#medu i love and miss you

[mariacallous]

Families of Russian soldiers who’ve gone missing in the war in Ukraine are often left with no way of knowing what happened to their loved ones and without a body to bury. Whether relatives are still holding on to hope or certain of the worst, the situation has practical implications as well: without a death certificate, there’s no way to access survivor benefits or settle the person’s affairs. Russian military leadership has been pressuring families to have missing soldiers declared dead in court and move on. The independent news outlet iStories calculated how many families have pursued this process and learned the reasons some have for doing so. Meduza shares a retelling in English.

No proof, no payments

Magomed Kalimatov, from the Russian republic of Ingushetia, went missing in Ukraine at the very beginning of the full-scale war. His parents, wife, and six children were waiting for him at home. In March 2023, his family told a local TV station that despite not hearing from Kalimatov for over a year, they remained hopeful that he was still alive. Exactly two months later, Kalimatov’s father filed in court to have his son declared dead. “My son has five dependent children. When he went to the training ground, he didn’t know about the planned special military operation, which was announced only later,” Kalimatov’s father explained to the court. “And the card he got his salary on was with him.”

The family also brought up statements from Kalimatov’s fellow servicemen who, after returning from captivity, said that he’d been with them when they came under fire near the village of Malynivka in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, which the Ukrainian army liberated at the end of March 2022. Neighbors also came to court and testified that they’d “known [Magomed] since childhood” and that he’d been sent to Ukraine. The court ruled to declare Kalimatov dead. However, even after this, his name didn’t appear in any obituaries and local officials still pay official visits to “the family of Magomed Kalimatov, who’s been listed as missing for a long time.” In reports, they write that “his relatives are still in the dark [about his fate] and live in hope that he’ll return home.”

By comparing the number of declarations of presumed death before and after the start of the full-scale war, iStories calculated that 921 Russian soldiers who went missing in Ukraine have been ruled deceased by the courts. Families have to argue why it’s necessary to have their loved ones declared dead. Judging by records from proceedings, the majority say they need the documentation for financial reasons: to “receive payments and benefits from the Defense Ministry,” “claim inheritance rights,” and “close out [the deceased’s] debts.”

Marina Andreeva went to court to have her husband, a BARS unit volunteer, legally recognized as deceased. His fellow soldiers saw him get hit but were unable to retrieve his body because they were under shelling. She asked the judge to issue the declaration immediately, saying she was “in dire financial straits and had dependents,” and the court granted her request. “We can’t get payments or death benefits. They refuse everything unless you have a death certificate,” another family said in court.

Some insist that their family members be officially recognized as “killed in action” so that they’re granted official “combatant” status, even if they fought as volunteers. According to one mother, this would entitle her son’s widow and children to payments they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. She even brought photos “from the scene” to court to prove he died on the battlefield.

Others say they’re turning to the courts out of despair. “This decision was incredibly difficult for me, incredibly,” says Irina (name changed), whose son disappeared in Ukraine at the very beginning of the war. “They advised me to do this a year earlier, called me from the military prosecutor’s office and said that my son had died and that they were ready to declare him dead [in court]. I was against it. I said, ‘Until I find his body — dead or alive — I won’t do it.’” Irina says she went to Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine to look for her son. She spoke with locals and visited hospitals, but she found nothing. According to her, Russian officials have done nothing to help.

“For a year and a half, I’ve been searching. At least to find some hint, at least to learn how my son went missing, what happened to him. They were the first into [Ukraine]; it was an order — he was a young boy who didn’t know what to do. He turned 20 [there],” Irina explains. “I’m still looking for him. But I understand that he died. I understand that I could be searching for him my whole life. It’s not so much about the money, I just wanted some kind of closure.”

‘We can’t even mourn’

Sometimes families are certain their loved ones are dead, but there’s no way to get the body. Fellow soldiers may have been forced to abandon it on the battlefield, or it might be impossible to locate, even in Russian-controlled territory. Some hope to retrieve the remains “when the war is over.” “The grief is unbearable… we can’t even mourn as parents because they still haven’t recovered our boy’s body,” wrote the mother of 26-year-old Stepan Kiselyov, whom she had to declare dead in court.

Svetlana Chignaeva’s husband was drafted in the fall of 2022. In December 2023, she went to court to have him declared dead. “They still haven’t brought my husband back to me, and I’m left alone with three underage children,” she explains. A fellow soldier told Svetlana that her husband was sent into battle as part of an assault group and never returned.

A report from the battalion’s commander corroborates this: “He remained on the battlefield, showing no signs of life. Comrades repeatedly tried to reach the body of the deceased, but finding themselves under heavy mortar fire, they were forced to retreat. Therefore, they could not retrieve the private’s body.” The court stated that even though he was killed in Russian-controlled territory, the “whereabouts of the body are unknown.” Svetlana finds it hard to believe that her husband’s body will be brought home: “They give some hope, but it’s unlikely. I understand that these are all just standard phrases.”

Inna Averina still hopes to find the body of her 18-year-old brother “when the war is over.” “He’s been gone for two years; we know perfectly well that he died, we proved everything in court,” she says. Inna lost contact with her brother a few days before the full-scale invasion. He was on compulsory military service and, on February 21, 2022, he signed a contract. “That same day, after a call from the airport, we lost contact,” Inna told the court. Later, she learned that he went missing at the end of March in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. At the trial, the military prosecutor’s office only read out a statement: “Due to the constant movement of military units and the lack of permanent communication, it is not possible to determine the whereabouts of [Inna’s brother].”

In some cases, there’s nothing left for families to bury. In a court hearing about Alla Ostaeva’s husband, they read out a statement from a fellow soldier who witnessed his death: “A shell hit the ditch where [he] and his comrades were, followed by an explosion. After the shelling ended, about half an hour later, [soldiers] approached the position and inspected the ditch, but they found nothing more than scraps of military uniforms.”

In courts, military prosecutors and unit commanders often report Russian soldiers whose bodies were left in Ukraine as dead. “Due to mortar fire, it was not possible to retrieve the body,” they say. They give the number of the trench and the nearest address.

[tisetso-flowerboi7]

losing self control

i remember i used 2 call u medu$a, snakes on ur head and whatnot... i remember i was 15, understanding what frank ocean was saying, i was self destruction and i knew it.

a sad boi had met a broken girl, of course id lose my self control. i play the guitar nowadays and sit in empty rooms, looking at the sun singing about you...not always though, only when i remember u. i remember u alot lately. maybe im not busy enough, or maybe i have emotional trauma, after all, nearly 20 and i have no idea what frank ocean talks about in his songs, a gifted fellow but he's undoubtedly sad, i hope i never seemed that sad 2 u, when we got along u made me very happy... i cry a bit when i remember the happy days. anyway, i still think of u when i play nights but not the second part tho, everyone likes it. it's OK i guess but the part that hooks me is the section where frank harmonises and says "all my night". if it weren't 4 that piece of media i guarantee u i would not have loved u like i did. i always think of u when i hear it, i know u don't think of me tho, especially since that day i lashed out at u, i don't regret it but i just wish i hadn't raised my voice that much, im sorry and whatnot.

i wasn't sure if i was straight or not before i met u, i mean like i knew im not gay but id never been confronted by sexuality before, after the things we did and said, it was clear im heterosexual but u introduced the concept of sexuality 2 me, not sexual orientation and that changed me in a sense. its a passing phase 4 other jits but it stuck w me, especially cause most of the things we talked about we were 2 young 2 know about but i never forget u as my 1st, my 1st 2 ever look at me sexually and appreciate me sexually, so wrong yet so right. i remember when u alluded 2 us sleeping together 4 tha 1st time, it would have been my first time. i couldn't sleep that week, i questioned everything, why exactly is fornication a sin, why did i say all the things that encouraged a sexual encounter w me, why was the thought of being wanted in that capacity so fulfilling, id pray w tears in my eyes feeling like a hypocrite 2 God and a failure of a male, scared of his first nut w a girl he'd always had a thing 4 and was close friends w. how could i then not relate 2 frank ocean, how could i not look at u and see u as a bride untouched by myself, how could i then not remember my heart crumbling when i learned another man had taken ur honour, how could i then not remember the pain i felt when you'd say his name multiple times near me, how could i not remember how u told me i water u u water me and together we grow, how could i then not remember u?

i miss u someday

but remember u always

cool

[devnicolee]

Survival (1)

A/N: Finally getting around to posting this! Thanks for your patience :) Shout out to @muse-of-mbaku for this one! The inspiration:

Warnings: BP/Greek mythology crossover, angst - all the angst cause I love it. Enjoy!

Summary: When Princess Medusa met M’Baku, a solider in her father’s army, her only concern was survival. Survival and evading the grasps of those seeking to destroy her. However, he soon makes her realize that there is more to life than mere survival, if she is willing to fight for it.

Word Count: 3,600

***

Medusa hummed lightly to herself as she wrapped her gold scarf around her head, tying it tightly and securing it in a turban to ensure none of her hair could be seen. This was her task every morning before she could leave her chambers or someone else could enter them. She did not mind it as it ensured her own safety and that of those in the Palace.

She shook her head slightly, her daily test to ensure the wrap was indeed secure, nodding lightly to herself before continuing with the rest of her morning routine. She gazed at herself for a few moments in her mirror as she slid on her gold rings and jewels. Finally, when she was satisfied by her appearance, she rose and walked out of her door.

She had an audience with her father this morning, about what - she did not know. But that did not bother her. Her father kept many things to himself.

A guard announced her presence as throne room doors flew open before her. The stretch from the door to her father’s chair seemed longer than ever today as the clicks of her feels filled the quiet room in silence. Her eyes glided over the hanging tapestries, lined in rose-colored gold and deep blue with her family’s insignia stitched into it. She passed column after column of stone and delicately painted designs until she reached the steps that led up to her father’s chair.

Her mother was notably missing from his side today so King Gorgon sat alone, slumped back into his chair as if he was agonizing over something.

Medusa finally stopped, curtsying before her father, before lifting her eyes to his and offering him a smile. However, her bright smile faltered slightly as she looked into his eyes and found something she had never seen before: hatred.

“Father,” she offered politely, her originally assumptions about this audience vanishing as concern and fear replaced it.

“Medusa,” he replied coldly. “I have brought you here to inform you that I have reached a grave decision. I can no longer allow such an abomination as yourself to stay here.”

Medusa instinctively took a small step back from him as if his words were a physical slap to the face. Her eyes misted slightly as a wave of emotion hit her. “Father, how could you say such a thing?”

His reflective gold armor making light noise as he drew himself to full height, towering over his daughter.

“It is the truth. I cannot turn the cheek. You are a murder and such, will be treated as one. Take her away!”

In her shock, Medusa did not even notice the guards move toward her until it was too late. Flanking both sides, they roughly grabbed her by her arms. She fought against them, resisting as they tried to drag her away from her father. Tears were rapidly falling down her face, blurring her vision as she shouted at her father, begged him to reconsider. She only stopped, her heart falling into her stomach when he stepped out of the shadows. The General walked over to her father and stood beside him, realization at what they were planning washing over her.

“F-father PLEASE!! Do not do this! I am your daughter, your heir!” She cried out as the guards drug her back toward the door, toward her death.

“I have no daughter!” He called after her, coldness Medusa had never heard before in his voice. She watched as he turned to the General and said words Medusa had once believed she would never hear fall from his lips. “Dispose of her.”

The General nodded and smiled as he descended down the short steps and followed Medusa out. “With pleasure.”

Medusa shot up, her chest heaving as her mind slowly groped its away through the darkness and back to reality.

“They can’t hurt you here. They can’t hurt you here,” she whispered to herself as she pulled her knees to her chest.

She closed her eyes and focused on soft thuds of raindrops outside as she breathed in and out, trying to calm herself enough to rest again. Her head fell into her knees as she tried to rid that dream from her memory. But she soon realized she couldn’t. It was itched into her brain matter as if it were written into stone.

However, soon exhausted forced her to lay back down o her makeshift cot and attempt to catch sleep once more. It was far from comfortable, certainly not the level of comfort she was used to. But comfort was low on her list of priorities at the moment. After a couple of weeks, she had grown used to the ache of the rocky cave floor. Now it barely registered to her at all. Besides, what was comfort in the face of what she had escaped? What comforts did she even deserve after what she had done?

She shook her head, she couldn’t think about that right now. She turned on her side, her eyes trained to the mouth of her new secluded home as she waited for sleep to claim her once again.

****

“FIND HER!”

General Alec and his second-in-command dunked as King Gorgon threw a goblet at them, his frustration growing to unprecedented levels as the days passed by with no progress or the return of his daughter.

The two men standing below the throne shared an exasperated glance.

“But sire, t-the search party did not return! That is not by accident. Perhaps it is time we consider that Medusa does not wish to be found. Perhaps it is time to leave her be.”

“SILENCE!” King Gorgon yelled, slamming his fists against the arm of his throne chair. “I will hear no more of this! She is the heir to my throne! You will send more men and they will bring her home. No matter the cost! Do I make myself clear?”

The General nodded, his tone filled with resignation. He was tired of this dance, sacrificing his best men to an unknown fate. “Yes, your majesty. We will send more men at once.”

He bowed as deeply as his gold, glistening armor would allow before turning on his heels to exit. The other man trailed behind him slightly as their boots stomped across the marble floors of the palace back to his office.

“What are we to do, Alec? This will be the second search party, we cannot continue to waste our good men.” His voice was in a low hurried whisper, despite the men being relatively alone in the cavernous halls of the Palace. After all, his questions were border lining on treason.

Alec shook his head, “That monster must be killing them all. She clearly bewitched the King, he is blinded by his love for her.”

Alec let out a deep sigh. He did not become the leader of their kingdom’s armed forces by refusing to make difficult choices. It was his own fault that he was now in this position to begin with. Had his first mission not failed, this would not be an issue. However, for him to achieve his ultimate goal, Medusa could not step foot back on their shores.

“We will send Platoon 10.”

The other man’s nose wrinkled up in confusion. “I understand you do not wish to send anymore of our best but those men are all destitute. None have the skill for this task, sire.”

Alec turned away from him. “You will find that among the most destitute of us… is the exact man we need for this task. Find the poorest man in the Platoon and have him brought to me at once. Tell him I have a job for him that will make him wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.”

The man nodded and rushed out of the away from him. Alec turned and walked toward one of the many tall windows that lined the hallway. This side stared out into the ocean and beyond.

He smiled slightly to himself before turning to walk away.

“Any day now,” he whispered.

****

“Platoon 10! Attention!”

M’Baku quickly threw down the book that he was clutching in his hands as he laid down and jumped out of bed. With record speed he slid into his boots and stood rigid at attention at the foot of his bed. He was the first to make it there, the rest of his team slow moving and lethargic.

He narrowed his eyes in frustration, the rest of his face remaining unreadable as he and his superior waited for the rest copy his stance.

M’Baku was proud to have worked his way up to the leader of Platoon 10. They did not receive they respect they deserved as members of the Royal Army, mainly because they represented the worst of their kingdom: the poor, the reckless, the criminal. However, he was a rare sort in their world. A man who started from nothing and was slowly climbing the tall cliff to something greater. He would never squander that.

“The King has tasked you with a special mission of the utmost importance. The Princess Medusa is stranded on a nearby isle. You are to go and retrieve her and kill anyone or thing that stands in your way. Understood?”

The men shouted their understanding, M’Baku’s heart thudding rapidly.

This is it. He immediately thought to himself. If his team of misfits could save the Princess… THE Princess, no one would question them again. He could finally have the respect he knew he deserved. He had to keep his lips from turning up into the smallest of smiles. This was his shot.

“You leave at sunrise. You,” his superior pointed at the man next to M’Baku’s bunk, Demitiri. The man stood up even straighter as if someone was pulling on his head. He glanced slightly at M’Baku who offered him a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Come with me.”

Demitiri fell into the step behind him before the door of their hall slammed shut. As soon as the thud of the door echoed through their shared room, the two rows of men immediately relaxed, their limbs slacking and their lungs expelling the breathes they were silently holding in.

“Pack up, men and say your goodbyes,” M’Baku called out as he rounded the foot of his bed to return to his mattress. “We depart at sunrise.”

He immediately returned to his book as the rest filed out to spend the day elsewhere, either pinching a couple pennies together to have a drink or buy a woman for the night… or actually say goodbye to their loved ones. M’Baku had no interest in the first two and he had no family to say goodbye to. So he remained exactly where he was as his men filed in and out throughout the day, not moving a muscle other than flipping the pages of his worn and weathered book.

***

Medusa sighed as she tightened the delicate white rope around the bodice of her gown. The gown was once beautiful, however, it wasn’t made to last in the elements for weeks. The white had turned a dingy grey about a week ago, despite her attempts to clean it, and the intricate flowers that decorated the midsection of it had started to fall off.

She was thankful she chose this dress the day she fled though. The white cap she had worn over it doubled as a blanket at night while she slept. And the high slits of the skirt gave her legs air and room to breathe, which she was desperate for under the smoldering heat of the sun.

Before she stepped outside, she wrapped her hands around her hair, the light hissing and slithering filling her ears as she pulled them up and wrapped her matching white head wrap around her head. It was habit that this point, she could have let them roam wild and free. But she learned her lesson when the first Platoon sent by her father arrived on the beaches. They were gone before they truly understood what happened. She could not take anymore blood on her hands.

She did her customary shake to ensure the head wrap was secure before stepping out into the forest. She quite enjoyed it here, the solitude and the peace. She was content with making this spot home. She had found food sources and fresh water almost immediately, healing herbs for when she accidentally cut herself or injured herself. There were few wild animals but none were a danger to her.

But most of all, it was beautiful. Gorgeous cliffs filled with lush green treetops that swayed in the summer breeze. A few minutes’ walk from her cave and she would run into the pristine, untouched white sandy beaches. That is where she would come everyday to pass the time.

Some days, if it was too hot, she would shed her dress and swim in the ocean, the water washing away her pain and sorrows even just for a moment. And sometimes, she would just sit in the sand and stare out into the horizon. Those were the worst moments because they were filled with longing: for home, her family… a life she knew she could never return to.

Peace or sorrow, the beach was the spot she went to feel all of it, to bask in it under the crystal blue sky. She knew with every passing day the sorry would fade into nothingness, she just had to keep showing up and trying.

This day, the clouds were still dark and menacing from the storm the previous night. She knew at some point, she would be forced to retreat to her cave to protect herself from the rain.

“Somebody must of upset Zeus,” Medusa muttered to herself as her hands ran through the sand. Her fingers traced patterns and figures into it as she sat thinking about her father and mother. It pained her to her core to think of what they must have thought of her now.

“You are a monster,” she whispered to herself, helplessness filling her. Just as tears started to glisten in her eyes and she was about to allow herself to drown in her emotions, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

Medusa immediately jumped up and turned to find a group of eight men walking toward her. Her heart pounded and breath quicken as she realized what they were here to do: kill her. She cursed herself quietly, desperate to understand how they were able to get so close to her without her noticing. She recognized them as her father’s men immediately, her family crest proudly etched in their uniforms.

She backed away from them slowly, only stopping when the man in front called out her name.

“Princess Medusa, wait!”

She had no real reason to heed this advice. They would likely catch her either way, she determined, as she sized up the shrinking distance between them. They did not appear afraid of her, but she could tell they knew to be afraid of something. It was in their faces, in their body language - the way they shifted nervously and their eyes never stayed trained on her but frantically glanced into the forest as if they were expecting a monster to attack them at any moment.

They likely saw the corpses on the other side of the island, she reasoned. They knew something was amiss, they just didn’t seem to know it was her. She had not returned to that side of the island since that incident, she couldn’t bring herself to look at yet another tragedy she created.

However, that confused her even more. If they did not know she was a murderer, why did they come here at all?

The man in front took a tentative step forward, his hands raised slightly as he laid his sword down as if he wanted to show her he was no threat.

“We mean you no harm, your grace. Your father sent us to bring you home.”

Medusa’s heart leaped into her throat. Bring me home?

“R-Really?” She asked, her voice quiet. “H-he wants me to come home?”

He and another man took another tentative step toward her. She instinctively lifted her foot to step backwards but something stopped her. Maybe she was wrong this whole time. The other Platoon had not even had a chance to explain, she had just assumed.

However, this man was speaking to her as if she was human, a person deserving of compassion. And it sparked her basic human need for connection, something she had been struggling to suppress since she arrived on the island.

“Of course. You are the heir to the throne. Why would he not want you to return?”

The confusion in his voice stirred up more questions and confusion for her. How could her father want her back after all the horrific things she had done? It didn’t make sense.

What if he only wants you to come back so he can make an example of you? A small voice whispered in her head.

She shook her head slightly, closing her eyes for a moment. She could not make herself do it - make herself believe he truly wanted her back or believe that there was anything waiting for her in that palace except the open arms of the Grim Reaper. At least here, she would meet her end on her own terms.

“What is your name?” She asked of the man.

“M’Baku,” he offered, bowing slightly before her.

“You lead these men?”

“Yes, your grace.”

“Then, M’Baku. Return to the Kingdom and tell my father I shall never return. I will not scurry home only to be sent to the executioner’s block. Tell him he will get his wish soon enough. I am as good as dead.”

M’Baku’s face twisted up in surprise. “Executioner's block? How could you believe -"

She interrupted him loudly, "I wish to live out my final days here. Alone. You all should take your leave."

"But your grace!”

“I said, leave! Now!”

She watched for a moment as the wheels turned in his head before he accepted defeat and his shoulders collapsed in disappointment. She spared him one last look as he turned to face his men and started to point back toward the direction they came. Satisfied that they were going to leave her be, she turned to retreat into the forest and her new home.

However, she only made it a step before she heard a scream and a man yell, “Demitiri, NO! Your grace!!!”

She whipped around again to find one of the men racing at full speed toward her, the silver of his blade glistening in the peeking sun as he menacingly raised it toward Medusa. He covered about half of the ground between them before M’Baku jumped in between them.

He let out a groan as the man’s blade collided with the left side of his upper chest near his shoulder.

Medusa watched as he crumpled slightly to his knees, his other hand flying to his wound, before he fell completely onto his side. She stood paralyzed for a moment, staring at his body, before she realized that his moment of sacrifice did nothing to deter the assassin in his ranks.

As she watched him continue toward her, she immediately reached for her head wrap and violently ripped it off her head. The slithering snakes covering her head hissed in excitement at their new found freedom. The man’s body immediately turned to stone, the bloody knife still raised in his hand, his face screwed up in shock.

Medusa steadied her breathing as she tried to calm down. Her eyes traveled over the new stone corpses she would add to her reluctant collection. She hadn’t even thought of the other five innocent men who stood behind him when she killed him, she just didn’t want to die. Not yet, anyway. However, she knew her desire to remain alive was causing her list of victims to grow longer and longer.

She was only pulled out of her mental riverine by a small moan of pain coming from the man sprawled out on the beach.

He is still alive.

He had fallen with his back to her so he could not see her in her true state, the only thing that had saved him from becoming a gargoyle like his companions.

Medusa stayed rooted in the spot she was in like a tree as she contemplated her next move. She did wonder if it was best to just kill him too and be done with it.

One of his men did just try to kill you, she reasoned with herself.

Yes… and he was willing to sacrifice himself to save you, her conscious reminded her.

She sighed, her trembling fingers immediately forcing her hair back into her turban before tentatively approaching his body. She took the sword near him away so he could not attack her if he tried. She pushed him onto his back, his uniform already covered in his deep crimson blood. His eyes were closed and his breathing labored as he laid there.

She examined the cut slightly, moving his shirt slightly to see it. It wasn’t particularly deep, he certainly did not have to die if she made the selfless choice. She bowed her head for a moment, acknowledging what she had to do… the only thing her conscious and soul would allow her to do.

“M’Baku,” she whispered to him, “You are going to be alright. I promise.”

***

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! I have three chapters written so far so I will probably post them like once a week or something. I will go ahead and say that I pulled some random aspects of the story from Greek mythology for this. Medusa's origin story does include sexual assault but this fic does not! I didn't want anyone to read it and worry that is the direction it is headed in. No real warnings for this except general fighting cause the people have swords lol. Just wanted to let everyone know that!

Tag list: @muse-of-mbaku @gloriousgam3r @ashanti-notthesinger @id-rather-be-an-outsider @tchallasbabymama @gingerylimonte @emelimoon

#black panther imagines #black panther fanfiction #m'baku x oc #m'baku x reader #m'baku imagine #black panther #support black authors #winston duke #black panther fics #black writers #greek mythology

[robert-deniro]

Saaaakshiiiiiii, how are you doing darling!? 💙

miss mana!!! thank you for thinking of me 😭😭

it's been quite a Divas™ tbh, busy day at work but i have my three day Christmas break lmao so that's fun! Most importantly I found out that the Indian restaurant 10 minutes away from my place does medu vada that tastes like proper medu vada and I almost cried because i had it for the first time in a year and a half and it was so good I just really really love medu vada that's all

#if i had to compare medu vada to an ehcu bop its literally the zara sa of food for me......i love it that much its kind of a family joke tbh #BUT THANK U FOR SENDING IN AN ASK 💖💖💖 #answered #mana tag #cynical-ravenclaw

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 11/11/20

SEAN: Need a distraction from the real world? There’s manga.

Ghost Ship gives us Parallel Paradise 3 and World’s End Fantasia 3.

J-Novel Club starts us off with a debut light novel, I’ll Never Set Foot in That House Again! (Nidoto ie ni wa Kaerimasen!). A J-Novel Heart title, this is about an abused young noble daughter who one day is found to have a rare Skill. Now she’s taken off to the research labs and treated like a princess. But will her family stand for that? This is a rare shoujo title where the heroine is more “cute and moe” than the typical “energetic and spunky”.

J-Novel Club also debuts the manga version of the Marielle Clarac series, The Engagement of Marielle Clarac. Fans of the books will want to pick this up, it’s a lot of fun.

Also out from J-NC: Black Summoner 2, In Another World with My Smartphone 21, The Magic in This Other World Is Too Far Behind!! 6 (manga version), Monster Tamer 2, Outbreak Company 15, and Slayers 3.

Kodansha, in print: Drifting Dragons 6, Hitorijime My Hero 8, Knight of the Ice 4, and Saint Young Men 4.

MICHELLE: I’ll be checking out Hitorijime My Hero and <i.Knight of the Ice for sure.

ANNA: I find <i.Knight of the Ice delightful.

ASH: Oooh! It’s a good Kodansha print week for me! I’m actively reading three of these four series.

SEAN: The digital debut is Peach Boy Riverside, one of the endless titles that are written by Coolkyousinnjya of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid fame. It’s about a princess who meets the equivalent of Momotaro (hence the title) and chases after him. It runs in Shonen Magazine R.

Also digital: Ace of the Diamond 29, Cells at Work and Friends! 4 (the final volume), Giant Killing 23, My Roomie Is a Dino 4, Practice Makes Perfect 2, Shaman King: Flowers 4, Tokyo Revengers 18, and We Must Never Fall in Love 3.

MICHELLE: Yay for new volumes of two of my favorite sports manga!

SEAN: One Peace has an 18th volume of The Rising of the Shield Hero.

Seven Seas has a number of debuts. Blue Giant is a series that is coming out here in double-volume omnibuses, and ran in Shogakukan’s Big Comic. It’s essentially a sports manga, if the sport was jazz saxophone. It’s won multiple awards. I cannot wait.

MICHELLE: Sounds intriguing!

ANNA: Wow, I wasn’t aware of this before but it does sound amazing.

ASH: I am really looking forward to this one!

SEAN: I’m in Love with the Villainess! came out digitally already, but it was so good that you should get the print version as well. Volume 1 is out next week.

ASH: I’ve heard so many good things about this series; I’m excited to finally have the chance to read it!

SEAN: Rainbow and Black (Niji to Kuro) is a weird slice-of-life manga about a young woman and her… bird-puff… thing. It’s from Ichijinsha’s Comic Rex.

ASH: I do like weird, so count me as curious.

SEAN: And then there’s Unicorns Aren’t Horny (Ikkakujuu ha Tsuranukanai!), from GOT Corporation’s Comic MeDu, a webcomic about a woman who is still a virgin – by choice – and her unicorn roomate, who… really loves her. This is intriguing but could also be creepy? Not sure?

ASH: It sounds bizarre enough that I’m willing to give it a try to find out.

SEAN: Also out from Seven Seas: Arpeggio of Blue Steel 16, The Conditions of Paradise: Our First Time (essentially a Vol. 2), Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash 14, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 8, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 3 (manga version), Magic User: Reborn in Another World as a Max Level Wizard novel 3, Primitive Boyfriend 3 (the final volume), and Sorry for My Familiar 7.

MICHELLE: I’ll be checking in to see how Primitive Boyfriend ends.

SEAN: Square Enix debuts the manga version of By the Grace of the Gods, which has a light novel (from J-Novel Club) and an anime this fall as well. It’s a slow life reincarnation isekai with cute kids and slimes.

SuBLime debuts Birds of Shangri-La (Shangri La no Tori), a BL series that, erm… is hard to describe in a work-safe way. If you know what a fluffer is, you’ll know what this is about. It runs in Canna magazine, and is from the author of Coyote and Liquor and Cigarettes.

They also have a 4th volume of Given.

MICHELLE: Woot!

ANNA: Yay!!

ASH: I’ll admit that I’ll be picking both of these up.

SEAN: Viz gives us Fly Me to the Moon 2, Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition 11, Requiem of the Rose King 13, Rin-Ne 36, Splatoon: Squid Kids Comedy Show 2, and A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow 5.

MICHELLE: I need to catch back up on Requiem of the Rose King.

ANNA: Me too!

ASH: I’m really looking forward to more.

SEAN: Yen On has The Eminence in Shadow 2 and Wandering Witch 3.

Lastly, Yen has a one-shot title, My Broken Mariko, which ran in Comic Bridge. a josei title about a woman who finds her best friend just killed herself and the search as for why that happened. This deals with themes of abuse and suicide, but is also supposed to be fantastically written.

MICHELLE: I’m very much looking forward to this.

ANNA: I’m always going to check out some josei.

ASH: I’ve heard some very good things about this manga and plan on giving it read when I can.

SEAN: Did you vote? If you did, please read some manga to cool down.

By: Sean Gaffney

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

[spideystarlight]

Red // Prologue

Pairing: Peter Parker x reader

Summary: Y/N is an assassin who was trained and raised in the Red Room. When a mission went sideways, you were unwillingly rescued by the Avengers who want to get rid of your assassin nature and join them. Luckily, you had a familiar face to turn to, Nat. On the other hand, a certain awkward spider boy had begun creeping into your heart and unlocking something you didn’t think you were capable of feeling anymore. Love.

Parts: Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four

Warnings: Murder

Word Count: 1295

Requests: Open for Avengers, Loki, Bucky Barnes and Peter Parker. Click here to request!

A/N: My first post! I’m excited to continue this, I can’t wait for the reader's character development. Let me know if you like it, my inbox is always open.

Vitaly Sokolov. Thirty-one. Born in Riga, Latvia to Andris and Inga Sokolov. Subject is a known associate to enemies in past and has been rumoured to. 

Subject has important information regarding missing weapons. Retrieve this information. Once retrieved, eliminate subject in any way you please.

You sighed. Boring. And messy. But should be easy. 

Photos filtered through your fingers; surveillance cameras, private investigator’s images taken without knowledge, formal photos from whatever terrorist organization the subject was affiliated with, all with a man bearing satisfying resemblance to the one sitting at the table in front of you. 

The subject was a greasy, unattractive man with dirty hair and even dirtier skin. 

He was leaning back in the chair and tapping a grimy finger on the chair arm, which was the limited movement he could manage with being tied to the chair arm by dangerously armed handcuffs. 

They were a new development. Handcuffs with inbuilt explosives triggered by a button on a bracelet that resided on your wrist. Just in case he tried to escape or something. 

Not that you'd kill him that way; again, messy. 

But it was useful as a precaution and a warning. You didn't think you would need them. This man seemed too easy and, at most, mildly arrogant.  

"Hey, mīļais! You there?”

His words made an irritating echo in the warehouse. You were in a small room upstairs, but the sound still made its way through the closed door. 

The warehouse had two layers: the bottom, a layer used mainly for mining but had been long since abandoned, and an upper level, with a walkway attached to the walls and metal railing, with one room. 

You flipped the file shut and let it rest on the chipped stool next to you, your eyes drifting up to the ceiling. 

It was an achingly boring mission but it had to be done to proceed onto bigger things. 

So with soundless steps, you loomed out of the shadows and into the spotlight of the illuminated interrogation desk. The subject looked up at you and grinned lazily. 

"I missed you, mīļais," he cooed, flicking his hair out of his eyes. Your lips curled downwards. 

Gross. The Latvian pet name was infuriating but your face remained stoic, like you were taught.

"You have something I need, Vitaly," you said coolly. The man jutted his chin out and licked his lips. His eyes ghosted over your body in the black catsuit you were made to wear, and it took everything in you not to gag. 

Or slit his throat. 

"And what would that be, medus?" 

"Information." You stood unusually still, so much it appeared unsettling. 

"On what? I’m just a low ranking pārstāvis. I know nothing. If you really want something worth hearing, I suggest capturing somebody more...” He struggled to find the English word. “...useful,” he concluded indolently. 

“I beg to differ,” you said, examining your fingernails, “I need you, Vitaly.” He quirked a bushy left eyebrow, looking nervous. 

“I swear, I don’t know anything. What would anyone tell me?” He tried to reason. 

"Funny you might ask," you replied smoothly, pulling out a recording device, whilst not breaking eye contact.

"Because you know exactly what,” you finished. You clicked a button on the device and then another, playing a small excerpt of a conversation spoken in Latvian.

“... taken by Auglis on Friday. Most likely stored in one of the bases.”

“He’s gotten pretty far in this time. Hope the boss thinks it’s good, I need this promotion.”

“Trust me, you’re gonna get it. These weapons are new age technology, we’ve seen nothing like it. Boss might cry.”

“Auglis leave any clues?”

“No, he’s too good. The old lady isn’t gonna know a thing.”

The audio trailed off into muffled snickers, so you clicked it off and stashed it back into your catsuit. You returned your eyes to the subject, who was shifting uneasily in his seat. 

“Tu runā latviski,” he said tensely, his finger tapping becoming more frantic. 

“I speak many languages,” you said dangerously, “But I don’t have time to display my talents for you. Where are the weapons, Vitaly.” His lips curled downwards in a sneer. 

“You’re young, medus. They takin’ in infants now?” He jeered. You looked slackly at him, then leaned down and retrieved a switchblade from your boot, flicking it open lazily. 

“Where are the weapons. I won’t ask again.” You trailed your finger tantalizingly across the sharp blade, a cruel smile playing on your lips. The man opened his mouth, then closed it again. 

“You couldn’t be too old. What are you? Fifteen? Sixteen?” He asked, deflecting your question. You smile fell and you rounded the table to look at him closely. 

“Old enough to know you’re stalling,” you growled, holding his collar and glaring at him, “So who’re you stalling for, Vitaly?” He shrugged nonchalantly, staring back at you.

“Can’t be cops, you’re a common criminal,” you thought aloud, narrowing your eyes. The man leaned as far forward as he could. 

“I called the good guys,” he grunted, grinning and revealing his chipped set of teeth, “If I die, at least you’ll get what you deserve.” 

You groaned in irritation and with a swift move, pulled his head back by his hair and pressed the switchblade to his neck. His adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed nervously. 

“I’m giving you one last chance to tell me. If you don’t, I’ll find out anyway. Even if I have to get my hands dirty.” You threatened calmly. 

“You ain’t gonna kill me, mīļais,” he said. 

“Awfully confident for someone with a knife at their throat,” you mused, applying pressure to his neck with the blade. A bead of blood appeared. 

“You’re just a kid,” he jeered, “There’s no way you’ll kill a man. You don’t scare me, medus.“ 

“On the contrary,” you said coolly, “I’d say I’m rather dangerous. Raging hormones, and such.” 

With that, you drew the blade across his throat. His head lolled back and his body relaxed in the chair. 

You grimaced at the steady stream of blood coming from the thin line at his throat. 

“Messy,” you muttered, flicking the crimson off your fingers and quickly cleaning your knife. 

Though, the mess was currently the least of your problems. The creak of a door opening downstairs alerted you that somebody had arrived. 

Your head snapped up and you swore colourfully under your breath; this was supposed to be an easy mission. 

You stowed your switchblade back in your boot then swiftly moved to the stool that stood awkwardly, holding your possessions. Which wasn’t much - a couple of weapons, and the mission file. 

You could hear hushed voices from below you and you muttered more Russian profanities. There wasn’t time to stash the file, and you weren’t going to bring it into a fight with you. 

You pulled out a matchbox from your suit and set fire to the papers and photographs, then looked for weapons. 

You opted for a glittering dagger - one of your favourites - and fastened a black mask around your face so only your eyes were visible. 

You tightened your ponytail, made sure the file was smouldering, opened the door and surveyed the situation.

You were met with men on either side of the railing, approaching you fast. One was dark-haired and had a metal arm, and the other blonde with a gleaming shield. 

You gave a groan and shook your head, realising who they were. 

The good guys. 

The Avengers. 

#peter parker fanfiction #peter parker x you #peter parker x reader #avengers fanfiction #peter parker #avengers #spiderman fanfiction #spiderman x you #spiderman x reader #peter parker imagine #peter parker oneshot

[sheithfictioncatalogue]

Post season 6

Let Go, Free The Past - Cas_tellations @cas-tellation​

ongoing, 1/2 chapters, 2k. (Teen) Contains: Drinking.

Shiro is back.

It's a good thing, it really is. But Keith's having a hard time processing everything and his first instinct is to shut everyone out. He finds himself in the black lion's cockpit with nothing other than an old bottle of nunvill, a cosmic wolf and hell of a lot of emotions.

Your Voice Makes Everything Okay - shirosquared

800 words. (Teen)

It doesn’t start the first night. After everything that happens, Keith lays down in the Black Lion and passes out immediately. He doesn’t dream that night.

It begins on the second night, when they’ve had a bit of time to recover from everything that happened. He lays down with Shiro and Krolia in the Black Lion, and falls asleep.

Time Between - Remsyk @remsyk-blog​

ongoing, 3/6 chapters, 12k. (Teen) Background Relationships: Allura/Lance.

The Paladins of Voltron are victorious, but at a steep price. With Earth set as their next destination, they're ready to make their way home. There are just a few things that need to be taken care of first.

Devoted - Medu_Nefer @medu-nefer​

4k. (Teen)

After the destruction of the Castle of Lions and Shiro's miraculous return, the team has to go home to build a substitute for the spaceship. Before that happens, though, they need to stop by on Olkarion, the capital of the Coalition, to replenish their supplies and let themselves rest after a really tough time before they can continue saving the universe.

Keith and Shiro have a lot of unaddressed things to talk about - and now they finally get the chance.

Melt Your Headaches, Call It Home - chinarai

1k. (General)

He’s not going to deny Shiro some physical comfort when he asks for it, even if his heart is doing somersaults in his chest and his nerve endings are thrumming when their bodies touch.

Love - OTPshipper98

1k. (Teen)

Shiro is not alone when he wakes up in his bed on Earth.

Branches Grafted - qwanderer

1k. (Teen)

"You're always here to catch me," Shiro says.

"Most important thing you ever showed me how to do," Keith agrees.

Time Is An Illusion - bingbong21 @bingbong21​

2k. (Teen)

So let's not waste a second.

Recovering from death has put things into perspective for Shiro, and he decides to do something about it.

Stand Beside Me - Illiad_And_Oddity

2k. (General)

"I love you."

For so long, he had felt like a planet in orbit around Shiro’s blazing sun, but Shiro had always looked at him as if he thought Keith was the sun. Now Keith felt they’d become more like binary stars, in orbit around each other, and saying those words aloud was going to bring them crashing together.

That Ultra-Kind Of Love - pumpkinless @disloyalpunk 

3k. (General)

“Takashi,” he whispers, eyes closed tight.

“Keith,” Shiro whispers, more urgent, but it’s the only word he has right now. His tongue can’t twist around anything else, his throat can’t vibrate at any other frequency, and it’s like all he knows in the universe is this one thing.

Memories Of Sunset - SomeGoodSheith @somegoodsheith

1k. (General)

Back on Earth, Keith, Shiro and Krolia settle in the old shack for a while. Krolia gives them some space to talk things over, and the two find that it's exactly what they need.

Closer - SpecterQueen @ghostmoonchild​

3k. (Explicit) Contains: nsfw content.

Shiro spends his first few days coherent struggling to adjust to his new life. Keith eventually returns and has something important to tell him.

You Are All I Need - captainhurricane @aarnivalkeaa 

3k. (Explicit) Contains: nsfw content.

The boys get to know each other all over again.

Closer - xglimpsex @shiroganepropaganda

4k. (Explicit) Contains: nsfw content. 

Shiro finds himself touch starved after regaining his body. Keith is there to help him through it.

A Moment In Starlight - ronsenburg @ronsenburg​

1k. (General)

"We’re glad you’re back,” Keith says, and Shiro looks up and into his eyes with the softest smile. It is the barest lifting of the corner of his lips, exhaustion so heavy in Shiro’s features that he is only just able to stay conscious, let alone upright. But in it, Keith can see the gratitude and pride that echoes through his words when he manages a simple you found me.

A brief heart to heart between Shiro and Keith after the events of season 6.

Everything Stays, but It Still Changes - ohmygodwhy @gaynasas

2k. (Teen)

“Does it hurt?” Keith asks a few nights later, stretched out next to him on the little bed. His fingers trace the curve of Shiro’s shoulder, just skirting the edges of his missing arm, but not daring to touch. “Your arm, I mean.”

Shiro doesn’t know how to answer for a moment. “Not really,” he says, and, when Keith crooks an eyebrow at him, “Maybe a bit. It’s hard to explain.”

Or: they adjust.

My Hand On Your Scar, And Yours On My Heart - Alitheia

1k. (General)

Memories are tricky, but Shiro digs them up from the dusty corners of his jumbled mind, and gathers all the pieces like precious jewels; putting together a mosaic picture of space, a robot lion, and a man.

Keith.

In The Distance Across The Universe - amoleofmonsters @whatahunkgarrett

6k. (Explicit) Contains: nsfw content. 

Everything is as it should be. Keith has Shiro back. The anger and pain that has been circulating in his brain is gone, replaced with relief and happiness. They're safe and they're finally going home.

But nothing is ever simple because it's only now that Keith realizes he's in love with Shiro.

Sunshine Bouquet - AxisMage

2k. (General)

Shiro doesn´t quite fit into his own body yet. Keith says he has changed, that they both have, but in Shiro´s opinion, Keith is the one who has changed for the better

Sleeping With Ghosts - newtype

1k. (Teen) Contains: Drug use.

Keith and Shiro finally take a much-needed break. After returning to Earth, they're left asking themselves "what's next"?

For Shiro - marmorashadows (oncharredwings) @pining-sheith

800 words. (Teen)

“Keith,” Shiro said again but Keith couldn’t actually hear his voice, he only recognized the way Shiro’s mouth moved when he said his name. “Keith!”

Keith’s eyes fluttered for a moment. The pain of his injuries washed over him in waves and staying awake was growing extremely difficult. The heat from the battle sent rivulets of sweat to flow down Shiro’s neck, Keith noticed, and he knew he didn’t look any better. His armor was too hot and too tight, he desperately wanted to be free from its confines but they were in a battle.

Slowly, Keith’s hearing began to clear and the sounds of fighting and explosions returned in their full cacophony. “Shiro,” he said slowly, his voice as sluggish as he felt.

“Keith,” Shiro gasped, his hand gently cupping his face. “You’re okay.”

“Debatable,” Keith mumbled.

Learning To Live Again - AlNiCa

ongoing, 3/? chapters, 7k. (Teen) 

"So what are we going to do? The Castle is destroyed." "There's only one place that has the plans necessary to build a replacement for the Castle of Lions. Coran gave them to my dad." "We're going home."

#sheith #sheith fanfic #sheith fanfiction #voltron #voltron season 6 #postseason6 #masterlist #longpost #season 6 spoilers

[liljaspie]

= Warnings =

Drug use

Cursing

" Can We Get Out Of Here ? "

// S T A R T\\

"Is this poetic or just cruel?" Jasper asked staring in the mirror with a deflated expression.

"Both if you squint." Medu mumbled from across the room. As always the green haired woman was sprawled out on her bed naked. True to her nudist ways even in the midst of three of the most hormonal people she'd ever had the displeasure of knowing.

"Why are you bitching? Fucking spoiled little prick, you're lucky Sarah isn't shoving you into a dress and forcing you into a wig." Daniel cussed glaring at the other who did nothing but helplessly look between him and the naked girl. A silent plead for help.

While Jasper blinked in morse code Daniel dug through the drawers for a brush. When he found it he tossed it at his siblings head with dead accuracy. It bounced with a dull thud and a wimpy yelp of pain. "Comb your goddamn hair!"

Medu sighed in a way that sounded like a hiss and Jasper inhaled with an unintentional snarl. "Come here babes." The green girl beckoned seeing the rising irritation in the other by the look on their pale face.

The black haired victim stood with a dragging stumble in their step. It took longer than it should've to cross the room, but when they reached the bed, Jasper didn't hesitate to fall face first onto the bed and it's many blankets with the brush clutched loosely in their hand.

The tanned girl let a soft chuckle rumble out of her. It vibrated the bed just enough to make the tired being look over at her. A note of they were trying, even if all it was, was trying.

"Give me the brush and get over here." Her command was followed without argument. Jasper lied with their head on Medu's thigh as the other ran the brush through the dyed black locks.

If a human could purr the ravenette probably would be in that moment. The bed was soft, Medu's skin was warm, and smelled like honeysuckle. Though their muscles tensed when Daniel once again made himself known. "We've only got an hour, you still need to figure out if the fucking suit fits at all." He pointed an accusing finger at Jasper.

A sigh was heard, once again with an unintentional snarl that made Medu raise her brow. "What?"

"I-I" A mumble. "I don't want to go Mei." Pale arms found themselves around the green haired girls waist. An action to insinuate how heavy the sentence was.

"It's just your family Jay-Jay."

"That's the problem." A bitter remark.

"I guess it is.. It shouldn't last long?"

"Knowing my brother he's going to pay for a stripper and spend the whole night degrading me to her."

"A couple of big steps back in therapy?"

"It'll be a miracle if I stay sober for more than an hour, even more of one if I don't get into a fist fight with Daniel or a brawl with a stranger."

Medu gave Jasper a pitious look. An almost hurt one, the ravenette had promised again and again they wouldn't get into fights, but life was short, and Jasper was an asshole.

"Get up dumbass, get dressed your brother is about to pop a blood vessel, and not one of his." Hadrian spoke from the doorway, his tone was light, his eyes were red, and his beard was perfect.

When they didn't move Hadrian walked over and picked them up by their feet. "Hades what are you doing-?" A question answered a few seconds later when Jasper was lifted off the bed dangling off of the mans back. "Put me down."

Hadrian had a look of contemplation. "Get dressed."

"Put me down."

"Get dressed."

"How?"

"That's a you problem bud, get dressed."

Their face was red from hanging upside down. There wasn't much time for the poorly circulated ravenette before they stopped feeling their legs. It was awkward and uncomfortable, the way Jasper practically had to do crunches to put on the shirt. A concussion was probable from the way Hadrian dropped them, suddenly letting go of their calves and doing a gravity check.

"You look handsome Jay." Medu spoke from the bed.

Jasper rolled their eyes and tied their tie looking in the mirror to give the green haired girl a half hearted glare. "I always look handsome love,"

"JASP-" Daniel appeared in the doorway red in the face ready to scream. "-OH you're dressed, get in the car it's almost time to go." It wasn't kindness or joy, just a less angry tone that allowed the ravennette to follow their blonde brother.

"Bye babes." Medu spoke still sitting on the bed.

"See you sweets." Jasper responded pulling the door closed behind them as Hadrian walked out.

×

The ride was long and boring. The same street signs and buildings that were always there.

×

The music in the club was loud, the lights were neon, and the dancers were naked. "Jay baby! Where you been these past couple months?" A woman with dreads asked leaning against the bar.

"I told you I was going to Paris for awhile."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd actually go! Where'd you even get the cash for that?" She asked with a slight smile on her face.

"Work, I have a job Karma."

"Do you?" She mumbled mostly to herself. 'Must've been the other guy..' Could've been heard faintly under her breath. She cleared her throat. "Wheres Corbin?"

"With Big Danny over at the chocolate fountain." Jasper spoke both mournful and glad to be free of the interaction.

Hadrian had snuck up on them, or rather, had been standing there giggling to himself at the cousin and cousin interaction. "Soo, why did you bring me here?" He had spoken curiously raising his brow at his adopted sibling.

"You're more family than anyone else in this building." A response made by the black sheep of the family. A less known, less liked, less confident person.

"Pfft, yeah, I'm pretty sure I heard your cousins yelling your deadname when we walked in."

"Fucking Kie." Jasper muttered not missing a beat when they turned on their heal and ordered two vodka shots. Hadrian followed asking for two more, they were added to the tab.

"So glum you're going to drink your way to heaven? What's wrong? They missed you, they threw you a party, buck up." He spoke leaning back with his elbows against the oak bar.

"Half of these people don't know my name, the other half haven't seen me fully clothed- Ever."

The man quirked his brow. "How, I'm sorry, how is that bad?"

"Because, these are my people!" As they spoke they lifted their arms in a would-be joyous gesture. Though their arms fell limp and they slouched forward on the bar. "But my family is here too."

"So what?"

"My judgemental, heteronormative, never forget a thing, family is here."

"I'm still not seeing the issue Jaspie."

"I bring great shame and dishonor to my family, and they willingly came to my world, to crush it." Hadrian immediately brushed off their comment.

"Nahh, I refuse to believe they mean anything but good." He spoke putting his hands on Jaspers shoulders so they'd look at him. The gesture worked, and the other had leaned their head back to frown at him.

The ravenette then turned around, and patted the mans cheek. "They aren't good like you." As this sank in, between both of them two glasses clunked against the bar. They were gone as soon as they hit the oak- "Salud." A comment made in synchronicity.

"Wheres Nickolas anyway, he's practically your twin with how much you two copy eachother." A change of pace and an intentional deflection by Hadrian himself.

Jasper just sighed and ran a hand through their hair. "He's still in Paris, we got into a fight, he's staying with his boyfriend."

"Oh. What- No! Nevermind you need a drink, soooo-" The man knocked on the bar adding a couple more dollars to his tab. "Six shots for the lovely nonbinary."

The sound of scuffling and glass lightly hitting oak echoed in Jaspers head. "Hey.. Hades.. Can-uh Can we get out of here?"

Hadrian raised his brow but nodded knocking back one of the shots before he slid off the barstool. "Sure.. Home-?

Jasper shook their head quickly. "No, no, I don't want to go back there yet.. Daniel will find me." It took a few seconds before an idea of where to go came up. "Let's climb to the roof of the library."

"We haven't done that since we were kids Jasp." Hadrian responded looking at the other. "Are you that uncomfortable?" His brow had furrowed with concern. He soon caved however at the way the other fidgeted. "Jesus, fine. Fine. Let's go. Get you out of here."

The sigh of relief was the only thing Hadrian needed to convince himself he was doing the right thing. They left the club, sneaking their way through the crowd and snagging a few beers.

The walk was nostalgic, the first time back home in years, with their best friend by their side. The gentle hum of Hades Lofi music keeping them both calm in their slight haze.

The feeling of thick boots hitting asphalt, and the ever so faint sound of the loose shoelaces clacking against it resonated with them both. "How long has it been?"

Hadrian looked at Jasper with a mix of confusion and concern. "Since what?"

"How long has it been since the last time we did this?" The lump building in their throat made the words seem a bit heavier.

"Four years."

"Four?"

"Yes, that's how time and math work dumbass."

"You should know I flunked every math class I've ever taken."

"I do know, dumbass."

"Alright.. Why did you decide to come tonight?"

"Your neice wanted you to show her your old music, and I missed you fuckface."

"The metal bands? She doesn't want to hear those." Jasper had a confused look ob their face.

"She loves them actually. Kind of obsessed with it, it blows my mind.."

"I'll make a playlist for her tomorrow then.. Tonight however, Uncle Jay Jay is going to get hammered and probably jump off a roof."

"Plausible deniability." Hadrian spoke lifting up his bottle of bud light.

Jasper took a swig of the drink and swished it in their mouth for a second. "Is that the lirbary?"

"Yeah, it's been abandoned since senior year." The man had spoke.

"I missed too much."

"You came back though."

"I left too.. Do you think Lauren will ever forgive me?"

"I'm not sure if she'll ever get out of jail Jasp.." Hadrian spoke with a bitter tone in his voice. "She an addict... and not one that wants to recover."

"Yeah but so was I Hades.."

"I know.. but drop it? Please."

The conversation had ended there. On that somber note. Three childhood friends who didn't know eachother like they used to. Who weren't the same kids they grew up with. Tonight was the last night they'd probably see eachother. A last ditch effort to stay connected even though they had nothing in common.

Hadrian despite his childhood of gun threats and abuse wanted to live peacefully, legally.

Jasper partook in drugs, sex, and car theft. They were a prostitute and a thief. They were hated, and unlike Hades, they didn't have the spine to fight against the stereotype.

Lauren, was your run of the mill depressed kid. Only she wasn't a kid anymore, and her coping mechanism became an addiction.

"Jasper."

"Yeah?"

"How the fuck are we going to get up there?"

= E N D =

Uh, end I guess? I don't love how this was written, but, better than it could be-?

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 6/3/20

SEAN: June is busting out all over, and while the schedule is not back to normal yet, it’s better than May was.

ASH: Huzzah!

SEAN: First, an apology to a new publisher, Tentai Books, who have their first release out this week and I missed it. They’re publishing in both Spanish and English, and their debut is a light novel, There’s No Way a Side Character Like Me Could Be Popular, Right?. Seems to be targeting the Oregairu/Tomozaki crowd.

As for next week, Ghost Ship has a 9th Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs.

J-Novel Club has a lot. In print, we get the debut volume of Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress!, which I recommend to absolutely everyone.

ASH: Now that it’s finally in print, I’ll definitely be picking this one up. I’ve heard great things about it from all sorts of people.

ANNA: I’m curious about it too!

SEAN: Also in print: Ascendance of a Bookworm 5, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord 10, and In Another World with My Smartphone 10.

Digitally, there’s also Altina the Sword Princess 4, a 3rd By the Grace of the Gods, Can Someone Please Explain What’s Going On? 2, Kokoro Connect 9, the 3rd Marginal Operation manga, The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar 11, and a 6th Record of Wortenia War.

Kodansha has a lot, most of which I’ve mentioned before because the schedule shifted. The print and digital debut is Rent-A-Girlfriend (Kanojo, Okarishimasu), a Weekly Shonen Magazine manga by an artist best known for the long-running and unlicensed AKB49: The Rules Against Love. A desperate guy, as the title suggests, rents a girlfriend, who seems perfect… at first. This is getting an anime this summer, and Kodansha describes it as “sweet, naive boy meets cute, ruthless girl”.

Debuting digitally is Stellar Witch LIP☆S (MajoKaitou LIP☆S), a shoujo series from Nakayoshi. A girl who desperately wants to see an idol group turns to a witch to help her. Hijinks ensue.

MICHELLE: I can’t confidently claim Stellar Witch is going to be any better than Rent-A-Girlfriend, but it’s certainly more my speed.

ANNA: This sounds fun, but I am utterly incapable of keeping up with these digital releases.

MELINDA: Yes, with so many, I find I need to REALLY want to read something for it to stand out from the crowd.

SEAN: No other print stuff, but in digital-first print books we have (be prepared for titles you’ve heard here before…) Cells At Work: Code BLACK 5, Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest 4, Granblue Fantasy 5, Knight of the Ice 2, LDK 15, Maga-Tsuki 11-13 (a final volume 3-in-one omnibus two years after a 2-in-one omnibus, YIKES), The Seven Deadly Sins 38, Something’s Wrong with Us 2, and Yuzu the Pet Vet 2.

In digital-only we get A Condition Called Love 4, Chihayafuru 20, Smile Down the Runway 10, and To Be Next to You 6.

MICHELLE: I’ve been catching up on A Condition Called Love and enjoying it. And, of course, I always rejoice for more Chihayafuru.

ANNA: Chihayafuru is the one digital release that I am confident I will get caught up on…one day.

SEAN: Seven Seas has, in early digital release, Love Me for Who I Am (Fukakai na Boku no Subete o), aka Fukaboku. This LGBT manga from GOT Corporation’s Comic MeDu is about a nonbinary protagonist and the nontraditional maid cafe they’re introduced to.

MICHELLE: I’ll definitely be checking this one out.

ASH: Same!

ANNA: Sounds good!

MELINDA: To illustrate my above point, I’m SO here for this. I will seek it out.

SEAN: Also out early digitally: A Centaur’s Life 18 and Skeleton Knight in Another World light novel 6.

In print, Seven Seas has quite a bit. Debuting is The Invincible Shovel, a light novel that I found hilarious when I reviewed the early digital copy. And we also see Sarazanmai: Reo and Mabu, the manga prequel to the upcoming light novels based on the anime.

ASH: I really need to catch up on Sarazanmai in general.

SEAN: Also out in print: Dungeon Builder: The Demon King’s Labyrinth is a Modern City! 2, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? 3, Magical Girl Site 12, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid 9, and Saint Seiya: Saintia Sho 10.

Viz has two debuts. The first is SPY x FAMILY, a series that should need no introduction but I’m going to anyway. In an unnamed vaguely Eastern European country, a spy needs to have a wife and child to complete his next assignment. A woman who moonlights as an assassin needs a husband so that she isn’t suspicious. And a young girl with esper powers just wants to get away from being experimented on. Together, they are the best found family ever. Oh yes, and except for the girl (who can read minds), they don’t know each other’s profession. A magical series, I want the world to read it. Hilarious and heartwarming.

MICHELLE: So excite.

ASH: Really looking forward to this release!

ANNA: Me too!!!

MELINDA: This sounds great!

SEAN: The other debut is, of course, My Villain Academia, which replaces the seemingly popular My Hero Academia. Not sure why, maybe its sales were slipping? In any case, this volume focuses on our villain heroes, Shigaraki, Twice, and Himiko Toga. It promises to be DARK as hell. (Also, it is possibly it’s really My Hero Academia 24.)

MICHELLE: Heh. This arc solidified Twice as my favorite amongst the villains.

SEAN: In Shonen Jump news, we get Black Clover 21, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 13, Dragon Ball Super 9, Food Wars 36 (mercifully the final volume… anyone noticed an annoying trend for popular long-running Jump series to leap off of cliffs into piles of crap lately?), Jujutsu Kaisen 4, My Hero Academia Vigilantes 7, The Promised Neverland 15, We Never Learn 10, and Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V 7.

MICHELLE: Oh, I had no idea that was the final volume of Food Wars! I reckon since I have read through volume 30 I might as well finish it, pile of crap or no. Also, I’m looking forward to the next Vigilantes volume, as I believe it has more of Aizawa’s past in it.

SEAN: As for Shojo Beat, no debuts, but we get Ao Haru Ride 11, Natsume’s Book of Friends 24, Queen’s Quality 9, and Yona of the Dawn 24. Natsume’s Book of Friends is always near the top of my pile when it comes out, though it may have to wait for me to read Yona.

MICHELLE: I love both dearly, but because Natsume comes out less regularly, I think it’s got the edge for me.

ASH: Natsume and Yona both have my heart, too. Though, I’ve also been enjoying Queen’s Quality.

MICHELLE: I really need to read it. I did enjoy QQ Sweeper.

ANNA: Nice week of many great series coming out!

MELINDA: Queen’s Quality! Hurray!

SEAN: What are you getting next week? (Please get SPY x FAMILY.)

By: Sean Gaffney

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