#he's like tied with Giovanni i love them both

[crownin-thestars]

Casually headcannons that when Sylvester sleeps he dreams, and sometimes his epithet makes them come to life while he's asleep

So everytime he's having a nightmare he instinctively hides under his covers because something could be lurking over his bed when he's having that nightmare

#🍓🌷 who am i help #just watched epithet erased and i love Sylvie sm #he's like tied with Giovanni i love them both #epithet erased #dr sylvester ashling

[judgementdaysunshine]

Hi, micheleamidalajedi. I hope you're having a lovely day/night. Can you do headcanons on, How would Bruce, Dick, Jason, and Damien react to fem S/O being a witch, who goes by the hero name Athena. One night they are going on a date/at a party/walking home Together and the Joker's henchman or any other villain suddenly attacks them and tries to kill them. Suddenly their fem S/O jumps in front of them and uses their magic to protect them and scare off joker's henchmen/the villain. If this is too much for you ignore this. I hope you know that I really do enjoy your writing and it's a lot of fun to read.

Absolutely my lovely thank you ♥️

Bruce

He knew you had powers and they were magic related like Dr Fate and Zatanna but he had never seen you use them before even in training that you and the whole family would have from time to time

He also knew that the hero alias you went by was Athena both from your love of Greek mythology and as well as it being an unusual hero name as well which made you choose it

The two of you went to a party hosted by his good friend Oliver Queen and also had dinner after considering that the two of you hadn't been on a date in a while due to the jobs of being heroes and helping raise the kids he still had in his care

On the way back the two of you decided to take a shortcut to the batcave to get ready and go out on a small patrol before actually going back to the manor and going to bed for the night

While taking the shortcut behind an abandoned factory the two of you heard noises and soon you were cornered by people mostly likely working for Bane or someone else who was after Batman and decided to just have you was sometime of sick bonus

They hit bruce while holding you against the wall and were fixing to do it again if it wasn't for you kicking the guy holding you in the knee and used your magic to create a shield in front of bruce right before he got hit bruce in the face with the butt of a gun

The next thing you knew was that you had fought them off and the two of you ran until you were by a small gas station walking until you had finally reached the manner deciding to skip out on patrol for the night

The two of you showered and got ready for bed but soon after you had dried off and gotten dressed he finally asked you about your powers "How come you don't use them?" you turn and look at him looking at the wall then sighing "I don't really have good control over them and I'm terrified of hurting innocent people.."

After awhile you slowly learned how to suppress and control your powers so that you wouldn't hurt someone on accident or lose control where you would hurt yourself as well along with some help from his friend and Zatanna's father Giovanni Zatara

Dick

The two of you were going back to your apartment after a night out at the movies and dancing with some of your friends at a local club

The two of you noticed how much closer you were to your place than his so you decided to spend the rest of the night in at your home until you both went to bed for the night

You heard a loud crack turning around to see a man and woman who clearly weren't normal just by their looks alone and the obvious fact that the man was carrying a gun and knife and the woman was carrying a big hammer that she carried over her shoulder

Soon they attacked and had the two of you tied up planning to do what with both of you neither of you knew but they were having the time of their lives by you being afraid and laughing like it was the funniest thing they had ever seen

You noticed dick moving around and soon you hear him take a quick breath looking to see that he had managed to free himself from the rope tied around him and the tape that was on his mouth helping you until you noticed the woman behind him watching and holding her hammer making you pull your partially loose arm out and form a shield around the two of you as she swung the hammer down for his back

After getting free you manage to restrain her with your powers long enough for dick to wrap and tie both ropes around her giving just enough time to escape before the man came in the room or found out while you were still in the room

The two of you ran until the batmobile pulled beside the two of you getting in and letting dick explain what happened while you and his brother tim just casually talked

You knew of dick and his family being vigilante heroes and they knew of your powers and that you didn't use them a lot but you had used them in front of a couple of them just for them to see the extent of what type of powers you had

After being in the cave for awhile you went to your apartment slowly talking about what happened and after talking about your powers

After slowly learning from many different heroes how to control your powers you soon became a founding member of the teen titans and became both a mentor and a mom to Raven who soon became your daughter by heart,love,and legally adopted her along with dick

Damian

The two of you had spent the day at your house and decided to go out and not only have dinner with a couple of his friends but you all went to an arcade and the mall just hanging out until you both got tired taking a short path back to his house for the night

You had noticed a bunch of different people staring at the two of you but didn't think much of it for the first while until you started seeing the same people again and soon you started getting real nervous hoping to just get to the manor and cuddle with damian

But soon you were held on the ground and damian by his neck against a wall laughing at the frightened look on your face while damian helplessly watched

You closed your eyes tightly and started crying and hitting someone in front of you after you felt a hand grab your face but soon you opened your eyes seeing damian but before you could reach up and hug him you saw one of the men behind him

You raised your hand and made a full circled shield as he held a pipe halfway in the air ready to swing down on him

After he takes down the last guy he picks you up and carries you the rest of the way to Wayne Manor letting you cry and as soon as he walks in and closes the door he quietly sobs in your neck

Not too long after the two of you are on the couch telling his brothers Tim and Dick what happened and soon they tell Jason and Bruce along with everyone else who immediately double up on patrol especially when the two of you are out on Gotham

#dick grayson #bruce wayne x reader #batfamily x reader #damian wayne #bruce wayne #dick grayson x reader #batfamily #damian wayne x reader

[ask-sarah-and-co]

Merry Christmas + happy holidays @askpokepals!!!

(writing under cut! it turned out longer than intended ngl)

“Gah!”

A piece of paper flutters in the wind, smacking Sarah in the face. She quickly skims it over, “A wishlist?”

She looks up, watching a Hoopa’s ring shimmer away, and back to Hugh and Sparkle, who are battling fine together. “They won’t miss me for like an hour, will, they?”

Pulling out her aerodactyl Wyvern’s pokeball, she tosses him out and they fly off.

“Let’s see, something to decorate a clubhouse and something from a band…” She checks her phone’s map, “Wow, we’re almost in Galar! You’re a fast flier, bud!” Wyvern trills in agreement.

She stops at a store and picks up a pack of fairy lights, ones that twinkle between light shades of pink, blue, and purple. She also grabs a poster featuring Piers.

Sending out Wyvern again, she mounts his back. “To Spikemuth, Wyvern!”

“Sarah! Good to see ya.”

“Hi, Piers!”

He puts his phone in his pocket and ruffles her head affectionately, “How’s the Alola region treatin’ ya?”

“It’s been really nice! Everyone there is so relaxed, you know.”

“Heh, I figured. You run into Uncle Grimsley yet?”

“Yeah! He and Uncle Lucian are with Aunt Lusamine right now.”

“‘Right. Wish ‘im well from me ‘n Marnie, kay?”

She beams at her friend, “You got it!” She digs into her bag, pulling out the rolled up poster. “Could you do something for me, actually?”

“‘Course. Want that signed?”

“Yes.” She hands him the poster as he takes a black marker out from his pocket. “It’s for someone’s Christmas wishlist.”

“Ain’t it a bit early for that?”

“Yeah well,” She thinks for a second. “It’s probably from another universe or something.”

“Figures,” He scribbles his signature and hands the poster back. “I’ll never understand ‘em.”

Sarah checks her phone, “Oh shoot, I’ve gotta get going. Thanks a lot, Piers!”

“Cheers, Sarah. Was good to catch up.”

“Aunt Lusamine!” She bursts into the woman’s office, causing her to shut the holographic screens around her desk.

“Sarah! What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing.” She takes a deep breath, having dashed through Aether Paradise. “I wanted to know where you keep your wrapping paper?”

“Wrapping paper? Oh, for a present right?” She chuckles, “You bought a present for Rose and Giovanni’s wedding?”

“What? No. Actually maybe I should… But no. It’s a Christmas present.”

“Oh! Well we do have the materials, but I’m not certain we have any Christmas colors.”

“That’s fine! Just tell me where it is and I’ll get out of your hair!”

“They should be somewhere in the main entrance, probably around the desks.”

“Thanks, Aunt Lusamine!”

“Good luck, Sarah.”

“Hi, Uncle Lucian! Uncle Grimsley!”

She drops a bunch of materials, including a roll of wrapping paper and a spool of ribbon, across from them.

“Hey, Sarah.” Grimsley looks at the things she’s tossed on the table, “You’ve been busy, huh?”

“Yeah! I’ve been working on someone’s wishlist in an alternate universe!”

“That’s quite nice of you.” Lucian hardly looks up from the book he’s reading.

“Do you guys think I should write a card?” She doesn’t give them time to answer, “Oh Uncle Grimsley! Piers and Marnie say hi!”

“You saw Piers?” He checks his phone, “Only in the last hour?”

“Yep. Wyvern’s an alpha and flies really fast.”

“Wyvern?”

Lucian smiles, “Her aerodactyl.”

“Hm, that makes sense. I saw you flying around earlier…”

Sarah pulls a card out of her bag, one featuring a litten and a rockruff in Santa hats. 

Dear Ninasha,

Merry Christmas! Or happy holidays!

I hope you like what I got you! I wasn’t sure which band you liked, but I got this poster of my good friend Piers! He signed it and everything! It might be weird if you’re not a human, because he’s a human, but that should be fine, right?

Hope you like both things!

Love, Sarah

She places the card on the lights and speedily wraps and ties a ribbon around them. She makes sure to also tie a ribbon around the poster and add a tag.

Soon, the portal shimmers into existence above her, and she tosses both things in.

Sarah returns back outside, returning to her previous position. It’s almost like she never left at all.

#pokestarsending2023 #Sarah Adamu #ninasha nidorina #askpokepals

[pokemon-ash-aus]

This is highly unlikely but regarding the Rocket Fled AU, I just pictured Ash and Mewtwo subconsciously seeing each other as brothers. Like, one is Giovanni's biological son, "abandoned" by his mother (or so he thinks), the other is Giovanni's artificial creation, made as a weapon.

In a sense, they're both Giovanni's "proxies" or something of the kind, even if they go wildly different ways. I can even imagine while they'd be enemies, a part of them feels pity for the other (Ash thinking Mewtwo's misguided on his kill-all-humans rampage for the wrong reasons, Mewtwo thinking Ash can't be helped because it's clear even as a human, Giovanni is using him too). Maybe Ash would compare Mewtwo's expressions to Silver's (though neither would appreciate the comment nor would they leave him unscathed afterwards)

I also pictured with that last bit maybe a "dream what if" episode, where Mewtwo dreams he's one of Giovanni's sons named Indigo and Ash is a rogue Mew clone, being in each other's shoes and all that jazz.

Bdhdhdb that last bit is so cute ToT

Ur sorta on the money sorta not but it was an awesome breakdown!

They don't really see eachother's as brothers but as agiovanni's creations. Mewtwo is incredibly bitter because in comparison to Ash and Silver, he will never be that top creation, he will never stand by their father's side (hence acting human and wanting to be the best pokemon master ever in the first movie)

Ash has vague recollections of Mewtwo. He wasn't involved in the project but he did have a passing gaze over him when Mewtwo was still a kitten and then later under Giovanni's care training vigorously.

When Ash leaves, he doesnt really have second thoughts of anyone there UNTIL he starts interacting with more people and realizing that there's peace and love within interactions and not tense shoulders and eyes gazing down.

That's when he starts to realize the faukts in how he treated silver, and by extension, his father's other creations.

During the movie, both of them are in fight or flight mode. Acting like true Rocket agents when they fight and it's only by the grace of Mew that they're given a small reprieve and Ash hears the true whole soiel of how Mewtwo is destined to be better because Giovanni made him ti be better.

The best pokemon.

The best Pokemon Trainer.

And Ash just feels sick in a way he didnt know he could before.

Cause Mewtwo was- IS- just like him

And isnt that just a cruel twist of irony.

[midorishinji]

Disappearing act - chapter XVII

Geto observed her more carefully, trying to decide whether she was being serious or not. — Killing non-sorcerers? — It's an option, but I don't take it seriously. Do you? — Yuki pressed him with a loaded question. Suguru Geto thought of them all — Shoko, Nanami, Haibara, Riko, Kuroi, his parents, Satoru — and his chest filled with an unbearable pain, but also an incredibly monumental love, so much that it felt like it would stretch and burst at the seams of his heart that could not contain it. He thought of his father again, reading him "Night on the Galactic Railroad" when he was young, and he thought of Satoru reading his own copy now during his leisure nights. He thought of Giovanni and Campanella, and of the Scorpio of the night sky, and of the nobility of sacrifice, of setting yourself on fire to warm the world.

Satosugu ｜Finalized｜Long fic｜Also being published in Portuguese and on AO3

Chapters: I - II - III - IV - V - VI - VII - VIII - IX - X - XI - XII - XIII - XIV - XV - XVI - XVII

Chapter XVII: you are more to me than any of them has any idea

Some situations are truly inexplicable. If a year ago someone had told Suguru Geto that he was in love with his best friend, he would have laughed at that hypothesis — Satoru was selfish, annoying, frivolous, had terrible manners, and yet he was the person he trusted and respected the most for being paradoxically altruistic, courageous, challenging, fair, funny, entertaining and so many other qualities that only he seemed to see, but that was completely different from falling in love, that's what Geto would have said. Despite this, there he was, sitting on the bed of Satoru Gojo, heir to the Gojo clan, as they watched “Love Letter” on the night of his birthday, and Satoru fought with all his strength not to cry, a losing battle.

He had never imagined Satoru as being the type of person who cried watching sad movies, but in a way, that didn't surprise him; people who smile the most are usually the ones who hide their suffering even deeper, that's what his mother had once told him, and he knew that this applied especially well to Satoru. Always keeping everything to himself, disguising pain with cynicism and sarcasm, carrying the burden of being the strongest alone. But around him, Satoru allowed himself to be vulnerable, to just be himself.

In the film, Hiroko shouted to the mountains, hearing the echo of her own voice: — How are you? I'm doing fine... — at the same time Itsuki Fujii whispered weakly in a hospital bed the same words. The two repeated the same thing, again and again, Fujii increasingly fragile, Hiroko increasingly desperate, tears streaming down her face and emotion choking her voice. They were both mirrors of each other, tied to the person who united them forever, who was now buried in the mountain to which Hiroko screamed at dawn. No grand declaration of love, no grand gestures, nothing pompous, because “I love you” is often “how are you?”, “did you eat?”, “you need to sleep”, “I thought of you”, “ I miss you”, “let's do something together” and so many other variations, like a secret shared between two people, a specific language that only two understood.

Satoru wiped away some insistent tears, looking away from the screen as he pretended to clean his glasses. It wasn't one of his most convincing performances, and he was aware of that. His chest hurt so much it felt like it was going to explode, because a person can only keep a secret for so long before they’re consumed completely, and he was reaching his limit. Being so close to Suguru that his bodies were touching, and at the same time so far away, was something that hurt him, shattered his nerves, tore his heart apart, messed with his head. So close, and at the same time so far apart. And Suguru, the always patient, calm, gentle, fair, docile Suguru, certainly pretended not to notice so as not to hurt him even more, because at that point, there wasn't a single person on this entire damn planet who hadn't noticed that Satoru Gojo was red with embarrassment whenever they hugged, trembling with terror and excitement at his touch, and lost himself in ramblings whenever he felt nervousness untie his tongue in completely random monologues.

He knew he needed to say something. That swallowing those same words over and over again was killing him inside, suffocating him with this love that bloomed inside his chest until there was no room for anything else. And even then, he couldn't say anything. When he parted his lips, they dried up, anxious, and his tongue became limp, coward, unable to articulate anything, then he fell silent again.

Suguru rested his head on his shoulder, the gesture that was repeated so many times with the roles reversed, which made Gojo's heart skip a beat. Out of kindness, he didn't say anything about Satoru's soft heart, who was moved like a child by a romance movie. — You were right, Satoru. This film is really sad.

— Do you think it's true, Suguru? That we fall in love with a person for the first time, and look for them everywhere else afterwards?

Gojo wanted the answer to be “no”. That he would say “this is too dramatic”. That he’d say “once you get over it, it stops hurting”. He wished he was wrong, like he never had wished for before, even though he knew the true answer in his heart.

— I think so too. I've been thinking about that since you told me that day, and I think it's true. Before you said it, I had never noticed how I always compare others to the person I like. Sometimes someone does something, and I think “he would do the same”, or “he is also kind like that”, or “he would do it differently, in another way”, and after I realized it, I can no longer deny it, there's no way to escape. — Geto said, his eyes focused on the television screen. The white snow of the mountains filled everything except for the red spot on Hiroko's sweater, red as blood.

He.

— Oh. — Satoru murmured, surprised. His face had the most intense expression of panic he had ever had in his entire life, calculating all the implications of a pronoun.

— I hope you don't mind, but I bought you another gift for your birthday. You devoured my Natsume Souseki collection, so I bought you a copy of “Heart”. — I offer my heart to you, was what he wanted to say, without having the courage to do so. That was what was written between the lines of a language made for two.

— Natsume Souseki... He was the guy who invented that story about the moon being beautiful, right?

Geto nodded. — Some people say so, but I think it's just a legend.

Silence. Satoru seemed lost in his thoughts, like a mathematician calculating probabilities. Long minutes passed while they watched the film in that same position, so comfortable, so natural, as if they had been made for that moment.

— Hey, Suguru.

— Huh?

— “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”

With incomparable stealth, Geto looked out the window, nonchalantly. — I don't know, it's still four in the afternoon, I don't think you can see the moon that early.

In that moment, Gojo felt like screaming, feeling that his face probably went through all the shades of red in the universe, and a few more that only shrimp could see, and he tried to hide it by covering his face with his hands. — Suguru…!

The other laughed. — “Yes, I can die happy now.”

Silence.

— Suguru, I…

— I know. I love you too. — Geto replied, kissing him. For a moment, nothing else seemed to matter: not the Time Vessel Association, not Kaori Itadori, not the social worker and the children, not the elders, not what other people would think. Everything faded into insignificance, completely disappearing into the background.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #gojo satoru #geto suguru #satosugu #nanami kento #haibara yu #shoko ieiri #toji fushiguro #megumi fushiguro #kenjaku #writing #fanfiction #jjk fanfic

[marchsage]

YES to pryce deserving so many more consequences for kidnapping, traumatizing, and brainwashing six children to use as child soldiers; your theory that giovanni straight up did not know that pryce was behind it is super interesting too bc it's the only thing that makes sense for why he's like "here go train with your kidnapper again!!!" it makes sense too (and like. lance knows which is a whole other thing to unpack) because giovanni wasn't very...present for the gsc arc and pryce's crimes weren't exactly broadcast. a few other gym leaders and the dexholders are the ones that actually know what happened and there's no indication that that's ever really shared with the world after pryce is yeeted into the crack in time. love that analysis so much!

please lmk if you want me to delete/etc but YES!!

First off, thank you!! :) I love talking about Pokespe (especially the Kanto and Johto dexholders).

[general pokespe spoilers]

A really big part of Pokespe is, I feel, consequences. It's in the RBG arc when Giovanni loses to Red as a consequence of not caring about the Pokemon he hurt. It's in the Yellow arc where Lance hurts others without regard and gets defeated by someone who is essentially a parallel to him. It's in the FR/LG arc when Giovanni can't even reunite properly with his son (his illness isn't his fault, but fighting Red and causing chaos to the Sevii Islands sure is!).

There's also growth as another big part of Pokespe! It's pretty obvious in regards to the dexholders because you can see them change/develop over the arcs (e.g. Black). But it's also visible when the dexholders have to group up with past/previous enemies to fight the new ones. Surge goes from a dude willing to attack children (Red arc) to helping out (Yellow arc) and trying to rescue(?) kids (GSC arc). Other examples I can think of include N and Lorelei to an extent.

Pryce doesn't have either. His consequence was getting stuck in time, but that was more of a result from messing with time. He didn't face anything for snatching and "training" the kids. He didn't face anything for trying to kill Silver and Gold, unless you include Gold stopping his plans. And if he gets to return to his gym without any fanfare, then orchestrating that attack on the gym leaders in GSC (the train) had no consequences either.

After looking at Giovanni's actions in the arcs he's present in, it feels very implausible that he would've spared Pryce if he knew. He smashed a Magmar, left Yellow during the big final fight, and a bunch of other things. Kidnapping Oak, Green/Blue's parents, etc. Giovanni was willing to do a lot of things, unforgivable or not, in the FR/LG arc just to find his son.

It's also a bit weird like... At most, I assume Giovanni knew Pryce in the context of a gym leader. Like you said, he wasn't there for the GSC arc, and while Pryce's crimes were known to some gym leaders, it's probable that he didn't pay attention because he prioritized finding Silver. In fact, what were the crimes mentioned? He kidnapped kids, but did anyone know besides the dexholders? At most, people would know him as the guy that tried to control time and kill gym leaders.

In the translation I read, Giovanni says something along the lines of Silver training under his two teachers. So.... who knows whether Giovanni knows. Maybe he just misinterpreted the relationship between Pryce and Silver. It feels like a weird mix of contradictions.

Lance's case is weird because, in a show-don't-tell way, I don't doubt he cared enough about Silver in their mentor-mentee relationship. In the HG/SS arc, Silver at least has faith that Lance would have information on Team Rocket. Lance also mentions, like I said in the previous ask, that he, Pryce, and Giovanni are all tied together by Silver. The other two have such an impact that it feels like it'd be a weird connection to make if he wasn't that close with the dexholder.

Side note but Lance and Pryce feel like weird parallels where they both did bad things for the "benefit" of Pokemon. Lance did it for the cruelty of humans while Pryce.... is Pryce, I guess. He has a more selfish view of it where only his Pokemon should be treated with love and care.

Back to Lance solely, in GSC, I don't think he ever knows about Pryce being the Masked Man since he only shows up to give Silver information. In HG/SS, it feels like.. a mix of knowing and not knowing? It's contradictory again, like Giovanni's case. Maybe he knows and prioritizes the world. Maybe he doesn't know all the details. Maybe he doesn't prioritize it at the moment because Silver looks well-adjusted (he isn't, but that's something else entirely).

I think it'd be neat if Blue/Green was considered a mentor to Silver instead of Pryce. We got hints of that mentorship in FR/LG and in HG/SS. Blue/Green's the Viridian gym leader, he mentored Silver when they were looking for Giovanni, he (kind of) helped out when Silver learned his dad was Giovanni, they're fellow dexholders.... I just think that's pretty swell :) Any of the Kanto dexholders would be a "worthy" mentor figure honestly.

#i need a question tag #not art #pokespe #<- in case ppl need it as a blacklist #once again... i have rambled

[enthblaze]

Cursed idea: Giovanni dies sometime late season 4 at around the same time as Super Shredder, and his death maybe adds to Leo’s decision to off Shredder for good out of revenge. But later Tigerclaw summons Kavaxas and everyone thinks its to revive Shredder until Giovanni appears, and now everyone has to fight Kavaxas’ army knowing that if they send him back they’ll be sending Van back too

(oh anon this isn't cursed, this is brilliant)

Y'know...this ties in with the bad ending for twins au that I haven't told anyone about yet

So spoiler for that, Giovanni does indeed die. It's a brutal rooftop fight, between the Foot and the Hamatos (who are allied with the splintered off faction of both Clans, made up of Van, Tiger Claw, Alopex & ex human Foot soldiers)

There's a bomb, a grenade, and it takes Giovanni before anyone could blink

It shatters Tiger Claw to an amount he didn't know possible. While the Hamato Clan still don't trust him, they've understood for a while that he loved Van like his own. With that, they leave him to grieve, avoiding the mutant in hopes that he won't be blinded by rage, should he catch sight of them

Perhaps they made a mistake in that. Because leaving Tiger Claw alone brought him to the brink of insanity, and in a desperate plea to bring Van back, he summons a demon. The King of the Underworld himself

They don't truly understand his intentions. They think he might have just gone rogue, but then Giovanni comes back. Not in a solid form, no, Tiger Claw couldn't bring himself to desecrate his grave like that. But instead as a ghost, a spirit.

...Much like the rest of Kavaxas' army

And as happy as Van is to see his family again, the chaos around him makes him realise that he can't stay. Not if saving one man - himself - causes the death of thousands. He loves his family, but he loves his city too, and he can't bring himself to be selfish enough to accept his circumstances

As they try to push back the army, and hold off Kavaxas, Van persuades them to close off the portal. They try to plead with him. Is there no other way? Tiger Claw may have unleashed Hell on Earth, but he had good intentions, and he really did bring back their dead brother

They just got him back. Why must he leave?

...Van loves them too much to stay. His ghostly form will only break them more, a reminder of their mistakes that day. They will never find peace, and he can't have that

While Tiger Claw practically begs Van, it's the final closure that allows him to let his boy go. He never got to say goodbye that day. So Van's reassurances, his proclamation that he will forever be with him, and that he loved him to no end; that's what makes Tiger Claw take the final stand, and help the Hamatos take down Kavaxas

In the end, all they really needed was a goodbye. And confirmation that Van was okay, and safe, wherever he was

Splinter, having appeared topside, takes Van's shoulder on the roof and leads him away from their family. To wherever souls go when life marks its end

Tiger Claw then deals a truce and instead of joining the family, settles on allyship instead. He understands Van's wants for them to come together as one, but it'll hurt too much. Maybe one day, they'll fulfil his wish

For now, they make do. And Giovanni waits for them, with his Father and Mother at his side. Hopefully into the far future will they meet again

#ryo asks #tmnt twins au #tmnt giovanni #tmnt giovanni 2012 #tmnt 2012 #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2k12 #teenage mutant ninja turtles 2012 #tmnt au #tmnt tiger claw

[zalrb]

Hi I finished watching the Borgias and I was so distraught I just started the whole thing over again and there’s no one to talk to about it. Please tell me you still like Borgia asks. I read through your Borgia tag and I think my perspective on cesare’s timeline is different on re-watch. I think that he realized he had intense feelings for lucrezia that he shouldn’t be having on her wedding day. The moment he rips off his cardinal robes struck me because it’s this moment of emotional despair that goes beyond his desire to be a soldier- it’s the culmination of his protectiveness and love for lucrezia. His desire not to see her married is kind of unmasked as something deeper. I think he knows and is consciously trying to transfer his feelings for her onto Ursula. He refers to them as Abelard and Eloise. He tells her that he fears he’ll be lost if he both loves and desires her, and then tells her he could love her (not that he does or did), meaning that somehow he still knows that love and desire mixed are painful to him. How would he know that if he’s never loved before? And then he tells lucrezia (with a longing gaze) that he’s utterly lost. And there’s that conversation with his mom about loving someone who is married and suffering because of it, it sounds like he’s double-talking. I think his knowledge of his feelings for lucrezia are the catalyst for his lost innocence rather than the other way around.

Anyway I love your analyses, I really just want someone to talk theories with.

Hey. I've said the same thing about Ursula and Cesare

and when I've spoken about Cesare's feelings pre-Giovanni, it's more about holding a boundary

but this part:

I think his knowledge of his feelings for lucrezia are the catalyst for his lost innocence rather than the other way around.

I don't necessarily agree with. When I spoke of Lucrezia's loss of innocence, it was in relation to Giovanni not to her feelings about Cesare, so I don't think 'the other way around' part works in relation to my posts, and I don't think Cesare's loss of innocence is tied to his feelings for Lucrezia at all. I think that happened before we even meet Cesare in season 1 and I think that has more to do with his relationship to Rodrigo than to Lucrezia.

I also maintain the belief that while there was certainly an undercurrent throughout their relationship from the get-go and that he is absolutely possessive of Lucrezia and wants her by his side always and we see that in season 1, we see this feeling of she's mine

which is definitely more than brotherly, which is definitely crossing lines, which is definitely romantic, I don't think it's necessarily sexual pre-Giovanni.

[spikemuthtoothfairy]

Pokémon Favourites!

repost, don’t reblog! 💕

FIRST GAME: Red, Blue or Yellow. It was the height of the Pokemania craze in the late 90′s so I don’t actually remember which I got first, only that I ended up with all three over time! I’m almost positive it was Red or Blue though.

FAVOURITE SPINOFF GAME: Stadium or Snap, having played both around my friends house when I was young. Very fond memories! I never had a N64 myself so I didn’t otherwise get to play them.

FAVOURITE EVIL TEAM: Probably Rocket? They’re easily the most grounded and realistic, which I suppose is why the had to up the ante from Gen 3 and on. Otherwise I’m fond of Flare as a result of playing Adam and digging into them.

FAVOURITE TEAM LEADER: Ghetsis or Giovanni, probably. Ghetsis because he’s an absolute bastard, Giovanni because, y’know, Giovanni.

FAVOURITE STARTER: Probably Charizard. I think I was one of Those Kids, honestly! But hey, dragons are cool and I was a kid.

FAVOURITE BOX LEGENDARY: Yveltal! I dunno, I really like Gen 6′s Life/Death thing. That being said, as a kid it was probably Lugia.

FAVOURITE POKEMON: For years it was Kirlia. Now I regularly float between Kirlia, Gardevoir, Weavile, Haunter and Misdreavus.

FAVOURITE PROFESSOR: Oak!

FAVOURITE RIVAL: Blue or Silver because they were dickheads. Nemona because she’s fun and wants you to get stronger.

FAVOURITE CHAMPION: Eh? I’ll be honest, I don’t really have one. I like Diantha though! And Lance.

FAVOURITE CHARACTER (if not already covered): Not sure honestly! That’s difficult. Shotout to Roughneck Kirby with his Cleffa though. Love the reference lmao.

FAVOURITE STORY: Tied between 1/2, BW, SwSh and ScVi. Probably ScVi though because of the way they pulled it off. Love it.

FAVOURITE MUSIC: ScVi’s final boss theme easy, that shot right up for me. Galar’s tourney theme slaps too.

FAVOURITE REGION OVERALL: Paldea in scale and scope, Galar because its PokeBritain and Johto/Kanto because nostalgia. 

#ooc #dash game #spikemuthtoothfairy #(stolen from irxnmaiden!!!)

[project-neo]

Pokémon Trainer Hc part 1

Anime/ game: Pokemon

Charakter: well known trainer

Ship's: silver X Ethen (gold), blue x red, Hyū(Hugh) x Tony (Black, male protagonist)

A/N: I love those ships. All my Headcannon have some part of a cannon truth. If you have Headcannon's yourself go and share them in the comments. Now have fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kanto

Red

He CAN speak, he just chooses not to. Words are unnecessary to him.

Hie favorite pokemon is Charizard and you CANT change my mind!

Red has a sweet tooth! Give him a pokepfuffle and it's over.

His Pikachu is more of a friend to him then a pokemon. That is why it is on his shoulder.

Blue

He is actually a huge softie! Of course he doesn't show it right away. You need to be his S/O to see that side of him.

He cuddles you everywhere. Unlike Red, blue would hug and kiss you anywhere no Mather is you mother is with you two on the dinner table, or if you 2 are alone.

He cares for red and leafe. Both of them are important to him.

He is a perfect cook! He loves cooking and does so every opportunity he gets. Birthday's, random party's or just because. His food is the best!

Blue x Red

Those two in a relationship are just insane. The Quiet older Men and his Hyper Younger Partner? Oh shit! A dynamic made for disaster.

Blue is the power bottom! And I will fight you for it.

While red spoileds Blue with gifts like plushies or something for the kitchen, blue will treat Red to thinks like home made dinner, potion's and Other items or even some data from Pokemon.

PDA and affection a smaller than private due to the shyness of red.

Red AND Blue both wear there rings for everyone to see.

Johto

Silver

He is cannonly trans (female to male). I picture him with rather soft skin (like a women).

He wears a ponytail wen he gets the chance!

Has a slim and female figure because be was born as a female.

Prefers salty food.

Is actually very emotional.

Has frequent panic attacks because of his past and other things.

Ethen Hibiki (gold)

A decent cook.

Survival Profi.

Ethen has a mastiff Sweet tooth! You give him a bon bon and he eats it in in seconds!

Afraid of highs

Dyes his hair regularly.

PDA in public? Hell yeah! Back hugs and kisses on chin and cheek are a Daly thing with this huge softie!

Love language is definitely spending time and PDA.

Ethen x Silver

Ethen can read Silver emotions very well. That why he can proved Silvers frequent panic attacks. And if they do happened Ethen can calm him down Rather quickly.

Silver frequently bys snacks for Ethan as a thx because of it.

Both boys agreed that the most PDA is done in private. However sometimes Silver grabbes Ethen's hands to feel more comfortable.

Wen the two are up against Giovanni (how I picture missgendering silver), Ethen will stand up for Silver and keeps him in his armes untill Giovanni leaves.

Ethen playes with Silvers hair and decorates it very often.

Unova

Hyū/ hugh

Can't control his emotion's!

Definitely Asperger's Autism! I won't take anything else!

Man ist an Abdul GOD in massages! Like you have sore shoulders? No worry's Hyū's got you!

Likes Spicy food! His favorite food is actually spicy curry and Chicken.

Walks around with a potion's and a first aid kit. He also had hair ties for rose.

See's N as a big Brother! I will fight you!

Make the best scrambled eggs!

Is very good with money!

Tony

Very clumsy. Needs a first aid kiss with him at all times. (Good that Hyū has always one)

His favorite food is chips/crispes.

Loves bubble tea and green tea!

I picture him with some sort of illness like diabetes or a heart problem.

Has frequent nightmares.

Can't handle to much Stress. Is just makes him puke.

Doesn't get sick often but wen he dose, it hits hard.

Lives healthy, trains much and over all very active!

Hyū x Tony

Because tony is so clumsy hyū has to always bandage him up. And if by any miracle Hyū forgets his first aid kit, both of them are fucked.

Hyū has to wake up Tony at least 4 times a week because of nightmares.

PDA is done in Private but also in public. Holding hands, kisses or hugging is normal day shit!

N

N is someone who eats sour things. Like give him a lime and he eats it infont of you without hesitation.

He has at least 4 wild pokemon around him at all times.

See's Hyū as a little brother and treats him as sutch.

Favorite pokemon? Kyurem!

Unlike his "little brother" N can handle emotions.

#pokemon #pokemon red #pokemon blue x red #pokemon red x blue #Ethen x Silver #Pokemon silver and gold #pokemon black and white #hyū pokemon #n pokemon #Tony pokemon black white 2

[irxnmaiden]

Pokémon Favourites!

repost, don’t reblog! 💕

FIRST GAME: Red. Infamously got stuck in Cerulean for almost a year bc I was a dumb kid and had no idea you had to enter someone’s house to leave lmao plus the ledges confused the fuck out of me, had NO idea what they were supposed to be

FAVOURITE SPINOFF GAME: Stadium 2, if that counts? As a true oldhead, I cannot express enough how much a slay that was to experience for the first time, everything looked so CRISP... plus being one of three siblings, it was nice having a game we could casually play - not to mention the minigames, which all slap to this day!

FAVOURITE EVIL TEAM: Aqua, hands down, because I have a thing for pirates and an entire world of water doesn’t seem too bad tbh. Not to mention, Archie is Daddy like c’mon now 🥴

FAVOURITE TEAM LEADER: Archie, but if we take away the thirst and I’m left to dehydrate, I’d say Giovanni for sure - he was legitimately ominous in the games, and the threat level felt more tangible and less... over-the-top (a diplomatic way to put it) than the other teams? I like realism when it comes to my villains, and shit felt super real

FAVOURITE STARTER: Squirtle, this is not an easy choice but it is the one I’ll make (shoutout to my second fav, Chikorita, which apparently is universally disliked? tasteless)

FAVOURITE BOX LEGENDARY: Lugia, they imo are one of the best designed Pokemon in the bunch and I adore their lore (evident by the lengths i will go for them to have a presence on this blog lol)

FAVOURITE POKEMON: my least favorite question but it is simple, Espeon! But Slowpoke, Dunsparce, Sableye, Jumpluff, and Scizor are also up there! love Gen II and III’s designs the most on average

FAVOURITE PROFESSOR: Oak for sure

FAVOURITE RIVAL: Hugh, bc I too would battle 8 gyms and take down an evil organization all bc they’d taken my sister’s cat. He was so real for that

FAVOURITE CHAMPION: Lance stan all day long, but we love Mr. Stone too!! 

FAVOURITE CHARACTER (if not already covered): SABRINAAAA no seriously she is my favorite and if i wasn’t drowning in muses, she’d make a reemergence. One of the only characters to interest me in game, manga, and anime. 

FAVOURITE STORY: tbh I consider Gen I and Gen II as one story, similar to BW/2. Those are tied for my favorites. The newest gen’s story is quickly rising the ranks, tho 

FAVOURITE MUSIC: Gen V was so superior, it’s hard to pick a favorite. But I love Iris’ Champion theme bc it reminds me of Rainbow Road...

FAVOURITE REGION OVERALL: Hoenn, or Unova - too close to call! Hoenn has the gorgeous scenery, Unova has all the excitement and tbh there’s something I love abt each town/city there. Both vibes are immaculate

#::🧚 ooc. #::🌻 dashgames.

[novemberhope]

Pokemon OTP - Leilani & Cliff

Who first brought up the option of marriage? Was it an easy topic?

Leilani, while being raised to be someone's wife at some point, enjoyed her new found freedom way to much to give it up. She didn't want a relationship for the longest time and it took her even longer to consider a marriage. Eventually though she realized that this was not about her being tied down but rather about spending the rest of her live with the man she loves. Cliff gave her all the time she needed but never gave up hope that she would change her mind one day because he definitely wanted to marry her. Eventually, he realized the timing was finally right and when he brought up the topic again, she agreed.

Who are the maids of honor and/or best men?

Cliff chose his old friend Guzma as man of honor since both of them were taken in by Giovanni at a young age and knew each other for quite some time. Leilani chose her friends Kanabun, Malea and Sierra as maid of honor/bridesmaids. Either Volo or Meadow probably had the rings.

Who’s the primary protector of the two?

You'd automatically think it's Cliff but honestly? Leilani is way quicker to act and much more chaotic - more often than not, he is protecting her from herself. Both are quite capable of protecting the other.

Who sleeps in and who is the early bird?

Leilani tends to get her beauty sleep while Cliff always gets up very early.

Who fell for the other one first?

Cliff. From the moment he saw her defending the little dedenne, he was smitten. When he actually got to know her, he was done for.

Who is the least patient?

Leilani

Which of the two is the most outspoken?

Leilani

Who’s the most eager to have kids?

Cliff

Which of the two rolls their eyes the most often?

Leilani

Who’s an open book and which one is more reserved?

Leilani's the open book and Cliff is the quiet one

Who’s more likely to get into a bar fight?

Leilani

Who’s the optimist and who’s the pessimist?

Cliff is the optimist and I guess that makes Leilani the pessiment? I don't see her as overly pessimistic though

What is each member’s love language?

Leilani - Physical Touch, Gifts & Presents

Cliff - Acts of Service

Who gets more easily embarrassed?

Cliff

Do they like public display of affection?

Leilani doesn't care. If she feels like it, she does it.

Which of the two is more likely to stand out in a crowd?

Cliff coz he's huge (and Lei coz she's extremely beautiful)

Can they sit side by side without touching the other or are they handsy? (lacing fingers, touching knees, etc.)

They can but… Leilani really doesn't want to :-P And well, Cliff likes it^^

Who worries more?

Cliff

Who sugarcoats and who shoots it straight?

Cliff sugarcoats but Leilani tells it as it is

Who’s more foulmouthed?

Leilani

Which of the two is more artistic?

Leilani

Their hypothetical hogwarts houses?

Leilani - Slytherin… sometimes a Slytherdor Mix… sometimes a Gryffindor? Cliff - Hufflepuff

Who’s the best cook?

Cliff

Who’s the most fashionable?

Leilani

Coffee or tea?

Leilani - tea Cliff - coffee

#pokemon oc #my ocs #ocs #project: pokemon alola #leilani #cliff #leilani x cliff #oc: leilani #pokemon trainer oc #pokemon alternate universe #pokemon #pokemon go #pokemon go boss cliff #pokemon boss oc #pokemon go boss oc #pokemon grunt oc #pokemon grunt #team skull grunt #oc community #pokemon original character

[foundfamilynonsense]

Ok but like. B.J from M*A*S*H = David from Giovanni’s Room hot take.

So. Y’know. This is obviously only if you accept the popular headcanon that BJ is gay, repressed, and in love with Hawkeye.

So anyway. David has sex with his childhood friend and then immediately starts repressing shit. He flees to France, somewhere where it’s not illegal to be gay, because he’s feeling the heat and knows he’s going to have to get married soon and he needs to put a pause on his life, to get away from that.

Then he goes to France. And yes, he does get to know a few people in the gay community. But what’s the first thing he does? He finds himself a perfect wife. Gets into a committed relationship to her. Until proposal is literally the only next step.

Ok. So BJ gets sent to Korea. And meets Hawkeye. And, yeah, this isn’t all that canon. But a lot of people in the fandom like the headcanon that BJ was immediately attracted to Hawkeye.

He’s away from home. If BJ was ever going to experiment with his sexuality it would be now. Now, I’m not saying he should have cheated on his wife but like y’know. If he was ever gonna let himself be gay it would be now.

But he doesn’t do that. He clearly has attachment to Hawkeye, but his whole personality revolves around his wife back home. Every time she has a problem at home, he becomes obsessed. His wife gets a job and he throws his ring into a poker table. He has a breakdown over her cleaning the gutters. He literally tells a woman who’s interested in him that he’s tethered to a little house with a wife back in California. He’s tied himself to his wife in the one place where it’d actually be better to let go a bit (again, not meaning cheating but like. Going to shambles bc somebody innocently hit on her).

So. For David, France represents his homosexuality. For BJ, it’s Korea. And both times, they completely reject it. Tether themselves to home and the heterosexual lie they’ve been telling (did I mention David’s girlfriend is American! Bc she is!)

So. David proposes to his girlfriend. Bc what else would someone escaping hetero standards in the US do in France? And she says SHE has to think about it and leaves for a trip around Spain.

Meanwhile, BJ gets some incorrect travel orders and gets to go home to his wife. He rushes off without even leaving Hawkeye a note and then. Gets caught. And gets sent right back to Hawkeye and the war.

Ok. Now what. David meets Giovanni and they get into a heavy relationship. Living together. Etc. meanwhile his girlfriend writes him back saying yes to his proposal and that she’ll be back, which is now a problem, bc like. Whoops. He now understands he doesn’t want her. Giovanni is sitting there, realistic and understanding, saying well you can have her and I’ll still be here no problem. But David just can’t think like that. Because in Giovanni’s room he can be gay, but this is his whole life, and he’s still repressed as hell.

BJ gets sent back. And the peace talks work out and the war is ending. And he refuses to say goodbye to Hawkeye. He refuses to admit they’ll never see each other again. They’ll meet up all the time. Even though BJ lives in California and Hawkeye in Maine. Meanwhile Hawkeye, who just came out of the mental hospital, is the voice of reason. Saying that they will never see each other, and that their relationship deserves a goodbye. They have a huge party talking about the future and BJ gets drunk and jokes about cheating on the wife he’s been obsessed with for so long, only a few days before he gets to see her again. Which seems a bit odd. Y’know, unless he actually didn’t want to face real life.

With both, only once the reality of the heterosexual love life is staring them in the face do they panic and allow themselves to want what they want.

And then what happens. The reality becomes too close and they’ve actually got to choose.

So. David doesn’t tell Giovanni, goes to pick up his fiancée, and writes his dad saying he’s coming home with a wife. Doesn’t acknowledge Giovanni again.

BJ goes home to his wife, says goodbye forever.

Giovanni’s Room ends with Giovanni getting put to death bc of a crime he wouldn’t have had to commit if David had just gotten his shit together. Meanwhile David gets caught in a gay bar by Hella, his fiancée, and she leaves him. He has no one and finishes the book in guilt and anguish.

So………… should I write a really fucking depressing M*A*S*H fanfic?

#mash #bj hunnicutt #giovanni’s room #Giovanni’s room spoilers

[mrs-gucci]

Wedding Bells [REPOST] {Maurizio Gucci x Reader}

author’s notes: hellooo! I originally wrote this story as an ‘x OC’ because that’s what I was writing at the time, but I decided to change it into an ‘x Reader’ story since that’s what more people like to read!

**I used a translation application for the Italian in this story. apologies if there are any typos and/or incorrect sentences/grammar. Italian sentences/words are in italics throughout the story with translations after the sentences in parenthesis.

**This is MY OWN INTERPRETATION of Maurizio Gucci’s character, as portrayed by Adam Driver in the upcoming film, House Of Gucci.

warnings: smut. fluff. maurizio calling reader “tesoro”™️. some wedding shit. light aftercare. grinding. creampie. implied consent. dirty talk, name-calling/degradation but in italian ;)

(possible) tw’s: infidelity/extramarital affair. brief mentions of tobacco use. implied age gap (reader is over 21, no more than 10 years difference).

SMUT under the CUT!

“Tesoro” means “Treasure” in Italian (an affectionate nickname)

You can’t believe this is really happening.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. You’re supposed to be the one in the white gown, the one set to marry Maurizio Gucci. 

He insists that this overzealous ceremony is just for the press, that he’s not truly in love with her, but sometimes you see him looking at her and you lose faith. 

You almost didn’t come today. You almost just stayed at the house and pretended that this never happened, but you know that even if this marriage is a sham, it’s still a big day for Maurizio. 

And I can’t say no to him.

The crowd cheers as they kiss up at the altar, turning to face everyone in the church with big smiles on their faces. You clap softly, forcing a smile upon your face as they walk down the aisle together. 

He looks so handsome in his suit, the striped pants and impeccably polished black leather loafers completing the look. Maurizio was always dressed to the nines, but today, he was dressed to the tens. 

His eyes meet yours, and his face falls for a moment when he reads the underlying sadness etched in your outwardly happy expression. 

Everyone starts piling out of the church and you go along with them, hopping into one of the cars to take everyone to the headquarters for the reception. 

The car pulls up to the building a few minutes later, and you walk in, taking a deep breath. 

You should just go home, Y/N. You went to the reception, and that’s enough.

You look around at the decorated walls, all the guests mingling happily, all here in support of Maurizio and Patrizia. 

You’re here too, sure, but you feel oddly out of place standing amongst the other guests.

Perhaps it’s because you’re the only non-native guest here. Perhaps it’s because you’re not here in support of the couple. 

You find my place at one of the front tables and of course, you’re sat facing Maurizio, practically head-on. Great.

The meal is served and the room goes essentially silent as everyone begins dining. You make some casual conversation with the people sitting around you, some of them your coworkers, but you can’t stop myself from looking over at the groom from time to time. 

As night runs into early morning, you’ve found some solace in the champagne and the company of Giovanni, someone you’ve come to really like spending time with. You both have a lot in common and you get on great; you’re always joking around the office. 

Each time you begin talking with Giovanni, however, you feel a particular set of eyes on you. And, when you look over, you’re met with the deep brown eyes of your lover. 

You show him no reaction, simply smiling sweetly each time your eyes meet, as if you were simply boss and employee. 

Soon, you feel utterly suffocated by the thick air of the room, so you decide to step outside for a short while. You hope to slip out unnoticed, and you do for a little bit, but then someone comes out behind you. 

You don’t even need to turn around to see who it is, and the familiar sound of a lighter gives all the confirmation you needed.

Maurizio walks out and leans over the balcony, a thin cloud of smoke passing through his lips as he looks out onto the horizon. 

“I…”

He begins, trailing off. 

“Have you gotten a slice of cake yet? It’s quite good.”

You huff with a drop of humor.

“No, but maybe I’ll do that now, since this balcony is no longer exclusive to just me.”

As you turn around and begin to walk towards the door, his hand snatches your wrist and pulls you back. Your body collides with his, your back pressed against his front. 

You can feel his smoky breath against your ear, and your skin erupts in goosebumps. 

“Please, stay. I want to speak with you.”

There’s a brief moment where you truly believe that you’re going to say no this time, that you’re going to walk away.

But I can’t say no to him.

He feels you relax and lets go of your wrist, allowing you to return to the railing. He stands behind you, taking another drag. 

“I guess I should begin by apologizing, for you having to sit through the ceremony.”

You take a sip of champagne. 

“As far as anyone else is concerned, I’m simply your assistant.”

“Yes, but I know that you’re more, much more, than that. I can’t imagine that sitting there the whole time was easy. But, I want you to know that I appreciate you coming, it would’ve been weird not seeing you today.”

You look over your shoulder, up at him.

“You know I’ll always be here for you, Maurizio.”

He smiles down at you. “I promise that it won’t always be like this for us, tesoro. Things will change, and we will be able to show our love to the world.”

His hand runs down your arm gently, then falls to your hip, where he squeezes lightly. 

“You look so beautiful tonight. I wish I could kiss you, touch you, worship you like you deserve.”

You blush, stepping back a bit, now fully pressed up against him. His breath catches in his throat as his hand comes forward and trails up, fingers teasing just below your breasts. 

He leans forward, lips leaving a series of open-mouthed kisses on your neck.

“It’s been nearly impossible to stay away from you, mi tesoro. I just want to have you right here, right now…”

A whimper escapes your lips as his trail down to your shoulder. 

“Potrei alzare il vestito e fotterti, climelo.” (I could just pull your dress up and fuck you, christ.)

He breathes, grinding his hips against you, growling lowly in your ear. 

“Piegati sulla ringhiera, ti fa urlare il mio nome…” (Bend you over the railing, make you scream my name…)

You’re breathless as you try to resist the urge to let him take you right here. 

But, you know you can’t, it’s way too risky. Someone’s bound to notice.

“Maurizio…”

You whisper. 

“We can’t, not here.”

Something seems to switch in his brain and he freezes suddenly, almost as if he’s been snapped back into reality. He stands up straight again, breath shaky as he takes a final drag of his cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray. 

“I’m sorry, I got carried away.”

He groans in frustration, running a hand through his hair. 

You turn around, resting your hands on his chest, staring up into his eyes. 

“It’s okay.”

“I need to have you tonight, tesoro, please.”

Maurizio says, resting his forehead on yours, lips mouthing at yours. 

You sigh.

“How? There are people everywhere, it’s too risky.”

A smirk suddenly stretches across his face.

“No one will be in my office bathroom…”

You bite your lip, holding back a smile. 

“Shall we meet in there?”

“I’ll have to sit with Patrizia for a little while, talk to some people, just to keep up appearances.”

He says, nodding. 

“But, how about we meet there in...let’s say an hour?”

“Saro li l’accordo.” (I’ll be there.)

You say, smiling up at him. 

He returns the expression. 

“Allora ci vediamo.” (See you then.)

One Excruciatingly Long Hour Later

You quietly step into Maurizio’s office, gasping when a pair of arms wraps around your waist, pulling you into the office. You look up and see him, immediately jumping into his arms, crashing your lips together. 

He carries you into the hidden bathroom, closing the door quickly behind him. His gaze is hungry as his darkened eyes rake up and down your dress-clad figure. 

“Bend over.”

He growls, head nodding towards the marble vanity. 

You bend yourself over, resting on your elbows. There isn’t much time before someone notices Maurizio’s missing, and you can tell he knows this as well, a sense of urgency in his fingers as he undoes his belt and pants.

You look at his reflection in the mirror, the sight of him in his wedding suit incredibly arousing, a certain sense of promiscuity surrounding us. Even more so than usual.

Maurizio quickly bends down and pulls the dress up over your hips, moving your panties to the side before rubbing his tip through your wetness. 

“We’ll have to be quick.”

He says, looking at you through the mirror’s reflection.

You nod, and he lines himself up with your entrance, chin resting on your shoulder as he pushes in, sighing loudly. 

Your eyes roll into the back of your head, his cock stretching you out deliciously. You whimper as he pulls back and thrusts back in, your body jolting with his forward motion. 

“Tesoro.”

He moans into your ear, picking up the rhythm of his hips. 

“You’re so pretty.”

“O-Oh, Maurizio.”

You whimper, walls clenching around him.

One of his hands comes up from your hip and wraps around your throat, fingers shaking your jaw slightly. 

“Guardati, tesoro, guardati ti scopa allo specchio.”  (Look at you, treasure, watch yourself get fucked in the mirror.)

Your eyes go wide when you look at the reflection, seeing Maurizio positioned behind you, hips jackhammering into you. His glasses are steaming up slightly and his brow is furrowed, a sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead.

Our eyes meet in the mirror and we moan together, the sight so erotic. 

“Per favore, fottimi di piu!” (Please, fuck me harder!)

You say, pushing your hips back against him. 

“Sono cosi vicino!” (I’m so close!)

A low growl rumbles through his chest and his back arches as he pounds you harder, turning his head so that his lips are right at your ear, breathing heavy.

“Si, tu sborra per me? Vuoi guardarti su tutto il mio uccello?”  (Yeah, are you going to cum for me? Are you going to watch yourself cum all over my cock?)

You bite down hard on your lip, trying to hold back the loud noises threatening to spill from your lips. 

“M-Muh...M-Maurizio!”

You cry out, hips jerking as you spill your release all over his cock.

“Ah, oh fuck!”

He’s close, too, now.

“Sto per sborra! Oh Dio, ti riempiro io!” (I’m going to cum! Oh God, I’m going to fill you up!)

“Fallo, ti prego! Lo voglio tantissimo!” (Do it, please! I want it so badly!)

His eyes go wide for a moment as his hips stop, pressed deeply inside of you. He cums with a long, low moan, hips rutting as he rides out his high. 

“Prendila, prendila dentro di te...” (Take it, take it all inside of you…)

You fall forward onto the cool marble, body limp for a minute after your climax. Maurizio stays buried deep inside of you until he regains control of his breath, pulling his now-limp length from you, quickly tucking it back into his wedding pants. 

He helps you pull your dress back down and straighten yourself out. 

You gasp when he spins you around and crashes his lips onto yours, holding you against him. Your lips meld together perfectly, your hands gently tugging on his hair. 

You two pull away moments later, panting softly. 

Maurizio looks sad as he reaches down to hold your hands.

“You’re amazing, beautiful, you’re perfection.”

He kisses your knuckles, which makes you smile. 

“Ci vediamo presto, tesoro mio.” (I will see you soon, my treasure)

You nod, lip quivering slightly when the reality hits. He’ll be gone for two weeks on his honeymoon. 

You reach up and wrap your arms around his neck, hugging him close, allowing a single tear to fall down your cheek. 

“I’ll miss you while you’re away.”

He buries his face into your neck.

“I will call you at some point, I promise.”

Suddenly, there’s a knock at the office door. It’s Giovanni.

“Maurizio, ci sei?” (Maurizio, are you in there?)

His eyes go wide as he pulls away.

“Si! Sarò fuori tra un attimo.” (Yes! I’ll be out in a moment.)

Maurizio looks down at you one last time, tears in his eyes.

“Addio, tesoro mio. Fino a quando ci incontriamo di nuovo.” (Farewell, my treasure. Until we meet again.)

#adamdriverwriter #adam driver #adam driver character #adam driver smut #adam driver fluff #maurizio gucci #maurizio gucci smut #maurizio gucci fluff #maurizio gucci x reader #maurizio gucci x reader smut #maurizio gucci x reader fluff #maurizio gucci x you #house of gucci #tw: extramarital affair #tw: tobacco use #tw: age gap #tw: age difference

[the-darklings]

╱ i only love it when you touch me, not feel me.

pairing: jean & clara verse: npfh word count: 3.1k+ warnings: nsft, bathroom/mirror sex (because that's who they are as people), rough sex (but they're both so into it I'm not sure it even counts), cockwarming. notes: so this was written all the way back in January but it's the first piece of what I considered to be the real beginning of their dynamic (which I've expanded upon in ASE) despite writing them a lot prior to this point. it's also the first time I ever tried to write from jean's pov so enjoy. this is not super explicit and more character exploration because apparently smut is good for those. as always, any feedback is loved and appreciated 🌿 ✨

He’s never cared much for his name.

Or, more accurately, never cared what sentiment it was spoken with. He’s heard his name being called lovingly, with hatred, suspicion, fear, and hatred alike. Moaned desperately and worshipped—latter he’s always preferred the most.

“I'm not going to touch you unless you beg.”

Clara, however, has an infuriatingly persistent ability to make him crave his own name. From her mouth specifically.

Jean could fuck her until she’s barely coherent and it still won’t be enough. This woman fights and fights, and doesn’t give him an inch of ground. All liquid flame and viciousness, and he can’t help but wonder where the hell she’s been hiding all this time.

With Camorra, a sly voice reminds him, Giovanni De Stefano’s deadly little matchstick. So good at death.

She is. She's a master at death and maybe that’s what makes this so fun, so good, and addictive. Why he irritatingly finds his blood burning whenever he sees her. Why he looks forward to every occasion their bodies touch. Whenever those dark eyes fixate on him and pin him in place, a monster deep down stirs, purrs at her presence. His desire is a monster with its own life, its own insatiable appetite for her.

Jean prefers when she pins him with her lithe body—eyes flashing and teeth bared, a powerful but dangerous package of hunger.

He had expected her to be meek. Broken. Especially after Tokyo. She’s proven to be anything but. Even at her worst, she’s still a sharpened blade. A danger, a promise of destruction. Damaged, certainly, but unbroken and unyielding. The more he learns about Tokyo the more his head rings with but one downright greedy thought.

The Viper hasn’t taken another lover since then. No one has touched her or tasted her since her rebirth. No one has fucked her, brought her to the edge, made her moan and shudder. Given her an escape and a release. Satisfied her.

No one knows the scrunch of her nose or the way her lips part softly. A whisper of air slipping free with every slow, lingering kiss against her throat.

Expect him.

His hips stutter at that thought. It always makes him feel good. To know that he alone has claimed some tiny part of her. Jean knows full well it’s only because she allowed him to claim it but that’s its own kind of buzz. He likes how she burns. How she yields only when she wants to. Liquid flame melting into his body like she was made to fit in his arms.

It’s sex at the end of the day. It doesn’t have to or even need to have meaning—he would know—but she makes it mean something. Emotions aside, she challenges him with such acute precision, he can’t help but come and meet her in the middle; an unending battle of wills. For all the dullness and predictability of their world, she’s a tempest, utterly untamed.

“And would you prefer if I begged?” he whispers against the shell of her ear, watching their reflection—the way they fit, the way she leans into him, trust, trust, trust, that he won’t let her fall, and they exist in these tiny victories. “Mmh? Ma vipére.”

He hums with a wolfish grin, his words throaty, pressing another greedy kiss against the back of her neck, then side, his lips dragging over her soft skin. “For you, I might,” he adds slyly, meeting her stare in the bathroom mirror again.

He might be losing, but she's losing quicker.

Clara doesn’t answer right away—a clever, careful thing that she is, his viper—and they watch each other for a moment, his pace slowing.

The bathroom door is closed, secured with one of her blades, they don’t need to rush but Jean wants to. He can savour her later, in their bed, where she’s his and his alone, where he can do everything to her. If only because he knows she’s no better. Because any scrap of pleasure she will return with an intensity that will leave him bloody.

She has in the past. His back is a colourful tale of her ravenous hunger. The Viper likes to mark him. It likely pleases her, to know she has her venom in his system in the form of her sultry whispers, kisses and moans. Blazing eyes and coil of her limbs around his.

Clara’s stare is, as usual, burning—an almost physical thing. Even like this, with him so deep inside her—and fuck if she isn’t hot, and slick, and welcoming in ways he quite remember fitting with others, and there've been plenty—she doesn’t lose her proud edge. She enjoys it, getting under his skin. Pushing him. Melting the ice, she once murmured with her mouth pressed against the taut skin of his lower stomach and sinking ever lower. Testing his self-control with her mouth wrapped around him, and her tongue searing and wet; a viper delighting in her poison spreading so effectively.

It does say something about his self-control because, despite the temptation, he doesn’t simply fuck into her until they’re both lost in pleasure so deep they can’t get out of it.

The skin of her chest is flushed, her swollen lips parted, her expression slacker with pleasure but she still stares him down.

His fingers sink into the cut of her hip, pushing her harder against the cold marble of the bathroom sinks, rolling his own hips, and it makes her shudder in his hold. So Jean presses another hungry kiss to her pulse, lets his teeth scrape against it, sucking on it. Prodding at the weak spot masterfully. He can be mean, too. She likes it when he is. Just as much as he likes it when she lets those sharper edges of hers out.

Her strong legs hold her upright but she clenches around him in reply and fuck, fuck, fuck, what is it about her?

All he wants to do is bend her over this fucking counter and fuck her until she’s screaming his name. Not that it would do him much good. Clara is as likely to let him do it as she is to graze her blade across his throat for trying. He would be lying if he said the thought of that fight doesn’t thrill him, makes him want to try it anyway. He’s only managed to get a drop on her like this a few times. Sink himself into her from behind so deeply she hadn’t been able to shake him off till she was sated and panting with pleasure.

Then, of course, the viper had tightened her grip on him in return, paying him back in kind with her bite and her venom.

The bite he enjoys a little too much. The venom is becoming… a concern.

He’s worked for years to remove any ties, any weaknesses, from his life. No one can ever have anything on him. He’s the one with the web, he’s the one who controls others. Sly implication and whispers and they’re oh, so destructive but she…

Jean snaps himself inside her, pulsing and so hard he has to grit his teeth. Clara’s hand seeks purchase desperately, her fingers snapping behind herself. Breathing deeply, she lets her nails sink into the back of his neck—firm, near painful—and he hisses through his teeth, pulling away from the hollow of her neck.

“You would like it, won’t you?” he gasps into her ear, and her nails sink deeper, so he fucks her harder. His hips are merciless against the soft skin of her thighs. Yet Clara stands unmoving, near silently goading him with her resilience and coyness. She’s so fucking wet. He’ll need a cigarette after this, or three. “On my hands and knees, non? Vicious vipère. Give in first.”

“No.”

He almost laughs at that. At the caustic hiss of her voice. Of course, she won’t. It’s why even though he’s gotten her, it makes him wonder if he truly has. If he ever will.

The more he has her, the more he wants her. And it’s a dangerous thing. To want, to crave, to hoard her the way he does.

“Then I’ll just fuck you harder, chérie.”

He wraps around her tighter, nibbling on the shell of her ear, dragging his other hand between her thighs. He feels the muscle there, the strength, he likes those legs around his waist and head too. Usually when her taste is hot on his tongue and she’s a squirming, hateful mess above him, tearing at his hair as hard as she can while she grinds onto his face.

He sucks on the curve of her neck at the memory, nibbling, wanting nothing more than to mark her with his teeth as she marked him this morning. Crinkled eyes and a content smile when she curled around him after. A predator satisfied with her hunt.

She’s addictive.

Usually, it’s the other way around. Maybe still is. But he can’t let it go much further than this. A carnal need and nothing more than that.

If he knew about this, about her…

Jean doesn’t allow the thought conclusion.

She’s nothing, he repeats to himself with every push and every strangled exhale, just a means to an end.

She never once looks away.

Clara gazes at them, takes in the way he moves in her, her eyes hooded and intent. Daring him. Even after she confessed to him how that man used to watch her. How it made her abhor every touch, despise being watched. She watches him—them, joined, with his fingers hard against her clit, drawing more of those little gasps of pleasure that sound like music to him—and he can’t help but stare too.

He should take advantage of the weakness, prod it and scrub at it until he can bend her to his will, but he loves her fire too much. Covets it like a man starved—and they both are, aren’t they—starved for more. Each other.

He wants her. For more than just a quick fuck. More than just a means by which he can bury his problems. Just more, more, more. And it sickens him, but it also makes him feel strangely relieved as well, that realisation. The acceptance of it. He would never admit it to anyone but himself but he does. It forces him to feel raw, unbalanced. He hasn’t felt like this in years. He hates it but it also makes him feel high, alive.

In revenge, he sucks on the smooth skin again, lets his teeth bite and nibble, releasing her hip and burying his fingers in her pulled-back hair. Chestnut strands loosen in his iron grasp and he only does it because he knows for a fact she doesn’t have any sharp pointy metal hidden up there. He watched her get ready. Her graceful, supple body was an open invitation for him. A sight to admire, and he did. He worshipped her with his attention, letting her know without a word how every curve and every freckle of hers sang to him. Beguiled him further.

He pulls on Clara’s hair, forcing her chin upwards, at an angle, and she still defies him. Still glares and brims with power.

A strangled pant escapes her at the change of angle, in how he slams back into her, her nails slicing into his neck. Jean hopes she draws blood even if he would have to get creative about explanations later.

“Jean.”

It’s a breathy, bewitching thing—snaring him, pulling him deeper into her, and he audibly gasps a breath, feeling even more starved. Now he wishes to claim a litany of those tiny, appreciative exhales of his name. He feels the muscles in his lower stomach grow tauter with every thrust, with every taste of her skin, and the sounds of their shared pleasure.

They penetrate the air, echoing off the walls, and they are as animalistic and as intensive as the pleasure they create.

“What?” he groans appreciatively, their eyes still locked, and heat between them sweltering. She drives him insane. He’s removed emotional attachments from himself years ago—didn’t even realise he’s still capable of them—but nothing about her, them, makes sense. She’s the one thing he can’t predict or control. “What do you want? Tell me.”

Drive me to the edge, he wants to goad her, tugging on her hair again, and he manages to dislodge a moan from the back of her throat, push me, claim what you want.

“You,” she whispers in teeth-clenched defeat but to him, it’s a symphony. This time, he won. He knows she’ll get him back. Twice as badly most likely. But saints above, did he win? She’s so open and warm, the scent of jasmines and earth mixing with his cologne and musk of sex, and he pushes into her deeper till they’re completely pressed into each other. Moulded into one being. “You.”

He feels every tense muscle in her body, and his fingers slip from her hair, curving around her throat instead, and a flutter of a smile appears, coy and knowing.

Fuck.

The things this woman does to him.

He speeds the already merciless pace until she’s a shivering mess inside his embrace, clinging out of sheer stubbornness alone. Deeper, deeper, deeper—a cruel part of him is set on planting himself inside her very marrows, so she will never be able to feel or know another lover. Not even the Italian, a voice deep down snarls. It’s so wholly and truly selfish yet he craves it. If he is to lose this game between them, he will make her lose first. Make this need between them mutual until neither of them knows where one ends and the other begins.

Jean can’t look away from her, certainly not when pushes and pushes, not when he feels her throat bob under his hand as she swallows. Wanting and needing and trusting his touch. He feels her quivering, her muscles tightening, whispering to him that—

Her orgasm washes over her like a tidal wave—slow but so intense that for the first time, he feels Clara’s legs tremble. His hold on her constricts, steadying her, and his viper withers in his embrace, a beautiful undoing. He lets her ride her orgasm out, watching her mouth, her fluttering lashes, the bead of sweat clinging between the dip of her breasts.

It's then—watching her, memorising how she looks like this; relaxed and glowing—that his own orgasm finally overpowers him. For a moment, Jean finds himself robbed of sight because she washes everything away. He spills himself inside her, letting her feel his pleasure this time. He moans for her, splinters for her, lets the world fade away just for a moment.

This is his gift, he wants to tell her then, the fact that when it’s them, it’s just them alone. There’s nothing else outside of her and he’s never allowed another this close, not since…

But he can’t adequately put that into words for her, nor does he want to. She can’t know. He hopes there will never be a day when he has to explain everything to her.

If she knew him—saw all the festering darkness like a rotting carcass out in the open—she would hate him. It would be better if she did. Maybe her hatred would make it easier to let her go.

He can’t think of that right now.

Instead Jean sinks his teeth into the slim arch of her throat, savouring the appreciative gasp she releases, dragging her nails down the side of his neck. He promised her this morning he will return the favour sooner rather than later after all.

He laps at the bite with his tongue—heat, sweat, and remnants of her soap tingling his tongue—and looks up from beneath his lashes. Her eyes appear black with pleasure. He can barely see blue in his own.

Two monsters, a thought comes then, unbidden. It’s as pleasant as it is seductive. Mainly because he knows he’s right. Cut from the same cloth, sewn into being by similar hardships, and capable of such awful things.

He’s still semi-hard inside of her but his grip on her throat loosens—and the thought she trusts him enough to let him touch her like this is thrilling enough—his palm journeying downwards. Clara sighs quietly when his palm settles against her lower stomach, and he pushes gently, savouring the breathless gasp that follows. He has to choke one back himself. She feels like heaven. Or hell. A mix of both. Still, he keeps pressing, letting the pressure sit there, feeling himself twitching inside her. Them, joined together at the seams, and the heat between them overbearing. They could go again but he doesn’t want to move just yet. It feels good to be inside her like this; a promise of more gratification sitting snugly between them.

His nose drags up the length of her neck, and he buries his face in Clara’s hair, inhaling deeply. She’s wearing his favourite perfume tonight. Something warm and deep with jasmines blooming in his lungs. If it were her, she would go on a whole monologue, breaking each chemical ingredient down and every scent used in creating it.

He likes her distracted, mind-boggling dialogues. Then nearly scoffs at the mere thought. Since when? Since when does he give a shit about something like that? It serves no purpose to him and he doesn’t waste time on things that don’t.

Because it’s her, comes the sinking realization, because she says these things, so they matter.

Merde.

He tenses when her hand settles on top of his, pushing once, harder. Another soft sigh leaves her while Jean doesn’t bother biting back his groan of appreciation at the flare of fierce hot pleasure.

Clara’s mesmeric expression arrests something inside of him when he spots it. For a second, his vision blurs and the black dress drips into white, and she wears that same peaceful expression as she sinks into a river and doesn’t resurface. A dream that haunts him near-nightly now.

He blinks and then he’s back in the bathroom, his arms still around her. She’s here, with him, and his grip constricts further. He can make it work. He’ll find a way.

When has he ever compromised?

She means nothing, he tries to convince himself once again now that he’s back from his high.

But as he peers her—tiniest of smiles on her face, her freckles a roadmap for him to re-examine, loose strands of dark hair framing her flushed cheeks—a voice scratches itself from deep inside his chest.

A voice he hasn't heard in years, not since he called somewhere earthier and greener his home.

Liar.

an: head empty, just them. I could go on about them for five calendar months but hope you all enjoyed this little peek inside his head. ASE does contain Jean's pov so you'll def be seeing/learning more about him outside of just smut dfjhgdfg

#original writing #original prose #spilled prose #oc x oc #oc writing #writing #s: almost love #c: jean #c: clara #nsft

[doppel-drop-distance]

Doppel Spotlight: Giovanna

Surprise~!

I know, I know, about time, right? The hypothetical Soul Gem has broken, and the Doppel Spotlights are back from the dead! Er…temporarily, anyway. I can’t say for certain how many more of these I’m up to doing just yet. It’s a bit too early for me to make any big estimates or guarantees. But! This Doppel analysis has sat here unfinished for quite some time now! And you all have shown such lovely support that I couldn’t help but be excited looking at all this old material again. So as a gift to you all, let’s finally analyze the Doppel of our main protagonist, Iroha Tamaki!

This analysis will contain spoilers for all of Magia Record’s first arc! This does include anime-specific content, as I will be discussing certain scenes from Episodes 5 and 7! You have been warned!

Let’s dive in, shall we?

GIOVANNA

Doppel of Silence

Feature: Cuckoo

“The master of this emotion is aware of how pitiful her Doppel is and refuses to look at it. This Doppel wordlessly wraps around and strangles anything it doesn't want to hear as it continues its search for something to fill the hole in its heart. While it should be calling for someone, it is cowardly and afraid of acknowledging the reality it has concealed, and so it remains, silently covering its ears.”

It's been a while, so how about we start things off with a little refresher?

Both Giovanna and Campanella’s names are direct references to Night on the Galactic Railroad, a Japanese novel written by Kenji Miyazawa. In the story, a shy boy named Giovanni travels on a star-bound train with his close friend, Campanella. To keep things brief, I’ll leave most of the general plot details out. However, if you’d like a lengthier summary, I suggest reading the summary I provided in the previous Doppel Spotlight, which is linked here.

I should also mention I actually located an English-translated copy of Night on the Galactic Railroad! As a result, I can quote the story directly, although I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the translations or my own interpretations. Please keep that in mind as you read!

The opening scene of the novel establishes early on that Giovanni is a reserved, self-conscious boy. In class, he is certain he knows the answer to the teacher’s question. However, when called on, he doubts himself and stays silent, bringing upon the jeers of his classmates. Campanella, who also raised his hand for the question, willingly chooses not to answer, despite also knowing, in order to show some sympathy for the flustered Giovanni.

This opening scene is likely what is referenced in Giovanna’s nature as the Doppel of silence. Giovanni stays silent out of self-doubt, and as a result believes himself to be pathetic. Iroha also silences herself in her own way, being very passive, self-conscious, and reserved at the beginning of her story. And, true to that comparison, her Doppel’s reflections of insecurity make her feel pitiful, to the point where she refuses to look at it.

Giovanni’s character can also be representative of Iroha’s inner loneliness. With his mother sickly and his father out of the house, Giovanni is too occupied with taking jobs and caring for his family to have time to talk. More often, he is bullied by his peers. The only exception is with Campanella, who doesn’t bully him, and even sympathizes with him. As Giovanni and Campanella travel on the Galactic Railroad, Giovanni’s loneliness is at its clearest. Campanella begins talking to Kaoru, another passenger on the train, and Giovanni becomes morose with jealousy. See this quote here:

“Is there really nobody who will stick with me to the edges of the universe and beyond? Campanella just sits there jabbering away with that little girl, and it hurts me more than anybody knows.”

Iroha is also incredibly lonely, deep down. She lives on her own, with parents away on business trips. The anime implies she doesn’t have a lot of friends either, with her classmates talking behind her back instead. Worst of all, her sister, who she values more than anyone else, is completely absent, Iroha being the only one that remembers that she exists. Such relationships sound awfully lonely, don’t they? It’s only through her bond with Yachiyo and the rest of Mikazuki Villa that Iroha grows into her own, letting her optimism, warmth, and confidence shine through.

Giovanna’s connections to Giovanni tie her quite close to Campanella, Yachiyo’s Doppel. And, well, Yachiyo is certainly not the kind and sympathetic Campanella at first meet. Her first encounter with Iroha is cold, brutally honest, and fully intent on keeping Iroha out at any cost. We learn later on that this attitude is a wall Yachiyo puts up to protect people – that she believes the people that get close to her die, and that she still struggles with the guilt of her past. Yet, it is Iroha who shows sympathy to Yachiyo, breaking down that wall between them. For example, let’s take a look at Chapter Six. After a trip to the Memory Museum Uwasa, Yachiyo has been reminded of the death in her life and is reflexively closing herself off again to keep Iroha safe. Iroha once shriveled up in response to Yachiyo’s intimidating rejection, but now, as her friend, she isn’t having it. She says this:

“You saying there’s nothing you can do to help Tsuruno and the others… It makes me feel sad…Lonely…We fought together all this time…But more than that, I’m angry. I’m angry with you, Yachiyo...”

“I’m your friend, Yachiyo. And as your friend, I’m going to take out that Uwasa, all on my own! I’m going to be the one to protect you. I’ll smash this made-up idea you have of me sacrificing myself for you!”

Just as Giovanni interprets his journey with Campanella as a sign to stay diligent in life, Iroha’s friendship with Yachiyo allows her to steady her own resolve and fight adamantly. Their namesake connection is a sign of their bond, and their newfound devotion to fight together and protect each other.

To wrap up this Galactic Railroad talk, have you noticed that in many of the anime’s early episodes, Iroha is riding on a train? In fact, it is on a train that Iroha is whisked away to Zenobia’s Barrier in Kamihama, where she meets Yachiyo for the first time. Perhaps a stretch, but a fun little detail regardless.

Anyway, there’s far more to Giovanna than story connections! Giovanna’s silent nature reflects a lot of Iroha’s character struggles: mainly, her feelings of denial, and her inclination towards self-sacrifice.

“This Doppel wordlessly wraps around and strangles anything it doesn't want to hear as it continues its search for something to fill the hole in its heart. While it should be calling for someone, it is cowardly and afraid of acknowledging the reality it has concealed, and so it remains, silently covering its ears.”

When you think of someone “strangling anything it doesn’t want to hear”, concealing their own reality and being afraid of acknowledging it...well, that sounds a lot like someone who doesn’t want to accept the truth.

Iroha shows quite a bit of denial in her search for Ui. The odds are stacked against her for a lot of Arc 1. She finds little to no clues wherever she searches, and the Ui she encounters from the Uwasa of the Commoner’s Horse is only a fake. Iroha is certain that Touka and Nemu, Ui’s closest friends, will remember Ui. But, they do not, and only ridicule Iroha for her seemingly impossible set of memories. Throughout Chapter Ten she is belittled for sticking to her goals. She’s ensured on all fronts that Touka and Nemu aren’t believing her, and that there’s nothing she can do to change their minds. But, no matter how many times Iroha is told by the world that she’s believing in a lie, she never lets her belief go.

“I’m still going. No matter what you say. I’m bringing Ui back with me…She’s the whole reason I came back to Kamihama.”

This stubborn determination, when twisted by the corrupt perception of a Witch, is far more like paranoid desire: an aching, fearful need to find whatever is missing in her heart and get rid of whatever threatens it.

Following this, let’s talk about Giovanna’s feature: a cuckoo. Cuckoos are solitary birds, shy and secretive, and best known for their calls. Yet, Giovanna’s beak is tied up with cloth. She cannot call for anyone. Her journey to find Ui is painted as one of futility: Giovanna searches and searches for the one she’s longed for, but in the end, is too afraid to call out to her.

Here’s a fun detail, by the way:

In Episode 5, when Iroha summons her Doppel for the first time, Giovanna actually does not have bandages around her beak (which is why she’s able to let out that high-pitched shriek):

In future appearances, however, Giovanna does have the bandages around her beak.

Come to think of it, Giovanna looks rather... different in her first appearance, doesn’t she? Not only is her beak not bandaged, but her colors are a lot redder and more decayed, her cloak is worn and full of holes, and the crown around her head is gone. This may just be a stylistic choice for Iroha’s first Doppel, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s a sign for something else. Maybe that Giovanna is angry with the Commoner’s Horse Uwasa for projecting an illusion of Ui? Giovanna does fight a lot more aggressively here than in any other appearance, after all - she wraps the Uwasa up and drills into it with her beak. Meanwhile, in her second appearance, she only attacks an Uwasa with her bandages.

Giovanna’s unwillingness to call for others actually brings up an interesting facet of Iroha’s character: her sacrificial devotion. The reason that Iroha unleashes her Doppel in Episode 5 is because she neglects her own needs in favor of others. She believes that she must be strong on her own to find Ui, a thought reflected by her own Doppel’s words in Episode 7:

“Stronger…If you don’t become strong, you won’t be able to find anything! Cover your ears! Shut those eyes! Silence determines fate!”

When Iroha fails to find Ui within the Uwasa of the Commoner’s Horse, she is filled with despair. Ui was right before her eyes, proving the beliefs that even she may have begun to doubt. Yet, in that same instant she recognizes the Ui she sees is nothing but an illusion the Uwasa projected for her. So close, and yet so far. When Iroha begins to succumb to her despair, she even mentions that it might’ve been from the shock of not seeing Ui.

With all of these feelings, all of this disappointment and despair, who does Iroha use her only Grief Seed on? Yachiyo, of course. At this point in the story, Iroha wants to be friends with Yachiyo, but they are not seen as equals. She is not comfortable enough to open up to Yachiyo about her feelings, and neither is Yachiyo with her own. Yet, Iroha still sacrifices herself to keep Yachiyo from falling to despair. And by staying silent about her own woes, Iroha falls to her despair for the first time, summoning her Doppel.

Let’s keep this topic in mind and focus on something I haven’t addressed before: the Magia Archive artbook! There are some production notes in here that provide insights on the meaning and symbolism behind a Doppel. Unfortunately, I don’t know Japanese, but I did find a translation of Giovanna’s section, courtesy of @greenyvertekins. Here is a small piece from it that I would like to highlight:

“The motif is a bird flute and a saint with a rabbit-like appearance.”

The theme of a “saint” struck me as a little odd, at first. I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to get that idea from her design. But, it did lead me to a unique little find, which is probably a stretch, but maybe kind of cool anyway?

(credit to Silvermoon424 on Reddit for the scan!)

It’s a bit harder to see in the official art, but that crown circling Giovanna’s head – to me, it sort of looks like a crown of thorns. A crown of thorns is a very striking sign of self-sacrifice.

And sure, this is the stretchiest stretch that ever stretched, but those drop-like patterns on Giovanna’s body are red, and kind of look like drops of blood, right? Beads of blood that have also been associated with the crown of thorns, r-right? Right…?

Phew…I’ve been going on for a while, haven’t I? Is this…is this longer than the first one? I don’t even know anymore…Let’s silently wrap this up with one more, fun little stretch on my part.

Both cuckoos and bunnies, which are elements of Giovanna’s design, are symbolically representative of spring. Spring is cherry blossom season in Japan, and the Eternal Sakura Uwasa lives near a cherry blossom tree only said to bloom when Touka, Nemu, Ui and Iroha are united again. At the end of the event Cherry Blossom Dreams, the Eternal Sakura even remarks that “spring can finally begin” because they are all together. So, if you squint really hard, maaaaybe the springtime connections here are representative of Iroha, Touka, Nemu, and Ui’s union under the cherry blossom tree. But probably not. I’m just having some fun.

And, that’s it! That’s all I’ve got for Giovanna! Wow! That sure was something!

I hope you all enjoyed my silly little analysis! I know some of these connections are a bit loose, but I like drawing whatever parallels I can with what understanding I have, haha. It was great to write one of these again and share it with you all!

If you have any of your own thoughts, additions, or corrections, do send them along! I would love to hear other interpretations!

#magia record #doppel spotlight #iroha tamaki #giovanna