#“what if someone in the justice system actually had a heart and didn't kill himself upon discovering contextual morality?”

[shitpostingfromthebarricade]

But, whatever [Marius] did, and whatever mitigation he sought, he always had to fall back on this: [Jean Valjean] was a convict; that is, the creature who has no place on the social ladder, being below the lowest social rung.

[Marius] had not yet come to distinguish between what is written by man and what is written by God.

On God, Marius is no better than Javert at this point.

[computerized]

🐁🌫️⚖️ FOR ANYONE YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT OR ANSWER THEM FOR

hey i didn't forget about this ask. look at me go

🐁 how are this characters ethics?

i think i'm gonna go with dani and co for this. of course i am. anyway. dani is like very staunchly about doing the right thing but in the wrong way. his concept of 'right thing' is 'whatever makes the people who can hurt me [parents, typically] happiest' so like his heart's in it but he's still a pushover. mal does not give a fuck about his parents and wants them to die comically and thinks about it every day so he's much more inclined to do things considered wrong like stealing. he just doesn't caare. he daydreams about killing a lot in the same way anyone did when they were an emo 16 year old but he knows objectively thats wrong. though if he had to he would not be very morally opposed to stabbing somebody in self defense or whatever? jeannie is kind of a middle ground. doesn't suffer from the same people pleaserness that dani does but also isn't likely to stab a guy. she's kind of regular and normal. dani's the kind of guy to get scared about using watch free online sites because he doesn't know it's not piracy until you download it, jeannie has no qualms with using them & mal would actively host his own if he had the means just because he thinks the risk of goiung to jail for piracy is funny. i'm gonna be honest i just made this all up don't hold me to it also i had to google what ethics meant

🌫️ how does this character feel about lying?

dani cannot fucking lie for the life of him. he's not incredibly opposed to it because he knows sometimes it can help more than it hurts but due to the nature of his split he's just naturally not good at it and every time mal lies to their family or their girlfriend he has a whole moral freakout over it. logically he knows it's not a horrible thing to do but it bothers him. mal loves to lying it's fun for him it makes people sooo mad because he likes to lie in that way where he tells the lie and then like an hour later goes oh lol i lied to you. jeannie is once again very indifferent. she wouldn't like finding out she was lied to but she also doesn't think it's like a moral crime if someone tells you a white lie. she's the most honest of the three of them though, incredibly straightforward with everything. hey i just made all of this up too. don't hold me to it

⚖️ how do they seek justice?

going to talk specifically in reference to like, how their parents treat them. dani is very fine with sitting down and letting things happen. what's happened happened, it's just up to him to make sure he does things in the "right" way so it won't happen again. mal... well he used to take out his anger about what happened to him on himself and the system, etc. and then he learned about amvs and just started daydreaming about getting revenge. he's not the kind of guy to actually know how to seek justice, though. he'd get in his own way especially emotions wise. jeannie is extremely petty when she wants to be. she doesn't /like/ to be and it's not an active trait of hers, but she does do small things she knows she can get away with that would bother their parents like being smug or sarcastic. she gets away with this because their parents like her because she's the Girl Alter. they don't know about the system they just like seeing "danielle" be a Gender Conforming Girl (<- this is not even what jeanine is)

[not-quite-girl-nor-quite-boy]

dean Winchester was the most prolific criminal in Kansas. His husband Castiel Novak on the other hand, was the most successful detective in the state. He had the highest arrest record in his precinct and he had held that record for over a year. Dean however was (to his colleagues) the one arrest he never could land. It was actually perfectly designed so that dean could slip away undetected without rousing any suspicion. By some miracle castiel was always sent to head up raids for dean Winchester, meaning dean always had just enough warning to make his seamless disappearance.

~~

that morning Cass sat at his partners desk, detective Anna Milton, they were good friends but she could be a bitch sometimes. She was always passionate about how she didn't believe that the justice system was nearly strict enough. Captain uriel exited his office,

"Milton, Novak. We gotta lead on the Winchester. come on." He hailed them in. Briefed them on where he was supposed to be and they were on their way. Cass was worried he hadn't really been able to warn his husband of what was happening. He crept inside Anna on his left guns drawn. They carefully scoured each room, hallway, corridor. They heard dean's voice from around the corner and they deciphered his dialogue.

"so, why did you do it Gordon? Why did you kill those children?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"sure you do, come onnn. Was it because your were afraid they would tell someone? Tell someone of the horrific things you did to them?"

"I didn't do anything."

"bullshit. You hurt children, innocent little kids. Defenseless minors, did it make you feel strong? Powerful? Did it make 'little Gordon'" dean implied. "finally feel big?"

This is what Cass loved about Dean, why he could be with a murderer. Dean never killed the innocent, the undeserving, he was a dramatic vigilante. And he only killed those who were evil, flawed to the very foundation of their being. And dean prided himself on that fact, as did Cass.

"what are you doing? Why are you doing this?" Gordon asked.

"if I'm honest, I'm waiting for someone, he's usually here by now," Dean looked around smiling, Cass felt a blush rise to his cheeks. He calmed himself down. Anna drew his attention to her, while dean was talking. "ok, so S.W.A.T will be here in about 30 seconds and by here I mean in this room. So I say we go in now."

castiel felt his heart stop and his stomach plummet.

"S.W.A.T?" He asked, not nearly quiet enough.

"shush, and yes S.W.A.T this guy is a murderer, he kills people, how could captain not get S.W.A.T involved?" She asked rhetorically.

"ok, 3, 2, 1." She said writing the numbers on her fingers as she said them. She broke down the door Cass stood behind her, looking like a distressed child hiding behind its mother. Dean turned and smiled at Cass, looking straight past the notably attractive redhead in front of him, he saw his sad face and his face changed.

"nice to see you, boys in blue, well boy." He said flashing Anna a look

"funny." Anna said. "drop the knife and put your hands up."

"actually I think I'm gonna not, if its all the Same." She smiled sarcastically.

"actually," she mocked "its not... Knife down, hands up." Cass stepped next to her he Gave dean a troubled look, he didn't know how to enterprate it, it could have meant do as she said, something bad is gonna happen, I hate having to pretend I don't love you. Frankly Dean had no clue. He squinted at Cass, he mouthed something, swat Dean read his lips, his eyes widened, internally in a way that allowed only Cass to see the fear In his eyes. He ran to the back of the room just as S.W.A.T burst through the door they hunkered down and readied themselves to fire. Time moved In slow motion. Cass burst in front of Dean catching a bullet in the stomach, dean watched him fall, watched the intrusive bullet enter his stomach unpermitted. He screamed "NOOO." he ran forward lifting Cass in his arms before his husband lost consciousness, Cass smiled at dean.

"go" he whispered seemingly only realising the pain he was in then. "don't get caught for me. Go, I'll see later." He wheezed. Castiel passed out, Dean pushed down on his wound hard. He lifted Cass and ran out the room, unaided by anyone, miraculously he only got hit in the arm. He would live, right now Cass was the priority. He drove fast, when they arrived at their shared home, Castiel's condition had worsened he was pale and sweaty, he was bleeding alot. He carried Cass indoors, Castiel came to in Deans arms. He smiled at dean, who was panicking, for some reason though, Cass was strangely calm. He felt safe in deans arms.

"hey, morning sunshine." Dean said smiling still obviously concerned, Cass blearily watched dean take off his belt. He held it in hand.

"so, good news you're only wounded on one side, bad news that means I have to get the bullet out. Bite down on this."

he put the belt in Castiel's mouth, he bit down hard, dean fished around in his insides desperate to find the bullet as quickly and gently as possible, it didn't help Cass' screams.

"there we go, got it." He pulled it out and saw s very passed out Cass on the bed in front of him. He checked his pulse, it was there, it was weak, but he was alive.

~~

"but why would he take a dying cop?" Anna argued.

"he was there, weak and defenseless, easy prey." Uriel said.

"sir I feel like you are overlooking the obviousness of this situation, obviously something is going on between them that we don't know about."

"we should be looking for him, why am I defending myself to you?" he stormed out of the office without another word.

~~

hours passed and dean sat there worried, terrified for his husbands welfare. He stitched Cass up and bandaged over his wound. He just sat there waiting, looking at Castiel's chest rise and fall. He suddenly felt weak and dizzy, the adrenaline was wearing off he suspected, until he heard a faint dripping sound, he looked around enraged by the dripping. It had been a long, awful day and he was in no mood. He noticed the thick red blood dripping from his fingers, from his palms onto the hardwood floor of the bedroom. He looked in disbelief, he remembered suddenly, unable to believe he cared about anyone enough to forget: he was shot in the arm. He looked at his coat, a hole shot straight through. He took it off wincing at every movement. He was weak, he didn't know when Cass would wake so he had to fight to stay conscious or he would just bleed out, then who would help Cass? He tore the sleeve off his shirt thinking it couldn't possibly hurt as much as having to manoeuvre the shirt off, he was wrong. The sudden movement of his arm in turn made his hole body move sending out a shockwave of pain through his arm ricocheting off his veins and bones thus intensifying his pain. He bit back screams not wanting to disturb his sleeping spouse. The wound in of itself wasn't that bad, it was more the bleeding. The red fluid oozing out from beneath his skin even still, despite hours having passed. No wonder he felt so weak. He started to sew the wound shut when Cass stirred, his eyes flickered open, he grunted, the pain wearing through him. Dean immediately stopped what he was doing and scrambled to his feet and ran over to Cass. Unbeknownst to him, it tore the stitches he had done and further aggravated the wound, but that didn't matter now. Cass tried to sit up but he winced and fell back down onto the bed.

"easy, are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Cass said.

"hun, you just got gut shot, I wouldn't call you fine."

Cass chuckled. He looked his husban over and realised the this red stain trailing down his arm from his shoulder.

"are you ok?" Dean looked at his shoulder, and winced as he wssaw how bad it was.

"damn," he mumbled. "it wasn't that bad a minute ago." He stumbled

"Dean?" He weakly collapsed trying to catch himself on the bed, to no avail.

"Dean!" Cass scrambled over to Dean, miraculously he didn't pop a single stich on his way There. Dean was passed out on the floor, bleeding severely from the wound on his arm and Cass was barely able to sit. The work was cut out for him. He saw the needle dean was using earlier, he grabbed the thread and started suturing deans wound. He grunted as the needle repeatedly pierced his skin.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry." Cass repeatedly said to comfort the unconscious man he loved on the floor. When he was finished he yanked the duvet and pillows off the bed so he he could sleep next to his husband, Cass wouldn't have been able to lift dean on a good day, let alone when he had a gunshot wound. He turned Deans head onto the pillow and covered him with the sheets. They fell asleep cuddled into each other on the floor.

~~

the next morning when dean woke up he just smiled in admiration of the man he loved. He set up a bed system on the floor for dean, he had cuddled him close and he was ultimately more injured than him. Dean smiled. And kissed castiel. Who smiled. In that moment all was good, they were safe, and they were happy.

I’m sorry it’s been two months, I know there is literally no one here reading but still, apologies.

This was a little weird fpr me but the idea sort pf just struck I suppose :)

anyway hope you had fun <3

[iwritethat]

Damian Wayne: Lost - Part 3

Warnings: Mentions of gore

Request: Lost part 3 requests, and this is the last part.

>>>>—————————>

~ Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~

It was undetermined how long it had been, everything was blearily aside from the excitement displayed by the surrounding Titans. Damian released a pained groan, finding bandages encasing his torso, the ones centimetres from his heart stained with blood which caused him to wince at the connotations of it.

"Dami! You're awake!" Came the upbeat tone of his brother, Dick proudly taking a seat on Damian's bed albeit fully aware of avoiding contact with him as to not overwhelm.

"Where's (Y/n)?" It was automatic, also slightly demanding, he'd caught fleeting glimpses of everyone else during his lapses of semiconsciousness and it was the last question they'd think he'd ask - the location of his almost murderer. Yet it was the most important thing to him, like it had been for years now.

"(Y/n) tried to kill you so we arrested—"

"Not Arkham..." Damian's tone was dangerous, instaneously cutting Nightwing off at the mention of imprisonments with his brother already deemed in the wrong for his potential actions.

"No, the local police station for now. You needed time to recover which you���ve done rather well actually.”

"(Y/n) was under the control of HIVE, and if you haven't noticed my injury may've been close to my heart but it didn't strike it nor any other major organs or arteries - it was in the least lethal place it could've pierced. Doesn't that say something? Despite the relentless psychotic orders, (Y/n) fought it for months and didn't severely injure any of us during that time, you can't imagine the mental tolerance that took, you didn't see it. And you throw them into a cell?!" Damian’s voice was venomous, a tone he’d rarely ever equip in a serious manner but after seeing how it had gradually degraded your state he hadn’t the need to sugarcoat his words.

"We tried to help, but (Y/n) demanded we arrest them until they figured themselves out. They wouldn’t let us visit or make contact or update them on the situation despite our attempts." Dick justified though guilt was evident, automatically blaming himself for the failure even if it was entirely your decision.

"And you let them?! This is exactly why I can't trust any of you when I'm gone. Don't let (Y/n) act on emotional impulse! Idiots!" Admittedly he wasn’t truly angry at his team, now filtering to a remprimanding tone that’d be used in daily conversation which eased their worries at least.

"Damian, we didn't know how you two worked, we couldn't replace you nor the way you'd advise them. (Y/n) thought they'd killed you, they couldn't forgive themselves for that so I suggest you visit as soon as possible."

That's what he did, although his discovery was less than pleasant. Your restraints were unlocked, cell empty and officers had no explanation as to how you'd escaped or evaded further capture. Upon his return to Titans Tower, he'd checked the reports on the shared system to search for those of peculiar interest and his assumption was correct - HIVE had lost its influence, various bases had been destroyed within a week and members of alternating hierarchy had been brought into custody anonymously.  This was your abstract form of justice for what they did to you, for what they forced you to do for them and this was your sweet revenge. Damian was purely grateful that you'd done it in the right way, if the tables were turned, he wasn't sure what lengths he'd be willing to reach in order to avenge someone he loved. But he supposed you were doing right by his memory, and your true self.

It became his new objective, to find you. Now it shouldn't be difficult, he'd decided to make it a solo mission as to not overwhelm you with his teammates who had spent the last few days tirelessly searching for you. Accepting the fact he was alive would surely be shocking enough let alone the missed chances of reuniting that the team wanted.

However he knew you better than them, like he always had, although he was simply a few minutes behind your trail of destruction - each time missing you by only moments, having you slip through his fingers each and every time.

Instead, he would treat it as game, like those you’d played together albeit out of rivalry rather than contempt but nonetheless, thinking 3 steps ahead of your routine lead him to a rumoured HIVE association that had yet to be infiltrated.

Just like in your games, he was able to corner you this time too, appearing from the shadows as you evaluated the perimeter from an opposing rooftop. His unprecedented silhouette startled you, instinctively taking an offensive stance before the reflective light of the city illuminated his features and it’s like you were struggling for breath in that fire all over again.

“No... I can’t... I killed you...” It came out as mere stammering, disbelief evident in both posture and expression like you’d seen that of a ghost. Which in this case, you thought you had.

“(Y/n), the wound wasn’t fatal - I’ve got the scar and Dicks medical records as proof, you didn’t kill me. I’m here.” Robin halted his approach the moment you tensed, holding his hands up in defence whilst urging the sincerity in his tone over the distance like a wave.

“You think I’m that naive? You could be a shapeshifter or a figment of my imagination, of everything we’ve seen it’s certainly plausible.” Came your brash reply, notably carrying false confidence as you desperately scoured the young hero for any sighs of trickery in your less than composed state.

“As much as I’d like to argue and say that you’re being an imbecile, your point is valid.” The teen painfully sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose prior to offering a deadpan gaze once more.

“Right, so prove it however you wish - whilst keeping this distance.” The blade swivelled in your hand, using it to gesture between the two of you when necessary in your proposal to which ‘Robin’ accepted.

Damian thought for a moment, quickly skipping past trivial instances you’d shared that might elect a sense of nostalgia personal enough to reestablish the trust in each other. In the end, he took a glance at the time reading 1:24am and a blissful smile graced his lips.

“Good morning (Y/n).”

The gesture essentially was commonplace in everyday life, yet to in the chaotic friendship you shared, it conveyed more than reminisce - it resurfaced every failed greeting, every sarcastic comeback and argument you’d manage to get into before breakfast each morning.

All because he didn’t reciprocate a simple kind gesture like a normal person would.

“Nice try, he’d never—“

“Exactly, because you always said it first.” The ravenette cut you off with smug arrogance, emphasising the importance of your justification as he slipped off his hood.

The clatter of metal against concrete echoed in the silence of the night, your vision fading into blurriness as your gaze remained trained upon his approaching figure regardless of the contrasting smile of relief.

With such a weight lifted from your shoulders, the immense shift being too much for your body to comprehend in such a short period of time forced you to collapse into his arms and in that moment, ensuring his scent was similar and the connection you felt whenever you were with hadn’t wavered, you allowed yourself to find a sense of ‘home’ again. The hug was long overdue by both your standards, it was tight and needy because in honesty you were afraid to let go and it lingered a little too long to be regarded as friendly. It was more than that, you knew, but you could only focus on one rhythmic beating at that point.

Damian Wayne, was breathing.

A pleasantry you never thought you’d be so thankful for considering all the instances you’d wished he’d do so far away from you.

“Morning, Damian.” Despite the brokenness lacing the cocky voice you portrayed, the greeting was all to familiar for the both of you in its domesticity.

This time, there was no insolent remark nor arrogant scoff that followed it. Instead, a silent animosity of understanding - you’d both have time to explain your separate experiences properly once you were reunited with the team, and address the last conversation you’d shared with one another prior to this whole situation but until then, you would focus on your original objective.

“Ready to infiltrate a secret base with me like old times?”

“Try to keep up (L/n)!”

It’s like nothing had changed, Damian was still arrogantly annoying.

Then again, you’d feel lost without him just as he did without you.

[finding-fallen-stars]

YGO Questionnaire Part 2 Electric Boogaloo

So, my gf/bf @howaboutalittlehelpneos tagged me to do this again a... good long while ago, and I had wanted to wait until I'd finished my GX rewatch before trying this again. But ouch oof I accidentally also got through all of 5Ds again before getting to this lol

But the 5Ds rewatch definitely reshaped a lot of my thoughts, so... cracks knuckles. This won't be spoiler free, fair warning~

Favorite Series: ugh the formatting killed my original essay on this but okay GX and 5Ds are pretty tied in my book, now-- I love them equally, but in different ways! GX fulfills my love for subversive coming-of-age stories with a heartwarming, humorous, and also soulcrushing touch, and I love how each season brings a new story and new characters-- it's like reading installments of a novel series, and I think the formatting works wonders for it as a whole. It has some absolutely phenomenal character writing, too-- even the characters I dislike are ones I can appreciate for what they introduce to the story! And honestly, not enough people give the first two seasons of GX the credit it deserves: they're half the charm, really. How are you going to feel the full impact of the heartbreaking content in seasons 3 and 4 if you aren't properly attached to the characters?

But on 5Ds's side of things... it fulfills my love for stories with time loops, found family, human nature, and of course, love and death and how they intertwine. I love how the leading characters are just a bunch of broken kids from broken circumstances who all find a home with each other, and of course, how it highlights class disparity and how fucked up the prison/"justice" systems are. Yea, sure, maybe it underwent executive meddling and all, but I genuinely love it for what it is and I wish more people appreciated it... my only problem with 5Ds is the untwist with Z-ONE and then the ending s m h I adore it overall and I could go off for a long while on it. Overall, these are my two instinctive recommendations for anyone getting into Yugioh!

(look at these boys they're so important) Favorite Protagonist: Oh, believe me, absolutely nothing has changed here-- Yusei Fudo is and always will be my favorite protagonist, and my rewatch only solidified that.

I just... love him so much? He's seen so much hell in his life and carries so much guilt on his shoulders, but he still has room in his heart to believe in others and to believe that anyone can defy fate and find hope even at rock bottom. I love that he's initially introduced as this quiet, brooding figure when he really just turns out to be a huge softie who wears his heart on his sleeve half the time and wants to bring about change for Satellite and its people. Plus I just really love that his greatest flaw is something that would ordinarily be a positive trait-- he's Overly self-sacrificial, to the point where he's basically setting himself on fire to keep others warm, and that's not really framed as something Heroic

Just... he makes me so happy. I have two Yusei charms that I ordinarily keep on my keys (one was a gift from Zenzen) and they're a constant source of serotonin for me. He's Peak comfort character for me. Best protag in my book Favorite Rival: Same deal here-- still Manjoume!

look at him he's so important

While he spends a lot of the anime getting the good old damsel in distress treatment (getting suckered into a cult, getting knocked into a coma, becoming a zombie, getting fucking Killed, etc), I still think his character arc is really well-written overall and I only appreciated it even more when I watched GX again. I love the fact that he's got a soft heart he buries beneath the edgy facade, and that he's simultaneously really sharp and also kind of dense lol. He's just a fun character and watching how he evolves from episode one to episode one hundred eighty is such a satisfying journey.

Plus, props to him for being such a versatile duelist-- 50 wins in a row is HARD as is, let alone with a deck full of cards he just found laying around in the Arctic. Three ace monsters, three different archetypes... he's a really good duelist and I'm proud of him for it

Oh, but honestly, I don't really dislike any of the rivals-- I'm neutral towards Revolver and Reiji, but the remaining four (Kaiba, Manjoume, Jack, and Shark) compel me. yes I accidentally wound up liking Jack Atlas shhh Favorite BFF: Honestly, I really like most of the characters who fit this archetype-- Joey, Crow, Gongenzaka, Soulburner... I still lean a little bit more towards Joey, but I really appreciate all four of them. I'm gonna say Joey again, just because I find his evolution as a character the most compelling, but I appreciate the other three a lot. Soulburner has the best design though Favorite GFF: Oh absolutely still Aki, but I honestly... really love most female Yugioh characters? I'm assuming this is lead girls only, but like. I'm dumb and gay and I love Girls so this is naturally the most difficult one for me to answer lol

Aki just resonates with me the most because she's the prime example of how trauma doesn't always manifest in palatable ways-- when we first meet her, she's angry and lashes out at anyone and anything just because she wants the world to suffer in the same ways she's suffered, and then... we get to watch her grow from that, once she's free from Divine and able to heal the way she needs to heal. I know the second half of 5Ds didn't give her character the attention it deserved, but I'm still proud of her for winding up on the path she did-- seeing her channel her power and energy into wanting to heal and help others was just so good and was one of the few things I really Loved about the 5Ds ending.

oh, but like. Asuka Tenjoin and Aoi Zaizen are very close seconds for me!!! Aki just has a vice grip on my heart Favorite Villain: Okay, it's still technically Vector-- I think he's the most entertaining, well-written, and effective villain out of all of the ones we've seen so far, but... I also want to add Takuma Saiou and then all of Yliaster as honorable mentions?

As someone fond of tarot myself, I was naturally pretty intrigued by Saiou the first time I watched GX, but my attachment to him only grew the second time around where I actually got the chance to understand his character better. Plus, like... the visuals with him are fucking astounding and he's always so interesting to watch.

As for Yliaster, I just... really love how the big bad of 5Ds turned out to just essentially be a broken man desperate to save anyone and anything and three robotic reconstructions of the friends he'd lost. I still think the untwist with Z-ONE was stupid and I much prefer the idea of him and Yusei being the same person, but I'm still compelled by the other three-- well. Paradox less so, because we don't get a lot of Paradox lore, but. Aporia and Antinomy for sure.

ugh Yugioh has some damn good villains

Favorite Card: now that I actually play the TCG game...

Stardust is always going to be my favorite of all cards because it checks every box for me (my favorite YGO character's ace monster, space theme, what more could I want), but Aromaseraphy Rosemary has really become one of my aces in my best TCG deck! I'm still mastering irl plays, but I'm happy with my progress and I love my plant gang...

Favorite Episode: alright, here's where there's actually been a Lot of change, so...

Season 0: Episode 16: "Turnabout by a Hair's Breadth - The White-Robed Crisis" -- The more I think about this one, the more I love it; there's a... lot of corruption in the medical industry, and I've seen a lot of it firsthand, so just. Seeing a corrupt doctor get what he deserved at the end was cathartic, in a way? Plus, a Jounouchi-centric episode is always a good time.

Duel Monsters: Episodes 96-97: "Darkness vs. Darkness/One Turn Kill" -- this hasn't changed, I still love seeing Marik and Bakura bitch at each other for two whole episodes LMAO

GX: Episode 152: "Activate Super-Fusion! Rainbow Neos" -- This one hasn't changed and it likely never will-- I take so much pride in seeing Judai push forward, past the fear and guilt he's carrying, all to save Johan... it's cathartic and I never get sick of watching it.

5Ds: sweats. still all of Crash Town, but also episodes 137-147-- the Ark Cradle is one of my favorite parts of 5Ds and one of my favorite YGO arcs period, and even though each duel is a fucking gut punch, I love the emotional intensity and weight in each episode... It hurts but in a mostly good way

Zexal: Episode 143: "The Aloof Duelist 'Nasch': The Destined Final Duel" -- this one hasn't changed! Still hurts, still love it, I still weep over Ryouga Shark Kamishiro on a daily basis

Arc-V: Episodes 81-82: "Our Respective Battlefields/The Ultimate Falcon VS The Black-Feathered Thunder" -- Okay, honestly, this was hard because I... genuinely. really don't like Arc-V very much at all lol (it's just not my cup of tea, but more power to those who do like it!), but I thought this duel was a lot of fun! Shun is my absolute favorite from Arc-V and I really like the friendship he struck up with Crow a lot, so here we are

VRAINS (so far): Episode 25-26: "Virus Deck Operation/Three Draws Leading to Hope" -- honestly I am so biased because I just really love Blue Angel and I loved seeing her get a well-deserved victory like this lol. I'm not done with VRAINS, so this is probably gonna change, but anytime Blue Angel or Soulburner are on screen, I'm happy

Favorite Decks to Use: Aromages will always have my heart, but I adore Cyber Angels too! I'm building my Trickstar deck, my Synchron/Stardust deck (just waiting on Dawn of Majesty...), and my Magician Girls deck, too! Fusion, Ritual, Synchro, XYZ, Pendulum, or Link?: Synchros my beloved... but also Ritual Years in fandom: I've been here for just a little over one year now! and I wuv it... I'm never looking back Who am I tagging: no one I'm too shy

[paipayaseeds]

Miu would jump in surprise at Kirumi's supposedly sudden appearance, huffing before becoming her usual ornery self. Glaring at the maid she'd cross one arm over her stomach before pointing a finger.

"Next time announce when you're going to sneak up on me, sk-skank!"Despite the inventor's harsh choice of words, it seemed she, oddly, hadn't meant to say it. Even then, it was obvious the girl needed a new vocabulary that didn't consist of the world's most harshest vulgarities.

"Miu.. Are you okay?"

The girl in question would let out a confused noise, holding her side before turning the other way. It wasn't her business if she was 'okay' or not. They were in an investigation, not a therapy session.

The girl genius with a golden brain didn't need to get into the science of emotions. That was for limp dicked wimps.

"What's it matter to you huh granny? We're in an investigation for a murder, not a fucking Dr. Phil show, so why don't you go mosey on over and clean or whatever the hell a maid does!?"

Oh yeah. This was Miu's defense system.

-----------------

"Hey Rantaro.." She lightly tapped Amami's shoulder, having been just a little bit afraid of him at this moment. But, she'd cast that fear to the side for now. They needed to find who killed Anya.. Or find out who the mastermind was.

"I know you're in pain right now.. But me and Shuichi just need to ask a few questions that just might help bring Anya's killer to justice. Is.. Is that Okay with you?"She asked softly. Kaede hadn't wanted to rush him but,

She didn't exactly wanted him to not answer either. It's as Shuichi said before,

He's more connected to this case then anything else.

-----------

Ryoma patted Kaito's hand, a small lazy smile on his face as he'd join the saddened man. "We'll find out what happened eventually."The man would assure, his eyes closed as he enjoyed whatever mood there'd been.. Well maybe not the mood,

But rather the serenity and peace there'd been for saying goodbye to the dearly departed.. Something he wish he had the chance to do a long time ago.

Kirumi sighed, indifferent by the distasteful nickname. “Under different circumstances, I would clean if you desired me to — however, I’m afraid if I did, I’d be tampering with evidence. Is there anything else you’d like me to do for you, Miu? You look disgruntled. I only want to help.”

Kirumi showed nothing but sincere determination on her face as she fretted over Miu. The maid kept a safe distance, ready to leave her alone if she asked her to.

------------------

Rantaro, despite feeling like he had just gotten his heart stomped on by guilt, several thousand times; sucked it up. Vigorously wiping at his face, he nodded hesitantly before standing up — the note in his hand folded delicately before being slid back into his pocket. "Y- yeah... Yeah." brushing himself off, his face slowly contorted back into one of determined focus as he gazed at the two.

Despite not wanting to suspect anyone, he had no choice but to. This... was the killing game, right? Anya's death, it signified the start of it. The start of suspicion. Even so, that was what Monokuma wanted. So he would still have to somehow work with everyone.. he could only hope he didn't work with the wrong person.

Rantaro definitely found himself suspecting the two already; his trust issues had certainly risen, but he was one to talk — he was the most suspicious one here. He'd decide to share information, but... not all of it.

As soon as Rantaro had agreed, Shuichi had to hold himself back from bombarding the man with questions, settling for storing the questions in his head and starting with the first one; the one everyone who had witnessed Rantaro lying there had been wondering — "How did you end up unconscious... behind the library door?" Where Anya's body had been found.

Rantaro pursed his lips, launching any leftover tears and feelings to the back of his mind as he thought of a way to explain without... explaining. "I don't know. Y- I don't know,"

"I was just trying to find the loo, but before I know it, ... someone had knocked me unconscious." Rantaro wasn't sure if it was the best choice to mention that... Anya had been the one to hit him. He'd decide later, but right now, he had to wait for the foggy headache to clear.

He felt the back of his head, sighing at the dried blood. Rantaro furrowed his brow, wondering if he should mention the note that he hadn't realized Shuichi noticed; despite waving it around like an idiot.

Despite Shuichi's suspecting stare, Rantaro couldn't find it in himself to actually be affected by it. "You... didn't catch who it was?" The detective was rendered disappointed as Rantaro shook his head.

The tension was growing, the air just slightly thick as Shuichi backed off. "Rantaro... Thank you for the information. Please know that we are only trying to figure out what happened to Anya."

Rantaro stifled a wince but grinned at the best of his ability. "Yeah, me too."

Shuichi's analyzing eyes shifted to Anya's body, widening a hair as he noticed Kaito and Ryouma seemingly paying their respects, or investigating. Either or.

Turning back to Kaede, he bore a mournful expression. "We should... investigate her body."

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

What did you think of Prue/Andy?I didn't have a good sense of who he was supposed to be as a character

I really like Prue and Andy and think they’re incredibly unappreciated and underrated. We were robbed of just how truly amazing they could’ve been by Andy’s premature death and I think people aren’t as attached to Prue and Andy as they are to other couples on the show because we only saw them in season 1.

The thing is with Prue and Andy is that immediately from the pilot they’re a very established relationship and for some strange reason people generally don’t love ships like that. I think it must be because people prefer to see the actual process of two people meeting and falling in love, but I think the fact that they’re already established is what makes Prue and Andy so great as a couple. Even though they’re not together in the pilot and it seems like it’s been some time since they last saw each other there’s a familiarity between them in their first scene in the hospital that feels very natural. But there’s also a bashfulness between them whereby you can tell they have a physical effect on each other and that they’re nervous but giddy. 

Prue and Andy had so much potential and if they’d both survived until season 8 I think their relationship would’ve been perceived as one of the ultimate couples of the show like Piper and Leo are. They were best friends, they had two decades of history, they were the love of each other’s lives, their personalities were well matched - they were both career driven, ambitious, loyal, hard-working, compassionate, they both dedicated themselves to helping people, they wanted the same future (to have a family, even though Andy thought he couldn’t have that with Prue he could’ve, Paige and Henry were proof of that) and they respected and cared for each other as people. That’s actually one of the things I love most about Prue and Andy - they were truly best friends and they loved each other so much that even when they weren’t together they remained in each other’s lives as friends and protected one another no matter what. Andy gave up his career and his life for Prue, and what Andy did is actually taken for-granted so much because in my eyes it was probably one of the most selfless sacrifices anyone made. Prue and Andy’s relationship was unable to reach it’s peak because Prue was hiding the fact that she was a witch from him and a secret like that is obviously going to keep them apart because Prue could never share herself or her life with him and Andy knew she was hiding something. It’s so unfortunate that just when Andy found out the truth and he and Prue were finding their way back to each other he was killed. I’ve always thought it was a huge mistake to kill Andy that soon and strongly believe he should’ve died at the end of season 2 instead. That way Andy would’ve had the opporutunity to fight for his career, work with the sisters to help innocents just like Darryl did and he and Prue would’ve been able to be a proper couple without any secrets putting distance between them. They would’ve had conflict with Prue being concerned with Andy’s safety (just like Paige did when she was with Henry) and it would’ve been so much more painful and rewarding for Andy to die at the end of season two after having seen him and his relationship with Prue go through all of that. 

As short-lived as Prue and Andy’s relationship was I think it was an amazing one and there’s no doubt in my mind that Andy was the love of Prue’s life. Prue never had a long-term relationship after Andy because I think in her heart she still loved him and felt she could never love someone like that again. She even said in Primrose Empath when she felt Phoebe and Cole falling in love that she hadn’t felt anything like that since Andy died. I think he was the constant love in her life and even though they weren’t always together he was kind of an inevitability to her and she always saw her future with him so when that was taken away she just didn’t know how to move on. If Prue had survived, I think it would’ve taken a really, really long time for her to meet someone she could truly fall for and want a future with, and even then she would’ve found it really difficult to move on and would’ve felt guilty about Andy as though she was betraying him. 

As for Andy as an individual character, he’s not the most well written character in the world and there’s no escaping that. I’ve discussed it before but Charmed generally sucks at writing male characters because it’s so dedicated to the sisters and treats male characters as second class citizens that mostly exist to prop up the sisters. However, Andy is a pretty straightforward character to me so I’m not necessarily sure why you’d struggle to get a good sense of his character. As I already said above, he’s pretty similar to Prue which is likely why they had such a good relationship. Andy was very career driven and being a cop (or inspector as Prue would say) was one of the most important aspects of his life. He believed in justice and doing the right thing, he wanted to make the world a better place and help people and that’s why he gave up his job. When he saw what the sisters used their powers for and how much good they were doing he was willing to given up everything he’d been working for his entire life because he believed in it so strongly. He was confident and self-assured which we saw in the way he conducted himself in his career and his relationship with Prue - he was never afraid to let Prue know how he felt good or bad. He stood up for what he believed in and was never afraid to speak out or go up against personal feelings in order to do what was right (an example would be when he arrested Prue in Wicca Envy). He was a very honest person which is why he couldn’t come to terms with Prue keeping something from him and the only time he kept a secret was when it was about the sisters being witches. He was intelligent and logical which is an obvious trait that a detective has to possess, and we saw it in his partnership with Darryl, whereby Andy seemed to be the one that took more initiative and was better at piecing the pieces of the puzzle together. He was extremely moral and his principles were important to him and he never compromised them for anyone or anything. I really feel like I could be describing Prue here, because they are very, very similar. I even feel like Andy underwent the exact same development as Prue did whereby he started the show as a very black and white person - he trusted the facts, he acted on logic and he believed what he believed and was very stubborn about that - and his entire belief system was put into question when he learned about magic. He reacted negatively to finding out about magic just like Prue did, because neither of them could fathom that there was something out there in the world that they couldn’t explain or quantify. But Andy came to realise, just like Prue did, that he can’t control everything and that there are inexplicable forces in the world and that some things are down to fate or destiny. 

What we knew about Andy is limited to an extent because we knew so little about his past or his personal life. We mainly saw him at work or with Prue so it’s hard to get a full picture of what he was like, but I still think he was a very consistent character with very clear defining traits, many of which he shared with Prue. 

[wri0thesley]

Aaaaaaa! Any chance we could get some abba finding out he fathered a baby with an s/o he left because he didn't want to ruin their life? It doesn't have to be angst, but let's face it. Abba has a lot of self hatred going on.

this prompt…. why must he suffer so???? 

warnings for: domestic violence, very vague suggestion of child abuse, general abbacchio self-hatred

When Buccellati passes around the photographs during the briefing, Abbacchio feels his heart do that brief lurch that he’s grown oh-so-familiar with - the one that says that there’s a face he recognizes, and it’s not for a good reason. Generally, he gets this when he sees someone from his past on the street, whether that be someone who briefly worked with or someone he helped or some scumbag who cheated the criminal justice system and is now walking around free as if he’d never done an illegal thing in his life.

They don’t recognize him, in black leather with dark lipstick and his hair all grown out far beyond regulation police length, streaming down his back. Officer Leone had a smile for all, a genuine longing to do good in the world, a happiness with his station behind his blue eyes. Current Abbacchio has a perpetual scowl, a bit of a drinking problem, and the flames of self-hatred burning in his gaze. This girl, though - the one in the picture?

She’d recognize him.

He doesn’t have to look at the name or the neatly written particulars on the back of the photograph of the smiling girl to know more about her. He knows this one intimately - and she would recognize him even now, and probably smile to see him despite what he put her through.

The little voice in his head that likes to tell him how much of a failure he is rears its ugly head again.

“Leone?” Bruno’s voice is soft when he speaks to Abbacchio. Abbacchio doesn’t deserve this gentleness from his capo; he doesn’t deserve any of this. All he deserves is death. “Are you alright? You haven’t read the back–”

He looks up from the photograph clutched in one of his hands, in a grip he now realizes is too tight. Bruno’s eyes on him are concerned, and those of the other members of his gang are at least curious.

A long time ago, Leone had expected this girl to be his family. That Leone would never have been able to sit at a table with a bunch of gangsters and think of them as his friends and his family - but times change, and Abbacchio has fucked up beyond repair.

“I know this woman,” he says, without preamble, and Bruno’s eyes soften in understanding. He knows about Abbacchio’s reactions to people from his past - knows that it would probably be best if the older man sat out this mission. He’s about to put that idea forth, when Abbacchio shakes his head. “I know what you’re thinking.” He says, his voice drier than Bruno has ever heard it. “I can’t. I … I need to know she’s alright.”

Those words carry more weight than he was expecting.

Comprehension dawns on all of their faces, even Narancia’s. Thankfully, even though Narancia is usually tactless, he seems to know that this means something to Abbacchio, and no jokes are forthcoming. Abbacchio has always seemed the least human out of all of them, as if he exists solely to follow commands. Narancia sometimes has trouble believing that the oldest of them ever really had a past, that he didn’t just spring forth fully formed into the world clutching a wine glass in one elegantly manicured hand and sneering.

“I understand,” Bruno says.

* * *

She’s not alright.

Abbacchio is shaking with anger at himself because it’s his fault. He should have known, the minute he’d realized that the reason Bruno had handed her picture over is because she was the girlfriend of the Passione operative that they’d been assigned to keep tabs on, that she wouldn’t be alright.

The boss was worried he was sending information to rival gang, apparently, and Moody Blues is suited for nothing if not this kind of gruntwork.

He should have left it after he’d established that the operative was loyal to Passione. He should have reported back to Bruno and forgotten about it - but, damn him, he’d had to know. He’d had to check she was alright.

He should have forgotten about her. He didn’t deserve to know how her life was going - he’d done her a favour, after his disgrace, up and leaving. He’d supposed she’d be sad for a little while (they’d been together for a few years, after all) but she’d find someone else and move on. She didn’t deserve a criminal for a boyfriend. She deserved better.

He hadn’t been able to stop himself going to the address, knowing that the operative and his wife (he pretends that he doesn’t feel a sting when he thinks of her being somebody else’s wife) were out of the city and he could be as nosy as he liked. He hadn’t been able to stop himself breaking in and standing in the living room and looking around at a life that was so close to having been his.

The house is a little bit of a mess, but a lived-in one (nothing like Abbacchio’s nightmare of an apartment with its shattered bottles and empty cans and only two lightbulbs that actually work). There are toys scattered on the floor, the sign of a domestic life that Abbacchio will never have now.

He’d never wanted to be a father, anyway, he thought to himself as he summoned Moody Blues. He’d be an awful father - especially the him of right now, the fallen police officer. How could any child be proud of a parent like him?

He’s aware that this is an invasion of privacy, but he can’t quite bring himself to care, even as Moody Blues rewinds and–

Shit.

Any number of other expletives come to mind as he looks at his ex-girlfriend (still undeniably his ex-girlfriend, the same mouth and the same hair as if it’s only been a month since he last saw her) sits on the couch with a little boy nestled next to her.

There’s a picture of the operative he’d been tailing crumpled in his pocket, but he doesn’t need it to know that the small boy next to her - cuddling up to her in a way that is unmistakably the way a son cuddles up to its mother - is not related to him. The child is paler even than him, towheaded in a way he recognizes from his own childhood, intense eyes set in the boy’s face the exact same shade as Abbacchio’s own–

The lurch in his heart hurts more than it ever has before as he looks at the boy who is unmistakably, undeniably his.

His mind races - he was careful, he was a police officer, former Leone had been a responsible young man who would never accidentally impregnate his beloved girlfriend – shit, shit, shit except for that one time but he’d been celebrating and one time couldn’t hurt in the grand scheme of things–

Fuck.

Abbacchio has never felt like this before. He steps closer to the boy unconsciously, imagining for a moment that this is their house, that this is his family…

He knows that this thought is just self-torture. He doesn’t deserve a family, doesn’t deserve the son sitting on the couch who is perfectly formed and would just hate him anyway. Maybe she is happier with this new man, maybe he’s a better father than Abbacchio could ever have hoped to be … he’s a criminal too, like Abbacchio hadn’t wanted for her, but at least he wasn’t a disgraced police officer on top of it.

Then, there’s a slam, and the two on the couch look up with fear etched plain in their eyes. His ex-girlfriend’s hand tenses on the sofa and she says, lowly;

“Go into the other room, Leon.”

That stings. She named the child after him, even after all that he put her through? How does she not look at her son and think about how much she hates Abbacchio?

He wishes he’d left it at that.

He wishes he’d left it at that as the operative he’s been tailing lurches into the room, clearly drunk. He wishes he’d left it at that as the man speaks to her in a slurred voice, demanding to know why his dinner isn’t ready and on the table. He wishes he’d left it at that as this man, this scumbag, raises his hand and slaps her hard across the face.

God.

The way she reacts to it indicates it’s not the first time. She doesn’t scream or cry, she just blinks it back and touches her face and, in a tight strained voice says she’ll get right on it now, she’s sorry that she’s upset him.

“Where’s the bastard?” The scumbag asks, going over to the couch and flopping on it. This makes her wince, and she says, tightly;

“Leon’s in the other room, playing.” Scumbag scoffs.

“Not even here to greet his stepfather? I oughta beat some respect into that boy–”

Desperately, Abbacchio wishes Moody Blues wasn’t so efficient a stand, that its playback occasionally faltered in being crystal clear. He sees the tear drop from the woman’s face into the pot she’s stirring on the stove and he feels a pang of protectiveness he does not deserve to feel for a woman that he abandoned.

Anger curls white hot in his stomach. This man, touching his son, hurting his son … but. There’s nothing he can do. Nothing at all. This man is a superior above him in Passione, and it’s frowned upon to kill your coworkers - if it wasn’t, he doesn’t know if he could control himself.

Abbacchio had left his childhood hopes and dreams for the future when he’d left his old life behind, in the shape of the bowed and broken woman with the bruise blooming on her cheek. He had thought - she doesn’t deserve to have her life ruined by scum like me. All I would do, now, is make things harder - I’d be better off dead than with her. And despite it all … she’d ended up with a gangster. She’d ended up trapped and in trouble and with her life all in tatters around her, and with Abbacchio’s fucking illegitimate son to top it all off. Nothing he had done had been good for her the way he’d thought it would be.

In a way, he supposes, it’s still all his fault. He’s fucked up her life even from afar! Isn’t that just like him? Abbacchio is now able to be a worthless life-ruining asshole without interacting with people!

Abbacchio wants to find this scumbag, interrupt their family holiday, rip his head from his unworthy throat and leave him a bleeding, blubbering mess. He wishes that things were different and he could just slot effortlessly back into his old life, take care of his own son. Maybe he could try and be a good father–

He realizes he’s swallowing back tears as he walks back home to his shitty apartment. He should see Bruno and report back on the good news, that this guy is totally innocent of any fraternizing with rival gangs - but he can’t quite bring himself to visit the Capo with the gaping emptiness in the hole where his heart should be. He’d never be a good father. He can daydream about it all he wants, but if he returned to her she’d just hate him like everyone else does.

It’s going to take a lot of liquor to numb him from this one. Abbacchio thinks back to the bottles on the shelves of his apartment, their liquid oblivion beckoning to him … people drink to forget, don’t they? Abbacchio has a lot he’d like to forget.