The vulnerability of them both in this is so beautiful and you capture the scene so well, I could easily picture every movement, every expression. You may be scared for this to end, but in a way I can’t wait because I know shit is about to go DOWN and I’m so eager to get to see them be happy together
Ahhhhhhh thank you so much! I’m equal parts scared and excited to tackle the end. And I’m so glad you enjoyed this part, it was a big one that I worked really hard to get right!
Also fuck you for coming up with such a beautiful song just Like That, jfc that’s impressive as hell
I want you to know that after I wrote this, I had a dream that I ripped off the song from some classic rock band without realizing (I think it was ACDC? there was a lot of guitar like that)
Wow I love how you wrote Pluto here and I would love to see more of her with Minako tbh
Pluto and Minako are like, my secret favorite duo. In some ways, their burdens are the same (especially since I take the line that Minako is the only Inner who got full SilMil memories). And Pluto is the singular person who can be an adult for Minako the way she needs, for lack of a better wording. For some things, she’s the only person who’s older and has seen more.
This was lovely and sad. I particularly like how you did Pluto with her mystery and compassion. You get the feeling she’s even looking over Minako a long time.
Ahhh thank you, I love Pluto so much but find her really hard to get right. Sometimes I think of her as the senshi with the biggest heart, I imagine her wanting to take care of everyone even when she cannot act outright.
I am really enjoying this AU all around, but in this chapter I was especially amused at the ranking of Haruka’s stupid. I imagine Mina keeps a chart or graph somewhere to highlight this when she is speaking.
On their fridge they have a white board bearing the stupid o’meter, where Mina tracks Harukas latest decisions, using magnets Mina had made, because Mina does nothing half way.
Didn’t wait for your Hot Pocket to cool? Haruka that is one facepalming Mina.
Took three shots at the bar and then tried to ask a girl to dance? A solid three facepalming Minas.
ATTEMPTED TO FIND THE GOOD IN A MONSTER WOMAN HOLDING YOU PRISONER? Haruka that is five ANGRY Minas, just look at the chart. Look at it Haruka.
@rhiorhino I can’t format an answer the way I want on mobile, so I’m doing it like this!
Okay so, it depends! BUT the good news is I do it myself, so I know the numbers really well, but do ask your stylist to double check, some gradients are numbered differently on different brands/places/moon phases
I usually have fluff on top, which I do with scissors. I like having several inches up there, but if you’re looking for shorter, I recommend one (razor number 8, for me) or two inches (less common, but some stylists will have razors for 2 inches, otherwise they can use scissors). The key is to be able to go shorter on the sides, unless you really want to go for full shave.
For the back and sides, I have two styles I go between. Right now (though I haven’t posted recent enough photos, so it’s probably not what you mean) I have 1/8 inch (razor 1) all over. It’s a full undercut look, pardon the wet hair in the pic:
The other look I go for is tapered sides, usually starting at ½ inch (4) fading to 1/8 or ¼ (1 or 2) at the bottom. The taper both looks good to me and helps my hair not look like a mullet so fast (I swear the bottom grows faster than the rest). I don’t have a great photo to show just how it looks, this is the closest:
That’s probably grown out a bit from the ½ inch (and it’s messy, but ah well), but that’s around what it looks like. You can always ask for ¾ inch (6) to start to test it out if you’re worried about going too short too quick (if the stylist is unwilling to work with you, they are a bad stylist. Same with if they give you grief over going short.
This slow build is so good but also killing me slowly. Seeing Michiru so afraid and raw is so strange and pulls at me; you write her in such a compelling way and balance well her stubbornness and loneliness. I wish I were an artist bc I would LOVE to draw a rendering of beast!michiru aha
Ahhh thank you!! I worry constantly I’m going too far with Michiru and that she will end up unrecognizable, so I’m so so glad to hear she works for you.
Honestly my dream treat to myself after I finish would be to commission an artist to do a few illustrations. I’d love to see renderings of Michiru and maybe even a few scenes.
I kind of saw Ami having the Dark Moon because of the whole long life aspect, though it’s probably more the kind of science aspect of long life. Which would go like science trying to improve lifespans but I’m sure if I am hitting it right. Idk, maybe it’s just me being used to the anime more and Rei having the visions of the end of the world. Saturn’s destruction and fire can burn and be destructive (seems I’m rambling at this point but these were my initial thoughts.)
I like this take a lot! Ami and Rei are hard ones for me, because I feel draw to have both of them work like this for both arcs. Rei for Infinity could be really interesting playing against Hotaru and Mistress 9 for the reasons you said, and playing with the line between righteous anger, hatred, and cool minded destruction for a purpose (and hello father issues, though we don’t see much of Rei’s in the anime). And Ami for black moon could give rise to a lot of different things, depending on how it would play out.
She’s hard for me, for a lot of reasons, because she strikes me as the most… well-adjusted? of the Inners. Like, she has flaws, but she’s self-aware for a lot of them, so I have a hard time digging in to meaty storylines with her. (Though like, I do not know if you are familiar with PGSM, but THAT Ami, filled with self-doubt and jealousy, could play really interesting against a toned-down Demand and Setsuna, for ideas of loneliness and desire and how much can you try and possess things and how much can you hold yourself back)
Oh man I LOVE Hotaru in this, I love the characterization you’ve given her! Can’t wait for the next chapter, as per usual!
Thank you so much! I feel like Hotaru is almost an OC I’ve slapped a canon name and a few references on, and that is so fun to me. I also love having her as a middle ground for Rei and Mina, and mixing up my usual friend pairings outside of Haruka and Mina has been a blast.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO ENJOY IT
I LOVE HER SO MUCH, she’s honestly probably my favorite character to write, in this and in general, I love how hard I have to dig to get into the heart of the matter with her.
Also haruka’s EARNESTNESS kills me here, she knows how to fix things, THAT CAN’T BE THAT HARD
One of my favorite things about this AU is I’ve put Haruka in a place where she can be confident in herself and her skills, because she’s well out of her teen years and has had Mina’s support for a long time One of my other favorite things about this AU is that Haruka’s expectations and confidence often work against her (that’s a thing I love everywhere, and writing it is the most fun)
The word choice and flow in this AU has been SO GOOD, it just keeps sounding fairytale-like, and I adore it. also ‘curses are women’s work’ is a great damn line
Ahhhhhhh thank you, language is such a fun thing to play with in this for me, I worried a lot about the tones of the three viewpoints being too dissonant. And boy do I have feelings that drove that line, it essentially came from me trying to force the backstory into something that didn’t feel right, and when I realized why it was just right there.
Ooh but a little bit more and you get to the best part of all the myus.
OH MAN I KNOW
I totally overestimated what I could do, I totally thought I could get through the whole thing. I can’t wait to do the rest, I know Sorezore no Elegy is gonna kill me
I love that you have the Princess’ protectors, just standing around letting her get her ass kicked. You think the Inners are still a little peeved at the singing thing earlier? Michiru is probably secretly enjoying herself
The idea of the inners being that petty makes me laugh.
Also I’m imagining Haruka being like, shouldn’t we do something?
And Michiru, who somehow has made a cup of tea and pulled up a chair, puts her hand on her arm and says “Oh no, I do believe the savior of the universe has this handled. We’d best not meddle.”
SittingOverHereDreaming 