#Amestris faction

[fullmetal-scar-simping]

Hi hi hi! Tis the OC anon, now off-anon! (That was fast ngl but whatever I'm here to have a good time on a quality blog) and yeah!

If you won't mind, here are some more tidbits about the AU:

Miles got arrested via the manga iirc where Ishvalan soldiers got rounded up and executed for “treason” but Miles got off scot-free supposedly because of his diluted lineage (which I have some doubts about, maybe he chose to swear allegiance to Amestris somehow and that's why he was spared, but I could very well be wrong and it really was just a matter of blood), he was held there for a while, during which time his wife collapsed and passed away while his daughter got shipped off to an orphanage bc Marigold's relatives did not want to raise an Ishvalan child.

By the time Miles gets out he's like “Where's my wife? Where's my daughter?” and while he gets a definitive answer regarding his wife (oof, feels guilty for being unable to be there for her), NOBODY KNOWS WHERE HIS DAUGHTER IS.

Our little daughter (nameless though I did give her a name) faces so much mistreatment in the orphanage that she decides to haul ass and try living on the streets instead and runs into Isaac McDougal.

In this AU, there would be a faction of former Amestrian soldiers who went “no fuck this shit I ain't gonna slaughter civilians what the hell” and defected from the military, which of course the government wasn't happy about so they got bounties on their heads.

Isaac is one of them.

Their cause might or might not expand to ally with other ethnic minority movements that the Amestrian majority has caused problems with.

Anyways, she gets picked up by Isaac (she must be, what, 11?) who is decidedly NOT suited for raising a child, much less a traumatized one. Also he was a bluecoat and she's an Ishvalan kid.

Some foils could be drawn between Miles and Isaac, I realize, both with ties to the army, one choosing to stay despite everything and the other leaving because he couldn't bear the injustice, both “father” to the girl, both probably less-than-stellar parents...

She becomes a brash, harsh, no-shits-taken, borderline reckless type of person.

Anyways he might or might not teach her water alchemy. Also via the anime I've seen some folk headcanon that Isaac can use alkahestry so maybe he went to Xing and took the girl with him too and they both know alkahestry?

They're both part of the coalition that wants to get rid of the current system of government.

Isaac abruptly discovers the whole nationwide alchemical circle thing and leaves on his own to go and put that to a stop, gets killed by Bradley a la canon, our girl who was not told what he discovered was like “????? I'm gonna go find out”

Which kicks off the plot, and... originally I just had it stick to canon for the most part (except the ending) just told from a different perspective but methinks I should really lean into the whole AU thing and go off the rails somehow

Anyways for fear of the ask getting too long here are some rapid-fire bullet points:

Mei becomes the Emperor in the AU. Sorry not sorry, I don't care about Ling all that much.

Miles' daughter offers to be a bodyguard for Mei and help her win the throne in exchange for her helping Ishval later. She agrees, and a badass duo is formed.

Our girl felt shame for being disconnected from her culture, she feels like she's not “Ishvalan enough”, even her name is Amestrian, so she discarded her name, just like Scar.

If she could allow herself to be vulnerable enough to say it aloud she'd tell Scar, “I wish you were my father instead” but homegirl is kinda constipated where her insecurities are concerned.

Complicated dynamic with Winry

Does NOT get along with Ed unless he gets his shit together and grows

Running into Miles in the North would be... a catastrophe

She thought her dad was dead all along but he's alive AND IN THE MILITARY?

I need to map out Miles' development if I'm not gonna stick w canon, he can't be Arakawa's mouthpiece who only appears once in a blue moon he gotta be a presence somehow

Marigold... haunts both Miles and their daughter. Miles' guilt, the daughter's anger and hurt and not understanding why her parents won't say anything beyond “be a model citizen and prove them wrong”— and of course, grief at losing Marigold, losing both her parents, even if they weren't perfect by any means.

I don't know if it's feasible for Miles to recognize his daughter whom he has not seen in years but the girl would absolutely recognize Miles. Yeesh.

Anyways Miles will have much to think about. And will eventually get his shit together but not right away. He's quite shaken after seeing his daughter again for the first time, though. Probably happens when the north crew had Scar trapped and Mei + the girl come to his rescue. To add to the absolute fucking MESS.

Scar and the girl would eventually take on new names as part of their healing or whatever, as their old name selves kinda “died” long ago? [Scar] died when his brother died, [the girl] died when she fell through the cracks of the system and never came back up.

Also Kimblee deserves no dignity he should've been killed by Scar.

Mustang does NOT get to use the fucking Philosopher's Stone to heal his eyes, if he even comes to need it— he might not even get yeeted into the Gate in the AU, someone else might have to take up the burden or things never come to that point, the Ishvalans are given back their dead and Marcoh gives either Scar or the girl or both the way to destroy a Stone. So they do. As part of a funerary rite for those who got turned into a Stone. It doesn't erase what was done to their people, but... it's closure, at least.

On the topic of that, the other day I went to check the Ishval tag after sending my previous ask to you, and. Uh. Uhhhhhhhhhh.

There was a post going “wouldn't it be so cool for Mustang to have red Ishvalan eyes since he used a Stone made of Ishvalans to heal his eyes?” and I had such a visceral reaction to it that I immediately exited the tag.

Yeahhhhhhhhhh

Regret™

Oh and there's also a couple underdeveloped Ishvalan OCs I have one of whom wants to be a doctor and may or may not become the girl's love interest? He's a soft boy.

This AU didn't really get all that much developed compared to my other AUs so I'm still up in the air on how the cast would react to my OC(s)— Olivier could be like “whomst the fuck is this upstart tyke and also that's a threat” and that could potentially drive some conflict between her and Miles, Miles is, understandably, distraught over everything, Ed... probably wouldn't like her tbh, no idea on how the Mustang gang or the homunculi would react to her, it's just a whole bag of ?????

Omg @heartisrote you wanna draw my baby? 🥹

Here are some older drawings I did back before I had the means to do digital art (when the earlier versions of the girl had a younger brother, unfortunately he got scrapped, he may get inserted again in another shape, question mark?) and after that, before my stylus fucking broke 🥲 (that's her potential love interest next to her)

Anyways, apologies for rambling so much in your inbox!

Hey Egg! Hope hopping off anon wasn't too intimidating. Maybe the cool Miles/Scar anon will get in contact with you in the near future.

Also, hell yeah, OC AU breakdown! Loved all the details you provided; I'm really digging the outline of the story so far.

Ah, so Miles' arrest is a manga detail that was eschewed for Brotherhood. Sigh, I really do have to read it don't I? But good to know, since it makes sense given the actions of the Amestrian government. They disbarred Amestrian Ishvalans from the service, so I thought it odd that Miles was spared. Initially I thought perhaps Olivier had thrown her pedigree behind keeping him in her squadron (which could still be true) or that his placement at Briggs provided plus his mixed blood gave him some leeway. But now I wonder if Briggs and Olivier only enter his military career and life post-arrest. 🤔

Excuse my ignorance, but is Miles canonically married? Doesn't matter either way, this is a cool AU, but I realize that my recollection of Brotherhood is perhaps spotty in that regard, or maybe the show also elided that info. Anyway, rip Marigold

So the poor daughter was utterly rejected by the Amestrian side of her family and gets sent to an orphanage. Man. It's realistic tho, since many families under a racial-class system deny, hide, or disown members of the "wrong" racial/ethnic makeup. Miles must have been distraught by both losses.

Good for her for running away from her abusers. Love that McDougall and his merry band of insurrectionists take her in! He may not be parent of the year (especially given the parallels between him and Miles in this AU), but it had to have been better than being at the mercy of a racist, indifferent orphanage. His death must have been like losing yet another parent.

With how much has shifted in the AU's plot, divergences are all the more likely to occur/become necessary. Especially once you get into the nitty-gritty of it all.

Lmao oh shit, Ling doesn't get the thrown. Ripppp, all hail Mei! Daughter becoming allies/friends with Mei on the agreement that, should Mei ascend to emperor, she and Xing aid Ishval is smart political maneuvering on Daughter's part. (If there's some other way I should refer to your oc, lemme know). With the alchemy/alkehestry thag Isaac taught her, Mei can further sharpen Daughter's alchemic skills.

And of course the two of them becoming an inseparable duo puts them in-line with meeting Scar. 🎉 Man's gotta properly father two tween girls while hunting down fascist pigs (thankfully they're both capable and willing to throw down). No surprise she's emotionally constipated, but hey, Scar's just as blocked up. But I gotta say: awwwwww 🥺

Oof yeah, her dynamic with Winry would be messy. And Ed, maaaaaan. Maybe in this AU he can actually shape up to be a better person (but unlike what Miles believes, that's not Daughter's nor Scar's responsibility)

Omg, that meeting between Daughter and Miles will be ROUGH. And during that scene in the Briggs mining town?? Nobody is prepared for the earthquake to follow

Yessss, the pair of them having to reconnect with who they will become, who they want to be, questioning who are they without the lives they once lived, with so much pain to come. Having someone else in similar straits would be an interesting dynamic

Amen. Kimblee got off easy in mangahood, when he shoulda had his spine ripped out by Scar (glad he gets murked by Scar in 03). Glad he gets his in this AU

Seems like Mustang's fate has been solidified quite yet, but I can appreciate that the Ishvalan philosopher's stone will not be misappropriated for him and his posse. It returns to its rightful people to receive final rights.

Ok, that post in the Ishval tag that you encountered. What the actual fuck. Wtf wtf wtfffffffffffffff

This fucking fandom, man

Anyway!

Fine tuning the interactions between your OCs and the canon cast will be quite the task, given the length of mangahood's story. There's no way Olivier (probably the entire Briggs unit) won't seriously complicate things with Daughter and Miles, but it's promising that Miles is slated to get his shit together eventually.

And the character designs! I really dig Daughter's design, she looks so good! The way you draw her hair is 🤌 Rip to the scrapped brother, but I can see how his passing as Amestrian would have thrown a wrinkle into her life and her insecurities. The love interest is adorable af. He's the one who's going to become a doctor, yeah?

Time to get some artwork of your oc done. Godspeed, heartisrote!

Thanks so much for sharing your OCs and AU! No apologies necessary for the length of the ask, I enjoyed reading it. 😄 If it gets posted anywhere, lemme know.

[white-assassin]

Français

[ANNONCE – MOMENTS PROJECT, LANCEMENT] (English below)

Aujourd’hui, et après un long moment d’absence, je suis fière de vous annoncer le lancement de mon plus gros projet de fanfiction à ce jour >w<

Quatre issues, deux camps, une histoire ; la vôtre.

Deux mois. C’est le temps qui s’est écoulé depuis ce terrible soir où le Q.G. militaire de Central s’est effondré, emportant Roy et Alphonse, qui y avaient foncé tête baissée au secours d’Edward, kidnappé par les homonculi. Depuis lors, Riza n’a plus revu aucun d’entre eux. On les dit « portés disparus » ; « supposés morts », même. Mais la soldate, elle, est convaincue du contraire : elle en est sûre, elle l’a aperçu au milieu de ce paysage désolé, Edward est bel et bien vivant… et toujours aux mains de l’ennemi.

Pour le sauver et espérer retrouver les deux disparus, Riza va devoir se retrousser les manches et remonter la piste des miettes de pain que l’alchimiste a laissées dans son sillage. Mais la chose n’est pas pour plaire à tout le monde : dans l’ombre, des forces qui la dépassent sont à l’œuvre et n’entendent pas de cette oreille que la jeune femme cherche à leur arracher la pièce maîtresse de leur plan…

Embarquez pour une aventure épique de plus de 360 000 mots ! Basée sur le Pride!Ed ending du jeu BlueBird’s Illusion, cette fanfiction, dont vous serez le héros, vous placera tour à tour dans la peau des personnages de l’un et l’autre des camps, avec à la clef, quatre fins possibles. Tous vos choix auront une incidence sur la fin de l’histoire et conduiront à des scènes inédites !

Réussirez-vous à sauver Edward ? Retrouverez-vous les disparus ? Arrêterez-vous les homonculi, ou bien servirez-vous leurs plans et condamnerez-vous Amestris et ses habitants à une fin tragique ? Toutes ces questions ont leurs réponses ; celles-ci sont entre vos mains.

Découvrez Moments dès le 3 octobre prochain !!!

❈◦☽✧☾◦❈ ❈◦☽✧☾◦❈ ❈◦☽✧☾◦❈

English

Today, after a long absence, I’m proud to announce the launch of my biggest fanfiction project to date >w<

Four endings, two factions, one story; yours.

Two months. That’s how long it’s been since that dreadful night when Central’s military headquarters collapsed, taking Roy and Alphonse with it after they rushed headlong to rescue Edward, who had been kidnapped by the homunculi. Since that terrible day, Riza hasn’t seen any of them. They are said to be ‘missing’; even ‘presumed dead.’ But Riza is convinced otherwise: she’s certain she saw the boy amidst that desolate landscape. Edward is very much alive… and still in the hands of the enemy.

To save him and hopefully find the two missing men, Riza will have to roll up her sleeves and follow the breadcrumbs the alchemist has left in his wake. But it won't be easy: in the shadows, dark forces are at work and won’t allow the young woman to snatch the key piece of their plan from them…

Embark on an epic adventure of over 360,000 words! Based on the Pride!Ed ending of the BlueBird’s Illusion game, this choose-your-own-adventure fanfiction allows you to experience the story from the perspectives of characters in both factions, leading to four possible endings. All your choices will impact the story’s outcome and lead to unique scenes!

Will you manage to save Edward? Will you find Roy and/or Al? Will you stop the homunculi, or will you serve their plans and doom Amestris and its inhabitants to a tragic end? The answers to all these questions are in your hands!

Discover “Moments”, starting on October 3rd!!!

[scienceoftheidiot]

I’ve been thinking. 

I see a lot of people saying that what Roy’s planning with his whole « I wanna be the head of this state » thing is a coup. 

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about coups, which is in fact the abbreviation of the French expression coup d’état : 

A coup d'état (/ˌkuːdeɪˈtɑː/ ( listen); French for 'stroke of state';[1] plural coups d'état (same pronunciation)), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers.[2][3] Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, military, or a dictator.[4][5]

I will add that the French entry for it underlines the BRUTALITY and VIOLENCE that goes with a coup d’état. The English doesn’t. Bad. Bad English (that’s probably because we know those better. When do you get rid of the King, dudes? anyway I digress). 

What Roy wants to do and is doing when we first see him and carries on doing through the story is not planning/staging a coup. He is painstakingly climbing up the ladder, to get to power legally, and change the whole country from the inside by complying to the law. Sure, he’s trying not to be recognized as such type that want to seize power and will hide behind his womanizer/lazy façade. 

But he’s efficient. He’s still climbing the ranks extremely fast because he’s GOOD. And the point is that people see him as not a threat to their power so they will give him more of it. He might even act as if he’s easily manipulable, since all that interests him is to bed random good looking girls and work the less he can. That sounds like an easy man to make happy, and when you make people happy, you can make them do what you want. So the higher ups will run to promote this type of guy in the kind of country they are in. Thing is, he’s actually good at his job. It’s even better. Hence why he’s a damn colonel at 29. 

To go back to the coup thing. A coup is violent. While Roy does not shy from violence nor from actually killing people (which we actually very rarely see - don’t see at all if we talk people and not Homunculi, after Ishval??? in the manga he actually doesn’t hurt the terrorist in the train, just stuns him. No burns.) 

I think here the chess allegory is important to keep in mind. Roy is trying to change things for the better with minimal loss and minimal violence. Which is definitely not something you can do when you make a coup. 

If he's going for the “from the inside�� route, it's because the whole country is a fascist military dictature. And the people of Amestris, save from a couple of oppressed people/poor people, are actually SUPPORTIVE of the army. Or don’t care. And he knows it. He has drunk the propaganda so well that he eventually ended up exterminating people. He knows how brainwashed the people are and how that can turn. 

A coup means outright violence - physical or political. Outright violence, in this kind of state, with this kind of people, will be met by violence, will be repressed in blood, and fail pitifully. 

Roy wants to win with minimal loss – which I headcanon is why he always loses to Grumman when they play chess, btw. 

But in this specific case, he is right. Not even counting all the corrupt generals who are in on the homunculi stuff, the whole country is corrupted, the whole country is brainwashed, and Roy knows better than to throw oil on a fire. 

Even when he is eventually forced to commit something that is indeed a coup, he dresses it as something else, keeps the memory of the fallen dictator instead of trying to expose him, and makes his damn best not to stir things the wrong way. 

Roy is smart, he is patient (yes, he can be lol), he knows what he’s playing with, and he wants to protect people above all. It has always been his goal, even when he was brainwashed and enlisted in the Army, and it still is now. 

Roy is not staging a coup. Roy wants to upturn it all from the inside, the most peacefully as he can, because he knows violence means war and war is awful and ugly and glory doesn’t mean shit.

[shiroi---kumo]

The man before him does not relent on his words of self sabotage. It is so painfully obvious that the Amestrian will not fair well without company but yet he declares himself fine and he speaks of fears in a way that reveals more of him than he probably realizes he's doing. He's speaking of past experiences. He's speaking of the wars Eversti spoke of. They're soldiers. He knows this and Eversti has told him much of the horrors that have occurred within the boarders of their Amestris.

Eversti has told him much of many things because that man spent nearly every day with him when he was trapped in their very same medical ward so he wouldn't be alone. That man barked at his other in his defense. That man did whatever he could to help manage his fever. That man even held his hand for him so he could fall asleep. That man - he found a place within this Misterican royal's heart.

He has a feeling this one will too.

He won't comment on the lies. He won't comment on the words that were spoken more for the one speaking them than the one hearing them. He won't comment on how they are said in a way to make the speaker believe the mirrors of an illusion of wellness that he's trying to create. He won't comment on it because they all had their masks, some of them just wore them more literally than others.

He won't comment because he has spoken the words "I'm fine." more times than he can count on one hand if only to try to convince himself that whatever he was feeling physical or otherwise, didn't actually hurt. His heart wasn't actually breaking. His soul was in perfect shape. His body wasn't in tatters. He was fine and he told himself this so many times and so often that the lies became his reality. He sang that song to himself each and every night not just until he knew the words by heart but until he forced himself to believe them too.

His eyes down cast to his lap as those perfectly folded hands lace his fingers together and moonlit jade falls to a crescent of light.

"You don't get to decide that." He says plainly without ever looking up. "You don't get to determine your worth like that because we are living breathing beings not material items. We don't have a monetary value. No life is worth more than another. We are living breathing beings and to all of us we hold value to someone. Even if that someone is no longer here."

There's a soft sigh as lips part, a small puff of white escaping into the air. Shoulders slump for a moment as he lets Eversti's words play in his mind and he tries to find the best way to phrase everything so he is being clear in his words.

"Eversti told me, when I was stuck in the medical ward just as you are now, that we don't get to decide what other people do with their love. That means we can't decide how much someone is worth either. You might say he's better than you, but I don't see it. Eversti has - when he first arrived here and we were returning to the Comodeen after I found him wandering Wonderland lost and confused. When we were on our way back, we met up with Black Wind and Miss Lyssa - a young girl that Eversti knows.

We were attacked... by a faction known in Wonderland as Gaudium. There was an accident and I was severely injured. Eversti caused that accident. He did not mean to hurt me. I know this, but the accident still occurred and I was still wounded. He was trying to protect me, I know this. But despite this, I did not deem him of little worth nor do I hold him in ill will. I am not even angry about the incident in question. "

"It was an accident plain and simple. This mistake however landed me in the medical ward just as you are now for nearly two weeks and that man came and sat with me every day just so I wasn't lonely. I told him I was fine and there was no need to do so but he insisted. He stayed regardless, so instead I used it as a way to get to know him.

Despite all that's occurred I'd like to say he's a friend. I would hope he thinks of me fondly too. So now I set here with you, Herra Fuery, hoping to get to know you because I think you are worth my time. Because I want to get to know you and that's not something you can decide for me. I am the only one who gets to decide what I do with my kindness, and right now I would like to give it to you.

Eversti made it very clear to me, when I said that I did not deserve the people of the Comodeen, than I cannot make that choice for them and doing so is selfish of me. I could give you a list of reasons a mile long why they shouldn't waste their time on me, and why they shouldn't care but that is not my choice to make for them. I cannot take that choice away from them. It's not mine to have."

"Eversti and Miss Riza would disagree with what you've said. That you are not worth getting to know. They both called you their family and I think that bears taking the time to think about. In my culture, there was no such thing as one Misterican better than another. The King or the shopkeeper it didn't matter - we were all the same. We all just held a different place in making our society work. The Royals only held power because the people allowed it. They could be stripped of it at any time and they all knew it.

There is no such thing as a better or worse person, Herra Fuery. It's all just a matter of perspective. There are plenty of people in Wonderland who would curse my name if you spoke of me just as there are those who would sing praises. I wish to give you my company because I do not wish for you to be alone. You don't need to pretend to be brave, you are not a soldier here. It's okay to be afraid, but I'm not going anywhere."

The third squeeze of his hands is enough to make his fingers almost ache - he is trying to convince himself he's horrible and he's being told in the gentlest of ways that he's not.

Mustang's brought up, and his face tightens in a brief, unreadable expression.

Hypocrisy. He knows it is, for he does not ever judge people as harshly as he does himself and so bringing up the person he's loyal to... well, it's an uncomfortable feeling that doesn't sit quite right. He takes a few seconds to acknowledge that Roy has his reasons and things to offer, that Kain's own are not good enough to justify taking up the space that he does.

He has no grand ambitions. No radiance. No irreplaceable skills. He is nothing in Roy's presence except a piece in his game, and he is convinced that is all he will ever possibly amount to.

And he's almost made peace with that.

There is much less room for him to have errors because there is less room for him to do good. There is plenty of room, however, for being left or replaced or scolded - he does not understand why White Cloud doesn't look down on him as if he were an ant when the other Amestrian he's dealt with is more akin to a phoenix.

"... I... It... He's better than I am," he replies softly. "He's worth getting to know." He places emphasis on 'worth' like he's compared himself heavily over and over again and come up short every time. That's how life has gone for him - compared to the neighbors' kids, compared to his peers, compared to his relatives.

It only makes sense he'd continue the habit internally to force himself to be what he needs to be and not burden others for their help. But White Cloud moves on, so Kain does too.

It's then that he understands - the Misterican is trying to help because of prior unpleasant experiences.

Loneliness. Fear.

Two emotions Kain is no stranger to, ones he wouldn't wish on someone kind like White Cloud.

Maybe it's his turn to share a little, if only to tell White Cloud that he'd be fine if left in here by himself, that he doesn't need to feel bad if he wants to get up and go even if Kain very much wants someone to stay.

"This building isn't scary. There's nothing to run from here. There's no chance of being shelled or shot at or ambushed or any other awful thing. I'm... fine. I'm fine in here, but... but I appreciate it."

[maples-pages]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Edward Elric & Winry Rockbell, Edward Elric & Alphonse Elric, Alphonse Elric & Winry Rockbell Characters: Winry Rockbell, Edward Elric, Pinako Rockbell, Alphonse Elric, Wrath (Fullmetal Alchemist (2003))|Mentioned, children ocs - Character, Liam Rockbell-Elric (Child OC), Sarah Rockbell-Elric (Child OC) Additional Tags: Cross-Reality Dreams, Depression, References to Depression Summary:

Dreams are a solace for Winry. They have been for years. In dreams, she’s not alone; she has Edward, and Al visits, and she and the oldest Elric have a gaggle of blond children. She has her grandmother in her waking moments, sure, but everyone else is gone. Her parents dead, Ed and Al trapped in another dimension likely never to return―all four little more than backs in the distance of her memory.

(Hello!  Long time no see!  This was written as a project piece for @fullmetalnet‘s November event!  I was part of the Amestris faction, and Winry is my favorite character.  I thought I’d take this opportunity to compare and contrast the different outcomes of her story in each anime.  Enjoy!)

[thelandswemadeofpaper]

In the matters of crossover...

Soul Society does not understand diplomacy. They are 'supreme', absolute, greedy control freaks, and 'holders of balance' or that crap. They lack rivals and others group to keep them in line.

Many group/organizations/goverments in other shows/animes/series/movies like the Wizard World (both other coutries and families), Vongola, Amestris or even Konoha and Asoiaf has 'other factions' that aren't enemies. They cannot simply do whatever thay please. Soul Society would never let another Spiritual Faction exist outside their control (even if are peaceful doing nothing bad), they would refuse to be 'allies', would demand the other faction to bow or betray them. If they ever 'ally' with an group of another anime/show, they would demand them to be subordinades to Seireitei, obey everything they say and be killed once their usefulness run out. Arrogant at the point of foolishness.

Many 'crossovers' would end up with Soul Society getting in so much trouble because they refuse to talk to solve problem and follow laws and respect the local rulers and leaders, wrongly believing they have authority and jurisdiction over everything and everyone.

The Moral Myopia also. No loyality, no trust, no partnership, nothing. No one would ever want to help them or ally with them, they would try to 'arrest/execute' someone they think is 'different', Ichigo should have noped out of here fast.

Fix-Its with most fandons has politics and talking involved, Bleach ones are about destroying Seireitei cuz Soul Society are a Butch of Motherfuckers.

See Game of Throne for exemple, you have to be careful with no only your enemies, but your allies and subordinades too. Two of Robb Stark's greatest fuck ups are Rickard Karstark (subordinade Lord) and Freys (allies), the Lannisters too (Selmy, the Faith and Tyrion), also which decisions you make and how they affect the other groups (Ned Stark's execution was a reckless foolish action and even Tywin knows it), its so fucking easy to switch sides, your enemies may be more sensible and willing to listen to ours wishes, don't you think so?

This whole 'we have an common enemy' and 'you will help us or else' would never work on many characters like it did on Ichigo and his friends.

No one is going to obey/ally with you if they get nothing in turn/are treated badly/you attempt to make them subordinades instead of allies or something similar. Their attitude towards the Vizards, Bounts, Humans in general or anyone powerful and outside their control tell us an lot. In an crossover, they would attempt to kidnap, interrogate, steal, experiment and murder innocent people with no reason whatsover or commit fucking genocide against societies they consider threats. They did nothing to deserve loyality, refusing to help those who sacrificed so much for them, declaring they own people traitors out of blue (Rukia, Hitsugaya in Diamond Rebellion, fucking Orihime when she got kidnapped) and threatening Ichigo and his friends's often. (Poor Uryu)

I also kinda love the idea where the Hero (an minor, a fucking kid) that has his whole life planned for him to involve himself in an secret world and fight wars that are not his, to put his friend and family in danger for an butch of ungratefull assholes and there is an crossover where said Hero meets people from another Fandom and when the plot starts, he looks the group that wants him to fight for them (and he knows them for like...an hour) dead in the eyes and is like 'lol, nope fuckers, #notmywar, I have better shit to do'.

Its also easier to deal with them. A centralized power that have charisma of lettuce juice (Rukongai would turn against them if given chance), the 'smallfolk' of Soul Society hate then and the Shinigami didn't even try to make some propaganda (like nobles in medieval era giving the rest of the food from feasts so when a rebellion hist, the people would be more willing to hid/help them). Horizontal leadership is more difficult to deal with, independant factions even more.

So yeah, villains like Konoha or Amestris would be far more diffucult to deal with

[transfem-monarchist-laura-rolla]

the conspiracy theorists of amestris will have some serious trouble figuring out what happened for real on the promised day. like, the official story is there’s a military coup that transforms the country into a liberal democracy, done in the name of the fuhrer (well known fascist and war criminal) who was assassinated by another faction of the military. what the fuck do you think actually happens there if you aren’t going to ‘ancient conspiracy of immortal superhumans trying to eat the entire country’?

[fullmetalnet]

Fullmetalnet presents its third event: for the month of June we will be focusing on favorite LGBT+ headcanons!

This event is open to both those within the network and those outside it! Tag us by June. 30th to have your piece displayed!

The requirements for this event are as follows:

Your creation can be any form of media. Art, writing, edits, gifs, AMVs, etc. and etc. As long as you create it, it is accepted.

Ships can be both canon and noncanon, as long as they are from Fullmetal Alchemist and LGBT+.

Your creation should be tagged with your faction! (#ishval, #amestris, #xing, #xerxes), #fullmetal event 3, and @fullmetalnet in order to count towards future voting for events.

All creations are due June 30th!

No NSFW or ships involving incest, large age gaps, grooming, or adult/child allowed whatsoever.

[silentwalrus1]

“In cases such as these, mercy does not only endanger my son, Honored Princess,” Zhiqi Yao said - primarily to Mei, though not so subtly to Ed and Al with her, because they hadn’t been able to hide that they weren’t exactly thrilled with the results. “It risks everyone who protects him. If we do not make an example of those who attempt such bloody acts - if we do not make the risk greater than the potential reward - our people will know that we do not defend them. (1/2)

They will know that we are happy to throw away their lives and their loyal service for the sake of traitors and criminals.” She’d swept her fancy embroidered sleeves out, gesturing at the masked and hooded guards stationed around the room. “For it is our own beloved retainers who jump in the way of the blade, and take the blows meant for us, protecting us with their very lives. Deng Jun. Cao Lan Fan. Cao Xie. Cao Wei. Deng Zhang Min. (2/3)

Do we not owe them nothing less than the wholest commitment of our hearts, and the fullest extension of our power?” Mei had silently bowed. Ed and Al had bowed with her. They didn’t like it. They understood. (3/3) so i i wanted to choose something from the political discussion for the dvd commentary thing. it was hard not to just copy paste the whole thing in here but this was probably one of my fave parts.

————

AYYY THE YAO CLAN

aka: when Ling took the throne, it wasn’t some 15 year old kid, it was the entire Yao clan. HE isn’t emperor, his whole family is. (Well, okay, he’s emperor, but that’s the whole point - if some teenager gets on the throne WITHOUT very strong close backing, he’s gonna get murdered in the first five minutes by someone who does.) And we canonically know that the Yao clan are huge and powerful and have retainer clans of their own, just as we know that Ling - important enough strategically to have had assassins repeatedly sent after him from the cradle - was allowed to go to Amestris, alone, with only a teenager and an old man as bodyguards. To chase after a fairy tale.

This means whoever heads Yao considered Ling if not disposable then at least an acceptable loss. This means that Yao clan considers themselves in a good enough position that they don’t NEED Ling, their legal claim to the throne, to advance. And that tells me that the Yao clan are not a single politically united entity (which makes sense, if they’re so big) and that there are competing factions within the family. Ling goes looking for something to DEFINITIVELY seal his claim, with minimal resources, meaning that within the Yao he is not the shoo-in successor for the clan, let alone the imperial seat. Ling goes looking for outside leverage, on a VERY slim chance of success, with the bare minimum of support, which tells me, okay, probably at least some of those assassins were coming from inside the house, and he does not have a lot of supporters.

But he has some, and he was taught to fight, and fight well, and Fu and Lan Fan aren’t slouches, and they are VERY loyal to him - generationally loyal, which Ling wouldn’t have gotten on his own. Moreover, once Ling DID present himself as a viable candidate worthy of backing, he managed to take the throne and keep it.

So I was like, aight, given all these factors plus Ling’s dad is the emperor, what’s Ling’s mom like? What does the rest of his family look like? What made Ling look like a not very successful choice for the Yao to put forth as their inheritance candidate? Given all that, I was like okay, Ling’s mom is probably hedging her bets and doesn’t keep all her eggs in one basket, which means she probably has like eight other kids in the wings, including a son very close in age judged to look enough like Ling in certain lighting, along with several strategic husbands to help her juggle her position as the Imperial Consort and mother of the official 12th Prince of Xing. When the Emperor got sick and laid out his conditions for naming a successor, he essentially told everyone: I won’t name a successor, it’ll be an outright power struggle between you all, so you may as well get started. And under those conditions, Ling was NOT considered in the running at all, because he was allowed to fuck off to Amestris to go on a wild goose chase to hunt something everyone thought doesn’t exist, which means his mom probably kissed his forehead and told him good luck and then turned to Ling’s half brother Zhongce like “okay well he’s DEFINITELY gonna die. Looks like you’re up, kid”

But then Ling SUCCEEDS, and that gets him crowned, which means a lot of important powerful people backed him in a hurry. Which probably means Ling’s mom, as Imperial Consort who officially represents the Yao, probably saw their chance and did the political equivalent of HEY EVERYONE LOOK OVER HERE, THE RIGHTFUL KING HAS PULLED THE SWORD FROM THE STONE! Good job honey, well done, don’t hate your brother for keeping the seat warm for you, HUP HUP HUP EVERYBODY LET’S GO GO GO WE HAVE A PALACE TO TAKE

All that to say - the Yao clan knows power, and is familiar with what it takes to maintain your position at the top. And stuff like publicly executing your enemies isn’t just for the hell of it, it’s a deliberate strategy to maintain power in their political landscape. What Zhiqi says is absolutely true: if the Yao don’t demonstrate that they go above and beyond to protect their people, they immediately lose allies and paint a target on the vulnerable in their care, because those people WILL be used as leverage to destabilize them. And Zhiqi ain’t stupid: she can see she needs to placate two powerful allies in Ed and Al, and she knows exactly how to do it, by telling the truth and explicitly making it real by pointing out that people they know and care about (Lan Fan and her family etc) are in danger if the Yao don’t do enough to consolidate their position. That’s what being in charge means: you have final responsibility, for everything. The price of being at the top is having to maintain it, because if you fall, it’s not just gonna be your head on a pike, it’s gonna be everyone who helped you get there.

[john-smith69]

Ranking my favorite characters of each of my favorite animes / mangas

For the record: I don't own any of the following artworks bellow. All the credit go for their own original artists

Top 10: Olivier Mira Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Olivier Mira Armstrong (オリヴィエ・ミラ・アームストロング, Orivie Mira Āmusutorongu), also known as Major General Armstrong is the primary heir to the illustrious Armstrong family, the commanding officer charged with the protection of Amestris' northern border at Fort Briggs and the older sister of Alex Louis Armstrong. Olivier is a severe woman who has a fearsome and commanding presence where she is harsh with her subordinates and peers and coldly merciless to her enemies, the deceptively beautiful woman's schadenfreude has earned her the nickname "Ice Queen" among the Briggs soldiers. Sharp-tongued and highly combative, Olivier is no stranger to furious chastisements and bursts of fiery violence, especially toward those who fail to live up to her high standards and staunch adherence to the "survival of the fittest" philosophy.

Top 9: Mikasa Ackerman (Attack On Titan)

Mikasa Ackerman (ミカサ・アッカーマン Mikasa Akkāman) is the adoptive sister of Eren Yeager and one of the two deuteragonists of the series, along with Armin Arlert.

After her biological parents were murdered by human traffickers, Mikasa was rescued by Eren Yeager and lived with him and his parents, Grisha and Carla, before the fall of Wall Maria. Though she desires only to live a peaceful life, Mikasa entered into the military—where she is considered the best soldier among the 104th Training Corps. She later enlists in the Survey Corps to follow and protect Eren, becoming one of its greatest assets. She is currently serving as an officer (上官 Jōkan) in the Corps. Mikasa cares deeply for her friends and caretakers, seeing them as the last remnants of a family she cannot afford to lose. Mikasa also appears to have a soft spot for children, and she has a strong sense of right and wrong, doing everything she can to make her most impulsive friends to follow what she thinks is the right track. Despite that, she knows well that she cannot always sway them in decisions and makes it a point to follow them whenever they go, just so that she can be around to help out when trouble arises.

Top 8: Kamina (Gurren Lagann)

Kamina (カミナ, Kamina) was a young man from Jeeha Village, the founder and first leader of Team Gurren and deuteragonist of the first arc of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. At first glance, Kamina is boisterous, hotheaded and arrogant. He demands recognition and seems hungry for greatness, illustrated in his tendency to call himself "the Mighty Kamina" and his signature catchphrase, "Just who the Hell do you think I am?!" He is an undeterred idealist, often to the point of ignorance; Yoko has described him as "a man of unlimited stupidity." Kamina is also very perverted, declaring that the urge to stare at beautiful women is the definition of a man.

However, Kamina is also extremely determined and never lets anything keep him down for long. Even discovering that his father was dead only made him solemn for a night or two (visibly at least). He is also devoted to defending and supporting his friends and loved ones, fighting with all his strength to protect them. In turn, he is very charismatic in the heat of battle, able to inspire even the timid Simon to accomplish great feats and almost single-handedly set the foundations for Team Dai-Gurren.

Despite his often brazen and practically insane actions, Kamina is fairly insightful, as his bombast and seemingly blind confidence usually mask his true intelligence in planning and combat. He even personally admits that his bravado and fearlessness is mostly a device he uses to hide his own worries and to support others, and that he thinks people like Simon are the real heroes.

Top 7: Sebas Tian (Overlord)

Sebas Tian (セバス・チャン), alas "The Iron Butler", is the head butler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick with several manservants and other butlers under his command. He was created by Touch Me. He is also the leader of the Pleiades Six Stars.

Although he is not one of the Floor Guardians, his power closely rivals theirs. In a way, he is independent of their chain of command. He originally served as Nazarick's last line of defense alongside the Pleiades on the 9th Floor, to give time for the guild, Ainz Ooal Gown, to prepare for their final stand in the Throne Room. Like his creator, Touch Me, Sebas Tian has a great deal of personal justice. Unlike many other denizens in Nazarick, he does not completely despise humans or see them as inferior creatures. Instead, he believes that some humans are good people and it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak. However, humans with an ugly nature disgust him and he will not hesitate to kill anyone who dares to oppose Nazarick. Sebas has a stoic nature, but also tends to question his own actions whether it was right or wrong of him to do them contrary to his master's order. Not sure why he does it, Sebas does believe that Touch Me's will is what encouragingly motivates him to act the way he does and that it conflicts with the will of his current master.

Top 6: Brago (Gash Bell)

Brago (ブラゴ, Burago), alongside his partner and bookkeeper Sherry Belmont, are considered the rivals of the main characters Zatch Bell and Kiyo Takamine, even though the teams fought a relatively small amount of times. Since their first appearance, they were one of the most powerful teams in the series, and have been seen burning more spellbooks than any other one. Brago is very quiet and is rarely seen socializing with other mamodos, he is often described as being "strong and cool". He is often seen crossing his arms or sticking them in his pockets. Not much is revealed about his life or personality, other than he resents weakness and especially requiring a human's help to win the demon kingship. However, despite often complaining that Sherry is too weak to help him, he thanks her for all that she has done for him in the final battle. He is extremely strong, often defeating other mamodo teams without even requiring the use of spells; because of his strength, which was gained from undergoing special elite training, many mamodo have come to fear him as one of the strongest. Brago's specialty is Gravity Magic.

Top 5: Guts (Berserk)

Guts (ガッツ Gattsu) , renowned as the "Black Swordsman", is a former mercenary and branded wanderer who travels the world in a constant internal struggle between pursuing his own ends and protecting those dear to him.

At one time driven solely by his will to survive, Guts finds purpose in life upon joining the Band of the Falcon, greatly helping in the faction's storied successes during the Hundred-Year War as captain of the band's raiders. He eventually becomes dissatisfied with clinging on to Griffith's dream, and departs from the band in pursuit of his own. Following the horrors of the Eclipse prompted by Griffith, Guts embarks on a two-year war against the God Hand and apostles, becoming increasingly embittered on his one-track quest for retribution. He in time realizes protecting his regressed lover is more important to him, as well as something he cannot do alone, and thus seemingly abandons his quest for revenge while fostering camaraderie with his new companions. Known for his air of austerity, Guts is a gruff, cynical man holding an overall bleak outlook on life. This is a consequence of enduring waves of suffering and numerous betrayals since his youth, with nearly all highlights of his life having, in time, become lows. In spite of his guarded, brooding exterior, he shows a more easygoing, compassionate side around the people he trusts, appearing markedly less unsociable and distant, though still retaining his dry candidness. Even as his inner darkness festers deep within him and its temptation becomes increasingly harder to resist, he retains his empathy and compassion, refusing to completely discard his humanity.

Top 4: Akemi Homura (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Homura Akemi (暁美 ほむら Akemi Homura) is one of the main characters in the Puella Magi Madoka Magica series. Ever since her arrival at Mitakihara Middle School, Homura is immediately depicted as being very intelligent, athletic, distant, and cold. It is revealed in episode four that she is only like this because she has seen so much suffering during her tenure as a magical girl. Because of this, she does not want Madoka Kaname to become a magical girl and tries to do anything in order to stop her from making a wish with Kyubey, going as far as to attempt to injure and even kill the cat-like creature. Despite her cold attitude towards others, she still very much cares for Madoka, as it is her sole objective to protect her due to the countless amount of blood, sweat, and tears she has shed over her jumps in time. Despite being regarded as emotionless by Sayaka Miki, Homura is far from it. Although she does not easily show signs of remorse, sadness, or pity, it is only because she had grown used to the suffering around her, and must put up a strong front to continue fighting for her goal. Homura herself has stated that she always feels badly with each life she's unable to save or alter, but nevertheless, it does not slow her down from staying true to her main objective in saving Madoka Kaname.

Top 3: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (Bleach)

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (グリムジョー・ジャガージャック, Gurimujō Jagājakku) is an Arrancar and was the Sexta (6th) Espada in Sōsuke Aizen's affiliated army. While appearing to be a laid-back individual, Grimmjow possesses a brutal, impulsive, and excessively violent personality alongside a lethally short temper. However, despite his aggression and obvious blood lust in battle, Grimmjow possesses a feral cunning and has a knack for quickly exploiting any opening his opponent reveals. In addition, he is blunt, sarcastic and quite sadistic, revealing a psychotic grin or laughing maniacally whenever he becomes excited. He is also very rude and quite disrespectful. Grimmjow uses none of the honorifics in the Japanese language, except when addressing Aizen (though he is quick to discard the formality when Aizen is not around), and refers to Orihime Inoue as woman in conversation. Grimmjow displays little respect for authority and says whatever is on his mind, regardless of whether or not it is appropriate. However, he does have some form of a code of honor, as he is unwilling to fight an injured Ichigo, bringing Orihime to heal him beforehand so that their battle will be a fair one, though he also wants to defeat Ichigo when he is at full strength.He also saves Orihime from Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia, who were beating her up, to repay the debt of restoring his arm, though he immediately demands another favor afterwards.

Top 2: Kujo Jotaro (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Jotaro Kujo (空条 承太郎 , Kūjō Jōtarō) is the protagonist of Part 3 and also appears in Parts 4-6. Jotaro is the third and most recurring JoJo of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series.

Jotaro is a delinquent who lives an ordinary life until the Joestar Family's old enemy, DIO, returns. Jotaro travels to Egypt in order to save his mother and stop the Vampire once and for all.

Wielding the incredibly powerful Star Platinum, Jotaro is the first JoJo introduced with a Stand, and is among the most well-known characters of the series. Jotaro is introduced as a rough delinquent, but he has a gentle heart, and is loyal to those he likes. He is highly perceptive, intelligent and quick-witted while keeping a perpetually cool, slightly neutral or disinterested attitude. Jotaro's most noticeable trait is his seemingly aloof nature. He is a quiet individual, often satisfied with expressing himself in short phrases. While he was shown to be mildly anxious when something unanticipated happens, Jotaro almost never goes as far as to lose his cool.

Top 1: Charlotte Katakuri (One Piece)

Charlotte Katakuri ( シャーロット��カタクリ , Shārotto Katakuri) is the second son and third child of the Charlotte Family and the elder triplet brother of Daifuku and Oven. He is also one of the Three Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates and serves as Totto Land's Minister of Flour (粉大臣, Kona Daijin), governing over Komugi Island.

Due to his actions and role, he is the secondary antagonist in the second half of the Whole Cake Island Arc. Katakuri has a very serious, no-nonsense demeanor, caring greatly about his crew and family's objectives. With his heightened Kenbunshoku Haki allowing him to see a little bit into the future and make smart judgement calls, he is dedicated to efficiently dealing with all possible threats within his vicinity, and is thus among the few Charlotte children that can be seen taking action without instructions from Big Mom herself. Katakuri is a pragmatic individual who puts efficiency above almost everything else, to the point of being considered a perfectionist. He rarely brags about his abilities, instead being rather focused on accomplishing his goals as fast as possible, intercepting and defeating his enemies in a quick, effective manner while prioritizing the elimination of threats he perceives as potentially serious, going as far as taking extra steps to ensure they are stopped in case his mother and siblings fail to do so. He is also capable of extreme brutality as shown when he pondered on how he should maim Luffy with his trident. Though ruthless to opponents, he is extremely caring towards his family and subordinates. Katakuri is also a honorable man who dislikes other people interfering with his fights. Though he considers Luffy his enemy and desires to eliminate him personally before he can become a threat, he wishes to defeat him fairly. After discovering that Flampe was the one attacking Luffy and lowering his performance in the fight, Katakuri injured himself in the same spot he injured Luffy to compensate and angrily shouted at Flampe for interfering in his fight.

[wheremytwinwatches]

[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 30

Last time: May Chang ducked just in time, Doc lost patience with his patients, and Ed decided to go for a double-major. Onwards!

Roy? Faded-out colors? Wait, are we getting a flashback episode? Come on, we just started progressing the plot again, especially after Beard’s episode-long mental debate. Ok, fine. Some old guy in a sickbed is refusing to teach Roy “Flame Alchemy” (aka the one thing he’s known for so I can tell how this is going to go) because he’s joining the Military. Obviously Roy’s teacher, given the different hair color I’m guessing not related. Student!Roy keeps talking about how Amestris is under threat from all sides, that the military needs Alchemists to protect their homes, but Master refuses to hear it. Even an appeal to Military funds to deal with the rundown house doesn’t work, since Master doesn’t need a grant for “something I’ve already completed.” What was Master researching? Master muses about he’s created “the most powerful alchemy”, and he’s grown complacent since completing it. The guy is definitely a Ravenclaw, saying that Alchemists have to hunt for knowledge all their lives, that he’s “been dead for a long time.” Oooh, and now Master’s coughs are a bit more wet sounding, we know that Roy figures out Flame Alchemy later but it’s not going to be from this- [Student!Roy]: “Are you all right?! Master Hawkeye!” [Master Hawkeye]: “Look after… my daughter. She’s in possession of… my research…look after...” Whoa, Master is Riza’s father? Was Riza’s father? Ok scratch my earlier complaining, I am totally down for an episode on how Roy and Riza met! Episode 30 - “The Ishvalan War of Extermination “ ...of course. I get all excited about seeing how my #2 ship first met, and of course it takes place during a friggin genocide. Thank Leto, their first meeting wasn’t in the middle of the ‘Civil War’. I guess they met up when Roy studied under Master Hawkeye, they seem familiar enough as they stand in the graveyard at her father’s headstone. Uh, Roy? I may not have much experience flirting or dating, but I’m pretty sure giving a girl your number literally over her father’s dead body is a slight faux pas. Beyond that, we get Roy giving his idealistic “I wanna make a difference in this country” speech, Riza saying she thinks it’s good to care. And with that, she trusts him with her father’s research. Back to modern day it seems! Gratuitous shot of Riza in the shower good LETO what is that on your back? Ok hold up, Riza’s always been one of the few in their merry band who doesn’t use Alchemy, faces down foes who can generate and manipulate matter with only her pistols or maybe a rifle. But that giant tattoo on her back (scars aside) just screams Alchemy, with something like that I’d expect her to be throwing lightning around with the best of them. What’s the story here? Barking dog? Oh yeah, Riza was walking a dog back when Barry made the poor decision to attack her. And Ed continues his streak of losing horribly to canines, he’s stopped by to catch up with Riza after everything’s that happened. Oh, and to return the gun! Riza’s cleaning it as Ed says he never had to use it. Or rather, he could never use it. Face to faces with Envy, he- Never mind, he’s talking about the time he dropped the gun facing Scar, and then stopped Winry from shooting him. Yikes, keep talking down about Riza’s method of combat as “something evil”, I’m sure she’ll take that well. (And hoo boy, this is gonna be an interesting episode if we go into the ethics of firearms, isn’t it?) Riza says he’s just dwelling because he made it back alive, he just needs to focus on living, to help Winry. [Riza]: “How else can you protect her? I mean after all, you love her, don’t you?” [Ed]: *spit take on the dog, frantic denials* Ha! But back to serious business, Riza’s saying that she’s killed too many to feel sorry for herself, that she chose this path. Yikes. Need to remember that although I don’t think we’ve seen Riza kill anyone on screen so far, she was involved in Ishval like all the other State Alchemists. Just like in another reality, Hawkeye can be a good friend, but they’re still a trained killer. Speaking of Ishval, Scar’s questioning Doctor Marcoh about his involvement in the genocide! Then we’re back to Riza, talking about the Ishvalan homeland and people. A place of sand and rocks, with a resolute people. A faction protested their annexation by Amestris (so was there a war of conquest before this, or did Amestris just roll in one day and say “You lot pay us taxes now”?), a random soldier/Envy shot a kid, the torches and pitchforks were taken out, and civil war raged for seven years. Huh, that long? With how calm and peaceful the Ishvalans seemed in past flashbacks and the sudden shock of cannons firing on Scar’s town, I thought this was a much quicker affair. Then, the Fuhrer signed a little piece of paper called “Executive Order 3066”.

Obligatory comparison is obligatory. So the Ishvalan War of Extermination began, and we get the now-familiar clips of cannons firing and blue-eyed soldiers marching in, with flashes of State Alchemists doing their thing. And- oh, Leto. By this point Riza had joined the military. As a sniper. That’s… that scene of seeing the Ishvalan through the scope… her eyes... [Riza]: “Most combat is blind. A normal soldier might fire erratically without a clear target in mind. But it��s different for snipers. Someone is sure to die when we pull the trigger. Where other soldiers don’t always have a direct line of sight on the effects of their actions… snipers do.” And then we’re back to the State Alchemists, who share a sniper’s viewpoint. Some pompous guy who I dimly remember getting HoD’d by Scar. Roy snapping his fingers. A familiar metal glove slamming down and Earthbending up a wall to block fleeing Ishvalans. And young Armstrong kneeling behind that wall, trembling as he listens to the Ishvalans being gunned down on the other side. ...why did I agree to see this show? We’re in the Amestris camp now, a guy who I’m pretty sure is Mr. Monopoly is ranting about “the savages” taking his leg, when Hughes (guuuuuuuuuh) spots Roy walking through the white cloaks. He turns around to show the same eyes as Riza. And as Hughes chats with Roy cleaning up, the Flame Alchemist points out those same eyes behind those shiny glasses. A letter? Aw, Hughes got a letter from Gracia, after the initial glee attack he starts worrying that being all alone in Central some creep’s going to hit on her. Awwwww. Wait, no. No! [Roy]: “Hey, Hughes? I got a little advice for you. It happens in movies in novels all of the time; the soldiers who never shut up about their girls back home? *finger gun* They don’t make it.” HOW DARE As heartbreaking as future events will be, it is good to see Hughes happy, having something to look forward to tomorrow. And then the mood goes RIGHT BACK DOWN as Riza shuffles up and greets Major Mustang, asking if he remembers her. Leto, this is the first time they’ve met since her father’s grave?! “Damn this war” indeed! Two mid-ep pictures of gratuitous-Riza with her tattoo? Although in the first one there’s no scarring… The three are sitting in camp now, wondering why they’re being ordered to kill citizens rather than protect them. [?]: “Because that’s the job we State Alchemists have been given to do!” Wait. Wait wait wait. I don’t have subtitles anymore, but that face… Mister Smiley? Oh wow. Mister Smiley is an ass. Guy’s happily saying that their job seems to be causing tragedy, and then slams Riza by asking if she feels satisfaction and pride when she shoots an enemy. Yeah, Asshole. Get this guy in the show proper so I can see his ass getting kicked, writers. Roy confronts Kimblee, who insults him for putting on a uniform and then being “surprised’ when he has to kill and arguing that the only thing worse than killing is turning your eyes away blah blah blah just SHUT UP you ass. This whole situation is messed up beyond anything our characters know at this point, but by no means can you sit there and say that it’s right. But it’s time to get back to “work”. Kimblee saunters off with a smile, and Hughes has to go as well. While explaining to Roy that his reason to fight is simple; he doesn’t want to die. Back to Marcoh, overseeing some Ishvalans getting ritually sacrificed to make a Stone. And to be completely honest… I’m a bit underwhelmed at the size of the sacrifice. Maybe it’s just how Leto-damn dark this show is, but with all the talk about the Ishvalan War being a cover to make Philosopher’s Stones I was expecting to see a heck of a lot more people dying to make the MacGuffin of the series. Or maybe…? This Stone was given to Mister Smiley, who Scar recognizes as the one who killed his family. We see the Crimson Alchemist laughing madly as he turns the battle around with that single stone, ranting about the “beautiful sound” of destruction. Again, get this ass into the show proper so he can suffer. Teatime with Riza again, now talking about how the Ishvalan High Priest surrendered personally to the Fuhrer- who mocks him for his ‘arrogance’ at offering his life as an equal exchange for every other Ishvalan’s, and when the guy’s flunkies declare God will punish him Bradley taunts them about how God hasn’t struck him down yet, how if they want to see him struck down for all his atrocities (his word, not mine, the guy literally calls his own actions ‘atrocities’) that they should use their own hands. Easy for you to say, buddy. You’re not the one with their hands tied behind their back. So the war ends, Roy gives his “I’ll protect my loved ones so they can protect their loved ones” speech now set to much more menacing music than last time, and after he has a staredown with the Fuhrer he’s sitting in his office when Riza walks in. Wait, “decided to take this path after all”? I would have thought that her serving as a sniper meant she was already in the military, how does that work? Or maybe it’s that she’s still continuing in the military even after what she’s seen in Ishval. [Riza]: “If the world truly operates based on the principles of Equivalent Exchange-” EEC: 11 “-then we soldiers have plenty to give back.” And with that, Roy assigns Riza to be his assistant, to watch his back. Aww, the couple’s finally- [Roy]: “Although, I expect you understand what this means. You’ll be able to shoot me in the back as well. If I ever deviate from this path, then I want you to shoot me. And I’m trusting you to do so. Do you accept my offer?” [Riza]: “Of course I do, sir. I’ll follow you into hell if you ask me to.” ...well ok then. I guess that’s one way to ask someone on a date. Back to tea time, Ed’s asking how things can be fixed even if Roy becomes the Fuhrer. That’s right, he’s grown up in Bradley’s military state, hasn’t he? Riza talks about restoring democratic principles, bringing back Parliament, charging the ‘heroes’ of the Ishvalan War as war criminals- wait, what?! Wow. Ok then. So even if our good guys beat the Goths, uncover the corruption of the Military and restore power to the people, they set themselves up to take the fall. That’s… wow. Ed protests that it wasn’t their fault, that the Goths were pulling the strings, but Riza just says that regardless of who started it they still carried out the orders. No hiding behind the chain of command, here. Ouch, Riza. You’ve carried around Mister Smiley’s words all this time, about never forgetting those you kill? I mean it’s great that you turned around that monster’s meaning, but still. What a way to live. Al’s saying bye to the Doc when May stops him, to thank him for saving her and her panda. She’s surprised to learn he’s an Elric, gripes that he probably looks like his mean older brother- Al, no. Al, NO! YOU KNOW NOT WHAT YOU HAVE UNLEASHED! Well ok then. That was a Leto-depressing episode for the most part, we got introduced to a character that I can’t wait to meet a painful demise, there’s an intriguing mystery of Riza’s tattoos and scars, and then we ended on Al making the second-biggest mistake of his life. Can’t wait to see how that turns out. After credits scene: Envy’s knocking on a door, asks if the Doc’s decent. Notes that it’s dark and quiet when he brings in food- and yup, Scar got his Vengeance on the one who empowered his family’s murderer. One down...

[fullmetal-scar-simping]

feasting on all the fantastic au/oc discussion that happens to share several commonalities with my own Scar As A Major Protagonist AU (that i swear im working on very slowly. i just have the curse of perfectionism and i keep going back and reworking things when i should be WRITING,) and its making me want to share my ideas too....

the general starting premise is that instead of getting abducted by bradley, greed manages to escape the raid on the devils nest with bido, and then via a series of dominos the two of them wind up teaming up with mei and then scar shortly thereafter

the entire idea kind of spun out of thinking about how scar would react to actually getting to know a human chimera. his pity for nina– similar to how he seems to view al– is such a goldmine for character exploration to me, because hes gotta be projecting right

like despite the obvious differences in their respective situations, from scars pov he might as well be just as inhuman as nina is, except HE isnt Allowed to die yet because he has a Duty to fulfill. which is both the last thread of self preservation hes grasping at and also a thing he hates himself for doing. its this big tangled up knot of religious guilt and survivors guilt and internalized ableism and the fact that he cant blame his brother for saving him so instead he makes a monster out of himself. and i think if he had the chance to come to terms with a chimera as still being human in all the ways that matter, and talking about those complicated body-humanity-autonomy feelings with someone who gets it on some level, maybe it could help him start to rebuild his sense of personhood

and. just generally. i think if he had more people to hang out with on the regular than Snitchy McLandlord, Self-Flagellant Genocide Collaborator, and One Literal Child. He might maybe perhaps have had better self esteem by the time the moral-superiority-in-incrementalism lecture hall power hour rolled around.

i too am killing kimblee early. scar unfortunately doesnt get to him, but he does get shot, impaled, and finally fall down a big hole and die, which i think is almost as good

scar DOES get to kill envy though. because roy "im mad you killed this one guy i liked. genocide what genocide" mustang doing it was just not as deep a plot point as people think it was. the fight with wrath was good, but i think itd be interesting to end his vengeance quest more somberly- not facing an equally-matched opponent, but putting down a pathetic, weak, spiteful thing that refuses to grow or change

uhhh what else. oh right. mei also takes the throne here, since ling never gets the stone (despite his continued efforts. his character arc is shaped like that of a pendulum. im making him worse) and i think with her at the helm, amestris would have way less leverage in any post-canon negotiations with ishval

Sure of course your super huge and powerful neighbor will help reestablish the cross-desert railroad and enrich your failing economy..... IF and ONLY IF you adhere to ALL the stipulations put forth by the ishvalan leadership council ^_^ the gun im holding? dont worry about it

im giving him so many cats when everythings said and done, however to his consternation hes doomed to wind up a beloved pillar of the community instead of just some guy who gets to hang out with cats. theres a renewed independence movement to organize & also a burgeoning faction of people who argue that because scar uses alchemy and hes cool, maybe god is cool with alchemy some of the time, like as long as youre responsible, to which scar is at the forefront of every debate desperately telling them I Am An Outlier Adn Should Not Have Been Counted

Hell yeah, more AU goodness! 🤩 Trust me, not only do I understand your pain in being caught in a perfectionism loop, but you'll get no judgment from me about taking your time with it too.

Super ecstatic that you decided to share what you've got cooking, so let's go:

Starting off with Greed and Bido is very on brand 😌 Glad he escapes getting liquified and drunken by his core self. I assume that some other members of the Devil's Nest crew survive as well? Or are they all slaughtered, same as in canon? If it's just the two of them left, then man, that's gonna hurt (and the angst~). Maybe we get a revelation that some survived later on?

I dig that Bido and Greed bump into Mei first. I wonder how fresh her arrival in Amestris must be before bumbling into an entire wayward homunculus and human-chimera. Meeting Scar after that would seem so normal in comparison lol

Oh- Oh! Omg wait, that's a fantastic angle to explore. That really taps into his self-hatred in such a unique way that I never thought about before! Alchemy is already a heresy for him that which he cannot separate from himself due to his brother's arm being the sacrifice that saved his life. Yet why wouldn't he see the sanctity of his own body as having been marred by this grave taboo to the point that he hardly sees it as truly human? If he can use this tainted gift to exact vengeance against everyone who tore Ishval to shreds, than even his unholy, "desecrated" body can be put to use. But the way this lashes out against both himself and others who don't want to die simply because someone/the state forcibly transmuted them with other living beings- damn, that's juicy

No seriously, this fuckin' rules! Using the chimera angle to really crack open the darkest pit inside of him, and how Scar's one vestige of purpose is what keeps him from succumbing to his self-flagellating dehumanization. I love that you're looking at this via survivor's guilt, the conundrums of his piety, and even the ableism imbedded in the assumptions on what constitutes a "worthy" body.

On the latter point: I'm curious to see if I understand the every facet of the ableism angle. Is it that chimerification can be seen as a disability brought on by alchemical experimentation (which I can definitely see) in contrast to Scar seeing it as an irrevocable perversion and assault on the human form, thus (in his mind) dooming the victim to be fully inhuman and in need of euthanization? Because again, I can see this as a loaded assumption on a "proper human body" vs a "destroyed, unworthy body", but I feel like I could be missing other potential readings here 🤔 It feels like it's that plus more. Hmmm

Yes, Bido (and maybe some other chimeras?) gets to help Scar navigate the messy bodily-autonomy-humanity Gordian Knot. Surely that has to unravel slowly (it's less Gordian than it may seem lol), since I imagine Scar's initial reaction to Bido must be a... heightened, perhaps pejorative one. To me I would imagine it to be quite dehumanizing (if not outright threatening) towards the poor lizard chimera man. :( Not that Greed would let anything happen to him, but then again Greed revealing himself to be a homunculus would also have to throw Scar for a loop too. We all know Greed can't shut his yap about being one, if he thinks he'll get a rise from someone who can even grasp what that is. Shame he maybe doesn't have Roa around to sledgehammer his entire cranium to smithereens. Unless? (Either that or I imagine that, given potential misgivings, Scar attempts to disintegrate Greed's head and gets the revelation of his homunculus nature right there and then.)

Wait, now I'm just recalling how cold Scar had been upon first meeting Mei when she was chilling with Yoki in canon. (I don't blame him, I'd also ask that bumbling mustachioed twat why the hell there's a random kid hiding out with them.) But now this tween shows up with a homunculus AND a chimera? Dude must have wanted to walk into the ocean lol

LMFAOOOOO STOPPP the way you described the canon party Scar had to travel with 😭😭😭 And the fucking "moral-superiority-in-incrementalism lecture hall power hour" PLEASE

Though tbh yeah, he needed some other folks to bounce off of who weren't former state actors, and, much as Mei is an absolute treasure, some adult company who also don't see him as a monster or a threat (to the extent Yoki and Marcoh do) would be very good for him. This is assuming that he and Bido are on solid terms sooner rather than later, but if Scar still struggles with being around chimeras for some time than maybe it would only be Greed who doesn't shrink in Scar's presence (besides the best kid ever, Mei, who never feared or distrusted him 😌).

Oh man, Mei might not realize that she's become travel buddies with a walking philosopher's stone. :0 Or does she immediately grasp that homunculi hold a stone within their bodies?

A standing ovation is needed for the death you're serving that pompous fascist Kimblee, and then an encore for good measure too. Stupendous, magnificent, and fully deserved. 10/10 The big hole at the end really cements his fate as comedic poetry, really. Scar may not get that personal catharsis, but he should get a front row seat to enjoy the carnage all the same. (Not suggesting that Scar has to be in the scene, just imagining him getting a theatre all to himself with the murder playing on loop while he snacks on some popcorn.)

Scar killing Envy is an intriguing change. Fully agreed that Mustang setting Envy ablaze wasn't that deep, and frankly a pretty lousy scene too. And yeah, Scar getting to fight and kill Wrath in canon was surprisingly good, but given Envy's hand in exploiting the tension of the occupied Ishvalans to jumpstart their genocide, it feels far more relevant to have Scar put them down than fucking Mustang. Envy's writhing pathetic self contrasted to Scar's typically quiet, self-contained demeanour- of course this is coming off of the canon again. However that fight or scene shakes out in your AU may or may not have Scar in that same emotional state.

Ling being denied the stone and what that does to his character isn't explored enough (bless these AUs). "im making him worse" ough that's enticing. Does Ling spiral? Does the worst in him begin to claw through the surface as he more desperately vies for whatever stone is in reach? His position as a moral paragon crumbling as he flails for the seat of power he desires, with his greed looking less and less admirable would be *chef's kiss*

Which makes me realize that the stone that propels Mei into the head of the Xingese empire wouldn't be Greed's stone, right? Perhaps it's Envy's?

But yesssss, Mei leveraging her new power to force Amestris to adhere to the Ishvalan council's demands! No need to worry about the gun, since it's symbolic of the sheer economic devastation that would sweep Amestris if they refuse Ishval whatsoever. :3c

The last bullet point-!!!

Scar gets to have his DOZENS of cats, and and he gets to be LOVED and RESPECTED, he's a- *sniffs* he's a PILLAR of his COMMUNITY- *breaks down into a sobbing fit*

But yes! The Ishvalan Independence Movement is underway and it needs him! He wouldn't let his people down at such an integral point in Ishval's history and future. And I'm goin nuts over the fact that some people are beginning to see alchemy with some renewed nuance, much to the chagrin of Scar, as he sits central to this shift in perspective. Despite what he's seen of Ishvalan alchemy and Xingese alkehestry (fuck Amestrian alchemy, no I don't care that all alchemic practices stem from Hohenheim and Xerxes stfu it's cultural drift goddammit) Scar still being adamant in the teachings he's followed all his life is very in-character. But I can see that slowly eroding and making way for some greater peace with his own brandishing of alchemy alongside his greater acceptance of his body and where his soul sits in Ishvala's eyes. 🥹 And all the cats. All the damn cats he could ever nurture and cuddle!

Ugh I love this AU too! I know you wanted to give me the Scar-centric details, but I'm big time curious about Greed and Bido's side of things. Where this journey takes them, what they have to contend with and what they lose and gain in the process, and what becomes of them. Does Greed get to live on even with the decimation of Father and the other homunculi? Do they rebuild the Devil's Nest? Can Bido live comfortably and openly as a chimera the way the four chimera-men do, or is he destined to continue living in society's underbelly due to not having been 'designed' (so to speak) to shift between a fully human morphology and his animal-infused morphology?

Many many apologies for the time it took to reply. U_U I loved going over the details you've layed out and I can't wait to one day read it 👀 The day this fic starts getting posted I'll be there!

[paragonrobits]

ishvalan elric AU; what if Roy and others went revolutionary or something

for my Ishvalan Elrics AU, one idea I had is that since it would be an incredibly stupid idea for Ed to go anywhere near the military, the likes of Roy, Riza and Armstrong logically shouldn’t be major players, save as antagonists. while canonically they don’t pose any threat to the Ishvalan people at this point, Ed and Al don’t know that, and it would be incredibly BAD to risk that. so, 2 options. one, keep them in the background as ominous threats and reminders of the cruelty of humanity, only to gradually hint at their own attempts to fix the nation and then the big conspriracy at the core of Amestris (not that Ed sees it as an out for their culpability)

or! instead of attempting to be internal reformists, the military characters from canon have actually gone rogue and defected, either simply leaving the military for other lives, or have joined various revolutionary factions, except not... y’know, doing things like taking hostages or working with the Freezing Alchemist. Dude’s a dick-waffle.

the most obvious candidate for this is Armstrong; he is suffering enough as is in the military, too kind for it, so it’s honestly surprising he HADN’T done this yet. Here he left shortly after being discharged in Ishval, and has decided to protect the people more directly by challenging the corrupt military; with his family connections, he is a vital clue towards the past of Amestris. possibly lives with Ishvalan refugees, daily laboring to serve their community and do what he feels he should have done to begin with.

Mustang is probably a big revolutionary leader, a part of a larger scheme to do a coup from the get-go. his plan to put himself on trial for war crimes is still his big end goal, and he doesn’t much hide it here. Hawkeye is with him as well, and is more comfortable like this, even if she believes they are doomed against the Amestrian military machine. Hughes remains with the military, as an inside man and internal reformist, and to stay with his family. He still discovers the truth, and his death still mirrors the discoveries of scar’s brother.

Olivier Armstrong is probably still general of the north, and is somewhat aware of the corruption in Central. she was already planning on eventually killing Bradley and taking over on the basis of what the FUCK, MAN but is biding her time. She also doesn’t much see the point in freeing Amestris from Bradley’s regime if they’re going to immediately be conquered by Drachma right afterwards. allies with mustang, in a way mirroring canon.

Kimblee may be an active antagonist from an earlier point, serving as the face of the Amestrian military.

[xcziel]

Multi-Fandom Slash Fic Recs: Long reads for your quarantine needs

Was gonna add my own 2 cents for each rec, but it got long and I'll never post if I have to think about it anymore - may edit to add more commentary. Suffice it to say, these are all great long reads, not much angst, some smutty some not, highly improbable levels of things-working-out because it's fanfic and that's what it's for. Feel free to troll through my AO3 Bookmarks as well.

The One Where They're Stars on HGTV Series

earlgreytea68

Inception: Arthur/Eames

AU, 466,359 words 9 works Complete

Summary:

"Have you ever seen "Love It or List It"? In which Arthur is the real estate agent and Eames is the designer.

Eames is certain that they will excel at being celebrity judges.

Arthur is not so sure.

But then, that's usually how their relationship goes."

My 2 cents: Just what it says on the tin: Arthur and Eames are HGTV stars of a show which pits straightlaced realtor Arthur against flamboyant designer Eames, but the new show they're embarking on will give them a chance to work together. Arthur has his reservations - not least among them the surprise arrival of Eames' superficially charming ex. Eames, of course, has all the confidence in the world. Featuring fun design challenges, mildly insecure Athur, fluffy confidant Ariadne, reality show 'backstage' melodrama, Arthur becomes a meme, Eames fantastical decorating schemes, a Matt Bomer lookalike complete with fedora (trilby), and acres of gauzy romantic fluff.

We Begin Again Series

katherynefromphilly

Merlin: Merlin/Arthur

316,197 words 4 works

Summary:

"For many long years Merlin waited.

For the other part of his soul, for the other half of his life. He was born to serve Arthur. So that meant he was also born to wait. Even if it took a thousand years. Even if the wait seemed never to end.

Until one day, suddenly, it did.

When Arthur stumbles from the Lake of Avalon 1,500 years after his death, he finds a world unlike the one he knew. Faced with the loss of everyone he loved, and the threat of impending prophecy, Arthur must learn what it means to be not just a king, but the Once and Future King. Merlin does all he can to guide him, even as he struggles to hide his love for his king, and his fear of losing him again.

Story includes sass, banter, horseplay, & True Love."

Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail Series

owlet

MCU: Steve/Bucky

264,438 words 8 works

Summary:

"The mission resets abruptly, from objective: kill to objective: protect

Integration into adult human social dynamics requires attention and effort. Especially with this bunch of damaged bozos.

(A series of interconnected one-shots.)"

2 cents: Post-Winter Soldier Bucky works his own way through. Recovery fic from Bucky's POV, not shippy in the beginning (unless you consider MCU-canon-level co-dependency shippy I guess) and with added 'Avengers living in the Tower' flavor

The Sonnet Series

nekosmuse, afrocurl

X-Men: Charles/Erik

AU, 196,721 words 3 works

Summary:

"Erik Lehnsherr is a visiting professor at Columbia University, as well as an acclaimed and award winning poet. Charles Xavier is a lead researcher with the Genetics Department who is well on his way to tenure. But what happens when Charles has to cancel a class because half his students abandon him in favour of a mysterious new English Lit professor? Naturally he ends up sitting in in the class, where Professor Lehnsherr mistakes him for a student. It's really too bad Erik has such a strict policy against dating students. It's also too bad Erik doesn't seem to know how to use Google."

Hollywood 'verse Series

clio_jlh

Star Trek AOS: Kirk/McCoy

80,063 words 7 works

Summary:

"From Variety, June 2008:

Pavel Chekov ("Charlie X") and Gaila ("Bread and Circuses") have joined the cast of small budget drama "That Which Survives," funded by Fleet's indie arm Academy and supervised by Nyota Uhura.

The debut feature from longtime script doctor Leonard McCoy, former show runner on sitcom "Three to Tango," centers on a college student coping with his father's terminal cancer. Chekov plays the son, Gaila the nurse. The father is yet to be cast.

Also attached are director James T. Kirk and producer Spock, the team behind the blockbuster spy-girl franchise starring Carol Marcus, the latest of which, "A Taste of Armageddon," opened last month.

(A modern-day Hollywood AU.)"

A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold

Etharei

X-Men: Charles/Erik

AU, 114,261 words

Summary:

"Charles, a miner from a poor village in the countryside, saves the life of Erik Lehnsherr, scion of a successful business family and the richest man on the planet Eisen. Charles is a telepath and somewhat anxious about it, while Erik abstains from relationships because the lights flicker and doors open and electronics vibrate when he gets too excited.

Also featuring a long-suffering sister, a foul-mouthed bodyguard, and a best friend with a heart that is definitely not gold.

In which there are princes, spaceships, long journeys, and old secrets uncovered. (An AU sci-fi fairytale)"

Shadowlord and Pirate King Series

Footloose, mushroomtale

Merlin: Merlin/Arthur

AU, 216,060 words 3 works

Summary:

"A fast ship, a good crew, a treasure, a Clan to lead -- that's all Arthur Pendragon has ever wanted. He sits on the Council, he supports his father's kingship, and he keeps an eye on the Imperial Conglomerate when they come too close to Pirate space.

One day the Conglomerate infiltrates the Clans and poisons the King. Arthur must search for a cure to keep his father alive and the Clans from civil war.

An escape route, a sharp knife, a target, the shadows at his command -- that's all Merlin has ever needed. He fulfills his assignments, he uses the Sterling to sustain his once-royal House in their exile, and wages a private war against the Imperial Conglomerate.

When he learns of an elaborate plot to assassinate him, Merlin does the opposite of what's expected. He flees onto a Pirate ship.

There's a saying among the Pirates: that one's fate is written in the stars. Destiny will always set to rights what has been made wrong.

Arthur and Merlin know that they were meant for the other from the moment they meet. They can feel it from across the galaxies separating them. Nothing can stop them from being together or from fulfilling an ancient prophecy."

Children, Wake Up Series

hollycomb

Star Wars sequels: Kylo Ren/Armitage Hux

non-canon after Force Awakens, 608,083 words 3 works

Warning for torture and past sexual assault (offscreen)

Summary:

"Hux follows orders and loses his way.

Barricaded in the darkness of Snoke's citadel as part of his final training, Kylo Ren senses a disturbance in the Force: General Hux in great pain, captured and tortured by a faction of radical traitors within the First Order. Ren seeks Snoke's counsel and finds him gone. He knows this is a test, and that he must resist the urge to assist the General. And yet."

2 cents: I don't even know. I started just to look at it and then somehow I couldn't stop. Two characters I find wholly irredeemable given back story enough to make me suspend disbelief just enough to enjoy the fic - now that's talent. Features background Finn/Rey and Luke/Wedge if you care about that, and generally has everyone written in a positive light except Snoke, including a surprising handful of of First Order refugees. It's weirdly not at all a dark fic, despite the premise and extreme levels of Force Ex Machina.

snipers solve 99% of all problems

silentwalrus

Fullmetal Alchemist: post-canon gen

HP crossover, 170,861 words, 59 chapters so far, WIP

Summary:

"Ed had thought, after the whole Promised Day, homunculus, entire country harvested for alchemical batteries thing, the batshit quotient of his life would have settled down some. He really ought to have topped out the meter with that one. But no. The bullshit is just getting started.

“Are you fucking kidding me,” Ed demands. “The wizards?”"

2 cents: Neither of these are my fandom, but I have read all the HP books, so I could get the gist. While jonesing for an update, I ended up bingeing FMA: Brotherhood and I have no regrets. Ed working alchemy-as-science and trying to translate wizardry into scientific alchemical workarounds is all I never knew I wanted. Team Amestris takes JKR's creation to school, with all the swearing you'd expect sprinkled throughout for ambiénce.

[billreeseblog]

Anime That Made Me Lose all Track of Time

As an anime fan there are binge able series I love to watch, because they are so enjoyable that I lose track of time. Here is a short list of anime that cause this time loss phenomenon.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Edward and Alphonse Elric live in the rural town of Resembool with their mother Trisha, their father Van Hohenheim having left without a reason. Edward bears a grudge against their father as he and Alphonse showed a talent for alchemy before Trisha died of the plague. After finishing their alchemy training under Izumi Curtis, the brothers attempt to bring their mother back with alchemy. But the transmutation backfires and in law with equivalent exchange, Edward loses his left leg while Alphonse is dragged into the Gate of Truth. Edward sacrifices his right arm to retrieve Alphonse's soul, binding it to a suit of armor with a blood seal. Edward is invited by Roy Mustang to become a State Alchemist to research a way to restore Alphonse's body, passing his exams while given the title of Fullmetal Alchemist based on his prosthetic automail limbs and use of metal in his alchemy. The Elrics spent the next three years searching for the mythical Philosopher's Stone to achieve their goals. One such lead results in them exposing a corrupt religious leader in the city of Liore while unaware of events occurring behind the scenes by the mysterious Homunculi.

Following their time with the State Alchemist Shou Tucker, which teaches them a horrific lesson, the Elric brothers have a near-death experience from encountering an Ishbalan serial killer labeled as Scar who targets State Alchemists for his people's genocide in the Ishbalan civil war. After returning to Resembool to have Edward's limbs repaired by their childhood friend and mechanic, Winry Rockbell, the Elrics meet the guilt-ridden former State Alchemist Dr. Marcoh who provides them with clues to learn that a Philosopher's Stone is created from human souls. After the Homunculi hinder them by destroying the hidden laboratory, the brothers are joined by Winry as they attempt to find an alternate means to restore themselves. At the same time, Mustang's friend Maes Hughes continues the Elrics' research and ends up murdered by a disguised homonculus, Envy, when he learns of the Homunculi's plan.

After their defeat at the hands of Scar, the Elric Brothers decide to visit their teacher Izumi Curtis in the city of Dublith, hoping that she might be able to train them in higher forms of alchemy. This backfires when she discovers their failed attempt at Human Transmutation, with Izumi telling the Elrics how she committed human transmutation on her stillborn child. Izumi expels them as her apprentices, though following a determined argument, she allows them to stay with her for extra training. Following this, Alphonse is captured by the rogue homunculus Greed, who in turn is attacked by Amestris' leader King Bradley, revealed to be the homunculus Wrath. When Greed refuses to rejoin his fellow Homunculi, he is consequently melted down by and reabsorbed within the Homunculi's creator, Father.

After running into the Xingese prince Lin Yao, who is also after a Philosopher's Stone to cement his position as heir to his country's throne, the Elrics and Winry return to Central City where they learn of Hughes's death with Lieutenant Maria Ross framed for the murder. Mustang fakes Maria's death and smuggles her out of the country with Lin's help so he can focus on the Homunculi. The events that follow result in the death of the homunculi Lust, revealing that a Philosopher's Stone forms a Homunculus's core along with an upcoming event the Homunculi are working towards. Meanwhile, Scar forms a small band with the Xingese princess May Chang, who also seeks the stone, and a former military officer named Yoki whom the Elrics exposed as a corrupt official.

Following an attempt to capture the homonculi Gluttony using Lin's sensory skills, the Homunculus end up accidentally swallowing Edward, Lin, and Envy into his void-like stomach, with the two humans learning the Homunculi orchestrated Ametris's history over the centuries. Gluttony takes Alphonse to meet Father whilst the others manage to escape from Gluttony's stomach, eventually meeting Father. Father considers killing Lin for not being one of the human sacrifices like the Elrics. Instead, he makes Lin the vessel of a new incarnation of Greed with the Elrics attempting to escape upon seeing Scar. Edward has Envy admit to having caused the Ishbalan civil war, whilst Scar meets Winry and realises the evil nature of his desire for revenge. Soon after, with Winry used against them as a hostage, the Elrics are allowed to continue their quest as long as they no longer oppose Father. Mustang receives a similar threat with his subordinates scattered to the other military branches. At the same time, finding Dr. Marcoh held captive, Scar spirited him out of Central as Scar's group head north.

The Elrics eventually reach Fort Briggs under the command of General Olivier Armstrong, revealing what they know following the discovery of an underground tunnel beneath Briggs made by the Homunculus Sloth. The brothers soon learn from Hughes's research that Father created Amestris to amass a large enough population to create a massive Philosopher's Stone. Forced to work with Solf J. Kimblee, a murderous former State Alchemist and willing ally of the Homunculi in tracking down Scar, the Elrics make their move to save Winry and split up with Kimblee's chimera subordinates joining them. As Edward is joined by Lin/Greed, who regained his former self's memories, Alphonse encounters Hohenheim in Liore. Honenheim reveals he was made an immortal when Father, once simply known as ‘Homunculus’, arranged the fall of Cselkcess four centuries ago to create his body while giving half of the sacrificed souls to Hohenheim. Hohenheim also explains he left his family to try and stop Father from sacrificing the Amestrisan people to create a massive philosopher’s stone, and achieving godhood by absorbing the being beyond the Gate of Truth on the ‘Promised Day’.

The Promised Day arrives, with Father preparing to initiate his plan using an eclipse and his desired ‘human sacrifices’ in order to trigger the transmutation. The protagonists, having assembled days prior, orchestrate an all-out attack on Central with Sloth, Envy, and Wrath killed in the process while Gluttony was devoured by Pride. Despite the opposition, Father manages to activate the nationwide transmutation once the Elrics, Izumi, Hohenheim are gathered along with Mustang after being forced by Pride to perform Human Transmutation. Hohenheim and Scar activate the countermeasures put in place by Hohenheim to save the Amestrians, causing Father to become unstable from housing the absorbed superior being within him without the souls needed to subdue it. Father is confronted above ground where the protagonists battle him to wear down his Philosopher's Stone while he attempts to replenish himself, Edward managing to defeat the gravely weakened Pride before joining the fray.

Alphonse, whose armor is all but destroyed, sacrifices his soul to restore Edward's right arm while Greed leaves Lin's body and sacrifices himself to weaken Father's body enough for Edward to destroy Father's Philosopher's Stone. This causes Father to implode out of reality while dragged into the Gate of Truth from which he was created. Edward sacrifices his ability to perform alchemy to retrieve a fully restored Alphonse, Lin receiving a Philosopher's Stone while promising May to be a just ruler. Hohenheim takes his leave and visits Trisha's grave where he dies with a smile on his face. The Elrics return home months later, still motivated by those they failed to save in learning new forms of alchemy to prevent repeated tragedies. This leads to the Elrics leaving Amestris two years later to study other cultures and their knowledge, with Alphonse leaving for Xing in the east while Edward heads westward. The epilogue finishes with a family photo of Alphonse, May, Edward, Winry, and the couple's son and daughter. -- Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullmetal_Alchemist) 

Fullmetal Alchemist has such a well developed adventure story that it sucked me in the first volume, and left me wanting more. Brotherhood follows the manga of the same name and much like the manga has ability to suck me into the plot with each episode. Embarrassing enough to say, but whole days have been lost to the tale of the brothers Elrick, and their quest to defeat the homunculi and get their bodies back as Ed and Winry fall in love.

Nura Rise of the Yokai Clan

Rikuo Nura is 3/4 human and 1/4 yōkai, in which he has a human form in the day but transforms into his yōkai form at night. He lives in a house full of yōkai along with his yōkai grandfather. Trying to escape his fate, he does good deeds in order to avoid becoming a yōkai, despite his grandfather's wish that Rikuo succeed him as the Third Head of the Nura Clan. Rikuo is different because he helps humans. He eventually comes to terms with his yōkai blood and decides to take up the position of the Third Head of the Nura Clan. Multiple factions aim to stop him or usurp his position, and he must gather friends and allies, a new Hyakki Yakō under his banner of "Fear".

Gyuki's Test Arc

The Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol travels to Mt. Nejireme at the invitation of a supposed yōkai specialist. However, the invitation turns out to have been a trap by the head of the Gyuki Clan. Separated, the members of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol must deal with yōkai of the Gyuki Clan and Rikuo ultimately faces Gyuki himself. Rikuo learns that Gyuki set up the trap because he didn't want the Nura Clan, which he greatly cherishes, to suffer under the influence of a weak leader. The two clash and Gyuki is overwhelmed by Rikuo's night form. Afterward, Rikuo decides to take up the mantle of Nurarihyon and officially become the next Nura Clan head.

Shikoku Arc

When one of the board members of the Nura Clan is attacked and killed, and Nurarihyon subsequently disappears without notice, the Nura Clan is thrown into chaos. Trying to keep them together, Rikuo encounters a rival faction from the Shikoku area who intend to take over the Nura Clan's territory. Their leader, Tamazuki, is ruthless and willing to sacrifice his subordinates to further his own goals. Rikuo and his Hyakki Yakō battle with Tamazuki and his Hachijuuhakki Yakō (consisting of 88 demons, instead of the 100 of a Hyakki Yakō) and emerge victorious. However, Rikuo decides to spare Tamazuki after the battle at the request of his father - who Nurarihyon had gone to visit. Tamazuki is spared under the condition that he build a memorial in honor of the subordinates who died by his hand.

Past Arc

The story of Rikuo's grandparents Nurarihyon and Yohime, the creation of the spirit blade Nenekirimaru and the battle against Hagoromo Gitsune 400 years ago.

Tono Arc

When Haguromo Gitsune resurfaces in Kyoto, Rikuo is determined to fight her and take revenge for his father's death - as well as rescue Yura, who has gone to aid the rest of the Keikain family in protecting Kyoto. However, as he is still too inexperienced and weak, his grandfather asks the head of the yōkai Tono Village to take in and train Rikuo. After an encounter with one of the Kyoto Yokai, Rikuo comes to realize what sort of power the yōkai Nurarihyon possesses and, having grown stronger, leaves along with several Tono Yokai to return to the Nura House and prepare for the assault on Kyoto.

Kyoto Arc

Rikuo, along with the vast majority of the Nura Clan and several yōkai from Tono, invade Kyoto. Nearly all of the onmyoji barriers around the city have been destroyed by Kyoto Yokai, and the Keikain House itself struggles to fight against Hagoromo Gitsune's forces. They ultimately join forces with Rikuo's Hyakki Yakō to replace the fallen barriers and stop Hagoromo Gitsune from giving birth to a new evil.

Hundred Tales Clan Arc

After the battle with Hagoromo Gitsune's forces and the resurrected Abe no Seimei, also known as Nue, Rikuo and the Nura Clan are challenged by the remnants of the Hundred Tales Clan and its executives. The clan was once led by a human named Sanmoto Gorozaemon who grew in power by spreading stories about yōkai and in turn created them. The group was destroyed by Rihan and the Nura Clan 350 years ago. Now, the clan is encroaching on the Nura Clan's territory and working to revive Sanmoto's main body, which resides in hell.

Gokadoin House Arc

Following the battle with Sanmoto Gorozaemon and his Hundred Tales Clan, it was revealed that the onmyoji sect known as the Gokadoin House is composed of Abe no Seimei's descendants who used Seimei's forbidden research on immortality to prolong their lives. When the Gokadoin house starts mobilizing to "purify" the land of yōkai and humans, Rikuo starts to establish an alliance between the various yokai clans throughout Japan. -- Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nura:_Rise_of_the_Yokai_Clan) 

The story follows Nura as he balances his life between between his human existence and his life as the next head of the Nura Clan, a gathering of Yokai. At the end of every episode I was left wanting more. So when it became available on Hulu it became a depiction of the popular binge watching trope where I watched the whole series day in and day out.

Blue Exorcist

The story revolves around Rin Okumura, who, along with his younger twin Yukio Okumura, was raised by Father Shiro Fujimoto, an Exorcist. One day, Rin learns that he and Yukio are the sons of Satan. Witnessing Shiro dying to protect him, Rin draws the demon-slaying sword Kurikara (倶利伽羅), which restrains his demonic powers. From that moment on, Rin not only gains demonic features like fangs and a tail, but also the power to ignite into blue flames that destroy almost anything he touches.

Rin wishes to become an Exorcist like his guardian to become stronger and to defeat Satan. He enrolls at the prestigious True Cross Academy (正十字学園 Sei Jūji Gakuen), an exorcist cram school, which is actually the Japanese branch of the True Cross Order (正十字騎士團), an international organization dedicated to protect Assiah (human realm) from the Gehenna (demonic realm). Much to his surprise, Rin finds that Yukio is already a veteran Exorcist and is one of his teachers. Thus begins Rin's journey to become an Exorcist, accompanied by his brother and his fellow students who quickly become his close friends. -- Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Exorcist) 

As Rin, a half-demon, as he balances his human and demonic existence and begins to embrace the parts of his being that are his demonic self, using that power to defeat the demons that plague mankind, and his father Lucifer. Each episode felt short and bite sized, and much like Lay’s potato chips you can’t consume just one.

Conclusion

If you are looking to lose yourself, and days of time, enjoying anime these series are my pick as the best anime that will cause you to lose all track of time. They will keep you entertained and wanting more, and even when their stories are over they will leave you wanting more.

[twitchesandstitches]

hmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMM

fullmetal alchemist thoughts:

Father, the first homunculus, as a member of the shadowy conspiracy that are the true Ultimate Villains, but has connections to the Cartels via his homunculi children.

Dante from the 2003 series is his protege and right hand, and serves among the Cartels as a master sorceress and leader of her own mini-faction. She steals bodies of the most powerful and curvaceous,and currently has her eyes set on stealing the body of a Vriska/Sierra fusion for max power. She has so many bodies she switches between that there are literally dozens of them

as per canon, Father has split his emotions into living beings as the core of his immortal homunculi. at some point, the leader of his offspring, Lust, absorbed the rest and has all their powers, and Father has since recreated them. Lust herself has the powers of combat prediction, indestructible armor, shapeshifting, claws that can cut through anything, reacting defense, inhuman strength, and super eating, as well as shadow attack powers, and she is currently serving with Task Force X, having her 2003′s sense of guilt.

FMA characters will follow Brotherhood/Manga’s interpretations, though characters exclusive to 2003′s plot are present. 2003!Wrath and Sloth, for example, are present as homunculi created in the image of lost loved ones (not botched resurrections) and retain their powers of absorbing and liquid morphing, and remain with their human creators as family. they are benign here!

The main cast are largely split up between the Earthborn Coalition and Endowed Fleet, with a few of the more morally ambigious in the Stingers. In particular, the Elric family are Coalition kids but attend schooling at the Fleet and the Rockbells are a Fleet family.

the Ishvalans are a human ethnic group that has long survived all those who try to destroy their people, and Scar (who keeps his name private for religious reasons) at some point wound up in the Great Library to study its mysteries. Amestris was a Commonwealth world that devastated the Ishvalan homeworld in the pursuit of conquest, compelled by FAther’s forces for mystery reasons, and Scar thus has a particular vendetta against them.

of the homunculi, Greed is still the one good boy of the group, and is a major player in the Fleet as a business dude and pro villain! everyone loves him and he has several worlds to administer, but he would be happy with a small town populated by his closest friends. is a very important person but doesn’t consider himself as anything more than a bar owner with some connections, and unlike his kin, does not see himself as a higher lifeform than the organics he was made from.