#we'll never know what happened next. and we're unlikely to know what happened before it. even

[trophygony]

Slams hands on desk.... volo.... Falls to the ground.... volo....

#ramblegony #pokemon #holy fuck. he will not leave my mind #to be fair i AM fueling the obsession by 1- actively thinking about him. 2- consuming volo content/theories #ive never been so. blindly focused on one character only. never. #like holy shit. volo guys. just. volo #like his character is so.... the effort gamefreak spent on him... even his facial expressions at the end...... #and that's the thing. like with the rest of the hisui characters i doubt we'll ever see them again #we'll never know what happened next. and we're unlikely to know what happened before it. even #man #listen. i love me a character who does things out of desperation #volo though... it's such intense desperation it made me do a double take. and then i haven't stopped staring since then #no other character motivated me enough to make a 13 page comic in less than two weeks #it's the desperation mixed with the divine mixed with near-success #i... need to look into my old ig stories they have more in-depth theories/analysis/hcs

[nicoleheichou]

Girl Of My Dreams - Chapter 49: Know That Look

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Synopsis: Sakusa was the type to always get things done on his own, but now that he's forced to juggle between his successful pro-volleyball career and being a single dad, what happens when he enrolls his daughter in a new preschool and meets his daughter's new teacher? Will their relationship remain professional or will it evolve into something more?

You were sat at the dining table, having just finished up breakfast along with Sakusa and his family. Kimi let's out a sigh from beside you before leaning back in her chair and patting her tummy with both hands. "Now that hit the spot!" You hear chuckles from around the table, clearly everyone was as enamored with the toddler as you were.

"What are your plans for today, son?" Sakusa's father questions while taking a sip of his tea. You watch as Sakusa just shrugs, an arm coming to wrap around your shoulders. "We're just going to see where the day takes us." His parents nod, satisfied with the answer before his mother starts to clean up, causing you to spring on to your feet to help.

Today you weren't going to give in to her protests, you wanted to help clean up especially since Kiyoomi's sister, Kiyoko, wasn't here to help clear the mess away. "Is there anything you want to do while you're here?" His mother questions as she hands you a plate to dry. You glance towards the entrance of the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Kimi in the living room with her grandpa and dad. Judging from the conversation she'd just convinced her grandfather to read her a story.

You shake your head, a smile forming on your lips as you hear the young girl's giggles. "I just wanted to spend time with them. It didn't matter where." You place the last dish on the drying rack just as his mom finishes putting the rest of the leftovers away. "In that case, why don't we go out? Just the two of us. I think it'd be nice to get to know you better. You've clearly won over my son and grand daughter." You were hesitant to be alone with her, at least here Sakusa and Kimi were just a few feet away, but if you left with her you wouldn't have a buffer and you weren't sure what to do. You just really want her to like you and you're worried if left alone you could mess it up.

"Oh don't worry! I won't bite sweetheart! Plus, we'll have so much fun!" Her smile easily puts you at ease that you can't help but agree. You excuse yourself to get ready which has her just as excited and rushing off to prepare for your day together.

You had just finished the painting class but it seems that she wasn't ready to return home, so you both decided on going to the park across the street to relax and get to know each other better. "Did you know you're only the second girl Kiyoomi has ever brought home?" She says as she sits down on a bench. You weren't expecting her to start the conversation with this interesting tidbit so you were taken aback. "No I didn't. But why am I not surprised to hear that? Omi is serious with his relationships. I've noticed that he's very guarded and decides who he wants to let in." You watch as a smile forms on her lips at your observation of her son.

"He really cares for you. And from what I've seen in the time I've known you, I can confidently say you feel the same way for the both of them. I've never seen Kimi be as attached to anyone else besides her father, but to see the reaction she had at not being able to call you mommy, that's when I knew." You look at her, confusion evident on your face. "Knew what?" She let's out a chuckle before giving a pat on your shoulder.

"That you're good for the both of them and that you're the missing piece to their puzzle that they've been searching years to find. Unlike his ex..." She scoffs, a look of disgust on her face before she continues, "You aren't with him for your personal gain, you're with him because you truly care for him. And I know you do because it's not easy starting a relationship when you know he has Kimi and that they're a packaged deal. Not everyone wants to be with a man who's had a daughter from another relationship. But from what I've heard you'd accepted that fact quite easily."

It's your turn to smile, you know how you feel about the father and daughter duo, but there's just something about hearing someone not directly involved in the relationship describe how you feel. "It's hard not to be enamored with them. Kimi is such an easy child to love, she's so sweet, kind, smart, not to mention the cutest child ever, but I might be a tiny bit biased on that." She lets out a chuckle before nodding her head in agreement.

"And where do I even start with Omi? We started out a little weird, what with me being Kimi's teacher and us having mutual friends, but look at us now. He makes me so happy, I can't imagine him not in my life anymore." You let out a sigh thinking about how you're already missing those two and how you can't wait to get back to them. "I love how they look out for each other. And I'm so thankful they've allowed me to be a part of the little bubble they've created together. They both mean so much to me." You feel your eyes getting a little teary, thoughts about how much you care for them making you emotional.

Her hand comes up to gently rub your shoulder. "I know that look." You rub your eyes trying to get rid of the wetness before giving her a questioning look. "Whenever you speak about my Kiyoomi, you get this look in your eyes. It's the same look I get when I talk about his father. You're in it for the long haul, aren't you?" There's a knowing look in her eyes and you can't help but nod your head, were you really that easy to read?

"Was I that obvious?" You watch as she scoffs before listing all the times she'd caught you staring at her son or pointing out how you almost cry every time Kimi calls you mommy. You bring your hands to your face to hide your embarrassment. "My son and granddaughter deserve to have someone who cares about them and doesn't see them as a means to get what they want. They've been through so much and I know they'd be able to get through anything as long as they have each other, but I also know that's not what they want. I know they've always felt like their unit was incomplete, that a part of them was missing. But ever since you came into their lives, they seem whole. I just want to let you know that I'm so thankful that you decided to give them a chance. It means a lot not only to them but to me as well. I just want them to be happy and you do that for them everyday. So thank you." She says as she pulls you into a tight hug that lasts a few minutes, before she's pulling away, a few tears escaping her as she does so. "It's nothing to thank me for Mrs. Sakusa. I just want them to be happy, I want to see them smile, to hear them laugh, I want nothing but good things for them."

She takes the tissue you offer her then dabs at her eyes, careful not to ruin her makeup. "Please, call me mom. After everything I've seen and heard, I'd be honored to call you my daughter." You feel your eyes begin to well up with tears before you're launching yourself onto her and pulling her into a hug. She lets out a laugh before wrapping you up in her arms. "Thank you." She spends the next hour telling you all about her son and his daughter. Stories you can't wait to bring up to Omi just to watch him squirm in embarrassment.

I thought it would be nice if we got to see mc's day with mama sakusa. Lol.

As usual, let me know what you thought in the comments or thru ask!

Taglist: @taelia15 @dorkange @sexyandcringe @szeonn @natriae @whore-for-anime @diestheticu @loveinhaikyuu @youraggedybitch @mikk-o @erenisms @akisrandom @confusion-lord @aikochan4859 @trashy-simp @somniari-94 @pillboxmb @astrrnmy @all-in-the-fandoms @mattsunnn @kunikame @daninaninani @juniorhooter @crayonwriting @beans-and-jeanes @lvrjjun @sosiegate @grassbutneo @saaraunicorn @lalalemon101 @sunahyejin @sugusshi @roselleviennesstuff @queen-aria-things @hello0i @oopskashish @wolffmaiden @shakesqueer444 @julia-1901 @blkladyelle @marinarihearts @oikawas-toris @carlgrimm @zekeslefttit @rory-cakes @nomnom21 @noayuusukki @yukimaniac @the-jester-calamity @everytimeswift

#sakusa x reader #haikyuu smau #smau #haikyu smau #haikyuu #gomd #girl of my dreams

[sunflowerskies00]

bet my heart, part 6

the radio's gonna play country

series masterlist

RECAP

"You and uh, Mr. Cowboy," he nods towards where I just was with Riley, "are you two, are you dating him?" He finally spits out his question.

------

I stare at him. Blinking. Words, not forming. He sounded mad, or frustrated. I open my mouth to respond, and then close it again. He definitely sounded mad. He also looked mad or hurt. I couldn't tell.

"Quinn," I start. His eyes snap to mine. "Don't you think I would have told you if I had started dating someone?" I ask.

"I assumed so, but you two seem a lot friendlier than just friends," he says. Was he? There was no way he was jealous.

"Quinn," I say his name again. His eyes move back to mine once again. "That's part of my job, and you've known me forever, I just have chemistry with a lot of people, it makes it seem like there's something there when there isn't," I explain. This was new. Quinn had never acted like this after seeing me perform with someone, specifically a man before. I didn't know how I was supposed to handle this.

"So, you're not sleeping with him either?" My jaw drops, Quinn was never this abrasive, literally never.

"Quinn, what the hell is going on?" I finally ask him. "You're acting so unlike you it's freaky. You are literally indifferent to every single man I've even glanced at," I say.

"I," He starts but then stops. "Nothing, it's nothing." He glances at the clock on the wall. I then realize what time it is, they need to go. They have planes to catch to be back for practice. "Shit, I gotta go Sage," He's using my full name, what the fuck is happening, he normally just stuck with S.

"Quinn," I plead. "We're just not going to talk about whatever the fuck this is?"

"Sage, it's nothing, let's just leave it. It's fine," his voice is short and clipped. Nothing like his normal easy-going tone.

"It's obviously something," I point out. "You're acting weird, and not normal at all."

"I really do have to go," he says.

"So, we're just done with whatever this conversation is?"

"No, we're not, just," he sighs. "I have my bye week in like four days, I'm still coming to hang out with you, we can have this conversation then." I didn't even know what this conversation was, but I was starting to get an idea. Was it possible that my more than friends feelings weren't so one-sided after all?

"Promise?" I ask him.

"Promise, just promise me you're not going to start dating someone in the next week." I raise an eyebrow, but nod.

"Promise." I agree, not thrilled about the fact that this conversation was being pushed off, but accepting it anyway. Quinn pulls me into hug, and I can't help but tense up, not happy about how we were leaving things.

"I'll see you in a couple of days, and we'll talk, I promise." I just nod, and then just like that he's taking off, and I'm stuck standing in the same place trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

#quinn hughes #quinn hughes imagine #quinn hughes fic #vancover canucks #jack hughes #luke hughes #nhl imagine #nhl hockey #trevor zegras #cole caufield #quinn hughes x oc

[nuncscioquidsitamor-13]

do you think we'll be in love?

⋆˙⟡♡ (summary): Jason gets blindsided by Piper's solution to the scandals surrounding him.

⋆˙⟡♡ (warnings): nothing serious, slight cussing, mentions of cheating ig

⋆˙⟡♡ (notes): we're meeting Jason today!!! Also this fic is gonna be dual pov so we get Jason and reader (yay!!)

Masterlist Previous Next

⋆˙⟡♡ (taglist): @kozumesphone @mershellscape @solangelotus @angelscherryblossoms @urmomabby

@raikkxz @rae-and-mezo lmk if you want to be added/removed)

Jason was frustrated as hell. The clowns in the media circus hounding on him over something that never actually happened. The allegations are ridiculous. How does anyone think he would do that?

The metallic clang of the ball hitting the bat satisfied a small itch in the back of his brain. The ball went soaring, slamming into the padded wall. The ball ricocheted before falling and rolling back towards him.

He sighed heavily and grabbed another ball before, his manager's voice cut through the air. He turned around, leaning against the metal poles holding up the batting cage.

"I'm not going to waste any time protecting your fragile dignity. We have a meeting to get to." Piper said, the eyeliner on her eyes sharp enough to kill a man.

"A meeting for what? Why should I have to fix my reputation because some girl decided to tell the paps I'm a cheater?" Jason grumbled, only feeling slightly guilty he was giving her an attitude. She didn't do anything wrong but he was in a bitchy mood.

"Get that stick out of your ass and come on. She is already antsy, don't want to make her wait any longer."

Something curious (and scary) about his manager is how convincing she is without doing much of anything. It was helpful when she used it for Jason and scary when she used it on him.

"Alright, alright." Jason replied, taking off his helmet and trying to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Eventually he just decided it would be best to take his shirt off, he was overheating anyway.

Jason used his shirt to wipe off some of his sweat as they worked. Sure, it might seem unprofessional of him to do all that but he had known Piper for years so what was the point? It didn't make him lose any intelligence (yes Jason was well aware of the double standard with women)

Then he grabbed a t-shirt (spares he always kept handy with how much he sweats) and put it on. He had no idea who this girl was, so he didn't want to walk in shirtless.

Before they entered the conference room, Piper grabbed Jason and pushed him down to her height. Her eyes set into a stern glare as she threatened, "Be on your best behavior."

Jason was surprised by the threat, since he wasn't exactly known as an asshole (unlike the baseball manager for one of the opposite teams, Octavian.)

Either way, he straightened up and said, "Yes, mom." before barging into the conference room.

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜☆

"You." Jason growled, his lighting blue eyes sparking with hatred. Oof, not a fun look to be the target of. But you were used to it (or you used to be used to, when you were still in school together.)

"Surprised to see me?" You asked, the grin on your face hiding the fact your question was genuine. You'd assumed Jason would know about whatever this meeting was about instead of what is actually going on. (What is going on?)

Before Jason could say anything, Piper grabbed his arm and gave him a stern look. He frowned and sat down as far from you as he could. Such a petty weirdo.

"Have you heard about the scandal?" Piper asked you, her expression softening greatly. She seemed nice- as least when she wants to be.

You shook your head, feeling slightly embarrassed you had no idea. Even though it wasn't like you kept up with the Grace fandom. Regretfully, you knew there was a fandom for Jason Grace.

"Well, a few days ago the paparazzi decided to spread some rumors that Jason cheated on his ex girlfriend." Piper explained, speedily pulling up articles on her tablet, "Which made some rumors circulate about what else he could be cheating on."

You wanted to laugh at how dumb it sounded. Jason cheating on someone? He may suck but he's not a sleazebag and anybody who was capable of thought would be able to realize that. Of course you didn't laugh since you were supposed to be professional and all.

"And how am I supposed to help?" You asked after regaining your computer (miraculously managing to not laugh.) Piper smiled, a small glint of mischief behind her brown eyes.

"If you and Jason date and show that he would never cheat on you, hopefully you'll stop the rumors from spreading further and escalating enough to kick him off the team." Piper explained, her voice completely calm and relaxed.

You exclaimed, "What the peanut butter?!" while Jason said shocked, "Excuse me?"

He turned to look at you, nose scrunched almost in disgust, "Peanut butter? Are you five years old?"

You rolled your eyes and replied snappily, "No, I'm actually an immortal who's 100 years old."

Piper cleared her throat, demanding the return of your attention. As much as you would have enjoyed insulting Jason, you had to pay attention to Piper.

"As much ad I love the banter, I need you two to focus. I know you both hate each other or whatever childish nonsense is happening with you both, but that's perfect to sell to the paps." Piper explained, "Enemies to lovers? The fans will eat it up like its a five star meal."

"Well, why should I help? I don't gain anything from this." You replied, raising your eyebrow. Jason rolled his eyes and looked away, just in time to miss the fact you stuck your tongue out at him. Was it dumb and preschool type behavior? Yes, but you didn't care much.

"We are willing to commission you for your part in this deal." Piper answered, "I'm sure you'd get enough money to fix up your studio, your apartment too maybe."

You were too focused on the prospect of getting money you need so greatly, you didn't stop to think how she knew your dance studio needing fixing up.You knew money didn't buy happiness but you were certain it would help a lot with your life. Trying to seem less desperate from some extra cash, you casually agreed.

"Alright, now that is settled you're welcome to your day." Piper explained, cheerful that you had agreed to the plan. she handed you a paper, saying, "Here is my number and Jason's number in case you need either of us. We'l be in contact shortly to fine tune the details."

Jason stood up and walked away, Piper following behind him. You stalled for a moment, processing what has just happened. It was insane and terrible but also exciting. You hated Jason but this was a good opportunity. You could get publicity for your dance studio and maybe some donations to keep the non profit running.

This was turning out to be a good thing, surprisingly enough.

#heroes of olympus #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #pjo fandom #pjo series #pjo hoo toa #riordanverse #hoo fandom #jason grace x y/n #jason grace #hoo #jason grace x you #piper mclean #baseball #sports au #au #fanfic #fanfiction #fic #multi chapter #multi chap fic #Chapter two

[analog-cottage-gore]

OKAY ANALYSIS TIME. LOOK UNDER CUT.

Basically it seems to be an ad for watchful eye toys, but also not, like most other "ads" we see in wtdw.

So the video starts with a new character already, this guy:

Keep them in mind, we'll circle back to them later.

Thet say that "It's been far to long since we last spoke", before quickly diverting to a new character who immediately just flings themselves in our face:

Their name is Morris, they're a court jester vampire bat, and right after they say hello, there's a random beeping noise. This happens at other seemingly random points through out the video. We then learn more about other products that watchful eye toys makes.

The jack in the box is called the "Itty Bitty Jester Bot/Box" (I couldn't tell which), the bat is a "Mystery Cove Bat Friend", and the tambourine is a "Twinkle Light Tambourine". Not much is known about these currently.

They then go on to talk about Twimblo's, showing this ad. Now, this was shown in ep 13, but I wanted to bring up the "phone number" (does anyone know if this is a code or just random symbols because idk codes), but also not only do these go for $500 (before tax), they still put up a "buy one get one free", presumably to get more souls.

Then we get this little scene, showing Morris talking to Oddity, which first of all, why is he here, second, Morris is surprised that Oddity can talk?

Is talking like, and Oddity thing and not just a Twimblo thing? Is Oddity possessed? What is that about?

Also Oddity doesn't even know why he's here, or where he even is, someone help the poor guy-

They then get to the real purpose of the video.

Dreamworld is making a new animatronic.

what.

Apparently, the viewers get to comment features they might like the animatronic to have, and Watchful Eye will go through the top ten most liked and create a new animatronic??? Okay, cool, that's interesting, we'll talk about this later.

After that, they do an outro to the video, officially clarifying that yes, that's Oddity, and Morris asks if the camera stopped rolling, and if this means they can "Finally go-", before getting abruptly cut off.

There's then static, we get this image;

And then we see announcer guy again

They say their the project manager at the facility, before saying "But, you don't recognize me? What if I just..." It then cuts to this all to familiar screen;

We of course here training tape person saying their basic introduction, implying that announcer and training tape (who sound almost nothing alike) are on in the same. And then finally, we're left with this;

And a long stretch of blackness.

So, first off, announcer is pretty obviously Litho. Project manager for watchful eye, implies he voices the training tapes, which I always assumed were voiced by Litho possessing Sara, and shows a image that is clearly implied to be Litho quickly after. Plus, something I noticed is that Sara has pink eyes for most of the plot, aka when she's being possessed, but looking at when she's not obviously possessed, like for example her in highschool;

Her eyes are brown. So it appears that a sign of Litho's possession is pink eyes. And who else has pink eyes? Announcer guy.

Next, touching on Morris. My theory is that Morris is Rainbott, due to similar color palettes, and the fact that we never really learned what Winnie did to Rain. Now, the question is, what is Morris? It's never stated they're an animatronic, so what are they? Could it be similar to poppy playtime toys? Are they actually just an animatronic? Who knows.

Finally, the whole Amazing Automations thing. Why are they doing this? Why do they need a new animatronic?

I think I have an idea. I think they're planning to kill someone, and need a place to keep the soul. But who?

My top guess is Wiatt, due to how much trouble he's caused, and how odd it is that Litho let him stay around and keep his job. My next bet is Celio, but due to them just getting there, it's unlikely. Maybe Oliver as well?

And one last note that probably doesn't mean anything but it's interesting.

The eyes look vaguely similar.

This has been my wtdw Ted Talk. I hope you enjoyed.

#welcome to dreamworld #wtdw #Holy shit that took a while to write

[dantakeyoman]

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 | 𝐫. 𝐳𝐨𝐫𝐨

♡ 𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐚 𝐳𝐨𝐫𝐨 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

♡ * "𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒔𝒔, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕? 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏. 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒕. …𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒊 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕." *

♡ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟, 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭, 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐰𝐰𝐰𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.

♡ * 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 - 𝒑𝒐𝒗: 𝒖𝒓 𝒛𝒐𝒓𝒐'𝒔 𝒈𝒇 *

𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

Once the crew got past Reverse Mountain, the lot of you ran into a gigantic whale, which ended up swallowing all of you.

Inside the whale's stomach, you met an old man Crocus, the keeper of the lighthouse and caretaker of the whale, who's name was Laboon.

He told you the story of Laboon's previous owners, and how he was stuck here until their return. 

And while telling the story, these two weirdos, who went by the names of Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9, tried killing Laboon.

Luffy ended up beating them up, and got into a fight with the whale, promising to return so they could have a rematch.

And now here you were, the entire crew laid out on the floor after the roughest patch of sea you've ever faced.

Well, not the entire crew.

"C'mon. The weather's nice and all but that's not a reason to be lazy," Zoro scoffed, having just woken up from his nap.

"I'll kill you," you groaned, your voice dangerous.

He turned to Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9, who were also sprawled out on the ground.

"Oh, you guys are still here."

He crouched down, the both of them abruptly sitting up with fearful expressions.

"Wanna tell me what were your strange names were again? 'Cause I don't think that you can be trusted."

"Well," Mr. 9 shakily started, "I'm called Mr. 9."

"And I'm called Miss Wednesday," Wednesday answered as well, her smile faltering.

"Right. You know those names sound familiar, and that's what's bothering me. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm certain I've heard them somewhere before. Or maybe I-." You interrupted his rant by punching him in the back of the head, hard.

"You think your lazy ass can just sleep while we do all the work?! You're lucky I didn't throw you overboard!" you scolded, angry.

"Ow! What's the matter with you, woman?!" he exclaimed, rubbing the large knot on his head.

You answered his question by punching him in the same spot twice more, leaving him clutching his head in pain.

"Listen up, everyone! There's no way to know what's gonna happen next. During the terror most of us experienced, I came to an understanding of why this sea is named the Grand Line. My navigation skills are useless here, but mark my words I will guide us through!" Nami announced, proudly.

"Umm...okay. You sure, Nami?" Usopp asked.

She smiled, turning to look out at the distance. "Without a doubt.

"And speaking of which. We're here. Our first journey on the Grand Line comes to an end."

Everyone turned to see the island not too far ahead.

Whiskey Peak.

The island was covered with humongous catci, some of which stretching up past the clouds.

"This is unlike any landscape I've ever seen," Sanji stated, impressed.

"Those cactus are humongous!" Luffy shouted.

Just then, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday jumped onto the rail of the Merry.

"Thank you but we must be leaving," he smirked.

"It's been an interesting ride to say the least," she agreed.

"Bye, bye, baby!"

And with that, they jumped off, back-flipping into the ocean and swimming to shore on their own.

"Buncha weirdos," you scoffed, crossing your arms.

"I guess we'll never learn what those nutjobs were up to," Usopp shrugged.

"Eh, who cares. We're landing!" Luffy smiled.

"There's a waterway right up to the shoreline. It looks like we can go inland by ship," Nami pointed.

"Um, am I the only weighing the possibility of monsters on that island?" Usopp began to shake, nervous.

"It's possible. This is the Grand Line," you shrugged. "Even if there are it's not like we can leave."

"Huh? Why not?" Luffy asked, confused.

"Don't you guys remember what Crocus said. The Log Pose needs enough time to record the islands magnetic field so we have to stay put. The Log Pose needs a different amount of time for each island so some may take a few hours while other may take several days," Nami explained.

You continued up the waterway, a dense fog rolling in and covering up the image of the port.

But as the lot of you got closer, you could her a faint sound.

Faint, but distinct.

"Is that-?"

As the fog cleared, a crowd of what looked like the entire island could be seen gathered at the docks, all cheering and celebrating. 

"Greeting and good tidings, travelers!" a man shouted.

"Welcome to Whiskey Peak!" another agreed.

"These aren't monsters. They're people. And they actually look happy to see us," Usopp stated, getting out of his defensive stance and lifting his goggles.

"What the hell's wrong with them?" Sanji asked.

"Pirates are always welcome in our town!" a random woman cheered, whipping around a flag

"Hooray for the heroes of the sea!"

"Hey!" Luffy cheerd, sitting down on the head of the Merry.

"This is fishy," you stated bluntly, standing cross-armed next to Zoro.

"Definitely. I'd keep my guard up," he nodded, resting his hand on the hilt of his swords.

"Agreed."

海賊狩

After an entire day and night of partying, the crew was out cold, each asleep with a blissful smile on their faces.

You kept to yourself the entire night, untrusting of the villagers odd hospitality to pirates.

And luckily, that led you here, sitting on a rooftop next to Zoro, as the villagers below plan to raid your ship and murder your crew mates.

Not only that, but it was Zoro who revealed that they were actually a part of some giant criminal organization, all based on bounties and assassinations.

"You mind if I watch?" you smirked, crossing your legs and resting your cheek in your palm.

"Not at all," he smirked back, disappearing from the roof and appearing in the center of all the agents.

"Alright, then. Gimme a good show!" you smiled.

And what proceeded was a long, and hilarious, battle between Zoro and the hundred and some change criminals.

Each one had their own goofy looking weapon, and each one would get swiftly taken out upon entry, mostly because of their own doing.

"We got you now, girl!" a small fry shouted as he and a small group of his friends came running up behind you.

"This'll teach you to mess with Baroque Works!"

"God's Messenger: Army and Point," you stated, not taking your eyes off Zoro's fight.

A large amount of your feathers detached, stabbing and slicing the men like knives with a mind of their own.

Once all of them were down, your feathers returned to you, softening back to normal.

"Will you idiots give it a rest? You're way out of your league," you rolled your eyes.

As you continued to watch the fight, the gears in your head began to turn, and you realized the oppurtunity put before you.

'If these guys are part of an intelligence agency, then maybe one of them knows something about Doflamingo.'

You turned to the curly-haired guy, Igara-something was his name. 

He seemed to be the leader of the small fry.

'Perfect.'

You quickly stood up, unfurling your wings and flying down into the battle, kicking away the mayor's saxophone gun and grabbing him by the collar.

"I'm stealing one, Zoro!" you called as you began to fly straight into the air.

"Find by me!" he shrugged, pushing a bunch of the agents off a ladder.

"What are you doing?! What do you want?!" the man frantically shouted, growing more and more fearful as you flew him higher and higher.

"I'm gonna make this real plain and simple, got it? You tell me what I wanna know, and I won't drop you," you started, your expression stone cold.

"But....you tell me somethin' I don't like," you smirked, "and I'll drop you so hard they'll be scrapin' your remains off the road for weeks."

"Okay! Okay! What do you wanna know?! I'll tell you anything!" he cried, his shaky hands gripping onto your wrists for dear life.

"Tell me where I can find Doflamingo," you ordered, tightening your grip on his collar.

"Doflamingo? I'm sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about! Please you have to believe me, I don't know who that is!" he blubbered.

You smirked, let out a quiet chuckle.

"Damn, Igarrapoi," you started, holding him out away from you.

"That was somethin' I didn't like."

"No, wait! Please! I-!" But before he could plead any more, you dropped him,his body landing one top of a couple of other agents.

He wouldn't be dead, but he'd be battered a good bit.

'Can't kill him for not knowing. But he did plan to kill my crew mates so most of that was deserved.'

"Ya done up there?" Zoro called, sitting himself down on the edge of a different rooftop.

"Yeah, I'm done," you sighed, flying down and sitting next to him.

"The guy had what you're looking for?" He asked.

"Nope. Another dead end," you huffed, glaring at the mayor's body, who seemed to be talking to someone in the alleyway, along with Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9.

"Don't let it discourage you. The further we get on the Grand Line, the more information you'll be able to find," he nodded, placing an assuring hand on your shoulder.

You smiled, a faint red tint rising to the apples of your cheeks.

"Anyway, you think our captain'll be alright. I left 'im down there with those weirdos," he asked, removing his hand.

You were already beginning to miss it's warmth.

"Wait, Luffy's down there?" you asked, looking over the ledge to see that Luffy was indeed there, fat and passed out in a wheelbarrow.

Suddenly, the mayor jumped up and pulled the strings of his bowtie, sending a barrage of bullets towards the man and woman he was talking to.

And Luffy was caught dead smack in the middle.

"Dammit. Luffy's trapped," you sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose.

"We better go do something about it," Zoro begrudgingly stood up, resting his hand on the hilt of his blade.

"Right behin-." Just then, a gigantic explosion ripped through the gunfire.

And when the smoke cleared, the mayor lay unmoving on the ground.

'This is too much.'

"I've had enough fun for one night," Zoro grumbled, jumping down from the roof and grabbing Luffy by the shirt, dragging him off.

You looked down at the scene again, cocking a brow as the mayor called Miss Wednesday Princess Vivi.

Mr. 9 tried to protect her, but the dread-headed guy picked his nose and shot a booger at the poor guy, blowing him up.

"That's disgusting," you grimaced, shuddering at the thought of explosive boogers.

'Now wait a second. Intelligence agency.....secret princess.....kingdom in danger.....I think I'm starting to get the gist of what's happening around here.'

Flying over the dramatic scene happening with the princess, you met up with Zoro and Nami, who seemed to be arguing over money while the mayor lay on the floor, helpless.

You landed and squatted down to his level, him lifting his head to see you.

"Igara-guy," you started, serious. "Would the princess, or the king of this Alabasta place, know anything about Doflamingo?"

His eyes went wide, and he coughed up a little bit of blood. "I am almost certain that Princess Vivi knows nothing of this Doflamingo you speak of. But King Cobra should surely know."

You smirked, standing up straight.

"Well then, can't let my map die."

海賊狩

You managed to catch up with the princess only to see the exploding-booger guy fire a pretty big one at her.

Quickly, you swooped down and hit it away with your mace, sending it flying and exploding in mid-air.

"Gross! I just hit someone's snot!" you exclaimed, tongue out in disgust.

"You! Don't you pirates give up! Leave me alo-!" You quickly stopped the princess' spinning toy and turned to her, seriously.

"Relax. I'm here to help," you assured, firmly.

"Help?"

"I take it that you must be a part of that swordsman's crew. The one that beat up all the lowly employees stationed here," the blonde woman with the umbrella smiled.

"Why would you wanna protect the princess of Alabasta?" the booger-man asked.

"I have my reasons," you glared.

"Well one way or another we're gonna have to eliminate you. You're in our way."

"Aww, what a shame!" the blonde woman laughed. 

Booger-man stuck his finger up his nose, and you got yourself ready for another attack, until Luffy and Zoro suddenly burst through a house, fighting.

Your eyes went wide.

"Huh?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING?!" you shouted, angry.

"ZORO BEAT UP THE NICE TOWNSPEOPLE THAT GAVE US FOOD!" Luffy shouted, sending the swordsman flying into another building.

'My captain cannot be this stupid.'

"LUFFY, YOU DUMBASS, THEY'RE THE BAD GUYS! THEY TRIED TO KILL US!" you scolded.

But he ignored you, and instead got sent flying into the blonde woman and the booger man, knocking them into another house. 

After about five more minutes of the two knocking the sense out of each other, and the bad guys, you had had enough. 

"WILL YOU TWO IDIOTS QUIT IT!" you shouted, flying over and slamming the two of their heads together, stopping their fight. 

"You people...are insane," the princess gaped. 

"What the hell is wrong with you two?! You're lucky you guys kept her safe during your shenanigans, otherwise I could've lost out on some VERY important information!" 

"Huh? Information?" the princess asked, confused.

"In exchange for delivering you home safely, you're gonna bring me to your dad where we can discuss some information," you stated.

"I-uh-umm-." "Deal? Deal," you smiled, interrupting her.

"(y/n), that hurt," Luffy sniffled, clutching his head. 

"You're lucky I didn't hit you two harder!" 

"Tch. Crazy woman," Zoro humphed.

海賊狩

#roronoa #roronoa x reader #roronoa zoro x reader #roronoa zoro #zoro #zoro x reader #one piece x reader #one piece

[thewrongmoon]

Actual Concrete S5 predictions from me

I feel like I've been fucking around with trying to figure out possible groupings for the next season, so I'm actually gonna go into what EVENTS I think are going to take place next season. Well, more like ONE event I know is gonna happen.

Will Getting Vecna'd (in some capacity):

I first felt like this would be too obvious, because Will has already been possessed before, but the evidence points directly to it. I don't think it will be the same as other Vecna possessions, namely because Will has a different bond with Vecna than Max and his other victims did. But, again, I'm like 90% sure its gonna happen. Why?

This image right here ! This image was posted by Noah before vol 2 dropped (I believe), and everyone assumed that vol 2 would have Will getting Vecna'd but that never actually happened.

And I will acknowledge the possibility that this could just be a joke made by Noah and he tried it on just to take a picture, but that also seems unlikely imo. Like I feel like these harnesses would probably be expensive and hard to get into yourself, so they wouldn't just let him run off with one? But I'm not involved in the production of ST so idk.

Actually, just realizing this as I go back to edit this point, Noah isn't wearing Will's clothes at all. He's wearing a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants. In the show he wears a blue long-sleeve undershirt and tan colored jeans (which you may be able to see in the bottom right corner of the mirror) alongside his yellow flannel.

Sadie doesn't wear Max's clothes here when she's harnessed up. This was in a rehearsal, not the actual thing. But I would imagine that they would A. maybe put their clothes back on in post-production (though this seems kind of unlikely) or B. have them dress in layers as to hide the harness and knee/elbow pads the best they can.

Will's actual outfit clearly being in frame in Noah's photo could mean he was going to put it on over the clothes he is wearing.

The second piece of evidence is this footage which shows the actor for Lonnie Byers at the table read.

Now, we don't see Lonnie at all during season 4. It's possible that there's maybe a cut scene with him in it, like a flashback? But I have no idea where they would put it. They don't show anyone in the Byers family having flashbacks in S4, and they're probably the only ones who would have any involving him.

Lonnie being present means we'll probably see him again. And because I don't think he would put in any effort into reconnecting with his kids he abandoned 5+ years ago, it's gotta have to happen in a memory, or flashback, or nightmare, or hallucination.

And who do we know that uses people's past trauma to get into their brains?

This queen right here!!

Now I know what you're wondering. If we're gonna see Lonnie in a Vecna-vision in S5, why was he at a table read for S4?

This leads me into my next theory:

Parts of S5 have already been scripted and filmed.

NOW HEAR ME OUT. This theory makes a lot of sense if you really think about it.

First of all, the production of S4 was delayed significantly by COVID. This left the writers with more time to potentially work on the S5 script.

Another huge hurdle for the crew of ST was the kids getting older. Nearly 3 years passed in between the end of filming S3 and the end of filming S4. Their characters were only supposed to age like 6 months.

Because of this, they tried multiple ways to make them appear younger, through wardrobe and even asking them make their voices higher.

They knew it was gonna take them at least another year or two before they could get to filming S5, and the actors would age more in that time. I mean, look at Finn Wolfhard. He already looks nothing like he did in S4.

The Duffers have stated that there was no way for it to not pick up where they left off.

Because of their insistence to shoot back to back, it's safe to say assume something happens right after S4 ends.

But I think they must have come to a compromise, where they inserted a time jump some time after that.

Lonnie's actor being present in the S4 table read and Noah in a harness (with the flannel he wears in the final episode) are kind of hard to explain if this isn't true.

Originally people thought a time jump would occur after episode 4 of S5, but I do think it's unrealistic for them to have already filmed half of S5. I do think it's feasible that they've maybe filmed episode 1 of S5, or they filmed parts of S5 that they want to play in flashbacks or just play in a non-linear fashion.

They finished this grid awfully quickly, and have said many times before that they already had most of S5 blocked out. I don't think it's super unrealistic for them to have scenes in mind that needed to be filmed asap to fit in with the story. This grid was probably more of a way to determine what part of the story fits in where.

Suffice to say, there's something fishy going on here.

Predictions:

I think Will will have some type of contact with Vecna right where S4 ends. Not necessarily being Vecna-d, but something to lift him in the air which would require a harness. I think Vecna would want to use his memories of Lonnie to turn him against his friends and family.

I think that Will may join him with the intention of double crossing him. This would bring the "super-spy" scenario back full circle.

But no matter how we look at it, Will being Vecna'd seems inevitable.

#in short: noah probably spoiled this shit #stranger things #stranger things s5 #analysis #byler #will byers

[therealvinelle]

What would other vampires do if the Cullens' health started to rapidly decline from not drinking human blood for too long? (Bella is probably okay, she's not been on the diet for that long)

The Cullens, as in, all of them save Bella? And are we including Renesmee?

I think, for maximum chaos, we'll be assuming yes on both counts. All the Cullens save Bella start to rapidly decline.

We're defining Twilight vampires and hybrids declining as they are getting slower, weaker, need to feed more often, and they're having a harder time controlling themselves, concentrating, and remembering things.

Which is all terribly alarming.

Problem is, they've been without human blood for vastly different streaks.

Carlisle has been a vegetarian for three and a half centuries, but he turned four people so his system hasn't been without human blood. Still, that's 70 years Carlisle's been completely off the juice.

Edward drank Bella's blood in 2005, then tasted it again when turning her.

Renesmee enjoyed human blood the most recently, she had blood bags while a toddler.

Emmett, Esme, Jasper, and Alice have each had accidents, though we don't know when they happened. Alice and Jasper have to have slipped after 1950, though, for their slips to be part of the Cullen family history. They're going for 50 years or less, while Emmett and Esme are unknowns.

Rosalie was turned in 1933 and remains the only Cullen apart from Bella to never have tasted human blood. She's going on 70 years without human juice too.

In spite of these wildly different spans of time without blood, the Cullens suddenly get ill simultaneously.

Carlisle, notably, never got sick before this: he went almost two centuries without human blood, and it went well. Likewise, Rosalie has gone 70 years and been just fine, yet now Edward's suddenly collapsing after a few short years without the juice. Even more alarmingly, Renesmee is sick too.

The Denali, mind you, are doing perfectly fine.

Human blood can't be the cause of this.

You have seven vampires and a hybrid all declining, and the one unaffected is Bella, whose gift famously is a shield. They conclude that there are two options for what is happening here:

1: After thousands of years, a virus that attacks venom has finally evolved. How they became infected, why Bella hasn't been infected and why Renesmee is as sick as the others remains unknown.

Sire lines can't be a factor, as Alice and Jasper are affected while Bella isn't, and likewise the diet might have made them more susceptible but that doesn't explain why Renesmee is as weak as the rest.

The virus explanation is looking unlikely, not impossible but unlikely.

2: They're under the effect of a gift.

This would explain why they've been affected at the same time and why Renesmee is affected, but Bella isn't.

Whose gift this is is unknown, nothing like this has ever been observed before.

(A problem with the theory is that Bella shielding them accomplishes nothing, but that only implies the effects of this gift can't be reversed, but that is a conclusion too horrifying to warrant thinking about.)

Though- they did recently make themselves a threat to a powerful coven known for collecting unique and interesting gifts from all across the board, and this coven would want to take them out in a way that kept their hands clean in the eyes of the public, a way insidious enough that by the time the Cullens realized what was happening, they couldn't amass an army.

A gift is the only sufficient explanation, and the Volturi are the only ones with both means and motive.

Bella, the only healthy Cullen remaining, realizes that if she doesn't do anything the Cullens will all die.

She has to confront the Volturi in some way.

She goes to seek out the Romanians, knowing they are only two giftless people, but also knowing that if anyone would be able to help her with what to do next, it would be them.

Her other option, going to the Volturi themselves, is more likely than not merely playing into their hands, and would only result in the Volturi taking her captive and never letting her see her family again. Nothing would stop them from killing her family, either, just to make sure she has nothing to return to.

The Romanians are her only real option.

Carlisle, meanwhile, having heard Bella tell them what she was going to but having been too out of it at the time to do much more than grunt in her direction, realizes suddenly that Bella joining the Romanians could be... bad. Very bad. Legion of newborns and old enemies of the Volturi type bad.

He digs his fingers into the carpet and pulls himself towards a phone, which he uses to phone Volterra.

Aro, receiving the world's most disturbing call that's largely Carlisle slurring into the phone, something about the Romanians, ends up going to Forks to find out what the hell is even going on. There, he finds Carlisle lying on the floor with six other vampires and a hybrid.

First things first, he says to himself, and nabs a car of the highway and feeds the occupants to Carlisle. Have at, buddy, even vegan have to have fish oil every once in a while.

Carlisle recovers instantly.

Aro moves about the room with more people from the highway (well, Demetri does this, Aro is outside with Carlisle catching up and forcibly pulling him back when he tries to stop his family from massacring god knows how many drivers), and the conclusion drawn is that something, god knows what it was but it was certainly something, kicked in to make the Cullens all get really sick at the same time.

Edward, who is finally healthy enough to get up from the floor for the first time in a week, agrees with his currently absent wife that Aro most likely planned this whole thing from the start, he's just playing hero now.

Aro just stares, and asks if Edward is going to help get his wife to call off her overthrowing venture.

Edward is sure Aro would like that.

Yes, yes Aro would like that.

Aro is also realizing that it's not gonna happen.

He kidnaps the Cullens, and holds them ransom in exchange for Bella handing herself over. Come to Italy, or he lets Caius start burning vampire phalanges.

Bella hands herself over, and is summarily executed for conspiring against the Volturi. Aro can't afford not to do it.

And it of course wouldn't end there, because Edward would never let it end there. Somehow, and I don't even know how, this whole situation ends up with Carlisle and Renesmee living in Volterra while Edward is killed somewhere in Eastern Europe, where he was trying to rally a pair of very unimpressed Romanians.

#aro #carlisle cullen #bella swan #twilight #twilight meta #twilight renaissance #cullens #twilight vegetarianism #twilight vampires

[invincible-selfxmade-punk]

After 8 years I got rid of my dish service, DirecTV.

Once my husband gave me his old game system where I could access Prime video, netflix, and YouTube it was all over.

He thought I was using the service and I thought he was using the service and honestly the only thing we were doing was occasionally buying aew pay-per-views and maybe once a month checking in all the actual shows and for this we had to pay $180 a month.

It just so happened that I got a Walmart Plus Membership last year and it came with a Paramount plus free subscription which I never tried out. So we set up an account through Walmart and sure enough we get it for free and between those services and then my husband pays for peacock himself for the WWE oh my God we do not need cable at all!!

Paramount plus even has all these really old TV shows like Love Boat and the original Hawaii Five-O.

AND

There is a brand new Criminal Minds franchise that I didn't even know existed!! I am three episodes in and I am so so happy.

Before I got the game system I would always put on Blue Bloods to watch while I slept. And they have Blue Bloods on Paramount plus as well.

I have also become absolutely obsessed with the movie Talk to Me.

I rented it and watched it twice and I'm about to run it again so hubby and I can watch it together. I will be so glad when it is on a streaming service because it seems like it's been out forever, yet you can only see it by either subscribing to Showtime or renting it.

The calling card of modern horror seems to be to have characters who are so pretentious and unlikable you do not care when they die. And I hate that. That's why I really like movies like talk to me, the Sacrifice game, The Red Rose series, Saint Maude, etc

The teenagers in this are not pretentious, they're dialogue is not what people think teenagers sound like, and they're not just these psychos are sociopaths that are horrible to each other even before the bad stuff starts happening. They are just really really stupid in the moment which is really close to real life.

Tomorrow I go to Midland to finally see Michaela doctor and finally get my drops renewed. I am down to one drop and the stupid cornial surgeon absolutely would not refill any of my glaucoma meds because he said he was not qualified to do that. But I'm doing okay because my pressures were fine when he checked them all the 30th. And since Midland is a hell of a lot closer than Lubbock I am praying for a Very Fast Trip in and out.

A week after tomorrow I have my first professional development day in Midland which is going to be rough cuz it's a whole day of class. But I guess we'll see how it goes.

I still need to get my last shingles shot but considering how bad the first one knocked me out I don't know what I'm going to be able to schedule the next one is going to have to be on a period of time where I know I'm not going to get out of bed for a couple of days. And then I need to schedule my colonoscopy.

I swear summer for everybody else seems to be this great thing but for teachers it's when we have to deal with any health problems that we were not able to deal with during the year and of course all the professional development that we're having to take and honestly this is the first year that we've been required to take it in the summer.

My first three Summers I had to myself and I was able to just lay around and travel whenever I wanted to Period And then it was like every other summer either I was getting another eye surgery or I was studying for another Certification.

I just want to do nothing but stay in bed and read but if I do that I hate myself and I feel lazy.

Ah, the duality of man.

#media #directv #horror movies #talk to me #St Maude #the Sacrifice game #prime video #youtube #paramount plus #Youtube

[threebooksoneplot]

Three Books One Plot and ✨You✨

Now that our first season has drawn to a close we wanted to share some fun stats with you guys! This is information that was actually cut from our finale for time but, since we're so excited about it, we still wanted to share it with you all. It's been a hell of a year and, like we mentioned in our finale, we never expected for anyone besides us and a small group of friends/acquaintances to care so much about this silly project. But a lot of you cared. More than we thought would.

In fact, we had listeners from 50 countries over the course of the past year. This is what our top ten looks like, at a glance:

Shout out to anyone listening from any of these countries, and extra shout out to anyone listening from any other place in the world, too. (All 40 other countries.) As far as the US goes we weren't too shocked by our top five (California, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas are also the top five most populated states) but we were excited to see listeners in forty-five states plus DC. So, to our friends in Alabama, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming... we'll get you guys next season. 😉

(more information and fun statistics under the cut!)

What was doubly shocking to us was the idea that not only would we have such a broad reach but that we would chart anywhere. Over the last year we have charted on the book charts of eleven different countries, including the United States. Which is fucking bonkers.

Beyond that, we had some more funky statistics we wanted to share! We truly did give you non-Spotify listeners the short end of the stick sometimes but hey, don't blame us. Blame the apps you listen to and like, maybe bully them on Twitter into providing polls and questions like Spotify does. If that doesn't work, you can always join in on our polls here on Tumblr during the interim between episodes. Next season we'll also be encouraging you guys to answer our episode questions in our ask box here, too. Anything to get more hilarious gems from you since you guys are like, really fucking funny.

But as far as platforms go, here's our breakdown:

If you listen on a different app like Pocket Casts or any other podcast platform, please let us know! We'd love to know how you guys are tuning in.

Not to direct our full attention back toward Spotify for a moment (like we love to do) but here were some fun Spotify-centric stats that are worth mentioning. Mainly because the age statistics make us laugh.

Shoutout to any young-young Gen X-ers that listen and aren't in the 45-59 age range. You guys are the true champions and we adore the fact that your peers just do not fuck with us. Also, in the unlikely chance that any of the less than one percent of Boomers (affectionate) that listen to us also happen to follow us on here, please message us so we can give you the key to a city or something. Because we love you. Sorry that supercentenarian Edward kept being weird and rude about your generation. He sucks for that.

To conclude this fun and informative little wrap-up post I wanted to give the biggest, loudest, and most inappropriate shout out to all our sexy listeners who gave Three Books One Plot a rating or a review!

On Apple Podcasts, we received 8 reviews and 17 ratings, giving us an average of 4.6 stars!

On Spotify, we received 63 ratings, giving us a 4.9 star average!

This fall will bring a new season with a new book, new characters, and new guests. But don't worry, there'll be just as many jokes, bits, ill-advised drinking game rules, and sex tape titles that make G rejoice and Shannon sigh in half-reluctant compliance as before.

We wanted to give a super-special thanks to all of you who have tuned in, and we're so excited to see you guys again for Season Two in September!

#s1 finale #episode 25

[z-iridest]

Yu-Gi-Oh: Renegade

Chapter 5:

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh: Renegade:

' "In 3 months, I will be holding a Derby Duel Tournament. It is open to all who wish to compete." Leon Dracnus announced on live TV.

"Look, everyone deserves to play the game they love without facing prejudice, without consequences… This baby," Yuko gently patted the broken down Phoenix Whirlwind, "is the key to jump starting that change. But, I'm gonna need you guys behind me on this."

"There'll never be a time you can't count on me." Adom replied.

"Good luck, Yuko, my girl." Pops told her before Yuko raced out of the garage and away from her chosen family.

"Remove your helmet and deactivate the gear, reject. I know you're a duelist, and one from the Jade Phoenix Duel Gang judging by the symbol on your back."  

"You have Derby Duel gear yourself, right, Takano? Duel me. If I win, I go about my business and you act like nothing happened." 

"And why should I listen to what a reject like you asks of me?"

"Winning against me means you could get redemption from the big man topside. See, you're right in assuming I'm a duelist, I'm the leader of the Jade Phoenix gang, their best duelist."

"You're on, Birdie. You're in for one heck of a match, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, kid! Wait, that Duel Disk... Where did that come from?!" Yuko felt a smirk cross her face at the Chaser's shock of the tech she'd built herself.

"I built it into my gear!"

What have I gotten myself into? She thought nervously as a countdown began to the beginning of the duel.'

With the Duel World spell activated, the world around them had changed giving it a bluish hue. "Ready... Set... Duel!" The computer counted down. Both duelists took off, their Life Point counters set to 4000 Life Points. Wait, are my eyes playing tricks on me? Why are my Life Points only at 4000? Yuko thought, her brow furrowing.

"In case you aren't familiar with Derby Duel combat, allow me to explain the rules. In Derby Duels, our decks are cut down to 40 cards each and our Life Points are only set to 4000 points. Unlike Turbo Duels back in the old days, we're allowed to use normal spells, but we do have hurdles that make things harder. For one thing, in the actual arena, if you knock your opponent out of bounds, they automatically lose. The first two to take that first turn are the first duelists to begin dueling. If one of the duelists in focus gets knocked out, either by a duelist or an obstacle, either the duelist that butted them out or the duelist closest to the remaining duelist takes over the duel. Much like Turbo Duels, though, if you hit zero while Derby Dueling, your wheels will lock up and you'll be forced to wipe out." Takano explained.

"In other words, you wanna be the last duelist standing." Yuko summed up.

"Too bad it won't be you, Birdie." Takano smirked. 

"We'll see about that, Takano." Yuko glared.

"Ready... Set... Duel!" The computer counted off, the two taking off as soon as the countdown hit the go mark.

Yuko- 4000                                           Takano- 4000

"Ladies first, reject." Takano smirked. Yuko rolled her eyes as she drew. A frown crossed her face. Mystical Space Typhoon, Spell Shattering Arrow, Shield Crush, Blast Magician, Monster Reborn and Unexpected Dai... Not too much to work with defense wise, but one monster's better than nothing but spells the first draw... Yuko thought. "What's the matter, giving up already?" Yuko scoffed at Takano's taunt.

"You wish! I'll kick this off by activating Unexpected Dai from my hand! Since I have no monsters on the field, I'm allowed to Special Summon a Level Four or below Monster from my deck, as long as it doesn't have any effects... So, Flamvell Guard, take to the field in defense mode!" The metallic dragon roared to life, flames coming off its body as it curled up in defense mode (ATK/ 100 DEF/ 2000). "Next, I summon Blast Magician in attack mode!" Blast Magician spun his staff, taking his place next to Flamvell Guard and standing at the ready, his eyes trained on the enemy (ATK/ 1400 DEF/1700). I'll end my turn there for now. Your move, Takano." 

​​​Yuko- 4000                                           Takano- 4000

"My turn! I draw!" Takano observed the cards in his hand before smirking a bit. "First, I'll summon Honest in attack mode!" An angel looking monster took to the field on Takano's side of the field, his wings unfurled and his eyes glaring fiercely (ATK/ 1100 DEF/ 1900). "Now, since I'm not dumb enough to attack you with a monster that has less attack power than Blast Magician, I'll end my turn with a facedown." 

"Wow, who knew you guys were actually smart? It's my turn now!" Yuko remarked, but before she could take her turn, she noticed something hurtling her way. She moved to the side, dodging it by a hair. Takano laughed at her. 

"I told you there were hurtles... From here on out on every other turn, the Duel World field spell automatically throws obstacles our way. In an arena, it would have obstacles set up, but this isn't your typical arena." Takano revealed.

"You were hoping I'd get knocked down by one of those, didn't you?!" Yuko accused.

"Don't accuse me of such a ridiculous thing, girl, now take your turn or I'll take it as a surrender!" Takano threatened.

Yuko- 4000                                           Takano- 4000

"I draw!" Yuko kept a steady pace as she looked at the cards in her hand. While she'd gotten one spell card out of the way, she still had her original four, plus her trap card: Trap Jammer. Least he won't be able to do anything to me with a Trap Card this upcoming turn... Yuko thought. "Blast Magician, let's leave a scorch mark! Attack Honest!" 

"You won't be able to touch him, Birdie! I activate the trap card, Compulsory Evacuation Device! This card allows me to target one monster and return it to the owner's hand, and I choose my Honest!" Takano smirked.

"I guess your dueling skills are rustier than you thought, because all that does is switch Blast Magician's target from your monster to you directly!" Yuko called out his mistake as his monster returned to his hand and Blast Magician turned his attention on Takano. His eyes grew wide.

"Wait, wait, wait!" He shouted but it was too late, Blast Magician closed in on Takano and sliced through the Ex Chaser with his scepter. Takano stumbled due to the damage he took, but managed to get his footing back. Yuko smirked.

"I'll end my turn by throwing down a facedown. Your move, Takano." Yuko smirked.

Yuko- 4000                                           Takano- 2600

"You snot-nosed, insignificant little- AH!" Distracted by his need to insult Yuko, he was tripped up by an obstacle thrown his way, the teenager snickering as he barely managed to stay on his feet. "What?! You cheater! You did that on purpose!"

"You forgot one of the rules: Since it's just the two of us dueling and we're outside the normal arena, any time one of us takes direct damage, we have to avoid an obstacle at the end of the turn." Yuko reminded him, smirking. Takano growled in response. 

"I draw!" Takano drew a card, but the look he gained on his face made Yuko uneasy. What is he planning? She thought as she kept pace with the ex Chaser. "I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level Four! (Atk/1600 Def/1000)" Yuko's face paled as she came face to face with her own brother's dragon. There were 3 dragons with the same name: Level Four, Level Six and Level 8. Liam's entire deck had gone missing, and it chilled Yuko's blood to know that the dragons that her brother had once held dear were now on the hands of someone like Takano. Takano, meanwhile, smirked. "What's the matter, little duelist?! Dragon got your tongue?!" Takano cackled. Yuko glared.

"Take your turn, snake!" Yuko yelled. 

"As you wish! Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level Four, destroy her Blast Magician!" Takano announced the attack. The dragon roared and did as it was told, making Yuko cry out in pain as 400 life points were taken from her, her magician destroyed. "Now, his special effect activates! When I destroy a monster this turn, I'm allowed to send him to the graveyard and Special Summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6 from my hand or deck!" He laughed as the level four dragon disappeared, it's Level 6 version taking its place. It roared, Yuko recognizing the pain it was in. Don't worry, I'll find a way to get you guys away from him... I promise! She thought, hoping the dragon could hear her. "I end my turn due to Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level Four's effect!"

Yuko- 3600                                               Takano- 2600

"Then, it's my move now!" Yuko shouted before she dodged the hurtle coming her way and drawing her next card. Keeper of Dragon Magic! Yuko thought, smiling a bit before schooling her features. "I summon Keeper of Dragon Magic in attack mode! (Atk/1800 Def/1300)" She watched as the dragon armored magician burst to life, facing Takano and the level 6 dragon. 

"What is it with you and Spellcasters! You know that magician's far too weak to beat my dragon!" Takano called out.

"I know, I'm not attacking with him!" Yuko called out. "I activate his effect! By discarding Spell Shattering Arrow, I can draw Polymerization from my deck to my hand. But, that's not all! By revealing a fusion monster from my deck, I can special summon one of the materials needed to summon it in defense position! So, Luster Dragon, join us on the battlefield as I reveal First of Dragons!" She showed the fusion card as she summoned Luster Dragon (Atk/1900 Def/1600) in defense position. "Now that the effect is complete, I activate Polymerization from my hand, fusing my Flamvell Dragon and Luster Dragon together to Fusion Summon First of Dragons in attack mode! (Atk/2700 Def/2000)". First of Dragons roared to life, his grey scales glistening in the street lamp light and his tail hitting the ground as he roared. Yuko smirked. "Now, First of Dragons, attack Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6!" Yuko ordered the attack, and watched as a black lightning ball left her dragon and hit her brother's dragon, destroying it and knocking Takano's life points down another 400 life points. Takano cried out in pain and once again struggled to maintain his balance as Yuko took the lead, easily turning around to face Takano and skate backwards. The ex Chaser growled and the smirk on her face. "Now, Keeper of Dragon Magic, it's your turn, attack Takano directly!" She extended her hand, making Takano's eyes widen as the Spellcaster attacked, knocking his Life Points down another 1800 points and causing Takano to falter once more." I set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

Yuko- 3600                                                 Takano-800

"You no good reject! You'll be locked up for sure! I draw!" Takano barely avoided another obstacle before drawing his next card, and a flash of red caught Yuko's attention. The Dragon Kings were nearby...

"Says the guy about to lose this duel! Make your last turn count, Takano!" Yuko fired back. Takano suddenly started laughing.

"I plan to! I use the effect of Monster Reborn to bring my Black Flame Dragon Level 6 back from the Graveyard! Next, I summon my Honest back to the field! But, instead of attacking, I'll set one card facedown and end my turn!" Wait, why isn't he attacking? Yuko thought. It didn't make any sense...

Yuko- 3600                                               Takano-800

"I draw!" Yuko announced her turn as she drew a card. "I summon Dark Blade in attack mode! (Atk/ 1800 Def/1500)" She smirked behind her helmet. "Dark Blade, attack and destroy his Honest!"

"Not so fast, I activate the trap card Rising Energy! By discarding my Two Headed Dragon, I can give my Honest an additional 1500 attack points! (Atk 1100+ 1500= 2600)."

"Nice try, but you forget about my facedown! Trap Jammer! Using this trap, I can negate and destroy Rising Energy!" 

"WHAT?!" Takano exclaimed in horror as he watched his trap crumble and shatter.

"And that means Dark Blade is clear to keep his attack going!" Yuko exclaimed. Dark Blade's sword slashes through the angel, making it give a cry as it shattered and Takano yell in pain as he took the 700 point damage. He stumbled, barely managing to catch his balance for the final time. "First of Dragons, let's finish him off once and for all! Attack his Black Flame Dragon and end this duel! Black Lightning Attack!" She yelled out, the dragon roaring as it fired off another ball of black lightning, once again destroying the Black Flame Dragon. Takano cried out as the last damage of the Derby Duel rendered him down to zero, taking his last 100 Life Points and making him finally fall as Yuko came to a stop, standing tall.

Yuko- 3600                                         Takano- 0

"Should have attacked while you had the chance." Yuko snarled. "Now, you're going to give me my brother's dragons back right now. All three of them. It's the rules of a Derby Duel. Any rare cards the losing duelist has go to the winner." Takano growled, the snarl eventually growing so loud it eventually became a roar of rage!

"NEVER, I'M TAKING YOU IN!" Takano yelled in anger, but before he could lay a hand on Yuko, a punch came from over the female's left shoulder. When Yuko turned her head, she had to admit that she was surprised to see Kai Cunningham behind her, along with the other members of the Dragon Kings.

"Not in our turf. She beat you fair and square, and you had some of the rarest dragons in the game since the creation of the Blue Eyes. You don't deserve to be a duelist." Kai threatened, scooping up the cards Yuko had requested from the deck and glaring at him. Yuko tensed, ready for a fight if that's what it came down to. "Relax, Adonis, and take off your helmet already, Yang wants to see you." Yuko hesitated for a minute. "Look, idiot, you want your brother's dragons back or not?" He questioned. Yuko pressed a button on the side of her helmet that made the skates and her helmet collapse, allowing her to walk freely. Kai placed the dragons in her hand before leading the way toward the Dragon Kings' hideout. Yuko placed the dragons in her deck, smiling when she heard their spirits purring on happiness. Once inside the hideout, Yuko saw that it was a den, filled with members of the Dragon Kings either training or cooking a hearty meal, the smell of which made Yuko's stomach rumble. "Being this close to an entrance of Cypher City has its perks." Kai told her as he held her to the center of the den. "We also have informants all over Cypher City, they keep us updated if anyone even murmurs about an attack on the Underground." The closer they got to the center of the den, the warmer it became. Yuko noticed many of the members of the rival duel gang stopping to stare at her. Kai glared at them once they reached a door, making all of them head back to their stations. "Yang's through here." Kai opened the door for her, letting her go through.

"Thanks." Yuko spoke. "For the backup back there and bringing me here." 

"Just following Boss's orders." Kai replied before closing the door behind her. When Yuko turned her back to the now closed door, she found a haven of an office. Books of Duel Monsters history lines the shelves, titles listing the pat Kings of Games, their rivals and the history of the fame itself. A picture frame sat center stage in the middle of it all, a picture of a young girl with snow white hair and sapphire blue eyes next to a younger and much happier Yang.

"My younger sister." Yang clarified from the desk in the center of the room before Yuko could ask, not glancing up from whatever he was working on. "The last time Cypher City tried a raid, my sister was coming up the stairs and was killed. We were able to fortify the passageway to not allow anyone but residents of the Underground in, but the update came too late to save her. Her name was Kisa, and no, I don't want to talk about her other than to make you understand why I don't mention her." Upon closer inspection, Yuko noticed a locket around both siblings neck in the picture, a locket that still hung around Yang's neck now despite the pain it must have brought him to remember his sister.

"We're similar that way, I guess." Yuko responded, remembering her own grief as Liam's face flashed in her mind. She heard Yang's chair scrape against the floor before the sound of his boots marked him drawing closer to her.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're just as crazy as your brother. Risking your neck to go up top, all to take part in some tournament that'll just be another blip in the history of Duel Monsters and end with your death." Yang told her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I have to. Especially considering I have the chance to kickstart the chance for people to be able to duel freely." Yuko replied, facing her rival. He easily towered over her, his ruby red streaked, jet black hair hung in his face, his hazel eyes regarding her.

"You know they'll be able to keep track of you with your prosthetic, Yuko. You're not an idiot, don't do this over one stupid tournament."

"The gang and I thought of that, Raven was able to hack the systems so my ID shows as someone else rather than who I am, and it's also why my hair and eyes are a different color. I'm two steps ahead of you, as usual." Yuko turned to leave but found her arm in Yang's grasp.

"Yuko, please. One leader to another, don't go up there. You'll get caught, tortured and killed and your friends will be left down here alone." Yang reminded her of the punishments that waited for her if she were caught.

"And you know why I have to do this. Any day now, a piece of vital information could slip past your informants, Dracnus could lead an army down here and then Duel Monsters would be destroyed forever. That risk is why I have to fight back for us, because no one else will." She argued. Yang stared at her.

"I still think it's a stupid idea... But, nothing I say or do is going to change your mind, I've seen that look enough times to know. You die up there, I'll kill you." Yang let go, leading her to a bookcase that swung open when he pulled on a book titled An Incomplete History of Underground City and other Adrenaline Junkies. Yuko gave Yang a deadpan look.

"Cliche much?" She asked.

"Hey, it hides it better than an out of place stone tablet that's impossible to move." Yang replied. Yuko passed him to climb up the steps when a thought crossed her mind and she stopped, facing Yang.

"If something happens to me up there, will you make sure my gang stays safe?" She asked. Yang nodded.

"You have my word." He swore.

"Thanks... For everything." A smile crossed her face before she ascended the steps without looking back, the secret door swinging closed behind her. Her boots smacked against the cement stairs as she climbed higher and higher until she reached a heavy metal door. She touched the center of it, causing it to slide upward. Once she exited the staircase, the door slammed shut behind her. She was in someplace that looked like a normal apartment. It was abandoned, covered in dust and most of the furniture covered with a white cloth. Where she had just come from was behind a dusty old bookcase. Really? Just when I thought that guy couldn't be more cliche? She thought, shaking her head as she looked around. Since the applications didn't open back up again until the morning, Yuko set to work sorting out the apartment, dusting and cleaning until it looked almost like a new apartment. Once she finished, she looked out the window she had just finished dusting watching the stars glimmer in the sky above her. She gave a small smile, taking the stars as a sign of what she hoped would be a bright and peaceful future to come

But only time would tell for sure.

(Taglist: @kitsunephantom09 @iheartbarbie)

#fanmade original #Yuko Adonis #Yu-Gi-Oh Renegade #Leon Dracnus #Ritsu Takano

[everythingsinred]

Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: Mikan (pt. 15)

Hey, friends! We're about to begin one of my favorite arcs! (Don't ask me what my favorite arc is; it changes like the weather.) The New Year's Arc, or in my head the "Discovering Natsume Arc," is super important to Mikan's development and to her feelings for Natsume, so we'll be having a field day, y'all and I. Let's get to it!

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Chapter Fifty-Three

This arc has everything!!!!

Ignore me, I HAVE to quote SNL right now.

This is the beginning of a pretty important arc. In the Natsume essay, I called this arc the “Discovering Natsume” arc, which made it less important for him and more important for Mikan. To be entirely honest, so much happens here--particularly with Mikan and her feelings, both for Natsume and her insecurities--that it almost feels like a climax. If you only read up to the New Year’s Arc, it almost feels like a complete story, as unsatisfying as it is. I’ll discuss that more later (“Yeah, later later--I’ve heard that one before!”) (I'm made of references. If you get this one, we can be best friends!!!).

In any case, the arc begins with the elementary Class B dorm New Year’s party! Everyone is gussied up and star ranks have nothing to do with the feast for once, so everyone can tuck in too! (Although the money packet is still dependent on star rank.) Mikan is properly excited, especially because today is her birthday. 

Class B, my beloveds.

She tries to subtly remind her classmates, asking if everyone knows why this day might be special besides being New Year’s Day, but nobody seems particularly interested in indulging her. She has memories of celebrating with Jii-chan, who was often the only one she could celebrate with, only to have her New Year’s packet be her birthday present. It must be so sad to be born in the winter months, when the gift-giving holidays are all clumped together and your special day gets lost in the mix. Tragic. Can't relate because I was born in the summer so I am super privileged--I always got the whole day to myself.

(Natsume is left-handed, Mikan’s birthday is New Year’s--they’re so oppressed.)

In any case, she’s excited to celebrate with friends for once, to have her birthday be a big event. Mikan likes attention and, unlike Natsume, she actually wants people to make her birthday a big production because it never has been. But nobody seems to care at all, too preoccupied with it being New Year’s. It’s finally her chance to have a proper birthday and she’s still being overshadowed by the coming of the new year. 

The arrival of the New Year’s cards in particular distract everyone from Mikan’s obvious hinting, and even Mikan temporarily forgets the subject when she finds out she got a little stack of cards too! She’s touched to see the card from her Jii-chan, the only person who actually remembers her birthday. Her stack is small though, nothing compared to Hotaru’s tower of fanmail or Ruka’s mysterious postcard from his family. 

Her mood switches around so quickly!

Ruka and his family are very mysterious. Mikan may be friends with Ruka now but his past, family, and friendship with Natsume remain obscure. It’s important that our arc begins with this concept! You may remember Natsume’s essay for the Reo Arc, when I pointed out that Natsume’s dream in the beginning was important because it signaled that some change must occur by the end of the arc. Similarly, for Mikan, her dislike of Natsume and Sumire being stressed at the start of that arc also was a sign that things must change. Similarly, Mikan muses here that she knows nothing about Ruka or Natsume or their families. Thus, by the end of the arc, we can expect that to change.

(You can track foreshadowing this way. Not all stories are well-written, and even if they are, some stories have foreshadowing that you’re not meant to pick up on the first time around. But when an arc begins with a thought like this--”I don’t actually know much about Ruka’s family”--then you should keep it in mind for later, especially when such importance is placed on it. Gakuen Alice is, for the most part, pretty well-written, and most arcs begin with foreshadowing like this, which is very fun to track. These hints help us figure out what the central themes of the arc are and why they’re important. The Reo Arc was important because Mikan made friends with people she previously disliked. The Z Arc was important because Mikan realized that her wish to be useful and “sacrifice something” is not as simple as she thought. And now, the Hanahime Den Arc is important because Mikan will completely uncover both Ruka and Natsume by the end of it.)

Mikan and friends are able to get their hands on Ruka’s post card, where they see his bizarre family as well as a holiday message from his mother, mentioning Natsume and a person named Aoi. Of course, the immediate focus is on Ruka’s beautiful foreign mother. But Mikan picks up on the mention of Natsume and wonders about who Aoi could be. All Mikan knows is that Ruka and Natsume came to the academy together. The details are still out of reach. See, Mikan is closer to Natsume, but she never stopped trying to figure him out. He’s still the king of mysteries, after all! Higuchi Tachibana said in Natsume’s character profile that solving his mystery was kind of like solving the general story’s mystery, which is part of the reason why this arc feels like a climax. Mikan’s little oblivious crush on Natsume only makes her curiosity about him more potent, which is why the message stands out to her so much. 

I love this page. It's uncomfortable, but still somehow manages to be the moment before a disaster.

But Natsume confiscates the letter and gives it back to Ruka, scolding Mikan for being rude because it’s not nice to take somebody’s postcard without permission (which is true!). Mikan feels guilty and uncomfortable (because he’s right!), so she tries to change the subject to something nicer, asking him innocently how many cards he got today. But the atmosphere only gets more tense. He stays silent but glares at her. He just leaves the room, slamming the door shut behind him and leaving an awkward vibe in his wake.

Mikan asks what just happened and Sumire is eager to fill her in with as much judgment as possible, beginning her scolding by saying “And you made such a fuss when it happened to you.” Natsume never gets any letters, not during the year and not even on New Year’s when everyone else does. The censors are always strict and it’s tough for anyone to get a letter sent or received, but Natsume is special: he has never gotten letters and never will. 

And Mikan remembers the “fuss” she had made, when Natsume told her that they were special cases, that they’d never get a letter and shouldn’t trust the teachers. Sumire says that if Mikan had thought a little about it, she could have figured it out before she ruined the mood and Mikan feels instantly guilty. 

She didn't mean to!!!

This moment is important for several reasons!

One is that we (and Mikan) can see that even though Mikan is like Natsume in some ways, his struggle at the school is different from hers. He’s singled out just a bit more (for now). This creates curiosity in us (and Mikan) about what exactly his circumstances are and why it has to be this way.

Second is that this is the second time now that Mikan has hurt Natsume’s feelings (that she’s aware of). The first time was when she refused to dance with him at the culture fest afterparty, when she realized that she was just taking her anger out on him. But it’s more than that this time, because Mikan didn’t mean to be hurtful. She was curious and acting on her curiosity and accidentally pressed the wrong button. She feels awful because she didn’t think before speaking. This (in regards to Natsume) will be important in the future, particularly in the Sports Festival Arc, which is why I’m emphasizing it now. This instance is small-scale, but still important. What matters is that Mikan feels bad that she wasn’t more considerate.

And the third reason is to give Mikan some birthday angst!

Anyway, the biggest take-away to get is that Mikan is guilty because she hurt Natsume’s feelings, even if she didn’t mean to, because she was thoughtless. She wanders around outside, consumed by guilt and cajoling herself for being insensitive, especially after she’d gone through similar troubles. She runs into Narumi, who is only the second person to remember her birthday, spurring her into sobbing. 

Poor Mikan! That's my favorite thing to say.

Mikan is a child--still, after everything that happened to her--so she is simultaneously happy that he remembered, sad that nobody else did, and convinced that she doesn’t deserve birthday wishes. It’s a confusing cocktail of emotions. It’s only logical that she cries about it. She also misses her Jii-chan, which makes her cry more. She tells Narumi what happened with the ESP at the Christmas Ball, asking again why she’s being singled out. She admits that she causes problems and is concerned about being punished for it. 

I feel like I’m repeating myself but whatever: Mikan may seem carefree and cheerful on the outside, but she keeps a lot of her worries inside. She never stopped worrying about the encounter at the Christmas Ball, even if she stopped talking about it as much. She never asked any questions about “that woman” or the mysterious teacher with the same alice as her, and yet she clearly has the feeling that they’re tied to her somehow. She still worries deep down about Natsume and his alice shape, even if she tries not to think about it. She definitely doesn't want to want to think about her feelings for Natsume or romance in general. Mikan isn’t a character who doesn’t or can’t worry; she’s a character who chooses not to, especially in front of others. When she’s alone, or feeling vulnerable, like now, she does express concern. This encounter with the ESP is really weighing on her, despite all her smiles and cheer.

But Narumi attempts to comfort her, not by addressing her concerns (because he can’t right now), but by telling her not to worry, because he will always protect her. Mikan is moved by this and quickly recovers her mood, blushing and smiling again. She tells Narumi that she loves him. He responds that he loves her too, more than anyone, which she knows is a lie. She laughs about that for a moment, as well as pondering how one of Narumi’s hands is warmer than the other, but Mikan’s mood has genuinely lifted. 

She loves so many people! She just doesn't like to think about how she loves one particular person...

She shouldn’t be scared because she has all of her friends with her, standing by her side. She has people she loves, who love her too. Whatever issues she faces in the future, she won’t be facing them alone.

She overhears her friends calling for her, expressing worry and concern for her, as well as voicing remorse for pretending not to know it was her birthday (which was all Hotaru’s idea… for some cold reason). She has a surprise party waiting for her, so she is able to smile and rejoin her friends again. 

The New Year may have started chaotically, but she hopes that the year will be great, just like last year--and that the next few years will be great too!

Ha. Ha…

We call this foreshadowing too, but when you’re first reading it might seem like just words on the page to wrap up the chapter. It’s not really that meaningful until you reread, when you realize that Mikan’s year will be difficult and painful, that she will be darkly traumatized. And that the years that follow will have her stripped of her memories. It’s foreshadowing in that Mikan makes a wish, and it won’t come true. 

I love foreshadowing!!

(We will ignore Mikan refusing to let herself be sad. Her insistence on finding a silver lining despite how dark things become does not cancel out how terrible the upcoming year will be for her, starting with today and tomorrow.)

Chapter Fifty-Four

Mikan’s finally having a party with all her friends. She would be entirely content, if not for the fact that she still hasn’t reconciled with Natsume after hurting his feelings. He’s still sulking, Mikan is still guilty, and thus the party has a minor hiccup. 

But the biggest distraction is when Hotaru gets personally invited to the Flower Garden Association Party. Tsubasa and Misaki visit before we can focus too much on that and suddenly the whole gang is making mochi.

Natsume seems to be the only one abstaining from the activity. Everyone else is making up their own mochi recipe--some better than others. For example, Ruka’s seems to be a big hit that the others covet, while Mikan’s is a bizarre monstrosity.

During the exam chapter, Mikan announces proudly that she loves cooking, and I believe her. Where Yuka is a terrible cook at all the basics, burning food, Mikan is happy to cook! But the combinations she puts together are so ridiculous that there’s no way they could turn out tasty. For example, today she has prepared bean broth with orange mochi. Now I know very little about Japanese flavor profiles, but that sounds horrible, especially compared to Ruka’s or Sumire’s. Based on all the other characters’ reactions to her mochi, it can be deduced that those flavors do not mesh well.  She is perhaps too creative.

As they prepare to eat, Mikan sees Sumire offer some mochi to Natsume and then gets the idea that she should too, offering her terrible mochi to him as an attempted apology for speaking insensitively before. 

She loves him so much I'm going to cry.

But the thing is that it’s hard to apologize to Natsume. Mikan always has trouble when there’s something important to discuss between them, especially when the tone is so serious. At the afterparty, she couldn’t admit that she had taken her anger out on Natsume when he hadn’t really done anything. During the Z Arc, Mikan struggled to say that Natsume was ignoring her in particular, because it felt too uncomfortable, putting herself on the line like that. Later, at the lake, she couldn’t fully complete her sentence that she wanted to give him her alice stone because she feared rejection. This is one more example of a similar issue: apologizing to Natsume, or even just implying that she cares about him or his feelings, is tough for her to do.

So she doesn’t apologize. She just stands there, trying to get the words out, until she gives up, leaving her bowl there and taking off. Things with Natsume are always awkward for some reason (because Natsume is different!) so even though she feels genuine guilt and really wants to make up, actually taking that step in vulnerability is difficult for her. She’s nervous how he’ll react, more so than with anybody else.

Misaki is able to explain all she can about the mysterious organization that has invited Hotaru. At the beginning of the last chapter, we got a breakdown of the three divisions and the vibes they give off: the elementary school is childish and impulsive, the middle school is a breeding ground for gossip, and the high school feels like a secret society. Though the entire school is mysterious, the middle school seems to be the most mysterious, with its bizarre headmistress and the countless rumors. If you pay attention while reading GA, you’ll notice that the phrase, “I heard there was a rumor in the middle school division” tends to be the precursor for the sharing of gossip. All rumors seem to have roots in the middle school. Thus it makes sense that it’s Misaki sharing the information now. Not only is she in the division and would therefore know a little bit more about her own headmistress than the elementary schoolers, but she is part of the gossipy school. 

In any case, the organization is like a harem of pretty girls, a grouping of the most impressive girls in the academy, so it makes perfect sense that Hotaru, a genius with a unique alice and a beautiful face, would be selected. Hotaru only becomes interested when she finds out the flower princesses get special treatment. But there are terrible rumors about the middle school principal and her flower princesses, that the principal locks away her favorite girls, that the position of flower princess is nothing more than a status symbol. And yet, despite all of Misaki’s warnings, the elementary girls all want the jewel ball that goes to a random girl that will allow them to attend the party. 

It’s fun to see all the girls be a little shallow. We know Mikan is already, that Hotaru has a fondness for all things glamorous and expensive, and that Sumire has a shallow affinity for the cutest boys in class despite their sketchy personalities. But all of the girls are focused on the shallow status symbol party now, entirely unmoved by the creepy rumors. They truly are children. Sniffle.

The desperate search for the jewel is interrupted when all the kids start flinging across the room towards each other, sticking like magnets. Anna and Nonoko, Koko and Kitsu, Hotaru and Youichi with Ruka, and Natsume and Mikan. Turns out they’re all stuck together because of a prank Tsubasa played, where he put a prank mochi-mochi powder in the mochi, so any people who ate the same mochi would stick together. So Anna and Nonoko, as well as Koko and Kitsu, who probably willingly shared their mochi together, are stuck. Hotaru and Youichi stole bites of Ruka’s tantalizing mochi and that sadly means he’s stuck to both of them. And Mikan and Natsume…

Well, if they’re stuck together, then that must mean that Natsume actually ate her nasty-ass mochi! The page becomes sparkly and sweet as Mikan asks if he ate her broth after all. She doesn’t really need to ask. He wouldn’t be stuck to her if he hadn’t. He brushes it aside with a mean comment about having to choke it down, but it doesn’t matter. Mikan is still sparkly! Natsume ate her apology mochi! 

I love sparkly panels! I always pay attention to them!

She bickers with him about the flavor of the mochi, but she’s relieved, because they made up after all. Now Natsume is back to normal, which is what she’d been wanting all day. Now that it’s much less awkward, she’s able to actually say the words, “I’m sorry about the card thing earlier.” Now that the atmosphere seems less serious, it’s not as vulnerable for her to put herself out there and apologize. He’s already forgiven her, pretty much, so saying the words is easier.

Immediately after this, Mikan finds out that she got the prize jewel invitation! Which means she can go to the party with Hotaru! 

What I really love about this moment compared to some other books or movies with similar tropes, is that Mikan isn’t actually special enough to have earned this random invitation. In another manga or show, for example, the main character and her best friend might be invited because even though Mikan thinks of herself as stupid or plain, the truth is that she is very special and beautiful! She gets invited because there’s something about her!

But that’s not what happens here. Mikan being invited isn’t a coincidence and furthermore it doesn’t even have anything to do with Mikan. This is a plan to lure Natsume to the Hanahime Den dungeons, where he will have to be punished for his insubordination. If the MSP had any say in the matter, Mikan certainly wouldn’t have been invited (and it’s for this reason that Mikan is treated so cruelly at the party). In another show, Mikan and Hotaru going together would be a given, so much so that you’d roll your eyes at the contrivance (I’m saying this because I hate that kind of plot). But here, Mikan and Hotaru both being invited is suspicious, something that sets off alarms for Tsubasa and Misaki.

But it’s been an hour, so most people are becoming unstuck, except for the Ruka mochi gang, whose bodies have compatible body chemistries with the prank mochi-mochi powder, meaning they could be stuck for two to three days. 

Mikan is, like always, ?????????????

Natsume and Mikan do not have compatible body chemistries with the powder, so they become unstuck, except that Natsume grabs her hand and holds her still. The plot could easily benefit from Natsume and Mikan remaining stuck like the Ruka mochi gang, but instead, Natsume makes the choice to fake it. This is important because it makes Natsume’s behavior unusual and suspicious. He’s planning something. If they’d genuinely been stuck, then that suspicion might be missing, and it’s necessary for the next few chapters.

Chapter Fifty-Five

Mikan wants to be honest. She doesn’t want to be stuck to Natsume anymore! But he hurts her hand and insists that they’re still stuck. He turns to her for her to agree that they’re stuck and many unspoken threats are apparent. If she disagrees, he will hurt her somehow. So she agrees.

Ruh roh!

From Mikan’s POV, Natsume is being needlessly sadistic. He must be doing this to torture her because there isn’t any other clear reason why he’d go through all this trouble. The girls might not be able to go to the party, they can’t be parted enough to take baths, go to the bathroom, or sleep separately. Hotaru’s group is lucky to have her because she has pills and sprays to control their bathroom needs, but poor Mikan is being bullied by Natsume, who’s not even really stuck to her!

She hates being stuck to Natsume and she loudly says it to everybody who can hear. She bitterly muses that being stuck to Ruka would be much more pleasant because Ruka is nice. He wouldn’t insist on staying stuck for no reason, wouldn’t be angry when they go to the bathroom, wouldn’t be threatening her and ruining her birthday. All those happy sparkly feelings about Natsume eating her mochi are gone, replaced by bitter indignation. This is important too. We are in the Discovering Natsume Arc, after all, which means Mikan will have to learn more about him. Additionally, Mikan has and will continue to have misunderstandings about Natsume’s behavior, leading to hurt or anger when he genuinely doesn’t mean to hurt or anger her. 

We know from Natsume’s POV that this isn’t some fun prank for him. He doesn’t want to torture Mikan. He doesn’t even want to be stuck to her because he has feelings for her because, as we know, he’s already given up on that option. Instead, he wants to find his sister and this ruse is the only chance he has of getting into the girls-only Hanahime Den. 

And so Mikan will continue to misunderstand him, partly because he’s a mystery and partly because he tends to be dishonest on top of that. Keep this in mind for later.

For the moment, Mikan gets called out by Koko, who teases her by asking if that means she prefers Ruka to Natsume. She answers yes without thinking, only to realize what she’s said and start yelling at Koko not to meddle. 

That's nice, Mikan. Not that Natsume is being nice.

Mikan messes up a lot by being rash and impulsive, by saying or doing the first thing that pops into her head. She is so preoccupied currently by her own feelings that she doesn’t even think about how Ruka or Natsume will feel hearing something like that. Of course, anybody can answer a question too quickly without thinking and end up messing something up (like answering one question at work too honestly and then having the work offer rescinded as soon as you get home so you have to find a new job after only one day… sigh). Still, this is the second time today that Mikan hurts Natsume’s feelings because she’s too preoccupied with her own to think before she speaks.

In any case, they’re sleeping together in Natsume’s room. He is open to sleeping in her tiny bed if she prefers it, but the issue isn’t the bed, it’s who she’ll be sleeping with. He tells her he really doesn’t want to sleep with her either, which just pisses her off because this is all his choice! If he wants to sleep by himself all he has to do is let go of her!

But then he says, “I’m sorry for not being Ruka.” He’s very serious all of a sudden, and Mikan can’t be angry anymore because now she’s confused instead. He announces that the ruse will end tomorrow, and even though Mikan has no idea what he means by that, her anger has dissipated. 

They’re alone in the dark in a huge bed now. They can let go of each other’s hand. She muses about how much nicer his bed is than hers. He’s not doing anything weird. Sleeping with a boy is not as terrible as she’d assumed it would be. She asks him what his plan is, pointing out that she deserves to know if she’s going to go along with it. But he just tells her to go to bed without answering any questions. 

♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥♡ ♥

Natsume is mysterious for many reasons. He doesn’t talk a lot. When he does talk, it’s usually to insult or tease her. He seems to be involved with the shadier parts of the academy, but nobody is willing to tell her much about any of that. Additionally, all the real information she gets about him is second-hand. Misaki-sensei warns her about him being dangerous. Hotaru and Yuu tell her the rumors of him being a murderer. Ruka insists there’s more to him, that he hates his own alice. Reo is the one who spills that he works in black ops missions for the school. He rarely tells her anything about himself. Not before, not now, and not during this arc.

Natsume, as we know from his essay, would never willingly drag someone into his dark life by oversharing. Telling someone about his dark backstory would be out of character. Explaining to Mikan why he’s doing this whole act would be out of character.

But as a result, Mikan can’t help but misunderstand him. She’s the only one actually trying to fill the gap between them, despite his every effort to be as mean and rude as possible.

Mikan is wide awake and lonely. Natsume managed to fall asleep, which means she has nobody to talk to. She yearns to attend the party tomorrow and bitterly thinks it’ll all be Natsume’s fault if she doesn’t end up going. But again, for the tenth or twentieth time, her anger vanishes as soon as she hears Natsume groaning in distress. 

She will never care about any anger more than making sure that he's okay. He's more important than grudges.

During the Culture Fest, when Natsume faked being sick to get her down off her carpet, Mikan forgot her anger because the idea that Natsume could be in genuine danger concerned her. She distinctly worried about his potential alice shape and then acted upon it.

This is a similar situation, where Mikan can see that he’s having a terrible nightmare and even looks like he’s in pain. She wakes him up and is instantly relieved when his eyes open. She was so nervous that something serious was going on that she felt like she had to wake him up to check on him.

But then he pulls her closer into a hug and snuggles her.

She naturally starts freaking out. We already know that Mikan gets nervous whenever Natsume does anything remotely kind or gentle. Their nice, intimate dance during the Christmas Ball made her very nervous. The idea of kissing him freaked her out even more. And this is snuggling! Natsume definitely doesn’t seem like the type who would snuggle, and especially not her, and yet! She blushes and panics, but he tells her to shut up, which lets her know that he’s still awake. He tells her some confusing stuff about giving her back to Ruka after tomorrow--stuff that I’m sure she understands at least a little.

I genuinely think Mikan has an idea that Ruka has romantic feelings for her, as I’ve said before during the Christmas Ball. I think she has a semblance of an idea about it all, some level of understanding that she’s in a bit of a love triangle. I don’t think it’s a fully fleshed out thought because, as we know, Mikan doesn’t really like to linger on uncomfortable concepts. But she knows Ruka likes her. She cares for him too, although I’d argue not romantically, even if she doesn’t fully realize that. This situation is only confusing to her because she doesn’t know what she feels or why.

Doki doki!

But Mikan’s heart is racing, and even though he’s telling her to just shut up and be quiet, she still thinks he’s cute. She stops arguing pretty quick and does indeed keep still, blushing while her heart beats fast and loud in her chest. 

I don’t know if Mikan decided to hug him back before she fell asleep. She thought he was cute so it’s a possibility that she decided to snuggle him back. I mean, she kissed him back on Christmas, so it's a possibility! In any case, she’s definitely hugging him by the time they wake up, though Natsume seems to not remember any of that nonsense and instead accuses her of clinging to him. She’s very upset that she wasted her emotions on him, ashamed that she’d actually thought he might be cute.

Mikan may be our protagonist and occasional narrator, but she doesn’t actually reveal very much in her narration. If you’re reading and feel yourself getting confused, asking yourself, “What is she actually thinking right now?” then you’re not alone! Mikan doesn’t actually tell us very much. She doesn’t tell us what she thinks of Natsume kissing her, or about him snuggling her. All she ever seems to say is that she’s confused because she is. I think that, just like she’s nervous to voice her serious feelings to Natsume, she doesn’t want to admit it to herself (or us) either. She’s confused too, so she doesn’t always know what she’s thinking. Mikan is not nearly as upfront as she may seem. She needs to be analyzed too, just like Natsume. 

Cute! She snuggled him back!

See, Mikan only said (to us) she thought Natsume was a little cute after she got pissed off at him. She didn’t think anything clear in the moment. She only admits it (to us) when she’s upset to voice her shame. Thus, we have to connect some dots. Mikan acts a certain way when Natsume snuggles her, a similar way that she acted during their kiss--at first surprised and maybe a little panicky, until she settles down and maybe thinks he’s a little bit cute. It’s a victory for us that she’s willing to share even just this small crumb, admitting that she finds him cute at times, especially when he’s affectionate.

She’s such an enigma. Analyzing her is so much work. Anyway!

It turns out Mikan and Hotaru can attend the party after all, even with their male companions. The thing is, though, that they have to crossdress in order to gain entry.

Yet another plot element that might seem contrived or cheap until you realize this is a big conspiracy to lure Natsume into the dungeon where he’ll be trapped forever. 

Conclusion

Wow, that was so much emotional repression! It makes my head hurt. But we've wrapped up Mikan's birthday, so next time we'll talk about how the actual party goes (hint: not well).

I won't be posting for at least ten days, because my precious Zoe is coming home for Spring Break, so I'll be devoting those days to spending time with her. I'll still be here. Ask questions to your heart's content! I'll be back soon to continue the New Year's Arc!

I don't always listen to my NM playlists while writing/editing/formatting these posts. Maybe I listen to a specific album or an emo playlist. Or maybe I listen to a seven hour playlist featuring music from the precise time I was in middle school (why was it so eerily accurate, down to the years, to my specific experience? Creepy that it just randomly appeared on my recommended). Anyway the playlist still fits because I first found GA when I was in middle school so I associate it with this particular era.

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#gakuen alice #alice academy #ga #sakura mikan #mikan sakura #natsume hyuuga #hyuuga natsume #my meta #ga meta #ga meta: nm #ga meta: manga #ga meta: manga nm #let's talk about natsumikan #let's talk about natsumikan: mikan #ngl i AM rushing this editing process a little bc i have places to be today but i wnted to post!!!! #nm: m song of the day is.... #safe and sound by taylor swift and the civil wars #i like it for the snuggling scene #good bye! i will miss you all terribly!!!! jk ill still be here #i just cant devote 2-3 hours at a time for posting each day when my sister will only be here for a short time #ask me questions as much as youd like! im here always

[schraubd]

Machiavelli's Court

Machiavelli's Court One thing the far-right Supreme Court has learned well, that Democrats in Congress would have done well to learn (it's probably too late now), is a lesson from Machiavelli about exercising power. To wit: if you feel compelled to take certain actions that you know are unpopular, or will engender backlash -- do them all, do them early, and do them all at once. Do not try to spread them out. Do not feel the need to pull back on some to balance the others. Do not hem and haw with baby steps. Do everything you want to do early, and immediately. The backlash will come, but the backlash won't be materially different between one outrageous thing and ten outrageous things. Spreading them out just creates new moments of fresh anger. Purported sops won't make people forgive in the moment (are you feeling any less livid at the Supreme Court because of Biden v. Texas?). Get them all out of the way in one fell swoop. Once your opponents are crushed, then you can start indulging in gestures of peace. If you feel like it. From abortion, to guns, to climate change, to funding religious schools, to prayer in school, to Indian sovereignty, to racial gerrymandering, the Supreme Court delivered an orgy of far-right fantasies over the course of barely a week. Liberals are furious. How could we not be? But we're also reeling. How could we not be? If a few of these decisions came out the other way, would we be materially less furious? Unlikely. If the decisions had been spread out, would our rage be dampened? No, if anything it would have been reignited anew each time.  The Supreme Court acted decisively and without remorse. Its response to any notion of moderation or gesture of even-handedness was an enthusiastic middle finger. The strong take what they may, and the weak suffer what they must. Not exactly ideal behavior from a court, but for those who see themselves as princes -- well, Machiavelli would be proud. And in turn, failing to follow this advice is the mistake Democrats made over the past two years (and of course, we can lay blame primarily at the feet of Synema and Manchin here, with some assist from the "Problem-Solvers Causers Caucus"). Democrats needed to do big things. Those things would be controversial. Talking them out indefinitely in a bid for a compromise that would never occur only would bleed resources (ask Barack Obama how that went with the ACA). Better to slam them through at the start. Voting rights, anti-gerrymandering, DC statehood, BBB, protecting abortion rights. Yeah, these things would be controversial. They wouldn't be any less controversial if they're spread out in drips and drabs. Do them all, do them together, weather the storm, and then spend the rest of your time consolidating your position.  Alas, now its probably too late. This may be why, even after literally everything that's happened, if there was a single item I could slam through Congress before the turnover it'd be DC statehood. It's not necessarily more important than other candidates -- though DC's status as an American colony is a moral disgrace of epic proportions -- but it'd make it more likely Democrats would hold Congress through 2022 and so could try again next time. Democrats having power is not a sufficient condition for reversing these terrible trends, but it's a necessary one. It's hardly guaranteed they'll learn their next time around; but we'll never find out if there never is a "next time". via Blogger https://ift.tt/rfF1mZ6 June 30, 2022 at 06:21PM

#Democrats #philosophy #supreme court

[lisbetadair]

Your recent reblog has left me wondering who could possibly die in the third game.. tbh I'm scared while hoping this doesn't happen, but because it's MW3 we're talking about, you know it means trauma and disappointment at its finest..

If they ever make the deaths referenced to the OG's, you'd know how shattered we'd all be 😭

You know I have a theory: .. I think Soap would survive. That man just started his journey and it'll make a lot of sense when we'd see him grow into a Captain and carry onto those memories. Ghost has a probability that he might survive because of the term he said before, "you can't kill a ghost".

So the probability goes on Gaz, and Price.. would the devs take away Price's immortality and finally put him to rest? To give a conclusion to the reboot MW series? Or would Gaz sacrifice his life for the Captain, as character development?

I've been thinking about this.

I actually hope that they have the fortitude to make some difficult decisions about character survival in the next installment, because I felt that by playing it so safe MW2 came across as very pedestrian. I suppose that coming of the back of plots that very edgy for the sake of it that perhaps pursuing a narrative where a main character died, or we were forced to torture a character, perhaps felt like creative stagnation. Nevertheless, Shakespeare wrote more than one tragedy.

I disliked in MW3 2011 that Soap die, because with him being Price's protege, and the previous narrative being about his story moving forward through gaining his commission and his promotion to Captain, that him dying but Price moving on, felt unsatisfying to me. If Price had died in Prague, and the story been about Soap's duty to vengance, it would have felt that Soap had closed off part of his life (leaving Price on the bridge) in a satisfying manner. But I digress.

Gaz's journey, I agree, is about learning from a mentor in the form of Price. In my opinion, the natural conclusion of this is him to spring forward and take command on his own, but I very much feel like the game hasn't shown me that he is ready to do this. Certainly he's developed in the sense of what he believes is ethical and acceptable, but we've never seen him leave Price's shadow. If Price died, Ghost is next in line for command (so nowhere for Gaz to go) and I just on't know if I could find that believable. It's also the reason why another tea-shop type epilogue scene where Gaz is offered the chance for commission doesn't feel satisfying unless we see some serious character development in the game. There is a part of me that wonders if Gaz has come as far as he will go, in which case, unlike MW3 (2011) Soap, it makes sense for him to complete his journey with Price (through death, possibly) and Price to move on to another apprentice. There's tragedy in this because Gaz stagnated, didn't realise this and move on, but it's more satisfying in that it draws something that has reached the end of it's journey to a close.

Soap and Ghost on the other hand are in some kind of mutual co-dependance as well as having a mentor-mentee relationship. Ghost is (and we'll gloss over that Soap is the only demolitions specialist who doesn't appear to known how to blow anything up) teaching him skills, and Soap is encouraging Ghost socially. These two will need to be separate in order to grow, and I wonder if Ghost either actually dying, or Soap believing him dead, are reasonable conlusions.

I'd really like it to be the latter, because that fits in with the whole ghost theme, except I'd like the audience to be in on this when Soap isn't.

#modern warfare2 #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish

[fandom-iction]

The Last Zodiac

•Five•

Series Masterlist || Masterlist

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Words: 1.1K

For the next week, you found yourself in the company of Momiji and Haru. They sat with you at lunch, never forcing you to talk but still making you feel included. Tohru and her friends had joined you a few times. Kyo did as well. The only one who kept his distance was Yuki, and you were honestly thankful. You don't think you could handle the looks of disgust he always shot your way. Somewhere deep inside of you, you wanted to have a relationship with your older brother, but you just pushed the feeling down. You finally have friends, and you'll take that.

Haru had even been walking you home from work, whether it was a late shift or not. You didn't talk much during the walks, but you enjoyed the company. The only night he missed was last night, which was only because you picked up an extra shift last minute. Unfortunately for you, you didn't know it would rain. So you ended up walking back with no protection from the rain. You showered when you got home, but the heat was off. It had been cold for the last few nights, and you couldn't afford the heating bill right now, so the company shut it off. Not unless you touched your Sohma money and you refused to do that. Which is why you woke up not feeling the best.

"Woah, Y/N. You're not looking too good today." A voice said above you. You looked up to see Uotani standing in front of your desk.

"Thanks for that, Uotani. I'm fine." You said, sniffing. You caught a mild cold, but it wasn't too bad. Definitely not bad enough for you to miss school.

"Oh no! Are you feeling sick?" Tohru asked, rushing over to you.

"No, I'm okay." You informed the worried girl. She ignored you and placed a hand on your forehead.

"You have a fever. Maybe you should go home." Tohru said, her concern growing. She was well aware of what could happen if you get too sick. You'd transform, and the last place you'd want that to happen is at school.

"I know my body. I'll be okay. I've had it worse than this." You said, coughing into your elbow. "We're only halfway through the school day. I can make it to the end."

"But-" Tohru tried to argue.

"I'll be fine, Tohru. It'll be the weekend, and I don't work, so I'll spend it resting." You explained, trying to calm her.

"If you say so." She muttered, her face dropping. You sighed and gave a small smile.

"I promise." You reassured.

"Lunchtime. I'm so excited to eat." Hanajima said, standing from her desk. The rest of the class followed slowly, talking with friends and making their way to the courtyard. You took a few extra minutes to center yourself, promising your friends you'd meet them. As you took your time getting up from your desk, someone walked over.

"Why are you here?" The voice asked. You looked over to see Yuki. It was just the two of you left in the classroom.

"I do go to school here." You said, grabbing your bag.

"That's not what I mean. You're sick. Why are you at school?" Yuki said. You looked at him, shocked. Did he care about you? "If you transform, what are the rest of us going to do? We'll have to leave, and it'll be your fault."

Your expression soured. Of course, he didn't care. Why did you let yourself get your hopes up? "Unlike you, Prince Yuki, some of us can't afford to miss school. They don't have rich parents that can get them into any college they want to. Some of us actually have to try." You bit out.

"Excuse me?" Yuki sneered.

"I don't have the energy to argue with you, Yuki." You said, shaking your head and walking away. You took your time walking through the hallway. You were starting to feel worse, but you were determined to get through the day. Maybe you just needed a nap to feel better. You headed to the roof instead of the courtyard. The sun was shining bright today. You could take a short nap up there before your next class.

You made it to the roof and were about to sit down when the door slammed open. You jump, startled by the noise. You turn and see Momiji, Haru, Kyo, and Tohru.

"Y/N, Tohru told us that you were sick! Are you okay?" Momiji asked, rushing over in concern.

"I'm fine." You said, sitting down. The two younger Sohmas came and sat in front of you. Haru placed a hand on your forehead.

"You're not fine. You have a fever." Haru's calm voice said. You shivered, but you weren't sure if it was because of the cold or the fact that he was so close.

"I'm okay." You denied. "It's just a small cold."

"How'd you get sick anyway?" Kyo asked.

"Just got rained on last night." You said with a shrug, looking away from Haru, who still had his hand on your forehead.

"How'd you get rained on? It didn't even rain till late last night." Kyo asked, confused.

"I didn't know it would rain till after I had already started walking home from work." Haru moved his hand from your forehead to your cheek.

"Why didn't you call me and tell me you were working last night?" Haru asked.

"It was a last-minute shift. I didn't want to bother you." You admitted.

"Walking you home is never a bother. I wouldn't do it if it were." Haru said, a stern look on his face. "Next time, let me know."

"Okay." You replied quietly.

"Jeez, will you love birds get a room?" Kyo quipped, making your face go red.

"Shut up, Kyo!" You snapped out.

"Jealous?" Haru asked, looking back at the ginger. Your face was burning with embarrassment, and you decided to pull away from the situation. You abruptly stood, which caused you to go lightheaded. Your knees buckled, and you started falling back toward the ground. Haru sprang up to catch you.

"Okay, maybe I'm not fine." You said with a heavy sigh.

"We need to get you home," Haru said, helping you to your feet.

"Oh, Y/N! You're burning up!" Tohru exclaimed, touching your forehead.

"Momiji, call Sensi and Hatori," Haru said. Momiji ran off into the building.

"No, you don't need to do that. I need to get home, and I'll deal with it there." You said.

"Don't be so stubborn, dumb ass," Kyo said. "You're not going home. You're coming over to Shigure's house where Hatori can keep an eye on you."

"But-" You tried to argue, but Haru cut you off.

"No buts. Let's go." Haru said.

"Harry is bringing the car, just in case she transforms!" Momiji said, running back up to the group. A cloud of smoke filled the air. When it cleared, a small panda bear was in the place of Y/N.

"Too late," Kyo muttered as the group looked down at the unconscious panda bear.

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[daechwitatamic]

This chapter was a masterpiece. You had me crying literal tears of pain at some moments and my heart absolutely melting at others. How dare you make me experience so many emotions on a Friday! As punishment, you must read my novel of a reaction below.

Wow. Taehyung. Just wow. Let me tell you, his reaction to this situation is worse than I even expected. When Y/N pushed him away, instead of him trying to explain his feelings, he just got so mean. "You said we're the same as we've always been? You're a fucking liar." WOW. I gasped. The man deserves to get slapped. Proof that the kiss wasn't because he cares about her, it's because he's trying to punish her because he has some twisted belief he's been wronged. And the man is also giving me whiplash. His text messages seemed so apologetic and caring, but then when he showed up at their apartment his attitude had done a total one-eighty and he was just so awful to both of them. The man has some serious work on himself to do. 😤

Also this Namjoon is perfection. I could never imagine someone possibly reacting in a more mature, supportive, and helpful way to this entire situation than he has. And honestly Y/N too has been so mature and self-aware, questioning the healthiness and validity of her own self-doubts before acting. It's beautiful to see two characters like this. At every point where I thought things between them were going to veer off into a point of miscommunication or misunderstanding, they worked through it together.

I loved their moments at the pond and especially when Namjoon confessed that Y/N makes him feel like he can just be his unfiltered, nerdy self with her and hasn't felt that way around anyone else. We've seen so much of Namjoon being there for Y/N throughout the story that it was so sweet to see him acknowledge how she's made him feel supported and seen as well, even if it wasn't through any particular hardship.

As for the POVs, I'm so glad you are thinking of writing the Taehyung one, I think this would be so interesting to see and I really want to know what is going on inside that man's head because his actions are... not it. Maybe it's because I have it so down bad for Taehyung, or maybe it's because I have a soft spot for an emotionally illiterate idiot best friend who doesn't realize he's in love with the girl until it's too late (and just read @foxymoxynoona's very different but also amazing story around this concept, "Tell Me What Changed", highly recommend), but I am still holding out hope for some sort of a redemption arc for him. You're right that you do give us a lot of Namjoon's perspective already, and that unlike Taehyung one of the beautiful things about him is that he actually communicates his thoughts and feelings (imagine that!) to Y/N, so we don't have to guess what's going on inside his head. But I think Namjoon's character is someone who is so careful and thoughtful with their words, I'd be curious to get a peek into his raw, unfiltered thoughts. Like what was he really thinking after their steamy night together, on their date, when he was outwardly being so mature about letting her meet up with Taehyung, etc. But I think you answered some of those questions in this chapter as we saw Namjoon process the aftermath of seeing the kiss, so I perhaps spoke too soon! Also I live for the teaser updates almost as much as I do the new chapters. It sounds like Taehyung is hopefully read to be a bit more mature about things, but we'll have to see, I've been fooled before. I cannot believe we only have one chapter left!!! Hope life is treating you well, Jo! <3 🌴

okay listen i'm gonna put this whole response behind a cut because i'm gonna talk a LOT about my characterization of taehyung and it MIGHT delve kind of into spoiler territory so if you want to wait and read what i have to say after NEXT friday that's totally fair.

SPOILERS PROBABLY HAPPENING BELOW OKAY

"punishment" pls i wish every reader did this lol

okay i have a LOT to say about taehyung. if you got this far and didn't expect me to come back with a "yes, but -" about him.... idk what to tell you because i've been doing this since the drop lol

"instead of trying to explain his feelings, he just got mean" so let's talk about this!!!! because you're right! he got nasty! something i tried to write into this taehyung is that he bites when he's scared, hurt, or embarrassed. and in that moment, when his life-long best friend physically pushes him away and curses at him and MEANS it, he's suddenly all three of those at once. like people aren't perfect, and i meant for this taehyung to be very not perfect. but it's real, right? i know people like this. they aren't bad people but they have to work on themselves to fight that instinct! and it's kind of a callback to the chapter when the guys were like "what if she moves on from you" and he was - scared, embarrassed to be called out, and he reacted this way too.

a step sideways for a second - let's examine what he's SAYING though!!!!!!! she told him "we're the same as we've always been". what does that actually mean? i'm still in love with you? i'm still following you around in hope that you'll want me? you're still my whole wide world? maybe taehyung didn't say it NICELY but at the end of the day he's RIGHT - she's lying. he's losing her in real time, watching it happen, and she's lying to his face about it! ANYWAY

back to the original thought - if you look again at the scene in the hallway, there's something i want to point out. Taehyung's nasty - to Namjoon. He is! Super nasty! I am not contesting that AT ALL. But - but. The second reader steps into the hallway all that bite vanishes on the spot and he goes straight to pleading with her to hear him out. even after he swallows the fact that he can't talk to her without an audience (the audience that he is FURIOUS at/about, that he sees as the reason he's losing His Person) once he's talking to HER all he does is beg her to talk alone and apologize again! he actually isn't nasty at all to READER in that moment! Only to Joonie!

As for "proof that the kiss wasn't..." I'm not gonna speak to that part - his motivation - until after next chapter. i promise it will be addressed IN FULL.

listen so we're far enough in the story that i can say this. it was VERY important to me when i wrote this story that the conflict was never between reader and namjoon. once they started shit, they were fine, they were a team, they were gonna handle shit together. in many, many ways, this is really the story of taehyung and reader since that's where the main conflict lies. the story of how their friendship has to navigate this part of their lives that would have been weird and difficult even if it hadn't been namjoon. i almost put tae also on the banner because it is, in my eyes, equally his story - but i didn't want to encourage anyone who thought reader should've picked him lolll.

okay this might be spoilers I guess!!! i just want to say... i don't know that i wrote taehyung a redemption arc? i think i'm leaning to say that i did not? and it's just kind of.... idk in real life not everyone gets redemption redemption? sometimes the best we can do is say 'wow i was wrong for that', apologize, and try to make little babystep changes in our life to try and do better going forward? and that doesn't feel like a ~redemption arc~ necessarily but maybe that's the best we can do sometimes? NOT THAT I'M SAYING THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN FOR TAE >_>

I ALSO CAN'T BELIEVE THERE'S ONLY ONE LEFT asjfhkasfhajkfh i'm UPSET

thank you so so much for coming along this craziness with me, i absolutely live to hear your thoughts, and i'm sorry i am Like This about defending taehyung lmfaoooo

hope you've been well!!!! <3

#🌴 anon #answered #my heart to reply