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#spoilers: its not great and only caused more confusion
betawooper · 2 years
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i think it makes sense if genya is one of the few exceptions who never actually properly learned how to do jsl
but not bc gyomei was blind, no no, he was just too much of a brat to actually pay attention to the lessons
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i am confused
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Making this its own separate post + expanding on it so it doesn’t get lost in the quagmire that is the book 7 part 8 update 💀
Feel free to let me know your own thoughts or theories too, I’m just rambling here.
***Spoilers below the cut!!***
So like… Is anyone else confused as to how Silver can use his UM Meet in a Dream so many times with NO ONE making a comment about how he's building up a considerable amount of blot???????
Vargas Camp seems to suggest that using one's UM typically uses up a considerable amount of magic compared to a non-UM spell. (The boys felt it would be dangerous to cast UM without at least a sizable magestone.) This is not true of all UMs though; Kalim's Oasis Maker, for example, allows him to offer up a small amount of magic to produce a great amount of water. So let's say for argument's sake that Silver's UM is similar to Kalim's and does not require a ton of magic per use. (Edit: this detail is confirmed true in the recent update.)
But??? That still doesn't make a ton of sense???? Silver was in constant battles against Silver Owls while in Lilia's dream, meaning he is physically being chipped away at. No matter how physically fit, capable, or well-trained he is, Silver is only human and his stamina and perseverance has its limits. He also suffered immense emotional distress in Lilia's dream after realizing that he is the son of the man who killed Malleus's mother ON TOP of having doubts that he is worthy of Lilia's love AND fixating on how no matter how hard he tries, he can never truly "pay back" his father. I guess it can be argued that the pixies healed them on their trek (+ there was that one scene where Lilia and co. rest in a Silver Owls camp) and that Silver "got over" his feelings after Sebek shouted at him about how much Silver is loved... Even then, that's not really a good explanation??? Silver climbed up those daunting mountains surrounding Castle Blackscale--mountains which have oppressive magic that harms humans. This is POST-pixie encounter, so he'd still be walking in with damage from that, not to mention the blow of lightning magic he took from Maleanor???? I'd also think that while Sebek's pep talk (well, pep shout) helped clear Silver's head, it wouldn't invoke a sudden character change on the spot; Silver would no doubt still have lingering feelings and would need time to properly sort them out and reconcile with them. They haven't been addressed in full yet, at least not until Silver can like get some closure on his own terms, maybe by sitting down and talking with Lilia about everything they learned. (That's definitely a topic for post book 7 though.) Now think about how many times Silver is expected to use his UM. At minimum, he has already used it 4 times (to show up in Yuu's dream, then to hop into Sebek's dream, then Lilia's, then Idia's). In the most recent update, Silver has used it no less than an additional 4 times (to jump from Idia's dream to Epel's, then to Rook's, then to Vil's, then to presumably a Scarabia boy's which is where the next update will likely pick up). THAT'S ALREADY 8 TIMES????? And he has like 11 or 12 more dreams to visit, including having to jump back to Idia’s dream and then prep for fighting Malleus???? It's like 20 times Silver is expected to use his UM, with very little down time in between because... oh yeah, TWISTED WONDERLAND IS ABOUT TO HAVE ETERNAL NAP TIME IF THEY DON'T HURRY TF UP 🤡 That's not even mentioning the increased loads each time Silver casts his UM (since they're collecting students like Pokemon to gang up on Malleus). If previous UMs imply anything, more people should make it more difficult to pull off a spell. Ruggie had to use a magic-enhancing potion to control a whole statium, Cater is strained the more clones he creates at any given time. Jamil's hypnosis magic cast upon a group causes him to accumulate blot so much faster. Shouldn't this be a major concern for Silver??????? Should I be concerned for Silver????????
Don't get me wrong, I love that we're able to dream hop and see what each of the main cast characters are dreaming of, but 💦 I don't know if I should be worried or not about Silver's health???????? Because I could see why the devs would just hand wave it off in this instance (cuz how else are they going to travel to each dream and save the world? They're kind of on a time crunch here...), but at the same time I can see it going the other way and sort of breaking immersion?? Unless this is all intentional and they're going to jumpscare us with a Silver OB or him struggling against it later in book 7 💀 (I mean... the guy hasn't gotten his limited SSR for book 7 yet, so maybe it'll be related to this???)
Or is it just possible for him to break the limits of his magic since this is a dream...? We’ve seen other characters OB at will and be able to seemingly stay rational while in that form... but if that's the case, then why does Silver still feel tired and physically worn down in Lilia's dream after fighting so much? Why do they worry about taking too many hits and actually dying within the dreams? Can't he theoretically stay at "perfect" health after using his magic so much???
Does it not count as using “real” magic since they’re in a dream and therefore have much more flexibility in how they spellcast?? Or is it that it’s their dream!selves casting so it’s not real magic since it’s not their physical forms spellcasting…? Is blot accumulation slowed since Silver is technically sleeping and rest helps with healing from blot?? But then how does that impact their real bodies if at all?
I DON'T KNOW, I'M CONFUSED OTL
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youraverageaemondsimp · 7 months
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Incomprehensible Horror. // Demon!Aemond Targaryen x Fem!Reader
Halloween Special 🎃
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MDNI, DD:DNE(?): reader discretion is advised.
block the tag #MAE:DARK!CONTENT to prevent seeing dark content from me.
WARNINGS: dubcon, cunnilingus, demon fucking(?), p in v sex, past life, mentions of abuse, plotting, murder, multiple orgasms, oral (f. receiving), size kink, cum eating, slight breeding kink, spooky vibes(?), manhandling, so much canon divergence, GoT S8 spoilers(?) kinda idk, the plot is shifted and extremely altered to fit this story. + not proofread
WC: 3.8k
A/N: the original draft got deleted and i had to rewrite it because I wanted to publish this before Halloween is over, so this is slightly rushed :(
There was something extremely eerie about the red keep that always set you on the edge whenever you would hear stories about it.
The burnt down remnants of it untouched as the city around it prospered, only developing more as the time passed on, with skyscrapers, branded shops, turning into what you would call a 'modern city'.
King's Landing was not the way it was anymore, the destruction of it provided a reason to rebuild the city entirely, it was a lengthy process but definitely worth it.
A seemingly innocent city until you look past the sky scrapers, shops, etc, revealing a sinister and a tragic history of the land, a story that involves a royal family fighting and going mad for the throne, only to succumb to their madness and go extinct.
There have been many attempts in the past to rebuild it, but all in vain as there have been cases of construction accidents, fatal injuries, suicides, making it impossible to rebuild it, so they turned it into a tourist attraction.
What a way to make money.
Yet they close it off the moment the sun begins to set.
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You had visited it a lot, having been living in King's Landing for a while, it was basically harmless, making you wonder why it was rumoured to be haunted, when it's just a disfigured building with half of its structure on the ground.
It was a casual weekday for you, returning to your apartment from work after the sun had long set, you took the elevator up the building, the music abruptly coming to a stop way before you reached your floor, leaving you confused, but you soon broke out of your confusion when you heard the familiar 'ding' indicating that you reached your floor, and as soon as you left the elevator the automatic doors slammed quickly, causing a loud sound, startling you.
It seemed as if the elevator was having technical difficulties.
You make a mental note to take the elevator less often until it is fixed.
You quickly scurry to the side of your apartment, pulling the keys out and pushing it into the lockhole, turning it, which opens the door, but you stumble over something and lose your balance, holding the wall for support to not fall until you finally push yourself back onto your feet and look down.
It was a package.
But you had not ordered anything.
Weirdly enough, there was no address.
You should've left it there.
But you took it inside.
Your curiosity got the best of you, and the package not having any address only further fuelled your justification for opening it.
It was a book.
An occult type of book to be exact.
You opened it and skimmed through the pages, it seemed more like a personal diary than an instruction based book for spells.
And it was convincing enough at first until you read a certain page.
“Go to the ruins of the red keep at 3AM, and chant this, 'Oh rōvēgrie zaldrīzes dārilaros, māzigon naejot se iōragon gō nyke, ivestragī aōha kasta se melkasta laesi jurnegon rȳ nyke, iksan isse jorrāelagon hen aōha dohaeragon, kesan krenyikhé tepagon mirros ao jaelagon' for a miracle!” (Oh great dragon prince, come forward and stand before me, let your blue and purple eyes look at me, I am in need of your help, I will gladly give anything you wish.)
This made you chuckle, what kind of prank was this? This was so badly written to the point of making any paranoia you felt about this book dissipate immediately.
I mean, chanting spells? to summon a dead prince? it made you laugh, and of course the location was the red keep, a place rumoured to be haunted. It couldn't not be more obvious than that, because whatever this was, was clearly a joke.
So you pushed the book aside and settled for bed.
Sleep did not come to you.
Which you found odd.
You would usually be extremely tired, and the moment you lay on the bed, you would be pulled under the depth of slumber.
Yet now you squirmed, not being able to find any sleep.
You don't know how many hours passed, making you frustrated.
And your mind wandered off to what you had read earlier.
You glanced at the time, it read 2AM.
You purse your lips in thought, not knowing what to do.
You got up from your bed.
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You knew this was a bad idea, sneaking into the red keep, with the stupid book in your hand as you navigated through the building, and then you ended up in a room with a bunch of paintings of the past targaryens.
You set the book down and kneeled, looking at the verse you were supposed to chant out loud, you bought out your phone and looked at the time, it read 2:59AM.
One more minute.
You did not know why you were doing this, normally, you were a rational person, you usually don't let your curiosity win in situations like this, having control over it, but in this case, it seems you had lost all your control, and it seemed as your mind is being controlled to do whatever was written on that page.
Besides, it's not like anything would happen.
It seemed fake after all.
Trying doesn't hurt.
You never really believed in ghosts or demons yourself, so what were you scared of?
And so as soon as the time read 3AM, you chanted the saying out loud.
You waited.
And waited.
You looked at the time, 3:10AM.
Nothing happened.
You let out a scoff, what did you expect? A demon to appear?
You collected the book and left the scene, annoyed that nothing happened, but you were also glad nothing happened at the same time.
The air felt colder than before, and lights seemed to flicker constantly whenever you crossed a street light, everything seemed out of place and odd, the buildings looked distorted.
Was your paranoid finally getting to you?
You felt a chill run up your spine.
It felt as if someone whispered in your ear, causing you to jump and look back, only to find nothing.
This was setting you on edge, you quickly walked faster back to your apartment, you frowned when you saw the "out of order" sign on the elevator, knowing that it was not there when you used it to come down prior to your visit to the red keep.
You sighed heavily and took the stairs, climbing to the floor you lived in, but for an odd reason, the stairs seemed to go on for longer, the more you climbed, the more they went on, you did not know if you were seeing things for feeling that way simply cause you were spooked, but you know for a fact that climbing 7 floors should not take more than 10 minutes at a slow pace, and yet here you were still climbing at a fast pace yet the stairs seemed to be never ending, you did not know if you were hallucinating the scribbled out floor numbers assigned to the respective floors or if they were originally like that before.
You looked down the stairwell, and it only seemed as if you climbed 3 floors, which left you baffled. You ran up as fast as you could, and to your relief you saw the '7th floor' on the board, indicating you were on your floor. You sighed in relief, making your way to your apartment, you did your best to ignore the constant flicker of lights, and what seemed like a dark figure standing from the corner of your eyes, the keys fumbled in your hands, it took you a few tries to unlock the door and when you did, you saw the figure move towards you, so you quickly rushed inside and slammed the door shut behind you.
You leaned against the door breathing heavily, closing your eyes and taking deep breaths, to try and calm your mind. You cannot tell if this was just your mind playing tricks because you're so worked up, or something odd is actually happening, but you know for the fact that whatever you were seeing was real.
Your apartment suddenly starts smelling putrid, making you scrunch up your nose. The smell was unbearable, as if thousands of dead rats were in your apartment, decaying away. It made you want to throw up, the foul scent leaving you light headed as you went towards your bedroom, to access the attached bathroom.
Luckily for you, the bedroom smelled like it usually would instead of dead rats, so you took a deep breath of the normal air, the nausea beginning to slowly fade away.
“For what have you summoned me, mortal?” a deep voice says, making you freeze in your spot, you turn around and your eyes widen in horror, as you take in the sight in front of you.
The face of a goat with horns, and scales that belonged to a dragon running down its upper body, stopping at it's elbows, black fluid dripping from its body, covering it's most intimate area, and its legs covered in scales as well, your voice was stuck in your throat, not being able to scream as the sheer panic made it unable to.
It looks confused at your horror filled face before looking down to its body and sighing annoyedly, and then its body distorts, the sound of bones cracking, flesh turning and squeezing, you watch the entire thing happen, the way its body is changing shape until it stops, making your breath hitch in your throat.
It took the form of a human man, face now mimicking a normal human, yet it was also disfigured, with a scar running up his cheek to his eyebrow, and an eye patch on his left eye, before he took it off, revealing the sapphire placed in the eye socket. His gaze was piercing, staring daggers at you, as he grew visibly frustrated at your silence.
“Can't you speak?” his voice booms across the room, causing you to snap out of your fear, and finally answer him, “I-it was an accident, I didn't mean to.” you answer and that displeases him, face now carrying the expression of a scowl.
“You followed as the book had instructed, did you not?” he asks and you nod, “Then it is no accident.”
“I did not think it would actually work, it was my mistake, please its an accident-” your voice cracks, still trying to process what was happening, trying to form words that made sense. He pushed you against the wall, his hand wrapped around your throat, long sharp nails digging into the skin of your neck, restricting the passage of air as you struggled in his grip, “On accident you say? Then you must pay the price for wasting my time.” he said darkly, and released you, causing you to fall to the ground, coughing and taking lungfuls of air.
“Should I kill you and then take your soul? Or take your soul directly and watch as the light fades from your eyes, screaming and writhing in agony in my hold.” he ponders genuinely and you gulp in fear, tears welling up in your eyes, knowing that something stupid is now costing you your life. “Please forgive me- I did not mean for any of this to happen.” you beg, voice hoarse.
“Forgive you? You should not have stifled me to begin with, now you must pay the price for your own stupidity, what shall I do hmm? My time is incredibly precious after all.” he looks down at you and you quiver in fear.
He grabs your hair and pulls you to your feet, making you stand, his hot breath fans against your face as you look up at him, and then he scans your face, taking in your features and then his eye widens as if he realised something.
And then he smiles, the grip in your hair becoming even tighter, causing you to wince in pain, “Please- let go of me- I'm sorry.” you grip his hand, trying to make him let go of the hold he has on you, “Aemond- please.” and that's when he releases you.
“Ah, so you do remember me.” he says, amused and you look at him confused, “Huh? What do you mean?” you ask him genuinely and that's when you realised you called him Aemond, it came out so naturally to the point you did not notice it.
But you still had no idea what just occurred.
Who's Aemond?
He grabs your cheeks, “I had waited so many years.”
What is he talking about?
“I won't lose you this time.” he says and before you can respond, he presses his lips against yours, one hand wrapped around your waist as the other holds the back of your head, pressing your face against him.
Your head felt hazy all of a sudden.
Why does all of this feel familiar?
You don't protest when he pushes you on the bed, climbing on top of you, you just stare at him, blinking in confusion as he tears away at your clothing, “Oh how the fashion has changed overtime, I remember last time you were wearing a black gown, mourning the death of your husband.” he whispers in your year and you feel ringing in your ear.
“What an amazing actress you were, mourning him in such a convincing way, only to get fucked by me after the funeral.” his hands trail down your body, “Such good memories, to have you underneath me, moaning my name constantly like a prayer, you were the first woman I ever desired after my death, the one who broke my curse, letting me become a true demon, it was on accident too back then.” he chuckles, he grips your pants, tearing the fabric as if it were paper.
“Until they found out of course, that you conspired with a demon, and planned the murder of your own husband.” his voice turns dark, and the ringing in your ear gets louder, your mind spins. “I remember not being able to do anything as they burned you alive at the sept, sigils placed around you to prevent me from interfering, to watch your flesh on fire as you screamed in agony, screamed my name in pain and it was then I swore that I would destroy that city.” he growled darkly.
“And so I did, possessing my own descendant and burning the city down, not too long after your passing.” he recalls with a satisfied smirk on his face, “Do you still remember my full name?” he looks at you and the ringing suddenly stops, and everything seemed to be spinning around you, his face becomes blurry and your head begins to hurt, eyes beginning to water as you feel that you were set on fire, letting out a loud scream at the sheer amount of pain coursing through your body as memories you didn't recognize flowed through your mind, you writhing below him in pain, letting out loud cries, “Shh..” he caresses your head and suddenly the pain stops, making you breath heavily, making you close your eyes.
“Aemond Targaryen.” you hear your own voice speak and you open your eyes to look at him, he has a smirk on his face, a small smile grazes your face as well, lifting your hand up to caress his cheek, pulling his face towards you to kiss you, lips engulfing his, you breathe in his scent, and he suddenly doesn't smell putrid anymore, but instead of cloves and ash.
“Fucking cunts, all of them, they remained silent all throughout the time i was abused by him, but the moment I get my own revenge, they burnt me alive.” you say after pulling away from the kiss, gritting your teeth.
You felt so confused with yourself.
Both memories of your past life and current life clashing against each other, fighting for dominance, to decide who you were.
“It's over my love, I burnt them all down.” he kisses down your neck, to your breasts, and down to your cunt, pressing kisses to your inner thighs. You smile at him, spreading your legs wide for him to settle freely and latch his lips onto your clit, making you throw your head back when you feel his tongue move skillfully against the bundle of nerves, you grip his hair, shoving his face further into your cunt.
“Fuck- you taste the same as I remember, I missed this cunt so much, seven hells.” he curses, licking away at your cunt, you moan as his sharp teeth grazes your clit. “Watch your teeth-” you whimper, feeling his fingers prod at your entrance, before gently pushing them in. He pulls away from your cunt and watches his own fingers be engulfed by your cunt as he thrusts them in and out, he groans at the sight, wishing it was his cock plunging inside you. “Goodness gracious, you're so fucking divine.” he murmers before latching on your cunt again, tongue swirling against your bud.
You feel the band in your stomach, “Aemond, I'm cumming- I'm- fuck-!” you reach your peaking on his hands, back arched as the orgasm ripples through your body. You breath heavily and watch aemond climb up, his knees on the mattress of your bed as he bends your legs, your knees pressing to your chest.
You watch as he grabs his cock, your eyes widening at the sheer size of it before flitting over to his own, he smirks, “Aemond it won't fit-” you whine but he shushes you, “You took it with no problem before, tis the same.” he lines in up against your entrance, “But still-”
“Remember when we did it the first time, you said it wouldn't fit? Only to have you crying and cumming all over my cock like a common whore.” he says and you sigh, remembering the memory.
He slowly pushes his cock inside you, taking his own time, throwing his head back in pleasure, “Seven hells, you feel so fucking good, the gods be damned.” he grunts, feeling pleasure at the way your cunt is wrapped around him so perfectly. You grip the sheets below you for support, clenching your eyes shut as you try to adjust to him.
He grabs a hold of your legs, throwing them over his shoulder before he grabs your hips and starts thrusting in and out of you, making your body jolt up and down the bed at the force. Your moans of his name soon fill the room, and he moans too, closing his eye in pleasure as he continuously shoves his cock in and out of you.
He opens his eye to look down, only to smirk when he sees the outline of his cock in your lower abdomen whenever he thrusts fully inside, he presses a hand against it and you squirm, the pleasure amplifying, making your toes curl.
He leans down, causing your legs to fall off his shoulder and be pushed up against your chest one more, his long black tongue enters inside your mouth, extending far back into your throat making you gag before he pulls it back, finally letting both your lips meet. Your hands shoot up to his hair pushing him against you, he hums in satisfaction. His scales are back on his body, along with his horns, partly turning into his demonic form, you feel him grow in size, both height and mass, and eventually down there, which rips an orgasm from you, wetness flowing down your hole and dirtying the sheets and you choke on your own spit at the sudden peak.
He pulls out, and you look at him in confusion, knowing he didn't peak yet, but soon the confusion is replaced with anticipation as he flips you around onto your stomach, your body knows what to do immediately and you support yourself on your arms and knees. Aemond doesn't waste another moment before pushing himself inside you, letting out a loud moan when he feels you clench around him.
His pace is brutal and fast, only seeming to care about his own pleasure, he grabs you by your hair and tugs on it, causing you to curve your head backward but not lean back, he's fucking you like an animal in heat, the size difference making it easy to manhandle you as he wishes.
He soon feels his peak arriving after pounding into you like a madman, and he spills himself deep inside you, cumming so much to the point it makes you feel bloated and so full, you whine when you feel his pull out. He watches as his seed leaks out of you, gathering it with his index finger and tasting it, humming at it.
“I wish my seed takes.” he mutters.
He turns you on your back again, and holds your legs wide and spread apart, and spits on your cunt, before leaning down, holding your thighs apart and once again presses his warm mouth against your cunt, only this time he shoves his long tongue down your hole, you can feel him licking around there, eating up his own spend, and that's when he flicks his tongue upwards inside you, grazing your gspot and your thighs shut around his head, trying to prevent him from making you cum again, too overstimulated and tired.
“Aemond- another time, please- I'm so tired.” you whine, your eyes closing, and he listens to you, pulling away, withdrawing his tongue from inside of you. He climbs next to you in bed, shifting into his full human form again and pulling you close.
“I won't let anyone take you away from me now.” he murmurs in your ear and you nod, turning and snuggling close to him.
There were so many questions left unanswered.
Each and everything was an odd occurrence.
From the encounter of the package to you summoning a demon, who turned out to be the one you loved & fucked in your past life, even conspiring with him to kill your abusive husband, and to fucking him again, and now laying safely wrapped in his arms.
Who was the one that sent you the package then?
Just then you remember an odd event.
You remembered the text and pictures of the book with a bunch of spells and summoning rituals, you hadn't noticed it then but it was the same handwriting as yours.
It was your diary.
And you remember losing it the day right before you were burnt to death.
And you remember writing the words you had heard in your dream, confused back then as what "3AM" meant.
You did not want to dwell on this anymore.
Because you realised that it would drive into madness.
And so, you drifted off into slumber in the arms of your beloved.
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writingismyfortune · 7 months
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prized possession | dan heng || honkai star rail one shot
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published on october 22nd, 2023.
pairing: dan heng x reader
genre: fluff, with a sprinkle of jelly + possessive dan heng
word count: who knows at this point, but it is kind of short anyway.
synopsis: your boyfriend, dan heng, gets jealous over you talking with another guy that he doesn’t know. that’s the gist of it.
warning: lowercase is intended! there might be some spoilers if you are not caught up with dan heng IL’s lore. dan heng IL has me on my KNEES fr. i’m aware that “the guy that should not be named rn” and dan heng know each other. they just don’t know each other in this story.
it is a normal day in the xianzhou lufou, with the clear, sunny skies shining with glory.
along with a great number of cycranes soaring in the skies and the residents’ chattering the day away, xianzhou lufou is clearly a nation specializing in business. new ships arrive at the docks of xianzhou lufou as well, dropping off raw materials and such. starskiffs also does the same, picking up materials from xianzhou lufou and shipping them to a different places around the world. trade is one of the many reasons why the xianzhou lufou businesses flourish.
although it is the complete opposite in sclaegorge waterscape, a location that is a part of xianzhou lufou. this place is mostly secluded and not many people go here. however, it is a place that withholds xianzhou’s history. it is the place where dan feng was reincarnated into dan heng, the person he is now.
at the moment, dan heng is meditating near a pond in scalegorge waterscape, its own quietness and tranquility is pleasant to him. the sounds of water rippling from a nearby waterfall is also relaxing to listen to.
dan heng recalls how he and bailu explored many different parts of xianzhou lufou to discover more lore about dan feng, his past incarnation. he has to stand in the shadow of dan feng for the rest of his life, but he has come to accept this fact. it is something he can’t change, however, he is aware that he is his own person. this new revelation has unlocked a new perspective of his life. for once, he is alright with how his life is heading right now.
while he was meditating, he notices a familiar figure in the distance. or perhaps, he senses a similar feeling that he knows all too well. in other words, he is acknowledging their presence. when he opens his eyes and observes his surroundings, he sees you. however, you don’t seem to notice him yet.
why is that the case?
well, that’s because you were communicating with someone, that someone being another guy. someone that dan heng doesn’t entirely know. for some reason, he has a strong urge to protect you from this man, especially when this man is carrying a large coffin.
hearing you laugh because of what the unknown man has said caused an uncomfortable jab in his chest. seeing you smile because of another reason besides him makes him feel anxious and uneasy. he tries to meditate again to calm down his frantic mind, but the thought of you being with another guy makes him shake in his boots.
is he jealous? no way. he trusts you enough to know that you wouldn’t cheat behind his back. so why does he feel so tense when he sees you with this guy? he figures that it is one of your colleagues, but you two seem closer than that.
in fact, this guy is far more handsome than he is. with his luscious golden hair and his light green eyes. it’s only natural that he feels…anxious about this, right?
he’s afraid of losing you after all. he loves you too much to let you go.
and so, while you were casually conversing with this tall, handsome guy, you suddenly feel something wrapped around your waist protectively. looking down for a second, you see a turquoise-colored tail that you know all too well.
the guy that you were talking to was also astonished and confused by dan heng’s sudden appearance. he seems intrigued though as if he is aware that he knows who dan heng is.
looking back up at dan heng, you raise an eyebrow at dan heng. it’s like you’re silently asking him what is he doing, completely unaware of how tense he is right now. in fact, you are slightly taken aback by his sudden appearance as well since he just appears out of nowhere. you didn’t even hear his footsteps!
your guy friend introduces himself politely.
“greetings, kind sir. i’m luocha, a merchant from a foreign land.” he does a polite bow as well to express how genuine he is.
“you’re more than a merchant, luocha. your expertise on herbal medicine is fascinating.” you comment, a bit amused that luocha is actually introducing himself to dan heng. dan heng knows that you’re just being nice by praising him like that, but that statement made him a little insecure, deep down.
“you’re not wrong, i am skilled in herbal medicine and help those in need.” luocha chuckles, he nods in agreement. you only sigh and tell your boyfriend that you are helping luocha collect some herbs for pharmaceutical purposes.
dan heng slightly becomes less tense when you clarified luocha's statement. perhaps dan heng is still iffy about luocha, but he trusts you enough that luocha is telling the truth.
luocha then briefly tells you that he will see you later because he has some other matters to attend to. it seems like he knows that he is making dan heng uncomfortable for some unknown reason. he’s being considerate. in addition, luocha has a hunch that dan heng was silently telling him that you belong to him.
after all, he knows that vidyaharas are loyal, but territorial creatures.
when luocha leaves with his giant coffin, you also tell him your farewell. the grip from dan heng’s tail tightens a little, as if he doesn’t want you going anywhere right now. noticing this, you wonder why dan heng is so tense around luocha.
giving him a hug, you want to soothe his nerves. dan heng, a bit taken aback by this, immediately calms down when he feels your warmth and closeness.
you always know how to calm his anxieties. however, he is still insecure, but he decides that he will keep them quiet. he thinks that he shouldn’t worry your pretty little head about it.
his tail wraps around your body in multiple ways, entrapping you in his tail like a warm blanket. his tail is always very gentle and comfortable to you. the end of his tail starts ticking your cheek. you can feel how fluffy it is.
dan heng hugs you back, but his arms hug you such a way that he is protecting you from danger, even though there isn’t anything dangerous in scalegorge waterscape right now.
it’s like he is telling others to back off, just like what he did to luocha. without you noticing, he was staring down at luocha in the most subtle way possible. perhaps that is the real reason why luocha left. but you wouldn’t know that, would you? he thinks that it is only natural that he wants to protect you because he cherishes you deeply. this isn’t entirely wrong, is it?
you are his. he is yours. makes sense, right?
“where did you come from, dan heng?” you ask dan heng out of the blue, he did just pop out of nowhere while you were walking around xianzhou lufou with luocha.
“i do come to scalegorge waterscape sometimes. after all, it’s a place that holds many memories of my past life. i just saw you with luocha while i was meditating.” dan heng explains. it makes sense. dan heng then tightens his hug around you, not wanting to let you go yet.
“do you know why luocha carries that coffin everywhere? who is in that coffin?” dan heng then asks you a question, a bit tense about what you are going to say. you raise your eyebrows at this question, not even considering the fact why luocha is carrying a coffin in the first place.
“you know, i never thought of that.” you said. dan heng looks at you with one of his eyebrows raising now, a bit surprised that you didn’t think of that. dan heng then looks a little cautious, his expression looks genuinely concerned.
“i have a feeling that luocha is more than he meets the eye.” dan heng says with a hint of caution. “you should just avoid him at all costs, [your name]. what if he hurts you?” he adds.
“well, luocha can also be a mortician, which is why he is carrying that coffin around.” you exclaim. that’s the most logical explanation, but dan heng is still tense about this.
he didn’t like that you are friends with luocha. he doesn’t even trust luocha right now. is he being understandably cautious or overly paranoid? whatever it is, he doesn’t like the idea of you hanging around with luocha.
“a merchant, a doctor, and a mortician? can someone have that many occupations?”
“that’s a fair argument,” you replied. rubbing your chin in thought, you think about other reasons why luocha would carry a coffin around everywhere.
“[your name], i think you should just stay away from him for now on. i don’t trust him.”
“now you just sound jealous.” you respond with a hint of playfulness in your tone.
“i’m not jealous. i’m just making sure my girlfriend stays safe.” dan heng says.
“sure, keep telling yourself that.” you said, your teasing tone clearly distinct in your voice.
dan heng sighs in frustration, realizing that he can’t really change your mind. maybe he is jealous, but would he admit it to your face? no.
“i’m not jealous, i swear.”
“are you sure? would you like me to provide evidence that led me to this conclusion?”
burying his face into your shoulder, his cheek gently nuzzles with the skin of your neck. his cyan horns are close to your face now, seeing how sturdy they look up close. his horns emit a soft turquoise colored light. it’s barely noticeable right now, but it is there.
“that’s not necessary. i am just afraid of losing you, dear.”
“so you are jealous?”
“good riddance.” he sighs again and his turquoise colored tail continues to embrace you warmly. his arms are still around you too. after all, this is a very comfortable position to dan heng. you are always a good person to hug thanks to your soft skin and your gentle nature. in fact, the hug becomes more firmer and gentle, as if he doesn’t want to let you go out of his sight.
lightly chuckling in amusement, you rub dan heng’s back softly.
“your response just revealed your answer, honey,” you said gently. good aeons, dan heng loves it when you refer to him as cute nicknames like that.
“it’s only natural that i want to protect who i love though.” dan heng retorts back. you hum in thought, knowing that is a good explanation.
you are a gemstone that is more precious to a diamond, a gemstone that outshines the other gemstones. you are the only gemstone he has eyes on. you are perfect in his eyes. he is lucky that he found you first.
you are his and he is yours.
no one else will take you away from him, and no one else will take him away from you.
after all, you are his prized possession.
end of one shot. next chapter: n/a
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qin shi huang with yoriichi tsugikuni!fem!reader headcanons
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warnings: spoilers from manga, ooc, slow burn friends-to-lovers troupe
Special thanks to @onecantsimply, @yellow-snark and @thatstrangesheep for their feedback and help with these headcanons! Enjoy! :)
Even in death, Qin Shi Huang was an emperor whom everyone respected as the ‘king who began everything’. He had reunited the annexed nations of China, a guiding light who led his people bringing peace and prosperity after almost a millennium of strife. Now, within the vast afterlife known as Valhalla, he reigned over a substantial amount of territory alongside his successors, working as a cohesive council when conflict arose.
Today, however, he has come to handle the problem on his own terms. For the last two months, men, women, and even children have gone missing from the foot of the northeastern mountains. Given the harsh environment, it is not too odd to believe that the cause of their disappearance might be an attack from a wild animal, angering the spirits who guard the terrain, or just simply got lost.
But the disemboweled bodies told the emperor a different story: there is a beast devouring his people, and it is certainly not a bear. For a split moment, Qin Shi Huang feared that Chi You had somehow returned from beyond its miserable grave and had come back to take revenge on the ‘insolent whelp’ who would not bow before its bony knees as payment for being accepted as an emperor of China.
If that were truly the case, though, there would be more corpses strewn about the mountain base than the current number of victims. Qin Shi Huang had already defeated the god, and he will do it again to protect his subjects. Such is the road he leads as an emperor, after all~.
So imagine his surprise when he comes across a six-armed being with pasty skin and glowing golden sclera, hunched over the corpse of a man cradling his child. It was not Chi You, but a demon. A demon that was the stuff of legends many years ago, only for them to suddenly vanish and become nothing more than a bedtime story to keep children from sneaking off at night.
And now, here is the great emperor, face-to-face with this drooling beast. Qin Shi Huang frowned, bending his sinewy body into an offensive position. Just when he was about to launch an attack, his opponent’s head rolled off its shoulders. He blinked, watching the demon’s body collapse onto the grass, twitching rapidly before disintegrating into dust. Hm? He hadn’t even moved! Unless the presence of an emperor is that powerful before a demon that it self destructs?
“Are you all right?” Qin Shi Huang then saw a figure standing where the demon had been, sword unsheathed. At first glance, she seemed like an ordinary traveler by the way she dressed, but the emperor knew that she was certainly not an ordinary person. Not from the tremendous amount of chi circulating around this woman’s body and the sword fastened at her waist.
She was a warrior as Chun Yan had been.
He grinned. “Hao!”
[Eye Color] orbs blinked at him in confusion, tilting her head to the side as she repeated the word. “Does that mean…you are hurt?”
Zori sandals stomped against the bloodied soil as she strode over to him, astounding Qin Shi Huang with her agility. She frowned slightly, her eyes scanning over his body. “You…are all right, it appears.” She glanced up at him. “I…apologize if I had gotten…your clothes dirty. You are a young lord, yes?”
Qin Shi Huang frowned. “Buhao.”
“Hm?”
He raised his right hand, pressing his middle and index fingers together before he pointed them towards the ground, the golden nail guards glowing beneath the moonlight. “Humble yourself. You are in the presence of an emperor. Be grateful I have not executed you for your impudence.”
“You…are an emperor?”
That was how the greatest emperor in all of Chinese history crossed paths with the greatest Demon Slayer in history, the Mother of All Breathing Techniques, the Sun Hashira [First Name] [Last Name].
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In your defense, you never would have guessed that the man who had been endangered moments ago had not been a feudal lord looking for trouble in these woods, but an emperor who had come to kill the demon devouring his people.
You did apologize for being rude, and politely asked His Imperial Majesty if there was a town close by. You lived deep in the mountains, though in the opposite direction of his territory. It would take about two days to return should you leave now. That was only if you were lucky enough to not come across any more demons on your journey back home.
To your surprise, this emperor all but commanded you to follow him to his palace. He boasted that it was the largest one in Valhalla, with the finest food and rooms available for only esteemed guests and members of his court. However, since you did humble yourself before him, he will make an exception and allow a weary traveler to stay in the guest quarters for the night. You thanked him, trailing after the man through the woods to the crowded streets of a bustling city and right up the stone footsteps of an extravagant palace the likes of which you had never seen before.
You dared to say that it was much bigger than the Ubuyashiki compound.
With a clap of his jeweled hands, a group of young maidens in flowing robes appeared before him. He ordered them to make sure you received the most excellent care, including running a warm bath and mending your damaged clothes. Before you could have a moment to say something, you were immediately whisked away to another part of the palace until dinner was ready.
The food was just as extravagant as the clothes that the maidens had dressed you in. It was almost too much, but you dared to not insult your host. Instead, you bowed your head to him in gratitude and ate as much as you could without being too rude. Thankfully you could recall some of your table manners from when you had been alive, before becoming a Hashira and just the daughter of a prestigious household in the Sengoku era.
Between the raucous laughter and idle chatter amongst the others who dined at this table, you had almost expected to be asked to leave or escorted out of the banquet hall so that the emperor could speak to his fellow countrymen freely without the presence of an outsider.
Instead, His Imperial Majesty asked you many questions. Who you are, why were you in the woods, how did you defeat the demon, etc. You answered them to the best of your ability, humbly explaining that you had once been a Demon Slayer and trained to exterminate the ones who came out at night to consume human flesh. There is nothing special about you.
You had simply worked hard, protected humanity until your untimely death. There was no need for him to know of your ability to see the Transparent World, much less the Breathing Techniques of a Demon Slayer.
Some secrets were meant to be just that: secrets. And you were bad at explaining things; it had been a miracle that the Hashiras, those whom you had worked alongside all those years ago, could comprehend your words and adapt the Sun Breathing techniques into their own variations: Water, Insect, Flame, Wind, Stone, and so forth.
Again the emperor surprised you; he seemed intrigued by the Breathing Styles and continued to ask questions about how to use it until the handmaidens escorted you to the guest quarters later that night, although His Imperial Majesty wished to keep speaking even in a drunken stupor.
The following morning, you thanked the emperor for his hospitality and left the palace. An armed entourage followed you out to the city’s borders to make sure you would not try to attack His Imperial Majesty nor the citizens. You thanked them for their vigilance and hard work before beginning the journey towards your humble home.
You were certain that this was the first and only time you would come across royalty and thought nothing of it in the days that went by upon returning, weeks becoming almost two months since the demon attack. You would either be tending to the crops or practicing your swordsmanship. Eventually, it was time for you to venture down from the mountains to restock on your supplies.
The villagers who lived at the mountain’s edge were kind people. Some of them were elderly and required assistance with manual labor or errands. You did not mind helping them, and were quite hesitant to accept anything from them, especially rice or other precarious commodities.
Most were merchants who traveled a great distance from the village to the city to sell their wares. How could you even consider taking that away from them? To your dismay, they were quite stubborn and practically shoved it in your hands.
The ‘payment’ from the villagers, including the usual amount of items you purchased from the vendors, became too much for you to carry without making two trips up and down the mountain.
You were almost considering having to borrow a cart when a voice called out to you.
Turning around, your eyes widened in shock at the appearance of the emperor Qin Shi Huang walking down the muddied main road, flanked by four or five armed soldiers. He recognized you immediately, almost running with a wide grin on his face.
He’d been wanting to continue his conversation with you, yet due to his workload in the palace prevented him from venturing out sooner. You had also been difficult to track down as no one seemed to be aware that a Demon Slayer wearing hanafuda earrings existed in Valhalla except for a young whelp and his little sister living in the floating cities alongside the Valkyries.
But now, he’s here and ready to chat~. You should be grateful he had traveled such a long way to visit. He is an emperor after all. He was willing to help carry the supplies up the mountains if it meant he had an opportunity to challenge you to a fight and idly chatter over drinks.
Upon explaining that you did not drink alcohol, the emperor told you not to fret. He’s come prepared. Revealing a large jug of corked liquor in his hand with a wide grin, you realized that he would not go away even if you politely asked him too.
So with great reluctance, you guided Qin and his entourage up the mountains, some of them carrying your supplies.
A peaceful day became chaotic. And from this single afternoon of idle chatter and sparring with an incredibly powerful fighter transitioned to an unlikely friendship. Qin Shi Huang was nothing like Sumiyoshi, that much was certain.
Where Sumiyoshi was a humble man blessed to have a family in turbulent times, the boastful emperor had been an unwanted child from the moment he was born. If it had not been for his mentor and mother, that meek little boy would not have the confidence to move forward and pave the road for his people to live in peace, let alone find a method to deal with the Zhao’s anger aimed at him simply because he was from royalty.
He had many children sired from his concubines but he never took an empress, much to his council’s annoyance even in the afterlife. Chun Yan too, of all people!
Yet despite such different personalities from two different people who are your friends….you knew they both possessed kindness and empathy. Why else would an emperor continue to maintain contact with you via letters and occasionally visit you in the mountains over the next thirty years?
He’s a man who had led his people into prosperity after all, the king of all kings.
You had lost so much when you were alive…is it truly all right to be selfish and treasure Qin Shi Huang as a friend, an emperor of all people?
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Qin Shi Huang quickly discovered that there was more to his new friend than being a calm, unreadable individual who never raised her voice once even when he had been purposely annoying just to gauge a reaction.
The Sun Hashira…she was perfect. A beautiful, complex creature who values integrity and kindness above all else. She did not enjoy fighting, preferring a quiet life away from society than challenging one opponent after another. And like him, she knew what it meant to lose a loved one.
When it came to strength, she once told him, those who are marked like herself will all meet the same fate. He had an idea as to the cryptic meaning behind her words…and he prayed that she would live in this afterlife.
When he revealed his past to her, what he had done as a child until his death, the Sun Hashira simply accepted it all as they say together on the snowy veranda of her small home.
“To live in an era of conflict…there can never be true peace without bloodshed. Your Imperial Majesty had gone through so much….and you were loved deeply by Chun Yan. I wish….I could have met her….and thank her for raising a wonderful, strong son.”
Qin Shi Huang.exe stopped working for a span of five seconds before he tried to hide his embarrassment with a swing of the warm sake that his host had prepared especially for them to celebrate the New Year together.
Another year has come and gone…so why was it that his heart hasn’t stopped hammering against his ribcage?
Bonus Content:
After five years of sending luxurious gifts and love letters, it took a stammering confession from the emperor to convey his feelings towards the Sun Hashira.
Although she did not want to marry right away, she humbly accepted a period of courtship from China’s greatest emperor until it was appropriate to be welcomed as his empress.
Some of his court were pleased that he had finally selected a wife to become the mother of the nation, but there were others who believed that [First Name] was too independent and would not respect the traditions required to follow after becoming an empress.
Needless to say, Qin Shi Huang made an example of the courtiers who dared to disrespect his new wife behind closed doors. His warning also extended to the concubines, should they try to do something malicious out of petty jealousy.
Quality time included sampling delicacies in the garden, sparring matches, and cuddling in his private quarters.
Chun Yan approved of [First Name], congratulating her adoptive son on finding a woman who can keep up with his shenanigans.
The domestic bliss between the emperor and empress never wavered…until Brunhilde approached the palace and asked for their aid to fight against the gods. Both of them.
If it hadn’t been for [First Name]’s benevolence, Qin would have immediately executed the Valkyrie on the spot for her arrogance. Instead he gave her the courtesy and listened to her proposal regarding the event called Ragnarok. A battle royale until one opponent is annihilated.
The emperor would be lying if he said he wasn’t interested, but he had no intention of bringing his Sun Hashira into it. He wanted her to spend this afterlife in peace, not to put her life on the line again.
Alas, his wife was stubborn. He agreed to Brunhilde’s terms so long as she agreed to his terms. Once she left the palace, he pulled his empress into a long talk about this…situation.
Whatever obstacles will come their way, they will face it together. The Sun Hashira isn’t alone anymore.
Taglist:
@the-dumber-scaramouche
@onecantsimply
@recreationalfanfics
@deathmetalunicorn1
@yellow-snark
@thatstrangesheep
@dance-till-the-death
@staticradiotv​
Honorable mentions:
@myrisan-melodies​
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Furina with a reader that teaches her baking
Characters: Furina x gn!reader
warnings: spoilers for 4.2 (nothing is explicitly spoiled, but it takes place after 4.2, so spoilers are kinda unavoidable)
Anyway, hope you enjoy!
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Furina
Considering how much Furina loved sweets and how easy it was to gain her admiration simply by being able to make them, finding out you worked at one of Fontaine’s top bakery once and knew how to make almost everything was a pretty big surprise to her, the former Archon almost always finding a way to sneakily insert the topic into your discussions, hoping the conversation would somehow evolve until you offered to bake her something, only for nothing of the sort to happen.
So when Furina offhandedly asked if you’d be willing to teach her how to bake, almost having given up on the prospects of you ever baking her something, you were surprisingly quick to jump at the opportunity, your eyes sparkling as if she had just proposed to you before you quickly started rambling about ingredients, forcing her to snatch a piece of paper and a pen and try her hardest to keep up with you, your voice not slowing down for even a moment as you began pacing around the kitchen, looking for what you already had and what you still needed to buy, not even stopping to explain what it was that you were going to bake.
“So, now that we have everything prepared, we can finally start for real”, you stated excitedly, putting your hands on your hips as you looked over the admittedly cramped kitchen counter, before quickly glancing at the sink. “First of all, go put on an apron and wash your hands.”
“Why don’t you wash your hands as well?”, Furina spoke up halfway through the process of cleaning hers, only for you to look at her as if she had asked how to put on a hat, sending her mind scrambling as she recollected everything she said, looking for what part sounded so stupid.
“If I wash my hands, there’s nothing that stops me from butting in to do something in your place. That might result in a great cake, but won’t help you learn anything”, you explained as your face softened again, a smile making its way onto your lips. “Learning by watching is a great way to learn... I don't know, science, but all the fun stuff only gets taught through trials of fire”, you joked before quickly moving to her side, handing her a towel she could use to dry her hands.
“Today, you’re going to learn how to make ‘La Lettre a Focalors’. It may seem difficult at first, but with my instructions it will be a breeze, trust me”, you stated, sounding far too confident in your skills as a teacher, prompting Furina to wonder how often you had done so already.
“I didn’t know you still liked baking”, she carelessly mumbled out loud after following a few of your steps, noticing how you seemed almost more eager than her, causing you to stare at her in slight confusion, the resulting pressure quickly making her explain herself, “Didn’t you quit your job at the bakery? I thought you did it because you didn’t have any joy in it anymore.”
Almost instantly the confusion vanished from your face as you gave her a slight nod, “Ah okay, that makes sense now. I quit not because baking didn’t make any fun anymore, but because I found something else that I liked doing more. Baking��s still a big hobby of mine, I could even bake you something if you want”, you explained before instinctively grabbing the milk, almost beginning to pour it into what Furina was stirring only to stop yourself at the last second, taking a step back before letting out a chuckle.
“Next you can start pouring in the milk, I’ll tell you when to stop.”
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ajbullet · 5 months
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My thoughts on PJO episode 3: part 2
Part one:
We have no food so I’m back
-Having Alecto outside the Garden was such a clever way of adding intensity to the scene and answers the question of like why didn’t they just leave?
-I loved the changed to them knowing who Medusa is right away. It fits the characters and the vibe of the story so much better
-MEDUSA Omgs
-She was perfect. Her outfit and voice and presence was just absolutely intimidating while also almost nurturing? I was confused as where I should trust her or not, which is the point.
-the way they changed her story was astonishing and all the better for it. Her devotion to Athena. The parallel to Annabeth and how they both worshiped a god who has never recognized them (besides the cap). Medusa’s blind faith and her hatred towards Poseidon after he used her.
-“I’m a survivor” 😘👌🏻 perfect delivery
-Medusa calling Poseidon a monster and it reminding Percy of what his mother said.
-HIM TRUSTING MEDUSA BECAUSE OF HIS MOTHER
-The parallels between Medusa and Sally. The unity Medusa believes they share.
-“I don’t think she’s like that” The only one who can speak about Annabeth like that is HIM
-The INSTANT Medusa mentions killing Percy’s friends he is out of there. Like most people have pointed out: a great nod to his fatal flaw of loyalty.
-The labyrinth was so freaking cool guys. Like wtf. That was amazing. I kept picturing the scene from the movie and it blew that out of the water (even tho that’s my favorite scene from the movie. I mean come on, the iconic iPod reflection? Shall never be forgotten) But the invisibility cap was really cool too
-Grover flying of into the distance, screaming his head off, and Percy and Annabeth just being like “whelp, new plan”
-THEM WORKING TOGETHER
-Annabeth watching Percy kill Alecto. Again, wasn’t sure exactly what she was feeling when I first watched it but looking back I think she’s finally realizing like, oh, this boy is more capable then I thought. Maybe he can be useful. Maybe he can do this. Maybe I have a crush on- wait no not possible. Eww.
-Them finally reconciling after Grover broke.
-Oh and I love that they made the uncle Ferdinand a more sad, meaningful moment. I mean, that part in the movie was funny, but that wouldn’t have fit the vibe at all and I think it really added to Grover’s character. I wanted to hug him.
-Leah’s expression after Percy says he picked her cause they could never be friends. She was hurt and it broke me.
-THOSE TWO ARE GOING TO FALL IN LOVE
-Percy not realizing Annabeth’s hat is so important. Then immediately giving it back.
-“I am impertinent” This boy is Percy incarnate.
-LIN MANUEL MIRANDA wtf I wasn’t ready. Jump scare bro. Like give a girl a heads up.
I’m sooooo excited for next episode!! I think it’s going to be one of the best yet. This episode was perfect in its changes and implications. It was a new take on what we’ve read and seen before and even tho some people are mad about it, you have to realize that they have to keep it new. They have to adjust and change and ADAPT! I knew what was going to happen but yet I didn’t and it kept it interesting to me. It was a job well done. Again, please comment or reblog with any other takes or add one because I love seeing everyone’s perspectives. Just please remember to be kind!
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nametakensff · 4 months
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Suggestible (D/isco E/lysium, M/M)
The first fic of a few I have for these two because I am deeep into this shit now lol. Ended up at 4K!
H/arry, whilst working on the murder case in M/artinaise and ever so slowly piecing his identity together, notices an interesting reaction in K/im to his budding cold. I guess the first part of a series that will become increasingly NSFW, but for now mostly just alluding to it!
Based on an insane little piece of dialogue in the game where K/im suggests that other people sneezing makes him sneeze
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Content:
Future/hinted M/M, cold sneezes, sympathetic sneezes, H/arry has a latent sneezing fetish that he doesn't remember having yet, spray, stifles, sneezing into handkerchiefs, slight elements of voyeurism but only because H/arry is a confused mess lmao
CW: lots of drug and alcohol mentions, lots of self-hatred
NB - I guess please don't read if you plan on playing the game and want to go in with no prior knowledge - it doesn't really have any plot heavy spoilers but takes place within the story
(also also - decided to write this in 2nd person narrative to somewhat resemble the style of game play - it's not perfect but it was fun to try haha)
Minors DNI please!
Lieutenant Kitsuragi trails behind you as you jog your way across the empty boardwalk and towards the fishing village. The air is piercing and bitterly cold – you are starting to feel the effects of it as the salty air whips against your face. It has been snowing on and off for hours, and you are woefully underdressed. This has not been a good day for you – few new leads, endless dead ends. And a hangover. The hangover to end all hangovers. Not even the frigid winter weather can distract you from the dull thud of a lingering headache, painful pulses beating in time with your heart. It feels as though your brain is too swollen – or your skull is too tight.
Suddenly, you feel it – the familiar, fluttering sensation of a building sneeze. You have been a little under the weather ever since you awoke in your hotel room several days earlier, having no recollection of who you are and woefully bereft of substances to abuse. You had put any subsequent discomfort down to just that – the miserable lack of alcohol, nicotine and narcotics in your system. This tickle, however – it is something all of its own. You stop dead in your tracks, practically skidding to a stop as it crests. You have no hope of holding back the encroaching sneeze. Your mouth hangs open, a great yawn of irritation, before – at last – release.
It comes out sounding more like a desperate shriek than anything else; a few startled seagulls scatter, flying away in a maelstrom of confusion and feathers. You didn’t mean to cause such a scene, but the cold air, the breeze, and now the beginning of a miserable cold – it all proves too much for you. You take in another shuddering gasp before you’ve even recovered from the previous explosion and do it all over again.
“HAAAEEEIISHHHHhhh!!!”
There are no seagulls left to scatter this time, but you hardly notice for the way this sneeze, even more violent than the one before it, sends you flying forward and staggering on your feet. You manage to catch yourself before you fall face down on the sandy ground, panting slightly in the aftermath. It practically tore itself out of you, leaving your throat more than a little hoarse. Perhaps a drink would be just the thing to remedy your misery…
You’re shaken out of your alcoholic deliberation by a familiar, soft voice. Lieutenant Kitsuragi is resting a gentle, gloved hand on your shoulder, hovering next to your crouched form. His voice is as placid as always, but you can’t help but notice a slight hint of concern. You right yourself immediately and snuffle at the mess that’s threatening to overflow from your nose, already a bright shade of red from years of alcohol abuse and the biting cold of the beach.
“Are you alright, Lieutenant Double-Yefreitor?”
The Lieutenant notices the thickness of the sound, a barely perceptible look of displeasure passing over his face. You see him reach into his pockets and pull out a large handkerchief – the very same you have seen him use before to cover his face as you performed a field autopsy together. He proffers it to you and you hesitate for just a moment - then your nose starts to run into your moustache. This prompts you to take it from him and snuffle into it apologetically. You realise this pathetic sniffling will do nothing to stem the flow – you surrender and blow your nose with as much conviction as you possibly can. The sound of it is devastatingly loud, almost as disruptive as the sneezes preceding it. You glance at Kim sheepishly from behind the material. If it’s as disgusting to Lieutenant Kitsuragi as it sounded to you, he doesn’t so much as flinch.
When you’re finished, you offer the soiled fabric back to him with an outstretched hand. He looks at it with mild dismay.
“You keep that, officer. I carry a spare with me at all times.”
Stupid. That was stupid of you. Why would you hand him a snot rag? You dismiss the thought before the negativity drags you down further into the already miserable grips of your hangover. But for whatever reason, you keep note of this new information regarding the handkerchiefs. It’s not as though this is out of the ordinary for Kim. He’s so organised and focused – a great cop. Not like you. Of course he would carry a spare. Moving on, you ask the lieutenant for his opinion of what you ought to do next.
“Hm…We should return to the Whirling-In-Rags. Try Klaasje again and see if she’s ready to discuss the murder in more detail.”
It sounds like a perfect idea to you. The wind is fiercely cold and you never did get round to buying a windbreaker. Your hangover is making it impossible to tell if the major discomfort you’re feeling is from the alcohol dissipating within your husk of a body, or the virus threatening to take hold of your sinuses. Either way, getting out of the cold is imperative.
You approach the vicinity of the Whirling-In-Rags Hostel – at last. Your chest burns. Normally, a brisk jog is nothing to you – if anything, it energises your ailing body after a particularly lengthy binge. But today, you feel miserably worn out. You pause for a moment, look towards the Lieutenant, and attempt to speak. You fail, nothing but a series of wheezing gasps issuing from between your lips, followed by an increasingly hacking cough. You buckle over your knees and continue to hack like the washed-up middle-aged man you know you are. Kim places a hand on your back - he seems worried.
“This isn’t good. You’re unwell, detective. Perhaps you should rest a while in your room?”
Something tells you this isn’t a suggestion exclusively for your own benefit. A perfunctory glance tells you that Lieutenant Kitsuragi is tired, and as miserably cold as you. He wouldn’t mind a break inside a warm building, thawing out over a cup of coffee. Nevertheless, you feel disappointment blooming in your chest. As if you weren’t already a pathetic excuse of a policeman - missing memory, decked head to toe in questionable clothes and with a penchant for drug and drink on the clock – you’re now so weak you can’t even handle a mild case of rhinovirus. Pathetic.
You stand upright in an attempt to signal that you are and always have been a perfect beacon of health. You tell the Lieutenant that time is of the essence; you’ve been working on this case for days and have no time for further setbacks. He acknowledges this with a small nod; he seems to appreciate this professional, business-like approach to the matter. He doesn’t say anything more but merely walks beside you as you stride towards the Whirling-In-Rags.
You barely manage to take a few steps before the tickle is upon you again. You tense your jaw and attempt to quell the sensation by taking in shallow, measured breaths, but no dice. In seconds, it tears its way out of you as before, echoing off the walls of the nearby buildings. It is so loud that you wonder if the scabs protesting outside of the Union can hear it over the sounds of their own angry chants. Again, you stumble forward under the force of it, feeling light-headed.
The Lieutenant reaches out to grip your shoulder, steadying you just in time. You wait and sniffle miserably in preparation for the following sneeze, lingering in the depths of your sinuses, but it never comes. You straighten up, blinking tears of effort from your tired eyes, when you become aware of a certain sensation. Kim’s hand squeezes your shoulder with a sudden flex. Could this be a gesture of affection? Reassurance? This is not the Lieutenant’s regular style. He is far too cool for that kind of thing.
You look over your shoulder in curiosity as the Lieutenant continues his grip, despite your having collected yourself. You can see that behind the lenses of his glasses, his eyes are unfocused and heavy-lidded. His mouth hangs slightly open, and he is holding a fist – expectantly? – before his face. The expression is…familiar. You’d seen it before, though not on Lieutenant Kitsuragi.
As you furrow your brow in deep consideration, reaching for an explanation that only just manages to elude you, slight movement from Kim pulls you out of your thoughts. You watch as his head tilts back, stays there for a just a moment before he’s jerking forward into his gloved fist, pressing it against his nose and mouth. His features contract severely, moulding his ordinarily placid face into a twisted, almost angry and unrecognisable countenance. You feel his fingers flex again. His entire body shudders, and as it does so, you hear him utter a tiny sound.
“-hHdt’!”
You blink, still not putting two and two together. Maybe this amnesia was worse than you had initially assumed it to be. Was he – seizing? No. Of course not. You continue to watch in confusion as he seems to uncrumple with a gentle exhalation. You think he might be done, but no. Just as quickly as one breath is exhaled, a replacement is sucked back in hurriedly. You watch as he repeats the action, ducking forward into his fist again, more forcefully this time. His shoulders jump with the effort and his hand squeezes substantially harder against you.
“h’Ngxt-!! hh…”
That strange sound again – this time followed by an uncharacteristically shaky exhale.  A moment later the Lieutenant straightens up and assumes his regular composure, releasing your shoulder as if nothing just happened. If you hadn’t watched this series of events unfold right in front of you, you’re sure you would have missed it altogether. He blinks several times as if to clear away tears. Still you have no idea what the fuck just happened – any remnants of the pained expression that cinched his features tight has vanished, leaving him to look as calm and collected as before. You stare at him, eyes roving over his face. This intrusive observation gives you the last bit of information you need to understand. His nostrils flare delicately as he indulges in a sniffle, moisture gathering around the irritated rims and glittering ever so slightly in the afternoon sunlight.
Had those been…sneezes? Those tiny little swallows of air?! You feel a grin spread across your face, any discomfort of your own forgotten for the moment. You bless him enthusiastically. Ignoring the inkling that tells you not to tease or cajole him, you also comment on how adorable the Lieutenant’s sneezes are. Like a kitten. A badass cop kitten.
He thanks you somewhat reluctantly, blatantly ignoring the kitten comment. He clearly wants you to move on from him and focus again on the case. You continue to make your way towards Whirling-In-Rags, but don’t miss out of the corner of your eye the sight of the Lieutenant covertly pinching his nostrils shut, before pulling down towards his septum. He is wiping the resultant moisture of those sneezes away with his gloved fingers. This realisation makes your heartbeat spike for just a moment. You choose to ignore this.
You walk into the establishment – the increasingly familiar sounds and sights greet you as you pass through the door. The Hardie boys are in their booths, an unwelcome fixture. You glance sidelong at them – Titus glares daggers back at you. You think you should puff up your chest and stare him down in a battle of warring machismo, but at last minute think otherwise. It would do nothing to repair your already abysmal lack of authority if you sneezed at him mid stand-off. You glance away. He smirks, arms crossed firmly over his broad chest, clearly enjoying this silent display of dominance. You get an all-consuming urge to spin around and put him in his place – but you feel shitty. Much too shitty. It would probably end with his fist in your face.
You approach the staircase leading to the bedrooms when you feel that familiar, irritating tickle blossoming anew in your sinuses. Not again, not here! Not in a busy room full of so many people. You want to maintain your cool cop image – sneezing is not a cool thing to do. You briefly think to yourself that Kim is cool, even when he sneezes - but it is a foolish thought. You’re not him. You fight to suppress the gasp that fills your lungs, fumbling in your jacket pocket for the handkerchief the lieutenant had given you – but you’re too late. Two huge sneezes rocket out of you, sending veritable clouds of spray across the base of the staircase. They practically break the sound barrier, two near identical “IIIIEEEESHHHHhhtt!!!” screams of irritation. Kim doesn’t steady you this time – you reach out and do that yourself with the help of the banister.
Jeers erupt from the Hardie boys across the cafeteria floor – you only just manage to hold back an embarrassed blush from creeping over your weary face. You have finally managed to extract the handkerchief from your pocket. You decide a honking performance will do very little to remedy this utter humiliation, dabbing softly at your aching nose instead. You begin to climb the stairs; a sordid walk of shame.
“That’s just what this establishment needs, following the hanging, bloated corpse – a biohazardous drunk anointing his plague unto us all.”
That snark came from Garte – the bartender. No, the Cafeteria Manager.
“Just ignore him.” Kim mutters close to your ear. You proceed to flip the bird at Garte instead. As you make your way upstairs, you swear you can hear a tiny gasp from behind you. Without the sensation of a hand gripping your shoulder and signalling the completion of a sneeze, you have to strain your ears to even confirm they happen at all.
“’Ngxt’ch! h’ddt’! Hh’Ggkt!!”
Those are definitely sneezes. Slightly louder than before, enough that you can hear the Lieutenant’s own soft voice blending in with the strained sound of them. Your stomach is suddenly alive with butterflies. In your mind’s eye you can visualise the way his face crumples with each of them – nostrils flaring outwards as he valiantly bites down against them. You are sure if you try to do the same, your head will explode. Or at the very least, an aneurism is a surefire possibility. You shudder at the thought of it. You want to offer a blessing to the Lieutenant, but based on the previous reception it received, you decide against it. This could be the start of a beautiful partnership – Harry’n’Kim, Du Bois and Kitsuragi. Disco Cop and Cool Cop. You can always brainstorm on your trademark duo name at a later date. Either way, you decide to ignore the Lieutenant’s strangled outburst. A soft exhalation behind you signals that he is finished – for now.
You reach the top of the stairs. With great dismay, you realise that perhaps for the first time in your life, you are experiencing firsthand the effect of all those years of chain smoking. The wheezing gasps bend you over for a moment. Lieutenant Kitsuragi stands nearby, just short of nervously hovering, waiting for you to recover. You finally catch your breath and stride as confidently as you can towards Klaasje’s room. You extend a fist to knock on the door when you feel the soft touch of Kim’s hand on your arm, stopping you in your tracks. This has to be a new record. He has touched you on four separate occasions – all in a span of under thirty minutes.
“Perhaps you should take this opportunity to rest after all, detective.” Kim offers. You sense by the firmness of his voice that this is less of a gentle suggestion and more of a request. He smiles wryly.
“You are not very likely to get her to open up to you if you deafen her with your sneezing.”
Your stomach flips at hearing that word come out of his mouth. It is confusing but not entirely unpleasant. Whilst he doesn’t laugh, you can see the amusement held in the subtle quirking of his lips. You think for a moment that you should tell him your sneezes are the pinnacle of masculinity – ladies dig a huge, manly sneeze. You choose instead to sigh, practically deflating as any will to remain poised upright seeps out of you. You know he’s right. The filthy sheets of your bed beckon to you.
You agree with him and turn heel to your own room. He looks pleased – perhaps a little relieved. How disastrous did he think the interaction would have gone, had you proceeded? He turns to face you as you stand outside your respective doors.
“Don’t worry, detective. I will wake you up in a couple of hours, and we can resume our investigation. There is no point in making yourself ill.”
You nod. You are both about to enter your rooms when you feel it again. The tickle. It is persistent and increasingly difficult to control. You feel a gasp inflating your chest, helpless to do anything other than let the sensation overpower you. There is no time to even lift the handkerchief to your face. You do manage to turn away from the Lieutenant as the sneeze rips through you, baptising your own door with a trembling “aaAAAAEEEEGSHHHHhh!!!” A cloud of spray settles on the wood, droplets of spray shimmering under the harsh lighting. Gross.
“Bless you.”
A blessing. You feel relieved – and slightly giddy. Your stomach flips again. It is likely out of politeness, but the Lieutenant has at least not run for the hills in response to your disgusting display. You start to thank him when – oh, sweet confusion - he interrupts you with another sneeze of his own. He isn’t fast enough to bring a fist to his face this time. You can see every minute twitch of his facial muscles as he suppresses the sneeze through sheer willpower alone.
“Hh’Gnxt!! Huh’NGxtt!!”
The second sneeze follows immediately – his head dips twice in quick succession. That look of desperation suits him just fine, you think. You decide to abandon the thought as quickly as it forms. You are only partially successful in doing so. His hand reaches into the pocket of his trousers – he succeeds in removing the handkerchief in the duration of that second sneeze, you notice in great appreciation. You would never have managed to pull that off.
You watch as he raises the handkerchief before his face for a final sneeze. This one looks more irritable than the ones prior – the expression plastered on his face is openly more agonised than before. He pauses for what is likely only a second longer before the tickle reaches its apex, but that is more than enough time for another thought to cross your mind – one of an entirely salacious nature. You think that the face he is making resembles the sweet agony of another kind of release. You try to unthink it, but it’s too late – you’re absolutely, undeniably thinking it. The second passes. At last, the lieutenant smothers his final sneeze into the waiting folds of the handkerchief. It is considerably louder than before, even with the assistance of the fabric covering.
“hHh’nNGgxtt!!..chu…”
The soft vocal exclamation that rounds off the sneeze sounds weary, like it took a lot out of him. He sniffles briefly into the handkerchief, rubbing at his nose before tucking the cloth back into his pocket. Is it your imagination, or is said appendage starting to look a little reddened from the effort?
“Excuse me.” The Lieutenant mumbles, sounding uncomfortable. Embarrassed, perhaps?
You bless him before you remember to bite your tongue. Luckily, he accepts it with a soft “Thank you.” You watch as he removes his glasses and swipes at a stray tear rolling down his cheek. He replaces them just as quickly, giving you hardly any time to take in the sight of him without the thick frames. It is for a brief moment only, but the word ‘vulnerable’ comes to mind.
It dawns on you quite suddenly that he must be sneezing because you have infected him with your disgusting, no good germs. You ask him if this is the case, unable to hold back the shaking guilt as you voice your question-cum-self-abasement. He waves it off immediately.
“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that, detective, I assure you. I’m fine.” He pauses for a moment, looking hesitant to say more. You say nothing. This awkward silence seems to prompt him to continue.
“Sometimes the power of suggestion is too much for me. When somebody sneezes in my vicinity, I find my body often wanting to do the same. And your sneezes are particularly…” He trails off for a moment, in want of an appropriate term.
Masculine? Sexy? Bad-ass? You go with the first one. He shakes his head gently.
“…Suggestible.” He finishes. You’re not quite sure you catch his drift, but you do recall that he had mentioned something like this before. ‘Dancing makes you dance like sneezing makes you sneeze’. He had said that, in the church – he had been enthusiastic to interject, and then immediately changed the subject. You had had no idea what he had meant at the time – not once had you ever heard anyone say anything even remotely similar. It had been easily forgotten. Until now.
You smirk. You hope it isn’t akin to ‘the expression’, but is happening nonetheless. You cannot help it. This. Is. Gold.
You manage to hold back from laughing, but what you cannot help is calling him adorable. For the second time that day.
“I’m a 43 year old RCM policeman. I am far from adorable, officer.” He states firmly, almost as if he is chiding you. You do not miss, however, the softness in his eyes and the momentary twitching of his lips into a tiny smile. You do laugh at that. Bad idea. The laugh quickly morphs into a painful, wrenching cough. Whatever light-hearted moment you’d been sharing, you have ruined it. Your throat burns with the effort. God, but you want a drink. And a smoke. Maybe some speed. You finish at last, wiping spittle from your lips with the back of your sleeve.
“Please rest, Harry. I will check up on you soon.”
He casts a final worried glance your way before nodding curtly. You watch as the door clicks shut behind him. After a moment, you make your way into your own room, not even bothering to kick off your shoes as you collapse onto the pile of twisted sheets. Far too tired to think about the past that eludes you, about the case, about any of it, your eyes start to slip shut.
But it is back. The tickle. You have no means of fighting it, and you’re not sure you want to. You sneeze, smothering it into your sheets at the last second.
“HHHRRMMMPPPSHHHh!!!”
You peer cautiously at the sheets. You have left a considerably large damp patch on the section that covered your mouth and nose. Gross – that should be your middle name. You feel disgusting, but before you can begin another spiral of self-deprecation the exhaustion overwhelms you entirely. A final thought passes through your mind as you surrender to it. Did the Lieutenant hear you?
Next door, settling into the chair at his desk, Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi tenses at the sound of your sneeze. It was loud enough to be heard not only the next room over – indeed, anyone on the second floor may have been startled by it. His breath hitches, once, twice, before he is tipping forward into his gloved hands, steepled around his face. Depleted of energy from the prior onslaughts, he is unable to hold them back at all.
“-hh! Hck’tshuu! Hupt’Tshhht!! ‘TSCHH’uu!! hm...”
He glances in unmasked irritation at the damp speckling of moisture now adorning the palms of his gloves.
“Merde!” He grumbles under his breath. The Lieutenant pulls the gloves from his hands, pausing to scrub at his itchy nostrils with his knuckles for one indulgent moment, before resuming the paperwork he had failed to complete the night before. He hopes, for both your own sake and his, that once he wakes you your sneezing spell will have passed – due to a temporary chill and nothing more. Neither of you have the time for this absurdity. He sniffles once more and begins to write.
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inkangeliguess · 3 months
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Oh my god, I absolutely LOVE The Nightmare route in Slay The Princess
Spoilers plus long rant under the cut
(@the-local-eldritch-microwave please check out this game i beg of you. It's several hours long but its great)
Ever since I saw a playthrough of the demo, the Voice of The Paranoid was my favorite voice and route. I love stressed out characters in general, but I loved how unsettling it is when you uncontrollably fall asleep and then wake up only to die of fright. The second time you go in was pretty anticlimactic, as basically the same thing happens with only the Paranoid being there and the Narrator being completely confused at your sudden death AND even saying "I'm so sorry"
What makes the updated version so good is the execution. The first part is basically the same, but the second part is so much more intense. Your character just experienced dying of literal fright over someone you first assumed was normal turning out to be an eldritch horror. Story wise, the Voice of The Paranoid makes you feel this with how much of a contrast he is compared to the Narrator and the Voice of The Hero. The Hero gets nervous occasionally, but never to the degree that The Paranoid gets.
This stress only continues when you go inside the cabin. Every second round, the cabin always changes in appearance. What makes the Nightmare route's change more jarring is how mild the change is. For the Razor, the Damsel, and the Captive (the routes i've rewatched so far), the change of the cabin is too extreme, which while it does convey the mood of the route, doesn't have the same effect as the Nightmare. The room itself seems to 'perfect,' with the most obvious difference being the wider door frame and overall lack of door. The subtle change plus the Paranoid's overall mood keeps the player on edge.
Things start ramping up once you get to the stairs, which don't even try to be subtle with its attempt to hide the overall unnatural feel of the cabin. Then it hits you with the reveal that you are stuck. You can't go back. You can only go forward and confront the inhumane Princess.
You're finally in the basement, which does a fantastic job of conveying the idea that once again, you're stuck. You do not have an actual choice in the matter. No matter which way you go, you are going to be hunted down by this creature and you will most likely be killed.
The moment of truth happens and you finally confront the Princess. While she was unsettling in the first chapter, her appearances have been completely twisted. Her limbs bend irregularly, her face is cracked and shaded in a way that makes it look like it's not even her actual face, her appearance constantly flickers and looms over you, giving you the feeling that you have no power over her, weapon or no weapon.
Finally, you start talking to her. She almost kills you again, until the Paranoid suddenly, without explanation, starts mumbling "Heat. Lungs. Liver. Nerves" over and over. You don't even have time to question it, because it somehow is keeping you alive, but barely. If you choose to talk to her with all the 'Explore' dialogues, her unsettling demeanor never wavers. The conversation feels realistic, with certain actions causing the Paranoid to start panicking and chanting desperately.
The last thing i'll point out about Chapter 2 is that the Hero and the Narrator hardly talk. It's as if they themselves are frightened of the entire situation. That is until she pulls off her mask. You don't get to see what she looks like, but the Narrator's description is more than enough to give it its effect.
Then there's the artstyle change. I originally thought it was just to convey you dying again, but it really changes the name of the Route. The Narrator's description and the visuals give the idea that this may not only be your nightmare. The Princess is most likely suffering as well.
Then after all of that, THE NARRATOR HIMSELF GIVES UP. You are left in a state of not being sure whether you're dead, but your mind has clearly given out.
We then move on to chapter.. uh... "The Moment of Clarity." You wake up, and for once, everything genuinely feels wrong. One could argue that in The Arms Race and Mutually Assured Destruction turned everything on the head by adding pretty much all the voices, but everything is thrown off in The Moment of Clarity. You're not even in the woods, or in the cabin for that matter, you're somewhere else. It's a place that vaguely feels like the woods, but it isn't. On top of that, the Voices can't remember what happened very well. Their memory isnt completely wiped, but the fact they have trouble remembering at all is completely new.
Not only do the voices not remember what happened, pretty much all the voices are talking now. With all their contradicting personalities, it's unclear what the truth is. The timeline is everywhere, the Narrator is no help, and there is still no feeling of safety.
"Maybe you're shattered in your own way." OH MY GOD THAT LINE ABSOLUTELY SLAYS ME (no pun intended). Even if it's swept under the rug by the other voices "not being philosophical," considering the stakes of the route, it just messes with me
My one complaint is the Voice of the Smitten. It's usually funny how down bad he is but it seriously is not fitting for the route at all.
It's interesting how they all consider the Voice of The Cold to be the voice of reason in the moment. In the Narrator's words, all the other voices have been traumatized to the point they can't be talked any sense into. Since the Cold is just so unfeeling, it's pretty much your characters only drive into move on except for maybe the Opportunist.
For once, none of the Voices question the mirror, not because they've accepted that there is no mirror, but because they've accepted that the Narrator thinks there is no mirror. It gives you how much of an idea that the Voices and in extension your character has given up. Hell, the Voice of the Stubborn even tells you to smash it at one point.
Something i havent mentioned much of is the music or sound design, but it really helps give off the atmosphere. In this 'third' chapter, the background music is a ticking clock and a breezy noise you may hear in a quiet room. Paired with the surreal landscape of the black forest and the floating cabin, it further gives off the idea of everything being a dream, or by extension a nightmare.
When you're told to pick up the blade, you're once again stuck. You aren't given any other choice except for the illusion of a choice. Some of the options are even blacked out, saying that 'you've tried everything else. Don't you remember?'
The way she climbs out of the pit. You only see her face at first, then her abnormally long and lanky arms. Then you see her legs, with her bare feet looking like hands, reminding you of a spider or a monkey, but definitely not human. She isn't interrupted once she's in full view, leaving you to stare at her and her outstretched hand and cracked mask.
Remember how I mentioned that in the demo, the Narrator is so shocked by your sudden death that he says 'I'm so sorry.' There is now a complete contrast with this new version. When you take her hand, he ends off his sentence by saying "I can't believe you just made me say that. I hate you." and with full sincerity, not even in a joking or petty manner.
"Why is it so cold?.."
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frogizz · 7 months
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The Untamed Mind Dump (Spoilers duh)
(I have yet to read the novel for MDZS, and I am on Episode 47 of The Untamed so I want to do another mind dump like last time)
Jin Guangyao, I've been suspicious of him ever since I saw that face of his (I am not calling the actor ugly or anything like that, I can acknowledge its the acting that made him look suscpious not his actual face.) But I didn't excpect for him to be that sick of a human being.
Wei Wuxian being the scapegoat all over again
Damn these people love to gossip
I forgot about Wei Wuxian offering his Golden Core to Jiang Cheng
I miss Jiang Yanli bro
I also miss Wen Qing
At least I have Wen Ning, he is so awesome
I have the firm belief that while Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian are responsible for the death of Jin Zixuan, I know damn well Jiang Yanli's blood is not on Wei Wuxian's hands. Heck, I kind of think even though Wei Wuxian was the cause of Jin Zixuan's death, that that situation was obviously curated from the start, there was no intention to kill anyone that day because Wei Wuxian was doing this all in self defense. (Still sad that Jin Zixuan had to be a casualty).
I legit don't remember Su She before episode 45
The way I had to pause, sit up, stand up, walk around when that lady revealed Jin Guangyao tortured his father like that and what he did to Qin Su??? OH MY GOOOODDDDDDDD
Lan Wanji, you're the best supporter and best friend ever (I know in the novel he's Wei Wuxian's lover but in The Untamed their relationship is still amazing as best friends).
Wei Wuxian is such a great leader and protected those teens well (most of them are teens right? they all seemed kinda young)
I feel so bad for Jin Ling, all of his family's dirty laundry being aired out from both sides because his (defected) martial uncle is infamous for doing dirty tricks and is the supposed one who killed his parents, his maternal uncle being really hard on him, his paternal uncle being absolute scum and him doing things worse than what Wei Wuxian was ever accused for, and then to top it all off, he is constantly bullied.
To add to that, Jin Ling's outbursts are to be expected, he's just like his maternal uncle, really emotional. Jiang Cheng has had his outbursts of anger and aggressiveness (verbal and/or physical) and this could be the only way Jin Ling knows how to express himself.
At first I thought Jin Ling was an arrogant and stupid spoiled brat but I just want to hug this poor kid, the trauma of not having his parents and knowing that they died brutal deaths, the bullying, just everything. Just let him have a nice and warm blanket while snuggling with Fairy for once, please?
Speaking of Fairy, can people stop threatening the dog please? Like, they're such a good boy/girl (Netflix subtitles swapped them at somepoint from he to she and then it so I have no idea).
I WAS CRYING WHEN LAN SIZHUI STARTED TO REMEMBER HIS PAST AND THEN WEN NING WAS TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH HIM BRUH I WAS UGLY CRYING, SOBBING, THEY'RE FAMILY, THEY DESERVE TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER, THE LAST OF THE WEN FAMILY AAAA
I am such a sucker for reunited families, families with close bonds, found families, I don't know why, but it strikes me in the heart in such a painful and joyful way.
Zewu Jun, I always have mad respect for this man and I understand how he needs to make his own judgement and not only trust the words of others, I just can't blame him for that. But man was I afraid that he betrayed everyone by actually being 100% on Jin Guangyao's side knowing everything he did in episode 46, but he looked as confused and weirded out as ever so thankfully he isn't on his side anymore, I love this dude, I'm his biggest supporter.
I'll make each of these things their own post because I have so much more I want to say.
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fishcop · 6 months
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may i request your full, unfiltered thoughts on william wisp?
oh absolutely absolutely you can
this question has fully opened up flood gates in my head you don’t even know ‼️
OK SO WILLIAM WISP HES GREAT HES MY FAVORITE JRWI CHARACTER
he isn’t the archetype of the one smart character because he’s wayyyyy too cringefail for that
spoilers of course of course
I love love love his parallels with Dakota (Dakota who’s so morally set in the right and rigid direction vs William who sways on the line so much that it feels like the tightrope metaphor wasn’t just for losing control of his powers, it’s also about how with just a few actions his morals can sway very quickly as well and even tumble off the deep end.)
his parallels with vyncent too and how he’s running away from his past while vyncent a trying his best go get back to it! the scene with Kamuri broke me dude you don’t even knowwwww
it hit way to close to home with the ‘feeling like you’re inherently worse than everyone else, and letting that stop you from feeling like you can do anything.’ THE WAY HE LOST AND GOT HIS POWERS ABCK IS SO. FUCKING COOL TO ME
ITS ALL DESERVED AND FOUGHT AND CLAWED FOR!! HES the one who in the end, has to make the choice to keep going even despite his chances being handed to him on a platter earlier on. All his revives were given to him for free which he took for granted and it’s sooo clear in the finale when he finally notices that. ghostknife is so funny to me yes little guy go go pine for a whole campaign‼️
I wholeheartedly support Williams rights and very, very long list of intriguing wrongs
if there were like a moral scale or something he’d be so grounded compared to the other two but like so grounded that his moral scale goes into the negatives and that’s so cool because I love characters with flaws that are their fault, that they have made real horrible mistakes. I love characters that stray the line of ‘I couldn’t have done anything different’ while knowing full well that they could’ve but can just simmer in regret. I love characters with problems that you can’t say ‘it’s not your fault’ but they still deserve a chance anyways
I love how he gets confident when he’s in control, and he deals with fear by being in control of it, and as long as he’s master of the horrors the horrors aren’t so bad. Cause like in season one, it’s scary that mal has Kamuri in a bottle and what he could do with it… but if William knew, if he had control, then it wouldn’t be so terrifying. The bell tech ordeal was so stressful but he’s only calm when he is the one pulling the strings. I think this has something to do with how little he was in deadwood pre death- so many ghosts! So if he tries to rationalize it becomes less scary. Especially with the prime force and heroes, they keep him and pd in the dark and he’s terrified of not knowing what’s going on because look at what happened to Ashe! Where were the heroes! In his mind it’s flawed but it would be less flawed if he had more controllll
THIS ALSO GOES FOR THE WISPS! THEYRE unpredictable they’re finicky they’re tricksters (heh) and he’s scared of his own powersss. Allow me to be poetic and metaphorical for a sec because they’re very literally like fire (the wisps,) unruly and unpredictable but William is so fixated on how they could burn him that the warmth, the light, all the good elements of a flame are lost in fear. FEAR OF DEATH, FEAR OF NOT COMING BACK, FEAR OF LOSING AND LOSING FINITELYYY
AND NOW HES IN A PLACE WHERE HE KNOWS HES STRONG ENOUGH TO EXPLORE THE WORLD AND HIS POWERS AFTER BEING TRAPPED IN HIS HEAD FOR SO LONG
YEP THATS MY THOUGHTS. SUPER DUPER UNFILTERED AND CONFUSING AND DISCONNECTED BUT WHAT CAN I SAY I SPIN JRWI CHARACTERS AROUND IN MY HEAD LIKE A MICROWAVE
thanks for the ask :D
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handbarfs · 8 months
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OKAY JRWI RIPTIDE THEORY TIME
i wanted to talk about the prophecy a little more, try to analyse it a bit and some of my dumb theories! spoilers for episode 110 ahead!
"An entity threatens world stability Caged in the deepest layers of infinity" The egg from the one shot that Drey took most probably released this entity and caused the hole in the sea.
"The seal remains locked by a key of divinity." If the Ferin bloodline possesses divine or special blood, it would explain how Drey, by holding it, could open this egg. Perhaps this egg was sealed away millennia ago by the two main goddesses, with the warriors who served them. The conflict may have started between two factions: those in favour of this entity and those opposed to it, maybe? The tree mentioned four bloodlines in the world, and it's possible that one of them had a disagreement with the other three, which eventually escalated into this war. This particular bloodline might have used this entity as a weapon in the great war, but perhaps things spiralled out of control?
this is what the tree said- "a war won by these combined efforts sealed an entity away and together created not only its prison but a key and a warning. this warning is the original prophecy meant to be passed down until the inevitable- time." and visions of tritons riding leviathans, red haired olympian looking elves flying with own wings, gargatuan dragons, casters controlling the elements like they were born to do so.
"Its release in time, an inevitability." The chains that imprisoned the entity might have a time limit I guess OR like most ancient prophecies, this one recognizes the inevitable hunger for power among most living beings. It foresees that people will attempt to find this entity to gain control over it and hopefully use it to become more powerful in Mana. Maybe the navy's secret project or Nikalus's personal plans are related to this entity?
"A sea god's last egg, the chosen is born underneath an eclipse, in the midst of a storm " The prophecy didn't come into action with Gillion's first birth but, in a way, with his second birth in the episode "Moonlight, Storm, and Sea" when he emerged from the Luxbris Pearl. I'm not entirely sure if it was an eclipse during that moment though; I just remember it being pure darkness, without a moon.
"foreboded calamity, the chosen is warned the shape of all life shall take a new form" If people have desires with with selfish motives, there will be repercussions. It's the same deal with Nikalus; he grants people's wishes, but they need to be pure-hearted. If someone asks for something with greed and self-serving intentions, it messes them up, with the tar corrupting and eventually killing them.
"the shape of all life shall take a new form" so this corrupted tar affects all creatures, all life forms- turning them into tar monsters, with their greatest fears and needs plaguing them as they become undead- a new form.
"A choice to be made, with no time to mourn." This part gets pretty confusing because the story hasn't really touched on the idea of making choices (except for that culty nonsense the elders fed Gillion). Maybe there's a choice between fulfilling personal desires or attaining true freedom from the desires that lock us into labels and hinder personal growth. Like Chip's burning desire to find Arlin, which keeps him stuck in his painful past and memories, preventing him from moving forward and growing. Or Jay's dilemma, torn between her Navy Ferin family and the loss of her sister, versus taking control of her life and focusing on herself. And Gillion, caught between the undersea rules and manipulation that's easier to accept, versus facing the pain and fear of confronting the lies and manipulation the guardians have fed him, discovering a much larger and complex world beyond the undersea. Their freedom from these desires would leave no room for mourning because they'd be too busy enjoying their liberation from such constraints.
A couple more things- Niklaus's powers bear a striking resemblance to the entity that corrupts the Black Sea. Maybe his freedom is tied to freeing this entity, giving him full access to his abilities? Another character with powers similar to this entity is Kuba Kenta, involving black tar oozing from wounds inflicted by him and and nightmares of people's worst fears. Kenta's powers have been described as otherworldly (the probability of different planes, existence of creatures worse than demons and fiends that come from the darkest depths "crawled from the darkest depths of creation itself"). All of these powers—Black Sea corruption, Niklaus's, and Kenta's—basically lead to a slow killing for their victims, exploiting their fears and greed while breaking their sense of self before ultimately killing them. My theory is that one of the bloodlines involved in the great war against the others dabbled in forbidden dark magic, and invited this entity into Mana. Things likely spiraled out of control, and the other bloodlines had to quell it through the great war and cage it within the egg, and then shunning out this particular bloodline for its actions. Now, it seems this bloodline is trying to regain its place in society by tampering with this entity once more, and I THINK it has something to do with the Hendrix bloodline and Nikalus's desire of freedom.
And I also think the Navy is aware of this entity and its history (maybe Ferin family secrets) and is trying to create a machine to help control this entity and ally with fiendish creatures like Kenta under their ranks. They plan to USE the entity to stay in power socially and militarily in Mana.
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sleepyhead-poll · 4 months
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ROUND 1D, MATCH 16 OUT OF 16!
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Propaganda Under the Cut:
Linhardt von Hevring:
linhardt has like 1 goal in life and its to be able to sleep as much as he wants and research whatever he wants without any pressure from anyone or anything <3 quote from his wiki page: "he often flutters from interests and is only able to focus on whatever fancies him in the moment. Additionally, his extreme disinterest in anything off-topic will cause him to become drowsy and/or fall asleep." he's neurodivergent as hell
Bro just wants to sleep instead of going to war. He took a nap in the cafeteria with a fucking pillow. Bro is so sleepy and wanting to nap all day that he can’t even be bothered to introduce himself properly “Linhardt. Goodbye.” Anyway he is the best sleepy boy :)
Besides being the Goddess' sleepiest soldier, Linhardt is literally introduced in a cutscene falling asleep mid-lecture and his personal ability is called Catnap ('Snooze' in Japanese). Catnap allows Linhardt to recover HP if he doesn't take any actions during a turn. 🙏 Bro is sleeping on the battlefield
He's just a sleepy boy who brings a pillow around to sleep and doesn't give a fuck. His conversation during the great tree moon(april)? About how it's the best time to sleep? He's damn right.
Not really currently but they're really cool and sleepy and also bi
Just a sleepy guy who wants to nap over studying and battling.
Eepy eepy boy:) also most likely autistic
he’s so eepy!!!!!! the eepiest!!!!!!!! it’s one of his defining traits also he’s one of the only characters you can gay marry in the game
Chill and sleepy.
He is such a sleepyhead. He tends to come across as ditzy or spacey to others, when often he is just so so so sleepy. He caries around a pillow sometimes because he'll sleep wherever and whenever. He doesn't seem to care that others find it distasteful, because he's happy getting lots of sleep. He may have narcolepsy; but it doesn't seem to be an established word in canon so most people things he's lazy or avoidant of things, when he really just can't help it. As the teacher you can acknowledge him though and validate that being sleepy doesnt mean hes wrong, as long as he works hard when he's awake. Despite his sleepy though he's there for his friends in battle (usually as a healer in my games since he's not a fan of violence) and just lives a long nap afterwards.
Sothis:
She is THE sleepy. The first cutscene of this game occurs in the protagonist's (Byleth) dream where they watch Sothis awake for the first time, complete with a ton of yawning and nagging. Throughout the game Sothis exists as a voice in Byleth's head who frequently succumbs to tiredness when she and/or Byleth runs into confusion. (Spoilers ahead!) The reason for this is that Sothis existed in the ancient era as a god-like individual who was murdered while stuck in a deep slumber, recovering from exerting her powers. After hundreds of years Sothis' remains became separated as a sword and a magical stone that powers it. The stone was implanted into Byleth when they were born, creating a connection between them and Sothis due to the circumstances surrounding their birth. At the start of the game Byleth manages to reawaken Sothis and she appears to them as a sleepy, amnesiac child to them because of her fractured state. Later on, Sothis fuses herself with the protagonist's soul to save them from certain doom and she stops appearing to them until much later when Byleth falls into a deep ravine. In the darkness, Sothis urges Byleth to wake up, having undergone a similar slumber as she had centuries before to heal. Sothis' story is very deeply tied to sleeping and I could ramble even more but this is long enough as it is
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mad-voidling · 9 months
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(Shoutout to @house-of-mirrors for inspiring the pic!! Go check out their work it’s great!)
Figure it was time to introduce my own silly little guy!! The picrew is slightly jank cause their design is only roughly humanoid lol, but I’m okay with it! I already have some more of its story planned out in my head besides the stuff I’m going to be putting below the cut, so feel free to ask about anything and/or send a calling card my way!! Their name is the same as my profile name
Info
(minor spoilers for Heart’s Desire)
- Agender and Aroace, not exactly out but it hasn’t had any trouble with people questioning them about it (We’re living underground with devils and people with tentacles for f___’s sake!!)
- Awoke in New Newgate knowing their name and nothing else about itself. When asked about this initially, they would seem to space out for a moment before jolting back to reality and seeming to not have heard the question at all. Thus, most don’t ask anymore
- It’s constantly wrapped up in layers of cloth and such, and no one’s seen what’s underneath it, not even Idris themselves. They’ve tried, but for unknown reasons, it’s physically incapable of removing any of it itself. When anyone else tries, they fly into an uncontrollable panic that they never seem to remember once they’ve calmed down
- Quite tall, but not freakishly so yet, probably around seven feet or so
- Has an almost instinctual loathing and mistrust of Mr. Stones, has complicated feelings on the Masters in general but will choose any of them over Stones
- Sometimes, if it focuses hard enough, it can see the night sky, full of brilliant and vibrant stars
- Has a tendency to hoard things that catch their eye, usually shiny stuff but really anything they find interesting. Their organization of their collection seems chaotic, but there’s a logic to it that only it knows
- Occasionally cloisters itself in its lab for extended periods when it gets really focused on some research
- Not a fan of alcoholic beverages, has mastered the art of subtly dumping drinks into nearby plants
- Has… Complex feelings about the other players of the Marvellous. Their relationships with the Bishop and Beechwood are the simplest because they don’t interact/talk much outside of the game. It’s somewhat concerned about both of them for different reasons, but isn’t about to barge into their lives or anything (Besides, what could they really do? Collecting candles isn’t a crime, and Beechwood is a bit beyond help at this point)
- Certainly not friends with Virginia, but they have a mutual respect for each other. They met even before Idris became a player of the Marvellous when they were both after the Correspondence Stones, which Idris won far and square. Their lives have overlapped several times since then, and they’ve learned to get along fairly well
- Not a big fan of the Manager, finds his whole hotel uncomfortable and doesn’t trust him in the slightest. That isn’t helped when it finds out about the whole Tristram thing, which it thinks is a bit too convenient for their liking based on what they know. Also sick of him making his personal issues the problem of literally everyone else (it’s not our fault you’re not over your divorce yet bro). When the Horrors:tm: get to be to much they’ll stay in the Mirror-Marches, thank you very much
- Speaking of Tristram, Idris has a big soft spot for him. It understands what it’s like not to know yourself, to brush your fingertips against memories but not be able to grab hold of them. As soon as it gets the chance it gets his mind back and returns to it to him with zero hesitation. Once everything is said and done I imagine that the two of them + Cora remain good friends
- Mr. Pages confuses Idris immensely. Though the Master doesn’t usually seek them out, when the two do interact, it acts overly familiar with them. Not to an uncomfortable degree, but it’s still strange, and when it breaks into their wine stores, it almost seems to want to tell them something, but never lets it slip. Hmm. They also both share an interest in books, so that and the Marvellous usually ends up being the focus of their conversations
- Loves their work as a Correspondent, despite the inherent danger that comes with working with the Correspondence. It feels comfortable to them, as if they’re coming home. The letters seem to flow out onto whatever it’s writing on, which has led to them getting lost in thought a few times and their clothes catching on fire
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pjsk-writin · 1 year
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( 🐈 anon here massive madoka magica spoilers ofc ) SO lets say, randomly, you encounter a white cat-like creature. you believe only you can hear it and see it. cat-like creature ( his name is kyubey) tells you that it can grant you any wish, but, you will have to become a magical girl and fight 'witches'. you get any wish youd like AND you also get to destroy witches in cute outfits?? you agree. Now for your wish, lets say instead of you, its kanade, but when her father wasnt in a coma. Kanade wishes for her dads work to become succesful. He does become succesful, but like in main story he cannot recreate a 'succesful' song and eventually falls into a coma. Pretty much all wishes come with weird side effects, say you wish for x group to like you and their personalitys are shifted so they like you. Most magical girls end up regretting their wishes deeply in the show, and, from the deep regret and despair is one way where the witches come from. If they fall into a deep despair, they turn into witches and p much turn into mindless beasts, for the other way that witches come to be, you remember that the cat-like creature gave you a "soul gem". It told you your magical power was stored there, and that if it gets shattered, you will die. after defeating a witch, you notice two things. one, your soul gem seems... darker. its lost some of its color and shine. you also see that before dying, the witch drops a seed like "thing" on the floor. after putting the seed thing next to your soul gem, it seems your soul gem absorbs it, and recovers its shine, so you deplete some of your magical power each time you fight one of those witches. You go ask the cat-like thing, and it tells you something; your soulgem contains, quite literally, your soul. if you go more than 100 meters away from it you will faint until its returned to you, and if your magical power runs out, you'll also turn into a witch. Now, you could say "well, i can just take the wish and stay home without depleting magical power", but, now that your body is nothing but a soulless shell, it takes magical power to keep it running. if you do not go out to slay witches, you will die. This causes to be zones "owned" by magical girls, causing girls to actually die in combat with ones of their own kind rather than working along them.
Your wish gives you a special ability of some kind, as an example, if you wish from someone to recover from an illness, you'll have great healing powers.
Magical girls can ONLY die in combat or becoming a witch, so all magical girls are destined to either die in a witches hiding place and never be found , fall into despair, or get slain by another magical girl. Basically there is no hope for them.
Witches have hiding spots that are p much just sekais but creepier and not so cute or not so,, coherent i guess??? magical girls can acces through portals to there, but witches cqn kindap normal humans.
Extra info you can easily skip over: soul gems are normally in the form of accesories. A necklace, earring, etc.
THIS SIS SO LONG IM SORRY IVE BEEN WAKING ROUND MY HOUSE LIKE A MADMAN AS I WRITE THIW —🐈
WOAG OKAY this is super cool actually!!! and its ok dw, ill probably check out madoka sometime....but I used the same charas from the original prompt, I hope you like this!! <3
♡ MADOKA MAGICA - Mizuki Akiyama, Rui Kamishiro and Nene Kusanagi x Reader
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Mizuki:
When Mizuki first learns that you're a magical girl, they think it's the coolest thing ever!
Well, that is, until you explain all of the schemantics of it-
They're very confused, but they try to keep up. You had a wish, you were gifted a soul gem, you now had to kill witches in order to stay alive??
The only thing they truly understand is your whole "territory" thing, and they try their best to help you manage it
For all the strife that you being a magical girl brings, they absolutely LOVE your outfit. If there's a way for you to change into it without the whole transformation part, they will try and replicate it for themself
Sometimes, they tease you on the whole thing, but they mean it as light-heartedly as possible. It was certainly very impressive, and they would never discredit that
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Rui:
Sticking with my Rui loves magical girls headcanon, he also believes that it's the coolest thing ever!
When you explain everything though, he gets very curious
He won't test your limits persay, but he'll certainly try to find out how everything works. How do you transform? How does you being soulless work? Can he make something to hold your soul gem easier?
He definitely makes drones in an attempt to help you. Even though they can't actually shoot deadly lasers, they can help you look around your territory easier
He always loves watching your transformation, and definitely takes notes for any costume/costume change ideas that he can bring to Tsukasa. He'll ask where Rui gets the ideas and he just shrugs with a grin
He surprisingly doesn't tease you on anything, simply asking questions to quench his curiosity. He'd definitely try to be a sidekick if he could be one!
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Nene:
Nene kind of understands the concept of magical girls, so she'll look at you with awe when you tell her
The awe is immediately replaced by concern when you explain everything in detail
She definitely understands that you have your reasons, but she's worried that that is far too much for you to handle on your own, especially with the risk of being killed by someone else-
She'll try to go around town and observe people, telling you about people she thinks are suspicious. More than half of the time she ends up being right, and she doesn't know how-
Your transformation impresses her a ton, but she doesn't say so, in fear of weirding you out. You just remind her of her favorite character in a fighting game...
She asks you about what you do from time to time, but expect her to leave you alone on it otherwise. It's your business, and unless you want her to be involved, she'll stay out of it
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ecargmura · 1 year
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review: Very Fun!
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(Warning, this review contains spoilers for the movie)
My introverted ass does not leave the house most of the time. However, there are times where I do like to hang out with my friends. Today was one such day. On the midst of cold rainy weather, I mustered up the courage to leave my house and go to the movie theater to see The Super Mario Bros movie. I was watching it with my friend SpaceBrosMiles. As I was waiting for him, I coincidentally saw my friend from high school and college whom I haven’t seen in 6-7 years! I was surprised I still recognized him. He was also watching the film with his friends, one of them being my brother’s friend. It was nice talking to him. Anyways, once Miles and I finally met up and went inside the theater, the movie started playing after multitudes of trailers and a quick bathroom break from me.
How was the movie? I really liked it! It went by fast, but it left a lasting impression on me. The movie is an original story of how the Mario brothers became known to the Mushroom Kingdom. It all started with them in Brooklyn trying to make it big as plumbers, but they struggle to find jobs. They put out a rather tacky commercial and they did manage to get one job after it aired, which turned into a bust when the owners’ dog Francis tried to attack the brothers because Luigi broke its bone. However, the fight between them and the dog eventually lead to an unknown flooding in Brooklyn. While the brothers try to be heroes, they fail to stop the flood and accidentally find the iconic green warp pipe that causes the brothers to be transported to another world but they get separated with Luigi going to Bowser’s Castle and Mario to the Mushroom Kingdom. The rest of the movie is just Mario trying to find a way to rescue his brother with the help of Toad and Peach.
The overall movie was enjoyable. I really liked the various Mario game references. I think a few I can name are Mario Maker, Mario Kart, Luigi’s Mansion, Mario 64, Mario Galaxy and Jumpman. I named a lot. Wow. Does this mean I’m a hardcore gamer? Anyways, there isn’t much I can say about the overall movie because it’s super fun. The humor is on point. The dialogue is very family-friendly. Various OSTs were remixes of classic Mario songs that I recognize. However, the best song was the remix of the DK Rap. THE DK RAP IS IN THE MOVIE! DK! DONKEY KONG! I’m sorry, the DK rap was so fun to listen to when I was a kid. I’m glad they kept the iconic song (though, they did not credit the creator Grant Kirkhope).
The flow of the movie was fast-paced but it was consistent. I think it flew by so quickly for a one hour and forty-five minute movie. One moment they are in the Mushroom Kingdom, and they are in the Jungle Kingdom five minutes later. It’s really hard to look away because you will be confused if you do so.
The voice acting was really good! I think they all suited the characters! The best performance was Jack Black as Bowser. I mean, it’s Jack Black! What more can I say? I was confused when he started playing the piano, but Jack Black’s song was amazing to listen to. An honorable mention goes to Lumalee. He was very creepy with his nihilistic speeches about death and that made him stand out; he’s an absolute menance.I think the weakest performance was a tie between Cranky Kong and Mario, but it doesn’t mean they were bad. They were far from bad, in fact. It’s just that everyone else were too good that they got overshadowed.
My only gripe is the lack of Luigi screen time during the middle of the movie. The movie is called The Super Mario Bros. It’s not the Super Mario movie. It’s the Mario brothers that are the stars, not Mario on his lonesome. It would’ve been great to see Luigi trying to struggle out of his cage or have some screen time worrying about his current situation. All we see of Luigi is that he gets captured, thrown into a cage and then gets released about three-fourths way into the movie, just before the climax.  The final portion where the Mario bros take on Bowser was great and made me wonder where Luigi managed to get that courage to protect Mario from the fire.
Overall, this is a very good movie if you just want to have fun watching. It’s a perfect blend of tropes and aspects any Mario fan or any gamer would know and love. I know that not everyone will agree with me, but I believe this is like a love letter to the fans that have bee there for so long. I believe it’s an 8.5/10 movie. The .5 was the fact I saw a friend in the theaters. Will I recommend this movie? Definitely.
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