#no dead hayates this time. only one.

[aphroditesmoon]

cool about it

gwen stacy x afab!reader

summary: she's always been able to catch you when you fall, and this time she's not letting go.

warnings: hurt/comfort, angst, fluff ending, allusions to abuse, anxiety, dissociation, coping fic.

°°°

Gwen can't tell if she was being paranoid. She rethinks everything she's done for the past week, trying to figure out which moment exactly she could've hurt you.

You still hold her at night, still cook her eggs in the morning and kiss her goodbye before you leave for your work, still leaves pasta for her to reheat when she comes home. And yet your touch feels more empty, a habit more than a show of affection. The way you turn your head away from her when you think she's fallen asleep and cover your whole body under the suffocating blanket hurts her more than she should.

You don't meet her eyes when she's talking, rarely interrupting her daily rants about her day, the interrupting was her favourite parts of talking with you. Sometimes she cant even tellbif youre listening, she watches you, staring down at your fiddling fingers, but even at that, you didn't seem to be focusing on, your eyes was distant, away from anything present.

So she goes quiet, and her eyes remain trying to read you, trying to if it'll speak in some way, a hint of what's dragging you away from her.

Today wasn't an eventful day for the ghost-spider. Miguel had her off early, not without belittling her for something stupid again. She comes home to a quiet apartment, you had been to bed early it seems.

Opening the door to yours and her room, she finds you in a position she'd already expect, under the covers, not even your head visible.

She takes her suit off quietly before changing into one of your sweatshirts, small spider engraved on the shoulder. Despite climbing up slowly, you still flinch when the bed shifts. You pull the blanket off under your chin immediately, groggily saying her name.

Gwen mumbles an apology before gently pulling you into her arms, she feels like she's dragging a dead body towards herself, the way you succumb into her touch. Like you would've let her do anything to you at the moment.

You found your head placed on her chest, her heartbeat so clear to you, thump, thump, thump. "I missed you." You whispered, she heard you still.

"You saw me this morning babe." You could hear the small smile in her voice. "Missed you anyways." Gwen releases a slow, relieved breath, holding onto that small assurance you've handed out to her, a lifeboat floating miles away while she's drowning, but it's there, and she still have enough fight in her to keep swimming.

The comfortable silence was calming, but her eyes were still wide and awake as she looks down at yoi, combing her fingers through your hair. Your face was buried to her chest, she couldn't see your face, but she heard you when you spoke; "I saw my brother last week."

Gwen feels her heart pulls at your words, an uncomfortable foreign topic you always avoided throughout your relationship with her, was your brother. You had told her of course, of your past, and all the demons from them that still haunts you till now, but you never brought him up again after.

"Where?" She finally finds courage in herself to respond. "The shop. He was, looking...for a- a new blazer." You recall, stumbling on certain words.

"Did you talk to him?" She asks. She feels you shake your head. "I hid in the back, Hayat assisted him until he left." You explained. Relief swarms Gwen's heart again. "Fucking pri-" "It's fine. I'm fine." You assure her immediately.

"No, you're not." She snaps, immediately regretting her tone after. She pulls away from you slightly, making you tilt your head up at her. You let out a forced laugh at that. "No, I'm not."

It was only them, she noticed how sunken your eyes were, and how wet your cheeks and her shirt was. "I know, I should be over it at this point, over all of it, but I-" your voice cracks, and your sentence dies at your throat as the tears burst out, a choked sob. Gwen pulls you back into her, squeezing you tight, her own eyes watering.

She hated how you're trembling and crying, because of him. He didn't deserve to be cried over. And you didn't deserve any of this. Your hands fists the sides of her fuzzy sweatshirt, your whole body shaking.

And Gwen lets you, as she kisses the top of your head repeatedly, gently swaying you like a crying infant. Her grip on you doesn't lessen. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't know." She whispers to you. And over and over, she repeats that she loves you, and that she's got you.

#gwen stacy x reader #gwen stacy #ghost spider x reader #ghost spider #atsv #atsv x reader #across the spiderverse #spiderman across the spiderverse #hobie brown x reader #miles morales x reader

[workersolidarity]

[ 📹 Scenes of terror among Palestinian families who gathered by the thousands to receive food from a convoy of humanitarian aid on Al-Rashid street near Gaza City when Zionist tanks, armored vehicles and soldiers opened machine gun fire on the starving crowds of families, killing more than 100 and wounding hundreds of others in the latest Israeli atrocity.]

[ 📸 Infographic detailing the latest death toll from Israel's ongoing genocide.]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏡💥🚑 🚨

DAY 146: TOTAL CASUALTIES IN ZIONIST GENOCIDE OF PALESTINIANS RISES ABOVE 100'000 AS HUNDREDS SHOT IN AL-RASHID STREET MASSACRE

On the 146th day of Israel's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 9 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 81 Palestinians and wounding another 132 others over the previous 24-hours, not including hundreds shot in an overnight massacre on Al-Rashid street.

In another Zionist atrocity committed against the Palestinian people, thousands of starving Palestinian families gathered to receive food aid from the arrival of a convoy carrying humanitarian aid on Al-Rashid street, in the Sheikh Ajlin neighborhood, west of Gaza City, when the Zionist occupation army opened fire with machine guns from armored vehicles and Israeli soldiers on the crowds of people.

As a result of the Zionist army's random aggression on civilian families, at least 104 civilians were killed and another 760 wounded, which was not included in today's tally of Israeli massacres.

Medical teams from hospitals across northern Gaza continue to attempt to save the lives of the wounded, many of whom were shot with machine gun fire from occupation armored vehicles and soldiers, however limited capabilities of the hospitals, most of which are only partially functional, makes the saving of lives extremely difficult for more severe injuries.

The number of dead is expected to rise over the coming days as the severely wounded die from their injuries in under-equipped local hospitals.

The Al-Rashid street massacre will likely go down as one of the deadliest episodes in Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians families in the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, another hospital in Gaza has gone out of service. Reports say that Kamal Adwan Hospital, in the northern Gaza Strip, which was the last hospital operating in the area, has closed down due to running out of fuel for the hospital's generators, losing the ability to perform dialysis, internal medicine, operate the nursery, perform general surgeries or even perform children's emergency services.

Elsewhere, two children died at Al-Shifa Hospital in the northern Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, as a result of dehydration and malnutrition, raising the death toll from famine among children to six deaths over the previous 24-hours.

Simultaneously, occupation fighter jets bombed a residential neighborhood in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, leading to the deaths of at least 14 civilians and wounding dozens of others, while shortly afterwards, the Zionist army fired multiple missiles into the same neighborhood, also killing and wounding a number of Palestinian civilians.

At the same time, occupation aircraft bombed another civilian residence in the Al-Bureij Refugee Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of four Palestinians.

In the southern Gaza Strip, occupation artillery shelling targeted the kidney department of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, while outside the hospital, the corpses of 14 Palestinians were recovered over the last day from the Khan Yunis area, including the body of a martyr who was shot by occupation snipers in the vicinity of the Hayat School, near the hospital complex.

Similarly, in another Zionist crime, occupation warplanes bombed a group of civilians in the Asdaa neighborhood, northwest of Khan Yunis, in the south-central Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of six Palestinians.

Occupation air forces also bombed the village of Al-Qarara, also in the Khan Yunis governate, killing at least six civilians and wounding several others.

Meanwhile, a limited incursion into Rafah city by a pair of Merkava tanks and seven D9 armored bulldozers moved into the area near the Surfa landfill and began bulldozing the neighborhood.

Also in the Rafah area, local medical and civil defense crews managed to successfully recover the body of a female civilian, just two days after she was killed in a Zionist airstrike on her family home.

In the north of the Gaza Strip, occupation Merkava tanks and other armored vehicles continue to invade the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City, while occupation warplanes bombarded the Al-Barbari family home, dropping the building onto the heads of the family inside and resulting in the arrival of 11 dead and 39 wounded at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Occupation aircraft also continue to bombard, with airstrikes and artillery fire, the city of Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Local civil defense crews also managed to retrieve the corpses of 25 Palestinians who were crushed under the rubble of several inhabited homes that were bombed by occupation air forces in the central Gaza Strip.

Similarly, the bodies of five Palestinian civilians were transported to the European Gaza Hospital in the Al-Fukhari neighborhood of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, after intense Israeli shelling of the south and central areas of the enclave, while occupation gunfire and artillery shelling targeted anything that moves in the Al-Satar neighborhood and in the vicinity of the Nasser Medical Complex, also in the city of Khan Yunis.

As a result of Israel's genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, ongoing since October 7th, 2023, the death toll has risen in excess of 30'035 killed, with another 70'457 wounded in occupation air, drone, missile and artillery strikes across the Palestinian enclave, bringing the total number of casualties above 100'000 officially for the first time.

#source1

#source2

#source3

#source4

#source5

#infographicsource

#videosource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

#gaza #gaza strip #gaza news #gaza war #gaza genocide #genocide #genocide in gaza #genocide of palestinians #israeli genocide #israeli occupation #israeli occupation forces #israeli war crimes #israeli crimes #war crimes #crimes against humanity #palestine #palestine news #palestinians #israel #war on gaza #israel palestine conflict #middle east #politics #news #geopolitics #world news #global news #international news #breaking news #current events

[shroudkeeper]

The red-lantern district had suited Shigure's needs, especially with the left-over coin from his exploits. He was shamed by his former clan, and humiliated by the oyabun, but here it didn't matter. Whilst under the sway of scarlet lights, the feel of silks, and the lascivious entertainment that was provided, he could plot his own vengeance. Whether it was his brother or the man who was more of a father figure than his own flesh and blood, they failed to see the bigger picture.

And for that, they would not be a part of his grand design.

“..is that right, my little bird, you will do anything for me? ” how beautiful she appeared before him, with soft lips that ached for a kiss, he wanted to rip his very teeth into them, taste the ichor that flowed in her veins. He sampled her skin each night, some evenings she would fight against him but she always succumbs to him. His spirited little beast, how the chase only made the victory all the sweeter.

She made no noise, but her body ultimately always responded to his touch. The quivering of her slender limbs, the shudder that ran its course down her spine, all keynotes of her pleasure. Something Hayate was incapable of giving her.

“ I know what lies under all of this supple, and malleable, flesh. The true beauty that no one but me sees. My brother is blind, your father is an old fool latched to the past, sentimental about a dead daughter who has no worth compared to you.” Forcefully, he dug into her skin possessively, forcing her to settle upon his lap so he could look at her directly and see the reflection of the monster beyond her gilded eyes.

“ Yet you still decide to invest time in someone who lacks worth, an ijin who barely can handle a blade to defend you. You belong to me, all of you, every monstrous ilm making up your existence. What must I do to make you understand, make you see, how much you mean to me..” His jaw tightened and he ran his fingers along the curvature of her naked frame, feeling every ridge of her spine, the slender pathway of her arms that lead up to her shoulders, until he found his prize.

Her slender neck.

Rivulets of water ran down the canvas of her body, glistening under the gentle touch of moonlight illuminating them both. She struggled, kicking her legs, but he lifted her high above the surface of their shared bath. Waves of hot breath fell against her face as her features contorted into pain. Finally, she breaks into a stifled sound of supplication, but his hands are unwilling to release her.

She was fighting back again, as she did each night when he asked her this. Why could she not answer her truthfully, that she too wanted him, that she needed him badly in her life. They were cut from the same cloth: two horrors that were intimate with death. He wanted her to confess it, to say it. Suddenly the strangled cries emerged, but it was not the sound he wanted to hear. He pressed on but to no avail.

He would force it out of her, no matter what, he would have the words greet his horns. To satisfy him.

Crack!

The sickening sound silenced her cries, and within a heartbeat, her arms fell off to her sides and she failed, as others before her, to provide him with the answer he deserved.

The sound did not shake him, but it shattered his illusion, and thios warped fantasy dissolved when his vision became clear. Shigure saw the woman he paid for listlessly hanging from his grip, no longer smiling at him, cooing from his touch. There was no empathy, no remorse, only disappointment as he sobered and saw the farce before him.

Men. Women. They all became disenchanting when the sake ran its course.

#ffxiv #ffxiv screenshot #ff14 screenshot #cw: abuse #cw: death #ffxiv writing

[cyb-by-lang]

Today's snippet (11/19/23)

This isn't strictly from the crossover, but more like an idle thought that embodies, "what might've happened if Obito's first attempt to get them back home missed the mark?" He's not being quite so reckless in the actual story.

Or: a brief snippet wherein Team Minato and Hayate accidentally visit "Akaboshi's defining tragic moment" and decide they have Opinions.

In hindsight, it was almost comforting how quickly everyone snapped into their roles. How quickly they went from relaxed, or nearly so, to the bared-teeth warnings that were just short of literal. 

Even in the moment, Hayate could practically hear the puzzle pieces slide and click together after that first breath of hot, offensively dry air. Wrong-uncanny-hate-it slammed through all of their chakra signatures at the same time. His sister’s team closed ranks around him like a wolf pack around pups, like the bars of a cage meant to keep night terrors out. Fire, Earth, Lightning, Water—and Isobu, burning as brightly as the sun and making it a little uncomfortable to stay too close. 

Past the protective forms of Kei’s friends and also his very jumpy sister, Hayate surveyed the scene as they talked. There was a warehouse—even more worn down than Gotham ones—dusted with a fine layer of clay-rich red sand. It reminded him of Sunagakure, whenever the sandstorms were a little less persistent, but in most other aspects, it could have been any random building in any random desert.

Still, a shiver ran down Hayate’s spine. 

“Okay, guess it’s my turn! See you in a minute.” Obito hopped to his feet and started investigating the immediate area, Sharingan glow visible even on a glimpse through his mask’s eyeholes. Then he slipped into the ground and vanished. 

“Kei? Kakashi?” Rin prompted, drawing a kunai from her thigh holster in clear anticipation of trouble. Her friends were unnerving her too. 

“Bomb,” Kakashi said after a cursory sniff, not even bothering to lower his mask. He’d locked onto the warehouse too. After a few quick strides to put him fully downwind of the building, he reported, “At least one, locally made. And blood.” 

“Oneesan…” Hayate began. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, muffling almost all other sound. 

Kei held out for about three seconds under Hayate’s and Kakashi’s combined stares. Her chakra hummed like a bowstring. All tension, no release. And then the question burst out: “Kakashi, whose blood?”

Kakashi sniffed again. Then, “Ah.” 

Alarm shot through Kei’s chakra before the others, and she met Hayate’s eyes with the kind of foreboding in her expression that confirmed every terrible feeling he’d had so far. 

“Yeah, ‘ah’ works for now. Fuck.” Kei stuck her Genbu mask solidly over her face, making sure the ties were tight. “Guess Akaboshi’s taunt was prophetic.”

Oh no—

“Which one?” Obito asked, popping back into reality. He ended up behind Rin’s shoulder, shoes crunching in the loose dirt and gravel. “Sorry, I didn’t quite make it over the hill there—”

“Rin, you’re in Kamui. Prep for surgery.” Kei didn’t quite snap at her, but the whip-crack of her command tone was firmly in place. While her entire team startled to attention again, “Obito, you’re the only one allowed in there with me. Be prepared to move two, if they’re alive. If we’re lucky, no one’s dead yet. Let’s keep it that way.”

Every word out of her mouth simultaneously keyed up Hayate’s anxiety and his anger. He swore he could see his vision pulse in time with his heart. “Oneesan, this is Aniki’s past, isn’t it? This is the story he told me. He’s in there—”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.” Isobu’s chakra poured out of her like smoke, turning deep red in places and lowering her voice to a growl. “Which is why I’m going in and taking the explosion to the face if I have to.”

“Then what about me?” Hayate demanded. 

“You and Kakashi are on the outside.” She held up a hand before Hayate could argue, rapping her fingers sharply against the bridge of Hayate’s goggles. “Watch for a certain white-faced escapee. Hunt the Joker down. Kill him.”

Oh. Some unnameable, hateful glee bubbles up in Hayate’s core. Oh, he could do that. He’d love to do that. 

“Of course,” Kakashi said, and began the hand seals for summoning every single dog who’d answer his call. They’d hound the monster, snapping at his heels and his calves and his face, and then he’d be still alive long enough for Hayate to get a last word in, right at the end. 

#hayate gekko #keisuke gekko #obito uchiha #kakashi hatake #rin nohara #a ninja's guide to gotham #or at least adjacent #crossover

[thebnha-auhoard]

You know what’s fun to think about? Any and all possibilities where Shirakumo Oboro was the one who survived the Garvey attack and Aizawa Shouta was the one who died.

You know what’s even more fun to think about? If Shirakumo Oboro was one of the only people left of the Rooftop Squad and had to be a hero on his own. All while he was still in UA. Him and Tensei are the only ones who made it out of UA.

Maybe in another time things would have been better. Maybe in another time he would have all of his friends. Maybe in another time it wouldn’t have ended up like this.

He can’t get stuck in the past though. He has to move forward and focus on the future. He needs to be the hero that his friends could have- should have been. He needs to make sure that no one goes through the pain of losing their friend. He needs to ignore the burning anger in his chest screaming “Why” every time he remembers that he’s alive and the rest are not.

So he moves forward. He moves forward and becomes the Silver Lining Hero: Loud Cloud. And things are good. Things are actually better than he thought it would be when he first graduated.

He became a hero, he became a teacher UA, Sushi is still around, he somehow got a boyfriend, he locked away all feelings of anger and grief deep deep inside where no one will ever see it again, Tensei and him remained good friends, and he’s basically an uncle for Tenya. 

Everything is great and life is good.

He especially excited about this year’s class! They all have so much potential and are all motivated to become heroes! Yeah one of them broke his bones and the other has some major anger issues but with some practice and help from Kan and him, he’s sure that they’ll all become great heroes.

This is going to be a good year for these kids. He just knows it.

And nothing will stop that. Not a villain attacking USJ, not a villain crippling his best friend, not a villain almost killing his nephew, not his boyfriend joining the villains, not his students getting kidnapped, not the boogie man of the underground opening up more and more wounds, not the HPSC president trying to recruit him for their own goals, and definitely not the three villains that keep on reminding him more and more of his friends who are dead. He knows they’re dead. Two of them died in front of him and the other was spirited away without a trace. They’re dead. They’re dead.

Everything is going to be fine and everything is going to be okay. It will all be okay.

——————————————————————————

So welcome to Three For A Cloud au! The au where the price of Shirakumo Oboro living is at the cost of Aizawa, Yamada, and Kayama’s lives. Equal exchange and all that, and as it turns out, the gods believed that his life was worth three people’s lives.

It’s great. Definitely doesn’t cause him guilt at all /s

Now, they’re the Noumus and Shirakumo is the UA teacher!

Speaking of which, Aizawa, Yamada, and Kayama all were given name changes! Can’t have them remembering about their past and possibly turning against the Doctor and All For One! After all, they already put so much effort and so many Quirks into them, it would be an awful waste if they were to betray them!

So Aizawa becomes Noriaki, Yamada becomes Hayate, and Kayama becomes Kasumi. All of them has seen and experienced the horrors. Managed to get rid of all the memories concerning them being heroes and what they had in the past but apparently, the Doctor couldn’t get rid of everything. For some reason Noriaki and Hayate have an attraction to each other.

Often times the two of them interacted with each other in an almost...romantic way. Odd but nothing that will impact their development too much.

They’re also all the caretakers for Shigaraki Tomura! I’m sure that won’t cause any mishaps that will potentially cause

As for Shirakumo’s boyfriend, that would be one Sako Atsuhiro. Blackmagic is canon here and has been canon since Sako got chased by Loud Cloud and thought “Holy shit that’s hot”. Tensei and Magne both see this as an absolute loss and think the their friends can do better but they’re happy so. Let’s get back to stopping this robbery and not flirt each other okay?

Iida Tenya also is honestly going to be the one and only person with the braincell in this au. Just by proxy of knowing nothing and everything all at once.

He knows that his Brother used to have a lot more friends and one day, he just didn’t. Shouta, Hizashi, and Nemuri just weren’t there anymore. For a while Oboro wasn’t there either but eventually he came back, albeit with more tired eyes and prone to snap more. It wasn’t hard to piece together the that the other three died. He was five, not dumb.

He knows that his uncle Oboro is probably dating a criminal which. He doesn’t know how that happened and that’s concerning but at the same time Tenya saw Sako apologize constantly to Sushi when he accidentally stepped on her once so it’s probably fine. Hopefully.

He knows that Tensei and Oboro struggled so much when their friends died and he remembers how useless he felt. His brother could barely get out of bed at times and from the few times he saw Oboro before he came back, he saw Oboro snap at everyone and so willing to fight with everyone. He didn’t know what to do to make it better and he shouldn’t be focusing in on that. He was five. But it was hard. It was so hard to not to feel like he’s doing something wrong. Especially when their friends were also his family.

And now ever since USJ happened, he’s watching it happen all over again. And once again he feels useless.

Anyways, welcome to the Three For A Cloud au! No one’s okay! Now buckle up because we’re going to be on a ride!

#my hero academia #boku no hero academia #my hero academia au #three for a cloud au #erasermic #blackmagic #shirakumo oboro #ingenium #iida tensei #iida tenya #aizawa shouta #yamada hizashi #kayama nemuri #sako atsuhiro #mr compress #idk if his actual tag is his villain or civilian name help. #mod kiwi

[felsenbluete]

Fixing the Chunin exams arc

While I do think that the first two rounds of the exams are nearly perfect in narrative execution (except that Anko afterwards ceases to be relevant even though her backstory is so intriguing and could mirror Sasuke in so many ways, but I’m getting already off track here...) - I have some gripes with regards to the duels, especially Naruto’s, which is a fucking pity, given that he is the main character. 

So this is my attempt to fix the mess that Kishimoto made of the last two rounds (concerning Naruto’s duels and the narrative around them, we don’t have the time for Kishi’s misogyny and whatever Sakura/Ino is):

1) Naruto vs. Kiba: In @margalotta​‘s wise words:

Imo, it doesn’t benefit Naruto at this point in his story to win out of dumb luck. He is teamed up with Kiba, who pretty much suffers the same weaknesses as Naruto, mostly bad rage control. So seeing Naruto actually staying in control and outsmarting Kiba would have been such a great character moment for him! Especially given that his lack of any strategy already gave him a pretty humbling defeat from Lee in the very beginning.

> Fix #1: Let Naruto outsmart Kiba, keep the fart joke for a filler.

2) Chouji vs. Dosu: While disliking the outcome of the Naruto-Kiba duel, I do think that the point of “one can win with nothing but luck” is one worth making. So looking at the other duels of the preliminaries, I find Chouji vs. Dosu most fitting. We have already seen Dosu being completely brutal in the Forest and him losing would give him an extra reason to challenge Gaara before round 3 - him thinking he got cheated out of this encounter.

> Fix #2: Let Chouji win against Dosu through luck, let Dosu be bitter about it.

3) Naruto vs. Neji:

This actually get my blood boiling, because - as many have pointed out over the years - Naruto winning only because of the Kyuubi just proved Neji’s god damn point about predetermination. But (even though I like seeing Naruto lose) I don’t think Neji should win either. My solution is to scrap that entire duel. 

> Fix #4: Let Neji fight against Shikamaru, let him lose

I am dead serious. While I like the ShikaTema interactions as much as anyone else, I think Shikamaru could have pulled his stunt with basically everyone else. The only difference is, that with Neji, it would have an impact. Because Neji technically losing only for Shikamaru to throw the whole thing out would have impacted Neji’s world view much more than losing against a jinchuuriki. In my very humble opinion.

> Fix #5: Neji vs. Naruto - talk-no-jutsu, the Hinata brawl

Between the preliminaries and round 3, a whole month passes. And I am aware that Naruto as a shounen protagonist has to change everyone’s path personally. So why not between the rounds? Let him be enraged about what Neji did to Hinata, so fucking livid that he doesn’t wait patiently for a month, but corners Neji the minute they are out of the arena and Hayate isn’t looking.

I have no idea, when Kishimoto decided on NaruHina as endgoal, but that would have set up that whole thing as well! Just a thought!! And you can have the Talk and maybe even Naruto actually catching Neji off-guard, if you want to. Idk, Masashi, you’re the Big Mangaka, you figure that out.

BONUS > Fix #6: Let Naruto fight against Temari, let him have a realistic chance, let him lose (?)

Surprisingly, I don’t have a strong opinion how this match should go. I think there is something for the idea of Naruto encountering someone with years worth of experience and losing and realising that even though he has grown a lot, he still has so much more to learn, which fuels his training under Jiraiya. But as a Proper Shounen Protagonist, I also have no issue if he has to win this fight. Maybe, to make it more spicy, have the Kyuubi come out and actually wreck Temari. Like, obliterate her to such a degree, that he is horrified. Show him and the audience in the arena why the village hates the jinchuurikis. I actually quite like this turn, because it mirrors the brutality Temari employs to win against Tenten.

BONUS BONUS: Actually I do have time to fix Ino vs. Sakura

> Fix #7: Keep the fight, throw out Sasuke and make Ino status-obsessed

Popularity aside, the main difference between Sakura and Ino during their academy years is that Ino has an inkling of her abilities, while Sakura is only aware that she can control chakra in the vaguest of ways. Ino is born into a clan, Sakura’s family isn’t mentioned in the canon. So why not make Ino think that she will get the best team (................... *sigh* and best team mates aka The Uchiha), while treating Sakura as an amusing puppy, but not really competition. If I remember correctly, Sakura has the best academy exam scores after Sasuke, so why not let her evolve into a real threat for Ino, maybe having their falling out be an actual duel on the training field that mirrors the duel during the chunin exams.

I think I am done now.

#Ola #excuse my Naruto blogging in 2022 - do you still think I'm hot? #my English is HORRENDOUS #Uzumaki Naruto #Hyuga Neji #Haruno Sakura #Nara Shikamaru #Inuzuka Kiba #Yamanaka Ino #not tagging the others let me be #someone pay me to rewrite Naruto plssss #Naruto meta

[aquietwritingcorner]

Don't Go Where I Can't Follow

Title: Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow Day: Whumptober 2023, Day 16 Prompt: “Would you lie with me and just forget the world?” Gurney/Flatline/ “Don’t go where I can’t follow.”  Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist Word Count: 1323  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: T  Characters: Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang Warning: NA Summary: A few years after the Promised Day, Mustang has a chance to ask Hawkeye the same thing she asked him to promise all those years ago. “Don’t go where I can’t follow.”    Notes: Fun fact! The electrocardiogram has been around since about 1877, if my research is correct. It, of course, wasn’t as good as the ones we have today, nor was it in common use, as it was brand new at that time, but since the bulk FMA takes place in 1914-1915, and they already have advances like automail, I figured it’s not unreasonable to think that heart monitors were starting to be used in hospitals! However, CPR wasn’t invented until the 1960s, and shocking hearts through the chest wasn’t done until 1957. So those two things I am most definitely just fudging and saying that the FMA world invented them earlier than we did. AO3 || ff.net

___________________________________

Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow

“We need help!”

Havoc’s voice boomed through the emergency room. Mustang leaned heavily on Breda as they quickly limped after Havoc, who was carrying an unconscious and injured Hawkeye. Mustang could hear Falman and Fuery coming in after them, Fuery keeping a hold of Hayate.

His eyes, though, were only on Hawkeye. She was limp, pale, with electrical burns, and from this angle he couldn’t even tell if she was breathing. His eyes didn’t leave her. They couldn’t. Not without knowing if she was going to be alright.

A doctor rushed over and Havoc’s call, calling for a gurney that was already being pushed over by an attentive nurse. Havoc carefully laid Hawkeye down on it, quickly explaining to the doctor what had happened.

“She took an electrical shock, pretty bad,” Havoc said, sweeping dripping hair out of his eyes. “That was after she was soaked.”

The doctor grimaced, even as he was examining her. “Get her back to a bay!” he snapped at his team. “Get cardiac down here, stat! Get someone to see after the rest of them.”

“I’m staying with her,” Mustang said.

The Doctor was already moving off with the gurney. “No. You’ll just be in the way, sir.”

“I’m staying with her,” Mustang growled. There was no way that he was leaving Hawkeye’s side, not after she took that hit for him.

He could still see it. The alchemist had already blown a water main, soaking them. It had been a strategic move, as, as soon as he had a chance, the man had sent a blast of electricity at Mustang. Hawkeye must have anticipated it, because she had thrown herself in front of it, taking the shock herself. Mustang would never forget her scream, and the way she had dropped to the ground, unmoving as soon as the electricity left her body. Havoc had seen his opportunity in the midst of the man’s action, and had shot the man dead, ending his alchemy. The rest of the team had taken some hits, but none as bad as she did. Havoc had scooped Hawkeye up, Breda had thrown Mustang’s arm over his shoulder, and they had all rushed to the hospital.

The doctor made a dismissive noise and promptly ignored Mustang, clearly not having time to deal with him right now. Instead, he focused all of his attention on Hawkeye. Breda and Mustang followed after the gurney, Mustang watching anxiously as the nurses and doctor began their assessment of her.

“Get me vitals on her now!”

“IV line is in.”

“Breathing is erratic.”

“Pulse is erratic.”

“She’s got burns—at least on her arms.”

“Strip her down and check elsewhere.”

“On it!”

“Where’s cardiac!”

“Here!”

Three men rushed in, pushing some sort of device that Mustang had never seen before. One man directed a nurse to cut away Hawkeye’s shirt. Another immediately started hooking wires from it up to Hawkeye’s chest.

“What is that?” Mustang demanded, as he saw a needle on the machine begin jerking around, making a squiggling mark on a strip of paper.

“New technology,” one of the men said. “It’s called an electrocardiogram. It can monitor what a patient’s heartbeat looks like.” The man grimaced as he looked at Hawkeye’s readings. “Oh, that’s not good.”

Mustang looked at the squiggles, but he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. He didn’t know what a normal one would look like, but apparently, the small, erratic squiggles that jumped around on the page were not good things.

“Heart and lungs first!” the doctor said. “Burns later.”

“Uh-oh,” the man who was watching the strip of paper said. Mustang looked at it, watching as the needle stopped moving and started drawing a single, straight line instead. “She’s flatlining!” the man yelled.

The doctor cursed, and Mustang lurched forward, only held back by Breda. “What does that mean!” demanded.

“It means that her heart stopped,” the doctor snapped out.

Mustang felt like his own heart stopped in that second. No. No! No, she couldn’t die! It was like the Promised Day all over again. She was dying in front of him and there was nothing he could do. Mustang’s breath caught in his throat.

“Bag her! Get CPR started! Cardiac, get that thing ready!”

“Already on it!”

A nurse had climbed on top of the gurney and was already doing compressions while another applied a mask with a bag on it to Riza’s face. There was a building whine in the background.

Mustang wanted to lunge forward, to grab at Hawkeye’s bedside and beg her not to leave, like he had all but done once before. He hadn’t cared then who had seen, and he didn’t care now. The only things keeping him from doing that were his ribs, and the firm grip Breda had on him.

“It’s ready!”

“Everyone stand clear!” the doctor ordered, and Breda pulled Mustang back a step. Mustang’s chance had passed.

They both watched as all of the medical staff pulled away, and the cardiologist laid two metal plates on Hawkeye’s chest. As soon as they touched her, Hawkeye jerked as if she had been shocked. He pulled them back, and looked at the one who was looking at the strip. He waited a second, then shook his head. The plates were laid down and Hawkeye jerked up again. Again, the strip stayed in a flat line. Once again, the plates were laid down and Hawkeye jerked up. This time, though, the man called for them to wait. The needle moved a bit, and then, suddenly settled into a very specific and repetitive pattern.

“Normal sinus rhythm!” he said after a moment, and everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Pulse is steady. Breathing is returning to normal.”

“Okay,” the doctor said. “Let’s keep an eye on that and attend to her burns.” He glanced back at Mustang and Breda. “She’s alive and stable at the moment. You two need to leave and be seen yourself.

Slowly, Mustang nodded, attempting to straighten up, but wincing as his ribs protested it. “Of course,” he said. “But keep me updated.”

The doctor made some sort of affirming response, but before Mustang could demand more, Breda was pulling him away. Another doctor was standing nearby, and Mustang let himself be let to another bay. The doctor ended up sending him for x-rays, and it was discovered that, as Mustang thought, he had broken some ribs. They were wrapped up, and he was sent back to wait with the rest of his men, who had also been seen by this point.

It seemed like hours before the doctor finally came to see them. They were all relieved to find out that Hawkeye was likely going to be fine, although they did want to keep her a few nights for observation. Mustang was allowed to go see her, and he did, with Breda and Havoc following to stand guard.

Mustang pushed open the door to Hawkeye’s room. It was quiet, with Hawkeye lying asleep on the bed. Mustang pulled up a chair and carefully sat beside her, reaching out to take her hand.

For a moment, he just held it, looking her over as he did. Finally, he let out a breath and bowed his head. He was silent, words stuck in his throat until finally one phrase escaped him, one that echoed something she had said to him only a few short years ago.

“Don’t go where I can’t follow,” he said. “Do you hear me, Riza Hawkeye? Don’t go where I can’t follow.”

She had made him promise that once to her, and now he’d make her make the same promise to him.

“Don’t go where I can’t follow. Even if it means that we give up and spend the rest of our days lying around, and forgetting about the world around us, I’ll stay next to you. So don’t go where I can’t follow.”

#Whumptober 2023 #no.16 #Don't Go Where I Can't Follow #Fullmetal Alchemist #FMA #fanfic #riza hawkeye #roy mustang

[blissfulalchemist]

OCs as Siken Poems

Tagged awhile ago by @statichvm to take this little uquiz for some ocs. Apologies for the time it took as your girl only took screenshots and not copying text directly 🙃 Anyway sending a few tags out to @belorage @florbelles @heroofpenamstan @unholymilf @confidentandgood @jackiesarch @strafethesesinners @themarcspector @indorilnerevarine @adelaidedrubman and anyone else that wants to do it! Formatted so the line from the poem that fits them is first before the result description.

Hayat Kahdemi (The Wayhaven Chronichles)

The Torn Up Road

There, on the ground, slipping through the minutes,/trying to notch them. Like taking the same picture over and over, the spaces in between sealed up/Knocked hard enough to make the record skip/and change its music, setting the melody on its/forward course again, circling and circling the center hole in the flat black disk./And words, little words,/words too small for any hope or promise, not really soothing/but soothing nonetheless.

“I want to tell you this story without having to confess anything.” poem about having a hard time, the kind of hard time where you don’t want anybody to see you like this, but somebody is seeing you like this. and somebody is doing everything they can to help you but you are reckless and they are young and you both are just trying to get through it one day at a time.

Stasia (VA/Bloodlines, FFXIV)

Saying Your Names

His voice on tape, his name on the envelope, the soft sound of a body falling off a bridge behind you, the body hardly even makes a sound. The waters of the dead, a clear road, every lover in the form of stars, the road blocked. All night I stretched my arms across him, rivers of blood, the dark woods, singing with all my skin and bone Please keep him safe. Let him lay his head on my chest and we will be like sailors, swimming in the sound of it, dashed to pieces. 

“I came to tell you we’ll swim in the water / we’ll swim like something sparkling underneath the waves.” this is the poem I send excerpts of to the people I love. when I read this poem is makes me cry because it reminds me of the beautiful things in the world and also the beautiful things of love.

Anthea (FFXIV)

Straw House Straw Dog

Four dreams in a row, four dreams in a row, four dreams in a row,/fall down right there. I wanted to fall down right there but I knew/you wouldn’t catch me/because you're dead. I swallowed crushed ice/pretending it was glass and you're dead. Ashes to ashes./You wanted to be cremated so we cremated you and you wanted an adventure/so I ran and I knew you wouldn’t catch me./You are a fever I am learning to live with, and everything is happening/at the wrong end of a very long tunnel.

“I don’t really blame you for being dead but you can’t have your sweater back.” this is a poem about grief, a poem about loss. poem that makes you think about how people leave you but you still have everything you’ve ever known about them and you don’t know what to do about that.

Siberite Akagane (FFXIV)

I Had a Dream About You

In these dreams it’s always you: the boy in the sweatshirt, the boy on the bridge, the boy who always keeps me from jumping off the bridge. Oh, the things we invent when we are scared and want to be rescued/Your jeep. Your teeth. The coffee that you bought me. The sandwich cut in half on the plate. I woke up and ate ice cream in the dark, hunched over on the wooden chair in the kitchen, listening to the rain. I borrowed your shoes and didn’t put them away.

surrealist dream piece but in a very homoerotic and fluorescent lit way. reminds me of going to waffle house at three am with my friends, or late night road trips. about the idealization of the good wild moments you have with people you love but also about the harshness of living outside of those moments. also kind of about crime, which I think is sexy.

#tag games #these poems and quiz didn't have to go for my kids like this but here we are #hayat khademi oc #stasia e. oc #anthea oc #siberite akagane oc #theas was especially extra mean because what the fuck man #its so rude im still upsetti about it

[felixcloud6288]

Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 38

Lin told Al and Winry stuff. I'm glad Lin took off his shoes before placing his feet on the bed.

This is the first time Winry was around when something happened. The danger Ed and Al are putting themselves in is suddenly less abstract. It's been three days since she found out Hughes was dead.

Lust is certain in Gluttony and Envy's skill. Cut to Envy and Gluttony getting beat. With the Gluttony fight, it was fun to pay attention to Private First Class Black Hayate. Not only did he bite Gluttony's shoulder, he also spooked him by jumping and yapping. Then he jumped out of the way when Hawkeye and Fuery opened fire on Gluttony. And then there's his reactions to everything after.

Lan Fan and Lin can both detect the Homunculi. This is the first time we get explicit confirmation they have a Philosopher's Stone in them so now I can say that's what they're detecting. So when the Xing characters start talking about weird sensations about Amestris, a vigilant reader might start connecting some dots.

No matter what he looks like, Lin will always be my babygirl.

Roy was surprised Alphonse showed up so that means Lin bringing him along was not part of the Super Heist. But Al is welcome to join.

When we get these little moments of information exchange, I like to try tracing things back to how did they get the info. For a moment, I wandered how Al knew Envy's name. Al had seen him before when Envy brought Ed's unconscious body from Lab 5, but it took me a moment to remember Ed heard his name and shared it with Al, Armstrong, and Hughes later. So that's how Al got the info. Nobody connected any dots from Envy's transforming powers to Hughes's death though. No one in the car knows Maria Ross was witnessed killing him.

A nice little miscellaneous thing during the car ride and info-sharing scene is we see Hawkeye and Havoc reloading their guns.

Is that a "Cat Crossing" street sign?

Barry's pursuit leads closer to the middle of Central so that means Lab 3 is in the inner city.

Roy uses Barry's rampage as the perfect excuse to head into Lab 3 without needing a warrant or anything. Roy brings up an incident at the penitentiary earlier that day and refers to Barry as the murderer. I wanted to make sure this wasn't some translation error and Roy wasn't referring to the guy who broke Maria Ross out, and I think this is a separate incident because Barry didn't kill anyone there so the perpetrator being a murderer is not applicable. (I mean, yes, Barry is a murderer, but the details of the breakout wouldn't imply that.)

Alphonse seems nervous playing along with Roy's ruse. He's not military personnel.

From this shot when the team splits up, we can tell the hallway is slightly curved.

This is a seemingly irrelevant detail but I'm going to build on this in the next few chapters so keep this in the back of your mind. The room Roy and Havoc find in the long hallway appears to have been to their right.

I hope Mustang and Havoc got treated for potential infections after all this was over because there's no way that water was sanitary.

That move Roy used to break the water down into hydrogen and oxygen, that could just be some Alchemy stuff or he could have been applying a real world technique called electrolysis.

Electrolysis involves channeling a direct current through substance to trigger a chemical reaction that otherwise wouldn't happen. For water, electrolysis requires the current to travel through an electric conductor in the water. Oxygen gathers in the positive side of the conductor while hydrogen gathers in the negative side. If that was what Roy did, then he was likely able to achieve it using something in the room as a conductor and himself as the battery.

He probably wouldn't be able to use it to dry his gloves though since the conductor can't be touching other materials, otherwise the current would flow into them instead.

I wonder if this is an error caused by the translation process. There's a blank pixel on one panel.

Roy does that eye thing a few times but he does it in bursts. His eyes are obscured when he shoots Lust in response to her taunt about Hughes. He does it when she shows her Philosopher's Stone (That was probably shock). He does it when Havoc gets stabbed (shock again). He does it when he grabs Havoc's gun, but not when he shoots Lust. And he does it when he rips her stone out of her body and they go back to normal as soon as he rips it out.

The part where he was shooting Lust to demand information was personal business. The part where he blew her up was professional. And his reaction to Havoc getting hurt made it personal again but he calmed down to make sure he could shoot Lust.

Unlike Greed, Lust is able to use her powers and regenerate at the same time. It might be possible she, and by extension all the homunculi, can wait to regenerate because she was able to lie in wait to ambush Roy and Havoc after being blown up.

And when Lust's stone is ripped out, her body disintegrates only to build a new one around the stone. So the stones are their actual "bodies" and their physical bodies are just vessels for them. Lust commented on what Roy did just before destroying her old body so her memories are stored in the stone.

back

Spoiler Discussion

Lin most likely told Al about the heist to smuggle Maria Ross out of the country and that Ed was taken away so he could safely give Roy information.

When Ed and company infiltrate the Lab 3 hallway late in the series, Hohenheim takes the same route Roy and Havoc took and got to Father's lair with no trouble. Presumably, this means the door Lust was guarding leads straight to him.

#fullmetal alchemist #fullmetal alchemist reread

[fzzr]

Shakugan no Shana is My Favorite Anime I Recommend To No One

Shakugan no Shana is a 2005 anime about a guy who is already dead, so he decides to fight the demons that killed him. The title character, Shana, is a little girl with a big sword and she is really good at killing demons. Together, they kill demons and also have school romance for some reason?

Shana (the character) is one of the Four Tsundere Wonders, the quartet of small girls with big attitudes produced by the voice of Rie Kugimiya in the mid-noughts. The quality of the anime in which they feature varies widely. Toradora! (Taiga, of course) is Perfect In Every Way That Matters (10/10). Zero no Tsukaima (Louise) is a pre-SAO example of the contemporary isekai harem anime and it is also a pioneer in the ways they suck (5/10). I haven't finished Hayate no Gotoku! (Nagi), but I found it to be inoffensive (6/10). Shakugan no Shana is smack in the middle.

Shana is a standard if a bit convoluted secret world protect the mortals setup. While out on the town, male protagonist Yuuji suddenly finds himself to be the only person moving, with everyone else frozen in time. Then he sees demons draining the life force ("power of existence") of those around him, including his crush. Just in time, a girl with a big sword shows up and takes the demon down.

After the action scene, she introduces herself as the "Flaming-Haired, Blazing-Eyed Hunter" and explains that those who the demons consumed are dead, and the shells left behind are "Torches". Torches are essentially placeholders for their presence until their remaining power of existence burns out and the world forgets about them. She is a "Flame Haze", an unaging warrior contracted with a demon to fight them. (Incidentally, this is why she is 200 years old but looks 12.) She then gives him the biggest shock of his un-life: He is also a Torch. Yuuji is already dead, and the entity she is speaking to merely thinks it is him. Surprisingly, the show actually pushes back on that and examines the p-zombie problem in extremely literal terms.

The Torch currently and henceforth known as Yuuji spends a day being crushed by the philosophical and existential questions raised by this whole situation. In the end he challenges the girl on her humanity as well. She doesn't even have a name of her own, just her title. He dubs her Shana after her weapon, the legendary blade Nietono no Shana. He insists that he wants to spend the rest of his limited time protecting others from the fate that befell him. Shana is hesitant to accept Yuuji's help, but after he sacrifices nearly all his remaining power of existence to protect his classmates, she recognizes his determination. As he fades away, midnight tolls - and his power of existence surges back. Yuuji is a strange Torch indeed, and his renewable energy pool makes him a valuable asset as the two work together in earnest.

Wow that was quite the setup for the premise. From here, things settle into a pattern. Shana impersonates Yuuji's evaporated crush so she can attend school with him. Over the course of season 1, a love triangle develops between the two of them and Kazumi Yoshida, a normal human student. Other Flame Hazes come into the picture and a few mortals are drawn across the barrier of the masquerade. There's a good mix of fun action scenes and antagonists ranging from sympathetic to utterly hatable (and sometimes both).

At the end of season 1 we find out what exactly what makes Yuuji such a special Torch. The romance plot also finally comes into focus. Going into season 2, Yuuji moves with great difficulty from support to a more active role. In parallel, the romance plot increases in volume. At the end of the season, the girls give Yuuji an ultimatum - pick one of us. And then....

The first half of season 3 is where Shana goes off the rails. After the cliffhanger twist at the end of season 2, Shana falls into the raised stakes trap of Three Supernatural Threat Levels, moving from a local hero/school romance story into a world-wide supernatural war. A huge number of new characters are introduced so the battles can be bigger in scope and feature more scenery destruction. The fights are still solid in variety, choreography, and creativity, but they're no longer the personal, philosophical conversations of the previous seasons.

All of this is prompted by the biggest and least explained face heel turn I can immediately recall. In Shana, season 3 starts with Yuuji having moved offscreen from "I want to get strong enough to save the world" to "actually I think I will assume the mantle of a dark god and lead an army of demons." We never really understand how that shift happened. (At least Lucas tried to make Anakin have a bad week before he started on the genocide.) All we know is that Yuuji is chaining up love interests in his castle and accepting that his new version of saving the world will have a lot of collateral damage.

After the big mid-season downer, things actually start to look up, both in the plot and in the quality of the writing. The final battle weaves together characters and events from the previous seasons, which makes it all feel more worthwhile in retrospect. Sure, Yuuji is still chaining up love interests and laughing maniacally, but we're getting cool lore and seeing the recurring villains go truly all out. By stationing the final battle in the city where we spent the first two seasons, we feel way more engaged with the stakes than when it was in the middle of nowhere. This is where it shows the good side of the Three Supernatural Threat Levels. The ending isn't perfectly satisfying, but it does wrap things up neatly and doesn't leave you feeling cheated.

Conclusion

So, I clearly have a lot of love for Shakugan no Shana. Why don't I recommend it? Well, that huge whiplash between seasons 2 and 3 is a big factor. There are a number of other plot contrivances I skimmed over. You probably noticed all those Capitalized Words I used - having to learn a bunch of jargon to follow a series can be a barrier to enjoyment for some. While I do enjoy the action, I recognize that it's good rather than great in absolute terms, especially by modern standards. The art is fine but not amazing, and the effects haven't all aged flawlessly. Other than the standout first opening and ending themes of season 3, the music is likewise serviceable but not exceptional.

Shakugan no Shana is good, but it's not great. It's a a 7/10. I won't tell you not to watch it, unlike Spellforce. I just never recommend it to anyone because if you have limited time there are plenty of other, better things to watch. All I want to say is I really like it, and someday I will probably watch it again.

Comparisons

Shakugan no Shana has the deep misfortune of needing to face the Perfect anime Toradora! when it comes to comparing main characters and their arcs. The tsundere archetype is defined by a relationship with a corresponding protagonist, but Shana is also obligated to fulfill the role of action hero. Her relationship with her suitor therefore makes use of the tropes consequent to working together as a team to do violence. The beats of that story, eg. where the weaker character needs to process whether he's a drag rather than a value add, don't always mesh with the necessary beats of a romance. Additionally, the way the romance plot sorta wraps up in season 2 means the tsundere archetype essentially no longer applies to her in season 3. Instead she takes up the mantle of "I know if my love reaches him he can be saved." Delaying the final romantic resolution in order to have an entire war and two climactic battles separates her path from tsuntsun to deredere too far from the reward for that transformation, and her arc is less satisfying as a result. Obviously Toradora! is better.

Dog Days season two and Shana season two both add extra focus on romance compared to their respective first seasons. The notable point of comparison is a conversation between two major love interests around the start of act three where they acknowledge each others’ feelings for the main guy, and agree that they’re not willing to go poly so only one of them can get the guy. Both conversations come to the same conclusion - it’s up to him to make the choice. These conversations are very similar except one bit at the end. In Shana, they present contending for his affections as a competition with a zero-sum result. In Dog Days they prioritize everyone being at least comfortable with the result, making it clear that as they are currently both satisfied with being good friends, changing to romance proper is a desirable but optional upgrade. Shana's increased stakes makes it my preferred example, despite Dog Days scoring higher in general.

Saekano and Shana both struggle somewhat to harmonize their romantic plot with the binding material. They both use the main plot to implement the obligatory will-things-fall-apart twist at the end. In Saekano's case, that twist takes too little time and is a bit unconvincing, and for Shana it takes far too long and distracts from the impact. Overall Saekano does a better job by making the connection between the two plots stronger and keeping their respective tones aligned.

Final Thoughts

It's a bit surprising that I had as much to say about Shana as I do the 9s and 10s, but here we are. No other 7/10 stirs as much passion in me as Shana does, so I doubt any other 7/10 will get this much attention.

#Shana #shakugan no shana #anime #it's still ok not to like the things I like #tsundere #ok but seriously why is this romance/action anime exploring the implications of p-zombies #original post #my favorite

[mytalemyworld]

GELSIN HAYAT BILDIGI GIBI 

( “LET LIFE COME AS IT KNOWS” -LITERAL TRANSLATION, OFFICIAL ENGLISH TITLE IS “ANOTHER CHANCE”)

I’ve been watching this since episode 1 but didn’t write anything because I wanted it to get more ratings so that I wouldn’t be worried if it got cancelled early. To be honest, it isn’t perfect but there are many tropes I enjoy watching, also the main couple has the best chemistry among all of the summer tv show couples so I’ll write a brief summary.

The male lead Emin (Ertan Saban), known as "Yedi Emin" (which means "Trustman" in Turkish btw), is a gangster. One day as his enemies are following him they shoot the wrong car thinking he is in it, so a family with a little girl die. 

He feels guilty and goes through a crisis. Days later, he decides to turn himself in to the police. Since nobody knows his face the cops don’t understand what he is doing but after he shows all his guns they draw their guns.

He offers to give lots of information and evidence about the crimes of the big mafia bosses. All he wants in return is to start a new life.

So thanks to the information he gives, the cops catch three bad guys and then he enters the witness protection program, the government provides him with a new ID and new job also announces publicly that Emin died after he had got in a gunfight with the police. So public thinks now that he is dead. 

His new name: Sadi Payaslı His new job: Geography teacher His new residence: Istanbul

All his assests are transferred to his new bank accounts. 

Everything seems to be okay except that he doesn't have a teaching diploma.  Also the prosecutor and the chief of police don't trust him completely and wants to be sure of his safety in case someone comes after him.

So that's the point the female lead Songül (Devrim Özkan) comes into the picture. They want her to observe his actions and take care of his safety while living in the same house with him. Unbeknownst to her, Sadi and her will act like husband and wife for her to live with him.

When they hear the news about the marriage they don't look pleased, especially her. She objects it first but also doesn't want to be seen as someone who runs away from the duty. She ends up accepting the order. So leaving their lives behind Sadi and Songül go to Istanbul.

The things we know about her as of now are that she wants to work in Istanbul (we don't know why), her parents are dead and her father was a cop too. She dislikes Emin/Sadi in the beginning because she thinks it's unfair that he got away with all his crimes just because he gave the information. She softens towards him later.

He embraces his new life easily. A domestic husband, a hardworking teacher (lol, he studies a lot to be able to teach) also a person who tries to help his students. Because there are many problematic children in the school where he starts working at.

Speaking of the students, the story also revolves around the five teenagers who are released from the youth detention center to start a new life in a new school. They shouldn’t get into any trouble otherwise they will go back to the detention center however unfortunately they are not welcomed by the other students.

Sadi’s way crosses with these young people and he sees himself in them so he tries his best to help them.

But he doesn't change completely. 

I mean... his ways of dealing with thugs or bullies are still the same. Lol. If only Songül knew...By the way she has been doing a terrible job of handling him so far. He doesn't have permission to carry weapons but somehow he still has guns. She also has had a hard time saying no to him. But the guy has some ways, I'll give her that.

To be honest, the part of the story revolving around the teenagers is not very good and lacking in many aspects. But he's such an interesting character that you can't help but wonder what he will say or what reaction he will show. The actor is one of the reasons for this, because he is killing it. Also the screenwriter is famous for his witty and funny scripts so this combination is the key of the success. But don’t expect logic, there are many loopholes.

Also they are really amazing and the funniest part of the show. They bicker endlessly and act like they are really married. 

Some good chemistry too. 

Fake marriage, opposites attract dynamic, a serious angst potential (his ex will be a problem), birth secrets (he has a son and only his ex knows it!), the mystery about the female lead’s past, the fact that his enemies are searching for him, so many actions in the future...  We’ll see how the potential will be used.

#gelsin hayat bildiği gibi #turkish series #ertan saban #devrim özkan

[invincible-selfxmade-punk]

Today is what would have been my mom's 84th birthday. When I think in terms of people who have died and have been dead for a long time and it comes time for their birthdays, I always think of them as being incredibly old or would have been incredibly old if they had lived.

The thing is my mom diesd so damn young. She would not have been that old---- at least not to me. But she died at 45, when I was barely 12, and 40 years have come and gone.

I saw a post about Ramadan. And I don't know much about it I don't know if it is still going on. But I did want to put up a little tribute to the second parents that God gave me.

They were an Iraqi couple that I met when I was managing a little kiosk at the mall. I managed there for 10 years and met some of the most wonderful people who became my found family.

The man was named Zeki Al Jabir and his wife was Hayat.s

They only had sons so I became their unofficial adopted daughter.

They immigrated here from Iraq when Saddam Hussein took power and they had to leave behind a fairly privileged life including friends and family.

They both found good jobs here in the United States as professors at a university up north----though probably not as good are as fancy and glamorous as the government jobs that they held before Saddam took everything away.

They came back to Corpus Christi in their '80s to retire and that is how I found them because they walked the mall everyday.

There was a Jordanian couple who ran a kiosk next to mine and I'm guessing that's how we started talking because I heard them speaking Arabic to each other.

I told him how my father was Lebanese and that he had died when I was 20 but he never spoke Lebanese to me. He spoke fluid Lebanese and Spanish to his parents and his parents never really learned english. But he only spoke English to me and didn't seem particularly interested in teaching me any other language. Which I felt a total loss about especially as I got older and after he passed.

Zeki and Hayat were towering influences in my life. Hayat especially was a force to be reckoned with and I truly believe it is because of her that I am now a teacher and it is definitely because of her that I stepped out and published 5 books on my own.

When my first book came out I presented them with a copy and they were so proud of me. They paraded me through the mall with them and introduced me to everyone as their daughter.

Zaki especially always wanted me to become muslim. But that was just not in the cars for me at all. Although I do love and respect it. And in the end I don't think that there are that many differences between our beliefs.

Zeki would regale me with stories of living in Morocco and all the crazy things he had seen and done there. He also thought it quite a novelty that I liked girls. And unbeknownst to his wife would email me. Pictures of scantily clad he thought we both found attractive. He was a wild one! He taught me some Arabic but sadly I cannot remember almost anything now.

Zeki did not tell me when he got answered. I was actually on a trip to Washington DC to visit some of my other Lebanese relatives who are extremely hardcore Republicans and extremely stuck up. But I had gone out on a limb and had gone to visit them and we had eaten at the celebrities restaurant and tried all this wonderful wonderful evidence food and I was so proud to come back and sure it was sexy and it was the last thing we would ever share because after I said he emailed to tell him all this. Hayat assured me he read it and he died a few days later.

I ended up getting a teaching job and moving from South Texas back to West Texas and I never saw Hayat again .

I'm sure that she is in whatever Realm Of Heaven they believe in. Probably harassing Zeki about all those virgins. That's one thing I kind of never figured out. You die you went to heaven you got all those virgins but what happened to your wife?

I'm guessing she would have to be okay with it although if it was me I think I'd be demanding those virgins for myself as well. Big bisexual at all.

People are never God as long as they live on in your memory. And now I'm hoping that Zeki and Hayat will live on in yours as well.

#ramadan #ramadan mubarak #I cried so much writing this #tribute #my second parents #found family #mom's birthday #love all serve all #my Iraqi adopted patents #life the universe and everything

[cyb-by-lang]

I completely forgot to ask!

With how much Kei suffered when coming to Gotham with all the smells etc. how is Kakashi handling it? Is the mask built in with seals? Honestly I thought he’d be the first to complain or feel overwhelmed.

Also also, I know Kei is stressed about which comic book run she’s in, did she actually have a favorite character? I always wonder about this a bit, eg, going to One Piece world would be terrifying, but also I’d probably be a bit starstruck at meeting the Straw Hats. Any moment like that for Kei? At meeting BATMAN or any of these cool characters?

After wearing a mask for three years, I'd say that the model Kakashi is using now helps cut even the city's terrible scent input by a fair margin. He did know Gotham was a city, after all. That said, he does still notice the problem. It's why Batman was able to get so close without being kicked off the roof.

The main continuity that Kei actually remembers "well" (inasmuch as it qualifies) is the Justice League cartoon from 2000. DCAU, where there were only ever two Robins and both were effectively banned from the universe by DC policies against having more than one show featuring a given character (since it was running concurrently with the 2002 Teen Titans cartoon). This story is very clearly not that, so it doesn't help. Even if it did, that version of Bruce Wayne sorta...gets more >:| the more you think about the implications.

All she's got left is wiki dives, clips of the Under the Red Hood film, and memes. So, so many memes.

Remember that old joke about death in comic books that goes, "No one stays dead in comics except Uncle Ben, Bucky Barnes, and Jason Todd?" Kei knew that was 2/3rds bogus by the time she transmigrated, since there were jokes countering it and also Captain America and the Winter Soldier was coming out that same year. Not that she'd even once read a comic involving any of them.

Kei's also generally not interested in celebrities? Whenever she runs into a continuity she actually knows, she usually just gets extremely worried. In a "oh, shit, the high-end threats in this place are things I can't handle" kind of way. Or in an introvert's classic, "I DO NOT WISH TO BE PERCEIVED" manner. Even meeting Obito--who was eight at the time--was a moment of pure "oh fuck no." Hayate was like that too, but he was a baby and then Kei got attached and here we are.

Some rando who commented on Ocean Stars Falling ages ago called Kei an ignoramus for not knowing who Ace was immediately after entering One Piece. And I just sat there, thinking, "You do not have the slightest idea how much your bias is coloring your idea of what media a given human being in our modern society might be even passingly familiar with." I didn't know who Ace was before the pirate collaboration idea with @ffs-abalisk came up.

And if Kei did know who the hell Ace was at the time she met him, that would've probably inspired her to get it the fuck out of there immediately.

#a ninja's guide to gotham #ocean stars falling #catch your breath fanfic #asks #anonymous #keisuke gekko #portgas d. ace

[sayurifellfrost]

My sleep had not been restful, but for a blessing it had not been so disturbed that Eir awoke from it, nor horrible enough to leave me reeling for several bells. Instead I had opted to visit the market while he slept, I figured I could grace him with some fresh fruit once he awoke.

I ran into Mio and Yoko while shopping and ended up having a chat with them, delaying my return a little longer than intended.. But it was nice. The likeness between Yoko and Emiko still shocks me, occasionally.

As I had begun to return to the room Eir and I rented.. I ran into him. Takeo.

Neither of us had stopped, but he had met me with the same sickening smirk Hayate used to flaunt, and a brief sentence as we were about to pass each other.

A person. A threat.

Yasu.

.. I told him he was full of it, and continued my walk.

Despite returning to Eir first.. I could not simply leave the threat off to chance, and I opted to go out once the time was nearing. Having told Eir of it, there was no way he’d let me go alone.

Tension had risen in the air, Yasu found herself standing in shock as Masashi had only just managed to draw his blade to parry the one Takeo had swung for her, fury locked upon the older samurai’s features. Takeo was less than impressed by Masashi’s actions, not having realised the man had observed him more carefully the closer he had gotten to the pair while speaking to them.

“..W-..what are you–..?” Yasu stammered, hands clutching her own chest.

“Have you lost your bloody mind, Osamu?” Masashi frowned. “Attacking a woman who has done nothing to wrong you?!”

Takeo gave no response, simply tearing himself backwards before lunging forth with his blade anew, only for Masashi to immediately place himself in the way, bringing his katana up to meet his.

“Get the hell out of my way.” Takeo nigh growled, gaining a glare in response.

“Over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged.”

Masashi shoved back Takeo roughly, the latter readying himself for another swing - none present hearing the ever rapidly approaching footsteps just around the corner. Takeo lashed out, only to feel an immediate chill overtake him - an unseen trail of ice having snaked across the ground to reach in between the two samurais, barging up as a wall the moment the blade was swung forwards. Takeo’s blade crashed directly against the ice, nearly bouncing off it with an even less amused look taking to his features. The sight of the ice made both Yasu and Masashi recoil, the latter’s gaze swiftly darting to find the trail and following it until his gaze settled atop the white-haired Seeker who stood a short distance behind Takeo, arm outstretched, specks of ice covering numerous areas of her body and a Viera at her side.

“... How lovely of you to join us… Sayuri.” Takeo called out, pulling himself back and turning his head to glance the Seeker’s direction. “I thought you didn’t believe me.. What changed?”

Despite being unamused by her presence, and the inconvenience of Masashi’s protection of Yasu, Takeo flashed a taunting grin Sayuri’s way. Yasu’s eyes widened as her name was spoken, a breath she had not realised she held finally being released in a shaky exhale.

“... S-..Sayuri..?”

“I had already been told she lived, don’t flatter yourself.” the Seeker scoffed. “Also, attacking an innocent woman just because of her connection to me - in the middle of Kugane? It seems being senseless and deplorable runs in your family.”

With a small flick of her wrist, the ice between Masashi and Takeo began to thaw, before Sayuri’s hand settled upon her waist as she approached a few steps - Eir never straying far from her side. Takeo’s grin was swift to fade, a look of irritation settling upon him instead.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t insult me, or my brother, when you are unarmed.” he scowled, the grip of his blade shifting ever so slightly.

Masashi’s grip of his own blade tightened, well aware that Takeo intended his words to be a threat, yet Sayuri merely met his words with a blank smile.

“I am never unarmed, Takeo.”

“Your ice will do naught in your favour.”

A faint chuckle left the Seeker, her head tilting while her right arm stretched out - in view of both Takeo and Masashi. Ice slowly began to build in her palm, twisting and expanding while she spoke.

“You know, Takeo.. I have a friend, in Eorzea.” she uttered quietly, a genuine smile on her lips. “She’s just like me, you see - aligned to ice.”

“And I should care, why?”

“I’m not saying you should, I just figured I’d let you know that she has taught me a very nifty trick with mine.. And, you know..” A pause. “.. Helped me find the right weapon that fits me.”

Upon uttering the last word, the ice took its proper form - shaping into a jagged axe which she promptly flung up to rest against her shoulder, barging against it a little more violently than intended yet nevertheless getting her point across as Takeo observed a little more cautiously, eyeing the axe.

“.. And the last time someone fucked with me, and our loved ones.. She told me to not show them an onze of mercy.” The smile disappeared, and anger was swift to take its place as Sayuri locked an icy glare upon Takeo. “.. Want to guess what you’re doing?”

“.. You wouldn’t. Not in the middle of the street.”

“... Wouldn’t I?”

Takeo’s anger grew, as he briefly met Sayuri’s gaze at her words. He knew she had before. To his brother, specifically. Eir had taken a small step back and now shifted back and forth on his feet, discomfort writ out on his features at the situation.

“... Sayuri.” Masashi piped in. “.. You mustn’t.”

“... Then he shouldn’t have threatened my mother.” Sayuri responded curtly.

“.. Sayuri. I am unharmed, see?” Yasu called out, almost pleadingly. “Please, let us just go home..”

Sayuri cast a brief glance to Yasu, only to see Takeo shift briefly the moment her eyes left him - making them immediately snap back to him. She knew there would be no way to step aside peacefully, and for it to remain such.

“.. It’s not an option. He won’t let us.” she frowned.

“Sayuri, please..” Yasu nigh whimpered.

“.. You don’t have to see it, mother.”

“If you think we are leaving you, you are incredibly wrong, Sayuri.” Masashi uttered sternly.

A faint silence took to Sayuri as she weighed her options, her attention slowly slipped to the Viera not far from her side, pinning her ears back before snapping her gaze back to Takeo.

“... Eir.” she spoke quietly, gaining the Viera’s attention. “.. Take my mother and run, please.”

Eir lingered in a short pause, hesitation clinging to him as he watched Sayuri, a small frown on his features before nodding - the mere thought of leaving her side not sitting well with him.. But at least Masashi would remain, judging by his words.

The Viera began to move, making Sayuri’s gaze follow him - or so it seemed. Takeo suddenly lunged out after Eir with his blade, which swiftly gained a reaction from Sayuri - her axe swinging towards Takeo and forcing him to withdraw. Eir’s movement became quicker, as he darted over and swept up Yasu off her feet with a quick, panicked apology in response to the woman’s frightened reaction.

“--No-! SAYURI!”

Yasu’s tone rang out loudly as Eir began to run away with her, Masashi swiftly turning after yet freezing on the spot. He had heard Sayuri’s request to the Viera, and long since realised that he was there with her - but it made him no happier to watch Yasu get yanked off her feet and run off with. His gaze wandered over to Sayuri, who’s expression was locked with sheer anger - the ground beneath her coated in ice.

“.. If you wanted the same treatment as Hayate.. You could just have asked..”

Causing a fight in the middle of Kugane has never been a good idea, and I hardly hold the same influence that I did some cycles ago.. But I couldn’t let this pass. Takeo targeted Yasu, and lunged at Eir.

Hurting me is one thing.. Hurting those I love is something else.

Something I will never forgive.

#Sayuri Aoki #IC #[Eastward Ties]

[horoyois]

cold as ice | royai drabble

✦ wintry nights make him feel lonely.

—pairing: roy mustang x riza hawkeye

—genre: full of wintery fluff even though its summer

—word count: 1K

—a/n: this is the first thing i've completed in two years. happy royai week and hello, i'm back (or i'm trying to be)

He loves the stillness in the streets at night — the dark, unlit corners soothing his dry, tired eyes and the silence of the late hours settling on his shoulders, keeping him calm despite the dull buzz the alcohol provokes. It’s a dent in his usual awareness, the bitter taste of the double, dry whiskey making him feel like he’s walking on the clouds and not around the quiet streets of Central City during the coldest month of the year.

Yes, he just realized, it’s well past midnight and the cold is starting to bite the tip of his nose, his title of Flame Alchemist nothing but a joke against the low temperatures. The barely visible clouds in the sky seem to threaten with snow, but the slushy kind, ugly as can be, but that’s the only type of snow an industrial, contaminated city can offer. It’s the kind that gets one soaked in a matter of seconds, and everyone knows what happens when he gets wet and soggy: not only he feels useless, but he actually is, and that really puts him in a terrible, foul mood. 

And even if it’s in the night's dead and not a soul will ever ask for help right now (he’s also not in charge of night duty today) he panics and rushes to find shelter before the sky falls on him and gets him positively drenched. 

(This would make no sense to a sober man, but Roy is starting to see double and why is that street light so funny?) 

The one thing Roy Mustang is certain of is that he's one lucky bastard, because when he takes on his surroundings, he realizes that the neighborhood is more than familiar, and that he’s standing in front of the most convenient spot for him: the building where his adjutant resides. He’s been there a bunch of times before, more now than he has a reason to visit, since the First Lieutenant Hawkeye is under King Bradley’s orders now, and not his. He lets himself fall into that new routine behind the excuse that his concern is reasonable, and that he has a reason to stay still right in front of Riza’s apartment until the light flickers on or off, a sign that she’s home, she’s safe and he can rest ‌easier.  

Being the cheeky, smug man that he is (and letting the whiskey take action) he doesn’t hesitate to go up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, and knocking on Riza’s door, with no insight ‌about how the woman must feel being knocked on at such an ungodly hour. And that’s probably why he’s surprised (if not scared as hell) when she opens the door with her big guns out, and not the type of big guns he’d like, but the type of big guns she’d prefer to shoot any creep that knocks her door ‌at midnight between the eyebrows. 

Her glare is cold as the night outside, and it grows even colder when she recognizes the face of the foolish man that is the man standing at her door. She sighs and opens the door a bit more, but she doesn’t lower the gun and, for some reason, Roy finds that funny. 

“Already had enough of me, Lieutenant?” The flirtatious tone comes to him naturally, and accompanied by a smirk that he’s certain will make her scowl. 

She closed the door behind him, Hayate pawing the floor behind her and waiting patiently for Roy to greet him by patting his head. He kneels down to say hello to the pup. “No, sir. I have been damned with immense patience, believe it or not.” Her sarcasm makes him chuckle. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Colonel?”

Oh. Her tone is even colder than her glare is. 

“Oh, you know. I just thought my Lieutenant might miss me, given that you don’t work under my commands anymore.” Riza rolls her eyes and her gaze warms just a tad. Roy doesn’t miss it.

“Did you want me to drive you home after a night out, sir?” How she knows that he’s been drinking, Roy doesn’t know (he’s as drunk as a skunk and she has eyes, that’s why). “I don’t think that falls under my duties anymore, since I am not your adjutant, but I certainly don’t mind doing you the favor.”

She always keeps the line so clear, separating them even when they’re merely a meter and a half apart. Even when, technically, he’s not his superior in charge anymore. Always so responsible, his Lieutenant. 

“Actually, no. I was going to take a cab back to my place”. Riza furrows her eyebrows at his statement. Roy doesn't allow anyone outside of his team to drive him anywhere. Using cab services has been an extreme measure he’s had to take since his subordinates were sent far away from him. “I was here because it was going to ‌snow soon.”

Riza raises her eyebrow, waiting for him to explain further. “And?”

“And nothing else. It was cold, and I didn’t like it. And somehow I found myself here.” She has that look on her face, the one that screams ‘Roy Mustang, you’re a spoiled man child’, and he knows she’s brave enough to say it out loud, but somehow the silent understanding hurts worse.

“Sir, with all due respect, this is the last time I am going to let you in at these unseemingly hours without a valid reason. For tonight, you may take the couch. I will bring you some sleepwear.”  

“But Lieutenant… It’s so cold…” He’s well aware that he sounds more than pathetic now, and he’s also not sure if he’s talking about the weather or about the way Riza is dealing with him tonight. 

She halts her steps and turns her head slightly, her profile in full view. Even without facing him, he can feel the absolute horrific glare she must be sporting. “Colonel,” she says, tone ice cold, “are you implying that you knocked on my door in the middle of the night intending to cuddle?” She says the last word as if it's blasphemy, the worst thing she’s ever heard. 

He answers simply with a shake of his head, like a child being scolded by his mother. Hawkeye sighs and disappears into her room, bringing with her the change of clothes she usually had for him in the trunk of her car just in case it was needed. She throws them to his face together with a blanket and then says: “I am heading to bed now. You may join only if you are freezing to death here. And don’t you dare come to bed with freezing toes”. 

He smiles sweetly at her and whispers a quiet “Yes, Ma’am”. 

Not even two weeks after this incident, Riza Hawkeye gets a call at two in the morning about a car-full of flowers. And just like this time, Roy Mustang melts her very cold and  stoic front with the most foolish ideas. 

#royai #roy mustang #riza hawkeye #royai drabble #fullmetal alchemist #fma #mine #fma fic #royai fic #royai week

[worryinglyinnocent]

Fic: Diverging Paths (17/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [AO3]

==

Seventeen

Riza knew that due to the nature of her injury, it was inevitable that she would be on desk duty for the foreseeable future, and she would have to admit that in any other circumstances, she would probably be glad about that. Walking was painful, even doped up on medicine and with a crutch for support, but with the injury being through her thigh, sitting wasn’t all that great either. 

She was just grateful to be alive, and ordinarily, she would have welcomed the respite from more active work. Riza generally knew her limits; it was Roy who always pushed further than he ever should have been able to push. Riza knew that her body needed time to rest and recuperate. 

The circumstances being what they were, however, Riza was not entirely grateful for her new, modified assignment. On paper, it would have been perfect. Becoming Bradley’s new personal assistant and attache was a job that came with several perks, but knowing what she did about Bradley and about his paymaster, knowing that Roy was now leashed to Central and unable to act, knowing that the rest of her friends had been scattered to the four corners to kneecap Roy… 

She wanted to be as far away from Central and from Bradley as possible, and she wished she was on active duty.

She knew that she was a hostage. As polite as the hostage-taking had been, the civility of it all did not detract from the reality. All she could do was try to make the best of it; instead of resigning herself to her fate, she would do whatever she could to help Roy from behind the scenes. Admittedly, she wasn’t very mobile at the moment, but she could still listen and learn and pass on messages if she had the chance. 

Their code had worked for them in the past, it had worked for Roy when he had sent her flowers in the hospital. It could work for them again. Bradley was generally affable and talkative; who knew what he might spill if he thought that he had her on a tight rein and that there was nothing she could do about it? And being closer to Bradley meant that she was also one step closer to the man behind the man, a not entirely human man who had been puppeteering Amestris for centuries. 

Riza shivered at the thought, limping slowly along the pavement with her groceries balanced on her good hip, Black Hayate trotting along beside her. He had been so good about his mama not being at her usual pace. Fuery had looked after him whilst she’d been in the hospital, until he’d been shipped off south, and the little pup’s tail had nearly wagged off when she had first come home. 

They were almost at her building - indeed, a woman had just opened the door for her, seeing her hands full and her crutch - when Hayate stopped suddenly, his fur bristling and teeth bared, ears and tail pricked up. 

“Hayate, come on boy. Come on in, don’t keep the lady waiting.”

Hayate just continued to growl at the woman. 

“I’m so sorry,” Riza began, tugging on his lead. “He’s not usually like this, I promise…”

She trailed off as she looked up and took in the woman’s face properly, and a moment later, vegetables were rolling down the street. She shook her head, blinked, turned away and turned back, but the woman was still there, her face was still the same, and Hayate was still growling at her. 

Her first instinct was that it was Envy, and that same first instinct almost had her reaching for her gun and firing, but she was in the middle of the street and her balance was too precarious. 

“Are you ok, dear? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

Riza had seen a ghost. She had been seven years old when her mother had died, and yet here she was, holding her apartment block door open for her with absolutely no trace of recognition in her face at all, just concern. 

It couldn’t be her. Martha Hawkeye was deep under the ground and had been for nearly twenty years. Riza’s mind raced. She remembered the funeral. She remembered her father. She remembered that fateful weekend when he’d got sick, and stayed sick until he died. Her brain was filled with swirling thoughts of alchemy and human transmutation and the Elric brothers and tolls paid to see the truth and sacrifices and…

But even if her father had committed that ultimate taboo, it hadn’t worked. Momma had not come back. 

“Who are you?” she finally asked, choked. The woman had come away from the door now, letting it swing closed behind her as she gathered up Riza’s fallen groceries, packing them carefully back into the bag even as Hayate kept snapping at her. 

“My name is Tempe,” she said, voice calm and level. “Are you…” She broke off too then, her brow furrowing. “Have we met?”

Riza shook her head, taking a step back and nearly stumbling. 

“Wait.” Tempe stood up with the groceries, and the expression on her face showed that she was clearly just as perturbed as Riza was. “Did you know me… before?”

“Before what?”

Tempe looked around. “Perhaps it would be better if we didn’t talk in the open.”

Riza shook her head, still not entirely convinced that this was not Envy playing mind games with her. 

“How do I know I can trust you?” Riza asked, finally gaining her voice again. 

“Ah.” The woman grimaced. “Envy. Well, I don’t think that there’s really anything I can do to convince you in the whole ‘tell you something only I would know’ thing, because I don’t remember anything from when you might have known me.” She paused. “How much has Colonel Mustang been able to tell you about what’s been happening since your injury? I know that he wasn't able to visit you in the hospital.”

The fact that this stranger who looked like her mother seemed to know so much about what was going on in the military was both worrying and, in a way, reassuring. Roy’s coded cards had told her that they’d met a group of allies working underground against the military, something to do with homunculi who were opposed to Envy and the like, but he had not been able to go into much detail. Could it be that Tempe was one of those? Did they have shapeshifting abilities like Envy did, and if so why had Tempe chosen Riza’s mother’s face, and if they didn’t, why did she look like her mother in the first place?

“Shall we go inside?” Tempe indicated the bench inside the foyer of the building next to the post cubbyholes. “I’m just concerned for your leg if you keep standing out here.”

Shakily, Riza agreed, and Tempe opened the door for her again, following her inside with the groceries and putting them down on the bench between them. Hayate still had his hackles raised, but at least he seemed to have stopped growling. 

“It’s a long story,” Tempe began, and Riza was briefly aware that there was milk and cheese in her groceries that should probably go in the fridge before any long stories were started, but the thought left her mind as soon as it arrived there. 

Tempe condensed the long story down as much as possible, very aware that they were still rather exposed and that being seen together wouldn’t do much good for either of them, but by the time she came to the end of the tale, Riza was a little more trusting than she had been at first. She was still reeling from seeing her mother’s face again after all these years, but she now trusted that Tempe wasn’t Envy, at least. Envy would have had to have taken her mother’s face from a photograph; Riza had precious few of those in her possession and Tempe did not look picture perfect. She looked… real.

With the story told, Tempe rose to leave - Hayate had relaxed a little in his stance but was still glaring at her. 

“Be careful, Lieutenant Hawkeye,” she said. “They’ll be keeping a close eye on you now. But you know what they say. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”

Riza nodded, she had been thinking along the same lines herself. She would wait, and she would listen, and she would store away everything that she possibly could until the time came for all of them to act before the Promised Day arrived. 

Before she did any of that, however, she needed to come to terms with what had just happened, with the conversation she had just had and the person she’d had it with.

She made it up the stairs and into her apartment, putting the groceries away and feeding Hayate almost as if she was in a dream. Everything she thought she knew was getting turned upside down, and she had no idea what to make of it, or even if she should make anything of it. Tempe did not know her as her daughter. She did not even remember having a daughter. Riza had lived without her mother for so long. Was there any use in re-establishing that connection? Surely it would just cause more pain for everyone involved. 

At the same time, though… Her father had been desperate enough to try and bring her mother back. Riza thought again of the Elrics, and she wondered if their mother was also patrolling the streets of Central on the lookout for Father’s homunculi. 

And Tempe herself seemed to have some vague memory, some vague hint of recognition. Maybe it was something that could be pursued, but maybe not yet. Not whilst Riza was still under such close surveillance. 

All the same, she couldn’t help wondering if and when their paths would cross again.

#FMA Brotherhood #FMA Fanfiction #Riza Hawkeye #Fic: Diverging Paths