.

The Percy siblings will move to the Ministry's houses for employees

When they return to their house, the Percy siblings and Larna's subordinates are tidying up the house and Dewey's father has disappeared.

Larna explains that since Dewey's parents didn't work, she has introduced them to a live-in job and sent them there at once. The parents will work hard there for a while but she can contact them on their behalf if needed. Also, since Ronnie can't take care of all his siblings by himself, they will all move to the Ministry's houses for employees where the siblings can be looked after during the day.

Ronnie is livid thinking of the moving fees, but Larna assures him it will all be paid with the money the parents will make. As for the daycare, Dewey and Ronnie can split the fees among themselves.

Larna will introduce Ronnie to a job.

Both brothers thank Larna from the bottom of their hearts

Katarina reports to Larna about her encounter with Sarah

As Sarah said "she had found Katarina", it seems like Sarah can track her

Larna gives Katarina a magic tool which will enable her to contact her whenever she is in danger

She also asks her to use Pochi whenever she is in danger since he is strong

Wrap up of the Percy sibling's issue

Maria heals Ronnie's injuries

Maria invites Katarina to her house

As the Percys don't need further help, Katarina decides to go back ahead.

But it is still early, so Maria proposes to visit her house

To her surprise, Maria tells her her mother is out, but her father might be there

Maria wants to face her father

Maria tells Katarina she hasn't talked much with her father since she awoke her magic.

When she awakened her magic, her family became the target of rumors and then her father stopped coming home at some point

but after watching Dewey's family, she decided that she would also face her father and have a proper talk with him

Katarina gives Maria her support and they go to Maria's house hand in hand

Chapter 5: The father and the daughter's feelings

Maria and her father

Since the time Katarina visited her house, she could have a proper talk with her mother. Her mother changed a lot since then, going out of the house almost everyday, whether to work or to enjoy time with friends. But her father still hasn't come home.

Maria's father regularly sneakily delivers money to her mother for their living expenses.

Maria thought her father hated her, until she learned that he knew she had enrolled into the ministry.

She also noticed that the rumors have changed. The rumors about her and her mother have been replaced by bad rumors about her father drinking, acting violently and passing out drunk outside.

Maria is afraid to ask her father if she hates her, but after watching Dewey and his brother talking, she decided she won't run away anymore

Maria talks with her father

As expected, Maria sees her father near her house and calls out to him

She tells him she had always thought he hated her. Based on his reaction she is relieved to see she was wrong.

Then she tells him about the rumors having changed. She asks him if he had been behaving badly on purpose to redirect the rumors towards him. After all, this doesn't make sense. He falls asleep right after whenever he drinks, and he still properly works and gives them money for their living expenses. From her father's reaction she realizes she is right.

Maria tells her father he doesn't need to protect them anymore. Both her and her mother have friends who understand them. Maria introduces Katarina to him.

Maria finally says that both she and her mother are stronger than before, so they won't let any rumor bring them down.

Maria's father accepts to come back home. However he has to return to work, so he can't move back right away. Maria is looking forward to seeing him at home on her next day off.

Katarina is really happy for Maria. Maria thanks Katarina for giving her courage

Let's go eat some sweets

Maria leaves a message to her mother about her talk with her father.

Since they didn't have lunch, Katarina asks Maria if they can go to the area near the castle to have some sweets. Maria accepts

Upon arrival, Maria reminds Katarina about the tea which takes away drowsiness so Katarina decides to go buy it first

Stumbling upon the harem (Harem Shenanigans)

Katarina and Maria see Alan near the tea shop.

He and all the others have been waiting for them since they wanted to spend some time with Katarina

In addition to Alan, Mary, Geordo, Sophia, Nicol and Keith are also there. They all go shopping for tea and then have sweets.

At some point, Mary casually asks where Katarina and Maria were, so Katarina tells them about all the incidents that happened during the day

Hearing this, the harem lectures Katarina again

Susanna reports to Jeffrey (Jeffrey x Susanna)

They are both concerned about Katarina being involved with dark magic once again

Jeffrey notes that Susanna didn't keep her cool in regards to her using magic on Dewey's father

Susanna explains that she couldn't stop herself after seeing how horribly Dewey's father treated his children. After all, she can't stand parents who treat their children as tools, like her father, Marquis Randall, does.

She rebelled against him, but unlike Ronnie, she didn't protect her siblings from him. Her siblings are probably mistreated by their father but she can't do anything for them now, and feels powerless.

Jeffrey comforts her

Sarah sees her master with his associate

Sarah’s master’s associate is someone who knows Sarah

He has been greatly enjoying observing Sarah during experiments

Sarah’s master calls him with a “-sama” suffix

Sarah doesn’t like him

Dewey thanks Katarina and Sora

The next day, when she arrives to the Ministry, Katarina sees Dewey and Sora together

Dewey is cheerful and vehemently thanks Katarina, who feels embarrassed

Sora has helped with the moving of the Percy siblings yesterday, so he has also come to properly thank him

Dewey is pretty happy about his siblings' new home and feels grateful to Larna

Dewey asks Maria out for lunch (Dewey x Maria 2)

Maria arrives and greets everyone with a sparkling smile. Only Sora is unaffected.

Dewey asks Maria if he can invite her for lunch as a thank-you for what she did yesterday. He asks her in a cute way, like a shota character.

Sora explains to Katarina that since Dewey told him he liked an older girl, he taught him some technique to make older girls fall for him.

Maria accepts and then asks Katarina when she will be free. Because Dewey has invited "everyone".

Katarina awkwardly tells Maria she will check her agenda. Dewey is dejected and Sora can't help laughing.

Sora notes that Maria is dense like a certain someone

#hamefura #bakarina #my next life as a villainess: all routes leads to doom #katarina claes #geordo stuart #keith claes #maria campbell #sora smith #raphael wolt #Mary Hunt #alan stuart #nicol ascart #Sophia Ascart #sarah #dewey percy #larna smith #susanna randall #Jeffrey Stuart

[jack-is-lost]

PATCHES & PINS (CH 1)

A/N: This story revolves around a transgender, female to male, original character. LGBTQ+ topics are a given within this story. Gender and body dysphoria will come up as well since he is not out to his family — only close friends. If you dislike such a story premise please understand you do not have to interact with it at all. Leaving hate comments will be removed. Of course, constructive feedback is always welcomed.  

Pairing: Eventually Marko x OTMC

Story is still in progress and updates will be slow

Eventually it will be posted on A03 once I’m a few chapters in

Currently on Chapter one | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 coming soon

Chapter one

My life, for the most part, has always been unusual — a little different. Despite having parents that looked like any successful mom and dad ought to, and an older brother willing to stick up for me, things just didn't go according to plan. 

You see, my mother was excited to have a daughter finally. Someone to doll up and buy dresses for, maybe even enroll in a dance class. A stark difference to her firstborn, Tyler, who was all about karate lessons and throwing the ball with dad. Which eventually evolved to working on cars as he grew older. Our mother wanted somebody to share girly interests with, understandably. And, for a while, she was able to have it. The baby pictures are proof of that. Yet, as I grew older and became more aware of what I liked, the fewer things seemed cookie-cutter-perfect for my family.

"Are you not taking your bag to school, Jacklynn?" The mentioned item was nowhere in sight as the youngest of her children poured coffee — the action resembling someone needing every drop left in the pot as if to survive.

"It's the last day," came the grumbling response after a long, soothing sip. "I doubt most kids will even be showing up."

"Yeah, about that," Tyler, the oldest, spoke around a bite of toast. "Can't I be a minority and just stay home?"

"No, you only have one day left, guys." She smiled at her two kids. A graduate who had already filled out college applications, and is ready to further his engineering career. The other, soon-to-be senior, that seemed to have no real drive in anything but drawing and reading — and staying up too late apparently.

"Seriously," she spoke up again as they sighed in unison, deflating with their last hope crushed. "You two will survive."

Tyler nudged his sister, who leaned across the counter, jostling the coffee dangerously enough to receive a seething glare. "Want me to take you?"

It wasn't like Tyler to offer that too often, "Sure."

They both pulled away from the kitchen and made their way to the door, hollering goodbyes as Tyler grabbed the keys — the other sibling still nursing the coffee.

"Don't stay out too late!" Their mom called back, knowing full well she wouldn't see her kids after school. It seemed the closer summer drew in — the fewer tests to study for and homework to do, the more they came home later.

Tyler stepped into the car, unlocking the passenger door as he slid inside his cherry baby — A beaming red, 1983 Audi Sport Quattro, followed by his sister plopping down less elegantly. He glanced at her while starting the car.

"Talk to me, Jay." It was the last day, after all. Weren't kids supposed to be excited about that? "What's bouncing 'round that head of yours." He barely received any notion his sister was listening till she drew out a long sigh, head hitting the back of the seat.

"I don't know, man." It was drawn out, tired. "Didn't get much sleep, I guess."

Tyler nodded while giving the steering wheel a turn, making his way down the road. The school building wasn't very far when on wheels, and he pulled into a parking lot marginally less filled than it ought to be.

As his sister made to get out, he placed a hand on her shoulder, their eyes meeting as she paused halfway out the door. "Ever need to get a chip off your shoulder come talk to me, okay?" Her eyes rolled to the side, and Tyler gave her a little reassuring squeeze, "I'm serious. What are big —"

"— bro's for? I know, I know."

Tyler chuckled as he released her shoulder, "Good. Now," he slammed the door shut and leaned over the roof, "Go sleep in class or something." That at least drew a chuckle out of his sister as she turned away from the car.

The last day of school went how one could expect it to go. Some teachers put on movies and had extra treats for their students. Others went over lessons in the last semester, hoping it would stick to impressionable minds before three months of freedom — minds that were only thinking about freedom and not math.

It was by mid-day when a note made its way into Jay's locker. In gruff, almost unreadable handwriting, it merely said, 'Meet us by the big tree'. Jay instantly knew who it was from and folded the paper up.

A long night was probably ahead.

When the final bell rang, Jay had to wipe the drool off an impromptu pillow-desk before heading out and down the hall. Many of the kids loudly boasted about their summer plans while cleaning out lockers, jostling each other, and hurrying outside. Jay maneuvered around the hoard and quickly escaped out a side entrance, locker already empty since lunch.

It didn't take long to walk a block to the park, down a jogging trail, before splitting off into a cluster of trees. There, in the center of it, laid a large trunk of a dead tree. Upon it splayed out a makeshift map, bags, and — unsurprisingly, two brothers.

"Finally," Grumbled Edgar while raising his head, a red marker still poised over the map. "Where's Sam?"

Jay stared, unaware that Sam was supposed to tag along for the stroll after school let out. "Was I meant to wait for him or?"

"Forget it," came the short grunt, and Edgar was back to the more important matter at hand as Alan turned around to face Jay.

"I'm sure he'll show up. He's got the same note as you," he started to unravel what appeared to be a chaotic ball of cord in his hands. "Oh, hey—" he stopped as a thought struck him, "—Still a no go on the knife?"

Oh, not this again.

Jay leaned against the bare trunk, arms crossed and brow lifted. "Alan, we've been through this. Keep me on the books, but hand me a knife, and someone will lose a finger."

Of course, no one knew if Jay meant their fingers or not, and that was on purpose.

"Maybe some training will help," Edgar spoke up again, pausing on circling locations. "You need to prepare yourself for—"

"— the unexpected. I get it, Ed." Jay cut him off while peering closer to get a look at the map.

"Edgar," he corrected with a tired mutter despite it being useless. They've known each other for an entire year now. One would think it wouldn't matter at this point.

Jay tapped a finger on the closest circled spot, the cemetery. "Thought you marked this off?"

"One can never be certain," He nodded to his own words of wisdom. "It is a common ground for the dead."

"I'd say," Jay suppressed a snort, "It is where the deceased go to be laid into the ground."

Rustling noises announced Sam’s arrival as he pushed through, almost smacking himself in the face with a thin branch. His strained voice drew attention to him. “Guys,” he dusted a leaf off his overly styled coat, “We really need to find a better spot to meet.”

Jay lazily offered a salute wave, “Hey to you too, Sammy.”

“I’m serious,” Sam huffed while taking up a spot near Alan, hands shoved into his pockets. “What about the shop? Y’know, with school now over and stuff?”

Edgar grunted in thought. “Yeah, that ought to be doable.”

“Your grandpa still against us being at the house?” Alan spoke up.

Sam gave a partial shrug. “Sort of,” he eyed the map, then glanced at Jay, who returned the unspoken question with a tired look. Sam returned to explaining when Edgar motioned for him to continue. “You guys can visit, as you have, but you can’t — you know —” he shuffled his hands for the right phrasing, “— bring hunting business there.”

Jay had never actually been to Sam’s place, but the stories shared made it sound like a lot of stuff went down there — destroying property kind of stuff. So Jay could understand what the man was trying to avoid. The Frog Brothers being walking time bombs of destruction, after all.

“The cemetery again?” Sam squawked at noticing it. “I am not doing that again.” The sound of Jay snickering redirected Sam’s defiant stare. “Make Jay do it this time.”

“Wait, wha—”

“—He doesn’t have the qualification for it, Sam.” Edgar cut in before an argument could occur. This only made Sam huff, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

“So? I didn’t either last year.”

Alan stopped weaving the cord at this point, placing it down on the dead trunk. “Jay needs the experience. It could be good for him.” He simply spoke, agreeing with Sam.

“Hey, Jay’s right here,” he had pointedly avoided parading around Santa Carla for a whole damn year. Sure, his knowledge of supernatural things is what drew the Frog Brothers to him in the first place — and the free charge of ordering books at their shop kept Jay in the circle, but he was a good year older than them and didn’t feel like playing make-believe.  

Sam smirked in the way that screamed challenging, “C’mon, Jay, or are you scared of the dark?”

Jay narrowed his eyes, “I know what you are doing.”

“Then prove me wrong,” Sam continued.

“No.”

Despite that, Jay found himself amongst the dead at one in the damn morning. It was eerie, the cemetery, sitting in absolute silence and blanketed by a coat of darkness. The only noise now filtering through was shoes scrapping against the ground and low grumbles around him, voices hushed as not to alert anybody — or anything. Even their flashlights were ordered to stay off unless it called for it, as directed by Edgar.

“Exactly what should we be expecting to find here?” Jay spoke up quietly while trailing behind the two brothers, hands stuffed into his jacket. It was chilly tonight.

“Any signs of the undead.” Edgar simply said without much explanation, to which Alan filled in.

“Disturbed graves, tombs broke, drag marks.” he ticked off like a list.

“Ah,” Jay deadpanned. “So zombies?” the brothers turned to him, the moonlight hitting their frames but leaving their faces shadowed. “What?”

“Could be vampires too.” Edgar simply grunted. “Fresh ones crawling out of their dirt bed.” Alan nodded along with his brother, and Jay sighed.

“Sure, yeah. That too,” It wasn’t like anything of the sort actually existed, but Jay would humor the guys. They put up with his oddities, after all, so he could continue to do the same for them.

“Didn’t any of your books mention that?” Edgar continued while turning around, walking along a worn-out path again, and avoiding stepping on actual graves.

“A little,” Jay admitted as they continued on their trek.

A majority of Jay’s supernatural books were all about how one became something, the signs, and lore behind creatures — not exactly if they crawl out of graves or not. It made sense, though, if considering how people feared vampires in the past. How they would stake and behead someone during burial just in case their loved one decided to raise again.

Same could be said about leaving a bell.

Alan suddenly crouched down near the edge of a grave. “Look,” his flashlight clicked on to bask the empty hole in light. Edgar followed promptly as Jay stared at the two figures eyeing an obvious dug hole for a burial happening soon.

“It might be a sign.” Edgar rubbed a finger over the crumbling edges, dirt smearing and falling back inside the pit.  

“Or,” Jay leaned over them to get an exact look at the perfect outline, “It is the groundskeeper getting ready for a funeral. There’s not even a casket down there.” Jay simply summarized before leaning back.

Alan clicked off the light and stood, “He’s right, Edgar. It is too perfect.”  

“Hey!” the voice resonated out, cutting the muffled talking off as a beam of light frantically flailed in their directions. “What are you kids doing?!”

Without a shared word between the three, just mere glances at one another, they quickly split. Or at least Jay tried to do just that, but the brush of Edgar flying past him in a rush entirely threw him off balance. It wasn’t until tailbone smashed into dirt that Jay even figured out what happened.

“Fuck…” he muttered, then covered his mouth as the light grew brighter over the grave from above, rushing footfalls growing closer before fading away in the direction the brothers ran. Once it was clear, the curse slipped again with more fever.  

Jay eased to his feet and stared above his head, the wall towering almost a foot over him. “They truly mean six-feet-under,” he muttered while raising a hand to the ledge, just able to cup fingers over the lip, only to stumble back as it gave away.

The recent rainfall was not making it easy.

Again Jay tried to grab, shoes scraping along the wall in an attempt to gain some height — thinking if he just rushed up the wall it would give him enough momentum, only to fall back against the adjacent wall.

“Shit — fuck,” Jay didn’t even care if his voice traveled that time. He was stuck in a damn grave, after all! Screw it!

“Need a lift?” came a voice from above, and Jay shot his gaze upward to see a hand reaching down toward him. The moonlight didn’t offer much else to see but light curls and the frame of a coat.

Even if it were the security guard, Jay knew this would be his best bet. It wasn’t like waiting till daylight to be discovered was an option. It would not help much in regards to needing to be home before Jay’s parents could find out he even snuck out.  

He reached for the hand, feeling leather against palm and uncovered fingers wrap around his wrist. It took only one good heave, shoes against the wall and other hand clinging to the edge, to be entirely pulled out. Despite mud caking Jay from front to back, he could even feel it in his shoes; it felt good to be back on the surface. It wasn’t like he had a fear of enclosed places, but it still sucked regardless.

“Thanks,” he looked over at the stranger, still only catching the slightest glimpse of a smirk within the darkness. It was hard to make out any features, and the way the guy stood didn’t help anything.

“Were you takin’ a dirt bath?” he joked inquisitively, and Jay chuckled under his breath.

“No, not exactly.” Who would want to do that in a cemetery anyway?  

The beam of a flashlight washed over them again as rustling sounds drew near, and Jay stepped away from the pre-dug grave. Definitely not wanting to repeat that incident all over.

“Looks like we should start running,” spoke up the other guy, head turned away from Jay to peer toward the security guard.

What was once hidden was now lit up like a spotlight. A smooth curved jawline, willowed eyes bright with brown, and curly dirty blond hair glowed on display for a split moment. Until the flashlight jostled by the running security guard fanned over the area. And Jay would be lying if he said he didn’t stare.

“Avoid any more holes, yeah?” he easily teased before seemingly stepping in a direction with no real speed.

Jay floundered for a moment before taking off after him. “Wait.” Jay didn’t know the grounds that well, and the two idiots that did had left him.

The guy laughed while reaching behind him, grabbing Jay’s wrist again with no problem, then started to run as the worn-out guard hollered something. He seemed to avoid any lifted tombstones, flower arrangements, and small fences like it were daytime. All while Jay tried his best not to stumble, gaze more on the ground than anywhere else.

When they neared the exit gate, chained to prevent people at such odd hours to visit, he let Jay’s arm go and placed both palms out while crouching down. Jay didn’t have to ask and quickly stepped into the waiting hands. He felt the guided push upward as his own hands grabbed for purchase, trying to avoid being nicked by the gothic-style fence. Yet, as Jay’s leg swung over, his pants snagged and ripped — the gravity of his body spilling over the other side holding little resistance.

Surprisingly Jay landed on his feet, if not a little wobbly, and quickly looked through the fence to see the guy still standing there undeterred. “You coming?”

“Don’t worry about me,” he simply said. Jay wanted to comment, but the sight of the guard pushing past the nearest tombstones shut him up. “Go.” he laughed again — actually laughed as if nonplussed by the whole thing. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep him distracted.” Then he turned around and fanned his arms out as if directing air traffic before darting down the side of the fence.

And that was the last Jay saw of the guy before quickly hiding behind the bushes lining outside of the cemetery, not wanting to be seen as the flashlight shown in his direction.

The walk home was slow as he picked flakes of mud off his jeans. Jay could feel the dry mess on his face and in his hair. A shower was needed as well as a talk with the Frog Brothers tomorrow. No way were they getting off free from abandoning him in the damn graveyard! Even as he climbed back through the bedroom window, Jay was envisioning how he’d throttle them. It wasn’t until he was in the shower, scrubbing extra hard to clean the grime off, that his thought wavered to the stranger.

“Why was he even there?”

#My writing #the lost boys #fanfiction #LGBTQ+ story #transgender fanfiction #Marko x OTMC #patches & pins

[tagsecretsanta]

from @Little-old-rachel

to @misssquidtracy

Secret Santa does not own this work, full credit to the author above!

Part Two: Second First Snow

After they lose Mom, Gordon finds he can’t stand the snow, unable to marry that wonderful day with the same substance that leeched life from his mother. 

And he’s not alone. Virgil can’t even bear to be cold, takes to bundling layer upon layer in winter, long sleeves even in summer. John watches weather forecasts anxiously, cross-examining different stations’ reports and awaiting the first signs of black ice. Even little Allie learns from Scott’s fretting that snow = bad. Gordon can’t help but wonder if they are all following their father’s lead - a man who increasingly finds any excuse to reach for the whiskey bottle, but especially when the cooler weather closes in. 

It doesn’t snow again, or at least, not enough to blur road and field into one endless white landscape. Instead the tarmac becomes a slushy stream, refreezing into deadly ice runs (or incredible tobogganing slopes, if only Gordon could bring himself to join the other kids without intense anxiety of what it might bring). 

And then - all at once - they’re living on a tropical island (“really, Dad, that’s a little bit extreme even for you,” Gordon smirks at his father, receiving a Look in return), and Gordon thinks he’ll never have to worry about snow again. His experiences with it are now strictly limited to rescues - because people will insist on attempting skiing in a blizzard. As much as they all love what they do, rescues aren’t exactly the place to form happy new memories and so Gordon never quite loses his dislike of snow, even as he grows old enough, smart enough, skilled enough to know a thousand different ways to save lives from it. 

(It’s in the same way that Virg has now shed most layers, even if he still wears a plaid shirt and undershirt in tropical heat. Or how John still tracks snowstorms obsessively when he thinks nobody notices - well Gordon’s on to you, Johnny. Or how Scott insists that snow rescues are done in pairs or not at all.) 

(They cope as best they can. Because they’re International goddamn Rescue.)

(And the world needs them to be coping). 

****

Except this year, apparently. 

They’re fast approaching the end of a second year without Dad, preparing to stagger through their second Christmas without him. 

And then all of a sudden, John gives himself a concussion - he won’t tell them how and EOS mournfully says that she’s sworn to secrecy - up on Five, and has to be dragged down to recover. In the same twenty-four hour period, Scott misjudges the speed at which he could hit the ground and fractures his wrist, much to Virgil’s consternation (“I was right behind you, Scott, if you had just waited twenty seconds-”). Except then it was Virgil’s turn to eat humble pie, because he nearly passed out in the middle of flying back to the island, because! Turns out you shouldn’t keep quiet about having the flu!

And then Alan slips off a cliff in the midst of a tropical storm, and whilst he’s fine (“I’m okay, guys, really - see, not even a scratch”), he’s understandably shaken up, and the Smother Brothers descend full force to take him off rescues.

And so, as brilliant as Gordon is, he’s not quite up to the task of single-handedly running International Rescue, even with Kayo picking up the slack - they’re only human. 

All in all, tensions are running high. 

Grandma’s all: the-world-won’t-fall-apart without-you-watching-over-it-Jonny, humankind-can-get-by-without-International-Rescue-for-a-week-Scott, so-help-me-God-Virgil-get-back-into-bed, taking out his older brothers in one fell swoop as only she can. She doesn’t so much pose the idea of spending their week off somewhere that isn’t Tracy Island, rather she tells them to pack their warmest clothes and be ready to leave that afternoon “or so help me God.”

****

The Squad descend on Kansas with subdued hearts and confiscated paperwork (“you’re on holiday, Scott”). They have happy memories here, of course - almost all of their memories involving Mom took place in this rickety house and its surrounding fields. Every room contains echoes of her singing, ghostly brushes of her forehead kisses, the smell of hot cocoa.

Which is why it’s also so very painful to be here again. 

They haven’t come here since Dad’s disappearance - because he’s disappeared, he’s not gone. So why can Gordon also feel the ghosts of his Dad’s arm around his shoulders? 

That first day, Grandma recruits the non-incapacitated members of the family (Kayo, Gordon, Alan and herself) to decorate the house, whilst Scott stomps about, lamenting that he can’t join in properly. The four of them make short work of the job, and before long, the lounge is lit with the soft glow of golden fairy lights. They’ve dragged the artificial tree from the loft, and Gordon feels oddly nostalgic for the cheap plastic baubles they’ve strung around it. 

Kayo has just thrashed Gordon in a race to make paper chains quicker when John says quietly, “hey. Snow.”

Virgil staggers up from the couch, cloaked in blankets and waving off Scott’s hovering hands. He makes his way to John’s window seat at the same time as Gordon. 

Light snowflakes are indeed falling from thick white clouds, pirouetting gently downwards to settle in dusty heaps on the frost-tipped yard. The landscape turns slowly whiter around them, and the snowfall gets heavier. 

Alan ducks under Scott’s non-injured arm to peek out too, and Scott swallows hard, likely remembering the last time they stood here and watched the snow fall in this way. 

They all feel the ache of the two missing family members like a physical wound. Gordon finds himself having to blink hard to shake off the visions playing tricks on his eyes. A tiny Gordon, gloveless, clueless, but joyful, rushing towards Mom, whose arms are outstretched. Virgil’s face as he concentrates on positioning the snowman’s features. John flopping his limbs into the snow to make angels. Dad and Scott, hurling snowballs at one another battling it out to the bitter end.

Virgil wraps an arm around Gordon’s shoulders, and with a start, Gordon realises he’s crying. 

Only they aren’t tears of grief or anger or pain - though he’s definitely felt all of those things. 

These are tears of a man overwhelmed. 

But the memories are good ones, they nestle in his chest, temporarily defrosting the icy tendrils of anxiety that have taken root there. They pour warmth and love and belonging into his chest, filling the pit of sorrow in his stomach and rushing to overflow in every small, aching part of his body. Gordon tips his head against Virgil’s shoulder, takes a shaky breath, and smiles. 

John is tucked against Gordon’s other side, Kayo’s fingers laced in his own. Alan is nestled into Scott’s chest, who has a hand on Virgil’s back too. 

United. As they always are. 

Outside, the temperature drops to freezing and the roads become treacherous. But the snow also dances in mesmerisingly beautiful patterns, and the trees sway as they gather their fine trimmings.

And here, in the centre of it all, is his family. 

His wonderful, loving, giving, crazy, ridiculous family. God, he’s the luckiest man alive. 

Maybe towards the end of the week, when John’s able to stand without wavering, and Virgil’s stopped mumbling deliriously, they’ll go tobogganing near the quarries. Hell, if they time it right, Scott will probably try and join them - the jury’s out on whether or not they can sneak that past Grandma. 

But for now, Gordon’s perfectly content to stand with his family, and watch the snow fall.

#thunderbirds are go #Thunderbirds 2015 #Gordon Tracy #grandma tracy #Scott Tracy #John Tracy #Virgil Tracy #alan tracy #kayo kyrano #tag team secret santa #secret santa 2020

[lady-griffin]

I Entered a Dangerous Dungeon

Acchan’s Story

Acchan’s story was very touching and sad. I thought the anime did a great job adapting her POV chapters concisely into this episode.

I love the scene of Acchan reading Past Katarina’s last text message and breaking down crying.

That got me right in the feels.

One slight criticism, is that in the Light Novel we learn that because of Past Katarina, Acchan has made many friends and is able to live on without her best friend. Because of the positive impact Past Katarina had on her life and how much she changed it for the better. 

So, while in the anime, Acchan does say she will live on without her best-friend, I feel like it doesn’t come across as strongly as it did in the Light Novel.

That being said. I thought Acchan’s story went really well with the flow of the episode.

In LN Vol.2 her POV honestly felt disruptive and broke the flow of the story for me. So definite kudos to the anime for fixing that.

The text message scene got me, but so did Past Katarina’s funeral.

It’s easy to forget, with Katarina’s silliness, density and antics, that she died tragically young in her former life. 

So well done on the anime’s part for hitting me right in the heart with that reminder.

--

Sadness and friendship aside. I like how Fortune Lover appears in Katarina’s Past Life.

The poster on Acchan’s wall gives the impression that Prince Geordo and Prince Alan are the two main love interests or the more primary capture-targets. 

As they are more front and center than Keith and Nicol.

But since this is Katarina’s story, Keith takes precedent over Alan because of his closer proximity and relationship to Katarina.

There’s also something I really like about Past Katarina struggling to succeed in the Prince Geordo route in the game and technically dying because of it. 

It feels like her new life is good karma or the universe trying to make it up to her…so to speak

As in Katarina’s new life she easily wins over Prince Geordo without even trying and by being herself. Hell, she doesn’t even notice that he’s in love with her or that anyone else is. 

I’m probably looking way more into that detail than is actually needed, but I just like that small detail to Katarina and Geordo’s relationship.

The Exam Plot

Sophia want to see Katarina after her sad dream (memories) was very sweet and touching. I just love their friendship and how it has cross time, worlds and lives. It’s beautiful.  

I don’t think the Exam Plot is from the Light Novels (6-9) and it wasn’t in the manga or Light Novels (1-5). 

So, kudos to the Anime for introducing this exam plot and exploring more of the academic life for Katarina and her friends.

I loved their school uniforms for the exam.

It was nice seeing them in the same outfits and they all look pretty damn good in them. 

I don’t know why I really like their uniforms so much, but I really do. I just really do.

As much as I love their day-to-day outfits, I would not be mad if this was their school uniform and what we saw them in for the majority of the time. 

But that’s probably just me. 

Katarina is 100% right about the insanity of this exam.

--

But thanks to this crazy exam we got to see more magic and it was great.

I’ve always felt like the Light Novels and the Manga didn’t elaborate or explore on this being a magical world and the fact that all of our main characters have magic (at least in the First Year/Game Arc). The later novels (3-5) do elaborate a bit further. 

In Fortune Lover, it’s clear that magic was just a mechanic in the game to explain why all these characters were in the same school and a slight twist to making Maria different and special, as well as make Fortune Lover different from other Otome games.

And if I’m not mistakes Katarina even says the same thing about Fortune Lover. 

Fortune Lover gave a limited view of this world. Even when it came to Maria Campbell’s life and background, but the actual Hamefura story explores the world to a much greater extent.

So, it always seemed liked a wasted opportunity not to do the same with magic.

As it never really felt that magic matters for certain characters at all. 

For example in the Light Novels’ Character Profiles -- Sophia is said to have Earth magic and Raphael is said to have Light Magic…

But clearly that doesn’t really matter, because the anime (and maybe manga) can easily change their original types of magic to Wind Magic (I’m assuming it was Raphael who used that wind-tunnel to save Sophia and Katarina). 

HOWEVERE, there does seem to be a mistake in Sophia’s profile as it’s just Katarina’s in regards to her likes, dislikes, etc. 

Sophia’s Profile in Vol.5 (english-translation) is more than likely wrong in regards to her magic. Which might mean Raphael’s magic in his profile is also wrong. 

So, we should take that into consideration. 

My point being that I’m very happy that the anime is taking different route with how it handles magic in comparison to the LN/Manga. 

It’s been a huge improvement.

--

Katarina is so fucking dumb (I love her). 

Not only does she push the red button on the floor without even thinking about it for even a second, but in addition, her contributing to the group with her earth-bump was hilarious and adorable. 

Plus, her picking the most poisonous mushrooms that ever existed was just so stupid and so amazing.  

I also love how both Mary and Sophia are pretty fucking dumb when it comes to Katarina (and really only when it comes to her).

Mary is fully prepared to eat deadly mushrooms as long as Katarina is the one who prepares them and Sophia just hops right on board.

And Sophia was really the only who was genuinely complimenting Katarina for her earth-bump move in the exam. Which is just so sweet and also so dumb.

I love the three of them so goddamn much + Maria being the only one of the girls not willing to the deadly mushrooms. 

While I am a bit disappointed that Katarina’s videogame knowledge wasn’t of any use to her in the exam, I did genuinely love Geordo pushing her towards the the path they decided to take. 

I also enjoyed Alan saving Mary and her slighty blushing and him looking slighty embarassed as well. 

I will say I was disappointed that we only really saw the boys be capable during the exam, not any of the girls. Except for when Sophia helped Nicol locate Katarina…but still.

And of course, Katarina found the magic-stone because she needed a tool to help her gather mushrooms. That’s 100% Katarina. Though, a part of would have prefer it if Katarina was very knowledgable about plants in general and knew that those mushrooms were deadly. (either way it works for me)

And the one councilmember in her head (happy) seeing a lizard as food was fucking fantastic. 

I love the noble girls being jealous of Katarina and talking about her. 

It’s nice seeing them before the big accusation scene happens. Just by showing the noble girls being mad and jealous of Katarina feels more organic to the story.

Plus, Maria noticing the Dark Magic behind Katarina. 

I’m very happy with the past two ‘filler’ episodes building up to the two big climatic scenes and events.

--

The main problem I had with this episode is that - 

The Exam Makes No Sense…

I know that not unusual for anime or plenty of other stories, but the exam really makes no sense.

Aside from one group, basically everyone else is basically set up to fail. Right?

If you find the magic stone than you pass. If you don’t find the (one) magic stone, then you fail. 

The exam isn’t really testing what they’ve learned or improved upon. 

It’s more based on luck and the amount of magical power one has. 

Which seems unfair, as we know that a good portion of the magic population is closer to Katarina’s level of power than Keith’s, at least in LN, but maybe it’s different in the anime (or maybe I read the LN wrong).

I guess it’s possible that even though the team that finds the magic stone automatically passes, the other teams can pass based on how they navigated through the ruins...maybe. That would make more sense.

Though, it’s very possible that Alan, Mary, and Maria didn’t pass the practical exam because they weren’t on Katarina’s team.

And while I doubt that will be addressed later in the anime - If Alan, Mary and Maria actually failed the practical exam then that would be a great reason for why they arrived late during the accusation scene.

They weren’t there because they had to retake the practical exam or do another one.

So, even if the anime doesn’t say that’s the reason, that’s going to be my headcanon for right now.

ALSO

The teachers literally split the top students of the entire grade into two separate groups…

I’m not exaggerating. 

The students who get picked to be on the Student Council (the harem) are the ones who ranked the highest in the evaluation exam at the beginning of the school year.

First Year Rankings

1. Geordo Stuart (Canon) 2. Maria Campbell (Canon) 3. Alan Stuart (Canon) 4. Keith Claes (non-canon) 5. Mary Hunt (non-canon) 6. Sophia Ascart (non-canon)

We don’t actually know the rankings of Keith, Mary and Sophia but since they’re also on the student council, we know that they must be ranked 4-6. We just don’t know the exact order. .

Having the highest ranked students in two groups, basically feels like setting up all the other students for failure.

Then you have Katarina who is right smack in the middle of the rankings (#80) as part of one of the two groups.

That gives me the impression that Geordo and Keith basically demanded that Katarina be on the same team they are on, not realizing the other was doing the same.

Which is par for the course.

As all the members of the harem (minus Maria), threatened the teachers that if Katarina didn’t get permanent permission to be allowed in the Student Council chambers, then they would all resign from the student council (Manga/LN).

I know I’m thinking about this too much. 

And that of course the main characters are going to be together, because they’re the main characters. But still...

Really with just one or two lines from the teacher would have at least solved one of the illogical problems here.  

Teacher – “We have place several of these stones in the labyrinth, your goal is to find one of them. If your team leaves the dungeon without finding a stone, your team fails.”

Or something to that affect...

As much as I love Geordo and Keith being exasperated by Katarina and protecting her.

This also could’ve have been a nice opportunity to introduce Katarina’s non-council friends. Rather than us just seeing them right before she gets accused of bullying. 

But again, it does make more sense to have the main characters to be teamed up together...because they are the main characters. I just can’t help but point out the logistical problems for this exam.

Though maybe the anime will build off what’s been established in this episode...maybe.

--

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode. 

I was hit in the feels right away, laughed so hard, and it was just a lot of fun.

And of course, I was very happy to see the anime is adding its own stuff to the story and elaborating beyond the Light Novels and Manga.

#Katarina Claes #Bakarina #Hamefura #destruction flag otome #Otome game no hametsu flag #Geordo Stuart #Gerald Stuart #Keith Claes #Sophia Ascart #Acchan #Mary Hunt #Alan Stuart #Maria Campbell #Raphael wolt #Sirius Dieke #Nicol Ascart

[masterhandss]

Hamefura Idol AU! (part 2)

Here’s a completely unrelated Katarina idol art by @Sangotofura on twitter!

This is a continuation of my first post, the one that is more of an overview of the original FL game and the original descriptions of the characters. I don’t know if I want to write a story for this, since again this is just an excuse to draw, but I’m really having fun with expanding the alternate version of the world of hamefura.

It’s a lot of fun to rewrite hamefura’s story to fit in an idol setting, so I hope you guys don’t mind if I write a bit more for my dumb au dhjgfjs

More tidbits about the ‘Game’:

The game’s name, Fortune Lover: Cinderella Idol! or “Fortune Lover”, is read as “for-tune lover” by the fans (get it? tune?? pls laugh). The ‘F’ of the name is written as a fortissimo.

In the setting for Fortune Lover, the entertainment industry is the biggest industry of all time, with music being the most popular form. It has been like this for decades, and as time progressed, people’s tastes and expectations of music evolved, leading to the creation and popularity of idols.

Idol-Producers are a new project that is testing the capabilities of a idol teen, observing how their involvement in their own success can impact how they manage their time and how they can bring the absolute best out of themselves, on their own. Maria is the first idol who will be testing this new style. She is still a producer to herself, the boys, and even Sophia and Mary if you choose to have them join you. Despite being an idol, they still call Maria their “producer” and treats her like one. 

The characters in the game are in 3D CG, as the game includes the dance choreography or “MV Mode” if you perfect the score of the rhythm game. 

While Katarina’s bullying isn’t really death threatening, it’s more in line with the petty kind like verbal threats, sabotaging Maria’s idol clothes and stage equipment, paying someone to mess up her tracks during performances, badmouthing her infront of tv show producers and hosts, and stuff like that.

Katarina’s bullying isn’t as bad as it is in the original otome game, but she gets shunned by the public because behavior like that is only supposed to be done behind the curtains. The public has such a pure and honest perception of idols that they never think of the idea that the girls who smile and sing on stage actually try to stab each other in the back when the stage lights are off. Some people think that Katarina’s character is just a persona, so knowing that she is actually an ignorant and arrogant rich girl idol-wannabe, her fans lose respect for her. Katarina’s harassment of Maria is one of the few cases that are brought to light by the end of the game, and because of how much the public loves Maria by that point, they are enraged by Katarina’s behavior, making her lose support on all sides

Katarina had been in love with Gerald ever since they were children, and while Gerald has always been a popular boy among both his peers, when she found out Gerald was going to be an idol, she disliked the idea of sharing her beloved Gerald to a huge audience of people, so she became an idol to stand alongside him and to make herself worth of him by charming him as as an idol and gaining a large following herself. Despite this, Katarina didn’t strive too hard to be a talented idol, as she was too confident on herself due to the pampering of her parents.

Even if the player doesn’t desire to romance any of the four boys, given how the game is written and how it is programmed, the boy with the highest relationship points with Maria will confess to her by the end of the game. It would be impossible to not interact and gain points with the boys, as you gain relationship points in most areas of the games (when you “practice” your characters, when you “play” their songs, when you “give” them new clothes, when you “converse” with them in story mode, etc.). In the event that there are two characters with the exact same amount of points, the game will choose a boy for you.

Sorcier Pro.’s current president is Geoffrey Stuart (for reasons that will make sense someday) 

Katarina-Gerald and Mary-Alan aren’t engaged in this au, but are constantly in each other’s presence due to most powerful bussinessmen and celebrities being good friends with each other. 

Each girl has a specialty in a certain area: Katarina with dancing, Sophia with singing, Mary with acting/drama, and Maria (according to the official description of her in the box) with fashion coordination. Maria can be seen as more of a jack of all trades though, as she does represent the player. 

While any of the boys can trigger the condemnation event that will lead to Katarina’s social suicide, the event is specifically associated with Keith and Gerald due to the severity of her presence and bullying if you have high relationship points with the two. With Alan and Nicole, Katarina’s event only happens for a few lines, but for Keith and Gerald, it takes place in complete detail, with it’s own animated cutscene. 

Gerald’s route is also the most popular among the fans, with community surveys reporting that 53% of the game’s player base had Gerald as their final chosen love interest ( 25% with Keith, 12% with Nicol and 10% with Alan)

Monkey Girl/Past-Life Katarina

Since Maria’s name can’t be change in the game, but you can give her a “nickname” that represents the username of the player, Past-life Katarina’s name in the game is “SaruP” (or “Monkey producer” lol)

Saruchan (Monkey Girl) dies before she could finish her playthrough of the game, and all of her knowledge is based on her idol-expert best friend Acchan. She’s a bit tomboyish, and she loves to climb trees and move freely without a hint of poise or shyness, and is friendly to all genders. Her love for climbing, running, gardening with her grandma, and never ending amounts of energy gave her a pretty strong, flexible, agile and energetic body.

In Saruchan’s world, idols do exist, but aren’t portrayed in the cutesy and exaggerated manner that fiction does. Though it’s no surprise to know that in her world, almost every girl had dreamed to become an idol at one point, even herself. Acchan doesn’t find the idea interesting though, as she only lives for the idealized version of idols that exist in fiction. Acchan explains that girls their age are being brainwashed by the idealized version of idols that are presented in the media that they consume, and that they should wake up and learn to enjoy the fictional idols as they are. Despite Acchan’s realistic disapproval of idol fantasies, she does love playing idol rhythm games and gacha games, and spends her allowance on getting DLC costumes for Maria in FL. Acchan even pre-ordered tickets for herself and Saruchan for an idol concert featuring the VA of the characters, that they were supposed to attend to on the day that Saruchan dies. 

She dies the game way: on her way to school and being killed by a truck that runs her over. 

The last thing Saruchan sees before she loses consciousness forever is the wallpaper of the game’s boxart from her phone screen as it flies out of her hands. 

My Next Life as an ‘Idol’?? All Routes Lead to Doom!!!

As usual, Katarina ends up remembering her future as an 8 year old kid, and plans to prepare for her future “banishment” and humiliation. She learns to farm in order to provide for herself once she gets shunned and retreats to the countryside, and (unknowingly) meets all the characters in the game and gains their good favor before the events of the game begins. 

Her head bump still happens with Gerald, but their encounter happened in a party rather than an engagement meeting, with her tripping over a rock as she decides to run to the young man in order to introduce herself. Such introductions never got past beyond their names and few exchanges of dialogue, as the bump occurred and Katarina was immediately brought to the hospital after he called for help. 

Being a girl who wanted to be an idol at one point, Katarina wanted to use this chance to fulfill her dream of becoming one! But knowing the fate that will await her, (public humiliation, isolation, and banishment to some degree) she tries to figure out ways to avoid ruining her future.

While not as bad as death, Katarina is aware that the ending of the game implies that the blemished opinion that everyone will gain of her will lead to her leading a miserable life; one that will prevent her from gaining new allies and even studying in peace without being made fun of or called out for. It might even ruin her marriage prospects, for all she knows (it doesn’t but she’s too stupid to know that). The stakes of the bad ending aren’t life threatening, but it is personal, as Katarina always dreamed of becoming an idol as a teen and doesn’t like the idea of being able to enjoy it for a few months only to be dragged down to hell right afterwards.

The Claes is a wealthy family known for her father’s knowledge and skills when it comes to trades and business, and for her mother’s beautiful opera singing voice and celebrity presence. As usual, Katarina’s father adopts Keith for the purpose of gaining a direct heir for the business, in fear that Katarina’s future significant other might just to interested in her to gain it. 

Katarina’s plan is to learn how to farm in order to be able to support herself after her banishment, give Keith lots of love so he doesn’t end up becoming a playboy like in the game, and to train herself in dancing and singing in order to not embarrass herself like the original Katarina did. After meeting Gerald again and realizes his weakness, she eventually prepares (or buys, since the setting is modern) toy snakes that she can use to surprise him whenever the condemnation event occurs, using his shocked and panicked reaction as a way to distract the media from the claims that will surely fall upon her (since no one would have expected the calm and collected Gerald Stuart to scream like a girl at the sight of a toy snake, right? That would stay in the headlines for weeks! maybe).

As a kid, she has private singing tutors, and takes more general singing classes when she gets older. She doesn’t have dance training as a kid, but she does like to exercise and move her body around, so it slowly turned into the stamina-filled flexible body that she is used to. 

Katarina and Keith - Their meeting and impressions are mostly the same, which the difference being that Katarina used a display axe above a fireplace to break down the door, and Keith got her injured by accidentally pushing her off a pretty high cliff in the Claes grounds while they were both running and playing chase (rather than being isolated for dangerous Earth Magic, Keith as a child was a clutz who attracted danger to everyone around him, making his older brothers make fun of him for being “cursed”).

Katarina showers him with love, making him affectionate towards his step sister, in the same as he was in the original material.

When Keith finds out about Katarina’s desire to train to become an idol, he is very supportive of her, and decides to train with her in order to be able to stand by his sister on stage (as well as to generally gain the same interests as her in order to guarantee that they will stay close as they age). The contrast being that instead of becoming an idol to gain the adoration of millions of nameless faces, he now wants to become an idol to gain the love and attention of a single person, which is Katarina uwu. 

Katarina and Gerald - Gerald eventually attempts to visit Katarina to apologize for the incident, expecting her to blame him for what happened, given the personality she showed him. He was shocked to find a scar on her forehead, farming while wearing a farmer’s attire despite coming from a wealthy and esteemed family, singing and dancing to a song as she waters her vegetables. He watches for only a minute, unable to look away from the girl who danced like deflating balloon and sang off key while almost drowning her small vegetable in water. She looked weird, but she was having the time of her life, and he could see and hear it from where he stood.

 In a daze, thinking he might have entered the wrong house by accident or walked on the daughter of a maid doing chores. He walks out and leave the Claes estate without a word, and visits again after only a few days, as he couldn’t get his mind off of the oddity that he had witnessed. 

He eventually realizes that it was Katarina on his second visit, as he finds the scar of the odd farmer girl on the same girl who boasted about her family’s wealth in the party. After giving formal introductions, Gerald offers to walk around the garden to get to know each other better, in order to continue the conversation that she had originally forced on him back in the party (it was done to be polite and respectful, rather than any interest to continue). In the garden, they pass by the area that Katarina had planned to turn into her farm, and Gerald was in awe at how unorganized and messy everything looked (there was dirt everywhere, the tools were left on the floor because she had to prepare to meet him, there was more bags of manure than what was even needed etc! Katarina internally cursed at her 8 year old delicate rich girl body for not having the same arm strength as her 17 year old self). It was then that it sunk in that the adorable singing and dancing farming girl that he accidentally saw really was Katarina Claes. She wasn’t the very definition of abnormal, but she was nothing like the daughters of his father’s friends that cried when not attended to or complained when not given the best dresses and shoes. There was no shred of worry about her family’s expectations in her eyes, nor expectations of him to act like his perfect and matured self whenever they met in parties, movie premiers or social events, which made him yearn for her company. 

After finding out about Katarina’s desire to become an idol one day, Gerald secretly planned to do the same (and even have her recruited in his brother’s agency) in order to become closer to her through her love of entertainment and to have a chance to be constantly in her presence. When he found out about the charms that male idols have on their female fans, he also plans on using this as an opportunity to gain both her attention and romantic affection, by perfecting his (already maxed out) charms as male idol. 

Katarina and Mary - The two met during a part hosted by Mary’s mother in the Hunt Estate, inviting all of her mother’s old opera acquaintances, sponsors and co-workers for a formal reunion. Katarina and Keith accompanied their parents to the party, leading them to be introduced to the Hunt Family’s daughters. As usual, Katarina had the urge to “release the chocolate shark” during the party and takes an elegant leave. She eventually gets lost in the estate and finds herself in the garden. Katarina was in awe of the garden’s beauty, and stood still as she watched what seemed like beautiful siren sing by herself near a majestic fountain, with a single rose in hand. 

Mary was surprised to hear an aggressive applause after singing to herself. Katarina aggressively complimented Mary for her adorable yet elegant voice, and asked who she was seeing as a singing trainer. When Mary replied that she was not having any singing or vocal training, Katarina rains even more compliments down, claiming that “her voice was that of an angel!”. Mary denied it, so Katarina proceeded to sing the same song that she had sang, as a point of comparison to make her feel more confident in herself. Mary shyly and unexpectedly joins her, and they ended up having a small and quiet duet in the garden. Katarina’s voice sounded a bit rough and squeak-ish, but alongside Mary’s elegant and controlled singing, they didn’t sound bad at all. 

When Katarina finds out that Mary is also the one who tends to the flower garden, she proceeds to shower Mary with even more compliments, and asks her to visit and help with her own farm garden. Being complimented for having a beautiful voice and a green thumb made her feel validated and appreciated, so she often visits the Claes household in order to be in constant presence of her first and dearest friend. The rest is the same.

When Mary found out about Katarina’s dream of becoming an idol, she started taking intense vocal training as well as various exercises in order to be able to join her in her endeavor. She slowly built a more brazen and tough personality in order to be able to join and protect her friend from the rumored cold and intense reality of the idol world, as well as due to the antics of her friends. 

Katarina and Alan - From Mary, she eventually finds out that the event where Mary duets and falls in love with Alan occurred. Katarina realizes that duet must not have been that effective because she has done the same with Mary, but is confident that Mary is in love with him because Alan is a very talented and handsome individual. A few days later, the fourth Stuart son bursts into the doors of the Claes household, and demands to meet with Katarina. She learns that Alan had developed a small crush on Mary, and that he wants to challenge Katarina for her hand. Same shenanigans ensues, leading up to the piano duel where his talents in the piano was in full display to everyone in the manor. 

Katarina knew how to play the piano (just the basics though), so she was in awe listening to someone who almost sounded like a pro! Alan runs off after Gerald compliments him, Katarina chases after him, and they got to talk behind a bush. Alan wouldn’t take her compliments, but Katarina aggressively insisted that his talents are nothing to scoff at. 

When Alan says that he’s sure that his brother can play just as good, if not better than him, Katarina speculates that it wasn’t the case, because everyone had things that they are good and bad at. Not everyone is the same, no one learns at the same pace, and that she’s sure even if Gerald can play the piano better than him (and she doubts he can in the first place), no one can play the piano like Alan can. The scores in his heart are his alone, and that nothing is more beautiful than the melody that the heart enacts. Katarina knew that the score he played wasn’t an existing one, and knowing Alan’s character from the game, it’s probably either an impromptu score or one he had composed by himself. Her guess was correct, leading Alan to be caught off guard by her compliment, almost feeling emotional as no one had ever guessed and believed that the music he played was his own, until Katarina did. 

She shows off the power of the toy snake to Alan, making him laugh and see his brother in a different light. He still constantly visited Katarina for their duels, but as time progressed, he lost the affection for Mary (as he saw her as a little sister now after interacting with her in the Claes Household) that made him want to challenge Katarina. They still followed up on those challenges, for fun rather than for sport. 

When he finds out about Katarina’s dream to become an idol, he is determined to join her in order to be able to compose songs and melodies that she can sing, intending to bring out the absolute best of his muse’s voice with his own music. Someone his age might not be fit to compose songs for an idol, so he intends to become one as well in order to gain a reputation as a competent composer. 

Katarina and Sophia - The two meets at an afternoon party hosted by the Stuarts, as a celebration for the birthday of the twins. Katarina had to “powder her noes” after a few trips to the buffet table, and leaves Keith and Mary. She’s chased down by a dog, climbs up a tree, and accidentally watches a group of kids and older bully a small girl who sounded like she was about to cry. The same events occur, up to their second encounter in the party. Katarina accidentally quotes a line from a novel that she was reading, and after realizing that Sophia understood her reference, she asked for them to meet again in order to discuss their similar interests. 

Everything is pretty much the same, the difference being that somehow idols were brought as a topic of conversation, with Sophia revealing that she is actually a huge fan of idols. Katarina, feeling reminiscent of her idol-expert best friend Acchan, tells her that she actually wants to be an idol herself and insists that Sophia tell her about everything she loves about idols. Sophia, who is surprised to also find another idol fan who is as young as her, becomes even more excited and tells her all about her love for idols: how they are able to wear such adorable outfits onstage, how they sing songs that carry so much meaning, how they carry their fan’s dreams with them when they dance and sing, how amazing it is to be able to juggle so many occupations at once, and much more. 

With both love of novels and idols, Sophia constantly finds herself in the Claes Household in order to talk to Katarina about books, idols, song recommendations etc. 

When Sophia was first told that Katarina wanted to be an idol, she was very supportive of her and announced herself as Katarina’s number one fan. As time passed, she realized she wasn’t just satisfied with just watching Katarina from afar, she wanted to sing and dance alongside her! She wants to use her knowledge of romance novels and idols to help make herself and Katarina the best idols to ever exist! She wants to sing on stage about her feelings: about how much she loves Katarina, idols and their beloved novels!

Katarina and Nicol - When he found out that someone had invited his little sister to a small book club, he was very wary, thinking that she was one of the many other girls who tried to use Sophia in order to become closer with him. He was shocked to realize that that was not the case, and that Katarina had barely seen him at all, and had opened his timid little sister’s heart. When Sophia asked Katarina if she found her appearance creepy, Nicol proceeds to explain further, expecting to see a hint of guilt or displeasure from Katarina Claes, only for both of them to be met with unyielding determination to have Sophia as a close friend. Sophia went home that day in tears, thankful to have found a friend who truly wanted to stick by her side. 

The Claes siblings often visits their home so the girls can have their book club, even bringing Mary Hunt with them occasionally. Katarina, while looking a bit flustered, is capable of having a conversation with him without averting her eyes, which was a breath of fresh air to the countless camera crew, staff, visitors and even strangers who couldn’t look him in the eyes because how of how much of a beautiful child model he was. It all leads up to the moment where Katarina compliments him with how blessed he is to have such a beautiful and wonderful family, which contrasted against the ignorant adults who pitied him for having parents who refused to abuse the potential of his beautiful face and for not being as beautiful as their son, as well as for having a freakish looking sister. 

Nicol, just like his sister, desired to constantly be in Katarina’s positive presence, and visited her often, leading them to be acquainted and friends with the entire group that Katarina enraptured. 

When he found about his sister’s and Katarina’s desire to become idols, Nicol thought of doing the same, in order to be able to continue to watch over and protect both Sophia and Katarina, as well to be able to continue being close with Katarina (as their lack of similar interests and age gap might lead her away from him, but tbh that is never gonna be a problem with Katarina). He also plans to use his influence as a child model to propel Sophia and Katarina’s careers, as a way of supporting his two favorite girls. 

Notes

I’m not sure how I feel about Gerald’s backstory, I might rewrite that if anyone kindly wants to critique it.

Instead of Mary’s green thumb, it’s her voice that leads her to Katarina and Alan, but I still think Sophia would still have a better singing voice than her, so both her voice and green thumbs both play a part in her character. Mary’s high pitched voice gets a bit deeper as she ages, while Sophia’s voice stays very high.

I really like the idea that rather than the original ambitions and goals that leads the harem to become idols in Fortune Lover, now it’s the effect of Katarina’s constant insistence and declarations of becoming an idol that leads to everyone doing the same. In this timeline, the harem probably wouldn’t have thought of (or planned early) becoming an idol if Katarina never brought it up. 

I’m writing this at midnight again, lol, but yeah I’m not planning on writing a fanfiction for this, I guess, but I do want to have an established plot so rather than chapters, I’m just writing a full overview for fun haha

When I mentioned that Sophia loved idols, I didn’t realize that I might have accidentally implied that she was just as an idol fan as Acchan was, but with actual idols this time, so I went with :DD

I’ll touch up on Idol Katarina, Anne, Maria, Sirius/Raphael and Fortune Lover 2 in the next one.

I’m really happy that there are people who actually read my previous post and said that they liked it! Feedback and suggestions are appreciated! I still need a final name for the units so help me pls hahaha.

I’ll rewrite this post when I feel like adding/changing stuff.

#my next life as a villainess #hamefura #hamehura #destruction flag otome #Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta #bakarina #My Next Life as a Villainess! All Routes Lead to Doom! #katarina claes #catarina claes #keith claes #gerald stuart #geordo stuart #alan stuart #mary hunt #sophia ascart #nicol ascart #nicole ascart #hamefura au #hamefura idol au #i need to sleep aaaaaaaaa #mh talks