#like they have no object permanence in their brain but for stories . there's a better way to explain tht but i don't have the words lol
Text
the way that so many people watch stranger things like it's a marvel movie where everything is superficial and the plot is delivered and explained to you through flat dialogue instead of years of thorough and elaborate storytelling is so.... upsetting to me lol. as if the fact that stranger things uses a lot of cgi and has fantasy and science fiction elements makes it different from shows like sev*rance, succ*ssion, bl*ck s*ils, or literally any other show that is written with care. as if the fact that it's fun and brought to life by many young actors means that it's not serious, that those writers and costumers and set designers and cinematographers aren't all working together to immerse you into this world and beckoning you to pick up on the hints and substories they've littered along the way. like.... people understand that other shows use basic literary devices to progress the story and engage you and so on but for some reason people are dead set on saying that stranger things isn't like that. that it's on par with a marvel movie or any easily forgettable flashy summer action flick. what makes them think that stranger things doesn't foreshadow, have subtext, have unreliable narrators, show scenes through different povs, use allegories, symbolism, foils, and so on and so forth? like. I Just Do Not Understand.
#this was brought to u by my sudden recollection of just how many people forgot that eleven said in her letter#that will wasn't showing anyone her painting and he was acting weird and she thinks its bc he has a crush#and how eleven has literally never once shown any interest in dnd or their roles or their party in tht sense#but they 100% believed will when he said tht el commissioned it...#like they have no object permanence in their brain but for stories . there's a better way to explain tht but i don't have the words lol#they just take everything at face value and they just.... they don't view it as a work of art or fiction#it's just numbing flashy n bright stimulation for them#they don't catch on when characters are lying or contradicting themselves or not being themselves or when scenes are shot a certain way etc#it's just colors on a screen to them#and i don't get it!!!#and im not saying st is on par with those shows lol they're just the first ones i think of when i think of elaborate storytelling
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
Dazai X Odasaku!Sister Ch6 and Ch7
Double Post:
Chapter 6: "Why Don't We Go On A Date?"
Chapter 7: "As Long As I Have You In My Life"
Summary: After Dazai's horrifying discovery that he is Odasaku's sister's "lifeline" and "only tie to her brother" the boy tries to give her something more permanent than a sad suicidal mistake like him.
Warning: pm! fifteen year old dazai, Dazai self destructing Odasaku death mentions, mention of torture/cruel training, manipulative behavior from both sides, underage drinking, talks of suicide. I gave Oda's sister a name but you can imagine it as y/n.
(This is chapter six and seven of my fanfic "Timeless" which is now on A03. It carries on from the three part intro I posted a couple days ago. I'll link it below to fully understand the story. Asagao's ability is to stop time for up to six seconds.)
Three Part Intro Here: (just cause the first chapter is so long)
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
A03 Version Here:
Word count: 10k total
Chapter 6:
Osamu..I think you’re a good man.
Six little words, six little words brought his entire world to a stand still.
The foolishness of them danced across Dazai’s brain over and over again trying to decipher anything and everything about them only to come up empty. He couldn’t comprehend them, he couldn’t form them into reality no matter how hard he tried.
So much so, that time passed by in a millisecond, Dazai staring at absolutely nothing, not present in the world at all.
The bustling laughter of children as they made their way to school, the soft music from the speakers of the nearby shops, the feeling of a soft breeze across his features, none of them registered inside his brain.
The only thing that did was the weight on his back, both emotional and physical as Asagao’s form slept motionless, unaware of the malfunction she had ushered by saying those six stupid, foolish and dangerous words.
Just then, his phone started to sound inside his pocket only for the executive to finally look down and pull the object out, the move causing Asagao’s lips to let out a disgruntled groan in the process in order to shift the back of her head further across his shoulder.
Answering the call, Dazai then heard a very familiar voice, pissed off per usual. “Hey Dazai! Where the hell are you!? I’ve been waiting for you to start this raid for three hours! You better get your sorry ass over here right now before I kick ya into next week, you hear me?!”
At that, the boy’s eyes couldn’t help but flash with realization. Oh yeah, that’s right. Chuuya and him were supposed to raid a rival organization's hideout today.
You see, the thing was, that whole little plan had slipped his mind because it was so utterly unimportant to him in every possible way.
So much so, the bandaged menace lifted an eye in amusement. “Oh yeah, I decided I’m not coming! I got more important things to do. So do your best in my place, kay?”
Lifting the phone away from his ear, he then waited as Chuuya’s voice shouted straight through the speaker, peaking the audio from how close he was to the device. “Ha?! You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me! You can’t just ditch!! What the hell do you gotta do instead?!”
Dazai then put a finger up to his lips before humming back teasingly. “So nosey Chuuuya, are you jealous?”
Almost immediately, the hot headed boy replied, disgusted by the notion. “Why the fuck would I be..!
Yet that’s when the mafioso smirked before reaching forward in order to wrap his fingers around one of Asa’s crimson strains of hair hanging by her back in order to speak suggestively. “If you must know, I’m spending my day with a beautiful woman. So now you see why I can’t be there for your little raid. I’m already gonna have my hands full with something else.”
The way he spoke those words, it was like he was implying something. Like he had just found another whore to sleep with and break for his own pleasure. And although that wasn't the case this time, Dazai knew that Chuuya would make the incorrect connection for him.
And a moment later, the idiot man did just that. “You sick bastard! I swear to god I’m gonna..”
Dazai only cut him off though, satisfied with the rage he had incurred before cheerfully replying back in a devious tone. “Oops! Seems like there's a bad connection. Gotta go, Chuuya! Now go be the good dog you are and capture that organization for me! Kay, byeee!”
Then before he could interject, the brown haired mafioso quickly hung up the phone before throwing it into the grass with a large sadistic smile.
Ah, that was better. Nothing like Chuuya’s idiot thinking to snap him back to reality.
Glancing back towards the sleeping Asagao, Dazai then lifted his hands up in order to physically push her head off of his shoulder only for the girl to groan in irritation, still not awake yet.
Dazai then turned his body only for Asa’s head to fall onto his lap instead, the sudden warmth causing her to snuggle deeper only for the boy to tense at the sudden contact. Did this girl have no shame? She was just cuddling up with a murderer like nothing.
Forcing himself to relax at the contact, the man then looked at her in exasperation. Damn, this girl slept like a rock. He supposed he’d have to try something else.
Lifting his hands up, he then slipped his fingers around the large circular frames of her glasses in order to pull them off slowly with hum. “Time to wake up, sleeping beauty. Being so defenseless around a man like me, it’s not a wise decision.”
She didn’t respond though, causing the boy to then narrow his expression before pressing his forefinger straight in the middle of her forehead roughly and poke the surface only for her to finally flop her eyes open with a whine. “Samu..”
What was going on? She was so warm, so comfortable.
Hold on, why was Osamu in her dreams?
Just then, Asa then seemed to register the situation before she blinked in realization in order to propel her head off of his lap and gasp. “Osu?!”
Laughing at her confused state, Dazai then turned his head towards the fumbling girl. “Good afternoon, sweetheart. Glad you could join us today.”
Asagao was still groggy though, the events of last night not fully registering as she placed a hand to her head. “W-What? What happened? Why was I…”
Yet Dazai was happy to cut her off, his voice coming out pained and over dramatic as he held his back with a fake little pout. “You fell asleep on me and now my back really hurts. You’re so mean, Asa-channn making me stay here like this. Owwie..It was so uncomfortable!”
It wasn’t really, but the boy wasn’t about to tell her the real reason why he had stayed complacent the whole time. He didn’t want her to know that he had malfunctioned beyond basic human understanding.
That just the mere belief in him had caused the boy to unravel.
Asa only turned her head though, not really buying his “poor me” act in the slightest. “But you stayed here this whole time? Why didn’t you wake me up?”
Almost immediately, the girl was confused. She knew Dazai wasn’t a touchy kind of guy, so the fact that he had willingly let her sleep on his shoulder for hours wasn’t in his character. So why had he done it? Why had he allowed such a thing?
And that was the question wasn't it? Why didn’t Dazai wake up, why did such a simple yet foolish statement cause him to lose sight of reality. It was stupid, he was stupid for it. Those words didn’t even mean anything. So why was he so enamored by them all the same?
But of course, he said none of those things, his mind an impenetrable fortress as he only smiled goofily in order to cover up his own conflict. “How could I when you looked so cute?”
Asa didn’t even blink though, seeing through his facade in an instant. “I’m being serious Osu, you didn’t have to stay here for hours. You should’ve just thrown me off. I’m sure you had something important to do today.”
That’s what he should’ve done, both of them knew it. Dazai wasn’t the kind of man to just selflessly allow such a thing to happen. Usually he’d just leave them in the grass and abandon them all together.
But this time, for some reason that Asa couldn’t figure out, he stayed.
Not wanting to talk about such things anymore, Dazai then glanced towards the phone a couple inches away from him before recalling Chuuya’s pissed off reaction.
And yes, he did have something to do today but letting his partner struggle was way more fun. So maybe this wasn't so bad after all.
Because of that, the boy simply shrugged before fixing his crumbled black jacket carelessly. “Nothing interesting, but I must thank you, love. You gave me something far more entertaining in return.”
Not understanding Dazai then watched Asa bat her innocent little eyes and turn her head in return. “And what’s that?”
Already feeling his lips curve into a smug sadistic smirk, he finished cheerfully. “Why, an opportunity to mess with my favorite dog!”
In fact, Dazai could already picture the stupid dumbfounded look on Chuuya’s face when he told him that he was ditching. It was music to his ears. Now he couldn’t join the raid, not when he had already gotten such a satisfying reaction from his favorite toy.
And though Asa didn’t fully understand what he was saying, his twisted response didn’t bother her in the slightest. In fact, it was the opposite, the girl thinking he would’ve been pissed after hours of having to be her pillow.
Brushing the dirt and grass off her skirt, Asagao then pushed her feet to stand before looking out towards the bustling sounds around her. “Well, I’m glad you’re not mad but I guess I should be heading back. I already took up way too much of your time.”
After this annoying night, the only thing she wanted now was to crawl back in her bed before she died of embarrassment from drooling on her brother’s best friend's shoulder without knowing. In fact, she could already feel the heat emerging to her cheeks at the memory.
Yet that’s when Dazai paused before glancing towards the girl. “That might not be the best idea, love.”
Asagao then paused only for the mafioso to grab his phone in order to show her the message he had received just a couple minutes prior. “I had my men stake out the place and it seems like Ango is still there. If you go back now he’ll probably try to drag you back again..”
Then all at once, she felt her face fall. Oh yeah, Ango. She had forgotten about that stuck up, straight laced, government agent. Damn it, looks like she couldn’t relax like she wanted to now that he was chasing after her again.
Grumbling to herself, Asa then ran a hand across her face with frustration before shaking her head in exasperation. Just when would he give it a rest? “...Great...looks like I can’t go home after all..”
She then closed her eyes, trying her best not to show her annoyance before Asa sighed in order to turn back to the bandaged boy with a wave of her hand. “Either way, thanks again, Osu. I’ll let you get back to your illegal activities now.”
Dazai then watched her start to leave, already knowing that she was going to bumble around the city in order to kill time until Ango left. The question was, would she even make it back home with her blurry offset eyesight? Now that was to be determined.
Just then, last night's events began to play in his mind like some kind of punishment. There was her voice again, mocking him into still silence.
Osamu..I think you’re a good man.
Just great. First Odasaku was haunting him and now his sister was doing the same. Why couldn’t he get her foolish little statement out of his head?
It’s not like he was happy about it, it was just a delusion on her part after all. Although now that he thought about it, Asagao seemed to delude herself about everything.
She deluded herself by hoping that life had meaning, she deluded herself into never looking at the negatives and she deluded herself into thinking her big brother resented her even though it was not true.
But the biggest mistake she seemed to make was picking Dazai to be her constant, her unmovable tangible source of Odasaku’s life. Sure, letters were one thing, they were physical, unchanging, but him? He knew that he wasn’t reliable in that sense.
Yes, Dazai knew himself better than anyone else. He was fragile and flighty, a flicker in this pathetic life that could burn out with just a slightest blow of air. He was wavering and artificial, and the fact that she had so openly stated that he was her lifeline was something that the boy found incredibly foolish.
Because he couldn’t give her what she desired, what she needed more than anything.
She couldn’t ground herself with him, even if she wanted to.
Because Dazai didn’t want to live, he didn’t want to wake up tomorrow and carry on with this joke of a life. And one day he was sure he would succeed in his wish to finally disappear from this world entirely. It was inevitable, and yet Asagao still clung to his physical body simply because she had nothing else to prove Odasaku’s writings.
And Dazai knew she would be ruined like that, that putting such desperation into an already dead man would result in a cataclysmic detonation beyond human prescription.
Because of that, the boy felt himself move, reaching forward in order to grasp onto Asagao’s hand and pull her against his chest. “You know, since we are now both suddenly free. Why don’t we go on a date?”
Asagao only paused though, feeling the warmth from the proximity before turning to look at him in confusion. Did she just hear that right? No, it couldn’t be. “You’re asking me on a date?
Lifting his hands up with excitement, Dazai then spoke back. “Why not! My darling girlfriend has planned two of them already. I think it’s time I do the honors this time.”
And he thought Asa would jump for joy at that, although it seemed she only stared at him with disbelief, like she couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. “I didn’t think you’d care about that kinda thing..”
Pouting his lips, Dazai then jumped back from the girl in question before dramatically whining back. “How mean, Asa-chan. How could you say such hurtful things to your boyfriend like that? Did you ever think I just wanna spend some extra time with my cute girl?”
Once again though, Asa deadpanned, not buying his boy-ish act. “Not really no..”
Gasping at her blunt reply, Dazai then shoved his hand over his heart in order to hunch over like he had been shot. “Ouch. You wound me, love! I don’t know how I’ll ever recover now!”
Although that’s when Asagao simply shut her eyes before giving a heavy sigh in order to turn back to the boy with a light smile. “Osamu, I appreciate the gesture but you know you don’t have to push yourself like that for me. I’ve already bothered you enough by going past our agreement and fell asleep on your shoulder without asking. I couldn't expect more.”
At that, Dazai couldn’t help but pause. Ah, she knew he was going out of his character and pushing himself past what he would normally do. What a clever girl, picking him apart like that. He couldn’t help but admire it.
And though she was right in a sense, it wasn’t about want or not. It was more of a need. The need to give Oda’s sister something more reliable and tangible then just a sad suicidal boy like him, something that wouldn’t fade from her fingertips without warning.
Because of that, Dazai simply reached forward in order to hold onto both her hands, a new sparkle in his eyes. “Aww Asa-chan, you’re so sweet for worrying about me. My heart has been restored! And don’t worry about the agreement, just think of this little outing as a freebie!”
Asagao still didn’t seem overly convinced though, the girl trying to decipher his hidden intentions silently as Dazai smugly smiled. Oh, she was working overtime to get into his head, wasn’t she? Too bad he wasn’t going to reveal this little secret.
And just as the boy predicted. Asa was stumped. She knew he wasn’t being genuine about asking for a date, that he had some kind of plan underneath it all. Hell, the boy didn’t even care about her, that much was already established. So why all of a sudden had Dazai asked for this strange request?
She was curious, sure, but Oda’s sister still tried to stay strong, knowing she had already burdened him way too much today. Who cares if he was trying to manipulate her right now into something, their agreement was only about the letters. Nothing else.
And she had already broken that rule tonight. No, she couldn’t break it any further.
Yet that’s when Dazai lowered his eyes slowly before adding nonchalantly. “Oh, and did I forget to mention we are going somewhere that has to do with Odasaku?”
Then all at once, Asagao felt her head immediately snap back to his. Wait, he was going to take her somewhere that her brother visited? Damn it, he knew she couldn’t resist that, not when she had been searching for traces of him all throughout Yokohama.
Dazai on the other hand was smiling like a fiend, knowing that he had her right where he wanted her. From just the look on her face he knew she was squirming with conflict right now. Just the way he liked it.
A moment later, Asagao replied, her voice slightly desperate. “Where?”
The mafioso then darkened before pushing a mocking finger up to her lips in order to cut off her curiosity. “Ah ah ah, you gotta say the magic words first. Now, let’s try this again..”
Pushing his fingers away, Dazai then dipped his head down in a dramatic bow in order to lift his hand out to the girl in question, already knowing she was trapped against a metaphorical wall. “What do you say, love? Will you go on a date with me?”
And for a moment, Asagao paused, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. But the more the silence clung onto the air, the more her fingers began to fidget and twitch with the idea of finding out more about her brother.
Then all at once, her resolve faltered before muttering under her breath with embarrassment. “As long as you don’t mind..”
Yet Dazai only shook his head at the weak attempt, wiggling his fingers in front of her before humming back in dissatisfaction. “I need a yes, love.”
And then he waited, he waited for the submission that was a guarantee. Yes, Asagao was clever, she read him a million different ways but it seemed he still knew how to get what he wanted. And this time, he would win their little game.
Taking a heavy breath, Asagao then closed her eyes before lifting her hand out to the devious man in question, already knowing she had lost this round. “Yes, Osamu. I’ll go on a date with you...”
Although before her fingers could make contact with her hand, Dazai immediately closed the distance before grasping onto her hand with an excited cheer. “Yay! Now that wasn’t so hard, was it? Come on, let’s go!”
He then shifted his fingers down to her wrist before turning around in order to drag the poor girl down an uncertain path as Dazai beamed happily, pulling his tamed little puppy along the way.
And with that, he marked another tally in victory.
Dazai Osamu: 2 Oda Asagao: 1
----
Chapter 7:
Throughout her blurry uncertain vision, Asagao felt her body pulled towards the unknown as she focused on the solid black mass that had consumed her whole world. And whether he realized it or not, the girl slowly felt the outside murmurs and voice disappear into her own mind.
Because nothing else but him mattered to her.
Osamu seemed to have that effect on her every time she saw them, Asa always desperate to soak in everything about the oblivious boy regardless of the barriers in front of her eyes. His words, his actions, the way he held himself, the cadence in which he spoke, she categorized it all.
Which was why his decision to take her on this date was so odd.
Because as far as she knew, Osu wasn’t that kind of man. He was a cruel, manipulative, mafia executive that only did things out of pure entertainment or for some kind of tactical advantage.
Yes, her brother was different but Asagao knew that the blood in her veins didn’t fully protect her from Dazai’s real character.
Which was fine. She didn’t care that he was incapable of emotion and kindness. That’s not why she was here in the first place. She wasn’t that simple minded, and the last thing she wanted him to do was force himself out of that box and make him uncomfortable.
But it seemed that today he wouldn’t take no for an answer which meant that he either had some other intention with their date or he was pushing himself to do something strange for the sake of Oda.
Sighing to herself, Asagao then paused as her body collided with the mafia executive, not realizing the man had stopped completely. Oh, were they here already? She didn’t recognize this part of town.
Yet that's when she felt his fingers reach forward in order to snatch the large circular frames from her face, eradicating her safety net as Asa’s eyes widened in fear. What was he doing? She didn’t want to see the world right now. “O-Osam..”
Although before she could protest, Dazai replaced the object with his hands, pushing her back against his chest in order to darken her surroundings before she could have time to process them.
Then she heard his voice, sharp against her ear. “You’ll want to fully see this, love.”
Fully see it? No, that was impossible. She didn’t want to see anything, she didn’t want to decipher anything fully. Then she would see the darkness, she would see the cracks in the perfect facade that life displayed.
Dazai seemed to sense her distress though, his tone teasing as his fingers pressed deeper across her eyes to show her that they weren’t going anywhere. “What’s wrong, don’t trust your boyfriend? Afraid I’m going to hurt you while you’re defenseless like this?”
He was trying to scare her, to intimate her per usual. But if he thought that she was going to crumble between his fingers then he was sorely mistaken. “You know that’s not why..it’s just..my eyes..”
Asa then heard him laugh in pure amusement before his bandaged arm brushed against hers in order to lift the surface and place it on an unknown doorknob in front of them. “Don’t worry, darling. I got you.”
Did that mean he was going to keep her eyes covered for her until they got to where he wanted her to see? But what if he slipped up, what if he let go accidentally or for some kind of joke? What he was asking for required a lot of trust, trust from a boy that thrived on sadistic games.
But even so, Asa complied, her fingers turning open the door as Dazai urged her forward in order for her breath to lodge inside her throat with each step. She had nothing to guide her, nothing but his body to rely on.
Just then, his fingers found her wrist before lifting them up in order for her to register a railing as the mafioso hummed back into her ear. “Count the steps, love. There are twenty of them.”
And so she did, the girl gripping around the railing for dear life as she counted each invisible step in her mind, careful not to trip as her back brushed against Dazai’s body in order to ground herself.
Finally reaching the bottom, Asagao then sighed in relief only to hear him speak once again, the sound causing shivers to run down her spine. “Good girl, here’s your reward.”
Yet that’s when she felt the safety of his fingers start to disappear from her eyes, causing Asa to gap in horror. Wait, what was he doing? He hadn’t given her glasses back. Was he serious about her seeing this place with her eyes? No, that was too scary.
Blinding lights then filled her vision, causing the girl to squint before she couldn’t help but freeze at the very sight before her. And in a millisecond, she seemed to forget her own rule about viewing things from a blurry lens.
Because staring back at her was a small cozy little bar, the atmosphere warm and secluded with rows of stools and the smell of liquor wafting through the air.
Wait, she had seen this place before.
Aggressively shoving her hands into her pockets, Asagao then pulled out the picture that Dazai had shown her last night before her eyes couldn’t help but widen with realization in order to lift the photo in front of the place slightly.
Her assumption was right, it was a perfect match.
Feeling any response fall silent in her throat, Oda’s sister whispered. “Is this…”
Dazai finished for her, his hands in his pockets as he looked at the place in nostalgic sadness. “Bar Lupin, where the picture was taken.”
And almost immediately, Asagao felt her throat fill with emotion in order for her vision to blur with tears only for her to immediately blink them away.
No, she didn’t want to only see the blurry picture of this place. She needed it to be real, to soak in every nook and cranny into it was permanently etched in her mind.
Now she knew what Dazai had meant by saying she would have wanted to fully see this place without the barriers of her glasses. He was right, he was so incredibly right. This feeling, these physical floorboards under her feet. They felt so real.
Her big brother had stood in this same exact spot, he had breathed in the same air and had seen the same view.
Sure, she had been living in his old apartment for some time but Asagao had no proof that he had ever inhabited the place.
But with the photograph between her fingers, Asagao knew that her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. Oda was here, and now so was she. The idea was so simplistic and yet it brought her so much joy, her hands unable to stop the shake and smile towards the empty bar.
Then she turned to the supposedly heartless mafioso before speaking through her tears. “Osamu, this is..thank you..I’m so happy..”
So this is what he was trying to show her? He must have gotten the idea after hearing her outburst to Ango about not having anything but Osamu to cling to. How sweet, he knew she needed this more than anything.
He always tried to act so scary but he really was like this, huh?
Dazai on the other hand stared at the empty place in silence as a mix of grief and familiar comfort coursed through him all at once. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t come back after Odasaku's death, and yet here he was all the same.
The memories, the feelings were all so suffocating, he wished he never felt them in the first place. But this was the only place that Dazai knew Odasaku in, this was the only place that he could give Asagao. Because of that, he had gone against his own wishes.
At least this place wouldn’t fade like himself, and that was enough for Dazai.
That’s right, now when Dazai finally succeeded to die, when he left this world he knew that she could wallow her sorrows here, she could find her big brother in these walls.
Now the boy wasn’t the only physical tie to Odasaku she had.
Yeah, now he could die with peace again without the guilt of destroying the last piece of his best friend that resided in this shitty little life. Did that make him a good person? He wasn’t sure but this was something he felt like he had to do.
For Odasaku, and for his precious little sister that the man had left in his fingers.
Closing his eyes, Dazai then tried to wash away the feeling before settling into his usual seat by the bar in order to wave over the girl in question. “Let’s have a drink, love.”
He then watched as she complied immediately, slipping into the stool beside him only for an unpleasant deja vu to fill his throat. Without her glasses she looked even more like Odasaku, especially from this angle.
The bartender turned to him immediately, his tone plain. “What will it be, Dazai?”
Tapping his fingers onto the top of the table, the mafioso already knew the answer. “Whiskey.”
Then the boy turned his gaze towards Oda’s sister only to rest his head on the palm of his hand with a slight tease. “Well, what about you, darling? Don’t worry, they have apple juice.”
He didn’t expect her to actually drink alcohol of course. She was just a fifteen year old girl, hardly old enough for liquor.
And hey, so was he but being in the mafia gave him a free pass. Besides, considering his other crimes, underage drinking was pretty low on the list of immoral behavior.
Yet that’s when Asa pushed her lips together cutely before pushing her hand up in order to shield her hollow eyes and reply to the bartender. “Make that a double, please..”
At that, Dazai couldn’t help but raise an eye, not expecting her response.“Ooooh, I’m impressed. But your brother would’ve had a heart attack hearing that.”
And he really would have. In fact, Dazai knew Odasaku would’ve definitely shut down Asagao's request for alcohol. Unlucky for her though, the boy wasn’t that considerate about laws and such.
What could he say? Ango was right, he was a bad influence.
Two amber colored drinks then slid into view as Asagao lightly traced her finger around the rim with a hum. “Would he? Then he better not find out that I started years ago.”
Years ago, huh? Perhaps Asagao wasn’t as good of a girl as he once thought. “How scandalous, Asa-chan. Should I tell Ango about that?”
At that, he watched her scrunch her nose up in disgust. “And what about you, Osu? You’re the same age as me.”
Dazai only hummed though, knowing it wasn’t the same. “I’m also a criminal, love.”
Asagao was silent, like she was processing the words before she threw the entire drink into the back of her throat before whispering bitterly. “Yeah well, so was I.”
The words were so small and yet Dazai heard every symbol before curiosity and intrigue couldn’t help but take up his entire throat. Now why did she have to say something like that? Now he wanted to pry into her mind and pull out an answer.
And there were many ways to do it, but none of them were savory in any way. You see, Dazai was skilled in manipulation and exploitation. He could seduce and coax even the strongest willed people.
So trying to make Asagao talk about her life was as simple as blinking for him.
It didn't matter if she seemed bothered when Ango brought it up last night. He’d get her to talk about it one way or another.
Lifting his hand up excitedly, Dazai than beamed towards the bartender before waving. “Two more!”
And as two more sets of liquor appeared in his vision, the boy simply slid them over to Asa with a fake innocence and a smile. “Go ahead, Asa-chan. And don’t worry about the price, it’s on me.”
He then watched Asagao look down at the new glass before picking up the object between her fingers.
And for a moment, Dazai thought he had succeeded in his bribe.
Although that’s when the girl simply closed her eyes before speaking into the glass plainly. “You know, Osamu. You don’t have to get me drunk. I’ll answer any question you want.”
At that, Dazai felt himself pause before his smile dropped all at once in order for him to change into his true cruel nature.
Ah, he should’ve figured it wasn’t gonna be that easy to coax her into his plans. He still wasn’t used to that, having someone that could read him almost instantly like a book.
Although that’s when he truly processed her words. Wait, did she just say that he could’ve just asked her about her life? Interesting, Dazai had never had that before. Usually they shut him down and he had to resort to dirty tactics.
How refreshing and yet utterly stupid on her part to open up to a man like him
Parting his lips to reply, he then watched as Asagao quickly downed the two drinks he had given her anyways, causing his eyes to flash with confusion.
Hold on, she had already figured out his plans to get her drunk and yet she was still going along with that anyways? What a strange girl. He thought she’d just push the glasses away.
And with no answer to his intrigues, Dazai couldn’t help but speak back. “Then why are you still accepting it?”
Pushing the glasses down from her lips, he then watched as Asagao paused before answering with a small smile. “Cause if you think I should be drunk for this conversion then I figured I should take you up on that offer.”
She still wasn’t looking at him though, and Dazai concluded it was because she still felt uncomfortable because he hadn’t given her glasses back yet. It’s not like he minded though. She was really cute when she hid her face like that, all shy and meek.
So instead, the boy didn’t speak about it, watching her call for another round of drinks before Dazai started his interrogation now that there was a rosy pink color to her cheeks. “Ango called you a hellhound. ”
Almost immediately, Asa laughed under her breath before swirling the drink between her fingers. “Ah, so that’s what it is. You were right to order those drinks.”
Dazai then watched as the girl threw back another shot before speaking distantly, like she was wrapping herself in some sort of memory. “The Hellhounds are an elite level of assassins, brought up from birth to be the perfect tools to those that hold their leash. Oda and I were orphans that were brought up into the same faction but because of my different way I saw the world,I was chosen as a candidate to be a hellhound.”
Smiling bitterly, Asa then lifted a finger up to her throat before ghosting across the skin. “By age five I knew how to run a knife across someone's throat and put a bullet in their brain without them knowing. My ability allowed quick, precise and clean kills. You could say I was a bit of a prodigy, just like you are.”
She then pushed, her face falling with unpleasant memories. “But the training..was intense...”
And as Dazai listened to her explanation things started to make sense. He didn’t know much about Odasaku before he joined the port mafia. He knew he was a freelance assassin but that’s about it. It made sense that he got those skills from somewhere.
But try as he may, he couldn’t see sweet little Asagao as a bloodthirsty prodigy like he was. Sure, she had fought him before but the girl never seemed to intend to kill.
Unless she was holding back on him this entire time.
Ah, what a sneaky little princess. So hypocritical to tease him about playing around with her when she was clearly doing the same thing. She threw that gun away on purpose and limited her ability use during their fight to make it seem like he had the advantage.
Now he wanted to fight her for real to see just how scary she could really be.
Turning his head in curiosity, Dazai then pointed his finger towards her distant expression. “Is that how those pretty little eyes of yours became so hollow and empty?”
He then watched as she clutched the empty glass between her fingers before the mafioso silently slid the rest of his drink over to her only for Asa to accept it gratefully.
Damn, the answer to that question must’ve really been traumatic given that she needed more alcohol in response.
And though most men would’ve changed the subject, Dazai only let her compose herself, silently watching as she closed her eyes before replying. “They made me see the darkest part of the world, they waterboarded me, disoriented me and then forced me to analyze every single depravity that the human mind could conjure up. It wasn’t for the weak of heart and… it broke something in me permanently...”
Then before she could process it, memories and past feelings couldn’t help but creep up her spine. They were blurry and out of order but Asa got enough to know that her time as a hellhound wasn’t the most pleasant.
Even now, she could feel the sharp cold chill of the icy tub as her ears drowned out any semblance of noise only to be assaulted with fingers on her face in order to scream at her to analyze the situation before her. She felt the blinding feeling of pepper spray in her eyes and blows to her head as she tried to answer the prompts that her captives had given her.
She even felt the lingering sensation of cloth around her eyes as they plunged her into pitch black darkness for months on end only to blind her with bright lights and disorient her further.
Her spine then began to shiver before forcing her eyes back open in order to blankly stare at the amber colored liquid in front of her. “I can’t turn it off anymore, I can’t help but see every fucked up corner of people’s intentions. My eyes catch every spec of darkness, every disappointment. So much so that it hurt to see, still does. I hate it, this thing they made me into..”
And that was the thing she hated more than anything. It wasn’t that those people had molded her into a robotic mold of their perception. It wasn’t that they essentially tortured her into their own design.
It was the fact that she was now permanently damaged, doomed to live the rest of her life in a sacred manner. She couldn’t look at the world anymore without seeing the bad. She couldn’t escape the sharp headaches and nauseous feelings in her chest just by wishing she was any semblance of normal.
Some days she even thought about ripping her own eyes out of her sockets, to perfectly gouge them out and blind herself so that she didn’t have to perceive anything ever again.
Forcing herself to carry on, Asagao finished robotically. “But one day my body couldn’t keep up. They left me to die because I was no longer sufficient and Oda found me. Then he faked my death, hid me away, gave me my glasses so I didn’t have to see anymore and became an assassin in my place.”
At that, Dazai felt his fingers slip into his pockets before feeling the metal of her glasses in order to pull out the object and place them on the table.
He had taken them for her benefit but now that the boy knew the full story of such insignificant objects, it didn’t seem right to withhold them anymore from her.
Sure, Asa had vaguely told him about the reasons for her glasses but now that the details were all laid out, Dazai couldn’t help but look at her with a new light.
These lenses weren’t just a preference, they were a necessity to her.
She needed them just like Dazai needed his bandages, and that was something the fifteen year old boy could understand quite well.
It seemed like they had more in common than he originally thought.
The girl accepted the glasses immediately, her fingers wrapping around the objects before placing the safe guard around her eyes before smiling softly in return. “And now, I’m free, my big brother gave me freedom.”
Freedom? The term was incomprehensible for the young boy. What did that feel like, to be free? To not be tied down by the darkness of the past? He didn’t know.
Just then, Dazai’s mind filled with that same twisted mindset he had come to know. What a stupid girl, she was talking about freedom when she was sitting next to one of the most dangerous men in Yokohama.
She had just dangled her skills and past resume in front of his face so carelessly.
Swirling his finger around the rim of his drink, the mafioso threatened back. “Shouldn’t you be a little more cautious about telling me all of this so easily? I am the demon prodigy after all. I could force you back into that life..”
And he could. If he really wanted to, Dazai knew he could pull her into the port mafia and use her talents for his own selfish desires. She had to have known that.
But then why was she just spilling such dangerous secrets so easily?
Asagao only hummed though, his threat leaving her unshaken. “Hypothetically yes, and I’m sure you’ve thought about it at least once or twice. I’m a tempting offer after all. Any executive would jump at the chance to use me..”
Then he watched as Asa narrowed her eyes for a moment before adding lightly. “But unlike what Ango believes, I know you won’t actually do it.”
Wouldn’t actually do it? Now that was a bold statement. He wondered what proof she had for that. “And why is that, love?”
Although that’s when Oda’s sister turned her body towards him for the first time since their conversation in order to speak with a victorious tease. “Cause it’s not what Oda would’ve wanted.”
At that, Dazai felt his lips curve into a bitter smile. Ah, she was right. She knew that Odasaku’s blood in her veins was keeping her safe. It was almost like she was rubbing that little detail in his face. Low blow.
For as dark and twisted as his mind was, Dazai knew that Odasaku had spent years trying to keep his little sister safe. Sure, having her in the port mafia would be a great benefit, but it would also ruin everything his best friend had ever worked for.
And that was something Dazai couldn’t do, no matter how evil he claimed to be.
Feeling himself laugh under his breath at her correct assumption, the boy then turned his head, playing devil's advocate just for the hell of it. “And let’s just say I didn’t care about that. What would you do then?”
Asagao then paused, thinking about his question before answering back with confidence. “Then I would let you drag me into the port mafia. But the only orders that I'd ever answer and respect would be yours.”
Dazai was certainly taken back by that. Was she serious? He knew her dedication to him was rather irrational but would she seriously put herself back in the darkness for his sake? Would she really disobey her big brother's last request that easily?
Trying out to laugh off her foolish joke, the boy pushed his hand under his chin before teasing sensually. “I’m flattered, love. So you would be my loyal subordinate then?”
But there was no hesitation or humor in her response. Only straight laced honesty. “Yeah, cause I need you by my side in order to see my big brother. Subordinate, girlfriend, they are just titles. An excuse, a way to keep each other around. In the end it doesn't matter what I’m called as long as I have you in my life.”
And try as he may, Dazai couldn’t help the bitter, unpleasant taste that built up in his throat. No, she wasn’t serious. There was no way. Her admiration, her desperation to find her brother, would she really have gone that far just for Oda’s sake?
He hated it, he hated the very little self respect she displayed, knowing that Odasaku would’ve also been horrified by what she was saying. She didn’t need Dazai in her life. Hell, her life would’ve been so much better without even knowing him.
And he knew that their titles of boyfriend and girlfriend were a sham but he never thought it would go this deep, that she would so desperately grab onto whatever excuse she could find in order to connect the two of them together.
Because of that, Dazai felt his mind run wild with possibilities.
In another reality, if that actually happened, if he had dragged Asagao back then did that also mean that Oda’s sister would’ve killed for him? Would she have snapped back to her old ways just in order to please him, to give him a reason to keep her around?
Didn’t she know how dangerous that was?
How could she possibly give a demon like him that much power to abuse?
Stretching her arms up in the air, Asagao then gave a goofy smile before beaming towards the boy all at once. “Like I said, it doesn’t matter what we call ourselves. In any universe or reality it would still be the same. You’re not getting rid of me anytime soon, Osu!”
She said that so proudly, so confidently that Dazai couldn’t help but allow his eyes to fall back on his drink. How could she be so passionate about him? He was a mess in every possible way. No one wanted to hang around him, and for good reason.
Their lives were so similar, both filled with horrors and brutal truths, and yet Asagao always wore a smile while he drowned in the pointlessness of it all. How could she do it? How could she feel so free when he was still chained by his own mind even today.
Because of that, Dazai felt his own tipsy lips move without permission, whispering into his glass with a sadness he rarely let free. “After seeing all that evil, how can you not want to die like me?”
And then he waited for her response, his shoulders tense and anxious from the sudden spilled murmur before Asagao lifted her head up in silent thought. “Mmm I don’t know. By all aspects that should be the case, right? But I’ve never felt that way, not once..”
Then her lips formed a lighthearted smile in return. “I guess it’s because I’m waiting for life to pleasantly surprise me. Just like you do, Samu.”
At that, Dazai lifted his head up in confusion. “How have I surprised you?”
Pushing her hands across the bar in explanation, Asa then replied lightly. “Well, you showed me this place to make me feel better, right? Even though I’m sure it brought back unpleasant memories, you still took me here for my sake..”
And Asagao knew that Dazai could act all he wanted but he had shown his true colors tonight. Sure, he may have used an underhanded tactic to bring her here but he had knowingly done the one thing she needed more than anything else.
Dazai though, didn’t feel the same way, knowing this date wasn’t as pure as she was making it out to be. The only reason he brought her here was to shift her devotion and admiration to something else, something more permanent than a dead man walking.
Pushing his hand up to his lips, the boy frowned under the skin. “Did it ever cross your mind that my reasons were selfish?”
And for a moment he thought she’d be disappointed, that she’d yell at him or cry once she realized the fabrication he had set up to make himself feel better.
Although that's when he watched the girl turn to him, her hand to her heart in absolute passion. “So what? Selfish and selfless, those are just small details. The results are the same. Doesn’t change the fact that you gave me such a precious gift..”
Lifting her hand to rest against her head, Asagao then gave the stunned boy a toothy smile of glee before adding wistfully. “But then again, nothing could ever be as precious as you, Dazai Osamu.”
And with those words, Dazai’s eyes widened in order to find himself slipping back into the very same malfunction that had plagued him just a couple hours ago.
Precious?
Him? There was no way. He was just a pathetically depressed kid. He wasn’t anyone, especially anyone precious. She was the precious one, she was Odasaku’s beloved sister and he was..well..he was nothing of value..
So much so, the boy tried to wipe the compliment away, not knowing how to take it. “You’re drunk, love.”
He then watched as Asagao’s lips turned into an adorable little pout in order to whine back to him through her rosy pink cheeks. “Whaaa, am not! I was being serious! I really do think you’re precious to me, even if you don’t feel the same. And anyways, It takes a lot more than..one..two..three..a bit of booze to knock me down!”
Dazai then watched as the red haired girl looked down at her fingers before failing to count the number of drinks she had ingested only for the boy to snicker under his breath.
Oh yeah, she was definitely drunk.
So much so, the boy lifted his hand up before patting the top of her head like a little puppy in order to break her concentration. “Careful, sweetheart. You’re gonna burst a blood vessel if you think that hard.”
Seemingly jumping back to life, Asa then lifted her finger in the air. “The point is..!”
Her eyes then began to daze in order to slowly drop her head with confusion. “What was the point again..”
Yet before Dazai could answer, Asagao was back at it, her expression changing back to one of passion in order to lean closer on her stool. “Oh yeah! The point is, why would I wanna die when there are still so many opportunities for the world to be beautiful? I don’t wanna miss one by giving up so soon..”
Leaning even closer, the girl then gasped as she slid out of the stool completely only for Dazai’s strong bandaged arms to catch her before she hit the ground.
Asagao didn’t seem to care though, her eyes showing through her glasses in order to lift her finger up and boop his nose with a slight giggle. “And neither should you, love”
Then the girl seemed to gasp in excitement before completely slipping out of his arms in order to turn to the small radio next to the counter. “Ah! I love this song! Turn it up Mr. Bartender!”
Skipping over to the open area, Asagao then began to bounce and dance to the song in child-ish glee only for Dazai’s eyes to travel down to the hands that once held her before balling his fists with a bitter chuckle.
What was she saying? He shouldn’t give up on life? Foolish girl, he gave up a long time ago. It was too late for those kinds of words. She should’ve known that.
How dare she put such pointless and toxic thoughts inside his head like that.
Lifting his head to look up at the carefree girl, the mafioso then watched in stunned silence as she twirled and giggled across the bar without a care in the world.
She looked so free like this, so unchained and open. He wondered how it felt, to radiate such genuine happiness and to be unequivocally herself. Because Dazai had never felt happy, not in that kind of way.
He used happiness as a tool, as a mask to further his manipulation. He knew the concept, sure, but actually conceptualizing such a thing? He had realized from a young age that it was impossible for someone as broken like him.
But Oda’s sister, she seemed to radiate the emotion with her entire soul, she knew the wonder and mystery of it. And Dazai couldn’t help but be jealous of such a fact, knowing he would never experience such a human emotion to the level that she was.
That’s when his eyes couldn’t help but flash with painstaking realization.
Oh, he had it wrong this entire time, didn’t he? Dazai had connected the similarities between their backstories, their intelligence, their manipulation and their necessity for his bandages and her glasses.
But looking at her now, the boy knew they weren’t anything alike.
In many ways Asagao was like a sun, her light always exuding positivity and hope with every response. She was unreachable, a fragile yet strong flower that was just barely out of reach in every possible way.
And Dazai, well he was a black hole, unable to find anything of value but the darkness that always consumed every part of his twisted fucked up soul. And while she was unreachable, he was a ghost, flickering in and out of this life, unable to touch anything or anyone.
They shared so many similarities and yet Asagao still saw the good, she saw the very best the world could offer while Dazai couldn’t even find one beneficial thing around him.
He almost wished that they didn’t weren’t so alike, simply because then the boy could excuse their lives as plain nativity on her part.
That’s what he thought all that positive bullshit came from in the first place, thinking that she was just a spoiled and sheltered girl that Odasaku had protected.
But she wasn’t, she had seen just as much evil and pain as Dazai had. And yet, her responses were so vastly different. She had managed to keep her humanity while the boy had descended into a full blown monster.
And Dazai would be lying to say he wasn’t both incredibly jealous and yet so genuinely intrigued by her in every way.
No, that wasn’t the right word.
He was enamored, he admired her resolve more than anything else. What a beautiful, enthralling sight. It was intoxicating, and enchanting in every way, seeing how she defied the corruption of the universe.
Although that’s when the bartender interrupted his thoughts, his eyes also gazed towards Asagao in question. “Dazai, who is that woman?”
Shifting his body to rest his back against the bar, Dazai then smiled to himself before answering honestly. “She’s Odasaku’s sister.”
The bartender then felt himself freeze before looking at the girl in a whole new light. “I can see it.”
Lowering his eyes in admiration, Dazai then felt his lips curve a bit wider. Ah, she’d be so happy to hear that. “Me too.”
And he really did, he saw Odasaku in her so clearly, especially now. It was in her carefree attitude, it was in the sense of unbothered calm she always had when she was around him. If only Asa realized just how much she brought her big brother to life by just merely existing.
Lifting his head to the sky, the boy then closed his eyes in order to speak to his old friend. Oh Odasaku, why did you give me to your sister like this? Don’t you see I’m no good for her? Did you really trust me not to corrupt her?
Yet that’s when he heard another voice enter his mind only to watch a drunken man try to make his way up to Asa only for Dazai to darken his eyes in order to quickly jump off his stool and lift an arm out to the girl in question.
Asa then felt his bandaged arms wrapped around her waist a second later, pulling her into his chest only for the girl to look up in her drunken daze. “S-Samu?”
She was then met with his endless brown gaze, staring at her in order to slip his hand into hers with a light chuckle. “Can’t leave my girl hanging, now can I?”
Feeling his head tilt towards the unwelcome presence, Dazai then pushed her body closer to him before glaring wordless in silent threat for the depravity that lay behind the drunken man's eyes.
The stranger then stumbled away in order for the mafioso to hum in acceptance before his hands traveled to his “girlfriend’s” hips as she hummed to the music. “Didn’t think the great executive liked to dance.”
Smiling under his breath, Dazai lowered his head, meeting her eyes. “What can I say, you’ve inspired me.”
Yet that's when Asagao’s lips turned into a frown before turning away from his gaze with a mutter. “What am I gonna do, Osu? I can’t go home..Ango is gonna say annoying things again..”
At the mention of Ango, Dazai felt his throat tick with unpleasant memories. Ah, that’s right. Ango was still staking out her place, hoping she’d come back. Well, it wasn’t like she could show up drunk either, then he’d really have a conniption.
But it also wasn’t as if he could let the clumsy glasses-wearing girl out free in Yokohama. She couldn’t even find where she was going sober, which meant she definitely wasn’t going to be okay like this.
Which only left one option left.
Asagao then felt his lips brush against her ear before she heard Dazai’s next words, the meaning causing her entire body to shiver and her eyes to widen all at once.
“If you really have nowhere to go then how about you come to my place, sweetheart?”
#bsd dark era#bsd dazai#bungo stray dogs#bungou stray dogs dazai#dazai osamu#fanfic#bsd odasaku#dazai x fem reader#dazai x y/n#dazai x you#dazai x odasaku!sister#oda sakunosuke#bungo stray dogs odasaku#odasaku sakunosuke#dazai x female reader#dazai x reader#bsd writing#bsd#bungou stray dogs#ao3 fanfic#ao3 writer#fanfiction#archive of our own
29 notes
·
View notes
Text
[Games in 2023: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective]
I was pleasantly surprised when the Switch port of Ghost Trick was announced: under-appreciated DS games are kinda my thing, this game’s stylized look conveyed a real sense of personality, and I’ve only ever heard good things from people who have played it. “Why have I never played this before??” I asked myself, wracking my brain for the answer. Then I played the demo and remembered “Oh yeah, I suck at puzzle games.” But despite that, I still really wanted to see where things went, and boy am I glad I did!
Spoiler-free tl;dr: Ghost Trick is a wonderfully engrossing story about whacky characters uncovering insane plot twists that all build towards a satisfying and heartfelt conclusion. I would recommend going in as blind as possible, but even without shock, the game is easily clever and fun enough to be a fantastic experience.
(Also content warning for animal death; the game is all about undoing deaths so it’s not permanent, but it can still be distressing to see it happen.)
The premise of Ghost Trick is simple yet creative: you play as a newly-dead ghost who has completely lost his memory, and must use your ability to possess and manipulate objects to solve this mystery and save the lives of the many characters you meet along the way. The full narrative is anything but simple by the end, but I felt it was a steady, easy-to-follow escalation—though I have been told I have a high tolerance for plots involving time travel, so a grain of salt might be in order. In my opinion it’s not especially hard to keep track of the game’s time shenanigans since you only ever go back 4 minutes before a person’s death to influence the situation in a way to avert their fate…until the very end, where you do learn a lot in a short time, and I could see a player struggling with that.
The style of the game really is impeccable. Characters have very unique designs with bright colors and expressive actions, making it hard to mix anyone up despite how many people you meet over the course of the game. Everybody makes a strong impression, and it’s easy to care about them and want to save their lives and find out how they tie back to the overall plot. The connections between various characters are a bit tighter than you might expect going in, and it’s so much fun to steadily piece things together, each answer leading to only more questions. There’s a point about halfway from which plot twists start to come one after the other, but instead of piling up, they come together, all building towards the same goal in a masterful manner. It’s a very hard game to put down.
So, those puzzles! I have to admit I was hesitant after struggling for the better part of an hour on one in chapter 2, but in the end I was able to solve all of them without looking up any answers! It came real close a few times, and there was definitely an occasion or two where I stumbled into the right answer without realizing it, but hey, it counts. The hints provided do a good job of leading you to the solution without just stating it, and can easily be ignored by players who don’t want their process interfered with. I feel like I started to do a lot better once I started expecting I wouldn’t get everything right first try—don’t be afraid to do some trial and error. The mechanics are sound: an item will clearly tell you how you can manipulate it if you can, and what items can be possessed are all easily identifiable whenever you enter the ghost world. The trick (heh) most often is in getting the timing right, as you have a very limited range to “jump” between objects and can miss your chance completely if you don’t act fast while objects are in motion. You’re explicitly taught this very early on, of course—the tutorial is very nicely structured, giving you all the information you need while a puzzle is unfolding around you with all the moving parts and tension you can expect all throughout the game. The prison escape sequence stands out as a one-off with unique mechanics; it can be frustrating, as escort missions tend to be, but if you take it one step at a time it’s not too bad. The only major addition to the basic structure is towards the end of the game where you gain a second ghost who can reach much farther, but in lieu of manipulating objects, he instead swaps the position of objects with the same shape. It may only affect a handful of puzzles, but I think there’s a benefit to giving the player time to fully master the core mechanics before adding this new layer to things, and the possibilities it opens are well-utilized when they do come into play. What tripped me up most often was needing to move each ghost to different objects out of each other’s way, since they can’t inhabit the same object; a minor annoyance, and quite possibly a skill issue on my part.
That’s essentially all there is to say on a mechanical level, so let’s talk more about the narrative. The tone is largely playful but not afraid to be serious when it needs to be—you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be aghast in horror, etc. Again, the plot is continually escalating and building more and more tension, quickly becoming too fascinating to put down, and the fact that it manages to stick the landing is no small feat. It seems to me the moral of the story is selflessness: every character is shown to be in the wrong when only serving their own interest, yet when they do something with others in mind, the narrative consistently rewards them. Sissel says his only real goal is finding his own memory, but what makes him the hero of this story is his willingness to use his abilities to solve others’ problems. Cabanela is painted in a villainous light when it seems he cares only about his career ambitions, but when we find out this was a means to the end of helping Jowd, he’s presented as unequivocally a good guy. Jowd may say he’s so eager to take the fall for Kamila’s sake, but when Sissel calls his methods out as ultimately selfish, he changes course and takes on an active role in resolving the night’s many mysteries. Yomiel obviously embodies the selfishness the story is speaking against, but in the end, he makes the choice to do something selfless, and the narrative rewards him with a second chance. (More than that, the game wouldn’t have happened at all had he not brought Sissel with him to the junkyard; while perhaps not entirely selfless, I think it’s important to note that Yomiel’s path to a better future began with his desire to not leave his only friend all alone.) It’s really cool to see this theme reflected in so many different ways across the cast! And of course, the one who embodies the virtue of selflessness above all else is the top Pomeranian himself, Missile! The very first time we meet him, he basically ignores the fact that he’s dead and instead prioritizes saving Kamila. After he develops his powers, he makes the decision to remain dead so that he can use those powers to help Kamila and Lynne. And at the very end we learn that he went back in time 10 years, and while waiting faithfully that entire time, he devised a brilliant and complex strategy to ensure Sissel’s cooperation in saving his family once and for all. “Because that’s what doggies do!” This whole wild ride that ends up saving so many lives was all possible purely due to the awesome, selfless love of a dog. That’s beautiful.
It’s hard to think of any major criticism. Ghost Trick is just really, really good. It may be a few years overdue, but I’m really glad I finally got to experience this game!
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
So I haven't posted in a while. Little updates:
I finished arc 1 of Guardian in chinese again. So now I wont feel bad reading the book 1 english translation.
I took a break from chinese for a while then came back to read. And its interesting to me how much is stored like "2nd level down" in my memory. I don't recall words when trying to talk, after a long enough break. But I start reading, and my brain subvocalizes the hanzi and I can recall this Gist General Meaning of the words. Some words I recall their meaning and all, some just an overall general idea. But I havent forgotten much, nothing totally forgotten, and then most of the details of words come back within an hour or reading. Its surprising to me that reading chinese, memory wise, seems a LOT like reading french. I didnt expect it to be quite as similar a process. But it seems that remembering hanzi Words is as permanent as remembering french word stems/endings (or english ones). Reading skills have long staying power, and don't degrade much even with long breaks between usage. This is Excellent news. Since I don't have time to study much for the next several months, so I'm glad reading skills will stay as good as they are Or Improve if I read, without needing maintenance study. I'd like to improve my listening skill too, because being able to understand audiobooks would increase the chinese novels I could get through that I want to read (audiobooks would be faster than reading). But I dont have time yet for listening reading combo study, and time will tell if i do that activity WHEN and IF listening skills also gradually solidify then become reliable so one can study more sporadically and still see improvement.
My french skills are. Fascinating. I havent purposely studied in like over 5 years. I dont get that much French exposure (my google is in french but tbh google email and notifications do not use a big variety of words). But I've noticed a dramatic improvement in listening skills. My french reading skills have been fine for years. Theyre at a level where I can read like a high schooler: so i can read fiction for adults, but some words or literary devices go over my head and I have to just guess, the more in depth text analysis of themes might be a challenge, but just getting the story/information/most details is fine. I havent had to limit what i read in french in ages. Its just a matter of in french i feel like i did in high school where some fiction makes me "think hard" to grasp some points, versus english where i dont run into needing to Think Hard like that unless I'm reading something written pre-1800s. Anyway my point is: reading skills have been stable a while in french. Listening skills have markedly improved despite very little purposeful practice. I think I should probably start listening to podcasts or audiobooks some point soon. Through scattered listening to B1 and B2 comprehensible audio on youtube, and french shows, im to a point where if the audio has visual context i can follow everything going on and learn new words pretty easy. So now its just listening to french when i have no visuals to rely on, that's a struggle. I remember a few years back, i could not listen to french shows id just get confused, i needed the subtitles to follow anything. My ears mustve gotten used to french or just gotten used to Listening Better to things. Anyway, if i start trying and French Listening Only materials ill mention some progress.
Anyone have any french audiobooks or podcasts/fiction story podcasts they enjoy???
Japanese. also in a weird place. ToT. My biggest hurdle isnt even japanese: its being too chicken to challenge myself. I can play Yakuza Ishin in japanese and follow the main idea and objectives and main points in scenes. Yet i have NOT played more cause it feels Draining to grasp all that info from context and im lazy. I know if i watch a show in only japanese, with japanese subtitles, i know enough to grasp the main plot. But im lazy and its a LOT of effort to see the japanese subtitles and match new sounding words with kanji and try to remember the new pronunciation AND pay attention to the brand new plot. So i fall back onto english subs. I KNOW i can read japanese novels with a click dictionary, its just such SLOW reading, and if i just read while listening and Guess all unknown words its mentally exhausting even though its faster. I even have the easy peasy Glossika Japanese audio to listen to, but im still on lesson 36 because i have to Pay Full Attention when i listen to new lessons and im too lazy to listen with full attention ToT. I can watch lets plays in japanese, i understand them, but the effort of focusing is so much MORE than it would take if i just went to watch an english lets play where i can just hear in the background and follow it fine not even looking at it.
I am at a POINT in japanese where I CAN just learn by doing now! Which is huge! Its an incredibly useful milestone to be at! And makes future study, in the long run, much less daunting to plan as it can become just Do Stuff In Japanese to study. But since im at the beginning of this Comprehend Enough to Learn More from Context phase... learning new stuff from context still takes SO MUCH EFFORT. ITS SO DRAINING. Paying enough attention to comprehend things ive studied is exhausting, paying extra attention to new stuff and guessing what it means is draining and requires a Lot of focus. I know this is just how this stage goes but. Im so lazy.
What i need is something in japanese im SO interested in, that it drives me to engage with it even though I'm drained because im so Curious and Interested in understanding, so i push through until comprehending gets easier. Ideally, a game or show, something that plays so i am Forced to frequently proceed to the next sentence. Because with books and manga i will just stop and dwell on a paragraph for 2 hours and not learn much new stuff.
This stage is especially grating because im not in the stage with french or chinese anymore. I can listen to chinese shows in the background, check my phone while listening, not use the chinese subtitles, pay half attention while drawing. Chinese audiobooks require More attention, but i can listen to them walking or driving without subtitles/transcript and still follow the plot. With french Im to that same comfortable point with shows and youtube videos, not audio only stuff yet but i dont Engage with french audio only stuff. My point is Japanese is the only one where Im really feeling that INTENSE FOCUS drain whenever i try to engage with challenging new stuff in japanese. I dont feel an intense drain with chinese unless I read one of my harder reading level Print Novels or a higher vocab audio only material. I dont feel it with french unless Im doing it with audio only material. I feel the drain constantly with japanese.
6 notes
·
View notes
Note
Just saw the WIPs asks by Nonnie. Covid got you too, huh, dear author. I feel ya. It was a horror when we got it, my entire family caught it at the same time. It was horrible trying to nurse each other when it when hard taking care of ourselves. We were a family of zombies at the time. Praying that you get better soon and hope someone is checking on you.
Still I wanna ask if you wrote a period story on Daemyra where Daemon and Laena eloped. He returned a widow while Rhaenyra is Laena's younger sister. If I remember correctly, it ends when Daemon and Rhaenyra were caught in a compromising position and she declared that they would get married. (I think I asked you this in a comment in one of your stories already but I would really appreciate an answer. This story has been haunting me for a few months.) I remember reading a post where you said you've deleted a lot of fics and I think I remember some of them like "Coincidence" where Rhaenyra and Daemon were on a killing spree with her suitors, so I was hoping that this story was one of yours.
And as selfish as this might sound... maybe a bit of a update/news on "it's a dream and it's a bit of a dance"? This story remains a favorite of mine and I've reread it many times now. Is it on hiatus like "a prince is born"?
Selfish questions really but I'm dying to know the answers. Still, no pressure! 🤗
It's a similar story here- mom got it and gave it to me and my dad, sigh!
Yes, I did write that. I wrote/published 1/3 chapters but there were a few comments that objected to the use of Laena's book appearance (ie her being white) even though it was somewhat essential for the plot of her being Rhaenyra's sister to make sense. That killed my motivation for the fic and since I had no desire to finish it, nor did I want further whitewashing complaints, so I just deleted it.
As for "Coincidence" yeah that was one of mine! I will try to repost it on tumblr since I'm still quite fond of it and have the pdf file. It was written quite quickly for an event that I deleted most of my works for since I now have a bad association with the founder. But that isn't the fics fault so I really should put it back up somewhere.
So "a prince is born" is on a possibly permanent hiatus because I did not create a timeline or do any plot development before starting. So it doesn't make as much sense as I wanted it to, nor does it have a clear direction going forward. I'm just not enthused right now to re-write what is posted to resolve the issues, much less figure out a path forward once that is done.
With "it's a dream and it's a bit of a dance" I know how it will end and have the final chapters plotted out, including some bits of dialogue. So it definitely will be finished...I just think since I planned it so thoroughly my brain already kind of views it as "done" and doesn't prioritize it?
It's just a matter if feeling inspired to work on it, I guess, which hasn't happened. But it's not discontinued either!
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
Tag someone you want to know better
I was tagged by @monroeknoxwrites
Favourite colour: V partial to blues and greens, but also like browns.
Last song:
youtube
Honestly, I've also had "Profumo" by the same artist on repeat... I may have rediscovered her the other day.
Last movie: I... honestly do not remember...
Currently watching: A Fatal Frame 4 playthrough. Sorry, no shows or anything for me right now, no focus.
Other stuff I've watched this year: I basically only remember watching the movie "A Royal Affair", the one with Mads Mikkelsen...
Shows I dropped this year/didn't finish: None. There's no focus for shows right now.
Currently reading: I started on Guy Gavriel Kay's "Under Heaven" in like... March. I'm still not done, because I have the attention span and apparently the object permanence of a one-year-old with short term memory loss.
Currently working on: Still trying to finish up that frigging mingcheng fic, also working on an original story, aaaaand I should be working on my master's.
Current obsession: ahahahahahahahahahahahaha i remeber having time for obsessions... As it is, my brain is apparently a full-time Lan Qiren simp right now, so maybe that will do for obsession (even if I don't even have the time or energy to feed that)
Tagging: @severedmoosehead, @kreftropod, @holidayhippo, @fightingswedes, @finegoddamnit aaaand anyone else who feels like doing this!
3 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....
hi it’s been a while! i love getting asks from you because it lets me ramble about my favourite things, it makes me so happy so thank you!!! i hope you know how much joy you bring <3
(i’m sorry i haven’t replied to your last top 10 ask, i started the list and it got so humiliating that i’m unable to look at it again.)
anyway “top 10 media” is a broad question, so i have picked the top 10 media i love to ramble about. the kind where i could talk for hours about each one. are these objectively my favourites? maybe not. are they even good? only like half of them. but they certainly are top. enjoy!!
top 10 media of all time (not ranked):
1. tgcf (novel)
its still too early to say if this is a permanent top 10, but it has consumed my life for the better part of a year so it gets on this list. i have difficulty describing tgcf, it’s not particularly an excellent novel by many metrics, but it gives me endless satisfaction — the breadth of the story, spanning hundreds of years and a broad range of plotlines, plus the incredible depth of each moment, with sensitivity and humanity behind every hilarious-ridiculous-bombastic moment. i keep finding new things with every new chapter i annotate, even on my 4th/5th read. it’s rare that a piece of media gives me so much to think about, i’m just trying to savour the enjoyment for as long as it lasts.
2. the untamed/陈情令 (tv show)
oh man what can i say about the untamed. what can i NOT say about the untamed. the show i resisted for two years before finally being pushed into it. and i have been hurtling down the danmei rabbit hole ever since. for all that it was my intro to danmei and into the modern cdrama fandom, it really is SO MUCH just on its own. i daresay no tv show will ever be able to deliver such pure insanity juice straight to my brain ever again. deserves its spot. show of all time.
3. fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood (anime + manga)
i was a weeb for YEARS. consumed hundreds if not thousands of episodes of anime and manga. and this is the only one that stuck. obviously a masterpiece of storytelling. i revisit this constantly. i love stories that can be grim but still hopeful and endlessly sincere. also if you can’t tell i’m a huge sucker for stories where the side characters clearly have their own histories and relationships outside of what we get to see, and fmab has that for ages.
4. the legend of korra (tv show)
i cannot in good conscience say that i like this show. if you asked for my opinion, i would complain in your ear for an hour straight, minimum. (i have done this. multiple times. don’t ask me about the legend of korra.) and yet it is the piece of media i think about the most, that i have dedicated the most of my writing to, that i rewatch most often. lok aired when i was 13-17 and i grew up with it on tumblr. the people i followed and the things they talked about shaped how i interact with fandom today. maybe one day i will be able to move on, but this one has a sure spot in my top 10.
5. sense8 (tv show)
this one i can wholeheartedly recommend to any queer person trying to grow up in the world. yes, the orgies are gratuitous, the first season has some 2014 cliches, and overall who cares about the plot. but it’s such an unabashed expression of queer joy and unconditional love. there’s something so comforting in the idea that other people will volunteer to share your pain, your happiness, and your loneliness. that everyone in the world is connected by their ability to feel, to laugh, to scream, to cry, to love— you are only as alone as you let yourself be. this show carried me through so many dark times and helped me to keep believing in people. maybe i’ve outgrown my need for this show now, but i will always love sense8.
6. my ajusshi/my mister (kdrama)
is it one of the best kdramas ever made? yes. am i also incredibly biased because it’s IU? also yes. i strongly recommend it if you have the patience. this drama is slow and melancholy and washed out, its characters are weary and cynical and not always kind to each other. but that is precisely the point, because the drama dusts off their dull, exhausted lives and finds within them something worth living for. sometimes it’s enough to know that you have the power to make someone else’s life better. you might have lost the love of your life, but you have a spare mattress in your bedroom for a scared, lonely girl to sleep on. you might have lost your marriage, but you have enough money to pay for an old woman’s funeral. your career might be going nowhere, but you can be the cheerleader and inspiration for a silly woman that loves you. you might be a gang of sad, broke, middle-aged failures, but you can all walk a young woman home together and make her night a little less dark. my ajusshi is not an easy drama to watch, but similar to sense8, it’s one that gives me hope.
7. the k2 (kdrama)
firmly convinced that tumblr is sleeping on this drama. it is so absolutely batshit feral unhinged. let women be a mess!!! let women be so wrong!!! let women scheme and threaten and fight and manipulate, while the man looks on with protective anxiety and/or dead-eyed absolute competency. let a woman run barefoot through the streets of spain in a nightgown, tears streaming down her face. let a woman past her prime be psychosexually obsessed with her stepdaughter’s bodyguard whom she is locked in a blackmail revenge plot with. let him lead her at gunpoint into a car so he can escape the standoff, only for it to become a car chase with her enemies, and for him to flip the vehicle over. let him walk back into the burning car to carry her out.
8. man of steel (movie)
not gonna lie haven’t rewatched those one in a while! but officially my #1 favourite movie if anyone asks. i have moved on from capeshit but this movie still has everything i love: a world that breathes, people that live in it, and a clear message of hope despite how bleak things might seem.
9. rogue one (movie)
i mean. i mean. it says something that i was working on my (planned out, the story exists fully formed in my head) tgcf rogue one au when i opened up my writing notes and found that at some point last year i had written an entire mdzs rogue one au. brilliant. unparalleled. so blessed that this movie got to exist in between the endless cash grabs that are the other movies. as a star wars fan since age 13, i can say with full assurance this is the only star war that matters actually.
10. the infernal devices (novel series)
not sure if i’ve mentioned this series on this blog before, but to this day it’s one of my favourite YA series. yes it is your standard cliche fantasy series but it has will herondale, the best payoff to the typical angsty brooding male lead to ever exist. writers try to justify brooding characters like “they have valid reasons to be that way, deep down they’re really loving blah blah” but this series takes that and delivers. because the moment will is free from the legitimate reason he was acting that way, he is bursting at the seams to show his love. he runs to the girl he loves and tells her he loves her. he tells the woman who raised him that she’s awesome. he spends the rest of his life so, so incandescently happy, simply because he gets to love the people he loves. also the ending of the second book is possibly one of the wildest cliffhangers for a love triangle ever. i clearly love to have an Experience while consuming a piece of media.
(if you’ve read til here, thank you for reading and letting me ramble some of the words that go through my brain endlessly. if you’ve ever consumed and enjoyed any of the things i’ve mentioned, please feel absolutely welcome to message or dm me, i am dead serious about being able to talk about these for hours. in fact i would love to. please)
#asks#tgcf#cql#faves#lok#rambling#top 10 media of all time is so broad so i just picked. what do i WANT to write about#top 10 media that just lives rent free in my mind#there are things i love more and better but in terms of#does it give me brain chemicals.#do i cradle thoughts of these characters in my head like a baby#what gives me the brain chemicals#this took so long to write and i am so sleep deprived so i’m sorry if it is very incoherent#ily
8 notes
·
View notes
Note
How should Superman and WW be written in movies and your ideal actors and directior for them?
First of all, no more origin stories. Every movie goer fan knows them and quite frankly they don't bring anything new to the franchise. And when they do, it's always to change basic things and ruin the myth. Like Pa Kent telling teenage Clark he should've let his school mates die.
Don't write them as only brutes without a brain who know nothing else but to punch things and people. Let them think and plan a little before going into action, without stopping their actions while thinking. There's an old saying in actor's education: they need to think while doing and do while thinking. Neither activity is mutually exclusive. Look before you leap.
Being good and compassionate is not being a naive idiot. Trust must not be blind. Trust but verify.
I know it must be very difficult to write a character like that and still create conflict and allow their characters to be surprised or backstabbed.
A writer must avoid their usual traits. If something is too easy to write, there must be something inherently wrong with it.
As for a director...there are a lot of good ones. The main thing is they must love the material and specially the characters. Batso lovers are permanently banned: a Batso lover will always look down to Superman or Wonder Woman and a successful one will always despise the superhero genre.
The actors...okay. To a certain degree I'm okay with Cavill and Gadot. They work honestly and respect and love their characters. Any objection I might have it's biased and not very important. I bet that with a good script they can excel and with a good and unbiased director, their parts will be played optimally.
Patty Jenkins did a very good work with the first WW movie. In WW84 the success of the first one became too much pressure. There was also a lot more interference from the studio. Those idiots think that if the first movie was a hit without them, with their input, it will be a lot better. Executives egos think that way. Geoff Johns was one of those idiots.
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
I’ve been listening to this podcast on Youtube. Don't know if he’d refer to it as a podcast but each video is around 45 minutes to an hour long so to me it’s a podcast. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, so Billy Shakespeare said. This bloke is talking about sobriety and it’s utterly engaging, he doesn’t have a particularly large following or anything, but I’ve been following his videos since I was in high school. I’ve never truly struggled with addiction or substance abuse problems but like I’ve said before I was beginning to have a problem with sex as a coping mechanism following my first serious break up. In addition to that I’ve had serious relationships with people that’ve struggled with addiction, have overdosed, etc. So, I’m no rookie when it comes to this shit. Anyway, the way he so nonchalantly talks about his alcoholism and how it all started by taking bong hits back in his younger surfing days made me think of all the people I knew growing up that started the exact same way. It’s unfortunate because people are so quick to minimise and trivialise their own problems with substances. It’s almost like they act in ignorance to reality and treat it as though just because they themselves aren’t suffering, means there can’t be others who are. It takes a mature head to look at this shit objectively, to be able to say “Even though others are responsible, it’s still a problem.” I was reading this very candid post the other day by some bloke in California who acknowledged he had a problem with smoking grass and he stumbled upon this realisation after forgetting to pick up his daughter from school. It’s easy to gloss over the harm any substance can cause when it’s legal or readily accessible. I’ve known many beautiful people in my time and I don’t have enough appendages on my body to count the amount of them caught well within the throes of their addiction to marijuana. Such a touchy topic with people too, unfortunately, and people struggle to be objective about this shit. I get it. It benefits you. Helps with your anxiety. Gives you the tools to socialise with people and be functional in society. Good. I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you. However, you’ve really gotta be objective enough to acknowledge the potential for harm, too. I’ve read far too many horror stories about teenagers that’ve permanently fucked their brain chemistry because they refused to stand up to peer pressure. I’ve known far too many fucking teenagers that say they “drive better while high” and then wrap their dad’s car around a tree, killing themselves and their little sibling, a girlfriend, a partner, etc. If you’ve got any problem with what I’ve just said then I implore you to message or get in touch with me, off anon, and share your perspective. This is an open forum and I welcome alternative points of view and will not judge you for it. The potential here for meaningful discussion should outweigh anyone’s need to be negative.
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
Like many others, I've made up my own characters for the Star Wars universe. All the new content coming out has caused it to really scratch at my brain. So while I have probably a dozen characters, a lot of their stories stem from this one.
I wish I could still draw to give you a better sense of him, but that skill has atrophied and I need this out of my head now.
I doubt anyone will really be interested in this stuff, but feel free to ask me about it if you have questions. There are a lot of half-baked ideas still rattling around my head.
Six years after the rise of the Empire, Quinlan Vos finds a badly injured four-year-old zygerrian kit who is mildly force-sensitive. His father tried to kill him because the kit tried to stop him from beating a slave to death. Slave still died, but kit bit his father in the ankle so hard he had a permanent limp. Through a lot of chaos, they do what Vos was there to do and helped the slaves from the kit’s family escape.
(The adult daughter of the murdered slave, “Miss Red”, took the two-year-old daughter of the slavers with her since it wasn’t safe to be left alone there (non-drunk family was out of town) and renamed her “Recompense”.)
Vos didn’t think it was a good idea to take on this kid as a padawan, but it was an even worse idea to leave him to be found by the sith or killed by another zygerrian who sees him as weak and thus a risk to the species (cultural mindset, not biological). He focused on teaching the kit how to stay alive, stay hidden, and help people while maintaining the first two objectives. The kit already had an elementary grasp of don’t-look-at-me auras.
Part of my headcannon on zygerrians in general that inform much of this:
- Zygerrian culture is very much focused on the strong, so parents are encouraged to make sure that their children are as strong as can be. This includes emotional weakness. If they don’t pick up “proper” behavior from their parents, they get punished. If it persists, they get sent to special “schools” that have the façade of the typical military school but are really for breaking and brainwashing. If that doesn’t work, the children fall victim to “training accidents”. However, a parent with an overtly “weak” child might go the traditional route of taking the child to train in the wilderness as cover to murdering them. It's culturally condoned and not investigated. That’s why there seem to be no “good” zygerrians, they get culled before they are old enough to strike out on their own.
-Physically I headcannon that zygerrians are a lot like mountain lions/pumas/cougars. They are natural rock climbers and feel comfortable with heights. Mountain lions also are at home in varied landscapes including mountains, jungles, and forest. The best thing, they’re technically minor cats and can purr. However, rock climbing and purring are seen as “childish” and suppressed.
-Zygerrian ears can twitch, but as part of their desire to seem in control, they put rods just under the skin of their children so that they grow in the familiar upright position. The muscles die off and the outer skin grows thick. If the ears are allowed to develop normally, they can be very expressive. They still have a hard outer skin, but it’s flexible at the segment breaks.
Highlights of their training over the years (that I’m sure of. Other details aren’t so set):
-The kit misunderstood the objective of a training exercise and discovered an aptitude for generating and conducting electricity with the Force. (The objective was to feel out a cave. He thought it was to replenish the energy in his flashlight.) It was not perfect. His fur stuck up everywhere from static. Vos does have pictures.
-After a few years together, Vos took on a fake identity as a wandering technician that would go home to Kiffar during the major static electricity harvesting seasons, and travel abroad the rest of the time to where work was needed. He claimed to have found the kit after he had run away from home on some other outer rim world. Named him Farat Dae (Faraday)
-Farat develops his skills with the force and technology to focus on subtle sabotage and espionage
-While his overall force powers aren’t great, he can focus on a lot of little things at once. Favorite use of this is deactivating many slave collars at once
-His lightsaber is made from a heavily damaged temple guard’s staff found in a junk shop. One crystal was mostly intact, the other was fragmented. Due to the fact that no one would question a zygerrian walking around with a whip, he designed it so that the solid crystal could make a saber blade and the fragments made a light whip. Though the crystals were kept in a chamber that had to be opened with the force so that if anyone else activated the weapon, it seemed like a normal energy whip.
-Farat developed an interest in playing simple flutes. Due to often losing them in the chaos of missions, he learned how to make them himself.
-Some point in his adolescence when the Rebel Alliance has begun to form, Miss Red gets in touch with him to request his help. Farat’s younger sister Recompense had been captured with a group of freedom fighters and sent to a zygerrian reeducation school. Recompense is likely to be tortured for information and her death be written off as a training mishap-which that school is very experienced with. Shenanigans ensue, Farat and a team save Recompense, saves all the other prisoners being held over there, and take a bunch of other zygerrian youths with them that had been sent to the school for being “weak” or “problematic”.
-After the school incident, Farat stays with the main rebellion for a long while as a junior technician. Only a handful know or suspect that he’s force-sensitive. When the alliance is setting up their base on Yavin IV, he has the time of his life climbing up and down the pyramids installing electrical work.
-Vos made Farat promise to not tell anyone about being a jedi/force trained if Vos himself hadn’t told them. This is fine early on but causes issues later towards the time of the movies.
#star wars#quinlan vos#my brain is a pinball machine#star wars oc#star wars headcanons#star wars world building
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
How Children's Psychology Shapes Learning and Development
As a parent, you wonder how your kid's mind works. What's going on in that little head of theirs? Understanding children's psychology gives insight into how they learn, play, and grow.
In this article, we'll explore key concepts in developmental Adelaide Childrens Psychology Service to shed light on the mental, emotional, and behavioural patterns of childhood.
You'll learn how things like executive function, theory of mind, and cognitive biases emerge and evolve through the early years.
We'll cover social, emotional, and moral development too. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or care provider, you'll gain practical tips for nurturing growth and supporting kids at each stage.
Stick around as we dive into the captivating world of children's psychology together!
Understanding Child Psychology and Development
Children's psychology and natural progression through stages of development have a significant impact on their learning and growth. As children age and mature, their brains, language abilities, social skills, and more evolve in predictable patterns.
Ages 0-2: Learning Through Senses and Movement
Infants and toddlers learn primarily through their senses and physical interactions with the world. At this stage, children develop object permanence, language skills, and mobility. Offering sensory experiences, repetition, and opportunities to explore are key to supporting development. Keep lessons short and fun.
Ages 3-5: Learning Through Play
Preschool-aged children learn best through play. Their imaginations are active, and they enjoy role-playing, building, and creating. Support learning at this stage through play-based activities, stories, songs, and art projects. Set basic rules and routines to help them develop self-control and social skills.
Ages 6-11: Developing Foundational Skills
Elementary-aged kids are developing reading, math, and critical thinking skills that will shape their future success. Provide opportunities for them to practice these emerging skills through interactive lessons and real-world applications.
Set clear rules and reasonable limits while also giving them increased independence and responsibility over their learning and actions. With support and encouragement, kids this age can achieve great things!
Key Theories in Children's Psychology
Cognitive Development Theory
According to study and research, childrens psychology Adelaide help progress through four stages of mental development. As kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new knowledge and skills. At each stage, they can do more complex tasks and think in more sophisticated ways.
Social Learning Theory
As proposed by Albert Bandura, social learning theory emphasises how children learn by observing and imitating others' behaviours. Kids often mimic the actions of parents, teachers, and peers. What they observe and absorb from social interactions and the media shapes their attitudes, values and behaviours.
Attachment Theory
Developed by John Bowlby, attachment theory explains how the early relationships between children and their caregivers have a tremendous impact on development. When caregivers are responsive to a child's needs, it establishes a secure attachment style. This influences how children form relationships and interact with others as they grow.
Moral Development Theory
According to Lawrence Kohlberg, children progress through stages of moral development as their thinking matures. Initially, they base moral judgements on rewards and punishment.
However, as they develop, their reasoning focuses more on social conventions and expectations than on more abstract principles like justice, equality and human rights. Understanding moral development helps identify ways to cultivate positive values in kids.
With insights from these pivotal theories, we can better understand how children learn, build relationships, and develop morally. Applying them in parenting, education, and society helps ensure that kids reach their full potential.
How Children Learn and Process Information
Children have a unique way of learning and understanding the world around them. Their brains are constantly developing, absorbing information like sponges.
Observation
Children often learn through observing the world around them. They watch the interactions, behaviours, and skills of parents, siblings, teachers, and other children. Imitation follows as they try to mimic what they’ve observed. Providing good role models and examples is key.
Exploration
Children also learn through hands-on exploration of their environment. They touch, manipulate, build, create, and experiment to gain firsthand experience of how things work. Give children opportunities for free play and open-ended activities where they can explore materials, cause and effect, and their own creativity.
Repetition
Practice makes perfect in a child’s mind. Repeating songs, stories, games, and activities helps to reinforce learning. While it may seem tedious to adults, repetition stimulates the developing brain. Engage in interactive reading, singing, playing make-believe, and more with your child.
Concrete Examples
Children understand concepts best when they can relate to concrete examples, especially from their daily lives. Use familiar objects, events, and activities to illustrate ideas. Their thinking is very literal, so abstract concepts need to be grounded in real-world examples.
Providing opportunities to learn through observing, exploring, repeating, and relating to the concrete world around them allows children to thrive. Nurturing curiosity and creativity in these formative years shapes a lifelong love of learning.
Fostering Healthy Social-Emotional Development
As children grow, their social and emotional skills develop rapidly. Helping them build strong social-emotional intelligence early on establishes a foundation for lifelong well-being. Paying close attention to their emotional needs and modelling positive behaviours yourself are two of the most important things you can do.
Spend quality time engaging with your child each day. Make eye contact, smile, and listen to them attentively when they want to share something.
Validate their feelings by reflecting back on what they say. For example, say, “It sounds like you felt sad when your friend couldn’t come over to play.” This helps them gain awareness and acceptance of their emotions.
Discuss emotions together using books or during everyday experiences. Explain how others may be feeling and ask your child how they think that person feels.
This helps build empathy. Respond with patience and understanding when your child expresses negative emotions. Remain calm and reassuring to help them regulate their feelings.
Model the kind of behaviour you want to see. Practice self-care set a positive example with your own emotional reactions, and maintain a warm, nurturing environment.
Children often mimic parents' emotional regulation and coping strategies, so make sure to express your feelings in a healthy, constructive way.
With your support and guidance, children can thrive socially and emotionally. Helping them develop these skills early on will benefit them for life.
Focus on listening with empathy, discussing emotions openly and honestly, and leading by example each and every day.
Applying Child Psychology to Optimise Learning
Develop Curiosity
Children are naturally curious, so tap into their desire to explore. Let them discover new concepts through hands-on activities and experiments. Ask open-ended questions to get them thinking. Curiosity is key to motivation and learning.
Set Clear Expectations
Children thrive when they know what's expected of them. Explain lessons and assignments clearly. Set specific, achievable goals to work towards. Provide examples and models of excellence so they understand the standard. Check for understanding and reiterate key points. With clear guidance, their confidence and success will grow.
Offer Rewards and Positive Reinforcement
Providing rewards and praise when children meet or exceed expectations gives them motivation to achieve. Verbal encouragement, special privileges, and small treats can go a long way. Be genuine and specific with your positive reinforcement. Help them make connections between their efforts and outcomes, so they develop an internal drive to succeed.
Make Learning Fun
Using games and interactive activities can help make learning engaging for children. Look for ways to turn lessons into play. Include puzzles, stories, music, art, and drama. Hands-on projects bring concepts to life. Laughter and play stimulate memory and creativity. The more enjoyment children find in learning, the more they will thrive.
Keeping these principles of child psychology in mind will help you connect with students and optimise their learning experiences. Tap into their natural curiosity and desire for play.
Set clear expectations and offer motivation through rewards and praise. Make learning an exciting journey of discovery, and you'll shape children into lifelong learners.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. How children think and feel affects how they learn and grow. Understanding Childrens psychology Adelaide development provides insight into helping kids thrive. Keep an open mind about each child's unique needs.
Guide them to feel safe and valued. Adapt teaching for different learning styles. Most importantly, give them room to explore their interests with encouragement.
Childhood sets the stage for life, so nurture their growth mindfully. When kids feel seen and supported, it unlocks their potential in amazing ways. Trust the process and enjoy the journey with them.
Source - https://makingmilestonessa.blogspot.com/2024/04/how-childrens-psychology-shapes.html
#speech therapy adelaide#speech pathology#childrens occupational therapy adelaide#kids psychology adelaide
1 note
·
View note
Text
alright long long sappy weird post incoming abt my own personal story of being an ao3 author with a "sorry i haven't updated in a while! [some of the wildest shit you've ever heard] haha i should be back at it more regularly soon though! thanks for your patience!"
for context i last posted a fanfic, my first and only one i published, TEN YEARS AGO. like almost ten years and one month to the day. i was fourteen?! and it was well received and boosted my confidence a lot - several writers i really admired complimented me, and a few artists even made fanart of it (and ALL the art was amazing!!!!!!!!!) it absolutely blew my mind. like, people were so freaking nice to me about my very first published fanwork, and it really really meant a lot to me then and still does now, that people cared enough about something i made to make something in response.
but also it made me nervous to put out anything else. i had other stuff i'd already written, and i had more ideas. but what if i just got lucky the first time? or the semi-sequel i was planning just didn't live up to the first one? all kinds of stuff that i think is probably really really normal for people to feel about Sharing Their Work. but i was very in my head about the whole thing. if i couldn't do it just as good or better the next time, i didn't want to do it At All.
and unfortunately, in the most typical fashion for an ao3 author, i had a life-altering medical emergency almost immediately after publishing. i had been sick for a while, trying to hide it. but it turns out i was, like, dying sick. like "i'm now permanently disabled" sick. and i'm okay enough now, but. life got significantly harder after that. many days i barely had the energy to watch television from my bed, much less sit at my desk and actually Write Something. my brain was fried and scrambled. my body was wrecked. i was deeply traumatized by my experiences.
(i will never, ever forget the kindness of one of my favorite fanartists; she drew me a card with my favorite characters holding balloons that spelled out "get well soon!" i didn't cry much in the hospital, but i cried a lot about that. i looked at it every day that i could physically operate my phone. i still have it saved. she sent it the first week i was in and i looked at it as much as i could for the next month i was there.)
for about a year, i didn't leave my house except for medical appointments, or maybe to visit my brother, and those visits were mostly just us sitting on the couch and watching things together. even that was hard, i'd fall asleep. but he was good to me.
and even when i got a little better, i still couldn't really leave the house, i could just sit at my computer. but i started making friends on the internet, actual good friends, people with similar experiences and interests. and when i was sixteen, after i finally got another surgery i really needed, i went on my first trip in years to visit an internet friend. i flew to another state by myself to meet a person i met on tumblr. crazy, right? but it was awesome. we're still dear friends. and a little later, another friend rode a bus halfway across the country to stay a week with me over a school break - and they were amazing. i met both those friends again, i even saw one of them last year, we still love each other so much.
having my brother and those internet friends genuinely gave me will to live. they saw what i was going through, and loved me relentlessly through it. they were completely understanding and accepting of my disability, even the objectively gross parts of it, and never made me feel bad for it. they showed me that my life, while radically altered, was not anywhere near over - that i could be disabled and also extremely happy. i didn't know that. in that hospital, i was so close to being entirely hopeless about anything ever being good again. on that airplane, at that bus station, i was so full of excitement and elation to be living. even when we weren't together, there was promise for more chances to see each other. even if i was tired, or in extreme pain, or nervous, i had love. so much love.
but i still lost a lot. head still scrambled, brain fog constant. i fell out of touch with creative writing, which was something i had loved since i was a small child. i mean, how do you write when it's hard to even read? i was a voracious reader as a kid, but not so much After. i say After because even though it all happened when i was just fourteen, i felt like i lost any chance to be a kid. like i lost a massive part of who i was, because i was used to who i was being what i could do, and i suddenly couldn't do those things. not the same way.
i was afraid to even try anymore. my skills had degraded and the prospect of having to truly work at what was once so easy, so natural to me - it seemed absolutely insurmountable. chatting about headcanons, sure, easy-ish! stream of consciousness. writing? actually writing things to show people? much harder. i even wrote my diaries in cryptic ways, strange fonts and multiple things overlaid in different colors, just to make sure nobody could judge the quality of - of my writing to myself.
and then, yknow, other life things happened. trying to graduate. getting a job and working myself to death to impress people (who did not care in the slightest about how hard i tried, and tossed me away like trash for being disabled.) the death of a very important person in my life. moving out. a string of questionable relationships and one actually really really bad one. trying to recover any of my sanity or self esteem after being abused by someone i trusted. bouncing between housing situations and sleeping in my car. finding love! the real deal! surviving the first half-year of the pandemic as an immunocompromised person with six roommates all working service jobs. multiple other devastating deaths. yknow, like? other insane shit? just really truly bonkers shit?
and in the last two or three years, i've gotten a chance to... relax. slow down. i live with just my wife now, in a decently sized place. i repaired my relationship with my parents. i have a polycule of extremely wonderful people, and really incredible friends. i'm not afraid of my partners. i'm respected by the people in my life. i'm allowed and encouraged to like things, to really like things, to not be ashamed of being autistic and having special interests. i'm encouraged to be creative in any form i want to try. my physical health isn't great, but it's stable. i'm stable.
and i decided... i wanted to write again. to try. even if it wasn't easy like it used to be. even if it wasn't "as good" as something i did ten years ago, nearly half my life ago. even if nobody cared except my friends. to just do it because i have thoughts, and feelings, and they're bouncing around inside my heart and my brain and my soul and i want to let them out! i want to share. i've decided that i do not have to be afraid of sharing.
and, like, is that kind of a silly point to come to? that i lived through hell and now... want to be unashamed to write and post fanfiction? maybe, i don't know, maybe a little bit.
but also, it's been almost exactly a decade since i got my shit wrecked by my own biology. i wrote and shared that first fanfic while i was trying to hide an extreme illness from my family - i had been getting sicker for months, and i didn't know why. but i didn't want help. i was deeply convinced it was better to die slowly than inconvenience anyone.
i wrote and published a silly fic to distract myself from something horrifying that was happening to me. and few weeks later - shit well and truly hit the fan, and i did die multiple times, and then i got to live with the consequences of not asking for help when i needed it. (and the consequences of medical malpractice! that's a big one too. not everything was on me. like, definitely some of it, but not all of it.)
and now i'm, like, pretty happy with my life. i have so much good all around me. i actually want to live, i have plans for my future, i have goals. and. i have the kindness to just. let myself enjoy things, process things creatively, think more kindly about my own work. be less hypercritical of myself and less fearful of judgement. so. i want to write? about things that interest me? not to distract from something awful, but purely as an expression of something inside me that wants to connect to the outside world. as a means to get back to everything i (intentionally or unintentionally) cut myself off from. it seems right.
in conclusion. earlier today i posted my first real live actual fanfiction in over ten years. and that's on the spiritual healing powers of being gay & transgender
0 notes
Text
MLWTBB: A Pleasant Surprise
Part 9 of the “My Life With The Bad Batch” series, a (mostly) canon compliant self-insert story set in “The Bad Batch”
rated: T
warnings: descriptions of food and eating, romantic kissing
relationships: Hunter/self-insert, Omega & self-insert (adopted siblings), The Bad Batch & self-insert
chapter word count: 2900+ words
✨MLWTBB masterlist✨
summary: it’s Hannah’s birthday, and the Bad Batch want to throw a celebration for her! with Cid’s permission, the parlor is transformed for the day, and Hannah is given an unforgettable time with her family and friends, culminating to an extra special evening with Hunter and a surprising new gift.
notes: I think it should be pretty obvious that my favorite movie is Tron Legacy after reading this chapter LOL. the end of that movie permanently altered my brain chemistry ok 😌 also! this is the end of the story! I hope you all enjoyed my little self-indulgent love letter to myself. my 35th birthday is just in a little over a month at the time of me posting this, so it’s appropriate imo. look forward to seeing more of my fancy new (dream) bike in the future, and thank you for reading 💙
A/N: this story has not been proofread by anyone other than myself. so apologies for any uncaught errors 😬
previous chapter
Chapter 5 (Final): The Greatest Gift of All
______________________________________________________________
Many times, Hannah had encountered other residents of the city tearing down the streets in their speeder bikes. She herself had only ever ridden in landspeeders, which was similar but not the same. The wind whipped through her short red hair violently, and it was both terrifying and exciting not having any borders around to keep her on the vehicle. Much like the first time she’d stepped into the Marauder, this was a whole new experience for her, and she planned on relishing in it to the full extent.
It made it even better that Hunter was there too. Although they weren’t going that fast, Hannah kept a good grip around her partner’s waist as they rode through the dirty streets of Ord Mantell. Any people or other obstacles that came in their path were avoided with ease. The bike turned so smooth, it felt like they were flying.
“This thing’s got good handling!” Hunter said after they’d taken a sharp turn without issue.
“So do you!” Hannah replied as she gave him a quick squeeze.
A smug look crossed Hunter’s face. “Don’t let Gildish hear that, he might get grossed out again!”
Hannah sputtered and threw her head back as she went into a fit of laughter.
After that, Hunter wanted to really test out the bike’s handling and drove them down some more crowded streets. Hannah was a bit nervous at first, but she quickly got into it. The bike easily swerved and dipped around anything that got in their way. From an outside perspective, it was like the bike was doing an elaborate dance between all the people and objects on the street. The thrill of it all made Hannah laugh and holler out of excitement.
Eventually, they skidded to a stop as the path forward was temporarily blocked by some people moving large crates across the street. Hannah continued laughing even after they stopped, adrenaline still coursing through her veins.
“Ya havin’ fun?” Hunter asked, leaning back against her.
“Too much, probably!” Hannah responded with another laugh.
As her laughter died down, something caught Hannah’s attention a little ways away from them. Another person with a speeder bike was parked at one of the stalls and getting a drink. Hannah instantly recognized him as the sleazy Mirialan who’d tried making a move on her some time ago.
At first, Hannah grimaced at the sight of him, but then an idea crossed her mind. She pointed the Mirialan out to Hunter, who groaned loudly at seeing him. Then, in a surprising move, she called the man out by name.
“Hey, Chaze!”
The Mirialan seemed confused at hearing his name be called, but when he saw who had said it, his eyes went wide. He looked both shocked and dumbfounded.
“Great weather today, isn’t it?” Hannah continued, barely holding back a snicker. She kept her arms snuggly held around Hunter, trying to make it as obvious as possible.
“Uhh, yeah,” Chaze responded awkwardly. His face turned down into a scowl, and he looked at the two of them curiously. “Where’d you get the bike?”
“Oh, funny story--” Hannah was cut off by Hunter revving the engine. Their path was finally clear. “Oh, sorry, gotta go byeeee!” Hannah called out as they tore away, leaving Chaze even more dumbfounded than before.
“Don’tcha know better than to poke a Nexu’s den?” Hunter joked once they were further down the street.
“Please!” Hannah responded with a laugh. “Chaze is more of a puffed-up Tooka, and you know it!”
Hunter definitely couldn’t argue with that.
Their journey through the city soon brought them closer to the border. Hunter slowed down momentarily and looked back at Hannah, twirling around the goggles Gildish had given him. “Wanna really test what this thing can do?”
Hannah adjusted her own goggles, similar to how Tech always did, and a grin spread on her face. “Thought you’d never ask.”
With a smirk, Hunter put his goggles on and revved the engine before tearing off once again, throwing Hannah into a fit of excited squeals. The bike wove through a few more streets, then entered a dimly lit tunnel. The yellow glow of the bike’s underbelly bounced off the walls, illuminating the tunnel with its warm light. Then everything was thrown into natural light again as the bike emerged from the tunnel and into the vast, rocky expanse of the planet.
Barely a second went by before Hunter told Hannah to hold on tight, and he quickly accelerated, making Hannah squeal with delight.
Most of the ground surrounding the city was bare, save for a few rocks that jutted out of the ground. They could go as fast as they wanted without worry. And that’s exactly what Hunter did. Hannah held tightly to her partner’s chest as they soared across the land, going fast enough that they could fly high into the air if desired. The rush of adrenaline Hannah felt was incomparable to anything she’d felt before. If not for her strong sensibility, she might have let go in an effort to go flying away herself. Instead, she only partially went a bit crazy and threw one of her arms out into the wind while shouting excitedly. A massive smile spread on Hunter’s face as Hannah continued to shout and literally throw caution to the wind.
They eventually came closer to some of the cliffs and mesas that surrounded the city, and Hunter began driving the bike up one of the mesas. The bike intentionally stayed close to the ground and bounced up and down over some rocks as it curled around the mesa, causing Hannah to giggle with glee at the sensation.
Once they’d gotten to the flattened top of the mesa, the bike finally rested on the side closest to the city, along with a thoroughly worn-out Hannah.
“Aww... are we... done already?” she huffed as she practically collapsed against Hunter’s back.
“Just letting the bike rest for a bit,” Hunter replied, removing his now dusty goggles. “And the passenger.”
Hannah giggled and poked Hunter in the ribs before hopping off the bike. Some dust fell to the ground as she removed her goggles, choosing to let them rest on top of her head.
That’s when she finally noticed the view.
Without waiting, she briskly walked over closer to the cliffside, keeping only a few feet from its edge. She was still out of breath from the trip, but the sight of the whole city in front of her left her even more breathless. It was reminiscent of her first date with Hunter up in the abandoned watchtower. Her lungs may have been empty, but her heart was overflowing.
The familiar feeling of a strong but gentle arm resting across her shoulders made the smile on Hannah’s face grow, and she rested her head on Hunter’s shoulder with a satisfied sigh. Taking a break wasn’t sounding so bad after all.
Time went by unnoticed as Hannah and Hunter remained at the top of the mesa, never moving from their spot near the cliff’s edge. Although the whole surrounding area was lovely, Hannah was content keeping her attention towards the city, watching the ships come and go, with some of them even flying overhead. The two of them had gone from standing to sitting and had even laid down for a bit to watch the clouds. Like usual, a lot of the time was spent in silence, with the only sounds being the gentle wind that blew past or one of the passing starships flying overhead. Hunter never once left Hannah’s side, and she was certain their hands would be permanently stuck together after that day.
“Can I ask you a random question?” Hannah asked at one point.
Hunter looked at her with a quirked eyebrow. “Not sure why you need my permission, but go ahead.”
“Force of habit,” Hannah responded with a giggle. Hunter had an arm and leg behind Hannah’s back and shifted a bit to face her better while she asked her question. “Do you... do you think it’ll ever be like this again?”
“Like what?”
Hannah sighed a bit and fiddled with her fingernails. “Today felt like the first real day that I didn’t have to worry about anything. Like there was no trouble at all in the back of my mind, nagging me. It felt... normal. Or at least, what I’ve always thought normal should be.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Hunter plainly responded. “I’ve never had a normal day in my whole life.”
Hannah threw her head back with a cackle. “Fair enough. But you know what I mean.”
“I do. And I wish I had an answer to give you.” Hunter let out a small sigh and turned his attention back towards the city. “It’d be nice to not have any bigger concerns than what goes on in a day. Even better if I got the chance to shower you with gifts all the time like your super rich friends do.”
“Hey,” Hannah said, placing a hand on Hunter’s knee. “For what it’s worth, I would trade every gift I’ve ever gotten if it meant I got to have you around more.”
Hunter gave her a small smile and placed a hand on top of hers. “That’d be nice, wouldn’t it? If only it were that simple.” He sighed again and shook his head. “Sorry I can’t be more optimistic. I consider myself lucky to just even know you, never mind how close we’ve gotten.” His face turned towards the sky as he got lost in thought, unable to express his feelings anymore. He didn’t want to burden Hannah with his dour outlook anyway.
Hannah’s hand slipped out from underneath his and reached up behind his neck. Her fingers gently began running through his hair, almost instantly putting him into a calmer state.
“You always say luck is what’s running the show for us,” Hannah said as she continued to play with Hunter’s hair. “But... I dunno, it... it feels more than that. There has to be some greater power out there that’s brought and kept us together. It can’t just be luck.”
“Well, whatever it is,” Hunter began, tilting his head down a bit closer to Hannah. “Luck or ‘some greater power’... I’m grateful to it. It’s given me more than I thought I ever deserved. You may have been the one getting gifts today, but I’ve got the best gift imaginable already.” His face fully turned towards her, with the oh-so often seen fond smile spread on his lips. “I’m so grateful you were born, Hannah.”
Too many times that day already, Hannah had been brought to tears by the acts and words of her loved ones. And this time was no different. Her eyes quickly began to glisten and a touched expression crossed her face as she stared back at Hunter, heart full to bursting. She’d questioned her mere existence so many times throughout her life, pondering the significance of it, wondering sometimes why she was even still alive at all. But hearing Hunter’s words, recalling the acts of her friends and family from that day, even remembering past affirmations from her original family many years ago... how could she question herself after that?
The hand that still lingered in Hunter’s hair never left as the two lovers drew closer, kissing each other with all the love they could muster. Hunter held Hannah against him with one arm around her shoulders and dipped her to the side, which made her giggle against his lips. His kisses ran across her lips and down to her neck, leaving her breathlessly giggling out of joy and pleasure. Both of Hannah’s hands remained intertwined in Hunter’s hair, clutched near the base of his skull, and it only made him want to indulge her more.
Hannah’s cake couldn’t hold a candle to the treat she received during that moment.
**************************
The sun was nearly set by the time Hannah and Hunter returned to the parlor. Only one person was there to greet them, who was Omega, unsurprisingly. She immediately began bombarding them with questions about their trip once Hunter parked the bike, with Hannah’s bag still clutched in her arms. Hunter was the one to answer all his sister’s questions, as Hannah had gotten so worn out from the day that she was practically falling asleep against Hunter’s back.
Eventually, Hunter himself had a question and asked Omega what everyone else was up to. According to Omega, the others had already cleaned up the party and had either gone home or up to Hannah’s apartment. Only Bolo and Ketch were still at the parlor, along with Cid, of course.
“You know what I just realized?” Hannah groggily said as she slowly lifted her head off Hunter’s shoulder. “I dunno where to put this thing.” She patted the side of the bike while chuckling.
Omega happily informed her sister that the issue had already been taken care of as well. Apparently, Cid had a small garage nearby that she was using for spare storage, much like Hannah’s apartment. Echo, Wrecker, and Tech had cleaned out a spot for Hannah’s bike after finishing the parlor, which was probably why they’d all gone up to Hannah’s apartment to rest for so long.
“Awww,” Hannah replied with an exaggerated pout. “You guys are so sweet and considerate...” She pulled Omega in for a hug, which made the small girl giggle.
After handing Hannah her bag back, Omega asked if she could have a ride on the bike before dinner. Hannah grimaced a bit at the thought of having to make dinner, but Omega quickly added that Wrecker and Echo were already on it, so she didn’t have to worry.
“Well, in that case,” Hannah said, slinging her leg around to get off the bike. “If Hunter’s up for it, go ahead. Just make sure to hold on and don’t let go, ok?”
“Yeah, don’t be reckless like your big sister,” Hunter teased, which earned him a playful smack on the arm from Hannah.
Excitedly, Omega climbed onto the back of the bike, with Hannah’s help. Her small arms wrapped around her brother’s waist, similarly to how she’d seen Hannah do earlier.
“Don’t stay out too long,” Hannah said, addressing Hunter specifically. “Don’t go too fast either. And avoid the busy streets this time, please. Oh, also,” she yanked her goggles off and handed them to Omega. “Keep these on, and like I said before, do not let go, ok?”
Hunter and Omega looked at each other with the same face, equally annoyed and endeared by Hannah’s motherly demands. They both gave Hannah a nod before she stepped away, hands clutched to the strap of her bag.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Hannah said as Hunter revved the engine.
Soft sighs of exasperation came from both Hunter and Omega. “Yeah?” Hunter asked, giving her a forced smile.
A small smile crept on Hannah’s face. She could easily tell they both were disgruntled, but she didn’t mind. Seeing them together on her new bike about to go out for some fun was incredibly fulfilling, and her heart swelled.
“I just...” Hannah’s hands came up to her mouth as she was suddenly stricken with emotion. “I love you both, that’s all I wanted to say.”
Again, Hunter and Omega looked at each other, this time with the same affectionate expression. “Love you too,” Hunter replied, with Omega chiming in with his exact words.
“And happy birthday again too!” Omega added cheerfully.
Hannah giggled and thanked her, saying it had definitely been a very happy birthday for her.
With one hand still clutched to the strap of her bag, Hannah waved as the bike drove away. Omega’s shouts of excitement could be heard even after they’d gone out of sight, and Hannah laughed with joy before everything fell silent.
The silence lingered for some time as Hannah stood near the top of the stairwell to Cid’s parlor. It was the first time all day where she’d been alone. Being an introvert, she needed the time to herself, especially after the whirlwind day she’d had. But she wasn’t quite ready to fully isolate herself just yet. Just a moment was all she needed before she planned on heading up to her apartment, where she knew her other three beloved Clones were waiting for her.
A hand reached up to the base of her neck to clutch the pendant that had been gifted to her by her lover. The same hand then fell to the bag at her side to affectionately touch the pin gifted to her by her little sister. Something squishy inside the bag caught her attention, and Hannah’s face lit up as she pulled out the Tooka doll gifted to her by Wrecker. Her gaze briefly caught a glimpse of the other gifts she’d placed in her bag, and she sighed happily as she clutched Tula the Tooka doll to her chest.
Out of everything she’d been given that day, the greatest gift Hannah reflected on was the group of people she’d chosen to surround herself with. Them being a part of her life was better than anything they could ever give her. She knew she would never be able to express that to them properly. But thankfully, gifts were something she loved to give as well as receive.
Hannah couldn’t wait to repay her loved ones’ generosity someday.
TO BE CONTINUED
#the bad batch#star wars the bad batch#self-insert#selfshipping#the fact that I wrote this without knowing what happens in season 2 DESTROYS me#if you know you know...#star warz#my storiez
0 notes
Note
Hi! Do you perhaps have any tips on how you make your comic? Like how you style the paneling/keep up motivation/how you draw the lineless backgrounds so well? I have a comic of my own and I’ve been thinking about ways to improve it lately n I really love yours n seeing how you draw everything!
Hi!
Personally I've been drawing comics for...a really long time, so most of the stuff I do is almost exclusively out of observed habit.
I'm not the best person to provide explanations; but I'll do what I can!
I should establish that I have ADHD which kind of skews how I work and what works for me might not always work for everyone else; but anyway!
1st; for motivation; know yourself, and your strengths and weaknesses.
I have adhd, and a tendency towards hyperfixation; When Hyperfixating, I work on the base concept, and all the important details so that I can save some of the hyperfixating for another day. THen when I start working, its more like a mechanical thing, and not a motivation thing. I know I need to do **something** all the time, so I use my burst of motivation to provide myself with a constant influx of work that I can work on even when unmotivated.
Since I have adhd I have absolutely no control on my own motivation, so I have to take precautions when working to keep up.
2nd: You are telling a story, not crafting a masterpiece. You should focus on making the comic clear, and easy to read, not worry about making art perfect. This is what a lot of comic artist stumble with. The art is not even half as important as the story. Perfection is unattainable, and you will improve as you go regardless. Speed and clarity are more important than making it look super pretty. Save that energy for very important segments.
For Technique, again, I work very differently, but generally speaking, research graphic design and colour theory. They're you're best friends in visual story telling. Your panels should lead the viewers eye to the next panel naturally. Assuming you're writing in English, a good rule of thumb is to go left to right, up to down. Speech bubbles are a huge help with flow. Unfortunately I struggle a lot with speech bubbles and dialogue so it may be worth seeking out resources elsewhere.
When it comes to the art style; its unfortunately not an easy question to answer. You just need to work with what works for you.
I have issues with object permanence, so I've resorted to painting all my backgrounds because that's how my brain process the world around me. creating strict shapes in backgrounds has always made me uncomfortable because I don't view the world in perfect shapes. It's all really just a matter of learning the techniques you need and want to use to create the visual impact you want. lineless backgrounds give me freedom to mess with shapes and colour and avoid frustrating myself with perfect lines and such. Again, this is something you'll have to work through yourself. My only advice is to look at the world around you and understand how you percieve it. If you are uncertain with your art skills, draw from reality and see how you interpret reality. That's usually a good method when it comes to creating a unique art style.
There are a lot of useful resources on youtube especially that give great advice on planning and executing the comics you want! You can also read comics and watch media you enjoy and study what they did well, and what you think could have been done better and how you would go about doing it better!
I hope that helps gosh this got...very long...
125 notes
·
View notes
Text
Okay, here we go, time to gather my rambly thoughts about Echoes of the Past!
Huh, from the trailer I figured this version of Eda was a lot younger.
More studious Luz, please. Also that doodle is so anime, I love it.
Lilith for Titan's sake put your glasses on
Why is Lulu and Hootcipher so good, tho? 😭 (yes, Luz, it is nice that they're friends)
Ooh, invisibility glyph! Em and Ed can never know about that one (though realistically they can probably already make things invisible considering their track)
"Don't ever do that again!" "Do that again!"
Also, King seems to have a shaky grasp on object permanence.
So Lilith's a history nerd, interesting...
That black eye really just came from the high five, huh? And yes, I am still stuck on that high five, it's so good. I'll need to find a gif of it at some point.
Let's not sleep on that roast from Lilith, though. You can tell Cissy has fun with lines like that.
Raving about tyrannical rule immediately followed by Luz cooing over King with belly rubs. Yep, this is The Owl House.
Jesus Christ, Lilith, you didn't need to be so savage
Luz's turn to be mom, I guess
"Hootrageous!" Dammit, now I want to see Hooty cosplay as Brave and the Bold Aquaman.
Oh hey, Hollow Knight and Piplup!
It doesn't seem like King should be able to grab the staves so casually, but eh.
You can tell Hooty has been waiting for a long time to be allowed to go somewhere. Also him detatching from the door is apparently as gross and horrifying as everyone was led to believe.
Hooty has no right to look so adorable in that little portable house, especially with the pulsating organs!
"Oh, no, not again!"
Okay what the hell is that bathtub thing, Eda?! You had that this whole time?!?!
Very convincing "aw," Lilith. 10/10.
This episode's gonna have some lore.
Hooty really just decided to be Lilith's bodyguard, love that for him.
Luz seems especially dedicated to indulging King this episode so far.
Hooty does have a point about the graffiti. It is quite nice.
I don't know why I keep being surprised by Lilith being cute, but I love it.
"With all the sugar I eat it better be!" More mounting evidence for @nikkydash 's moss mouth Luz theory.
I see Lulu and Hootcipher have reached the "sharing a single brain cell" stage of their friendship.
So apple blood really is just booze, huh? And they serve it to children in schools? Damn, the Demon Realm is hardcore.
Luz, no! You of all people should know not to split the party!
At least high fiving a dessicated corpse wasn't Luz's first instinct?
To quote Strong Bad: "Gross! I hate you! Gross! Gross! I hate you!"
I do love Eda's potion bandoleer. Very reminiscent of my artificer in D&D.
And nice to see Lilith's big sister instinct.
Backstory time!
Am I the only one who got film noir vibes from Eda's narration?
Boy, that curse does a number in the span of eight years, huh?
BABY KING HHEIKWKWJWHWG
So that's what happened to his horn!
Holy shit that's Dana voicing baby King, isn't it?!
I know Eda lied to King, but her telling the stories to King looks so cute.
Welp, that's heartbreaking.
Also, Alex Hirsch is a good voice actor, who knew? /s
"Is this what regret feels like? I HATE IT!" Future meme material.
Oh hi, guilty Luz. Haven't seen you in...*checks watch* five minutes.
King is so...shattered. 💔 (Bravo, Alex)
"Special delivery! P A I N"
I love everything about Hooty bazooka...Hootzooka!
Putting those invisibility glyphs to work. Very nice.
(Oh god I just realized that fanfic writers have been given a dangerous tool)
Hmm, maybe those "delusions of grandeur" weren't so delusional, after all...
Okay, creepy moon flesh thing, I hate you less now.
Ooh, future adventure hook!
Everyone looks so done with Hooty about that.
So that thing's name is Jean-Luc, huh. Bet I won't see any TNG references in the fandom. Nope. Not at all.
"All out of kisses." Amity will be so disappointed...
So. Many. Questions.
Final thing to note: this means King is only 8-9 years old, which means that younger sibling energy he gives off with Luz is justified.
Well, that was a great episode! Emotions and lore galore! I'm eager to meet Mama Clawthorne next week! Then again, considering what people have speculated about her, maybe I shouldn't be?
At any rate, I'll be chiming in once again next week!
#the owl house#king of demons#toh king#luz noceda#eda clawthorne#lilith clawthorne#toh hooty#echoes of the past#toh s2 spoilers#the owl house s2 spoilers#the owl house season 2 spoilers#toh spoilers#the owl house spoilers
106 notes
·
View notes
Note
Anakin taking care of you while you’re sick 👉👈
Anakin Skywalker x Sick!Reader Headcanons
Warnings: Sickness, mentions of vomiting but nothing detailed
Words: 1.5k
A/N: Anon, I hope you feel better if you’re sick!! Also so many of my friends aren’t feeling well, either! I know @beskar-tano and @artiza-n have been feeling shitty and @buckysbeloved and @anakinlove were feeling a little worse for wear, too, if I remember correctly. Wishing all of y’all (+ anyone else who might be feeling under the weather) fast recoveries!!
gif credit
Let me start this off by saying that Anakin does not get grossed out. He’s surrounded by dying soldiers everyday and when they’re deep on missions? Safe to say they don’t always have access to a nice refresher. So if you ever try and say you’re disgusting or he can’t see you because you feel too gross, he’s having none of that.
First, he reassures you that you’re beautiful. And it’s true, too. You could literally be on death’s door and Anakin would still think you’re the most gorgeous person he’s ever seen. And second, he’s just completely unphased.
He will literally stay by your side the entire time until you feel better and then for at least a good 48 hours afterward, wanting to make sure you’re back to your normal self.
The only time he’d leave is if you asked him to. He knows that sometimes you just feel really shitty and need to be alone. Most of all, he wants you to be comfortable. But if you do ask him to leave, he keeps close. He won’t go on missions and keeps his commlink on him at all times, just in case you need anything. And if he doesn’t hear from you in a while, he checks in to make sure you’re okay.
If you’re just being stubborn and/or it’s difficult for you to accept help even though you desperately want it, he can see through that. He knows you so well, he can tell if you actually want space or if you just don’t know how to ask for his comfort. And if it’s the latter, he gives you really easy outs. He’ll put it on him, saying “I’d feel a lot better if I was here, my love. I want to make sure you’re okay, is that alright?”
If you have a favorite piece of his clothing, he lets you wear it. This is not just when you’re sick, either. But if you’re not feeling great, he makes extra sure to wash it if it's not already clean and brings it over so you can have it.
Anakin gets nervous when you’re sick; he feels helpless and you’re normally so strong and now you’re weak and in pain and there’s nothing he can do to make it go away. To compensate, he’s constantly doing stuff for you. It helps him keep busy and he feels like he’s helping you, so it’s a natural solution.
Will bring you absolutely anything you ask for. And if you say you’re fine and that you don’t need anything, he’ll probably still bring you stuff. He makes sure you’re always stocked up with tissues, food, water, medicine, blankets, etc.
I headcanon Anakin as a good cook, at least with a few core recipes. One of the recipes he made sure to memorize is a really good soup. He asked you what your favorite one was one time randomly after you’d been dating for about a month because he wanted to file it away in his brain for whenever you’re sick. And now as soon as you give even one cough or sniffle, you better believe he’ll make it for you.
He basically babies you the entire time. You’re not lifting a finger until the sickness goes away. He’ll bring stuff to you or, if you’re cuddling with him, he floats it over with the Force. And if you absolutely need to go somewhere, he carries you.
He’ll rub your back or anywhere else you might be feeling achy. I’ve talked about it before and I shall reiterate: Anakin is amazing at massages. He uses his warm, flesh hand first to start to work into your muscles, getting them ready before using his metal hand to apply a bit more pressure and work out the knots.
If you’re throwing up, he’s in the refresher with you. He rubs your back and pulls your hair out of your face, giving you soft encouragement the whole time. “Get it out, it’s alright. You’re gonna be just fine, you’ll feel better afterward, okay? You just need to get it out of your system, love.” It’s quite soothing, especially if you’re the kind of person who hates vomiting.
Afterward, he knows that you might be feeling really clammy and weak. If you want, he’ll gently wash your skin to get the sweat off. He’ll let you lean into him as you brush your teeth or, honestly, he’s fine doing that for you, too.
Anakin will wait with you on the cold, tile floor for as long as you need. As soon as you feel okay enough to move or you fall asleep, he scoops you into his arms and carries you back to bed.
And if you’re throwing up at night or just overall feeling too sick to sleep, he stays up with you. He’s not going to let you be alone.
He’ll also tell you stories or just talk to you about whatever comes to mind to distract you. He doesn’t want you to spend all day just thinking about how horrible you feel so he tries to take your mind off it and entertain you whenever possible.
Once, when Anakin was making you some food in the kitchen, you decided to try and get up and go to the refresher alone. You made it a few steps before you were hit with an overwhelming wave of dizziness and lightheadedness and just quietly called Anakin’s name, unsure if he would even hear you. It was practically a reflex. But he did and he ran over immediately, bracing you against him to steady yourself as he called a chair over to him with the Force, firmly sitting you down.
He was so terrified when he saw your face draining of color and your body begin to crumple to the floor, he just hugged you and kissed the top of your head. He asked, “Why did you do that?! What would have happened if I didn’t hear you?!”
“I just… you’ve done so much for me and you were already making me food and I don’t know I thought I could do it…” You answer lamely, tears pricking in your eyes as you realize not only how flawed your logic is, but also that you made him worry.
Anakin notices and quickly hushes you. “It’s okay, I’m not mad. Just scared me, that’s all. But angel we’ve talked about this! I want to help you, I like that. And besides, if you’d fallen and cracked your head open you’d need a lot more help than a ride to the refresher, huh?”
You just nod against him and pull him closer to you. Because you’re sitting, he normally stands between your thighs and you hug his waist, pressing your face into his middle. He’ll hunch over a bit, rubbing up and down your back and your arms while pressing kisses to the top of your head.
If your throat is sore and it hurts to talk, you’re not talking. Anakin actually has a little fun with this one. Don’t get me wrong, he hates that you’re in pain, but he likes to tease you a bit. He’ll be like “Y/N, do you think I should swap Obi-Wan’s face wash with shampoo?” and you’re shaking your head but he just says “Oh, I guess I can’t hear any objections...”
But then you’ll croak out a “Anakin, no!” And he’s immediately “Shh! Don’t talk, you'll hurt your vocal chords!! I wouldn’t have done it anyway!! Stop talking!! Not until you feel better!!”
If you have a headache, he’ll let you rest your head in his lap. He uses the Force to close the blinds and turn off the lights and makes sure to talk in an extra quiet tone. He’s calmly petting your hair with his flesh hand while massaging your scalp with the metal one. He’ll also massage your temples, doing so until you feel enough relief to sleep.
He also constantly brings you cold compresses for your forehead, especially if you’re feverish. He gets you to lay down in bed and then he’ll sit beside you, one hand holding the compress to you and the other gently tracing patterns on your skin.
Sometimes, you’re sick and emotional and the pain is really overwhelming. He gets this and if crying is going to help you, he wants you to. He’ll hold you in his arms, still, not wanting to worsen any of the symptoms by rocking you. And he’s so encouraging.
“Let it out, my love. There you go, it’s okay. I know it hurts, I know,” He’ll coo, “Baby I know, I’m so sorry. I’ve got you, you can cry, it’s okay.”
And once you’re done he continues to hold you, cuddling you for the rest of the day.
Also, Anakin will literally hold and kiss you the entire time. Mans is not worried about catching anything from you. And if you ever say “No, Ani, you’ll get sick!!” He just “no I won’t”
But, if you’re really serious, he’ll refrain from kissing your lips. That’s okay, though! More forehead and top of the head kisses for you <3
He’s just really accommodating and kind. He hates seeing you sick and in pain and just wants to shower you with love and care and affection until it goes away.
-----
the link to join my taglist is in my pinned! if you would like to be taken off, dm me!
permanent tags:
@saltybreaddream @buckysbeloved @lolquarth @sodaoverstars @artiza-n @poesflygirl
anakin tags:
@anakinswhore @kennedywxlsh @coldlilheart @adamgetawaydriver @chokemeanakin @gayidioot @starwars-whore @katelynnwrites @haydens-moles @serpntines @anakinlove @rowley-with-ackerman @dexthtoyounglings @babykinskywalker @cluelessgurl @april-showers-and-flowers @ungodiys @beiroviski @captainshazamerica @alyssa-skywalker @mystic-writings @thejediuniverse @anakinravageme @cafeoiogy @dracowars @idkyouu1800c3 @luminara123
#megan writes#anakin skywalker x reader#anakin skywalker imagines#anakin skywalker x y/n#anakin skywalker fanfiction#anakin skywalker fanfic#anakin skywalker x you#anakin skywalker imagine#anakin x reader#anakin imagines#anakin x y/n#anakin x you#anakin fanfiction#anakin fanfic#anakin skywalker x gender neutral reader#anakin skywalker x gn!reader#anakin x gender neutral reader#anakin x gn!reader#anakin fluff#sick reader#sick fic
303 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
archicorner
Archicorner
archicorner
Archicorner
vronskyalexey
Uuuuuuuuuu Maciiiii
katekatebear
sunshine & the bear
rananaps
(੭•̀ω•́)੭̸*✩⁺˚