#“i'm not gonna help fight” blinds the dragon

[goopyguy]

just watched the latest dungeon meshi episode feeling normal about chilchuck again ignore the last several reblogs. normal.

[ryin-silverfish]

I really like Azure Lion as a character. Yeah, you can stop following me now. /j

But no, seriously, I like how LMK has adapted this particular character, given him way more potential complexity than his novel counterpart——not that it's a high bar, the LCR trio of JTTW are just demon warlords living in a literal human slaughterhouse.

Which is why I deeply dislike the take that "Oh, Azure manipulated SWK into fighting the JE! He's just using him like a pawn!" Like, wow, way to completely butcher two characters' personality and agency in one go.

Such takes reduce SWK to some innocent kid, when he is at most an impulsive, daring teenager who haven't met a single real obstacle so far——he robbed the dragon kings blind, and they couldn't do a thing! He struck his name and all his monkeys' names off the Book of Life and Death! What couldn't he do?

And Azure's failing isn't him telling a toddler: "You know what? Driving your tricycle into oncoming traffic will be real fun, trust me kiddo." It's letting his friend go way over the speed limit and not telling him that he should maybe, y'know, slow down, bc he'd seen his epic driving skills, SWK's the bestest driver he ever met, surely nothing would happen!

(And also, no one in that car is sober, except Macaque.)

What I'm getting at here is, even without Azure, SWK is not gonna be content with sitting on his mountain, eating peaches forever. Hell, he sure doesn't in the novel, where his demon king brothers are little more than namedropped NPCs.

He is always gonna want more, chase after greater destinies, drown out that existential ennui and fear of death at the back of his mind with bigger and bigger power-ups and the laughters of his companions.

He told himself he would be content after getting this one thing he wanted. That he could stop at any time. But alas, like any ADHDer, he will not stop at this one exciting thing, and sooner or later, the boredom sets in, and he gets ideas and impulsively leaps into making them reality.

That is the Mind Monkey at his worst: being a whirlwind of chaos, while unknowingly enslaved to his own chaotic mind.

(In the book, this is Wu Cheng'en's reminder to the reader that, even though you shouldn't keep your heart constantly under lock and keys, Neo-Confucian style, the other extreme——letting it go completely wild, disregarding all external rules and consequences, can be equally disastrous.)

And when that car was driven through the Celestial Palace's front door, off a bridge, and straight into a ditch, it was him in the driver's seat, steering the wheels the whole time.

Everyone else in that car failed terribly as friends when they didn't voice any objections, or try to get him off the driver's seat, or realize that cheering and egging him on is an awful idea, however genuine their blind trust was.

Like, they are certainly not helping, and made the situation much, much worse. If you let your buddy drive while under influence and hand him more beers in the car, even if you are also drunk out of your mind and aren't actively trying to get him into a traffic accident, you are a shitty, irresponsible friend.

But the thing is? SWK is still responsible for the consequences of his decisions. He could have stopped, by his own volition, and no one was holding a gun to his head and forcing him to drive. He, too, wanted this.

That, to me, makes a much more interesting narrative than "Poor innocent baby SWK was puppeted into becoming the Great Sage in Heaven by shady blue cat, how awful!"

Oh, and since I'm feeling particularly salty today, I'll also ask some last questions: is SWK so weak-willed and devoid of self-agency to you that he couldn't even OWE his most famous title, the Great Sage in Heaven, 100%, without being manipulated into it?

Is SWK so immature and unintelligent to you that he is incapable of being a genuine idealist or rebel, that he cannot agree, out of the depth of his heart, that the Celestial Realm sucks balls and needs better management?

TL;DR: Havoc! Era Azure Lion isn't some cult leader brainwashing this kid into becoming his figurehead. He's the dumbass who's too busy staring at his teenage crush to care about the blaring police sirens.

Also, I had a bit of an epiphany after writing this: why am I so annoyed by people reading Azure's idealization of SWK as him intentionally manipulating and love-bombing him? Because it is a very western and modern reading.

For someone with traditional Confucian beliefs, it is perfectly normal——it is what you are supposed to feel, as a liege who has found your just and virtuous lord.

If Romance of the Three Kingdoms existed back then, he would probably describe himself as the Guan Yu to SWK's Liu Bei, however wonky the analogy was.

(Gosh, now I want a "Four Classics read each other" crossover.)

I'm not saying it is healthy or wise. But under this context, putting your lord on a pedestral was normalized, and even encouraged, as the virtue of a righteous gentleman. It was the sort of ideals romanticized culture-wide. NOT having such beliefs would probably make you look weird.

And since the Celestial Realm in the novel is a parody of Confucian hierarchy in a Daoist trenchcoat, it was really no surprise that an idealistic ex-celestial soldier would hold the same beliefs.

To torture the analogy further, the problem is that he was trying to be the Guan Yu to SWK's Liu Bei, when the Brotherhood had more in common with the Bandits of the Marsh, down to their giant downer ending.

[cairavende]

Worm Arc 18 thoughts:

Well that sure just happened

I'm fine

Noelle ate my daughter. But I'm fine. It's fine.

Her girlfriends are gonna save her!

I'm fiiiiine

Anyway, that's like, the end of the arc so there's a lot of other stuff that happens!

Taylor casually drops that she's mostly blind in conversation and Brian kinda freaks out. Understandably.

She got eye drops that she is supposed to be doing but never mentions doing them. I'm very disappointed in her. I'm also worried her eyes aren't going to ever get better.

I do love that the moment Dinah says she only has a 58% chance of going home and Taylor realizes it's because of her, she forces the situation by taking Dinah home right away. She is far from perfect, but she does have her moments.

RACHEL LET DINAH PET HER DOG!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! LOOK AT THE GROWTH!!

One of my favorite lines, when Taylor asks Dinah the chance of trouble before they go into the medical clinic "When there's trouble, it's you.  Eighty percent of the time." Just, kinda embodies the spirit of Worm I think.

I'm still fine.

Taylor sure thinks about Rachel as Rachel a lot now, instead of mostly as Bitch. GAAAAAY.

I really want to know what's on those papers Dinah left for Taylor. Triumph saw them but didn't seem to react. One might have been a message for him, since Dinah would know he would see it. Something that will come into play later maybe.

I love Parian making a giant wiener dog for everyone to ride on. Like, it is a definite upgrade in transportation from "door with glass stuck in it dragged down the street" but it doesn't have much of a supervillain vibe to it.

Noelle just starts it off with grabbing possibly the strongest cape available in Brockton Bay. At a minimum, one of the most versatile to clone. No big deal. Not like even just normal Vista could become very dangerous if she wanted to be evil.

Freaking PRT all "this is a Class A instead of a Class S cause Eidolon is a big man baby and needs to punch something all on his own to prove he's strong". Sure are helping people Alexandria. Good job. What a hero.

I think Eidolon is Bargain Bin Scion. Scion Lite. Blue Light Special Scion. A shitty version of Scion created by Cauldron basically.

Clockblocker is so fucking fascinated with Skitter it's amazing.

Tattletale made Eidolon maaaaaad! I love her.

I'm perfectly fine.

The scene with meeting the Chicago Wards, oh god I loved it so much! Skitter tells Bitch to clear the plywood out of a window and she just instantly fucking kicks it open, then a giant swarm comes in and swirls around everyone and covers Skitter, making her hair move and trailing bugs behind her like a gown, and then starts speaking with the swarm. And Tattletale waits until the perfect moment before asking the Wards their names and powers, very clearly backing Skitter up as her 2nd. Just such a "ok I was playing nice but now I need you to know who you are working with!" power move. Fucking amazing. Also it was Skitter being assisted by Bitch and Tattletale! GAAAAAAAAAAAY!! LESBIAN SUPERVILLAIN POWER POLYCULE!

I think Grace has neat powers but could have been more creative with her name. I fucking love Tecton though, assume tinker. Dude has got to love fights like this, where he is allowed to do all the property damage he wants. He'd make a good villain.

The other two are kinda neat too but they didn't last very long.

Every time they are going anywhere Bitch specifically offers Skitter a ride. GAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

I love seeing the range of power adjustments the clone Vistas get. Some are pretty basic - can do stuff from farther away or not be slowed down if a lot of people are around - but then we get ones like Paper Mario Vista and Imagine Dragons Vista, with much more wild powers.

Everyone stand back while Eidolon goes and shows us all how strong he is! God.

I'm 100% FINE.

Side effect of being blinded probably, but it is neat how good Taylor is getting at listening, and sometimes even seeing, through her bugs! Just listening in on Eidolon and Noelle from blocks away.

Imp almost gets crushed to death by Eidolon's gravity power cause she ignores warnings from Skitter to run. Sounds about right.

Noelle making rat clones and bug clones (that Skitter can't control) is fun.

Fucking projectile vomit attack suddenly! Did Noelle absorb the girl from the Exorcist??

Texas Wards kinda getting their ass kicked. (Also what the hell is going on in Texas that the whole state apparently just has the one Wards team, vs most places have a Ward team per city?)

Fight is going kinda poorly. Travelers show up to help! And then Trickster betrays everyone to feed my daughter to Noelle! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm fine.

The Most Powerful Man in the World Interlude thoughts:

Scion just really is empty in there isn't he?

Not a person, just a construct of the entities in 3 dimensional space. Sphere moving through Flatland and being seen as a circle style. No mind, just does what this guy tells him.

Duke is a very good dog.

Kevin talking about Scion 100% sounds like someone talking about a lover that has been lots of trouble for them but that they just can't quite.

Lisette is having a weird day.

I really wonder how the next Endbringer attack is going to go now that Scion has been told to kill them. Wonder if it'll be different.

Crusader Interlude thoughts:

Shockingly, it turns out that the Nazi is an asshole. News at 11.

Night and Fog were basically constructed by this Gesellschaft group. Seems like a branch of Cauldron pretending to be Nazis for more control over things. Or maybe not directly a branch of Cauldron, but they get powers from Cauldron. Maybe not related, but they make weapons, which is very much what Cauldron can do, and we haven't seen anyone else yet reliably make powers with control over the outcome.

This poor TA is having a bad day.

Taylor triggered 2 or more times in that locker. I was 100% positive of that the second the TA said "You can’t really distinguish a single trigger event from having two in quick succession." I probably should have realized this earlier.

Really curious where Theo and Aster's stories are going. I could see one or both of them being a major part of the end of the world (based on stuff from Trickster's visions on stuff from Noelle's interlude I'm thinking a 3rd or 4th generation cape might play a part in it), but I could also see them being red herrings.

Theo is upset but realistically getting abandoned and left with the PRT is the best option that could have happened to him.

Jessica Yamada Interlude thoughts:

This poor woman

Faultline Interlude thoughts:

OH MY GOD Gregor and Shamrock are super fucking cute together!!!!

Faultline is amazing and very organized and detail oriented and an assertive leader who wears a dress shirt with slacks and cowboy boots and threatens to get a bullwhip and I would really like her to tell me what to do k thx.

Not positive I would trust the minor precog abilities of Shamrock to make me Simurgh proof, but it's better than nothing.

The quarantine zone of the city of Madison is doing great!

Wasn't expecting to get to see Matroyshka again, that's neat! She should probably stop eating people but otherwise she's fun.

Faultline just not being able to stand Tattletale is wonderful. I hope they bother each other for years to come.

I like this crew, so I was not happy that they got really fucked up by Contessa. But I also want to like Contessa (as much as I can like someone who works for Cauldron) and this did make her seem really badass.

Noelle Interlude thoughts:

I'm fine.

Regent keeping up the jokes under pressure, good for him.

Finally got some good descriptions of Noelle's powers doing stuff which was very good.

I'm fine.

Also fun to see various clones and their powers.

AND THE VISION! OH MY GOD THE VISION! So much good info from that. It helped me get a much better idea of things and confirmed a lot of things I already thought. (Like Cauldron has basically hijacked an entity, more or less. Not the details on how though.)

I'm fine.

The fact that Noelle can let the god dandruff take control is interesting. Like her connection never got fully closed compared to other people. Which is what I assumed only taking half a vial did. Really curious to see if we ever get more info on Oliver.

Her Earth Bet self is like, 15 years younger. But still has the same name. Kinda wild.

I'm fine.

Also her Earth Bet dad gave her the name Echidna, which like, I get it's the mother of monsters or whatever, but I can only think of the cute adorable little creature!

I'm fine.

I obviously wish Eidolon had been able to defeat Noelle and save my daughter but him having a big sad about it not being fair that he can't get stronger is pretty funny too. I do not like the guy.

I'm fine.

I'm sure Tattletale has a plan and everything will work out.

I'm fine.

I'm 100% absolutely fine.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hewwo! So I was wondering if you could do some angsty headcanons of certain Pokemon accidentally hurting their Trainer Reader, who has been nothing but supportive, loving and caring for them?? Those certain Pokemon would be Koraidon, Iron Valiant and 2 more Pokemon of your choosing

Ough yeah I'm always up for angst-

The other two Pokemon will be Mimikyuu and Maushold!

........

Koraidon

After a gang of Maschiffs ran off with Koraidon's sandwich, the fighting/dragon type was understandably angry...especially with the leader Mabosstiff taunting them into a fight-

In which it got clobbered with Outrage. But even after that, Koraidon was still in a blind rage, staying in their Apex Build form.

You attempted to calm them down, but forgot that the attack still hadn't finished..

And they whipped around to slash you with their claws.

Your yell of pain made them snap out of it, and despite your attempts to hide the deep scratches they left, they shuddered as they realized what they've done.

They hurt you.

Just like.....

Suddenly Koraidon runs away, and you eventually track them down, finding them at the beach where you first met, curled up in the sand and back in their Limited Build.

By this point, your wounds were bandaged and you had casual clothes on, but seeing you and remembering what they did made them whimper with guilt.

They expected the worst, but you just sit down to comfort them, holding them as they push their head into your chest, trembling.

They feared that tey were becoming just like that other Koraidon--the one who killed an actual human.

Yet somehow you knew that's what they were thinking, as you reassure them they're not gonna turn out that way, and that you're gonna be alright.

To prove you still trusted them, you allow them to sniff and nuzzle you, while you stroked their feathers until they calmed down.

"Why don't I make you a brand new sandwich, Korai?" You offer with a smile, which seems to cheer them right up.

They briefly go into Apex mode....just to hug you gently against their throat sac, lifting you off your feet for a few seconds.

You just sigh and accept it.

Iron Valiant

Being programmed to be a merciless warrior, it's no surprise when your Iron Valiant sometimes defies your orders and throws themselves into danger.

But the problem is that they've been dealing with some internal conflict lately, especially when they learned Gardevoir and Gallade are your aces.

They don't know it yet, since it's such a foreign emotion to them, but they've been feeling...extreme jealousy.

They're overanalyzing the psychic types' interactions with you, wondering what made them so special...and why they can't be like them.

Being in-tune with your other Pokémon's emotions, Gardevoir and Gallade take notice of this during a picnic and decide to speak to their future counterpart privately. But Iron Valiant quickly got aggressive and began threatening them with their bladed weapon.

You witnessed this and tried standing between them and your psychic companions--

Only for them to accidentally strike you, knocking you out instantly.

This horrified Gardevoir and enraged Gallade, who went to fight IV while she did her best to heal you with Wish.

Eventually the robot did see you were unconscious, freezing for a moment as a new emotion was registered in them: Guilt.

That distraction allowed Gallade to gain the upper hand and knock them out.

The next day, you were released from the hospital, having suffered only a minor concussion and some bruises.

Upon arriving home to your worried Pokémon, you immediately asked where Iron Valiant was. Gallade didn't wanna tell you, but Gardevoir showed you to the backyard...where they stood rigidly, completely shutdown. Apparently they let their battery run dry all night as some sort of punishment.

After recharging them (with some help from Pawmi's Spark), they awaken with renewed guilt upon seeing you, kneeling down in apology.

But you convinced them to stand back up, instead embracing them and expressing your forgiveness.

"I know why you were angry...you just wanted to be like Gallade and Gardevoir. I've raised them since they were Ralts, so we do have a close connection. But don't ever think that I'll ignore you, IV. You're just as important to me, too."

Mimikyuu

After getting into a fight with a murder of Murkrow, your sweet little ghost/fairy's disguise was a lot worse for wear.

They try fixing it themselves, but even though you gave them a sewing needle...it just wasn't coming out right. Not the way they wanted it.

So much was wrong with it. The neck was still crooked, the ears were misaligned-

You didn't know how stressed they were until you hear their cries coming from an old pillowcases they were temporarily using for cover, and wanted to help them.

Unfortunately, yours was akin to an extremely stubborn child who didn't wanna share. And they freaked out when you tried taking their costume away, leading to them slapping your hand.

But in doing so accidentally jabbed you with the needle.

You winced in pain, although Mimikyuu quickly realized what they had done and panicked, dropping the tool and slipping further into the pillowcase, leaving their costume out in the open.

After plastering a bandaid on yourself, you got to work fixing it.

Mimikyuu never protested or said anything, feeling guilty for hurting you.

However, after some time you did feel the small, trembling lump hidden in the pillowcase curl up against your side. You patted it gently, humming a small song to help them calm down.

Once their costume was repaired, you presented it to them with a warm smile, and they...initially hesitated to take it.

You realized why, and closed your eyes so you didn't look at their true form, only opening them after the costume was on.

Looking down, you see them holding your hand and nuzzling where you had the cut, tears in their eyes.

"It's okay, Mimi." You coo. "I know you didn't mean it. I'll be okay..thank you for trusting me."

Maushold

They didn't hurt you directly...although they did feel responsible for the situation that injured you.

It all started when their two children began chasing some Hoppips who flew off when the wind picked up, while their parents rested during a picnic.

However, you were very observant and quickly noticed the little mice have gone missing, going to search for them so their parents didn't freak out.

You eventually found them being tormented by a Persian, who was circling around them menacingly.

Without thinking about your own safety, you just ran towards them and shouted at the feline Pokémon to get away, scooping up Maushold's children into your arms.

And you turned your back just as Persian lunged, attacking you with Fury Swipes, claws ripping through your shirt and scratching your skin.

They stung like hell, but you refused to let it harm either of the mice.

Fortunately, it didn't get a chance to attack again, as a flurry of Bullet Seeds caused it to flee.

You smiled as the rest of Maushold came to the rescue, reuniting them with their children.

But you didn't tell them about the attack until you went to Nurse Miriam and explained the situation as she treated your injuries.

To make a long story short...the parents were mad at their children for endangering you, though you gathered them all into your arms and hugged them closely.

"Don't be upset with them, they chased after some Hoppip and didn't know any better." You gently told the parents. "I can take a few scratches from a mean Persian if it means you're all safe."

As Tandemaus, they knew you were very loving and protective over them...but the fact you'd risk your life not only for them, but their kiddos? They teared up a little.

They feel very grateful having you as a trainer

[desired-misery]

Songs on my Luis Serra Playlist Pt2

[Part One here, with banger additions by @greasedcowboy] *this one is pretty heavy on the rock, featuring some of my all-time favorite bands

"In Chains" by Shaman's Harvest Bless my heart and bless my soul, you can set my ass on fire, Momma, won't you call me a doctor, 'Cause my temperature is rising higher and higher, Dip me in that cold muddy water, I think I need to be saved, Unless someone breaks these chains

"Human" by Rag'n'Bone Man Maybe I'm foolish, Maybe I'm blind, Thinking I can see through this, And see what's behind, Got no way to prove it, So maybe I'm lying

"Resurrection" by Gemini Syndrome * My actions criticized, My intentions demonized, The negative redirected, And the enemy, Now I recognize

"I'm Alive" by Shinedown * I'm alive, I'm alive when you're dead inside, I'm your wake-up call, and you know I'm right, So make a move, let it bleed, Tear your heart off your sleeve, But I'm the only one who's gonna save your life

"My Nemesis" by Five Finger Death Punch ** I'm turning away from me, And all the things I've known, I don't need your help no more, I can do this on my own, I'm taking all the blame, Resent what I've become, I regret everything and there's nowhere left to run

"Roots" by Imagine Dragons Don't throw stones at me, Don't tell anybody, Trouble finds me, All the noise of this, Has made me lose my belief

"The Devil in Our Wake" by Shaman's Harvest Say goodbye to your home before it's gone, Ain't no way y'all survivin' this one, Here it comes, here it comes, the mistakes of history, Well, all for the sake of a foreign glory, It's the season for treason and revolution

"I don't Want To Be Here Anymore" by Rise Against * I don't wanna be here anymore, I know there's nothing left worth staying for, Your paradise is something I've endured, See, I don't think I can fight this anymore, I'm listening with one foot out the door, And something has to die to be reborn, And I don't wanna be here anymore

"Strife" by Trivium How I yearn for the silence, For an end to the voices, The calamity grows and the deafness leads to disarray, Guilt buries me alive, In a coffin criticized, I shouldered the blame and dug this hole for me to lay in

"Tear Down the Wall" by Art of Dying What is the meaning and where does it end? What does it matter until it begins? I can't go backwards, I can't give in, Feels like the future is dying and the past is dead

*denotes songs that go hard for my "Luis Lives" arc ** get it? Nemesis??? get it??????

[laylanightingale]

Hi, everyone)) Former Voice of the Caring here. I MISSED YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

Alright, and about the Pristine Cut. That is exactly why I'm here. On Tumblr. Gonna copy some stuff I wrote back at Personality Database with some additions:

"I'm sorry, I just can't hold this back any longer. I am extremely upset by the update. My world is ruined, if you will. My WIP AU is confusing now. I have no idea where to go on from here. The changes in characters are most noticeable. Will list those I've seen:

- The Narrator is confirmed to be as horrible as some thought him out to be: callous, rigid, forceful. However, in "Happily Ever After" I felt genuine [empathy for] him. As in he gave up on fighting for his good ending for good. That... hurt. I was on board with him for the first time in forever.

- Hero is showing more of his qualities as a Heart, particularly coaxing Skeptic to help Den and being the one whose approach Broken echoes at the start of "The Cage". Also he took the lead in "The Apotheosis". Great move.

- Broken, my beloved, is taking nigh-lead in "The Apotheosis" and is also THE LEADER in "The Cage". Ironic, but he takes charge near immediately, pressing us to be pacifistic. And he tries his best at that. His empathy helps a lot. Giving up in "The Fury" was predictable, but arguing with Contra of all people (Apo)??? [Blasphemer...] I love him still. [If it's Adversary-Fury he's actually helping her out?! Wow. Man. Also thanks for shutting up Narra].

- Contrarian appearing in "Apotheosis" was unexpected and fun)) I love the way he's being supportive of Broken and Hero and manages to clock the Fury in alongside Stubborn #BashBros

- Haven't seen Cheated change much...

- Cold is just his old jerky self. Also I need to change his color scheme to black instead of cyan.

- Hunted is confirmed to have claustrophobia ("The Den").

- I hate Opportunist even more. Making HIM of all people the LEAD OF A RESCUE OPERATION in "The Princess and the Dragon"?! Really now??? Although he gets his dose of karma in "Happily Ever After".

- Poor Paranoid having to appear in three more routes to be tortured??? "Happily Ever After" is "safe" alright, "The Cage" had him LOSE IT in particular. I felt so sorry for him. I wish Skeptic could help him.

- Speaking of Skeptic, WHY WAS OUR FAVORITE DETECTIVE MADE INTO A JERK???? Ok, I understand him in "The Den", being possibly betrayed multiple times got him hypervigilant. CPTSD, anyone? But "The Cage", oh my Goddess, "THE CAGE"! Completely blinded by scientific rigor, isn't he?! Ignoring Paranoid's fear (and panic attack), berating Broken at the very beginning (I GET IT, dude, you hate being exposed, but at least listen to my friend!)... Suggestive Black Ethics fr. Not vulnerable because of the stunt with "The Den". At least, pain got him back to his senses. "I don't trust any of you" taken way too far. I cry at how insane my friend gets with power... it hurts...

- SMITTEN... Oh my Goddess, SMITTEN. Ok, the goal was alright, but he basically screwed it all over. I put him as a strong Black Intuition? Nope. Too weak to understand when your partner wants a change of perspective, panicking at the thought of it... I HAVE NO IDEA which side he is on anymore. He is just standing there. Menacingly. He's not even with us anymore... not talking to us... I trusted him... praised his delivery... why...

- Stubborn on the other hoof achieved some likeability points by standing tall when a certain meaty bastard tried to end our existence. That. Was. Heroic.

As for the Princesses and routes:

- Is The Fury actually undefeatable??? Is chivalry really unrequited? This bastard only mobilized after disintegrating my crew! WHY?!😭 *PTSD trigger* [Ahahah... "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was doing." Well, better late than never]

- Apotheosis, on the other hand... I knew the date was going to be awesome, but... only a couple choices? Sad... at least Broken might be happy. Heard she might be a bigger jerk than anything. Can't wait to see what happens))

- DEN! Yes! The rescue operation went almost well, didn't expect us to be trapped together, tho...

- Happily Ever After just feels wrong. I don't understand why Smitten would do this. THAT wrong. It... hurts to know when your bestie turns out to be a traitor. Looks like a regal Damsel, tho. Love the dress and the dance. Although Smitten sounds like he'll never get a girl he wants. (And... he only will in AUs).

- The Cage... do we really not have a choice? Can't we really find out what the Narrator wants? Why does it have to hurt so much? I also wanted to make a poetic version of it, but seeing Skeptic argue with Paranoid and, especially, Broken, when they both have good reasons, just disappointed me. Why?...

- "The Princess and the Dragon" unfolds the perspective from the eyes of The Princess. Feels relatable, but how we came here... eugh... The way it looks like we're fighting our body back is creative; however, the partner voice could be different...

All in all, I've listed all my concerns in hopes for at least anyone to answer me...

EDIT: Have just seen Broken!Cage and I take my accusations against Skeptic back. He managed to reform himself after the reveal of The Truth and him and Brook-boi made a great team. Loving this))"

So... that's all I've seen so far. I'm sorry for being a bit mean, but... what would happen if we toss Cage back down after freeing her? Would our partners be inconsolable? (I... just want to see if there's more to Broken than a mini-tsunami in Alt!Fury). I'm sorry...

EDIT: Apparently, Broken just realizes it was a bad idea... and that's it on my dudes' part. Ok...

[nickeverdeen]

Hiya! Can I request an arcane matchup?

I'm black and light skinned with either peach or gold undertones depending on the lighting I'm in. I'm 5'3( I stopped growing since 7th grade and I hate it), and bisexual (I prefer girls tho) I go by she/her, or him I don't really care. (I've been mistaken for a boy many times before I grew my hair out)

Speaking of that, I have shoulder length locs and I love to put hella charms in them!! Sometimes when I don't feel like doing my hair I would normally wash them the night before and let them down or something. and omggg the shrinkage is REAL! Every time I get a retwist my hair shrinks so bad the day after and it looks like my hair is short (which it kinda is but ykwim)

but anyway I was born with a birth defect called unilateral cleft lip and pallet, so there used to be a split on my lip and the roof of my mouth which caused my gum line to mess up completely until I got surgery..

I grew up with a really bad lateral lisp and I had to go through speech therapy. It's getting better now a little bit but my s and z sounds are a bit hard and I fumble up my words a lot. I don't have braces yet, but if I did have them they'd probably be blue right now lol, it's my favorite color!

Fun fact: I have no uvula!

I have like 5 beauty marks, the only one that's on my face is underneath my nostril and it's really noticeable. I have two birthmarks, one on my leg and one on my back! I used to have one on my cheek when I was 11 but it faded and I lowkey miss it. I have really big brown eyes but poor eyesight (my mother and sisters are blind, so it's like a genetic thing)

Now for my hobbies and interests, I love to draw, paint, color, crochet, make bracelets, and all! I completely suck at digital, tried it once, never again.. well idk

I am very athletic, I grew up playing basketball with my dad and it has grown to become one of my favorite sports, and I can run fast!

I'm in love with fashion! I dress pretty basic tho .. I normally wear baggy jeans and graphic tees, or on SOME days jerseys & jorts with my sambas and gold jewelry, but if I do have time to spend 3+ hours putting together random stuff in my closet I'll just wear that out.

Sometimes I like to switch up from dressing really fem to masc, or even a mix of both.

Dogs or cats? Although I do adore them both, reptiles. I have 2 leopard geckos, a bearded dragon and a ball python!

I have a very diverse music taste, wouldn't say I listen to EVERYTHING but I do listen to anything. R&b is my favorite tho, I'm an old soul.

Relationships.. my love languages are quality time, gifts, and play fighting! I was like a REALLY rough kid , especially when it came to those pretend wrestling games in the bounce house . (I almost broke some kid's finger once, but we're not gonna talk about that.) If I'm comfortable with someone, I would would definitely yap nonstop about any and everything. I would probably accidentally say too much and regret it later, but I can't help that, my mouth constantly runs and like NEVER stops.

I'm an estp! I'm really hyper most of the time and always find ways to smile. If you were to ask my friends what they thought of me they would probably say I'm funny, sometimes I don't even try to be funny and everyone's already on the floor, but I do laugh at my own jokes most of the time. I am really impatient and sensitive, I cry over the smallest things, but it's better than completely crashing out.. When I get really angry I quite literally destroy everything around me . I would say I have anger issues, but it really came from my past trauma that I went through alone, so it's something I also can't help. During arguments, such and such, I will NEVER bring up personal things and use it against people, it's just not in my heart, because I know how it feels to have family problems, etc. I've been through it all too.

The problem with me is that I don't take my own advice, I am a good therapist to many of my friends, mostly my younger family members, but when I'm giving them advice it's mainly just me comforting my past self.

But yeah, that's it!

Your Arcane match is…

Vi

Vi would immediately notice your strength and resilience, especially with what you’ve been through, and she’d admire how open and empathetic you are with others

She loves your style, especially your locs with all the charms, and would make a game of spotting the different ones whenever you changed them up

Vi would always be encouraging you to talk and say whatever’s on your mind, appreciating that you feel comfortable opening up to her

She loves your confidence in your mix of masc and fem looks and would be happy to lend you any of her own clothes to incorporate into your style

Vi would absolutely be in love with your art and would keep little things you made for her with her at all times, finding comfort in them when she’s away

She’d find your R&B taste perfect and would constantly be asking you to play your favorite songs when you’re together

Vi adores your playful side and wouldn’t hesitate to spar with you

Expect lots of play fights and wrestling matches that inevitably turn into laughter and goofing around

She’d admire your athleticism, and the two of you would be competitive about anything and everything

She’s secretly thrilled whenever you can keep up with her

When she finds out about your reptiles, she’d be impressed, and though she might be hesitant at first, she’d warm up to them quickly

Vi would be the most patient listener, knowing that sometimes you worry about saying too much but still loving every little detail you share

If you ever got upset or frustrated, Vi would be there for you, not trying to fix things but just being present, letting you vent as much as you need

She’d be protective of you and would always have your back, especially in stressful or triggering situations

Vi would love your spontaneous personality and how you’re always finding reasons to laugh or make others laugh, often joining in and egging you on

When you’re hyper or really in your element, Vi would just sit back and enjoy it, loving how much energy and life you bring to her days

She’d notice your impatience and try to slow things down for you, but never in a patronizing way—she’d just help you keep your cool when needed

She would always check in to make sure you’re okay after intense moments, showing her softer side and genuinely caring about how you’re feeling

Knowing that you’ve been through a lot alone, she’d make it clear that you’ll never have to go through things by yourself again

She would always be gentle and kind with you, respecting your boundaries and never pushing you to talk about your past unless you wanted to

She respects how you handle anger, and she’d trust you deeply because she knows that you’re a safe place and would never use personal things against her or anyone else

[fandomsarefamily1966]

For the character ask meme: Any character you most want to ramble about.

🥺 Thank you so much

I'm gonna go with Frodo because I love him and I've wanted to do this with him for ages.

Character ask: Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings)

Favorite thing about them: The way he, much like Beth, highlights the value of people that are easy to overlook or dismiss. He doesn't win by fighting or force like his companions do- no, he wins by being kind above all else, even to people who arguably don't deserve it, such as Gollum and Saruman. He's not able to carry the burden alone- he needs help, and everyone tries to help him as best they can, from Gandalf to Aragorn to especially Sam. He doesn't expect that he'll be able to complete or survive the quest, but he tries anyway. He tries so hard, and doesn't let his fear stop him from doing what he needs to do. And while he may have succumbed to the Ring at the end, no one blames him for it, except arguably himself. He is flawed, human (for lack of a better term) loving, and always tries to do what's right. We need more heroes like him, in my opinion.

Least favorite thing about them: He sees a bit too much of himself in Gollum, which blinds him to the possibility that Gollum might not have his best interests at heart. This, along with the Ring's increasing grip on him, is most likely what helps Gollum manipulate him into turning on Sam and sending him away (although this is thankfully just in the movies, and Frodo does apologize as soon as he can).

Three things I have in common with them:

*I love reading and writing.

*I've never really fit in that well with others.

*I tend to isolate myself because I don't want to be a burden.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm female.

*I'm not a hobbit.

*I've never had my finger bitten off.

Favorite line: Way too many, but I'll try to keep it simple.

When he accepts the task to destroy the Ring:

"I should like to save the Shire, if I could - though there have been times when I thought the inhabitants too stupid and dull for words, and have felt that an earthquake or an invasion of dragons might be good for them. But I don't feel like that now. I feel that as long as the Shire lies behind, safe and comfortable, I shall find wandering more bearable: I shall know that somewhere there is a firm foothold, even if my feet cannot stand there again."

When he accepts it again in Rivendell:

"I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way."

When he takes the Ring back from Sam in the movies:

"You must understand. The Ring is my burden. It would destroy you, Sam."

And finally, when he shows mercy to Saruman during the Scouring of the Shire:

"It is useless to meet revenge with revenge, it will heal nothing."

brOTP: The other hobbits, especially Sam, as well as Gandalf and Aragorn. (I also feel like in crossover land, he and Beth would absolutely adore each other.)

OTP: None.

nOTP: Sauron, Gollum, or Bilbo.

Random headcanon: He's on the autism spectrum. I don't feel quite as strongly about this as I do with Beth, but I think there's plenty of reasons to view him this way.

Unpopular opinion: I don't think he and Sam are secretly in love with each other. I can definitely understand why people would have that impression, especially on Sam's side, but I never really got that vibe from Frodo himself. (Although that might just be me wanting him for myself.)

I also don't think movie Frodo is that bad. Sure, I don't like how toned down he is from the book, and I especially don't like the scene where he sends Sam away, but the takeover of the Ring is an internal process, not external, so that's going to be hard to show on screen. And it's not like he's melancholic the whole way through- at the start of the first movie, he's happy, playful, and even a bit mischievous. And no matter how weird the script may get at times, Elijah Wood does an amazing job with what he's given.

Song I associate with them:

"In My Arms" by Plumb.

"evermore" and "the lakes" by Taylor Swift.

Favorite picture of them:

Elijah Wood in the early 2000s films:

[esther-dot]

"And with him stood the great lords her brother had named the Usurper's dogs, cold-eyed Eddard Stark with his frozen heart, and the golden Lannisters, father and son, so rich, so powerful, so treacherous."- Dany(ACOK II).

"When she saw the Usurper's rebel host across the river they were armored all in ice, but she bathed them in dragonfire and they melted away like dew and turned the Trident into a torrent."- Dany(ASOS III).

Dany enemies associated with cold and ice.

Oh shoot, I did not remember that description of Ned!

Understandably, frozen, ice, snow...those words don't show up much for Dany, so when they do they seem suspicious. I know a lot of people read that second quote as her facing off with the Others, and there were other things that did make me think she'd go North, but when you place those quotes together, and we think of how Dany sees herself as Rhaegar, takes on his "last dragon" shtick, and Jon is a variation of Ned (a little darker, a little more of the wolf blood, but there's a lot of him in there in addition to his looks), it does begin to look like Targ v Stark foreshadowing.

Funnily, the only other place I'm seeing "frozen heart" is as a description of Sansa. I gotta say, Sansa as QitN earlier, and Jon and/or Arya taking Dany out to save her/the North, I'd enjoy that! We've even talked about her being Ned's narrative heir. Also, LF's line about “the three queens" always sounded to me like he was planning to make Sansa queen and then have a Cersei, Dany, Sansa showdown which I would have loved.

He did not hold her kiss against her. "You would not believe half of what is happening in King's Landing, sweetling. Cersei stumbles from one idiocy to the next, helped along by her council of the deaf, the dim, and the blind. I always anticipated that she would beggar the realm and destroy herself, but I never expected she would do it quite so fast. It is quite vexing. I had hoped to have four or five quiet years to plant some seeds and allow some fruits to ripen, but now . . . it is a good thing that I thrive on chaos. What little peace and order the five kings left us will not long survive the three queens, I fear." "Three queens?" She did not understand. Nor did Petyr choose to explain. Instead, he smiled and said, "I have brought my sweet girl back a gift." (AFFC, Alayne II)

There's this whole thing about how Sansa forgets about her own claim, doesn't think people will fight for her etc so it made me think here too, she isn't picking up on her own political importance. Obviously, LF's plans will not work out, but until we get TWOW, I'm gonna imagine this playing out in a way that gives me joy. 🥰

[natural-harmonia-posting]

If you try to get up you will probably fall, isnt there anyone else around?

[In-person scene.]

[N should know better than to get up right now. Her body aches and all her limbs are foreign and distant, her head stuffy, trapping her. But the longer she spends in her room, the blinds shuttered and lights out, the more a sickly panic crawled up her stomach. Tomie chimes a wary tune as they push their blanket off of their body and shuffle to the edge of the bed.

"Wait! I can go find Alder! You're gonna fall!"

Tomie attempts to bargain, zipping around N's head to try and deter him.

"'m not gonna fall.." N murmurs sluggishly. They need to stand. They have to move. He plants a heavy hand on the nightstand, fingertips bearing into the polished wood. Their legs wobble as they slowly bear weight onto their knees, desperately clinging to the nightstand for some semblance of support while their unused muscles strain. The change in position makes them lightheaded, but they can't see the room well enough to know that it was spinning for them.

He thinks of Alder as he tries to keep balance. Of Drayden. Of Black. She has to see that they're all okay.

She remembers being rescued at some point by a bubbly girl and a strange boy. What were their names? His head pounds resistantly when he tries to think of them. It makes their stomach turn. Their memory was always so crystal clear- now their head is in a wake of fog. All of his memories beyond falling into the ocean are fractured to some degree, only splintering more and more the closer they get to the Frigate. There are pieces of faces, of pokémon, dragons and grunts and Sages, strangers and family all bearing down on his brain.

She felt like she might just fall to pieces herself. Tomie's warning beeps aren't exactly helping. Yet she manages to push herself forward, feet shuffling over the carpet as she creeps further out into the room. He kept his weight still planted partly on the nightstand, but in order to go any further, he would have to straighten up and let go.

"N..!"

"Please be quiet." They warble out suddenly, peeking at Tomie with an exhausted eye. She's all blurry. They blink a few times, frowning. "S.. sorry. I.." He hangs his head a bit. "I need to.. see everyone. For myself." She pushed herself upright, and as soon as she did, her knees buckled. "Ah--"

N hit the floor with a dull thud and a sharp cry, her knee popping and sending a shockwave of pain up her hips. She hunches over, her yelp dying away into a disjointed whimper as pain rolls over her anew. He digs his fingernails into the carpet, willing himself not to cry for fear of splitting his head open. Again.

The door opens abruptly. N's head is swimming too much to really even hear it over the sound of blood rushing in their ears. "Natural?" Alder drops to his knees to scoop the heaving woman up. "Oh, dragons.. why are you out of bed? You can't walk yet, sweetheart.. did you hit anything? Are you okay?" He questions anxiously, almost out of breath from darting across the house as soon as he heard them crash.

"Ggh..." It's all N can really muster in reply, leaning their head on Alder. They had been fighting the urge to cry this entire time, but now that he was here, in the flesh, they can feel tears pricking their good eye, while a stabbing sensation resonates through the other. The feeling only makes her liable to cry more. "A-alder.." They croak, shoulders shaking. All of the worst case scenarios had been cascading through her mind, but he seems fine. He's alive. He's here. He doesn't seem to hate them. He should hate them.

"Shhshh, I'm here." She's awfully light in his arms. He can pick them up with ease.

He has about a million questions, but his throat seems to be closed, and he feels exhausted. It's like he was hit by a truck. "W.. where's.." She tries to ask. A few tears spill over, a little sob in her throat. She squeezed her eye shut, wincing.

"Black is fine," Alder finishes for her, placing her back in bed. Their blanket is pulled over them again, and he brings them into a hug. "So are Z and Iris and Benga, and Drayden, and Nate and his friends. Hilda too. Even Emmet. We're all okay." It's a gross oversimplification, he knows. All of them have something lasting from what took place, but for now, for the sake of soothing N, this was all they needed to know.

"...." N wraps a shaking arm around him, eye still closed, tears still leaking. "... Father?" She murmurs, her voice entirely diminished. Just saying it makes her voice break.

He's dead. Long, long dead. Rosa and all the pokemon she freed saw fit to take care of him, and while it wasn't exactly the ideal justice when Ghetsis proclaimed he'd rather die than go to jail, no one was keen to stop her. But Alder knows he can't tell N that. "... Away." It's so obvious what's being implied, but.. N is likely too addled and sedated to really know. "He's far away. You won't have to worry about him." The fact that she even called him father makes his chest burn with a bitter flame. He didn't deserve that title.. never did. Never would. He caresses the back of their head, lightly, like handling sugar glass as he pets over their hair. It's tangled and greasy, despite his best effort to maintain it as she recovered. Alder sighs. "And your sisters are still at the castle. They're using it as a sanctuary for pokemon hurt by the freeze."

N is quiet for a long time, aside from sniffling and the occasional wobble in her throat. Warm tears dampen a growing radius on Alder's shirt, but he hardly minds as he tries to comfort her. "... Okay." He finally breaths out in a whisper, going almost lax against the man, like knowing this took all the tension from his body. She's still dizzy with pain, and a lingering sense of dread for what the world may look like in Plasma's aftermath hovers above her, but her main concerns were answered.

"If you're okay, I need you to eat so you can take your medicine again." Alder doesn't force them to let go or pick their head up. He simply waits.

'Again'... She wonders how many days she's spent awake, but not remembering a single moment of it. He thought this was his first time being awake since the battle.

"I.. I'm tired." N whispers, tears slowing.

"I know." Alder's voice is solemn. "You'll feel better soon, N. You're still healing."]

[sonofsaviors]

Five Songs that Describe Logan

Carry On My Wayward Son - Kansas: Specifically version, because it makes me think of Lucille singing to Logan and gives me all the emotions about his relationship with her as mother and son. Same thing with Simple Man.

Once I rose above the noise and confusion Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high

Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man Though my mind could think I still was a mad man I hear the voices when I'm dreaming I can hear them say

Carry on my wayward son There'll be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don't you cry no more

Simple Man - Lynard Skynard:

Mama told me when I was young "Come sit beside me, my only son And listen closely to what I say And if you do this it'll help you Some sunny day" Oh, yeah

Natural - Imagine Dragons: Makes me think of an older, more cynical Logan, growing up in the post-apocalyptic world, where he has to live and shows he not only can he survive, he can thrive.

Deep inside me, I'm fading to black, I'm fading Took an oath by the blood on my hand, won't break it I can taste it, the end is upon us, I swear Gonna make it I'm gonna make it

Natural A beating heart of stone You gotta be so cold To make it in this world

Yeah, you're a natural Living your life cutthroat You gotta be so cold Yeah, you're a natural

Seven Nation Army - The Glitch Mob:

I'm gonna fight 'em off A seven nation army couldn't hold me back They're gonna rip it off Takin' their time right behind my back And I'm talkin' to myself at night Because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette

And the message comin' from my eyes Says, "Leave it alone"

Bonus that has no Lyrics, but that I really like.

In a House in a Heartbeat (Remix) - John Murphy: I kinda see this as Logan's evolution through the series, from a scared, but still brave child to the fearless Leader of the new Saviors.

Thank you for @carltongrimes and @sav1ored for tagging me. Had loads of fun with this.

[wildbearadactyl]

Dragon Ball OC #1 Shiso (Part 1)

So, just gonna do it because I like gushing about my girls and boys. Screenshots from heavily modded XV2, because for now, I have no art skill. Shiso is a Saiyan from my universe, Universe 24 (subject to change), I'm running off of the XV/Heroes canon of time eggs creating universes. To summarize her personality, she's very forward and blunt as a hammer, however notably kind and considerate to others. She'll readily throw herself between someone helpless and harm if it can be helped. Emotionally, she's relatively closed off and trusts very few. It takes a lot to break through her shell. At her core, she is a very sentimental woman trying to find something she truly wants to fight for. Shiso started out in a band of Saiyan mercenaries, in Universe 24 Saiyans aren't quite as... Savage? Prone to violence? As the ones in Universe 7, they're in large far more chill. Though, they are very much still a warrior race and sell their skills to the highest bidder. They remain largely neutral in galactic conflicts, judging whether to engage in contracts on a case by case basis. Shiso was part of a particularly notable crew, and was considered one of their "big guns." Her fighting style is notably less refined and brutal than her comrades, lending to a trend of her being unpredictable which is what solidified her as a favourite of the crew's commander. Unfortunately for her, several of her comrades would turn out to be turncoats and took out a contract on their commander, who turned out to be the only person Shiso was comfortable confiding in. A battle ensued, which led to major destruction to several populated areas on the planet they were on at the time. Shiso's commander eventually fell due to them being outnumbered, which led to Shiso lashing out at her former comrades in a blind fury leading to her inevitably wiping every last one of them out. Now, the collateral damage did not go unnoticed and drew in the attention of the Galactic Patrol. Due to Saiyan presence being known in the area, they sent their big gun Brisk, who will be revealed with more details later. He arrived while Shiso was laying her commander to rest, and demanded an explanation from her. Upon hearing the story, he felt for her, and decided to do an investigation of his own in to the matter instead of arresting her on the spot. After confirming she was speaking the truth through surviving footage in a few of the population centers destroyed in the crossfire, Brisk decided instead of arresting her he would bring her in to his custody and take her under his wing. Which, eventually led to him taking an older sibling role while also training Shiso to help her control her power and be a little more refined in battle. Eventually the two end up on Earth, which eventually becomes a new home to Shiso and even to Brisk to some extent.

[abraxasrinbalt]

I wish I liveblogged about monster hunter lmao. It was a wild ride.

Spoilers for mhw below lmao

I start the game

I follow the main quests exclusively

I'm too afraid to do any big hunts by myself and make a friend or my Partner In Cringe help me whenever possible

I run for my life from rathalos and rathian when I find them

Anjanath is my biggest enemy and my greatest fear

Spent most of my time going on expeditions to get endemic life for my room.

I have 3 forest pteryx and I love them deeply

I make it into High Rank somehow

Still haven't soloed either rath. Still haven't solo'd much of anything

Enter: Bazelgeuse, more lovingly called the B-52 bomber.

This fucker is my paralysis demon. I am VERY AFRAID of him.

He ruins many of my hunts

Also enter Deviljho. Known colloquially as a Pickle. I finally get why ff14 content creator Drak referred to that one boss as a Pickle.

He ruins many hunts that Bazelgeuse didn't

I hate them both. Partner tells me we're gonna hunt a B-52 bomber to try to make me less afraid. It doesn't work but I appreciate the effort.

Game eventually wants me to kill elder dragons. I put this off as long as possible.

Get bored of waiting (and also forgot I was supposed to get PiC to help, we ended up fucking up a bunch of black diablos that day instead)

Accidentally pick the easiest one to deal with. Kill it on my first attempt of the mission.

Also learn that the Girros are suffering from cordyceps fungus. Hate that.

Pick the single most annoying one second, also by accident. Beg PiC to help me because I don't have the APM or skill to control the WIMDY FUMKIN BOY. L + Ratio + I'm too fresh to MH

I cause the mission to fail so we try again. Goes better.

Then we meet Toaster.

Good boy 10/10 I'm afraid of him too

Very good fight

I'm now Master Rank and have entered Iceborne. Except not really.

I'm undergeared in the sense that I'm not building with any specific idea in mind, so I can't even get past the first iceborne encounter

I now have to farm rathalos, odogaron and Toaster for gear. This is non negotiable.

I keep getting distracted by endemic life

Any time Bazelgeuse, Deviljho, rathalos or rathian show up uninvited- actually when ANYTHING shows up uninvited. They get dung pods to the face.

I now carry excessive amounts of animal shit in my inventory to make more.

Tonight alone I:

Finished my Flying Kadachi Strikebow after grinding forever yesterday

Anjanath AND Rathian almost ruined my last capture, but somehow I managed to time a flash pod with Rathian knocking over my Critically Wounded Target, blinded everyone, trapped the Tobi-Kadachi amongst the chaos, and tranquilized it before it (or I) met an untimely demise. I never want to do this again.

Hunted One (1) Odogaron and was immediately overstimulated

Hunted a Kirin because I didn't want to negotiate with a rathalos after the above overstimulation

[aardvark-123]

~The Silver-Heart Chronicles Part 8: Moving On~

Our heroes spent an uncomfortable night sleeping in the Bleak Falls Barrow refectory, followed by a quiet breakfast of scavenged cheese. Once they were confident the dragon had got bored and wandered off, they left the barrow and headed back into town.

Camilla couldn't help but worry how her brother would be feeling. She hadn't left him on the best of terms, thanks to Yngvar and Kharjo's intervention. What if he'd sent bounty hunters after them, reported her as kidnapped, or even dug up her old doll's house and burned it out of blind, vengeful hatred?! The thought did not appeal.

Back in Riverwood, however, Lucan was in a much more even temper than could have been expected.

Yngvar looked at Kharjo. "We have?"

Kharjo looked at Yngvar. "Have we?"

"Um," said Camilla, "I was worried you'd be upset."

"Well... Maybe I should be, but I understand," said Lucan. "You needed to get all this... adventury stuff out of your system, but now that you've had a taste, it's probably far too much danger and fright for your liking. So you're gonna stay here and run the shop with me, right? And everything will be okay, right? Please say yes."

"Lucan... No! I'm going to be a warrior, a woman of adventure, see the world and have some fun for once! You can't stop me. Not any more." Almost casually, Camilla swung her war axe into the counter. "So don't try. Is that understood?"

Lucan considered it for a moment, then he burst into tears.

Satisfied that they'd paid lip service to the dark, gritty moral ambiguity of Skyrim and the way a seemingly pig-headed man could actually be speaking from genuine love and care towards his sister, albeit in a sloppy and heavy-handed way, our heroes departed from Riverwood. It was early in the morning, too dark for a good picture thanks to the RAID Weathers mod, but they were feeling good about their prospects.

"Where are we going, then?" asked Camilla.

"Kharjo and I were thinking of a second attempt at finding Whiterun," Yngvar began.

"And now that you're used to how my derriére looks in this armour," Kharjo butted in, "I am sure you will be able to tear your eyes away for long enough to check the map once in a while, yes?"

Yngvar went red. Camilla burst out laughing.

"On another note," said Yngvar, "you don't have to come with us, Camilla. You could go anywhere, do anything, be anything, although I don't recommend getting involved in the civil war."

"Oh, I know," Camilla assured him. "But you two seem like fun, so I might as well stick around!"

"Ah." Yngvar smiled. "Well, I can't promise your safety, nor can I promise something so absurd and frustrating that it beggars belief won't happen to us at every turn... If that's all right, we'd love to have you along."

"And I'd love to... Be had... Along!" Camilla giggled. She unhooked her axe and thrust it into the air. "Onwards, to Whiterun!"

They hiked down from the highland forest onto the great Whiterun tundra, past the Honningbrew meadery and a bear who will be missed. Some warriors seemed to have just finished slaying a stray giant on one of the fields nearby.

"Thanks for your help!" the ginger-haired woman shouted as they walked past. "Bunch of milk-drinkers..."

"What was her problem?" muttered Yngvar.

"I do not know," said Kharjo. "But some people can be like that, yes? There is usually no reason but their own sour tongues."

Undeterred by the sourness of Aela's tongue, Yngvar and the lads convinced the guards outside the city that no, they weren't dragons, and yes, they had a reason to go in. They neglected to clarify that their reason amounted to "we want to"; luckily, the guards bought it.

"So, this is Whiterun," said Kharjo. "It certainly is a friendly-looking city compared to some I've seen."

"Sigrid got in a fight with the blacksmith lady once," Camilla recounted excitedly. "I think that's her, working over by the gate. She broke Sigrid's nose!"

"Right. And did this Sigrid person deserve it, by any chance?" asked Yngvar.

"Probably," said Camilla.

They spent the afternoon exploring the city, making note of where all its most vital amenities were: the pub, the blacksmith, the missive board, the shop, the apothecary and the barrel which Adrienne never seemed to empty. It was a busy city where everyone seemed to have something to do, which meant most people had something with which they needed help.

"Well, yes, probably," Yngvar said carefully. "I have no interest in buying your sister, though, let me just get that out of the way. Honest to Stuhn, has there ever been a shopkeeper who's actually nice to his sister?!"

"It... It was a joke," Belethor said in a small voice. "I was joking! I made a joke. I'd never sell my sister into slavery due to the fact that I don't have a sister! And that it would be wrong. Look, are you going to kill these bandits for me or not?!"

Our heroes had little enthusiasm for the job, right up until they heard Belethor recount what cruel words the bandit chief had said some weeks ago to his sister. Kharjo shivered, Camilla wept and Yngvar's hair went grey at the mere thought of it, although with Yngvar you could hardly tell. They knew, however, that such a loathsome bully could not be allowed to live another day.

There were a few complications on the way to the bandits' den.

"Oh, Mara! Oh, Shor! I can't believe the handsome one stepped on Camilla!" wailed Yngvar, running for his life. Camilla was stuck like a piece of chewing gum to an armoured giant's foot, crying plaintively every time she hit the ground while he galumphed along in pursuit.

What ever could they do? Yngvar's fingers chanced upon a rolled-up piece of paper in his pocket, and with a desperate shout he siezed his chance.

As soon as the spell summoned her onto Nirn, the flame monarch leapt into action. She ploughed head-first into the giant's stomach, bowling him off his feet and straight into a pile of rubble. With a spin and a gleam in her eye she kicked him right in the face, denting his helmet and singeing his beard. Finally she ignited a spear of burning metal and plunged it into his heart.

"Forgive me... My brothers..." the giant groaned as he sank shakily to the ground. "At long last, the small people... Have... Triumphed. I return now... To the bones of the Earth... Rosebud."

"You really saved our bacon, you know." Yngvar looked up in admiration at the flame monarch, who was busy setting a stream on fire to show up.

"It was no problem," the Daedra giggled, doing a little twirl. "If the magic of that scroll hadn't bound me to your will, I'd have you for lunch! Good day~"

"Good... Day?" Yngvar watched her vanish in a whirl of purple energy. "I'm glad I'm not a conjurer."

Yngvar gave Kharjo a healing potion, and once he was back on his feet they turned their attention to Camilla. She was looking a little squashed, but none the worse for wear, and a quick scrub with a flannel removed most of the footprint.

Without further incident, our heroes tracked the bandits to a little cave known as Redoran's Retreat.

"I wonder who it was from House Redoran that found themself retreating here," Kharjo muttered as they ventured inside. "Oh, do not venture too far ahead with that torch, Yngvar! The lighting in here will be untenable for taking pictures."

Kharjo spoke the truth; it was far from tenable. With a small selection of dull, shadowy records of their exploits in hand, the trio fought their way to the end of the cave, where the leader of the bandits was waiting.

"I pity such pure-hearted fools as you three!" he crowed, swaggering towards our heroes with a warhammer in hand. Or was it a battle-axe? I can't tell. "Pure-hearted cowards who think men should be kind to their sisters, offer them support and understanding! Such weak-minded ideals are but paper in the fire of my hatred."

"How ignorant can you be," Yngvar said coldly, "to think anger and bitterness alone make you right? You don't know the meaning of family, the meaning of kindness! If you were worthy to call yourself 'brother', you'd have shown that poor girl how to mend her boat."

"Do you not know how lucky you are to have a sister, how much her presence enriches the world?!" Camilla piped up, her teeth bared in anger. "Women shouldn't have to cling to our brothers' sleeves! We don't deserve to be kept back, hungry and afraid, as if we'll crumble to dust out in the world! Come at me, swine, and I'll show you the strength of a true sister!"

"What is a sister? A miserable pile of diaries and pink pyjamas!" The bandit chief laughed. "Do you know mine cried after I told her she'd never be half the ferryman our father was? So pathetic! I enjoy her tears. But enough words! I shall slice and/or bludgeon thee like flies beneath my newspaper!"

The bandit chief surged forwards with bloodlust in his eyes. Yngvar met his weapon with steel only to be thrown back by the force of his onslaught. His sword bounced off the bandit chief's polearm when he tried to strike again.

Camilla and Kharjo circled around the bandit, yet somehow his weapon was there whenever they tried to strike, parrying their blows with barely a hint of effort. The bandit swung his hammer and/or axe in wild arcs, beating against his enemies' shields and leaving them no room to strike.

"I see you aren't going to make this easy," Yngvar growled. "But for people like you, I've been saving something special!" In one swift motion, he broke a vial of poison on the tip of his sword and swept the steaming green liquid across the blade. Letting out a battle cry he lunged towards the bandit.

The bandit's eyes flashed. Moving like lightning, he swung his weapon up against Yngvar's sword and flicked it into the ceiling. Without waiting for a moment he kicked Yngvar in the stomach, hurling him across the cave. Yngvar cried out in pain when he hit the rugged wall.

"Weakling!" the bandit chief roared. "None of you can hope to stand against me! Can you now see that this is the true power of a brother?!"

Kharjo hissed angrily. "Yours, my friend, is nothing more than the true power of a dickhead. Swagger and preen as much as you wish, but we will defeat you!"

"And what do you know?! Neither of you even have a sister!" The bandit chief raised his implement to strike, but out of nowhere a crossbow bolt stabbed into his arm.

"Aaaaaugh!" the bandit roared. "What in the bollocking feck?!"

"Miserable little pile of arrogance and stupidity." Yngvar blew a convenient wisp of smoke off his crossbow. Despite the blood staining his armour, he stood tall as he approached the bandit. "Strength alone is not what makes a brother. Let us show you the other ingredients!"

Yngvar pounced forwards and grabbed the bandit's injured arm. Sensing his cue, Kharjo did likewise, and sunk his claws into his other arm.

"What are you doing?! You miserable fools! Release me!" the bandit chief roared, struggling against their grip.

"Brothers weren't made to rule with an iron fist!" Yngvar roared, clinging on with all his might. "Helping our sisters, encouraging them and seeing where their greatest strengths lie, that is the true meaning of brotherhood." He smiled. "Do you still not understand? Kharjo and I have a sister, right here, and her name is Camilla Valerius!"

The bandit chief went pale, but he had no time to react. Camilla was coming for him with her axe raised high, a warrior's roar on her lips. She swung with the fury of a thousand sisters and struck his head from his neck.

The warriors sighed with relief when the bandit and his noggin fell upon the rocky floor. At last, the evil in Redoran's Retreat had fallen.

"Oh, look," Camilla said, rummaging through the bandit chief's things. "It wasn't a hammer or an axe. It was a long mace!"

"Interesting." Kharjo's forehead wrinkled. "Why, then, was it in the chest rather than clutched in our late nemesis's hands?"

"Details!" said Yngvar firmly. "Come on, let's give Belethor the good news. After you..." He smiled at Camilla. "Sis."

[ambercoloredfox]

I'm gonna post a snippet of this thing I just wrote cuz the idea has been rattling around in my brain for too long and no one can stop me. Also cuz I need someone to pat me on the head and tell me my work is adequate.

Anyway here's a howl's moving castle au. Well, it's inspired by howl's moving castle. Things are changed and the story isn't going to be one to one. I have some interesting ideas.

"Hey, girlie. The parade is that way. You lost?"

She snapped her head up to find her mindless path had led her down a back alley with something far worse than fae or dragon. A group of soldiers, smirking and looking with predatory eyes that danced suggestively up her legs.

But Sophie was not prey.

"No." She said, voice unwavering and chin held high. "I know exactly where I'm going. And I have no business with you."

"Oh, but of course you do!" A different soldier grins, arms outstretched. "It's our job to make sure little things like you are safe!"

"Especially on a day like this." Another adds with a nod.

"Exactly! So why don't you let us keep you safe from all the creatures that wander the streets, huh?"

As they spoke they began to stalk forward, as if hoping to corner her. Despite the thrill of fear running through her spine, despite every instinct screaming, Sophie does not run. She would not be cowed by anyone, especially men cowardly enough to corner a woman in a dark alley.

She careful bit down the sharp insult she wanted to hurl at them. It wouldn't help to make them angry.

"I don't need to be escorted-- like a child."

They grew closer, so much closer than she was comfortable with. They had guns, were trained to fight. At least monsters, it could be argued, only do what was in their nature. These soldiers were monsters hidden in lies, uniforms of self purported heros, without any of the morality. They were the least humane humans she could think of. She would rather be facing a fae. At least they were bound by rules.

Sophie's feet began to carry her backwards with shuffling steps. She hid the tremors in her hands by closing them into fists.

"Aw c'mon." The one closest said, nearly within arms reach. "Let us do our jobs."

"We'll be real nice." The soldier licked his lips as he spoke, and Sophie's stomach churned.

Something solid touched her back and for a moment she was blinded with the panic of a cornered animal. Then reason took hold again. There had been no wall behind her.

"There you are."

She turned her head to find a man behind her, his blue eyes blazing into her own. His face would be a careful blank mask, if not for the way his lips parted slightly. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"I have been looking for you."

Sophie's mind reeled, adrenaline setting her thoughts spiraling. His carefully tended locks of dark hair and expensive ink black outfit spoke of something unnatural about him, but she could not name what. She failed to find a sufficient response.

"Oh, ah, we were just escorting her back to the festival," Said one soldier, suddenly losing confidence at the man's appearance.

"Yes," Spoke another. "Can't be too careful, what with today being the solstice."

The strange man leveled them with a stare devoid of amusement, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Oh, that was promising.

"Actually," Sophie started, trying not to focus on the fact that he was so close she was nearly whispering into his skin. "I was just headed to the bakery. These men had a mind to take me... elsewhere."

Sophie left the implications clear enough.

"Did they?"

It was not really a question he spoke, but more of a verbal unsheathing of a knife, his eyes not leaving the soldiers. His fingertips dug into her. She did not need rescuing, of course not, but lacked the means to teach these pathetic soldiers the lessons they so obviously needed. Keep them from hurting anyone else. This stranger certainly had the means, danger draped over his shoulders like the dark cloak he wore. Luckily he seemed to be of a similar mind.

"Then perhaps it would be best to remind them their duties do not include terrorizing young women. Nor sleeping on the job."

Before she could ask what he meant, his hand was at his face and a powder rose from his fist, riding on his breath and covering the soldiers in a glittering cloud. They dropped like flies, clattering against the pavement. They didn't even have a chance to protest.

Magic. That had been magic.

Was he a wizard? Was he a man at all? Or some creature that came from the Wastes in the form of one?

"Are you well?" The stranger asked. His brow furrowed slightly, his eyes skimming across her in search of answers.

Sophie quickly snapped her mouth shut. She hadn't realized it had fallen open. It would not due to be rude to a suspected supernatural being.

"I- I, yes. I am, thanks to you."

The stranger was still standing so close, hand still placed on her shoulder as if at any moment she might disappear. He smelled of fresh rain. Heat crept up her cheeks.

His head bobbed slightly, blue eyes still piercing into her very soul, his gaze both cradling and dissecting, like one would study an ancient artifact. The longer she looked, the clearer it became that he was not just some man. His moon white iridescent skin, flawless complexion, the fading golden sun scattering pale colors across his skin. It all spoke to something unnatural, touched by magic. Ethereal.

Something moved in the corner of her vision. Sophie watched as the stone wall shivered with magic, rippling as it gave way to a creature made of shimmering gel, like a soap bubble. It stumbled into the alley and then turned towards them. It took a step closer. Then another.

"Friend of yours?" Sophie asked, her voice an octave too high.

Another creature spilled from the wall.

"No."

The stranger placed his free hand at her waist as he glared at each arriving visitor. Then, entirely too quickly, her feet left the cobblestones, and Sophie was three feet off the ground and only rising faster. She managed to subdue her scream of terror into perhaps a more dignified squeak. She rose higher than the rooftops, far beyond the reach of the creatures.

Sophie was shaking. She did not like heights.

He was still at her back and she leaned into him, grabbing at his hands. Any moment she would drop. The stranger tried to push her forward but she only pressed back against him harder. He shushed her, as if that might somehow make her feel better about dangling two stories off the ground.

"It's alright." He told her, his dark mumble like distant thunder, his breath warming her cheek. Carefully he took his hands in hers, removing first the hand on her shoulder, then the other.

"I won't let you fall." He said it like an oath.

Sophie was suspended over the rooftops, held with her arms out, as if she only needed to keep her balance. There was nothing beneath her feet.

"Walk forward."

His hold was cool and firm in juxtaposition to her sweating shaking palms. This stranger was so sure, so gentle...

Sophie took a step forward. Then another. And they were flying.

It really was just as easy as walking.

She let out a breathy laugh of disbelief. The stranger's lips tilted, the smallest smile out of the corner of her vision, so small that she was not sure it was truly there. Nor did she think she could peel her eyes away from the colorful city below to check.

The stranger seemed content to allow her to direct them, not arguing at all as Sophie made her way to the bakery, his only effort contributed in the magic that kept them in the sky. As they continued to fly, she felt herself relax into it, smile stretched openly across her face. Trusting him not to let her fall. Trusting his word.

Yet her racing heart did not slow. She could feel him so close to her, the distance itself like a caress. His thumb swiped across her knuckles.

"What were those things?" Sophie asked.

The only sound was the wind rushing by, and for a moment she was sure he would not answer. But he did.

"I have many enemies." The words were measured, deliberately spoken. He did not elaborate and she did not press.

Carefully, they landed on the balcony of the bakery, Sophie nearly losing her balance as the wooden planks hit her feet. The stranger kept her upright easily, arm slipping around her waist. She gazed up at him, trying not to betray the awe she felt.

"Thank you."

"I assure you, it was my pleasure."

Sophie blinked at him as if that would stop the reddening of her face.

"I was never given your name."

The first rule of supernatural entities was never ever give them your name. The second rule was that if they did you a favor, you owed them a debt.

Which now put Sophie in quite a predicament.

The stranger waited for her answer patiently. She was torn on what to do. So she chose her words as carefully as he said his own.

"It's normally considered... impolite, to ask one's name without giving your own."

There. Perfect. Not an insult, not an outright refusal. She mentally crossed her fingers and hoped not to receive a curse this night.

The corner of the stranger's mouth twitched, his eyebrows rose a hair.

"Morpheus."

"Oh." Sophie's eyes grew round. She had not expected that. "I, I'm Sophie."

It couldn't be too bad, to give him her name. Right? After all, he had given his own.

Slowly Morpheus released her, hands brushing against her back as he let go. Then his fingers found the stitching of her capelet and his brows furrowed. Just as quickly he dropped his hand and looked back down to the street.

"They will be looking for me." He murmured. She couldn't tell if he had spoken to her or merely to himself. Morpheus found her eyes again. "Stay here. Remain inside. I will lead them away."

He turned and placed one foot on the railing of the balcony. He was going to leave.

"Wait!" Sophie grabbed hold of his sleeve. Morpheus watched her with barely contained surprise. She quickly let go, her mind scrambling for some reasonable explanation for her actions. "Don't I... owe you some sort of. Debt?"

Oh god. Why did she say that? That was perhaps the stupidest thing she could've ever said. Why would you remind a supernatural entity of a debt you owe them?? It's like reminding a teacher to assign you homework.

Morpheus's expression stretched into an unmistakable smile. Still small, but this time undeniable. Something sparkled in his eyes.

"We shall meet again, Sophie."

With that promise, Morpheus stepped lithely off the railing and disappeared into the crowd below.

[classy-disaster]

This puts it into words!! I was so blindsided when the dragons left, it felt like the whole series just built up to nothing. And honestly, the light fury just seemed like such a half-hearted plot. Like, 'yay! Toothless got a girlfriend!' But why does he need one? None of the other dragons--to my recollection--had love stories, so why? It just seemed so pointless to me. It was as if they were like 'oh well, Hiccup is in a relationship, he's gonna be married at the end of the movie, that's gonna change their dynamic. How do we fix this? ...I've got it! obviously Toothless should be in one, too!' It feels so unnecessary.

Not to mention that literally everyone else was forced to say goodbye to their dragons. My heart broke watching Astrid take off Stormfly's saddle. Because she's always been the kind of person to do what needs to be done, so she said goodbye to her best friend, too. She and Stormfly had some of my favorite interactions throughout the series, from the scene in the second movie when they dropped Eret, to how they fought together in rtte 'blindsided'. Stormfly was the perfect match for Astrid. Watching them fight together, protect one another--Astrid taking a dragon root arrow to the leg so it wouldn't hit Stormfly, Stormfly's refusals to come after Astrid was blinded, etc.--was one of the best things about httyd for me.

And while I won't write a huge thing for each of the other riders, they were all helped by their dragons: Meatlug gave Fishlegs confidence, fighting with Barf and Belch gave Ruff and Tuff something to channel their chaos into, Hookfang gave Snotlout a sense of purpose. And they just took that all away, every single Berkian had to say goodbye to their best friend, and for what?

Aesthetically, I really did like the movie; the trilogy's animation never ceases to take my breath away, and I loved the musical scores, but when I think about httyd 3 the only thing I can really say I loved is the wedding, and I'm still disappointed that we only got like three minutes for it. I know it wasn't the point of the movie, but come on, it's Hiccup and Astrid! We watched them grow together through six movies and TV shows for a three minute wedding? They set the standard for so many kids as what to look for in a healthy relationship, including myself, they are iconic to this day, more than thirteen years after we first watched them soar on Toothless with romantic flight playing. For a three minute wedding? I understand animators and screenwriters only have a certain amount of time, but I would have loved to see more of a celebration.

I’m going to say it.

I don’t think How to Train Your Dragon 3 was good.

Not when you compare it to literally either of the other movies. Certainly not as a conclusion.

I mean, the first movie was about a boy who manages to understand a hostile dragon species and bring peace to two warring factions, which is a parallel for his relationship with his father. The second film was about how sometimes, peace has to be fought for, and Hiccup’s whole identity was in contrast with that—because while his mother ran from conflict and his father leapt at it too eagerly, he had always been the one to stop the fighting. Then he has to learn that the things we love are worth protecting. 

And after he learns that humans and dragons can learn to understand each other and coexist—after he learns that it isn’t enough to run and hide or fight out of fear, but instead you must protect the things you care about—

After those two natural, powerful progressions are clearly worked for in the first two movies—

How to Train Your Dragon 3 comes along and says “‘No actually, sometimes all it takes is one madman whom you defeated with no loss of life to convince you that the things you care about should just crawl into a very pretty hiding hole, because you don’t feel like spending the rest of your life fighting for them.”

And I can say more. Below the break. 

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